Sometimes you push all your life and nothing ever significant comes out of it, said Strum to Hale as they harboured their ship towards England from France. Hale could hardly anything that Strum spoke, it was raining outside and he was wary of any carriers that were going to attack him. "What are you talking about?" asked Hale. Nothing, he muttered. Most of life is spent talking something and no one listening, he said. Taking his binoculars out and looking deep into the far ocean.
"Are there any mermaids her cap," he asked the captain of the ship who stood beside them. The captain must have thought that this man is crazy. But his reaction was wiped off in the rain. The rather large carrier continued to storm through choppy waters. The tides continued to change the course of the carrier as the crew stuck to their tasks.
As they watched the ship sail, something else sailed along with it too. There was a shark like creature sailing atop the ocean cruising along with it. What's that asked strum to the captain. The captain was not too worried about it, as he had his mind on other matters.
Strum shook the shoulders of Hale. What is it? asked an agitated Hale. I saw something out of the ordianary, replied Strum. You serious? asked Hale. No, something dangerous, he stammered. Like a mutant shark, he said. Just then there was a knock on the side of the vessel. What was that? asked Hale. Strum shrugged his shoulders. Alright, alright, he said. Come, let us have a look, and the both of them ran towards the danger.
A creature jumped out to the top of the boat and caught them with its hands, choking them with its arms as it dived back into the water. Help! shouted strum as the onlookers watched helplessly as the storm encompassed them. Thunder and lightning poured down with all its might, like raining bullets from the sky. Each drop pierced the navy men and soldiers alike and they could not help but run inside the ship for cover.
Hale could not help but dive into the abyss along with his thoughts. Memories of his broken childhood resurfaced. The taunting and humiliation he received from children and teachers alike burnt a hole in his then tender heart. His eyes closed as Strum shouted something underwater that ended up being lost as water bubbles. Hale was dying only for his mother's face to be ingnited in his mind. Like a light at the end of the tunnel, her face gave him a jot of energy. He opened his eyes again much to the relief of Strum. He gasped for air and this time his wish was granted. He dropped them into the heavily bombed, once beautiful Ile de Re. Once where beautiful coconut trees smelled all the way across to the sandy beaches, now wreaked of napalm. But to these men, it smelt like home. They could not help but smile. A majority of the century was riddled with large wars of unquantifiable destruction and copious amounts of napalm. Get up! said Blitz to the men who were like himself. Adualated by a few and humiliated by most. He was large and had a chest like a shark, but it was the ugliest face one would come across. He much resembled like a goblin. A lab rat, an experiment gone wrong. Will made his hands like a brick and stood with a fierce tenacity. Strum was however in a more forgiving mood even after the deep dive he had gone just been indulged in, forcibly. Why have you got us here? asked Hale wasting no time in asking about his whereabouts or indeed where he had come from. The military man simply assumed that he was fighting in the side of the Germans. I'm not your enemy, said Blitz. You are now, said Hale as he flung his brick hands to the wide frame of Blitz sending him to the ground. Lightning and thunder did not rest that night. It sprinkled all over the place like desert. Blitz got up and spoke again. I'am not your enemy, he said I'm that deserted island where only the rain was heard. But the noise was soon outdone by the marvellous force Hale's hand had struck the face of Blitz this time burying him.
Let us hear him out, said Strum. I almost died Strum, said Hale. Why on gods earth do we believe him, asked Hale. Strum was stupefied himself with all the water that had gone inside his head. He ruffled his head like a dog and let the water out. Blitz got up, but this time he could not help himself as he ran towards Hale and pummeled him to the ground. Strum punched him and as he fell, carried him up in the air and left him from a fair height. Blitz fell down injuring his bone, but he only needed to shake it off. It became apparently clear to them that their opponent was a much stronger man than they were. By that didn't deter them away from fighting. These men were after all fighters, real fighters girmnwhen they were young. Broken bones before their bones could ever break. Broken spirit before their spirits could ever fail. They could push and push, till there was nothing else to give.
As thunder clapped down hard on the island, blood flowed out of the mouth of Hale. His jaws were broken. Strums let's we're twisted and he could not fly a more. They were on the verge of being unconscious, but still they carried in. Hale caught the throat of Blitz only for the goblin faced man to laugh. He caught his hands and broke into half.
That is enough! Shouted a voice from the sky. A man with a huge black cloak all around him landed down among these mortals. The rain withdrew itself in the presence of Andruil, the god of the bastards. Who are you? asked blit. Who I'am does not matter, why I'am here does, he said and removed his cloak. His face illuminated in the darkness. A childlike expression soon dissipated as he saw the condition of Hale. A face of wrath took hold of him as he questioned the recklessness of these men. What do you want ? asked Strum as the rain ceased to wash away the blood from his face. I want you to know, who you are, he said. Who are we? asked Hale in his muffled voice gathering all the strength he could muster. His arms pushing the ground deep into the ocean it would soon belong to.
You are sons of god, who gave abandoned you, he said to them. A shadowy creature hidden behind walls and his own mask watched keenly. Sons of god? asked Blitz. Yes, he said. not a lab experiment gone wrong, he asked Andruil. Andruil laughed aloud and even Djotan was scared. No, he said as he took his wand out and raised it to the skies. Only a god can make you, he proclaimed with a touch of sadness and jealousy. And for me he said, I'am a god who was abandoned for a mistake I committed a long time ago. I was to look after the bastards if gods, he said. Their recklessness became my duty, uttered. Here I'am, because you are incapable of not holding onto your life, he said, specifically looking at Hale. Your death means I have failed in my duty, he said. Everyone was shocked there, except Djotan. He knew who he was and had long accepted it. You are given superpowers and you are misusing it, he warned them. Do good with it, become a beacon of light to people in this jungle of darkness. Protect the weak against injustice, he said. Make something of the gift that you have been given, he said to them and departed.