“Look out!”
“Be careful!”
The monster seagulls were fierce. As the boats began neared the aircraft carrier, seagulls began aggressively attacking them. Some were shot down but they attacked even through the rain of bullets.
Many boats sank along with the huge seagulls that dived onto them.
The sea turned red from the blood of the seagulls as gunfire kept roaring. Soon, the seagulls retreated. Some returned to the aircraft carrier while others went inland. Soldiers began to search for any survivors who had fallen into the sea.
“Harrison!”
“Get me up!”
“Where are others?!”
“We’ve got ’em all!”
The rescued soldiers were quickly hauled back onto the boat, and then they reached the aircraft carrier.
“This is a ship…? It’s as big as an island.”
Arwen spoke in surprise and Gedenkroy echoed his thoughts.
“Building a metal ship this large… the technology here was unmatched.”
It was astoundingly huge, yet it was well-crafted by using various metals.
‘A cannonball would barely make a scratch.’
The Khalodian Empire had many powerful weapons, including cannons, that laid waste to most castles and fortress in the land, but this aircraft carrier seemed like it would even withstand such attacks.
That’s when guns started firing again. Seagulls had begun descending onto the deck. However, faced with heavy gunfire sending tens of birds dead into the sea, the seagulls began to flee. Soldiers climbed up to the boat and found baby birds who could not fly yet.
“Kill these monster birds!” Hectos shouted and glanced behind the baby birds that were coming to eat the invading humans. There were piles of human bones.
“What…?!”
“Are those all human bones?”
The number of bones on the deck was unexpected and every soldier who came aboard the carrier was shocked. They weren’t all human bones as there were bones of large fish, animals, and other unknown unidentifiable creatures. Also, there were still rotten carcasses all over the place. It was a disgusting sight.
“Kill them all,” Hectos ordered and all the soldiers began firing whatever weapons they had without mercy. With the sight of the massacre, coupled with the rotten smell, the soldiers suddenly thirsted for vengeance. They remembered what they had been through in the past while fighting monsters and that made them attack more fiercely.
“12 o’clock! They’re running away!”
Guns fired, and fired again. The smell of gunpowder filled the deck of the aircraft carrier and death permeated the ship. It was a good while before the gunfire stopped. The soldiers lowered their guns and panted as they looked around. Sweat beaded on their foreheads and rolled down their backs.
“Let’s make sure all of ’em are dead. And check to make sure they aren’t any hiding.”
Hectos’ lieutenant, Gen Osram, coldly gave his orders and the soldiers began to move out, looking everywhere on the deck.
“We have a survivor!”
Arwen quickly ran towards the soldier who shouted.
“Aaargh! Help!”
“Ahhhh!”
Arwen dug through a large pile of bones and pulled. There was a small human that was pulled out. Everyone froze. Hectos’ eyes widened in shock and Gen was also surprised.
Gedenkroy looked dumbfoundedly at the boy that Arwen was holding up, and the small girl holding onto the boy.
“Don’t kill us!”
“Ahhhh! Don’t kill my brother!”
Nobody could find words to speak; they just stood there and stared.
“…Are you hungry?”
The two kids fell silent as the boy looked up at the voice. Arwen looked down and found the boy’s eyes. They were hidden in his long and dirty hair, but they were big and clear, even though they were teary.
Arwen then heard the boy’s stomach rumbling and let him down.
“We only have rations, sir.”
Arwen laughed at the soldier who brought up the rations. He did not care as these kids were not in a situation to care about what kind of food it was. The Ainos and the entire land had suffered such hunger before, so Arwen knew what it was like to be in such a situation.
The two children’s eyes grew wide as they were given bread and water.
“It-it’s bread…!”
“Bread?”
Unlike the older child, the young one didn’t seem to get what bread was.
“Yeah! Misun! This is bread! It’s real bread! Mom showed me a picture once!”
“Huh? Really? Can we eat it?”
“Y-yeah! Uh… can we?”
Arwen then held up the bread and ripped it slowly. Then, he placed a small piece into his own mouth and chewed.
“Oh!”
The two children looked at Arwen’s hand and mouth.
“Here. Make sure you chew it slowly, don’t eat too fast. And drink some water first.”
The children began to eat. Soldiers gathered around them and looked at them with smiles on their faces.
End of Chapter
