xiv. Land of Hope

Sky Blade were severely damaged. It continued sailing with wheel broken into two and deck burn out. The other nine warships' condition were more critical, had to be towed to the nearest seaport.

Admiral Lee Howon instructed his armada to sail in full speed toward the first city in the southern continent. They needed food, water and any other necessities to continue their expedition. Until they docked, all the crews had to withstand their hunger. They had nothing left to eat.

But all the crews didn't mind starving for two days full. They had passed and destroyed the barricade of legendary pirate of southern continent. And this fact was more than enough to make them happy for days even with empty stomach. That night they held a party. A party without wine and food. But, who care? They could still make a festive atmosphere. All the lowly sailors celebrated with all the soldiers who survived the battle, gathered in Eye Gaze that still perfectly fine. Admiral Lee Howon relocated the operation of the expedition to that warships.

Sungyeol had been looking for Sunggyu. He wanted to ask Sunggyu to play his music. "It would make the party more lively," Sungyeol thought while grinning. But he couldn't find him. Sunggyu was always like that. When Sungyeol was not looking for him, he always there, in front of his eyes with his sad face, but when Sungyeol was looking for him, he would disappear who knew where.

Actually Sunggyu was not going anywhere. He was in the stern of Eye Gaze, leaning against the wall, staring at the ocean. The night breeze ruffled his hair. The moon was high in the sky. The stars twinkled brightly in the cloudless sky. What a beautiful scenery. Especially for such a pleasant night, make it more stunning.

Sunggyu touched each of his fingers. Observing the callouses there. Look, he had killed more than a dozen people in the battle. "Ah, at least Sungyeol killed twice as much," Sunggyu comforted himself. Grimacing. Smiling bitterly.

His subconscious whispered that he should be sad with that fact. But his mind was full with various things. Not that old memories, though. This time Sunggyu didn't give any chance for those memories to come back. No. He would be hurting again. And it wouldn't be suitable for this festive night.

His mind was full with thousands questions at the moment. Unmistakably about Admiral Lee Howon. He was so sure last night he heard that old man. Though his tone was more insistent than when he talked to Sunggyu. But he recognized the old man's voice.

Sunggyu sighed for the fifth time. If truth be told, he really wanted to go to Admiral Lee Howon's room. Asking the admiral thousands questions. But he couldn't. The admiral's room must be filled with the generals, officers and other senior sailors who was partying. Sunggyu would only interfere and be a nuisance. Admiral Lee Howon was too great to be disturbed with that weird matter. Sunggyu sighed once again.

Suddenly Sungyeol finally saw Sunggyu stood in the rear back of the ship. Smiling, he walked closer, ready to call for him. But someone already called for Sunggyu before Sungyeol opened his mouth. From the other side of Eye Gaze, another sailor stepped closer to Sunggyu.

"Hey, are you the Crying Sailor?"

Sunggyu turned his head, and so did Sungyeol who was only in ten feet distance from him. Whoever that sailor, he must be not from Sky Blade, because both of them didn't recognize him.

"Are you the Crying Sailor?" The sailor asked once again, shifting closer to Sunggyu.

Sunggyu nodded slowly.

"Admiral Lee Howon is waiting for you in his room."

--

Sunggyu and Sungyeol looked at each other. But the sailor urged him to quickly follow him. So Sunggyu moved his feet. Down the loud deck. Got into the hold. Climbed down the stairs, passed the corridors, and finally they arrived at a private room. Previously it was Eagle Eye's. But because Admiral Lee Howon was using it now, the general moved to another room.

Sunggyu entered the room. But no one was there except for the admiral who was standing close to the big round window, staring at the ocean.

"There's no party here," Sunggyu whispered to himself.

"Ah, Sunggyu. Come in! Don't hesitate!" Admiral Lee Howon greeted him with warm tone.

Slowly Sunggyu stepped closer. The sailor who escorted him already left after he closed the door for him. Once he was near, Sunggyu finally saw there were four bandages on the admiral. One in the thigh, two in the arms and one near the neck.

"Look! Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Admiral Lee Howon gestured at the ocean through his window. Smiling.

Sunggyu nodded. He had enjoyed it from the stern. It was beautiful, indeed. Stared at the still ocean. Sunggyu kept his silent as he waited, though actually he really wanted to open his mouth and bombard the admiral with questions that had filling his mind since last night. But wasn't he the one who was called? So he had to wait.

"Do you know what's the meaning of our victory?" Admiral Lee Howon asked after a moment of silence.

Sunggyu shook his head, didn't understand. His knowledge was not even half of Sungyeol's.

"A lot, Sunggyu, a lot. You would know and understand some of them on the day after tomorrow… But the most important for you and also for me are we would never know all the powers that exist in this world… Moreover the ones that in the heaven…"

Sunggyu gulped. That talks--

"Stand beside me, Sunggyu… We will talk about a lot of things while staring at the beautiful ocean…" Admiral Lee Howon then shifted to give room for Sunggyu so he could also look outside through the round window.

Sunggyu obeyed, stood beside the admiral. Their height was different, but their figure and posture were not differ much, not anymore. Now Sunggyu also had firm muscles, his body scarred.

"I knew you were eavesdropping my conversation with the old man last night…"

"I'm so sorry, O Great Admiral… I didn't mean to…" Sunggyu gulped, had just realize that he did a big mistake. He could be charged as a spy and decapitated.

"Ah! It didn't really matter… Forget it… You saw the dragonflies, right?"

Sunggyu nodded.

"Yes, I'm just like you, Sunggyu… I could see the dragonflies. Only the chosen one could see the dragonflies…"

Sunggyu stunned. It was a news to him.

"Did you know, just like you, the Tale Keeper also promised me a beautiful tale to be carved by my own hands." The admiral smiled proudly when saying the words. Showing his hands. As if he loved all the weird fate that must be followed.

Sunggyu felt his throat dried. While he felt compelled to believe the stupid words and didn't understand why he had to join this life-threatening expedition, on the contrary Admiral Lee Howon thought all of these were enchanting.

"Who is the Tale Keeper?" After kept his silence for a moment, Sunggyu mustered up his courage to ask.

"Hadn't he made known himself to you?"

"I don't really understand," Sunggyu complained. What he meant was actually, at that time he wasn't really educated, so he couldn't really fathom what the Tale Keeper explained.

Admiral Lee Howon wiped his handsome face. Silenced for a moment. Looked like he was arranging some sentences in his head.

"He is a tale maker, Sunggyu… Keeping the tales. Making the tales… The tales that then inherited from generation to generation through our grandfather, our father, our parents when sending their children to sleep. Delivered as a bedtime story… The Tale Keeper carved the tales through people chosen by him… Sculpting tales that needed by the world… Giving hopes to the people who heard the tales, promises of merit, evils always lose, and so on… So life could go much better…"