viii. Sky Blade

At the same day, few hours after the sun set in the west horizon. The sounds of trumpets sounded from the deck of the biggest ship among dozens of other ships in that dock. Reverberated through all corners of the city. Reflected between the hills in the south border, made it louder.

After the last echo faded away, massive sails unfurled. Drums beating, sign for departure. Shouts of commands roaring, continued to another like falling dominoes. With swift motion thousands of sailors raised the anchors, tied the ropes, put down the sails, running around taking their position.

Hundreds of soldiers stood on the deck of the ships, giving their salute to the townsmen who bid their farewell from the harbor. Candles that burned out by the citizen flickered like thousand of fireflies on the port, adding magnificent feel to the scene of the departure of the biggest exploration ever in that northern continent.

There were forty ships in that fleet. Six ships left from the city harbor. The other thirty-four ships were departed from the bay, only the twinkles of their lamps could be seen from the city.

Those thirty-four ships that previously waiting in the bay was consisted of thirty warships, big and completed with thousands of soldiers and dozens of cannons; and the other four was exclusively carrying high officials of the capital, other important persons, commodities, merchandises, and other precious items.

The six ships that departed from the port was consisted of five logistics ships that filled with food, blankets, freshwater, andy other daily necessities; and the last one was the biggest ship, the fastest ship, the most beautiful ship with the greatest ammunitions among the other thirty-nine. The ship that would sailed in the most front of their fleet, the ship where the leader of the armada would organized their journey to the Land of Hope.

The ship was Sky Blade.

With Admiral Lee Howon on it.

The six ships moved out from the port like flock of swans, elegant. The commanders was skillful in turning the wheel. All the needs had been equipped. All the shortage had been fulfilled. New sailors with firm body and strong arms had joined.

Admiral Lee Howon ordered his deckhand to flicker some light codes toward the other thirty-four ships that was waiting for them far in the bay. They would meet at a certain area in the end of the peninsula. The long journey were going to begin.

His command executed like war command.

Just in one hour and half, those six ships had joined their fleet in the bay. And soon, like a floating city in the middle of the vast iceman, the exploration toward the Land of Hope began their journey that no one knew its end, where, when, and how.

A trip to pick the death.

All of the sailors and the soldiers on the ships didn't worry about the five faces of death in the six sides of the dice. Their heart filled with confidence and pride. In case they had to die in that journey, then they would die as valiant soldiers. Die in a  mighty armada that in the history would be more known as Armada of Floating City. Die in an expedition to find Land of Hope. All of the sailors and the soldiers shouted to the dark night sky. Celebrating the departure of the fleet of the forty ships.

Only Sunggyu sat alone in the small cabin in the hold of the Sky Blade. As many others lowly sailors whose job was preparing meals, cleaning the ships and washing clothes, he got the narrowest room as his allotments. The light from the full moon shone the room from the small round windows in the cabin, but Sunggyu was not in the mood to enjoy the beauty of the sea in the night. He was not excited to stand in the deck waving hands like the others.

Sunggyu didn't want to see, for the last time, the city where he was born, the city where he grew up, the city where he met his lover and also where he lost his sweetheart. His Woohyun.

As Sky Blade moved further and further away crossing the sea, Sunggyu grew more depressed. The sadness swallowed him. Hammering from the inside. He would parted from Woohyun's tomb. Far. Away.

Sunggyu wept in his little cabin, bathed in the soft light of the full moon. He didn't know why he strayed in this fate. Somehow he was already in this ships that would bring him someplace far. For some reasons he didn't know why he registered his name as a sailor that afternoon.

Complying that stranger's words.

--

Day after day had been passed in that journey.

Night turned into day, and day switched into night. Days rolled into weeks, then months unnoticed. Morning and afternoon took their turn, uninterrupted whether someone was happy or sad.

Sunggyu was uneducated, indeed, but didn't mean he was stupid. He was counted as quick in adapting with the new environment surrounding him though the sadness stil