The calm water broke apart, quickly pushing away from its stillness. The sound of splashing water continuously collided with the hull of a brown wooden ship. Even though thick fog blocked the view. In the middle of Lake Aipsak, the sailing ship followed wherever the wind moved.
The wooden walls were tightly arranged. Nails could be seen embedded neatly. Even though the surface was not smooth, its slenderness and length looked perfect.
From the night sky above, clouds shifted slowly and from their gaps, moonlight moved again in the darkness, slowly illuminating the sail cloth and some of it fell onto the deck.
Small posts on many sides of the deck stood firmly planted, even as the ropes stretched tight and unmoving were bound firmly there.
In the middle of all that stood one strong and tall mast. All ropes were tied to it. Right there the sail cloth could be seen swelling, held by crossbars attached to the strongest mast.
Cold air blew quickly, passing through all of that. But—when it passed through the stacked barrels and casks. The cold air slipped slightly through the gaps.
It seems, no one knows. That those barrels are truly empty or not.
The door hinge screamed loudly. The door panel
moved quickly, crashing into the cabin wall. The sound of impact roared, the air pushed away slightly.
"Quick!" his voice commanded heavily.
It came from a man, who with his shoe had kicked the cabin door.
The wooden deck floor trembled. They were barefoot and covered in dust on their bodies. Step by step, that group of people made no sound. Their thin worn clothes. Eyes closed, tightly bound with cloth, as well as their mouths and hands.
Their steps were directed, until they approached the large mast in the center.
The sound of their breathing began to become irregular. One by one they started kneeling, while trying to regulate their breathing to be calmer.
Most of their physiques did not yet look fully grown but could not be called children either. Even though their mouths were gagged and wrapped with cloth bindings, still no one dared to make a sound.
Clouds in the sky moved slightly covering the moon. The moonlight dimmed.
From inside the cabin that seemed to lead below the deck, the sound of heavy footsteps approached. His leather coat hung down to the back of his knees. Gloves covered his palms, gripping the end of a long and solid object.
A staff that lengthened and thickened at the end dragged across the floor.
A sharp scraping sound full of scratches appeared as the staff was dragged faster. Followed by the sound of footsteps that grew heavier with each step. The red cloth wrapped around his neck fluttered slowly as the air passed by.
The man who kicked the door earlier fell silent and averted his gaze.
"This is all of them, R'ogues," he said while glancing.
Then his feet shifted slightly away from the line of kneeling people. The man in the leather coat called R'ogues walked closer to the line of people.
"Our location...have we passed the border yet, Graem?" asked R'ogues.
Graem who had stepped aside began observing the surroundings, including the dark and foggy scenery.
"With the speed and departure time, we have definitely left the borders of the Ognfret kingdom,"
At the same time the sound of footsteps from two people came out from the same direction as R'ogues. Graem and R'ogues did not pay attention to them.
"Ah don't mind us...we just want to watch," said one of them as they moved to the edge of the deck, somewhat far from R'ogues.
Whether their words were heard or not. But they began sitting on the wooden barrels arranged at the edge of the deck.
"Everything is going smoothly, right," said R'ogues
"Yeah it's just that some are troublesome." Graem glanced at the line of kneeling people.
R'ogues also glanced. Then quickly, he lowered his staff and lifted it with both hands. His gloves provided a firm grip and a heavy sound.
"You already understand, right?" asked Graem.
"No need to ask," replied R'ogues
Graem began stepping, heading toward the cabin he came from.
"In that case, I will take care of Chaplin's job,"
"You mean the hired hunter wearing a tall hat?" asked R'ogues, this time with a faint smile.
Even though R'ogues' voice was heard, Graem continued walking without paying attention to him. Seeing that, R'ogues' expression became slightly displeased.
"Start quickly R'ogues!" a loud voice came from the two men who had been watching.
One of the men sitting on the wooden barrels shouted at R'ogues using his hand.
Their lips held paper rolled into a small stick filled with tobacco. One of them took out a lighter. While shielding it from the wind, a click sound was heard. The flame ignited, burning the paper.
R'ogues observed them for a moment, before approaching the line of humans who had been silent in resignation.
R'ogues' steps were calm, from left to right. Looking at each person's face. One by one the cloth bindings on their eyes were removed by R'ogues.
"Hello...," greeted R'ogues with a friendly smile.
Those who could not speak, clenched their hands tightly as if holding something back. Under the night sky five people on the deck stared sharply at R'ogues.
"Alright... Transition:—"
Breathing frequency normal, while the heart beat faster. The Anima energy within R'ogues' body reacted. His heart activity increased, creating a chain of reactions. Pushing R'ogues' Anima energy out from its core.
"First Sky!"
Anima Eugenes came out from R'ogues' body covering him. The five people watched without feeling the pressure shown by R'ogues.
All breaths were clearly visible in the cold air. The splashing water against the hull and the fog that slowly faded.
R'ogues noticed their expressions.
"My, what is this? Unbelievable...this might be fun...," said R'ogues with a wide smile.
Anima Eugenes flowed slowly from R'ogues' hands, also covering his staff. The friction between Anima Eugenes and the staff could be heard.
Repeatedly the thickened end of the staff lifted and landed on R'ogues' palm.
"I actually want to just tell you all to surrender immediately. But it seems it won't be that easy, right...," said R'ogues.
The five people observed, their eyebrows beginning to furrow
"Because of that we will play a game...," he continued.
R'ogues walked calmly, moving from the center to the very edge of the line.
"You can CRY!... You can RUN!... Or you can BREATHE!"
Their gazes were confused facing R'ogues' words.
"...Damn! you all will definitely do it."
R'ogues smiled widely, his white teeth clearly visible. The hard staff was pointed at the head of the person in front of him. Right in front of their eyes, staring at the solid object flowing with Anima Eugenes.
"Eeny."
Feet stepped slowly, the pointing staff began to shift.
"Meeny—"
The sound of calm footsteps, another face stared.
"Miny—"
And shifted again, another face felt the same.
"Moe—"
Until reaching the opposite edge of the line from
before.
"Catch."
Shifted back again.
"A tiger—"
Moving toward the previous direction.
"By the toe—"
In the middle and kept walking.
"Its legs—"
Who would it stop on.
Nothing changed from what had been happening from the beginning. R'ogues from earlier only seemed like he was talking to himself.
The staff was pulled, its thick end lifted and rested on R'ogues' shoulder.
"Ahh! Why are your expressions all like that,"
"I-if— if only all of you just surrendered, no one would get hurt. Without any exception!"
The staff was raised again.
The repeated exhale became faster.
"If he screams!"
Moving and beginning to shift again.
"Let him go—"
The staff moved from one face to another.
Again.
"My mother told me—"
What their mistake was—no one knew for sure.
"To choose the best...,"
Everything nearly stopped and the one chosen was.
"And you are...,"
"The one!"
The one kneeling right in the middle.
Suddenly everything fell silent.
Something happened on the deck floor.
The breathing of the other four became faster
Blood splattered everywhere.
Pupils trembling in disbelief.
Cold sweat began to flow.
Everything returned to silence.
The deck floor was slightly damaged, pierced by fragments of bone. Blood completed something that was no longer in shape.
The sound of someone unable to endure it was heard. Even though the cloth wrapping restrained the sound from leaving his mouth.
Drops of blood flowed falling from its end.
R'ogues' staff was sticky with that red liquid.
R'ogues' eyes observed the other four people.
"Thank goodness...,"
"No one wet their pants, right?"
As if hiding his staff behind his back. R'ogues tilted his body slightly toward one person. Staring closely.
That person's pupils trembled.
Staring sharply at R'ogues.
"You may cry as much as you want...," said R'ogues in a whispering voice.
One of his hands began rubbing. As if trying to loosen the rope binding his hands.
"You know? Actually I never liked doing this."
R'ogues straightened his body again. His hand began swinging his staff. Striking the air in front of the line, splashes of blood were thrown onto their faces.
"Someone moves again...and that will be the cause of your friend's death,"
Someone who had moved his hands earlier stopped. Meanwhile the others' breathing became irregular. Eyes reddened and tears flowed. Clear liquid flowed from the nostrils.
Unable to endure all of this.
Finally.
One of the calmest drew R'ogues' attention. His gaze was very calm. R'ogues' hand moved pulling the cloth covering his mouth.
"I will tell everything!" he shouted though slightly trembling.
The other three quickly looked at him.
"That's it! That is what you should have shown me from the start,"
The shaking heads of his companions disturbed the focus of the calmest one.
"But with one condition, the freedom and safety of the four of us is guaranteed!" said that person loudly.
Naive.
Naivety is never accepted in this world.
Including this ship.
There is only one place where Naivety will be accepted and that— has long been covered in darkness.
R'ogues realized it and began to laugh softly.
"Alright—"
Suddenly a violent shock cut off R'ogues' words.
That violent shock came from inside the ship, beneath the feet of R'ogues and the others. Someone's Anima energy was felt piercing deeply into the mind and heart.
Something happened inside the ship.
"Whose Anima energy is this?" R'ogues' expression changed—confused.
Empty barrels shook, colliding until almost falling. Luckily the two men who had been watching reacted quickly to hold them.
Without them realizing, red Anima energy surged violently from inside one of the barrels. Ready to explode in a short time.
-When I Open My Eyes My Eyes: My Journey Begins-