Bear School Astartes

Barnabas was still dripping wet, looking a bit disheveled, as he turned on the deck towards Cassandra and Lann, staring at them, then kneeled on the ground like a cloak dropped to the floor.

He gazed at Cassandra and Lann, his eyes filled with awe.

”On my travels, I’ve met some who claim to have the blood of the gods. But boasting is the simplest and cheapest thing to do; I believe one truly judges a person by observing their actions. But you two are the first to make me truly believe it is so.”

Lann moved to the side, leaning against the wooden railing of the ship.

Icarus descended from the sky onto Cassandra’s shoulder; she waved a hand, signaling Barnabas to rise.

”Before getting so polite, shouldn’t we introduce ourselves?”

”Ah! Indeed!” The old man snapped out of his reverie, awkwardly tidying his soaked hair and collar.

”I’m Barnabas, captain of the Adrestia.”

”Much appreciated! I’ve spent my life on the sea, and to die in a big pot on land just now would have been disgraceful.”

”No need to be so formal, Barnabas. I’m Cassandra, a mercenary.”

Cassandra laughed brightly and then exchanged a forearm grip with Barnabas. Then she tilted her head to look at Lann standing to the side.

The Demon Hunter acknowledged the signal and waved at Barnabas as well.

”Hello, I’m Lann, more or less a mercenary myself.”

He wasn’t used to being worshiped, but he didn’t mind making new friends.

And Barnabas’s easygoing nature seemed to be a good match for Lann’s personality. The old man jovially approached Lann and gave him a hearty bear hug.

As if they were old friends not seen in years.

This actually left Lann feeling a bit at a loss.

”Oh ho ho! My friends, you surely are more than just two mercenaries!”

He slapped Lann’s back vigorously.

”The One-eyed People pushed me into the water, I prayed to the gods, then they pulled me out. What do you think happened next? You two showed up!”

”It’s just a coincidence,” Lann said.

”You prayed, and I answered,” Cassandra replied.

Lann looked at Cassandra with some surprise, but what he saw was Cassandra’s confident and proud gaze.

She didn’t necessarily think of herself as a deity, but she believed she had the ability to answer others’ prayers.

A woman so confident it was blinding.

Lann thought to himself.

”Haha! Seems even in mythical stories, there are disagreements among you.”

Barnabas laughed heartily, feeling as if he were part of a grand play.

”Don’t tease us, Barnabas. Tell us, how did you get entangled with the One-eyed People?” Lann patted the old man on the shoulder, pointing at his soaked hair and collar. ”Though they’re brutal, they wouldn’t put every captain coming to Cephalonia through such a trial, right?”

At this, Barnabas sighed deeply.

”Actually, it was a misunderstanding with the One-eyed People. Recently, I was at a tavern by Sami Pier enjoying a meal. Eating is one thing, but drinking was more like it. I got into the spirit and decided to tell the locals a story from my past voyages, about something I saw on an island.”

”The story was exciting, the crowd enjoyed it, and I enjoyed telling it. But the second I mentioned ’One-eyed Monster,’ my head was shoved into a vat full of water.”

”Yeah, the One-eyed People are rather... sensitive to such words.” A suppressed smile tugged at the corners of Cassandra’s lips.

While Lann was more intrigued by the sailing story from Barnabas’s mouth.

”You mentioned a ’One-eyed Monster’? On which island, a beast with one eye blind?”

”Beast? No, no, Lann. Though my eyes have grown dim with age, at that time I was a sharp and capable man. I knew the difference between a beast and a ’monster.’”

”You want to hear the story, Lann? Ah, of course. Everyone loves stories, and I’d never tire of telling it even a thousand times more.”

A look of reminiscence crossed Barnabas’s single eye, while his tone was... cautious and fearful.

”My brother and I were once captains in the Athens Fleet, but later we got involved in a siege. Poseidon’s wrath destroyed our entire fleet, and that night I saw it...”

In times when information wasn’t so easily spread, storytelling was an attention magnet. Like now, Cassandra was also captivated by the story.

”It? What did you see?”

”Ah, when the Sea God unleashes his wrath, he can more than stir winds and rains.”

Barnabas lowered his voice as he spoke.

”I saw his beast, his ferocious pet!”

As he spoke, his only remaining eye surveyed the surrounding sea, as if on guard for something.

”Few people would believe me, but this lost eye is eternal evidence. A punishment for seeing Poseidon’s pet and living to tell the tale.”

After saying all this, Lann and Cassandra both fell silent. Clearly, neither expected Barnabas’s story to be of this kind.

They had thought he would at most tell a tale of the Athenian military or an island expedition. Unexpectedly, this well-informed old captain spoke of Poseidon’s pet... is this considered a mythical creature?

Fortunately, Barnabas himself didn’t seem prepared to say more. He let out a long breath.

”I owe you my life, without a doubt, all the crew also survived because of you. But apart from offering my loyalty, I can’t think of any other way to repay your lifesaving grace.”

”Just lending me your ship for a while would be enough,” Cassandra thought of her mission.

”A journey?” The old captain asked, ”I will take you anywhere, Hawk Trainer. If necessary, even to the edge of the world!”

The Hawk Trainer, as was the nickname the crew of the Adrestia had given Cassandra.

Eagles are the birds of the gods, and during the battle just moments ago, Icarus had helped Cassandra take down a thug directly. Hence the title ”Hawk Trainer” was born.

”And you, Lann? What are your plans?”

Barnabas turned and looked at the Demon Hunter.

”Do you have anywhere you want to go? We’d better coordinate, I’d like to repay you, but if you both have different plans... I only have one ship.”

”No need to consider me for now, Barnabas. My plans aren’t set yet.”

Lann smiled and waved his hand.

”Could I have a moment alone with Cassandra? There’s something I need to discuss with her.”

The old captain looked from the man to the woman, shrugged indifferently, and walked to the other side of the deck.