Whee-oo
The hateful blaring alarm shrieked in his ears, forcing him awake. He didn't know how many hours of respite he had gotten, but the rising sun suggested it couldn't be more than a handful.
Leaping out of bed, he heard the terrified cries and muffled sobbing through the ship's metallic walls. That's how they had been living for the past two weeks: at the terrorising rhythm of the alarm and... Elena's even voice that always followed it.
"Flying beasts rushing at us from the front. Clash predicted in five minutes. To all available mages, move to the deck and prepare to repel them."
With a deep sigh, Julius equipped his blood-stained armor. Though Adam had emphasised hygiene during his growth, he barely had time to sleep, much less wash it. But like the sun rising to illuminate the darkest night, their nightmares would soon end.
"Three days," he muttered, his fingers tightening on his gladius' grip.
