GIN'S MESSAGE (2)
1069 Words
“Gin, you failed before. What makes you think we have a chance now?” Atlan asked. Even though he knew Gin, he didn’t trust him. Certainly not enough to put the life of he and his men in his hands.
“Because if we don’t, we’ll all be dead before we get a second chance,” Gin replied sternly. That was the most serious he had been throughout their conversation. Of course, it’s not enough to convince Atlan. Gin knew that as well.
“You failed the last time. Why is this time any different?” Atlan asked.
"You heard about it this far away."
"Yes, and Gin, that was a very stupid move."
"Going in at that time was. Clearly, we didn't account for their numbers well enough. But now, if we combine your genius and my experience, I'm sure we can work something ---" Gin said desperately trying to convince Atlan but was cut short.
"And I thought you were stupid before."
Atlan’s patience was thin. And rightfully so. A few years ago, Ahovin took a last stand against the mega dragons. The Nura and what remained of the Arvin army, allied with a few other kingdoms and launched a full-scale attack. But they were thwarted before they could arrive at the heart of the mega dragon army. And that was where Atlan had issues. If that large an army could fail, what could six men do?
"We need the dragon king and only your blood can get through," Gin said. The dragon king had returned to its realm. As the only royal Arvin left, Atlan was the only one that could reach it. But even his father failed to convince the mighty dragon to help. Both Atlan and Gin knew this. And yet, Gin stood in front of him with the same proposal he offered the last king of the Arvins.
“Are you saying that, knowing what happened to my father?” Atlan snapped.
Gin knew he had hit a nerve, but he had no other choice. He believed that if the dragon king had been on their side the last time, they would have won. “There is a way this time. Tia found---”
"I'm not going anywhere Gin. At least not now," Atlan interjected.
"You're just going to hide here forever and be what, arms for hire? You're a prince, Atlan!"
"And I just saved one yesterday so what difference does being a prince make?!"
"Our prince." Gin said calmly. He needed to not lose his nerve while trying to convince Atlan. But why was he making it so difficult? Didn’t he want to avenge his people and reclaim his lands? He believed that every human with the power to would jump at the opportunity. Certainly, Atlan had the power. Or, did he truly believe that he didn’t?
"You really think I've done nothing? You've heard of Losvayne I'm sure. I, alongside their new king, built it. We won it back from the Egorks and the dragons. I've been doing that for a lot of places now. I charge money for it because we need to survive. And if my plan is to work, we'll need a lot of money and allies. And yes, I have a plan. I came to a city I thought I'd settle, make it my base maybe. One dragon was what it took to uproot us. One. All because we were ill-equipped. I trained all the soldiers there. My team used to have more than fifty of us, a number of us were special humans. Now, six of us are what remains of that incident. We came to this barren land and made it this city you see now. It'll take years before my plan will set into motion---"
"We don't have that much time," Gin interrupted.
"There you again with that,” Atlan retorted.
"My sources tell me that they are planning something big. Even bigger than when they first came."
"How convenient for you," Atlan said.
"I know there’s a lot of doubt. Believe me, I have mine too. But even if there’s a one-percent chance that they might be planning something, we have to act immediately. For too long we’ve been on the back foot, eating their crumbs, their leftovers, chasing their shadows. Fighting only when they want us to, where they want us to. Well, no more. This time we bring the fight to them, whether they’re ready or not. And for that to happen, we need you, Atlan. You are the last Deharas. The only one that can get to the dragon king!"
"Yes, the last one! And it seems to me like you're trying to wipe out the entire Deharas bloodline. Everyone is gone, Gin. Face it. Even the Nura left!"
Gin went cold silent. Atlan spoke the truth. Harsh as it was but it was the truth nonetheless. Even his own team left him. The only person still in contact with him was Tia, the dolphin of the Nura. She was the brains behind the group and the reason Gin was yet to give up. She had sacrificed so much for him to be where he was. They both had. He wouldn’t be so easily deterred. If he could convince Atlan, it would be a whole lot easier to convince the rest of their allies. Atlan was the centerpiece. Gin had to win him over no matter what.
"Don't rush into a decision yet. We'll still talk and I'll wait around for a few days to see if you'll come around. If that's okay with you that is," Gin said as calmly as he could.
Atlan knew he had been harsh, but he wasn’t about to apologize. He had his own people to look out for in Kerra as well. "You don't have anywhere to stay do you?" Atlan asked.
"Actually... I don't, I don't have a place to stay. I could really use your help for a few days," Gin admitted.
"You're welcome to stay. But as far away from the center as possible. The others don’t trust you. And me… barely," Atlan said.
"I'm grateful."
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll change my mind though.”
“I hope you will nonetheless.”
"So what is this threat that's made you homeless? You said they were planning something big right?"
"Tia called it a titan," Gin replied
- Writer
