As I've Written/Amphoreus' Saga of Heroes.exe/Chapter 5

1-1

▶ ▶ The black tide that blotted out the sky surrounded the city walls,
The soldiers manning the walls battered from battle.

▶ ▶ Melodious chords of music were suddenly heard —
A single swordmaster had overcome the waves of enemies.

▶ ▶ The song flowed from betwixt the blades,
Breaking through formations as a dorsal fin cleaving the waves.

▶ ▶ When the last wicked beast finally fell,
Shattered into pieces amidst the sword's dance,
The frost blade bore no trace of blood.

1-2

▶ ▶ "The legions of heroes under my command are as vast as the sea,"
"Yet lack a formidable sword banner."
The commander extended a hand, inviting the musician to join.

▶ ▶ Should a fish separated from its school glimpse a faint glow,
It will swim toward the light.

▶ ▶ The swordmaster clasped the commander's hand,
As though gently grasping the hilt of a keen blade.

▶ ▶ When the spray of her waves extinguished the fires of war from the holy city,
A golden name was engraved upon the stone pillars —
The former commander burned the crown to become king.

1-3

▶ "Hysilens, brave in battle, triumphant in command."
"I grant you the title 'Dux Gladiorum.' Let us all forge ahead together!"

▶ ▶ During the banquet after the battle,
The weaver tailored for her a splendid dress,
And the commander poured her honey brew.

▶ ▶ Her golden-blooded comrades gathered about her,
Chanting her new name,
Urging her to play that splendid music.

▶ ▶ The candlelight danced and mingled with flowing drink,
Swords and song ringing out in unison.

▶ ▶ Yet none knew,
That was once a lonely melody from the deep sea.

1-4

▶ ▶ The music of revelry continued for a long time —

▶ ▶ Until the whispers of conspiracies were buried in the songs,
Until the roars of lethal struggle shattered the music.

▶ ▶ Legend holds that they who bear the weight of a pillar,
Shall one day return to where it stands.

▶ ▶ Those who tug at the earth shall end amongst the mountains,
Those who sew dawn and dusk shall remain eternal in the sky.

▶ ▶ And she would once again return to the pitch-black sea,
And she would once again sing her music alone.

▶ ▶ The bountiful ocean,
With the banquets of bygone days,
Stir as futile bubbles at the bottom of a glass.

1-5

▶ ▶ Many years later,
The song once played by that swordmaster,
Was played by future generations in the holy city.

▶ ▶ The people knew,
The demigod of the seas was still a noble captain.
She possessed peerless swordsmanship,
And a song that is passed down through the ages.

▶ ▶ It was just that she had long since vanished.

▶ ▶ Guests at the banquet sometimes spoke of her,
But it was only a prayer between their cups —

▶ "Hysilens, melody of the waves, bless our night that we may drink deep and dance til dawn!"

2-1

▶ ▶ When entering the Flame-Chase's currents for the first time,
All the swordmaster saw were colorful fish.

▶ ▶ She had already experienced
The Imperator's dangerous games.
She had long grown used to
The giant beast's silent face.

▶ ▶ Carminum's charms
And Helkolithist's gentleness

Warmed her like a spring breeze,
But as Fragoris missed his throne
And Brumalis debated with joy,
She was sometimes at a loss.

▶ ▶ Occasionally,
The swordmaster would sink into hesitation,
And even that messenger of fate
Could not get her to laugh.

▶ ▶ Till one day,
A golden trout's bubbles
Floated into her gloomy waters.

2-2

▶ ▶ In that holy city where golden figs grew,
The messenger of fate led to her a maiden dressed in glamorous gowns.

▶ ▶ "Pfft. What kind of clothes are you even wearing?"
The girl snickered behind her hand,
While the messenger pulled on her sleeve.
"Agy, don't be rude!"

▶ "Such hubris, delicate fish... Are you not aware that there's food on your face?"

▶ ▶ The messenger's eyes opened wide,
"Agy! You've been snacking behind my back again!"

▶ ▶ "Exposing me like this... I'll get my revenge!"
The girl ran away in a fit.

▶ ▶ The swordmaster smiled,
And before she knew it... her hesitation was gone.

2-3

▶ ▶ After that first meeting,
The richly dressed girl often came in greeting.

▶ "So you really came from the Sea of Souls?"
"Do all the children of the ocean dress funny like this?"

▶ ▶ The swordmaster did not chase the girl away but also did not respond.
So the girl used her hands
To meticulously measure the swordmaster's torso all around.

▶ "You can't be seen like this..."
"I'll send you a new dress!"

▶ ▶ Some days later, the swordmaster appeared in finery at a ball.
All were awed by her splendor
With only the Imperator thinking in wonder.

▶ "How rare to see you like this... oh-so-lonely Gladius."

2-4

▶ ▶ The swordmaster's wardrobe grew full,
And people praised Okhema's Goldweaver
For her cheerfulness and splendid skill.

▶ ▶ But only the swordmaster noticed
That the smile on the girl's face
Gradually faded as the Flame-Chase progressed.

▶ ▶ The calamity of lands asunder
Added to the girl's weariness.
The battle of the Grove
Robbed the light from the girl's eyes.

▶ ▶ Yet another feast arrived
Where the Goldweaver was absent.
The swordmaster donned the most majestic garments
And gently knocked on that door shut tight.

2-5

▶ ▶ The singing voice of Dux Gladiorum
Hailed the prelude of the feast.
Guests clamored and cups clinked,
And only the Goldweaver had no thought of enjoying the ambrosia.

▶ ▶ "Who would have thought... I've sunk so low that I need you to comfort me."
She gave a bitter chuckle next to the bonfire,
"You were as gloomy as the bedrock of the ocean when we first met."

▶ ▶ The swordmaster held a tall chalice
Containing liquid pure,
Reflecting their two faces.

▶ "I remember you were once curious about the stories under the sea."
"Then, allow me to use my songs"
"To reveal that past known to none."

3-1

▶ ▶ In the depths of the Sea of Souls
Was a kingdom of dancing ghosts.

▶ ▶ Its residents all had melodious voices,
And music enveloped every ocean current.

▶ ▶ For the queen loved her people deeply,
Thus drowning out all sorrows
And leaving only feasts and twirls.

▶ ▶ Only one rocky castle was silent.
One belonging to the princess of the ocean.
A princess named Helektra.

▶ ▶ Were a monster of the depths to invade,
The princess would raise her sword to engage.
The people always rang her triumphs before she returned,
For her swordsmanship was superb, never suffering defeat.

3-2

▶ ▶ "Princess, come enjoy the feast with us!"
The triumphant people raised their glasses,
Yet she declined with a smile and a wave.

▶ ▶ The children of the sea thought she was shy.
But little did they know that in the dead of night
Her castle too echoed with music.

▶ ▶ Though that music was loud, twisted, and invoked spite.

▶ ▶ Before a song even finished, the princess was already biting her lips,
And the sea foam brushed away her tears.

3-3

▶ "All of your people sing and dance with skill,"
"So why do I alone lack a good singing voice?"

▶ ▶ The princess wept, her face on the queen's knees.

▶ "The ocean's favorite child can control the waves and is invincible in battle."
"In exchange, Talanton took away your singing voice."

▶ ▶ The queen consoled the princess, caressing the other's hair bun.
Finally she relented and took a chalice.

▶ "If you're truly troubled,"
"Then imbibe the honey brew in this blessed chalice..."
"And throw yourself into the feast, at ease."

3-4

▶ ▶ The liquid in the cup sat still
Reflecting her loneliness.

▶ ▶ "Princess, come sing with us!"
The people outside her window invited her warmly still.

▶ ▶ She finally ceased to hesitate,
Drinking down all the honey brew in one swallow,
And leaped into the crowds.
She played music and sang, smiling and dreaming.

▶ ▶ When her song was over, it felt as if waking from a dream,
And the people rushed to raise their glasses.

▶ ▶ But as soon as the honey brew touched her lips
The princess plummeted to the ground
And her cheeks became rosy in drunkenness.

3-5

▶ "Since you've regained your melodious voice,"
"You can no longer enjoy a feast while sober."

▶ ▶ The whispers of the Ocean filled her ears
As the princess fell drunk again and again at the prelude of a feast...

▶ ▶ "Seems like you still have not been able to get rid of that curse."
The Goldweaver softly took the cup away from her hand,
"If you want to enjoy yourself to the fullest... then leave this honey brew till the very end."

▶ ▶ She smiled, then tilted the cup towards the Goldweaver's lips.
"Even if one is burdened with imperfections, I beg you to remember..."
"Not to refuse that sip filled with fantasy and dreams."

4-1

▶ ▶ She returned home after many years.
The princess of the ocean stood alone with her sword drawn,
Stepping over the blooming blood of her peers.

▶ ▶ Before her
The creator of the sea sirens and the Mother Goddess of feasts
Was already sinking into the drunkenness of imminent death.

▶ "Pour for me, Helektra..."
"Whether it's crystal-clear honey brew,"
"Or that heretical calamity..."

▶ ▶ When the blood pact of the Law won over the Ocean's Coreflame,
The sea siren once again lost her melodious voice.

▶ "I'm willing to accept the final imperial command."
"But it is a pity that our feast was ultimately a mirage."

4-2

▶ ▶ The deep sea became a silent place of dwelling.
Hugging her knees, Helektra locked herself in.
Savage and fearsome monsters swam past her,
But none dared to interrupt her tragic dream.

▶ ▶ Till one day, a golden trout's bubbles
Floated into her gloomy waters.

▶ "Long time no see, Gladius... Hysilens."
"Now you have truly become the ocean's bedrock."

▶ ▶ Old friends met again,
And new friends came in greeting.

▶ ▶ Many messengers came in company.
The playful kitten hid behind the golden trout.
The butterfly of the deadly shadow fluttered in courtesy.

4-3

▶ ▶ "If you don't mind..."
The resplendent pearl sparkled,
"We hope you can regain your strength,"
"And sing for the world once again."

▶ ▶ Helektra raised her violin sword in doubt
As the strings had long ago rusted and snapped.

▶ ▶ But a few golden strands
Cleansed all the filth around her,
Then stretched out to become new strings.

▶ ▶ The golden strings showed Helektra
That the world she loved was not yet silent
And the journey of deliverance continued still.

▶ ▶ Yet the path to the sea of stars
Would not be a carefree feast.

4-4

▶ ▶ The golden trout never met with her again,
And the waves brought endless news of sorrow.
Amidst the long wait,
She remained bound by decree.

▶ ▶ All the flames had died out,
Extinguished until this world fell into eternal silence.
And the wordless enemies in the deep sea
Were the audience of this rite, the Theoros.

▶ "You already know that the world is just an illusion."

▶ ▶ The sea siren gazed out beyond the heavens
And once more raised her glass to fill it with honey brew.

▶ "Since the mirage of pleasures can only disappear like foam..."
"When you return, will you save some ocean spray for me?"

4-5

▶ ▶ This was a city of festivities,
Where never-ceasing songs eternally filled the air.
Chrysos Heirs, demigods, and mortals
All came to feast from the four corners of the world.

▶ ▶ It was beautiful and radiant,
Performing the sea siren's drama amidst the revelry.

▶ ▶ The siren once longed for the banquet to never end,
Yet she witnessed the music fade and the guests disperse.

▶ ▶ As a fish, she was destined to drift with the waves,
Whether amidst the surging tides of evil
Or immersed in the currents of the starry sea.

▶ ▶ Until a millennium later,
When the fish from beyond the sky finally took their seat...
"I enjoy banquets. How about you, Little Gray Fry?"

5-1

▶ ▶ Having beheld the monarch's gifts,
She fulfilled her demigod's destiny.
The tides within her heart recede,
And her requiem draws near.

▶ ▶ A sliver of light fell from a crack on the cave's ceiling,
A blazing ray pierces the surface of the sea.
An aching urge to chase the light wells within her,
And with a flick of her tail, she drifts toward the breach.

▶ ▶ In the deep sea, a thousand years past,
The sea siren once swam to the shore with unwavering will.
Fish gathered in silent procession,
To escort the princess to her final rest.

5-2

▶ ▶ The moment she leapt free from the water,
She felt the waves stirred by peals of laughter.
Mirages of her friends shimmered and faded,
And songs of joy rang out from the shore just as she had wished.

▶ ▶ Dux Fragoris sliced the dromas flank with a time-worn edge.
Dux Brumalis cast an icy chalice, steaming with the breath of frost.
Dux Helkolithist brimmed her vessel with honey brew,
While Dux Carminum unfurled a scroll of new verse.

▶ "At last you have arrived, our belated musician."

▶ ▶ The Goldweaver's silver needles hover in the air,
Weaving beautiful outfits for her.
Helektra accepts the gift that does not exist,
As salty water wets her new attire.

5-3

▶ ▶ She knows this is not reality.
Just like the world she loves,
Mere foam in the sea of stars.

▶ "Even so..."

▶ ▶ She drank down the warm glow in the cup,
As intoxication flew from her fingers into music and song.

▶ ▶ In the drunkenness granted by her mother,
In the dream granted by that drunkenness,
In the feast granted by that dream...

▶ "I, too, shall have my fill of feasts."

▶ ▶ Now sober,
She begins one last song.

5-4

▶ ▶ The musician plucks her strings in the spring,
And the waltzing hem stirs the water into waves,
Revealing memories in throngs.

▶ ▶ She sings of the once-awakened Titan,
How the princess accompanied the queen to swim in azure waves.

She sings of the confident and dashing monarch,
Of loyal knights who marched with the Imperator to seize the solemn states.

▶ ▶ She sang of the one destined by heaven's will,
Of demigods who bore a thousand years of watch for the hero.

She sang of that little gray fry,
And how the Gladius defended the deliverer from apocalypse's storms.

▶ ▶ She sang of herself,
A cup made of fish bones,
Ever waiting for someone to banish the nihility within,
Pouring the honey brew of fate for her to the brim.

5-5

▶ ▶ She sang until her voice turned hoarse,
And the spirit water she held was no more.

▶ ▶ The honey brew ran out, the final notes dispersed.
And the feast of fantasy shattered in turn.
Before the deadly quiet seashore,
She gave one final smile, then faded into sea foam —

▶ "To fish from beyond the sky,
We shall sink into the past."

▶ ▶ For she had glimpsed the sky beyond the cave,
And chose to believe in the promised future,
Embracing a hope as fragile as mist.

▶ "You must carry the new sun,
And swim toward the distant horizon."