[b]CHAPTER 4[/b] [i]Three years later...[/i] You stare into the horizon, watching the sunset. The chilly wind rustles the seam of your riding cloak and underneath you ${horse} snorts, fogging the air. You pat his neck and stroke his soft fur. The cold only gets worse after sundown. You need to go back to your CO with the weekly report or the 7D report soon, otherwise you might end up catching a cold. ${horse} on the other hand is quite comfortable. He was born and brought up in the snow-clad mountains of Serifi and has a thick black coat of fur which he sheds during the warmer months. Serifian Stallions are the best of the best and are the fastest breed of horses alive today. Galactus district doesn't get snow during the winter months, but it gets windy as there are no tall trees around to block the frigid winds. The wind is biting cold and cuts through the layers of clothes you wear. Fortunately, your riding cloak is heavy and has a hood lined with fur that helps keep you safe from the stiff wind. This is your first field posting. You got posted to the 51st Eander Cavalry Unit, currently posted at Wall Galactus. ${alistair} got posted to the same unit as you but handles a different post. The wall has been divided into posts to make it easier to defend it and there are over 150 posts on Wall Galactus. You are the 2nd In Command or the 2IC of Section post 15, which is under the command of Captain Raskouri. ${alistair} is the 2IC of Section post 22. $!{al_he} had left for Burmont on Temporary duty, three weeks ago and won't be back for another two weeks. As the 2IC of your post, you get to command a company of 250 soldiers. Your Sergeant Major Felix Treelawney has been a real help these past few years. The man is a veteran of the 2nd War and is nearing retirement. He might be nearly 55 years old but his back is ramrod straight and his glare is 10 times sharper than the speared arms of a Category B. Everybody calls him Sergeant T for short. Since you were fresh from the academy and were raised in the civil sector, you had no concrete idea as to how the Military works. Sergeant T took you under his wing and taught you lessons of life that only experience can teach a man. Nothing that they could teach you at the academy could ever compare to the authentic life experience of being in the field. If you make a mistake or a wrong call during a training exercise your team loses points, but if you fuck up here you lose lives. The troops were naturally wary of a new officer and the fact that you were fresh from the academy did not help your reputation either. But as time went by, they have come to trust and respect you. They see you as; *choice # A kind and friendly Officer. They think of you as a charismatic, compassionate and down to earth person, they appreciate your friendly and easygoing attitude and admire you for your merciful and genuine character. *set Charisma %+10 *set Compassion %+10 *set Genuine %+10 *set Friendly %+10 *set Easygoing %+10 *set Merciful %+10 *goto 22 # A cool and trustworthy Officer. They see you as a cool and level headed leader, who is stoic and strong willed, they also admire you for your Merciful and Genuine character. *set Intimidation %+10 *set Compassion %+10 *set Genuine %+10 *set Friendly %-10 *set Easygoing %-10 *set Merciful %+10 *goto 22 # A tough, cold and scary Officer They think twice before crossing you, seeing you as a cold and tough Person who is not to be trifled with and respect as well as admire you for your stoicism and fear you for your callous and cruel disposition. *set Intimidation %+10 *set Compassion %-10 *set Genuine %-10 *set Friendly %-10 *set Easygoing %-10 *set Merciful %-10 *goto 22 # An Intelligent and highly sarcastic Officer They initially assumed you were a pencil pusher but that changed the minute you opened your mouth, think twice before crossing you and find your sarcastic comments very funny especially during training sessions, respect you for your intellect and admire you for your compassionate and Merciful nature. *set Intelligence %+10 *set Compassion %+10 *set Genuine %-10 *set Friendly %+10 *set Easygoing %-10 *set Merciful %+10 *goto 22 # A Passionate and strong willed Officer. They admire you for your Compassionate and strong willed personality, they also respect you for your merciful, genuine and friendly character. *set Willpower %+10 *set Compassion %+10 *set Genuine %+10 *set Friendly %+10 *set Easygoing %-10 *set Merciful %+10 *goto 22 *label 22 A cold draft blows by your chest and you pull your cloak closer around you. The last threads of your patience are unravelling and you see a soldier with a satchel slung over his shoulders run towards you. He comes to a stop in front of you with his breath fogging the air around his face. Saluting you which you return between puffs of air, "Field Corporal Xaned, reporting for debriefing ${sir}." You nod your head, "At ease, Corporal. The 7D Report?" The corporal nods his head and removes a scroll tied with a green ribbon from his satchel and hands it to you. You nod your head before untying the ribbon and reading the parchment, checking the date as well as the signature and stamp before rolling it and tying the ribbon. "Anything else?" The corporal nods, "Yes ${sir}. The quarter master has reported a shortage in oil and diesel supplies". You put the scroll in the satchel attached to your saddle, " I'll pass it on, is that all?". "Yes ${sir}" "Alright then, you are dismissed." The corporal clicks his heels and gives you a sharp salute which you return and jogs off. You check the belts on the satchel before flicking ${horse}'s reins and canter back to your post. As you near the gates of your post, you slow down to a trot and come to a stop at the gates. One guard comes forward to hold ${horse}' throat latch while you dismount. You dismount and the guard salutes you, "The Captain is waiting for you in the briefing room ${sir}". You nod and hand him ${horse}'s reins, "Has Sergeant T reported back?" The guard nods his head, "Yes ${sir}, the Sergeant came back at approximately 16 hours and 45 minutes." You pat him on the shoulder, "Thank you, Geoff". Moving towards the satchel to unbuckle it, you remove the scroll before buckling it back and make your way towards the briefing room. *page_break You walk up the flight of stairs to the 3rd floor before turning a corner and arriving at the door of the briefing room and knock twice. "Who is it?" You open the door, "1st Lt. ${name} Dexer, sir." The captain is busy peering over the reports and the bills on the large oak wood table. He looks up at you and with a smile says, "I was about to send a search party after you. What took you so long?" Striding up to the Captain, you hand him the scroll. "The corporal was late." You then move towards the fireplace and take off your gloves before warming your hands. The captain unravels the ribbon and reads the scroll. "Did they have any other requests?" You hum, "The Quartermaster reported a shortage in the oil and diesel supplies". "Hmmm, that can be arranged." He looks up at you, "Alright, if that was all then you are dismissed. Now go and get warmed up before you get sick." "Yes, sir." Saluting him, you walk out of the room while putting on your gloves again. You walk down the stairs to the open courtyard where the soldiers are sitting around an enormous bonfire. Amidst them is Sergeant T who seems to be telling the soldiers another fireside tale about the war. As you walk towards him, he looks up, sees you coming and shouts out "Oy Lieutenant! Come join us". Since you have nothing better to do and need to get warm anyway, you wave back and walk up to him. "Another story about the war Sergeant T?" The soldiers move to make space for you and you join them on the log. One of them passes you a mug of steaming coffee. "Lieutenant" You nod your head and murmur a thanks before removing your gloves and take the mug. The sergeant nods his head and says in his hard gravelly voice, "Aye, ${sir}. But this is the tale of how it all began." Sergeant T takes a sip of his coffee before looking into the flames and begins narrating his story. *fake_choice # You listen with rapt attention... # Having heard this story a million times, you tune out.... *goto mmmm *page_break Nobody knows how or where they came from.... [i]Dark as ink and highly skilled predators, they slaughtered everything in their path. No, these creatures weren't hunting for survival, they were hunting for the thrill. Humans who were used to playing predator had now become prey.[/i] [i]These creatures attacked in the night when the humans were most vulnerable. These creatures had toxic skin and everywhere they went, they left behind a trail of their sticky tar like faeces. This substance was highly toxic, contaminating the soil and the water. The plants and trees that were once a healthy green had now become ash black with purple veins. They became twisted and mottled, making them unfit for consumption. Livestock and herbivores were dying of starvation or had become sick.... dying slowly... painfully.[/i] [i]The once beautiful sun kissed blue sky had become grey. The sun no longer shone on these lands making the once colourful Earth, a dark dreary, dangerous toxic bin. Millions of people and animals were slaughtered. Humanity was on the verge of extinction.[/i] [i]But as always, humanity learned how to fight . How to survive. The survivors came together and fought back. This is how The Survival Wars began.[/i] [i]The war continued for a couple of decades until one day the survivors found land. It was untouched and free of contamination, where the sun did shine and the air was so fresh you could taste it. They called this Haven Sienna, which in the language of the ancestors meant home. They knew that they were outnumbered and were no match for these beasts.[/i] [i]They decided to build 18 feet tall walls along Sienna's borders to keep the monsters out. The long, hard war fought during the construction of these walls was called The First Wall wars. It lasted for an entire Decade. After the walls were built, the remaining survivors came together and made their leader Rye Teroli, the first Sovereign of Sienna.[/i] [i]As time passed, the wounds healed, humanity flourished and peace reigned. And like any other story, the people soon forgot about the monsters beyond the walls. As time went by, the people divided Sienna into 4 states based on the geographical and cultural differences. The old languages and traditions were forgotten and in their place, people modified and adopted their own traditions, cultures and religions.[/i] [i]Now during the reign of the fifth Emperor Seimon Teroli, a circular wall was built around the capital of Sienna, The Empire city. The wall divided the outer portion of the city into 6 sectors. At the center of the city is the "empire's hold". It comprises the royal palace and the Ministries and their offices.[/i] *page_break "Everything was peaceful for 500 years until one day..." [i]The walls Venotaria and Haldirye were breached. The Divryns flooded in from the tear. Destroying the settlements and claiming the lives of thousands of people. The Emperor Zarvin Teroli and his only heir Prince Eric Teroli raised the slumbering military and led the forces. This started the War for Haldirye and Venotaria, also known as the 2nd War for the Walls.[/i] [i]The once slumbering military was still groggy from its long nap and was having trouble standing on its feet. Citizens were recruited with every passing day. More ground was lost with each waking dawn. Then in the 4th year of the war, the emperor and the prince were both killed in battle. The Empress Roselyn Disryl Teroli took the reins into her own hands. She kept the kingdom together and gave people hope. The war lasted for 8 years.[/i] [i]By the time the 7th year of the war rolled in the kingdom was exhausted. The people were exhausted, and the Empress was doing her level best to push back the Divryns.[/i] [i]Then one day news came from the front that a young Captain of the Vanguard had led a small contingent of 50 men to victory. He had secured wall Venotaria after 7 years. The then Captain Rheyan Ashyver became a symbol of hope, they called him the Angel of Venotaria. The Captain was a Divryn killing machine; he slaughtered them the way they had been slaughtering us.[/i] [i]He always knew when they were coming and where they would come from. Some say that the Cat Cs couldn't sense him because he had no fear. He hunted them in a way much similar to theirs which earned him the title of "Night Hunter". Captain Ashyver then elected a team, his famous and the first ever Night Hunter squad. The then Surgical Captain Dorian Steyrs, Air lieutenant Allen Kazri, Martyr Mavis Allori, Major Eviona Cozir and Lieutenant Alix Nash were the first squad. They then advanced and secured the Wall Haldirye by the 8th year.[/i] [i]The Empress then made Captain Ashyver the Field Marshal. She also raised the team members of The Night Hunters to the ranks of Generals in commanding. 18 years have passed since the war. Though peace reigns once more, this time around Sienna is more prepared and alert.[/i] *page_break "I was alive through all of this..." *label mmmm Everybody sits in silence after hearing the Sergeant's story. You have heard this story many times as your father used to tell you the same story when you were younger. No wonder you got nightmares. Field Marshal Rheyan Ashyver. You have seen his portraits in nearly every military establishment. He has porcelain skin, dark hair and ${eye} eyes, just like you. When you were younger, the twins and ${alistair} used to tease you and call you Ashyver eyes. A young soldier interrupts your train of thoughts, "Wow, Sarge. What was it like?" Sergeant T gives the young soldier a grim smile, "Hell". You take a deep breath and hand the empty mug to the soldier sitting next to you, "Quit scaring the kid sarge." Sergeant T chuckles, "You always ruin my fun, Lieutenant." You smile, "If the Captain and I let you have it your way, you would scare the shit out of all these kids. Giving them nightmares about divryns crawling into their rooms while they sleep." The old man gives you a conspiratorial smile, "Then crawl onto their beds and chomp off their dic...." You cough and warn, "Details, Sarge." The old man chuckles, "Good night, Lieutenant." You smile and walk to your room in the officers' barracks. The room has basic cream walls and a fireplace towards the west side. A wash basin to the east and a tall cupboard with a floor-length mirror mounted into the cupboard. The Military issue cot is placed to the wall opposite to the fireplace. A study table with your mail and books is placed next to the cot, a small bedside table to the right with a candle stand along with a small drawer to keep knick knacks in, lies to the left. *page_break You stroke the spines of the leather-bound books. After leaving the academy, you have begun reading books about; *choice #Medicine. *set Medicine %+25 *goto aaaa #Engineering. *set Engineering %+25 *goto bbbb #Tactics *set Tactics %+25 *goto cccc #Lore *set Lore %+25 *goto dddd *label aaaa You also brush up on; *choice # Engineering. *set Engineering %+15 *goto 23 # Tactics. *set Tactics %+15 *goto 23 # Lore. *set Lore %+15 *goto 23 *label bbbb You also brush up on; *choice # Medicine. *set Medicine %+15 *goto 23 # Tactics. *set Tactics %+15 *goto 23 # Lore. *set Lore %+15 *goto 23 *label cccc You also brush up on; *choice # Medicine. *set Medicine %+15 *goto 23 # Engineering. *set Engineering %+15 *goto 23 # Lore. *set Lore %+15 *goto 23 *label dddd You also brush up on; *choice # Medicine. *set Medicine %+15 *goto 23 # Engineering. *set Engineering %+15 *goto 23 # Tactics. *set Tactics %+15 *goto 23 *label 23 Your eyes shift to the pile of letters from your family back home. You haven't visited Swerth after your father passed away. It was a few months after your 22nd Birthday. A strange epidemic of Tragis fever broke out and your father caught it. He had to be quarantined and you couldn't leave either. Swerth and 12 other border towns were placed under lock down, nobody could get in or out. Sir Nicholas pulled a few strings and you could see your father one last time before he drew his final breath. He had little time left when you arrived and called you on his deathbed, giving you a small leather pouch and a letter. He made you promise that you would wait and open it on your 25th birthday. You stayed till his funeral and then left. Since then you haven't set foot in Swerth again. You still have a few months left for your 25th birthday and are itching to open the pouch. But you made a promise on his deathbed and you don't break promises like that. You look at the pile of letters. Some are from your mother, Aiden, Sir Nicholas, and even Lisa writes to you every month. *fake_choice # You write back every week and answer their letters. After your father passed away, you are the new flag bearer of the Dexer Family. You write whenever you get the chance to. # You write back once or twice a month. After your father died, you had to step up and fill in his shoes. You write one or twice a month to let them know how you are and that's about it. # You send one letter every month. It's not like you don't love your family anymore. It's just that without your father Swerth doesn't feel like home. It feels like some part of you is missing. Lost forever. # You sit down and try your best to concentrate and write back something, but the pen won't budge. You have been trying, you have. But the wound is still sore and you just can't find it in you to care about anything these days. Ever since your father died, you feel like you buried a piece of yourself with him. # You don't write and you just can't seem to care. You care but you just don't have the patience or the heart as of right now. You lock the door behind you and move towards the cupboard. All the while unpinning your cloak and hanging it on the hook attached to the wall next to your cupboard. You unbuckle the belt that holds your switchblade and switch shield and place it on your bedside table. Proceeding to unbutton your coat which you are wearing on top of your uniform shirt, and breeches. You take it off and put in a hanger, you then unbutton your shirt and throw it in the laundry bin. Then you pick out an olive green V neck sweater and pull it on along with your olive green regulation trench coat. *if ((style = "medium length") and (style = "shoulder length")) You remove the pins from your hair and pull your ${texture}, ${hair} out of the high bun, you keep it in. Picking out a comb from your drawer, you comb your hair before tying it back with an olive green ribbon. *if ((style = "crew cut") and (style = "chin length")) You run your fingers through your hair to untangle the ${texture} ${hair} strands. *if (style = "buzz cut") You run your hand over the rough patch on your head. *if (style = "long") You pull off the black band and unravel the French braid you keep your hair styled in. Picking out a comb from your drawer, you start combing your long ${texture} ${hair}, which is going to take quite some time. Braiding it back in a simple fish tail, you tie it with an olive green ribbon. *page_break Knock..Knock Someone knocks on your door and you buckle your weapons belt before walking over to open the door. You open it and see ${alistair} smiling at you. *choice # "${alistair}!" you exclaim and move in for a hug. You have missed ${al_him} a lot. "Good to see you too, ${name}" says ${alistair} with a chuckle and hugs you back. "You were supposed to...." ${alistair} nods ${al_his} head "Yeah, I know but they sent me off early cause I was a real pain the ass." You shake your head and with a chuckle, "Oh ${alistair}...What did you do this time?" ${al_he} grins mischievously, "I may have put a little whittle bit of chilly powder in the CO's coffee mix. That and I also exchanged the salt with the sugar pots and I also put sneezing powder in his drawers." You sigh, "Why oh why do you always do these things?" ${alistair} scoffs indignantly, "Hey! The man is a sordid sadist! He had me do 7 coffee runs, because apparently the sugar wasn't right! I had a real mind to choke him with that cup." *set Friend +1 *set Relationship %+10 *set Friendly %+10 *goto 66 # "${alistair}! When did you come?" you ask with a shy smile. "I came back at around 1800 hours and have been waiting for you." ${al_he} says with a grin. "You were waiting for me?", you ask with a light blush. "Mhmmm...I was yes." purrs ${alistair} and walks towards you. "But why?" you ask standing still as ${alistair} walks up to you and puts ${al_his} arms around your waist. "So that I could do this" ${al_he} says with a mischievous grin and lightly pecks your cheek. You blush and pleasant tingles erupt all over your skin. You smile and try to move but ${al_he} keeps you caged tightly in ${al_his} arms. In a hushed tone, "${alistair}! What if someone sees us?" "Then they will just be jealous of me, because I get the ${handsome} Lieutenant ${name} Dexer all to myself." murmurs ${alistair}, nibbling on your ear. $!{al_he} breathes in your scent before planting a kiss near your ear and lets you go. *set Shy %+10 *set Flirt +1 *set Relationship %+10 *goto 66 # "${alistair}! Outside my door at this time of the night! What will the CO say!" "That ${alistair} Basri is a very lucky ${al_man}." says ${alistair} with a wink. "Oh, if only lady luck was on your side." you say with a sultry smile and raise a brow in challenge. ${alistair}'s eyes gleam with mischief and sparks of heat. $!{al_he} walks towards you and roughly grabs your collar. $!{al_he} then looks you right in the eyes, "1st Lt. Basri makes ${al_his} own luck." $!{al_he} then moves forward and whispers in your ear "I always get what I want, ${name}. And what I want right now is...." ${al_he} trails off and kisses you lightly on the cheek. $!{al_his} lips trail along your jaw before pressing feather light kisses down your neck. and softly brushing ${al_his} lips on your collarbone. Pleasant tingles and goosebumps erupt all over your skin. A soft pool of heat settles in the pit of your stomach. $!{al_he} then gently pulls away with a pleased grin on ${al_his} face. *set Shy %-10 *set Relationship %+10 *set Flirt +1 *goto 66 # You nod at ${al_him} and with a raised brow, "When did you get back?" "At around 1600 hours." ${al_he} says and pats your shoulder. "Aren't you a bit early?" "Yeah, they sent me back early." *set Friendly %-10 *set Compassion %+10 *goto 66 # "Why are you here?" you ask with a frown. "Hi ${alistair}! Long time no see! How are you buddy?" ${al_he} snarks. You roll your eyes, "No wonder they sent you back early." "Hey! The CO was a real prick." pouts ${alistair}. "Yeah, like you are such an angel." *set Friendly %-10 *set Compassion %-10 *goto 66 *label 66 Your conversation is interrupted by Sergeant T who calls out as he marches up to you. He salutes, "Glad I caught you both in one go. The Captain of post 26 has caught the flu and has requested for two officers to fill in for the night shifts. Captain Raskouri volunteered the both of you. You need to report to the post by 0200 hours." ${alistair} sighs, "Well nothing much we can do about it." You nod your head, "Alright, Thank you Sarge." Sergeant T nods his head before marching off to report back to the Captain. You and ${alistair} then head to the Mess for dinner. The post is a 15 minute ride, so you and ${alistair} catch some sleep before heading out. Both of you walk to the gates and wait for the soldier in charge to fetch ${horse} and Dasher. The soldier jogs up to you, with ${horse} trotting after him. You take ${horse}'s reins in your hands and stroke his neck. After adjusting and buckling up your satchel, you mount and pull on the hood of your riding cloak. You wait till ${alistair} gives the signal and you both ride off to post 26. Making it within 10 minutes, the guards on sentry duty let you pass after checking your credentials. ${alistair} and you leave the reins of your mounts in their capable hands and set off to report to the CO of the post. Walking towards the Briefing room, you do a quick sweep of your surroundings and notice a small crack on one of the bricks. You frown and stop, turning and walking towards the cracked brick. These walls are supposed to be maintained and checked regularly. ${alistair} frowns in worry, "What's wrong?" You shake your head before tracing the crack with the tip of your finger, "The Engineers around here." ${alistair} raises a brow looks at you, "Meaning?" You shift your eyes to ${al_his}, "There a crack on that brick right there." You point to the spot still looking at ${alistair}. ${alistair} frowns and walks to where you are standing. $!{al_he} looks at the spot that you pointed at and says... *page_break "What crack?" "The one right th...." you trail off in surprise, as the crack has vanished into thin air. You reach out and trace the now blemish free surface. Shaking your head in disbelief, "But it was right there. It was huge." ${alistair} looks at you with worry in ${al_his} eyes, "There is nothing there ${name}. You turn to ${al_him}, "${alistair}, I saw it from a distance of at least....8 feet, it was that big. Hell I even traced with my finger right now...and I felt the stone....there was a crack." ${alistair} looks at the wall and then at you. $!{al_he} slowly exhales, "How long were you out there in the cold?" You roll your eyes, "There was a crack." $!{al_he} looks at you with a knotted brow and sighs. You glare at ${al_him}, "There was a crack ${alistair}. I am not seeing shit." ${alistair} snorts and says, "Hey, I never said you were seeing shit. I say you are just seeing cracks." You raise a brow and stare at ${al_him}. $!{al_he} sighs and raises ${al_his} hands in a placating manner, "Look ${name}, you are tired. When you are tired, you see tend to hallucinate. Remember how you used to get flashes when we were kids?" Well ${al_he}'s got you there. You did get these flashes when you were tired or upset. But those were different, you touched the stone and felt the jagged edges of the cut in the stone. You sigh, before admitting defeat, "Okay, so maybe you are right. I haven't got a moment's rest all day." However on the inside... *fake_choice # You know what you saw... # Maybe its time to see the Psychiatrist again... # Who's the crack?...oh wait...YOU ARE. # This really pisses you off. You are a rational person, you do not just imagine things. # Okay.....this is a little creepy... "See, its nothing. Happens to me sometimes." ${al_he} says and pulls you by the arm, dragging you away from the wall. You turn your head to give the wall a final glance and let ${alistair} guide you, all the way to the briefing room. Once there you receive the orders from the CO and set off to the base line assigned to you. Base lines or BL's as they are referred to; are the various balcony like floors built on the walls. They enable the soldiers on duty to look over the grounds beyond the walls. You and ${alistair} spend the night, walking from base line to base line checking in on the troops. *page_break You watch the sun rise. By the time your shift ends, its already dawn and both you and ${alistair} are exhausted. After you are debriefed, you set off towards the gates. ${horse} and Dasher are already saddled and waiting for you. You thank the guard in charge and haul your tired body onto the saddle. You and ${horse} have developed such a close bond over the years that you don't need to give him orders. He senses what you need him to do and does it. ${horse} sets off in a gentle trot and within 20 minutes, you are back at your post. You and ${alistair} hand the reins to Geoff, before dragging your weary bodies to the barracks and wave off ${alistair} before retiring to your room. Unbuttoning your cloak and coat, you throw them in the laundry bin. Pulling off your boots, you remove your weapons belt and put the switchblade under your pillow. You attach the switch-shield to the magnet under the mattress and check it twice before closing your tired eyes. The blanket of sleep rolls over you and you snuggle into the comfort it offers. *page_break ... .... *page_break sssss...sssss.ssccreeee.... You put the pillow over your head. It's probably a cricket or some annoying little bug. *page_break ssscccrreee......sssccree...ssssccrrree What in the 7 hells is that sound? It sounds like nails being dragged on stone. *page_break No....it sounds......like....... claws on stone. You open your eyes and sit up in bed. The hairs on the back of your neck are tingling and you feel a foreboding sense of dread settle in the pit of your stomach. You hold your breath and listen closely. *page_break ssscccreeee....thump.....thump.. The sound changed, you can feel the beat. You can feel it calling you. The rhythmic thumping and the sound of nails, echoes in your ears. You pull off the covers and walk to the door. The spirit of survival is screaming at you, telling you to stop but you just can't. You pull out your switchblade and pull on a coat along with your boots. The frigid wind blows around you and the feeling of.....a strange kind of hunger, something primitive and inhuman...You are looking for something...but what? The minute you open the door, you notice that its night. How the hell is it night? You went to bed at dawn, the sun was out. Nobody would have let you sleep till sunset. Your body clock is very meticulous about these things and you would have woken up on time. You look up at the sky and see the expanse of stars above you. On any other night, you would appreciate the beauty of the starlit night sky but right now it confuses you. It's disconcerting and somehow alarming. Your mind is so used to the monotonous militaristic routine that it can't fathom a change as mundane as this. The thumping and scraping sound reaches your ears again. This time its strangely mellow and seems to be coming from the direction of the wall base lines. You are about to move when you see Sergeant T walk from around the corner. He looks at you with a concerned frown, "Woah! Lieutenant! What's the matter with you?" The beating starts getting louder and you can feel the vibration in your feet, calling you. Your senses suddenly zone out and come back to you. Its feels like dipping your head under the surface of water and coming back up. "Lieutenant for fuck's sake would you put the blade away! You are startin to scare me now." He says a little louder this time. But you don't budge. You try to concentrate on the vibrations under your feet and pinpoint where the beat is coming from. A trio of soldiers walk around the corner see you standing there. Their eyes trail to you and the open blade in your hand. They stare at you and then at Sergeant T. They run up to you and you see that one of them is Geoff, who says "Lieutenant, ${sir}. Are you alright?" You feel the rhythm grow louder and the vibrations start beating in tandem with your heart. Mute, you try your best to concentrate. "Geoff, go and wake up the Captain as well as 1st Lt. Basri." says Sergeant T in a gentle voice and nods his head at Geoff. Geoff nods back and runs off with another soldier. The remaining soldier stays with you. He switches open his shield, in case you go insane and try stabbing him. It isn't that uncommon for soldiers to go mad in these parts. You feel the scraping sound more than you hear it. It feels like phantom nails are scraping down your back and you turn around, blade in hand. You grit your teeth and fight the urge to tear at your skin to remove that ghosting feel of claw nails. "Easy now Lt ${name}, talk to us. Tell us what you need." says Sergeant T in a soft tone that you would use to placate a scared animal. You feel a sudden urge overtake you and smell a change in the air. Your mouth starts salivating and you swallow to wet your dry throat. Closing your eyes, you try to feel the direction of the sensations. Then you open your eyes and start walking, you don't know where you are going but you walk all the way to the last baseline wall. The soldiers give you odd looks and Sergeant T nods at them to follow you. You come to a stop in front of the 18 feet tall wall. Then you see it.... *page_break A crack in the brickline You reach out and trace your fingers over the crack, you can feel it, feel the stone cut and shape out. Then Sergeant T comes to stand beside you. He looks at the crack and you see his eyes widen in surprise. "Bloody hell, it can't be...." You turn as you hear the Captain's voice telling the soldiers to make way. The troops gathered around you part like a curtain and make way for ${alistair} and the Captain. Captain Raskouri looks at the open blade in your hand and speaks gently, "Easy....${name}. Put the blade away and we can talk about whatever you want, okay." ${alistair} moves toward you with ${al_his} hands raised, "Hey....${name}. Just put the weapon down." Sergeant T turns to the captain and is about to say something when the ground vibrates. *page_break Boom..clap....sssscccreeee..... You turn to look at the wall and see the crack has now grown wider. Everybody's attention is now focused on the crack. *page_break Boom....clap.....sssccccrrreee.... Again, this time the crack grows wider with veins streaking around the other bricks as well. The Captain mutters, "What the hell..?" *page_break Boom...clap...sssscccrrreee This time the crack spreads out and pieces of dust and stone fall on the ground. The Captain shouts your name but you don't budge. You feel strangely indifferent, you know what lies beyond that wall and it terrifies you. But you can't move and you don't know why. Your brain is screaming at you to move back but the muscles of your body ignore its pleas. Then comes the thump louder than a boom of thunder and you watch the wall shatter like glass. You close your eyes to shield them against the dust and the debris of the falling stone and when you open them again, all you see is a fog of dust. Coughing, you peer into the fog trying to locate the beasts, you know are there. 2 pairs of glowing red eyes stare back at you through the falling dust. Your eyes lock onto them and try as you may, you cannot look away. You stare as the eyes get closer and you see the owners of the haunting blood eyes. Black as tar, the large beasts are built like battering rams. The two of them are about 9 to 10 feet tall. Quadruped with thick impenetrable armoured skin dotted with small horn like studs. A long tail with a large bowling ball like end with sharp spikes on every inch. The stench emanating from them is so rancid that it could singe your eyebrows off. 7 hells! The veterans weren't monkeying around when they described the smell. They come closer and you stand still, your eyes locked with their beautiful ruby ones. Then you hear something land behind you. You turn your head slowly and look up into the ugliest face that you have ever laid eyes on. There's three of them and they have you cornered. They are tall, at least 7 to 8 feet in height and have a pair of large leathery wings and large dagger like talons in place of feet with black velvety fur. Their faces have no eyes for you to stare into, yet you can feel them watching you. You hold your breath and feel the icy hand of fear wrap its cold fingers around your heart. The organ pumps in your ears and you feel the beads of cold sweat trail down the back of your neck. Your tongue sits like a block of lead at the floor of your mouth. Any effort to swallow and wet your throat is pointless. The creature in front of you smiles showing you rows of its dagger like teeth. You will your legs to move but they seem to be welded to the ground. The divryn then screeches in your face and lunges at you with its talons. Your body moves in tandem with your instincts and you fall back out of reach. *page_break But your legs get entangled... [b]BAAM![/b] You fall onto the cold floor and open your eyes. Instead of seeing the butt ugly snouts of the divryns, you see the roof your barracks room. Motionless on the cold tiles, confused for a moment before realizing that you just had one of your nightmares after 6 years. Your body and uniform are soaked in cold sweat. The rhythm of your blood is thundering in your ears like the beating of a thousand tasri drums. You bring up a trembling hand to wipe your face. A sudden bout of nausea constricts your stomach as you feel your head spin like a top. You scramble to the basin on wobbling legs and empty your stomach into it. The bile burns your throat and tears spill down your cheeks and you turn the knob and let the water clear the basin as you let your body sink to the floor. You close your eyes and take in deep shuddering breaths. You remember the dream vividly this time. That's never happened before. You always forget the visions and remember only the emotions, senses and the fear. Today you remember, you remember what they looked like. The eyes, you can never forget those eyes. Sergeant T was right, you could never forget the sight of those beasts. Feeling calmer now, you stand up using the basin as leverage. You rinse off the basin and splash the freezing water onto your face. You then rinse your mouth and grab your toothbrush. After brushing your teeth, you grab your towel and a set of your uniform. You pick up your satchel containing your toiletries and move to the door. You may have a wash basin in your room, but that is one of the few perks of being an officer. However you are in the army now and that means practicality before comfort. So collective bath houses is the way to go. *page_break You step out the door and take a lungful of the fresh air, then close the door behind you and step into the midday sunlight. Turning you see a pair of soldiers walking towards you. They split up and one of them jogs up to you. On closer inspection you realize that its Geoff, the gate sentry. He takes a moment to look at your face before saluting, "I was coming to wake you up Lieutenant." You return his salute, "What day is it today?" Geoff looks at you with concern, " 15 December, 2545" You bite your lip and nod at him. It was just a dream, you tell yourself. Geoff frowns, "You sleep alright Lieutenant? You look a bit sick." You shake your head, "No Geoff. I feel fine." Geoff nods his head and exclaims, "Oh shoot! I nearly forgot! The Captain said that both you and Lieutenant Basri have the day off." You raise a brow, "Did he say why?" Geoff hums, "Yes ${sir}, he did. There's a county fair set up in Nozer. A lot of us asked to go and the Captain gave us the day off." Geoff pauses and says with a smile, "He's invited both you and Lt. Basri to accompany him and a few of the other officers." Hmmmmm, crowds, food stalls, stalls with trinkets on sale and cheap ale. How does this sound to you? *fake_choice # You could squeal with excitement but that would be undignified. So you squeal and dance on the inside. You absolutely love the fairs and carnivals. The greasy food, cheap trinkets and the romance of it all excites you. The distraught mood that you had woken up in, blows away like a cloud of smoke. You smile ear to ear, "Nice! I love the county fairs." Geoff matches your smile, "That's a relief. Because the captain has ordered you to come along anyway. Said you needed an outing and that you work too hard." Geoff stands back saluting you, "Well have fun Lieutenant." You smile, "Aren't you going?" "I am, but first I need to report back to the captain and tell him that you would love to go." # You smile and take a deep breath. You always liked the carnivals and fairs back home. You like the sunny atmosphere of these things and love the food and stalls. Besides after your nightly adventure, you don't mind having a few hours of relaxing and fun. You smile, "Tell the Captain, I'll come." Geoff smiles, ""That's a relief, because the captain has ordered you to come along anyway. Said you needed an outing and that you work too hard." Geoff stands back saluting you, "Well have fun Lieutenant." You raise a brow, "Aren't you going?" He smiles, "I am, but first I need to report back to the captain and tell him that you are coming as well." # You take a deep breath and weigh the cons and pros of going. Well, this would be a good distraction after your nightly adventure. But being in a crowd with your nerves this jittery is a bad idea. There is going to be greasy food and cheap ale. Truth be told, you could go, better than moping around in your room. You murmur, "Well... I.. could go.. I guess" Geoff hunches, ""That's a relief, because the captain has ordered you to come along anyway. Said you needed an outing and that you work too hard." You shake your head, "Of course he did." Geoff looks at you with a smile, "Alright then ${sir}, I'll go and tell the captain that you will be joining them." # Hmmm, meh. You don't have anything better to do anyway. You could use some greasy food and cheap ale after last night. It's a timely distraction and you have a feeling the captain is going to drag you along anyway. You huff, "Whelp! I've got nothing better to do." Geoff clears his throat, ""That's a relief, because the captain has ordered you to come along anyway. Said you needed an outing and that you work too hard." You raise a brow and Geoff smiles sheepishly before saying, "Alright then ${sir}, I'll go and tell the captain that you are coming as well." # You hate this kind of things. Way too crowded and way too unhealthy. You scowl. You hate these things. They are nothing more than a waste of resources and time. You snarl, "Oh! Fucking brilliant! Just what I need!" Geoff winces, "Well the thing is....the captain has ordered you to come along anyway...... said you needed an outing and that you work too hard." You rub your face with your hand and murmur "And the hits just keep on coming." Geoff smiles, "Alright then ${sir}, I'll go and tell the captain that you are coming as well." "Yeah, you do that", you scowl. # You are in no mood for this. You frown in irritation and snark, "Fucking brilliant." Geoff sighs, "Well the thing is....the captain has ordered you to come along anyway. Said you needed an outing and that you work too hard." You rub the bridge of your nose with your fingers, "Of course he did." Geoff shrugs, "Alright then ${sir}, I'll go and tell the captain that you are coming as well." "Yay, for me", you snark. You stand there staring at the floor awhile. Well doesn't seem like you have much of an option here. You shrug and jog towards the building which house the communal baths. *if gender = "male" You walk around the corner and up a flight of stairs to reach the bath house allotted to the male soldiers. *if gender = "female" You walk up two flights of stairs and around a corner to reach the bath house allotted to the female soldiers. *if gender = "non-binary" You walk around the corner and through a corridor before reaching the bath house allotted to soldiers of third gender. Striding in and you see that the locker room is empty. Not surprising, because it is the middle of the day and all the soldiers are at their posts. You open your locker and start stripping out of your uniform. Wrapping the towel around your assets, you walk to the bathing chambers with the satchel. The water chambers are warm and the water is hot. You breathe in the steam which helps clear your lungs, remove the towel and place it at the edge of the pool along with the satchel. You walk down the steps into the hot water and sit on the stone seats cut into the pool and just let your body relax. *page_break 45 Minutes later... After a nice hot bath, you feel relaxed and calm. You return back to your room and get changed into your more casual field uniform. It consists of a olive green shirt, dark green trousers and jacket. You aren't allowed to take your weapons belt beyond the premises of the military base. After a final check in the mirror you head out, closing the door behind you and turn around in time to see, the captain and the other officers walk around the corner. You see Captain Raskouri with his arm swung over ${alistair}'s shoulders and laughing at something Sabel said. Every unit station has that one person, who is always jolly and comes up with the most hilarious jokes. 1st Lt. Sabel is that person in your unit. "Hey! ${name}. I can't believe, the captain managed to pull you in as well." "Well its easy when you blackmail them with orders." you snark. Captain Raskouri smiles at you, "You work too hard ${boy}! You need to let your hair down every once in a while. ${alistair} grins, "Let's get going, before the beer and ale runs out." Sabel pulls you by the elbow and sandwiches you between her and ${alistair}. The carriage ride with the captain, Sabel and ${alistair} is torture. Not a single one of them can sing in tune or melody for that matter. You love ${alistair}, ${al_he} is your best friend but that ${al_man} cannot sing. $!{al_he} doesn't have a single musical bone inside that hot bod. Hey! You love all three of them, you do. But sometimes they can be worse than a litter of puppies. Even the horses weren't spared from their tuneless slaughter. The carriage driver gives a sigh of relief when you reach the fair grounds. Driving away before those three can sing again. "Whelp! I'm headed to the food stalls. I am so hungry, I could eat an entire Category D." says the captain while patting his stomach. The mention of the divryn from your nightmare makes the blood freeze in your veins. You swallow and shake it off before anybody can notice. "I am going to the bar before the sale on alcoholic drinks ends." says Sabel with a toothy grin. "Hmmm, I wanted to check out the trinkets and wares stalls." says ${alistair} with a grin. "Whatcha gonna do, ${name}?" asks Sabel with twinkling eyes. *choice # You are feeling hungry, so you are going to hit the food stalls. "Yeah, I am feeling hungry too. I'll hit the food stalls with the captain." "Atta ${boy}! ${name}! Glad you have your priorities straight." says the captain while jostling your shoulder playfully. "Mhhmmm, I'll go with ${alistair} and take a look at the trinkets before drinks. When you guys are done attacking the poor food, meet up with us at the bar okay." says Sabel. "Sounds good!" says ${alistair} before dragging Sabel by the arm. [i]"Ffffooooodddd, wonderful ffffooooodddd"[/i] sings the captain like a whale in labour. You bite your cheek, "Sir, with all due res..." He interrupts you, "I know, I know. I sound like a whale in labour." You smile, "Lets head to the food stalls." The captain's face lights up, "Right after you 1st Lt. Dexer." You and the Captain head in the direction of the food stalls, you see lanes upon lanes of stalls exhibiting all kinds of exotic meats and treats. The captain pulls you by the arm to a stall exhibiting exotic cuisine from Tasryn, the mysterious jungle state of Sienna. "I love Tasrian food" says the captain and hands a few silver coins to the owner of the stall who regards him with an amused smile. *goto 24 # You could really use a drink to take the edge off and decide to go with Sabel. "Yeah, I could use a drink too. I think I'll hit the bar with Sabel." "Yay!" exclaims Sabel as she throws her arms around your shoulders. "Mhhmmm, I'll go with ${alistair} and take a look at the trinkets before food. When you guys are done attacking bottle, meet up with us at the food stalls, okay." says the captain. "Sounds good!" says ${alistair} before dragging the captain by his arm. Sabel grabs your elbow and pulls you along. "Man! I am so thirsty, I could drink a lagoon right now." says Sabel with a grin. You both head towards the liquor and beverage stalls. Sabel pulls you along to a booth that is surprisingly free of any customers. You both seat yourselves on the wooden stools and Sabel says "A mug of beer and a...." she trails off looking at you. *goto 25 # You would like to have a look at the trinkets too. It also means that you can spend some time with your childhood best friend. "Tell you what ${alistair}, its been ages since we hung out. What do you say?" you state with a playful punch on ${al_his} shoulder. $!{al_he} grins at you, "Yessss! We can paint stupid stuff on the tents with red paint. Remember that, we drew a peni....." "Hey! Hey! I remember! No need to remind me." you exclaim while plugging your ears with your fingers. Captain Raskouri laughs, "Alright, you two catch up and meet us later at the bar." Sabel pouts, "But, I really wanna hear about ${name} painting dic..." Sabel squeaks indignantly as the captain drags her away by the arm. You and ${alistair} giggle before walking towards the stalls. You walk past stall after stall packed with all kinds of strange knick knacks and tools, then come to a stop in front of a charms stall. It has all kinds of weird lucky charms. You see a rabbit's foot, an eyeball, a weird root, a strange blue candle and so on. While you were busy staring at the blue candle, ${alistair} comes to stand beside you. $!{al_he} pokes your arm, "It's a wicker candle. It's supposed to keep evil spirits and.....nightmares away." "Nightmares?" you ask with a raised brow. "Who are you kidding ${name}? I saw your face when the captain joked about the divryn." ${al_he} says with a worried look. "Yeah....I know." you hum. "Well...if you want to talk about it, I am here for you okay." "Thanks, ${alistair}" you say with a smile. "Tell you what, I am going to buy you a wicker candle." says ${alistair} with a determined nod. "Wait, Why? You know that stuff doesn't work right?" you ask. "Hey, if it works it works. If it doesn't, then you can use it like an ordinary candle. Besides it's pretty." ${al_he} says with a grin. You chuckle, "If I say no, will you reconsider?" "Nope and you know it." You both end up buying one candle each. For the next hour, it feels like you and ${alistair} are still 14 years old and roaming through the county fairs in Swerth. You remember why out of all the insane kids back home, you chose ${alistair} to be your best friend. 7 hells, you both are 24 years old and officers in the army, yet you still laugh like teenagers at cheap dick jokes. After an hour or two of window surfing, you and ${alistair} decide to meet up with the Captain and Sabel at the bar. *set Relationship %+10 *set Friend +1 *goto 26 # You would like to check out the trinkets too. 7 Hells! No, what you really want is to spend more time with ${alistair}. You smile at ${alistair} , "I am coming with you." The captain and Sabel exchange a knowing glance. The captain smiles , "Alright, you two catch go on and meet us later at the bar." Sabel grins and sings, "[i]${name} and ${alistair} sitting under a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."[/i] The captain rolls his eyes playfully as he drags Sabel away by the arm. ${alistair} chuckles, "Well that was weird." "No, that was Sabel" ${alistair} chuckles and puts ${al_his} arm around your waist, "Come on." You smile and together head in the direction of the trinket stalls, you walk past stall after stall packed with all kinds of strange knick knacks and tools, then come to a stop in front of a jewellery stall. You stare around at the different gems and pendants. Your eyes trail to a pair of pearl drops. They are very similar to the ones Lisa wears, your attention is then diverted to ${alistair}. $!{al_he} is busy arguing with the stall keeper about the authenticity of a sapphire pendent. *set Flirt +1 *set Relationship %+10 *goto 27 # You would like to spend some alone time and just rift through the stalls by yourself. "I think I am going to roam around and see if I can find something that interests me." ""Mhhmmm, I'll go with ${alistair} and take a look at the trinkets before drinks. When you guys are done, meet up with us at the bar okay." says Sabel. "Will do" says the captain and marches off towards the food stalls. "Sounds good!" says ${alistair} before dragging Sabel by the arm. All of you split up and head in different directions. You head towards the stalls exhibiting toys and animal leathers, spending the next hour or so, roaming around aimlessly and blending in with the crowds. After a while, you decide to regroup with the others and head towards the bar. *goto 26 *label 24 You pick out the; *fake_choice # The spices stuffed fish cutlet You take a bite of the fish cutlet and the soft flesh melts in your mouth in an explosion of spices. # The spicy chicken breast with ollicin sauce. You take a bite and nearly come right there. This is the most delicious thing you have ever tasted. # The fignut sautered ribs. You pick them up and take an experimental bite off the corner. The sauce literally sizzles on your mouth as you swallow. # The belor potato fritters You pick up the neon blue fried treat and pop it into your mouth. You nearly cry because of how delicious it is. # The cottage cheese balls dipped in red chitters sauce. You pick up a little ball and pop it into your mouth. You chew and die a little because of how delicious it is. # Cream roll filled with lanavir fruit puree. You have never tasted the lanavir fruit and are a bit sceptical. Your doubts vanish because its [i]love at first bite.[/i] # Pastry with Irrifpple frosting. You have never tasted the Irrifpple fruit and are a bit sceptical. Your doubts vanish because [i] wow is this what love feels like.[/i] # Popyk fruit cake. You have never tasted the Popyk fruit and are a bit sceptical. Your doubts vanish because [i] you are in heaven.[/i] You and the captain spend the next few hours, moving from stall to stall stuffing yourselves. After you both are close to bursting, you both decide to head to the bar and meet up with the others. *goto 26 *label 25 *fake_choice # Rum # Beer # Wine # Whiskey # Crushed oak fruit cocktail # Tasri fruit mocktail # Plain fruit juice After having a few rounds of drinks, you decide to drag Sabel away. She was going to start a fist fight with the other drinkers. You hook your elbow with Sabel and drag her along with you through the crowd. *goto 26 *label 27 *if (alistair = "Alistair") You haven't taken the time to admire his handsome features. They have a feminine quality to them. His long blond lashes that hood gorgeous sapphire eyes. You have never met a man who has hair as soft and silky as Alistair's. The golden blonde colour reminds you of sunlight. He isn't the scrawny little kid you used to wrestle with in the mud. He's a man now. Your eyes trail over his toned chest and shoulders and you realize why Cruger was so crazy about him. It's strange really, how you never noticed how handsome he is before. *if (alistair = "Alice") You never really took the time to admire her pretty features. Her long blond lashes that shadow her gorgeous sapphire eyes. They say the hair is everything. Alice has the softest hair, you have ever touched. The golden blonde colour reminds you of sunlight. She isn't the scrawny little girl you used to wrestle in the mud with. Your eyes trail over her soft curves and you realize why Cruger was so crazy about her. It's strange really, you never noticed how beautiful she is. ${alistair} smiles, "Satisfied or do you need more time to absorb my beauty?" *choice # You wink, "Not in a million years." "Mhmmm, really?" asks ${alistair} with a raised brow. "Kind of hard, with you standing all the way there..." you trail off with a grin. You saunter up to ${al_him} and wrap your arms around ${al_his} shoulders. "What on god's good earth gave you the idea that you could ever satisfy me?" you whisper. You tilt your head and stare into ${al_his} deep blue eyes. $!{al_he} wraps ${al_his} arms around your waist and shakes ${al_his} head. "You forget our old wrestling matches, ${name}....they always ended with me on top of you...'' purrs ${alistair}. "Is that what you want, ${alistair}...to have me on my back... underneath...you" you say with hooded eyes. ${alistair}'s eyes flash with heat as ${al_he} squeezes your waist and hisses "That's just step one." You rub the back of ${al_his} neck with your thumbs and ask, "What's the next step?" Just then you hear a crash followed by cursing. ${alistair} curses, and you laugh before pulling away. "Want anything here, other than me that is..." you purr. ${alistair} chuckles, "No, nothing other than you." The both of you then move on to another stall and buy a pair of rose hooks for Lisa. You roam the stalls, with your arm around ${alistair}'s waist for a few more hours before deciding to meet up with the others at the bar. *goto 26 # You blush and smile sheepishly, "Well...you caught me." "So go on" says ${alistair} with a mischievous smile. "Go on with what ?" you ask confused. ${alistair} walks up to you and stares into your eyes. You feel like you could drown in the depths of ${al_his} deep blue eyes. "Go on...tell me....which part of me...you like best." purrs ${alistair}. You blush and bite your bottom lip to keep it from trembling. Your heart feels like it's about to rip out of your chest. You gasp in surprise as ${al_he} wraps ${al_his} hands around your shoulders and cages you against ${al_his} body. Tracing circles at with ${al_his} thumb on your shoulder, ${al_he} whispers, "I want an answer ${name}." You bite harder on your bottom lip and gaze at ${al_his} plush lips. $!{al_he} hisses and moves ${al_his} hand from your shoulder to your lips, tugging your lower lip with ${al_his} thumb. Just then you hear a crash followed by cursing. ${alistair} rubs ${al_his} thumb over your lips before gently pulling away with a sigh. ${al_he} clears ${al_his} throat, "Well, I can't decide what I should pick for grandma and could use your help." "Hmmm, oh...yes..of course." You take a deep breath before letting it out and move to take a look at the shelves. After browsing around, you both settle on a pair of rose hooks for Lisa. You both roam the stalls, hand in hand for a few more hours before deciding to meet up with the others at the bar. *goto 26 *label 26 The crowd has gotten thicker. By now its the evening hour and people have come here with their families, making it even more crowded. You twist and turn, trying not to bump into people. *page_break A pair of loggers are carrying a long and heavy wood carving and shout at the crowd to make way. Standing still, you take a step back to get out of their way. You turn your head and notice a tall ${t_man} in a black trench coat. $!{t_he} seems to be watching you from one of the stalls. The first thing you notice about ${t_him} are ${t_his} eyes. They are a hypnotic amber with a strange orange tint to them and remind you of molten lava. You watch hypnotised. The ${t_man} blinks and the spell is broken. *choice # You are curious about this ${t_man} and decide to politely confront ${t_him}. There is something strangely magnetic about the ${t_man} and are also curious as to why ${t_he} is staring at you like that. You feel uncomfortable with ${t_his} sight set on you. It feels strangely penetrating, like ${t_he}'s looking into your head and unlocking all your secrets. You decide to confront the ${t_man} and make your way towards ${t_him}. As you get closer, you see that the ${t_man} looks to be in ${t_his} early thirties. $!{t_he} stares at you and dosen't even blink as you walk up to ${t_him}. "Good evening Lieutenant Dexer." ${t_he} says in a smooth and deep voice. "But how did you..." you stutter in surprise. "I read the rank and nameplate on your jacket." ${t_he} says without blinking. "Okay but..." you trail off as ${t_he} holds up a hand to stop you. "You are curious as to why I was staring at you and came over to ask me about it. I stare at everybody around me." Blinking twice you mumble, "Alright, that's all I wanted to know." You turn and take a few steps, when ${t_he} calls out from behind you. "Wrong way!" You turn and look at ${t_him} incredulously,"But I never told you where I was going." "The only soldiers here today, belong to section post 15. A section post has about four officers rooms in the barracks. If you are here, then the other 3 officers you came with must be here as well. You must have split up and left with one of them and lost them in the crowd. Or you were alone and headed to a common meeting spot. A common meeting spot in a fair like this would be either the beverage or the food stalls. Both those stalls have been conveniently placed in the same corner of the fair . You were headed in the bang opposite direction." ${t_he} says without pausing for breath. You stare at ${t_him} in amazement and open your mouth to talk, when ${t_he} interrupts you again, "Yes, I know. You have never seen anyone do what I just did. It's elementary my dear Dexer." You just stare at ${t_him} with a perplexed expression while ${t_he} turns around and walks away. "Hey! You never told me your name!" you shout out after ${t_him}. "You never asked." ${t_he} says without sparing you a glance and disappears into the crowd. *set tf +1 *set t %+20 *set Friendly %+10 *set Genuine %+5 *goto 30 # You can't help but blush under ${t_his} burning gaze and move to get a closer look at ${t_him}. You have never seen eyes that are so unsettling and beautiful at the same time. Before you know it, your body is moving towards ${t_him} as if by a magnetic pull. $!{t_he} watches you approach with a steady gaze. Up close you get a clear view of ${t_his} ${t_handsome} features. $!{t_he} looks at your face with a barely visible smirk, "Lieutenant Dexer." $!{t_his} voice reminds you of smooth whiskey and honey. It's has a very alluring quality to it. That penetrating gaze coupled with that voice of ${t_his} sends pleasant shivers up your spine. You feel your cheeks burning and try not to squirm under ${t_his} gaze as you stutter, "But...how did you...?" $!{t_he} tilts ${t_his} head, "I read the ranks and nameplate on your jacket." You blink and smile shyly, "But that doesn't explain why you were staring at me.." $!{t_he} gives you a slow once over, "Why wouldn't I stare at you?" Your eyes go wide and you tug your lower lip between your teeth. "Hmmm..my response surprised you. That's strange considering the fact that I find you rather ${handsome} and don't know why you can't see that." ${t_he} says with a thoughtful expression. "You do..." you trail off with a blush. $!{t_he} shifts ${t_his} gaze to the crowd, "Anybody who doesn't is probably blind. Now you better run off, before the other three come looking for you." "Wait..how did you know that I am not..." you trail off as ${t_his} magma eyes capture your ${eye} ones. "The only soldiers here today, belong to section post 15. A section post has about four officers rooms in the barracks. If you are here, then the other 3 officers you came with must be here as well." ${t_he} says while staring at your face. You take a few steps back with a light blush coating your cheeks. With a smile, "You are right. I had better get going." $!{t_he} reaches out and grabs your wrist as you turn to go. You startle in surprise and turn to look at ${t_him}. "You are going the wrong way. You must have split up and left with one of them and lost them in the crowd. Or you were alone and headed to a common meeting spot. A common meeting spot in a fair like this would be either the beverage or the food stalls. Both those stalls have been conveniently placed in the same corner of the fair. You were headed in the bang opposite direction." ${t_he} murmurs while staring at your face. $!{t_he} then squeezes your wrist gently before letting go. Turning around and without casting you a second glance ${t_he} starts walking away. You blink and then call out, "You never gave me your name." $!{t_he} turns and a corner of ${t_his} mouth tilts up as ${t_he} calls out "You never asked." Then ${t_he} disappears into the crowd. You smile and rub your wrist. *set t %+20 *set tr +1 *set Shy %+15 *goto 28 # You raise a brow and stare back at ${t_him} with a grin. $!{t_he} has the sexiest eyes you have ever seen and are curious to whether the rest of ${t_him} is as appealing. You walk up to ${t_him} with a grin on your face. As you get closer, you notice that ${t_his} eyes are indeed as gorgeous up close as they are from a distance. $!{t_he} stares back at you with a quirked brow and a barely visible grin. Up close you get a clear view of ${t_his} ${t_handsome} features. "See something you like...." you drawl. $!{t_he} looks at your face , "Whatever gave me away.....Lieutenant Dexer." $!{t_his} voice reminds you of smooth whiskey and honey. It has a very alluring quality to it. That penetrating gaze coupled with that voice of ${t_his} sends pleasant shivers up your spine. You tilt your head, "I don't recall having met you before." $!{t_he} shrugs and says without blinking, "No we haven't. I read the rank and nameplate on your jacket." You bite your lower lip, "You were staring at my chest the whole time...." $!{t_he} raises a brow, "Hmmmm, I was staring at all of you. Tough not to, considering how ${handsome} you are. Now you better run off, before the other three come looking for you." "Other three...." you trail off confused. "The only soldiers here today, belong to section post 15. A section post has about four officers rooms in the barracks. If you are here, then the other 3 officers you came with must be here as well." ${t_he} says while staring at your face. "Hmmm true. I'll see you around...." you drawl with a wink. You take a few steps back, your eyes locked with ${t_his} molten gaze. $!{t_he} reaches out and grabs your wrist as you turn to go. You give ${t_him} a cheshire smile and purr "Well someone's eager....." Gently rubbing your wrist with ${t_his} fingers, ${t_he} murmurs "You are going the wrong way. You must have split up and left with one of them and lost them in the crowd. Or you were alone and headed to a common meeting spot. A common meeting spot in a fair like this would be either the beverage or the food stalls. Both those stalls have been conveniently placed in the same corner of the fair. You were headed in the bang opposite direction." "Do you always go so fast?" you ask with a raised brow. "Depends on whether the ${man} can keep up." ${t_he} purrs. $!{t_he} then lets go of your wrist and turns to walk away without casting you a second glance. You smile and call out "You never gave me your name." $!{t_he} turns and a corner of ${t_his} mouth tilts up as ${t_he} calls out "You never asked." Then ${t_he} disappears into the crowd. You smile and rub the back of your head. *set t %+20 *set Shy %-15 *set tr +1 *goto 28 # You stare back in disinterest. $!{t_he} must be bored and is simply watching people to pass the time. $!{t_he} has strange amber eyes with an orange tint to them. They remind you of a burning furnace. $!{t_his} eyes are unsettling and strangely intrusive, like ${t_he} can see all your secrets. You shrug it off and decide to move on before the others decide to send a search party for you. *set t %+10 *set Cautious %+15 *set Genuine %-5 *goto 29 # You glare back at ${t_him}. The way ${t_he}'s looking at you, really puts you off and you decide to give ${t_him} a piece of your mind. You stomp towards ${t_him} and shoot ${t_him} your deadliest glare. "What the hell are you looking at?" you snarl. $!{t_he} barely bats an eye, "Don't get carried away 1st Lt. Dexer, I was looking at the crowd." You frown and cross your arms in front of your chest before asking in a glacial tone, "How in the 7 hells, do you know my name?" "I read the rank and nameplate on your jacket." $!{t_he} says with a shrug. You scoff and turn about and take a few steps, before ${t_he} drawls [i]"You're going the wrong wayyy..."[/i]. You scrunch your nose in annoyance. The ${t_man} has the most annoying voice you have ever heard. "How the fuckin duck would you know?" "You are going the wrong way, you must have split up and left with one of them and lost them in the crowd. Or you were alone and headed to a common meeting spot. A common meeting spot in a fair like this would be either the beverage or the food stalls. Both those stalls have been conveniently placed in the same corner of the fair. You were headed in the bang opposite direction." ${t_he} snarks. You just stare at ${t_him} with a perplexed expression while ${t_he} turns around and walks away. "Hey! You never told me your name!" you shout out after ${t_him}. "You never asked." ${t_he} says without sparing you a glance and disappears into the crowd. *set Friendly %-15 *set t %-10 *set Compassion %-10 *set Cautious %-10 *goto 30 *label 30 *page_break Meanwhile... [b]Through the eyes of Major ${tric} Allori[/b] $!{t_he} was right in coming here, ${t_he} had come here all the way from the hold to check up on the young lieutenant. The day ${tric} opened ${name}'s file, ${t_he} knew it was ${him}. $!{he} does resemble ${his} mother, the same hair, skin and face. But the eyes, they belong to the Marshal. $!{t_he} was quite impressed by the ${boy}'s perception. It wasn't everyday that people caught ${t_him} spying on them. $!{t_he} was even more impressed when the ${boy} walked up to ${t_him} and enquired about it. $!{t_he} smiles as ${t_he} walks out of the fair grounds. *goto 31 *label 28 *page_break Meanwhile... b]Through the eyes of Major ${tric} Allori[/b] $!{t_he} was right in coming here, ${t_he} had come here all the way from the hold to check up on the young lieutenant. The day ${tric} opened ${name}'s file, ${t_he} knew it was ${him}. $!{he} does resemble ${his} mother, the same hair, skin and face. But the eyes, they belong to the Marshal. It was strange looking at a ${man} who was a gorgeous mash of the two people ${t_he} loved most. $!{t_he} was taken aback for a moment when ${t_he} saw ${him}. Never....$!{t_he}'d never thought in ${t_his} wildest dreams that the 7 days old baby ${t_he} had held in ${t_his} arms, would grow up to be this attractive. *goto 31 *label 29 *page_break Meanwhile... b]Through the eyes of Major ${tric} Allori[/b] $!{t_he} was right in coming here, ${t_he} had come here all the way from the hold to check up on the young lieutenant. The day ${tric} opened ${name}'s file, ${t_he} knew it was ${him}. $!{he} does resemble ${his} mother, the same hair, skin and face. But the eyes, they belong to the Marshal. $!{t_he} was quite impressed by the ${boy}'s perception. It wasn't everyday that people caught ${t_him} spying on them. $!{t_he} was quite amused by the ${name}'s reaction to ${t_him}. The ${boy} barely bated an eye. Goes to show a lot about ${his} character. *goto 31 *label 31 $!{t_he} remembers Alina.... Since ${t_he} was just 6 years old, ${t_he} had to stay back when ${t_his} grandfather left for the front. Surgical Captain Alina Kasri was ${t_his} mother's best friend and the doctor who had helped ${t_his} mother give birth to ${t_him}. She took ${t_him} with her to the field military hospital. $!{t_he} stayed with her and helped out by doing small chores or just did whatever ${t_he} wanted to. Her younger brother the air marshal used to come visit ${t_him}. Whenever Alina and Allen were around, ${t_he} would forget that ${t_he} was an orphan. Then one day, ${t_he} saw Alina talking to a tall and dark haired man. He looked quite intimidating and ${tric} hated Rheyan Ashyver at first glance. Funny isn't it, ${t_he} would kill for that man now. ${tric} stops and watches a father playing with his son. Rheyan was no less than a father to ${t_him}. $!{t_he} may not have had real parents, but ${t_he} had ample of parent figures. $!{t_he} feels a sudden weight on ${t_his} shoulders and stares at the ground. $!{t_he} had loved Alina like a mother, and sometimes $!{t_he} still dreamt about her. Maybe if ${t_he} had stayed back that day, if ${t_he} hadn't left.....No, then ${t_he} would have died too. $!{t_he} stares at the ground, ${t_he} hates lying and keeping secrets from the marshal. But Allen and Dorian are right, if this leaks out....it could be dangerous for the Marshal and the ${boy}. *page_break Strange isn't it... The last time ${t_he} had spoken to ${name} was when ${t_he} was 10 years old and ${he} was 7 days old. $!{t_he} had never held a baby before and was very nervous. Alina had laughed and taught ${t_him} to hold the baby. $!{t_he} had been quite scrawny as a kid and thought that the baby weighed a ton. Personally ${t_he} liked the baby better when it was in Alina's tummy. It made less noise and ${t_he} had the room all to ${t_himself} back then. [i]The moment ${t_he} held the baby ${t_he} had asked Alina, "What do I do now?"[/i] [i]Alina smiled and shrugged, "Talk to ${him}, just like you did when ${he} was in my tummy."[/i] [i]"I liked ${him} better then." ${t_he} had said with a frown.[/i] [i]Alina had smiled, "Just because I have a baby now, doesn't mean I don't love you anymore Teri. You are and always will be my first baby. I can't love anybody as much as I love you."[/i] [i]She had kissed ${t_his} cheek before adding "I want you to try Teri, I want you both to be friends. $!{he} is too small to protect ${himself} and will need someone to keep ${him} safe when I and Rheyan aren't around."[/i] [i]"Okay, I guess I can try. But no promises."[/i] [i]"I'll take what I can get."[/i]. [i]$!{t_he} then squinted at the baby and tried to think of something, ${t_he} could say to her. [/i] [i]$!{t_he}'d taken a deep breath, "Hi, ${name}. My name is ${tric} Allori but you can call me Teri. All my friends call me Teri, even though I hate it. Your dad is my best friend and your mom is my mom too. Not a real mom but like the lady who loves you and raises you. She told me to try and be your friend. I don't know but you seem a little cranky these days. Do you even want to be my friend?"[/i] [i]${name} began to wail and cry. [/i] [i]Alina had cringed, "Maybe try talking to ${him}, after I have fed ${him}, hmmm.."[/i] [i]$!{t_he} had frowned, "But you fed ${him} 2 hours ago! That thing is going to drain all your milk at this rate."[/i] [i]Alina had laughed as ${t_he} had stomped away.[/i] ${tric} chuckled to ${t_himself}. It was one of ${t_his} most treasured memories. $!{t_he} owed it to her to protect the child she loved so much. $!{t_he} wondered how long it would be, before the Marshal figures out what ${t_he} is up to. Time could never erode the love ${t_he} has for Alina, but she's dead now. $!{t_his} priority and loyalty belongs to the Marshal. If this kid did anything that would hurt him.... *page_break ${tric} wouldn't hesitate to kill ${him}.... *goto_scene chapter5