CHAPTER THREE: ENTRUSTING

The Hexagon is an enormous area of land that holds military bases in Nocturnal Pride. It's an hexagon shaped structure with a variety of facilities and sceneries to ease various training courses, battle simulations, duels and relaxation. However, it's primarily known for holding the bases of the four currently active squads in Nocturnal Pride. It also holds Nocturnal Pride's very own prison. It is in here that Lieutenant Caesar and Lewis along with every soldier in Nocturnal Pride resides and where they'll be swapping captains as well.

Caesar arrived with his captain at the appointed spot first. It was 7:50 AM. He had a duffel bag with him.

"Be at ease, Lieutenant. We'll be meeting up with Lewis and Captain Albrecht so we can expect to be here for quite some time," Captain Alexander said to his lieutenant.

Captain Alexander was a dutiful, stern and straightforward soldier. He was also a very ambitious man. He joined the army and was appointed a Captain during Alpha William's reign. Fighting through all that time till now has established him as one of the strongest captains in the pack. His most evident quality and primarily the means he used to reach his current position is his keen mind. All of his feats were majorly through tactics. Out of all his subordinates, Caesar was the most capable and the exact replica of him, so he was made lieutenant.

Twenty minutes later when it was ten minutes after eight, Lewis came into sight equally carrying a bag no more than the size of a duffel. When he got to the bench they were sitting on, Caesar stood up and reprimanded him.

"You're ten minutes late, soldier. Where have you been?" he said.

Lewis smiled in his usual condescending manner but this time with a salute. "I'm sorry, sir, I lost track of time."

Caesar frowned. "Lost track of time? What a flimsy excuse. How can a soldier behave in such..."

"Forgive him, Lieutenant. He already apologized," Captain Alexander interceded.

Caesar sighed and sat back down.

Lewis still in a salute, turned to Captain Alexander. "Thank you, sir," he said.

The captain nodded. "Its alright. Just don't repeat it in the future."

"And get that creepy smile off your face. It doesn't match your words," Caesar added.

"Where's your captain? When is he getting here?" Captain Alexander asked.

"It'll be much safe to assume he won't be here before half past eight. Add ten minutes to that and it'll be about right," Lewis replied.

Captain Alexander sighed. He already knew this would happen. Lieutenant Caesar on the other hand wanted to complain, but got rid of the thought after seeing his captain quiet. Lewis took a seat next to the captain on the swing bench. One of the things put in place to aid relaxation.

He was right. When it was forty minutes after eight, the figure of Captain Albrecht came into sight.

Captain Alexander stood up as he approached them and Caesar and Lewis followed. "I see where you take your qualities from. Are all of his soldiers this way?" he asked Lewis.

"Only the best of the best, sir."

As Captain Albrecht drew closer, Lieutenant Caesar and Lewis sprung out a salute.

"At ease soldiers," he said, now before them. "Alexander! Sorry I'm late, I got caught up in something and lost track of time."

From their gaits, dressing styles, appearance and manner of talking, one could tell just how different Captain Alexander and Albrecht were. Captain Albrecht was instinctive, wild and appeared to be unruly. He said what he thought without mincing words and did what he wanted without thinking twice. He believed that strength is what truly matters and crushed his foes with his overwhelming strength, as opposed to Captain Alexander who relied on tactics.

In terms of appearance, they were also much different. Captain Albrecht rocked a long beard, while Captain Alexander kept his, medium-sized. As usual, Captain Albrecht was dressed in a medieval tunic, trousers and a fur mantle. He kept all kinds of wolf fur for his mantle and never was he seen outside without one. Captain Alexander however was dressed in nothing but cargo pants, a rolled-up long sleeve t-shirt and a set of black bracelets he wore at all times.

"Good grief, your subordinate used that already. Let's just get this over with."

Captain Albrecht let out a loud laugh. "Yes, it's about time."

"Without further ado, I'll be entrusting my lieutenant to you," Captain Alexander said.

"Likewise," Captain Albrecht replied.

"Then we'll take our leave now," Captain Alexander said and immediately left with Lewis.

Sunlight was beginning to seep through Alpha Leon's window, signifying the break of dawn. Since he became the Alpha, he lost the right to boast of having a single free day, but not today. It was Saturday and he had decided to put everything aside and soend quality time with Emiliana.

He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Minutes later, he came out wrapped in a towel, body and mouth now clean. Next, he proceeded to get dressed after drying himself. Today, he wanted something less royal and more casual, so he selected a dark blue t-shirt, fitted grey joggers and a pair of sneakers. Looking at himself in the mirror, he nodded with satisfaction then left for the dining room where he would have breakfast with his fiancée and family. At the dining, he found Saxon and Luna Ulrika, his stepmother, already seated. Food was already served but they were waiting for him. A jug of juice, halfway empty, sat on the table along with four glasses with juice already poured in. Plates of different sizes with tantalising contents like pancakes and syrup, home fries and sausages laid gracefully, seemingly beckoning unto all who caught a sight of it to take a bite.

"Good morning mother, good morning brother," Leon said, taking a seat.

"Good morning darling, did you sleep well?," Luna Ulrika asked in the most endearing tone.

"I did, mother."

"Mother's already stolen my intended question so I'll just say good morning," Saxon said.

They laughed shortly then Luna Ulrika stated her observation along with a question. "You're dressed differently today. Are you doing something later?"

Leon smiled. "Nothing escapes your keen eyes, mother. Emiliana and I will be having something of an outing today."

Luna Ulrika is the woman that won the heart of Alpha William. With her ravishing green eyes, long brown wavy hair, plump red lips, they called her the most beautiful woman in all of Nocturnal Pride. At a height of 5'10, she towered above most women. She also had very grand gestures, posture and gait, as well as an ample figure. Every man who walked past her turned around to get a second look. Her scent was absolutely divine. She didn't just smell like a flower, she smelled like an entire bouquet. Finally, her youthfulness was astonishing. She was fifty-five but she looked much younger, and even though the aging of werewolves is considerably lessened, she looked younger than her female peers. She was truly a woman fitting of being Luna.

"That's good to hear. You too haven't spent much time for a while now. Take her someplace nice," she replied.

"I intend to, mother. We should start eating, don't you think?"

"Of course, dear."

They hadn't been eating for long when Emiliana showed up. Out of breath, she gasped. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I got out of bed a little late."

Luna Ulrika let out a wide smile, revealing her perfect set of teeth. "It's alright, dear."

"We just started eating ourselves," Saxon added.

She walked over to Leon and gave him a peck. "Good morning, babe."

"Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, a little too well," she said as she took a seat.

She was a beautiful lady herself. Her blonde straight bob matched her delicate fair skin perfectly. She also had a relatively small stature, but it did not in anyway interfere with her beauty.

For no particular reason, they ate in silence.

Leon wiped his mouth with a napkin at the end of his meal. "Well, we have to go now. I'll see you guys later," he said, getting up from his seat.

"Do take a guard with you," the Luna said.

"Oh no," Leon said, waving off the idea. "I want privacy with Emiliana."

"Alright, you two birds have a good time."

"Have fun but don't get wild, alright?" Saxon teased.

Emiliana rolled her eyes. "I wish he could."

Leon frowned a little while they laughed. "Nothing wrong in a man trying to maintain decency," he said.

"Yes, yes, we know," Emiliana said, gently pushing him out.

"Are you mad?" Emiliana asked gently when they were out of sight.

"At you? No way."

"Good. So, where are you taking me? What's the surprise?"

"You'll have to wait till we get there," he replied.

"C'mon, you know I can't handle the suspense," she pleaded.

"You'll just have to wait," he said with a tone of finality.

Seeing she couldn't win over Leon, she went along with his plan. They walked past a number of maids and guards who all bowed once they caught sight of the Alpha, until they left the manor. Now out of his manor, Leon took her through an unfamiliar route and though she had questions, she asked him nothing, knowing he would tell nothing.

Eventually, they got to a medium sized cottage. Before it, laid a field of well trimmed grasses with a cleared path in it's midst, serving as a way to access and exit the cottage. By the sides of the cottage, prosperous vegetation were strategically placed abundantly, indications that whoever inhabited the little cottage had great love for green scenery.

Thoughtlessly, Leon attempted to walk into the cottage with Emiliana in hand but she pulled back, unsure of what he was doing. However, she followed him trustingly once he gave her a reassuring look.

"Coinin! Are you home, sir?" Leon called out to the seemingly empty house.

"Coinin! Sir! Coinin!!" he called a few more times.

"Honey, I don't think anybody's home."

Leon stroked his chin. "That's very unlikely, I'm sure he's in," he persisted.

Almost immediately after Leon spoke, an old man came out from the innermost part of the cottage. His hair and beards had all gone white from age but he was in no way physically weak, and even age couldn't steal his assertive nature.

"Alpha Leon, I've told you not to call me sir, especially not now that you're the Alpha."

"And you don't have to call me Alpha either," Leon retorted.

"Let's lose the titles then. I'll call you Leon and you call me Coinin."

"Deal."

Both men could not help but burst into a fit of laughter, even as they embraced themselves.

"It's good to see you, Coinin," Leon chuckled.

"I'm glad to see you're healthy, Leon," the man replied.

When they had enough of themselves, they broke apart.

"I'm really sorry about your father, Leon."

"Coinin, you need not apologize. It's not your fault. Besides, you've already said sorry enough."

"Alpha William was a wonderful man. His death is a huge loss to you, me and Nocturnal Pride as a whole. He will be forever remembered."

Both men went silent for a little while, presumably in honour to the deceased Alpha.

Leon beckoned Emiliana to come closer. "Coinin, meet Emiliana, my mate and fiancée. Emiliana meet Coinin, the royal artist, my dear friend and the oldest man I know," he finished with a laugh.

Coinin chuckled. "You're the famous Emiliana? Leon doesn't stop talking about you. You're truly as beautiful as he says."

Emiliana blushed. "Thank you, sir. I wish I could say the same about you but unfortunately, Leon has never spoken about you."

Coinin laughed. "Well, of course, my existence is more or less a secret."

Emiliana raised her brows. "Secret?" she asked, unsure of what he meant.

"Let me explain, babe," Leon chuckled. "Coinin isn't originally from Nocturnal Pride. A long time ago, he was always leaving his pack in search of materials for his work and for artistic inspiration. On one of these occasions, he encountered soldiers from an enemy pack that would have abducted him had father not been there. You see, Coinin's artistic talent is impeccable and they knew it. He could and can sketch anything or anyone even with sparse information and if he does see it himself, well he produces what he saw exactly as it. It's an ability that's extremely important in these warring period and for it, some packs desired him. Long story short, Alpha William saved him and in that moment, Coinin pledged to serve him, so my father made him his private artist, reporting only to him. We've kept his existence a secret ever since. He made the most beautiful painting in the Plague, the painting of Alpha William."

"And now I'll make yours," Coinin added.

Leon smiled. "Thank you, Coinin. Glad to have you here."

"No place I'd rather be."

"Now, as to why I'm here. Emiliana is very interested in art and she is quite skilled. I want you to take her on. She's excellent, I tell you, and..."

"Leon, I..." Coinin interrupted, only to get interrupted himself.

"Hear me out. I know you're under no obligation to take in any students and you're only suppose to work for my father but I'm asking a favour."

"Leon! Leon!" Coinin called but got no response from the chattering Alpha.

"I just want you to take her in and polish her skills. It won't even be long, she's a quick learner and she'll do..."

"Leon!! Stop talking. You don't have to plead with me for anything. All of the loyalty I gave your father is now yours. I'll take her in," he said.

"Thank you so much," Leon said with an embrace.

Then turning to Emiliana, he said, "This is the surprise. We've always talked about how you'd do great with a teacher. Why not have the best train you?"

Emiliana was overwhelmed, both with joy and a bit of confusion. She had heard so much within such little time and was trying to process them all. The most important to her however, was the surprise.

"Yes," she squealed. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you so much, I love you," she said, going for a kiss.

"I love you, too," Leon replied, responding fully.

"Ahem!" Coinin cleared his throat. "This is a no romance zone."

They separated, laughing softly. "So, when would you like to start?" he asked Emiliana.

"Monday."

"That early? You don't need time to get ready or something?"

"No, it's totally fine."

"Well then," Leon said, turning to Coinin. "You heard the lady. Will Monday be fine for you?"

"Of course."

"Excellent. I must take my leave now. Emiliana and I have plans. I'll see you soon."

"I look forward to it, as well as teaching Miss Emiliana."

Emiliana smiled.

"Off we go, then. Thank you once again," Leon said with a wave, leaving with Emiliana.

Some distance away from Coinin's cottage, Emiliana asked the question that had been nagging her mind since Leon introduced him to her. "Leon, if Coinin is so special to you and your dad, why does live in a cottage? I mean, don't get me wrong. It's a decent cottage, comfortable and clean too. But certainly, you can provide a much modern residence for him, can you not?"

Leon chuckled. "When he was brought here first, he asked for a cottage workshop, far away from people and with lots of vegetation. However, he started living in it. You have no idea how much my dad tried to get him out of that place. He just wouldn't budge. Coinin has no love for all our modernized settings and scenes. We do however, have the place go through proper maintenance from time to time."

"Is that so? Forgive my misconception then. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. If anything, I'm glad that you care."

"So, where are we heading next?"

Leon took her hands in his. "A spot not far from here. It's a little garden I used to hang around before I became Alpha."

As Leon said, it wasn't far, for before Emiliana could ask further questions, they had arrived. It was truly a beautiful place. A field of different flowers surrounded an area of well trimmed grasses that could be accessed through a cleared path in between the flowers. Leon and Emiliana took the cleared path to reach the area of grasses within the flower field. At their destination, they sprawled on a mat placed there in advance and took in the scenery. The flowers that surrounded them looked even more beautiful now that they were looking at it from a lower level.

Emiliana rested her heads on Leon's shoulder. "It's so beautiful."

He laid down on his back, carefully placing Emiliana's head on his chest. "It truly is."

Luckily for them, it wasn't sunny.

"I'd give anything for moments like this with you," she said, staring into his eyes.

"As would I. I'm sorry I've been really busy this past week."

"It's alright. We're together now and that's all that matters."

Leon crushed his lips on her forehead. "Thank you."

She raised her head and sat up. "But now that we're together, there's something I must tell you."

Caesar sat up too, a bit alarmed. "What's the matter?"

"Before I tell you, I just want to say that I know you and Saxon have a great relationship and I'm not trying to ruin it or anything, but he freaks me out. There's something about his green eyes. It's like a snake's and when I look at them, his stares give me the chills. They look like they're searching for a prey. Even when he smiles or laughs, I can't get this feeling out of my head. It's like he says one thing and mean another. There's just something sinister about it."

Leon smiled so wide, he almost laughed. Then, he held her and gently placed her head back on his chest. "I understand you perfectly. In fact, you'd have to be a little nuts upstairs to think Saxon's eyes aren't scary. They even scare me sometimes. However, Saxon's a really nice person and the best brother I could ask for. Why his eyes are that way, I cannot say, but this I can, he means no harm at all. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Emiliana nodded. "You're right. I don't even know why I'd think something like that after he has stood by you all these years. Forgive me"

"It's alright, you don't have to apologize. One more thing. Saxon actually enjoys watching people get scared of him, so don't give him what he wants, alright?"

"I'll do my best," she chuckled.

"Excellent."

Meanwhile at the Hexagon, both soldiers had gotten to their new base.

"Welcome to Base II. You'll be spending a week here so try to fit in," Captain Alexander said upon his arrival with Lewis at his base.

The moment the captain walked into the lobby, the first room in each base, everyone present froze and gave a salute till he acknowledged them with a wave. Immediately, they returned to their business. The place was crawling with soldiers, everybody was doing something but they performed it in order. They were like ants in one giant anthill, working to gather food.

Captain Alexander looked around. "Juliet!" he called out to dozens of soldiers.

A very young pretty female soldier ran to the captain. "Sir!" she said with a salute.

"Take Lewis here to his room."

Juliet took the lead and Lewis followed.

"And Lewis," Captain Alexander called. "Juliet will come get you in an hour. Don't make me wait."

Lewis gave a salute. "Yes, sir."

Captain Albrecht and Lieutenant Caesar had also reached their destination, Base I. Caesar was alarmed when he walked into the lobby. He found the place to be more of a bar than a base. It was nothing like the lobby in his base, Base II. Couches and drinking tables filled the place and soldiers occupied all of them. Just like his base however, the place was filled with soldiers, but with very different roles Some sat idling away, some drinking and laughing and some flirting. Soldiers were allowed to drink but they wouldn't turn the base to a bar in the process. Even more surprising than their drinking spree, were the women present in the base. Soldiers often snuck out to see ladies but to bring them to their base was an entirely different story. Not to mention, they had their captain right before them and were not in anyway fazed.

The presence of Captain Albrecht didn't cause any discomfort or change. His soldiers welcomed him with shouts of "Captain, welcome back!" "Where have you been, Captain?" But they all remained in their positions. No salute whatsoever. Two young ladies dressed in shorts and sultry t-shirts stood up, each with a glass in their hand and walked over to the captain.

He held them by the waist. "Claudia, Rose, are the boys treating you well?"

"Very well, Captain," they replied, giggling and stroking his beard

Captain Albrecht laughed. "Excellent, have a great time you two," he said, pulling away from them.

"Won't you drink with us, Captain?" one of them asked.

"I can't now. I have some business to attend to with my guest here," he replied, pointing at Caesar.

The girls looked over at Caesar and back at the captain. "Is he any fun?" they asked, biting their lips.

Captain Albrecht laughed even more than the first time. "Oh no, I'm sure he's new to all of this. He can't handle it. You girls go have a good time."

With that, they left him and headed back to their seats but as he was about to leave with Caesar, his soldiers in their half drunken state began hollering. "Who's the lad, Captain?!" "Not going to introduce us, Captain?!" "Come have a drink, pretty boy!"

One of them particularly louder than others shouted, "Who's the chap, Captain?"

Captain Albrecht sighed. "Watch your tongue boys, he's older than some of you and he's a lieutenant too."

"Bollocks!" the same guy retorted.

Laughter thundered across the place as nearly every soldier laughed from their guts.

"This will not do. Half-witted dogs like you need to be disciplined properly," Caesar said, pointing at the guy who spoke earlier.

He was dressed in only shorts and both girls, Claudia and Rose sat at his sides, clinging to his well built body. As he stood up, everyone went silent, for the man Caesar had insulted was Jock, a respected soldier in Base I because of his strength.

As he stood, a couple inches above Caesar who like Alpha Leon was of moderate build, he had no doubt that he would not lose.

"Do you know who I am, chap?" Jock asked.

"Of course not. I don't go around acquainting myself with pigs," Caesar retorted.

Jock went mad. "Don't plead with me when I start taking your teeth out," he said, cracking his knuckles.

Caesar smiled and just as Jock threw a punch at his face, he dodged and slugged him in his stomach. Although it hurt him, it wasn't enough to bring him down. This time Jock threw his hand at Caesar's throat aiming to have him in a choke hold. Caesar dodged again, took his hands and threw him over. With Jock lying flat on his back, Caesar kissed Jock's face with his fist three times and left him bleeding from both nose and mouth. Everyone went silent, Jock's defeat had left a tremendous impact on them all. You could tell by the way they stared at Caesar with mouths agape.

Captain Albrecht started clapping, breaking the silence. "Excellent. There's no better way to make people obey you than using strength."

Captain Albrecht left the lobby with Caesar behind him. As they walked together, Caesar struggled within himself in a bid to decide if he should ask the captain the question that troubled him or not.

"Why give your men so much freedom? You've made them so undisciplined. Drinking and flirting in the presence of a captain? They have absolutely no respect for you," he said.

"Make no mistake, youngster. My men completely respect me and with their whole lives they'll serve me. All of what you saw them doing are things I've deemed fit. People work better when they are satisfied than deprived and that's why my men always get the job done. You don't need a myriad rules to create respect or discipline. People will naturally respect who is strong. I've only given my soldiers three rules. No stealing, no fighting amongst themselves and no destruction of personal and military properties. If they are offended amongst themselves, they report the offenders to me and I ask them what they want, a fight or a trial. Whatever they choose, I give."

"That cannot be enough. Without enough discipline they will stray off continually. Surely you don't mean to say no one has ever broken these rules," Caesar argued.

"Rebellious people will always appear regardless of the absence of discipline or not, you need only put them in their place. More than two months ago, my Lieutenant, Rex retired. He was a huge jerk and I got constant reports about him bullying the weaker guys but I always brushed it off with a warning. However, Rex broke my golden rule one day. He knock two soldiers out cold for complaining about his bullying tendencies and threatening to report him. When the news got to me, I had both soldiers break both of Rex's arms. He survived but he couldn't survive the fear. A few days later he retired and since then, not one soldier has defaulted. I hear he's all better now, taken up farming too."

Captain Albrecht stopped before a door and turned to Caesar. "This is your room. Drop your bag and come with me."

Caesar reached for the handle, opened the door and walked in. When he did, he saw perhaps, the most disturbing domestic scenario his eyes had caught hold off. The windows were shut tight and the room stifling. The sheets were rumpled, bottles and used cigarettes laid on the floor. The smell of fermented alcohol danced in the air and decayed beef jerky was in plain sight. He would not take this, but almost immediately he decided to vent his dissatisfaction, he decided against it. The captain was definitely trying to get to him on purpose.

Shutting the door behind him, he asked, "Where to next, Captain?"

A small frown sat on the captain's face. He was certain Caesar would go bonkers when he saw the huge mess in the room. "Follow me," he said, turning his frown to a smile.

They walked for a few minutes until the captain stopped before a room with a sign that read, "Instruction room 1." As they walked in, Caesar assumed he would find a mess like the one in his room. On the contrary, when he walked in after the captain, he found an average sized room, sparkling clean and decorated with bottles. It was the first good thing he had seen in this base and something his base didn't have.

"This is my instruction room. It's where I orient a few soldiers on special missions. I would have loved to use it as my interrogation room too but they don't dare lie to me," Captain Albrecht said and flicked on the switch. The dark room turned to a well illuminated one.

Motioning Caesar to sit, he said, "Take a sit, Lieutenant."

Caesar sat and the captain followed.

"You have a... unique fashion sense."

Captain Albrecht looked at the mantle on his shoulders, then traced his eyes to his tunic. "Oh yes, I get laughed at for it sometimes, even by my men."

"Now, straight to the point. What is the best way to defeat your enemy, Lieutenant?"

"Strategy," Caesar replied without thinking twice.

"I thought you would say that. What good will strategy be if you are ambushed or caught in a sneak attack?" Captain Albrecht challenged.

"The very art of strategy is executed to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous conditions. If my strategy does not account for defence and attack then the fault is mine."

Captain Albrecht stroked his beards. "How would strategy help you overcome a larger number of foes?"

Caesar smiled. "Number is not the most important decisive factor in a battle, ability is. It equates strength of the soldiers. Next is strategy and afterwards, numbers. If these three are top-notch, victory is assured. If numbers is replaced with morale, victory is still very much within reach. High morale often boosts the abilities of the soldiers and depending on how great the difference in numbers is, soldiers can defeat foes with greater number than theirs. However, if an enemy number is too great to be overcome with morale alone, strategy comes to play. With a well laid out plan, strategy can overwhelm ability and although it may come with difficulties the stronger the foes faced, victory can be achieved. Finally, I must say that while ability is the most important factor, attacking without a plan is reckless and will lead to ruin more often than not. What more, if faced with foes that possess an extreme understanding of tactics, failure is certain. In short, while strategy can aid and make up for strength, strength is hardly enough to replace strategy," he said with a smile, confident he had defeated the captain.

Surprisingly, the captain laughed. "Talking won't get us anyway. Let's battle it out. Show me just how effective strategy is in the face of overwhelming strength."

In Base II, Lewis laid on his bed smiling to himself when he heard a knock on his door. Excitement filled his head as he waited to be taken to the captain. The knock he had been expecting came. He got up and opened the door, clad in only underwear.

The young soldier blushed heavily when she caught a view of his exposed body. She lowered her head and kept her eyes down. "I'm here to get you to the captain."

"Oh hello, Julie. To what do I owe this pleasurable visit?" he asked, pretending not to hear.

"The-the captain asked me to come get you," she blurted out.

"Oh, come in and wait while I get dressed," He said, opening his door wider and motioning her to get in.

Surprisingly she walked in, though hesitantly. Once inside, she sat at the corner of the room.

Lewis quickly got dressed. He had already decided what to wear. On his lower half, he wore a black cargo pant and black leather boots, the customary uniform of soldiers at his squad, Squad I. However, he didn't complete the uniform as he replaced his battledress with a black t-shirt.

He turned to Julie who was looking away and coloured red from embarrassment. "Shall we?"

She got up and as she made to step out, he opened the door with a bow. "After you ma'am."

This made her all the more uncomfortable but she did her best to act like she wasn't bothered. She walked out and Lewis followed, shutting the door behind him.

As they walked together, he engaged her in a conversation. "How old are you, Julie?"

"Nineteen," she replied reluctantly.

"Pretty young age to be a soldier. Why did you get into the military? Is there someone you want to kill?"

"No, not at all,"

"Then why?"

"I can't tell you," she said firmly.

Lewis smiled even more. He had been thinking she was just a timid soldier without guts, but it seems there was more to her. "Forgive me for prying then," he said.

"What about you, what's with that smile? She asked out of sheer curiosity.

Lewis raised his brows. "Smile?" he asked, pointing at his face.

"Yes," she affirmed.

"Apparently, my face can move of it's own accord. It's a condition I was born with and despite how often I've tried to overcome it, I just can't. It's given me a bad impression to many people," he explained with downcast eyes.

"You're joking, right?" she asked. "Right?" she asked again, not receiving an answer the first time.

Lewis just shook his head, looking as pitiful as can be.

Juliet eyes watered. "I'm so sorry. You must have gone through a lot," she said, taking his hand up in hers and looking into his eyes.

"Just kidding!"

"How could you?" she gasped. "I was really worried," she said and sped up.

Lewis laughed. "You're so naive."

He ran after her briefly and caught up. "But it's not such a bad thing, it just means you're innocent."

Juliet ignored his comments, sulking

He laughed again. "Alright, I'm sorry. Forgive me."

"Only if you tell me the truth about your smile."

"The truth about my smile? You make it sound like a myth. It's just like any other smile, only I do it more often. I smile when I'm fascinated, excited, perturbed, stressed and most of the time, to scare or anger people."

"I should have known better."

Lewis laughed and she joined him.

"Does it bother you?"

"What, your smile?"

"Yes."

"Not at all. It looks condescending and foul but somehow, it's filled with confidence and ambitions. That's what it looks like to me at least."

Lewis stroked his chin. "Interesting, this is a first."

"Well, here we are. The captain is inside here," she announced, stopping before a door with a sign that read, "Command room 1."

"Well then, see you later Julie," he said and walked in after a knock.

What Lewis had thought would be a normal room turned out to be an auditorium. He wasn't surprised by the size however. They had a room very similar to this in his base at "Instruction room 2." The only difference is that while theirs was decorated with customized painted bottles and improvised decorations.

"Lewis, come have a seat," Captain Alexander called as he sighted him walk into the room.

Lewis walked over to the captain and gave a salute then proceeded to seat down.

Captain Alexander was going through some papers, military affairs, Lewis thought.

"What do you think of my base?" the captain asked, loosening the tense atmosphere.

"It's a very decent place and all your soldiers are responsible. Nothing like life at my base, sir."

"Even without being told, I can tell I wouldn't want to know what life there is like."

"You really don't," Lewis affirmed.

"Now, to why I sent for you. What do you think the most effective way to defeat an enemy is?"

"Overwhelming strength. One that enables you to deal with your enemy in one fell swoop no matter the situation."

"Such strength is a pipe dream even in the supernatural. A better way would be to create a strategy so intricate that it covers every area of battle without even the tiniest chance to let the enemy escape," Captain Alexander argued.

"Such strategy is equally not within reach. No matter how good a strategist may be, there'll always be unforeseen circumstances and even if all areas are completely covered, the enemy need only create their own chances," Lewis retorted.

Captain Alexander smiled. "It's obvious we are both bright minds and arguing further is futile. We need only prove who is right. Let's duel to find our answer, shall we?"

"No other way I'd have it, Captain."