2ND

As the High General and the Ordinal disappear from the hangar, the sudden ease from almost every soldier around me burst. I'm only stuck in the same position, my head stuck in how the Ordinal looked at me. Is this what it's like after seeing one in person in that range? The thought never crossed my head. Perhaps because I'm never a fan. They've been either living saints or heroes to many people after they triumphed over the Old War that has also become the roots of replete, make-believe modern fables for children. They may have no known origin, but calling them saints is too ironic when less than half of a hundred of them remain alive. Most died in the war, while some chose to break their immortality to live a normal life on their own terms.

"Don't tell me you want to back out now," I hear Alek chime, pulling me back to reality.

"I don't," I say, chuckling. "When's our departure?"

"Someone's excited," He says, and I follow beside him. "Our rotation starts in two hours. My fellas are already preparing our Sand Slider. But for now, you should get something to eat in the cafeteria before you meet the squad. Plus, you won't be the only new recruit."

"Oh, good," I say. "I won't feel left out for being the only newbie." If he's not going to be like the other people toward humans.

He giggles. "I'm sure, you'll get along." Then he offers to take my bag, which I reject.

"You're really serving a squad member on the first day?"

"I'm still your godfather, Kyvin," He reasons.

"It's okay," I insist. "I'll see you in your headquarters later."

He raises his hands defensively. "Suit yourself."

The directions are not so confusing to recognize as I stride to the dungeons where I can eat since it's just near the hangar. Several soldiers are already present around the wooden tables, too busy munching on their meals and messily downing drinks while having indistinct discourses. I'm not really hungry, to begin with. But the sudden contraction of a pleasant smell makes my stomach take a whole turn. I spent an entire morning without a meal yet anyway.

There are not that many people in line near the counter, which I find convenient. So I walk my way there. But I'm only two steps so far, I flinch as a flash of something shiny streaks past my sight. I have to admit, my heart skipped a beat there. I turn my head to see where that object went and see it protruding through the wall. A dining knife.

"Watch out, Soldier," A male voice echoes from behind. The mockery in his tone suggests how big his ego is.

I walk close to the wall to pull the sharp object off and turn myself to find the person I must return it to. I merely find myself facing a group sitting around a table. Three girls and two men, but it is obvious it's the odd one out — the only Front Soldier among them, half-human and half-fawn who owns it with the way he continues to hysterically giggle in his seat, whilst the others around him are much enjoying it. From whence I stand, I take in his semblance with a dead look just so I can remember his face. Thick ginger hair, a thin scruff under his jaw, fair-sized horns slightly bent to the back of his head, olive skin, and a fair shape of nose and ears more likely relevant to an actual human than a satyr's features.

In the blink of an eye, the knife is at the wall behind him. "I believe that's yours," I say.

He and the rest of the people around him make incredulous expressions. Now they're given the impression that a mere human like me didn't waste time back then in the academy.

I sense that the rest of the people's attention is on me, all sharing the same look. The soldier then glares daggers at me that says so many things alone. Yet it gives no effect on me.

"Don't drop it next time," I add and that makes the soldier saunter towards me with his more human-like legs as he retains the same expression. He may be towering a few inches taller and had broader shoulders, yet it's nothing compared to dealing with a Hellion.

As he is standing right before me, he eyes me down as if I'm nothing but a pest that he can easily crush on foot. I merely trade him the same guise showing that I'm nowhere near intimidated — even by what might happen next. Then the corners of his lips raised into a mischievous smirk.

"Never seen another human make a good knife throw," He begins, still carrying the mocking look on his face.

"Should I be glad?" I say back.

He only shrugs. "Have I seen you here before? Or is it just that there aren't so many soldiers like you here?"

That insult almost makes my eyebrow twitch, and my hand starts to grip tighter around the strap of my bag. "Maybe, you should have more human friends then," I answer.

"Maybe you could use some of that." He chuckles.

"Not really," I mutter. "I don't complain much about it."

"Any more tricks you got in your pocket besides throwing a knife, then?"

"I can use a knife to make goat stew." And by that, I already know how much I won when his eyes grow dark and his nostrils flare before yanking the collar of my suit. When I feel him clutch harder, that is when I grab his hand and shove my other hand onto his chest where he stumbles back.

"That's one on my list," I say, dropping my bag. "Wanna know more?"

Now, he's in a rage and really wants to murder me at this point. He launches fists toward me, which I manage to evade. That's what I just do, dodging again, and again, and again, not even bothering to hit back. I'm just making him look like an actual goat, chasing me with his horns. My only concern is nobody is even stopping him, not even his friends. In fact, they're rather too entertained with the rest of the people, even the kitchen workers. I suddenly feel something under my foot that I initially thought would trip me. It's just a utensil. That rather turns into a distraction, and it's too late. I stumble back as I feel his fist crash onto my jaw, his knuckles almost cracking against the bones in my face.

I hear every single person in the dungeon gasp with mixed emotions. I run a finger on my cheekbone where I graze a drop of blood from a cut. I turn to face the fawn soldier finally having a smug satisfaction on his face. That lets me give in to my anger and I finally return the favor. He blocks the first strike, thanks to his large arms, but I still succeed in landing an impactful one on his face after that, which knocks him to the ground. The scratch on his nose and the way his eyes squint in dizziness proves the impact I made. My knuckles were numb. It rather feels good.

My gaze travels around the crowd that had formed around me, the expressions they have carries no price, except for one soldier who is standing in between the way the others had made. It's the High General.

Maybe I should've just ignored it instead of throwing the knife back. It would've been better that way than having myself and this fawn fool inside the High General's dungeon. I mean, it could have been worse if it was Ordinal Twenty-Four who caught us, but still. I don't know what happens now.

We're both standing adjacent to her wide desk, postures fixed while she skims through the layers of papers in front of her. The fawn next to me has a paper towel holding onto his nose. I really did a mark on him and for sure, he won't forget it. Now, come to think of it, I don't regret it. In fact, I don't even have anything else to regret about. I may have had the choice not to hit back, but it was still a manner of self-defense.

"I'm not surprised," The High General begins as she continues working on the papers. "It's already common for me to see soldiers fight over whatever petty stuff." I don't know if I should even feel relieved by the sound of that, not when we're still here. "But of course, we don't want those things persisting, aren't we?"

"No, ma'am," We answer in unison.

"Good," She acknowledges. That's it? No penalties? Or maybe I'm assuming too soon?

"You won't give us any penalties, ma'am?" The fawn asks for me.

"Well if you're that wise, Mister Stahl," She then looks at him. "Would you rather do another three hundred push-ups under the sun, but this time, within the walls rather than in your camp?"

I heard more than a week ago that a lot of them did, both Sentries and Front Soldiers for taking advantage of the current situation of the walls and slacking off. I guess he was one of them and the High General recognizes him for it. This guy must be fond of getting into a lot of trouble.

"I don't," I answer for him, which I sense irks him.

"Who are your commanding officers?" The High General asks.

"I'm under Captain Aleksander Hill, ma'am," The fawn answers first, which surprises me. But I don't know whether he's the new recruit Alek is talking about or not.

"That's quite an impression to give him on your first day after being transferred from the other division."

That confirms it. Looks like we'll have to deal with each other for a long time while with my godfather. The High General then asks one of her assisting soldiers to page him.

"And you?" She asks me.

"The same, ma'am," I respond, which draws a prominent surprised look from his eyes, but then it's soon washed with contempt. "It's also my first day."

"Yes, I saw you along with the new arrivals earlier. A new graduate," So, it wasn't just Ordinal Twenty-Four. "But, you two being under the same commanding officer is now what I'm surprised about. Yet, I'm sure you two will learn to get along, soon."

"If he doesn't throw another knife at me, ma'am," I say, which is uncalled for. But that should give her a clue as to what had we put in this situation

She laughs. "You only throw one at a Hellion, not at a person, especially a comrade. Make sure you do that next time, soldier."

"Yes, ma'am," The fawn only agrees, his tone saying otherwise.

The dungeon's doors clank open and are followed by quick footsteps. It's Alek. He got here faster than I expected. He then greets the High General with a formal salute. "Apologies for the trouble made by these two. I take full responsibility—"

"No need for that, Captain," She replies. "I called you for a different agenda. These two young men can wait outside."

I notice how Alek's guise shifts as if he doesn't like where this is going.

We oblige, saluting her first before our exit. I don't forget my baggage that I only put beside my foot. Her dungeon has two wide benches on both sides, and he sits on one, leaving me on the other. The paper towel he has now is almost full of his own blood. Now, I can't help but feel concerned — still not guilty, though.

"You better get that treated," I suggest. But he doesn't answer. His ego is probably still too bruised to even respond. I secretly stretch my knuckles, the one hand that I used on him. It feels a little numb and heavy now — shaky, too. Come to think of it, that was the first time I've punched someone, and it's different from doing it over a punching bag and from all the spars I did when I was still in the academy. Fawn skulls are really that hard, or just his.

After a few minutes, Alek finally emerges from the High General's dungeon and beckons us both.

"Yeah, I know, what a first day for you, Kyvin," I speak for him with an exaggerated tone as I follow behind.

"Honestly, I can't really blame you," He says. "But it's just too bad you had to meet him that way. Still, you can't have enemies here when there's a bigger one out there."

"I didn't make an enemy for myself. He did," I say a little louder for the fawn to hear. "He threw a dining knife at me."

"Well if you don't want him to do that again, then you should learn to befriend one another," He suggests. "Otherwise, I can't have both of you for that long."

"You should tell him that," I only say while I still put full recognition to the man's persisting glare, filled with daggers.

Instead of returning to Alek's headquarters, we rather go straight to the hangar, where I witness his squad already preparing the vehicle to be used on the sands. Seven in total, three women — which includes his partner — and four other men.

"There they are," The man on the sand-slider greets upright, then his expression shifts. "What happened to their faces, cap?"

"Ask 'em," Alek only says as he continues toward the vehicle and helps assemble.

"Hi, Kyvin," Alice greets me, and I stop to give her a quick hug. She still barely looks a day older after she met Alek a few years ago. I was in my seventh year, then. One of the many reasons why she got his heart and never looked at anyone else. She has bright skin and forest-green eyes, and her all-in-one braided dark hair dangles low behind her back exposing her slightly pointy elf ears. She then reaches her arm to the fawn for a handshake. "Alice Morsokov."

"Daniel Stahl," He says, politely as she returns the gesture.

"I'm not going to ask anymore what happened because I don't want to make it awkward for the both of you or even worse." So, she noticed. "But of course, since from now on, you will be in our team, I hope you can learn to put whatever is up between you two behind as early as possible."

"Didn't know I also signed up for a therapy expedition," The fawn sentry abrupts, obviously annoyed.

"You could use some of that," I mutter, surely for anyone not to hear. But I can tell he did.

"Yeah, you can call it that for the meantime," Alice says to him genuinely. "If it means removing the frustration you have for Alek's godson." She pointed to me and I only chuckle at the frustration manifesting on his face upon hearing that.

"It's better than doing another three hundred pushups under the sun," I add loudly this time, and Alice giggles, while I sense the fawn's boiling anger without having to directly look at him.

"Let's get that face of yours some attention," She then calls one of her comrades who's a Ravenbird to help her treat him. There's already an available aiding kit for them to use. I only stand and watch them fix his nose, while the twin fawns watch him, engaging in a conversation. Suddenly, he yelps at the sudden twist the Ravenbird lady does to it. I really broke his bone, huh?

Alice then approaches again, with a wet paper towel in hand, and hands it to me for the cut on my face. "I have to say, you made a good punch on him." And I don't know whether I should even be proud of it or not.

She then turns to the rest of her comrades and one by one introduces them to us. The Ravenbird treating the fawn is Echidna. There's Sarah, a Hexborn Gustweaver — which makes her have influence over only air. The twin satyrs are named Jameson and Jaden. Philbert, another Ravenbird, and lastly, the soldier who's working on the Sand Slider with Alek, Mikael, another Wolf-breed. I already sense that I can get along with them easily. I don't know about the new fawn.

"Alright, kiddo," I hear my godfather as he approaches me again. "Let's start making yourself useful on your first day. I'm going to need you to get some weapons. You know where to get them." He then hands a list. "We still don't want to go empty-handed even though we won't see anything out there."

"Yes, Sir," I say, mischievously, then hand my bag to him.

He gives me a questioning look as he receives it.

"What? Earlier, you're insisting to take it."

"Alright, captain. I'll bring it to our headquarters," He jokes, and I give his bicep a light smack before walking away with the list. "Don't worry, I have something to do for the other guy, as well," He adds, and all I can do is roll my eyes, chortling.

I walk my way passing by other soldiers to the Storage Dungeon, and I still happen to receive unpleasant looks. I'll have to get used to it considering how minimal the human population is in both divisions.

Once I arrive at the said dungeon, I find myself gazing at the shiny objects displayed on the walls and arranged in kind — spears, bows and arrows, axes, and even guns, all made and forged with refined pure Arvanite metal, made to penetrate Hellion skin easily. But what catches my attention the most are the swords. I always wanted to hold one, rather than those ordinary iron-forged ones back in the academy and camp gyms. If I was a Sentry, I'd only have nothing but gloves for operating Hex Artilleries.

I fetch an empty chest before beginning to grab everything written on the list, including scabbards for the swords. It doesn't take long for me to do so, and it's all done. All I have to do now is carry it back to the squad. I throw the list in as well before leaning my knees to get a good grasp around the chest's handles and hoist, which I barely can. It's heavy. I try again and still can't.

"Need a hand, kiddo?" There's my godfather.

"I can manage," I respond, genuinely.

"Yeah, you can barely lift it up," He says. To which I only roll my eyes. "I forgot to add bullets on the list."

"You didn't even list guns," I say, to which he giggles.

"That's on me, then." He then trips over, almost falling on his face.

I stand waiting for him to collect what I didn't. Then my eyes catch something on the polished cemented floor, near my foot. It's flickering. I reach down to pick it up with my two fingers only to have myself looking at a rounded metallic object. It's made of pure gold encasing a small transparent jewel and made to be worn by a finger. A ring.

"Hey, Alek, is this yours," I say, capturing his attention, then his guise is dominated with blankness. He approaches with a dry smile, temporarily placing the weapons he carries onto a deck.

"No, it's not, technically," He answers.

"It's hers?" I say, pertaining to Alice, not even completely sounding like it was a question at all.

He merely frowns with disappointment as he gently retrieves the ring from between my fingers and observes it thoughtfully.

"She's not ready, isn't she?" I ask.

"I think so." Frustration now lingers in his eyes. "And it's just not that." I understand what he means by that. He's not ready.

"Well, you're not going to have forever until you finally have to offer it to her," I suggest. "It'll only be just a matter of time before you'll have to make a choice."

"Easy for you to say," He chuckles, not removing his eyes from the object

"Well, not everything is," I say to which he laughs.

"But, do you think she's ready?" He asks.

"I can sense that she already is," I answer. "She's just waiting for you to make the move."

"I hope you're right," He then gives me a gentle pat on the shoulder, giving me the acknowledgment of appreciation. "Make sure to carry that advice for yourself one day."

"Oh, don't start that with me," I chortle. "I'm not in that part of life yet."

"Whatever you say. But I hope this just stays between us."

"I won't," I swear. "But if it'll take you another decade to do so, I'll be the one to tell her."

"That's not how a proposal should work."

I only laugh, and we start heading back with the collected equipment. Upon exact arrival, the other new recruit just also returned from wherever he went with a chest as well, and surprisingly, Alice is with him. We make quick eye contact, and that's enough for me to see the unpleasant expression he carried earlier slightly dwindled. Whatever conversation he and Alice had must've helped deflate his ego. That would pretty much be convenient to reduce the tension for the first day — if he doesn't throw a sword at me this time. Or shoot me…

Once we all have the weapons and other supplies stored in the Slider's compartments, the vehicle is then prepared upon the hangar's exit, where a huge elevation platform exists for vehicles as such to be sent down the slope of Wall Hill to the sands. The mountain-sized Wall's view stretches miles into the horizon, yet it still remains unimaginable how huge exactly the territory is, that even the maps had to be rewritten multiple times to have its exact scale.

The sun remains constant reaching the cloudless sky's peak as we descend to the sands. The temperature had risen a few degrees that my suit begins warming up. I forgot that I'll be dealing with that, too every day from now on.

"After you," One of the fawn twins says. I'm not yet familiar with who is who between them, but I'll know when time goes by.

I oblige and skid at the very front of the vehicle, adjacent to the front glass where I can see through what's ahead. Next to me sits the fawn twins, then opposing me are Mikael, Alice, and the other new recruit, along with Alek being at the very back with the Gustweaver, Sarah, standing next to the mainsail. The two Ravenbirds are left outside carrying a set of bows and arrows I collected as they are to follow behind by wings and serve as skywatchers.

With all that is set, Sarah begins swaying her hands gracefully, and the mainsail begins billowing with the wind, some of it wooshing through us seated within, providing some cool breeze. The Slider moves, speed increasing from a turtle's pace. And with that, our expedition embarks.

Being a soldier out here in the sands only requires one job—observing. If not that, then kill whatever comes out of the dunes. We can't let any get too close to the walls despite that there'd be Sentries to take care of them if they ever do. This is the real job.

I remain my gaze through the glass where I see the sands ahead, barely listening to the rest of my comrades' distinct murmurs that had been going on since our departure. They'd throw questions at me regarding my life that I'd politely and simply answer, where I sense that they were not trying to keep me out of place in the group. The same went for the new fawn where I'd also notice his eyes on me at times, still with his much-subsided frustration with the fact that he'd have to spend his days with me as a Front Soldier. Who knows what else is going on in his mind?

I feel the angle of my seat shift when the vehicle boats up a dune, then we stop once we reach the peak. Sarah is already a little exhausted from steering. Alice stands up to take her place. I then notice Sergeant Alek give her a knowing glance that only she would understand. That already makes me smile in my mind. I'd always see them as this lovely couple who'd always watch each other's six. Typical, as a matter of fact.

Opposing me leaves Mikael and Sarah sitting with the new fawn in between them. He's closer to me and somehow I feel the tension building up like it never did before, but still leaves me unbothered.

"So…" I hear Sarah begin as she retrieves a waterskin filled with fluid from the compartment where the food supply was stored. "Shall we start making amends between you two?" She asks.

"I'd rather get eaten by a Hellion," He says in much frustration this time, and that's when I speak up.

"Well, as much as I hate it, too," I say sarcastically, without making eye contact. "If I were you, I'd learn to deal with it." The tension is already in rivalry with the afternoon sun's heat from the way we traded glares. "But, if you really can't stand it, feel free to jump out and wait for them to come and get you."

He doesn't say anything else. So does everyone else, putting awkwardness in the atmosphere.

"Anyone wants some?" Sarah offers the waterskin to ease it down. Then the Slider resumes moving once more, sending us descending down the sandhill. Only moments have gone by when our attentions are caught by Philbert and Echidna's voices from outside, along with whirring arrows. They scream inaudibly as if they are warning about something. I have already reacted in my mind as to what it is, but still too slow to physically do it and it is too late. The abrupt shift sends us high in the air, then crashing down the sands. I feel nothing but my body violently and uncontrollably slamming upon solid objects, but I try protecting my head to get no sort of serious damage until my motion subsides.

My brain isn't functioning well at the moment as I lay limp on the sand face down. I only sense the pain crawling all over my muscles and the silent inaudible sound of an alien roar that I have never heard before. My vision is blurry and woozy and I can only make out the shadow my body is casting on the sand. A single squint then warns my senses to get up. Get up! Quickly! I groan as I prop my arms to lift myself up. The first thing that comes to my mind is my comrades. To look for them. But I merely find myself looking upon a giant creature rampaging on and through the dry environment.

A Hellion.