"Annie." The scout almost jumped, feeling the gaze of the warlord on herself. Packs were still busy capturing remaining raiders, keeping informants away from former prisoners and new prisoners in three different secure positions. Lieutenant Angoro has already confirmed that the first border patrol will arrive within half an hour, along with medics and members of military police. Pack W managed to save their own hostages, and Pack C prevented raiders from escaping.

Packs had several badly wounded members, but no one was dead, thanks to the spirits. The scouts joined the group, and Carty helped Annie, resetting her twisted ankle. The leg still hurt like hell, but at least Annie could walk now. Carty herself was covered with bruises, not even her armor fully protected her as a boulder larger than her slammed into the body of a scout.

"Warlord." Carty and Annie looked at the massive form before them.

"Carty, go and help others. Annie, you are with me. I need to know something." Dragena nodded to Carty briefly, sending her to watch over the "rats" as the cubs of raiders called themselves. There were twelve of them, oldest of them was barely over ten years old. They were the ones who contacted the forces of the state about hostages. Dragena spoke with them briefly, before ordering food and water to be allocated to them. After medics clean them from drugs, the cubs will be shipped off to an orphanage in the Core Lands, as a reward for information. Wyrm Lord has already stated that the state will cover all medical expenses for injured traders and hostages, their recovery will be quick, but the horror of the previous days will most likely remain in people's minds. Cubs and relatives of the deceased will also be provided with compensation and help from Reclaimers.

This trading hub will become abandoned in the foreseeable future, and the trade route itself will be relocated for the time being.

Dragena lowered herself, checking the damaged ankle of Annie herself, before standing up and gesturing for the scout to follow after her. The warlord slowed her walk just enough for Annie to keep up with her. Both of them went to a warehouse at the edge of the trading hub. On their way, the warlord spat on the ground, and Annie saw how blood was soaking into the sand. A massive steel door was blocking the entrance, yet the warlord tore it aside with casual ease, allowing the steel slab to fall down with a sound of gunshot.

"My apologies for putting you through additional stress, scout. Yet, time has come to choose what kind of person you want to become. Take off your helmet," The lenses of the warlord unleashed bright light, lighting up the insides of warehouse with crimson light.

"Warlord?" Annie asked, obeying order. In a moment, she saw it. Inside was a creature. Limbs of the creature were twisted, bone fingers looked like they were ready to rip and tear even through metal. Bones covered half of the upper head, emerging from pink skin and protecting the eyes deep within bone sockets. The monster saw them and sobbed loudly, retreating helplessly into a corner and nervously licking his lips. Deep within his mouth were needle-like fangs.

Monster! Thing! Murderer! Blood veins popped in the eyes of Annie as she recognized this… this filth as the same kind as the ones who killed people in her village. Her helmet fell on the floor of the warehouse as the shardgun appeared in her arms, before she knew what she was doing.

"Cubs of raiders reported that he was one of the caravan hands. I spoke with traders, and they confirmed it, he is living in a nearby village, often helping people with repairs and often joining caravans during travel. He and his wife produced two cubs." Dragena said calmly, looking at the weeping man.

"Murderer. He is like one of them… Murderer. This creature… Took them… Took them all from me…" Annie whispered, feeling the searing hate rising in her. Something in her demanded retribution here and now. Only blood will wash away the crime that was committed.

"Warlord. I demand that you remove the scout from the operation area. She is mentally unstable at the moment and may…" Angoro spoke in the communicator, still watching through cameras.

"I am well aware, lieutenant. Yet I will not always be there to catch her before she falls. We will settle it here and now. Annie," Dragena looked at the scout, "Will you kill him?"

"Please… I have tokens, I…" The man went silent and the warlord looked at him, his pink skin began to become pale.

"He looks just like them… Just like those beasts!" Annie whispered with hate.

Kill, kill, murder, slaughter, kill, kill, kill! Remember the fallen! A beast roared in the head of Annie, and she felt sweat running down her hide. Never before had she wanted to kill someone. Never before did she know that she could feel such hatred, such urge…No, such need to kill. She needed to end this filth. Her finger twitched, moving toward the trigger.

"Indeed, and yet he is not a beast. He is a human, just like you, me, and the murderers who attacked your village."

"He… I promised that I will kill them all for what they had done. All their filthy kind…"

"This way of thinking will only allow you to merely create another mass murderer."

"Huh?" Annie asked in surprise, confused while the beast inside roared for vengeance.

"Think about it. You will kill him for the single crime of looking differently from you."

"Not for the crime of being different! For the crime of being the same creature as the murderers who killed my mother! Almost wiped out my village!" Annie shouted angrily at her leader, who ignored her outburst and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

"Will you kill his cubs next?"

"What?" Annie asked in confusion, stumbling back.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Think about it. They probably look like him after all. Will you kill them right away or wait until they grow up first? Who will be next? His wife? She may look different, but she did share a bed with him, right? Or will you draw a line at her? What will your revenge make of you? If you do this, then how are you any different from the ones who destroyed your family in the end? Revenge is a process, not a goal, it brings nothing, it breeds nothing. Instead of living, you worship the very existence of people who destroyed your family by spending too much time thinking about them and hating them. This is not existence. The scum who attacked your village is not worth such dedication. You have no excuses not to live, and you have no excuses to punish others for the crime of looking similar to those who hurt you. You said to me that you wanted to become a soldier. Is this still true?" Not once did Dragena raise her voice, her posture was relaxed as she talked to the scout. The voice of the warlord was as calm as it was during training.

"Yes… I mean, I am a soldier!" Annie shouted back, "I saved people! I killed people… I worked side by side with the pack!"

"If you speak the truth, then why am I seeing murder right now in your eyes? There are no enemies here, just a scared civilian and two soldiers. Or maybe one soldier, one victim, and one murderer?" The lenses of Dragena shone crimson light deep into the eyes of Annie, blinding her briefly, "If you are a soldier, how dare you abandon your duty and principles now? How dare you even think about raising a weapon against a civilian? A soldier has clear goals. A soldier has no need for honor, but we have rules and principles. The rules of our state are clear, we do not kill civilians. Our principles are clear, we protect civilians whenever possible. We do not persecute others for the crime of having the wrong body type. So will you give in and become just like the people who destroyed your life, or will you live on and one day lay your life down for the sake of protecting people who might look like him?"

"But… He… He looks…" Annie weakly said, looking at the creature with blind eyes. Shardgun trembled in her paws.

"Choose. On this day, unknowingly, you, among others, risked your life to save the life of this man as well. Now, as he stands before you, you stand on the line, revenge on one side, duty on the other. Will you cross the line and become a crazed murderer? Or will you commit to your dedication to becoming a soldier and choose duty? Out of two types of people, only one has a future and a place in my pack." Dragena said mercilessly.

Annie looked at the shardgun in her paws. She killed people today, right? These people also had dreams and hopes today. A soldier or a murderer… Is this even a choice? She killed people, this makes her a murderer by default, right? What more difference will one life make? Is your rage truly so weak? Come, travel along the road to a desirable end. To true retribution. To make hills made out of dead filth like this one, to…

And what kind of person would Sveta like to see you become? Protector of a murderer? The thought hit Annie like thunder, and she hastily put the weapon behind her back with trembling paws. What was I thinking all this time? How... how did I differ from...

"Soldier… Spirits, forgive me my thoughts, soldier, of course." Annie looked into the lenses of the warlord and they went dim, as the helmet slid in two, revealing the snout of Dragena, burning embers in her amber eyes shone down on Annie.

"Then, at long last, allow me to welcome you to the ranks of the Reclaimers, scout Annie. From this day onward, you are an official member of my pack. No more tests, no more doubts. You have been reforged into steel, worthy of my hand and worthy of the trust of the state. As a fellow soldier, I welcome you. As a person, I am glad for you." Dragena briefly hugged Annie, and the scout felt the intense heat of the breath of the warlord over her head.

The warlord let go of Annie, and the scout knelt before the civilian, bowing low and unconcerned about how she looked.

"I am sorry for scaring you, mister. On my life, I swear, you have nothing to fear from me."

"Really?" The man asked with distrust, pressing himself harder against the wall.

"Really," Dragena confirmed, nodding behind Annie. She sniffed the air and looked at the man strictly, "You are aware that drugs are forbidden by the state, sir? Due to circumstances of our situation, I will overlook it this time, but this stuff will kill you one day."

"It just something to keep a mood on. I travel a lot, you see, it… becomes lonely during long trips. I just need something to cheer me up…" The man tried to explain in confusion, "Besides, I am not hurting anyone."

"Not hurting anyone?!" Annie jumped to her feet, and the man covered his head in fear of her suddenly angry voice. She grabbed him by his bone hands, forcing him to look in her eyes, "My dad died because of shit like this! You think that his death was not something that didn’t hurt anyone?"

"But I don’t even know you…" The man whispered.

"Argh!" Annie screamed in frustration, "That’s not the point, sir! The warlord said that you have cubs! And a wife! You believe they will be pleased to see how you degrade yourself day by day! The state will provide for everyone who suffered today, so use the help of medics to clean yourself up and live a proper life for the sake of your family, you selfish prick!" Annie stopped in confusion at her words, adding in a guilty voice, "I mean, with all due respect, it is my genuine view on things and all, sir…"

Dragena tapped on her shoulder with a finger, making the scout stop and look at her.

"Scout, we are supposed to be the shock troopers of the state. Weapons of terror, not… soothsayers… But I think good sir heard you point."

"I think that I will stop recording here." Angoro said, with a hint of humor in his voice.

"It will be for the best. Agent, when you pass this information to the higher ups, make sure to tell them that I will take up any punishment in place of scout Annie," Dragena said, her helmet covering her head once more.

"I will not let you off the hook, have no fear. Warlord, we have therapists in the state. Maybe not as good as the ones in Iterna, but we have actual people who could have helped scout through her problems. You had no right to risk the mental health of an important soldier of the state." Angoro replied in an icy voice.

"Foolishness, Angoro. I know far better how to help my soldiers than these soothsayers." Dragena responded to him and cut off communication, motioning Annie to follow her. Outside waited two males from pack A, and Dragena nodded to them. One of the males smiled to Annie, before rushing inside and helping the hostage to stand up.

"They will escort the hostage back to others." Dragena said to Annie.

"Warlord… I deserve punishment for my… my stupidity." Annie asked quietly, trying to find the right words.

"Hm…" Dragena stopped for a moment, turning toward Annie, "If this is your wish. A proper punishment... For the next half of a year, you will spend all your free time helping at a temporary refugee center near our base. You will wash clothes of people, speak with people, show them directions, and cook food for them. Yes, I think it will be a proper punishment and a chance to grow for you."

"Of course, warlord." Annie bowed to her leader. She hesitated before asking, "Warlord, what if… what If I had chosen wrong?"

"This would not happen, for not once in my life have I made a mistake. You had my full confidence, and you passed your test with flying colors." Dragena said with a stern voice, looking into the eyes of Annie. The crimson lenses of her helmet started working anew.

"But still… What if I had made a mistake and opened fire?" Annie asked, desiring to know for sure.

"Then I would have blocked your shot and would have killed you on the spot for daring to put a civilian in harm’s way." Dragena shrugged her shoulders.