The pale light of the moon illuminates over grimland plains.
Once a deserted place filled with nothing but grass is now filled with tents, tanks and soldiers.
The cheers and liveliness of the soldiers fill the entire camp.The type of sounds you hear upon winning your first battle.
Some soldiers are boasting on how many they killed while others are just happy there still alive at the end of the day.
But still behind this merriment a handful of them felt sickened on killing other humans, this wasnt in the contract.
On the middle of the camp lies a big armored truck. The heart of the their operation.
It has a dozen of wheels, a large door on the back and a retractable ramp under it.
Outside of the truck are two soldiers guarding the door. One clearly doesnt have enough sleep while the other is like a statue.
Just a few meters from them is a female officer carrying a tablet pacing back and forth.
Her blonde her swaying everytime she turns around. She is clearly waiting for something.
"First Lieutenant Tanya Graves, Come in"
A Middle age man spoke on the intercom.
The female officer immediately stops walking and starts heading towards the door.
A muscular old man sitting on front of a long table greeted her.
Its obvious that this man had thousands of battles. The scar on left cheek and the white beard says it all.
The walls of the truck was covered with computer monitors displaying numbers and codes.
The room was well lighted. It was also spacious despite how smaller it is when you look at the truck from the outside.
Tanya give the old man a salute.
"Good evening Ms. Graves"
"Good evening Sir Wick"
"Can I get the current status for our army Ms. Graves?"
"Sure sir"
Tanya fidgets with her tablet and some sort of list pops up.
She clears her throat then takes a deep breath.
"First off, we lost a tank sir, 2 are heavily damaged and in dire need of repair. While 7 tanks are still fully operational."
"All our trucks are still fully operational too"
Wick gave a nod and begins to stroke his white beard.
"Base on our current ration sir we still can make it in a two months, Or three if our men hunts."
"Our fuel will last us about two months too"
"How about the casualties?"
"uhm.. We lost 50 soldiers.."
As tanya said this her heart sank and she is clearly stricken by grief.
"Go on" urged Wick
"We lost 50 good soldiers sir, 35 are severely injured, 55 has minor injuries, while 7 are MIA"
"Any news on the MIA?"
"No sir, but i believe most of them are deserters"
"Hmmm. Dont bother sending rescue parties on them then."
"Y-yes sir"
Wick then leans on his chair and signals a soldier beside the door
" Can you get me some milk?"
The soldier salutes and proceeds to go out.
"You want one miss Graves?"
"No thanks sir"
"It helps you sleep you know, and it gives you strong bones"
Tanya just smiles and proceeds to fidget with her tablet.
This made her slightly uncomfortable.
A few akward minutes later.
The soldier comes back with a box of milk and a glass. He then proceeds to the table, puts the glass and fills it with milk.
"Thank you"
The soldier then goes back to his post.
"Any new update on our spies?"
"Well besides their wrong info on the firepower of the scout battalion. None so far sir"
"Now, now, miss tanya you're to harsh on them"
"Sorry sir, but i think they should have done better"
Wick gives Tanya a hearty chuckle.
"Haha. Thats what I like about you Ms. Graves"
Wick grabs the glass full of milk still laughing a little.
He then gulps it all down in one go. Then slams it on the table, the sound of the glass hitting the table echoes through out the room.
Thats a tough glass the soldier thought.
"Ahh. Nothing beats milk ill tell you"
"Thank you Ms Graves, you can go now"
Tanya puts down the tablet on the desk and then gave Wick a salute.
As Tanya was almost at the door
"Oh, Ms. Graves before i forgot please tell the men that they can rest tomorrow. Consider it a reward for our first victory"
"Thank you sir."
Wick grabs the milk cartoon and then pour some more on the glass.
"Now, where was I"
He picks up the remote beside him.
Then spins his chair and proceeds to face one of the monitor.
"Good thing i downloaded all of this anime beforehand"
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
As soon as he pushes the play button a random anime plays on the screen.
A smile can be seen on the old mans face as he drowns himself on the moving pictures.
This is the only thing that keeps his sanity in check.
He was known as the white devil afterall.
"Pick Onadera you fool!"
His voice echoed throughout the room.
***
Somewhere in Dartwood forest a tiny floating ball of light can be seen.
The sound of snapping vines and rusling bush breaks the silence of the usually deserted forest.
The tiny ball of light can be seen hovering on a blue robed magicians shoulder.
"Can you stop following me please"
Ramza said as he cut a vine with his knife.
"Come on, Let me go with you. I dont have any where else to go"
Abby said as she precariously follows him.
"I fail to see why that is my problem"
Ramza keeps hacking vines and shrubs to pave a way.
After a pain stakingly moments of hacking Ramza finally found a clearing with a river.
Opposite of this river are more tall trees and thick faunas.
If you follow the flow of the river it leads to a huge waterfall below.
This is the perfect spot to camp for the rest of the night Ramza thought.
He will need lots of energy to traverse to that thick shrubbery tomorrow.
He sheats his knife back to his robe and made the ball of light dissapear.
"Are we camping here?" Abby said as she stumbles around trying to get to him.
Ramza gives out an exasperated sigh.
"You're still here?"
"Also, who said about we? IM camping here."
"Well I thought we were friends, we shaked hands and everything"
Abby said as she brush off a leaf in her shoulder.
"Are you just gonna leave a poor defenseless woman all alone in this forest?"
"Defenseless?" Ramza answered while eyeing her strange weapon.
"What your still think im gonna use this on you? Its on safety so relax"
"Its not the weapon. I just hate women"
Abby gives Ramza a perplexed look
"What are you? Gay?"
"Gay? You mean happy?"
She giggles
" No i mean do you like men?"
"What? No"
"I just.. I just hate them alright"
"They lure you in and then when they know they have your trust thats when they stab you in the back."
"Sounds to me that you need to see more women"
Ramza felt a sharp pain in his stomach like someone kicked him. She might be right he thought.
Ramza walks off.
"Where are are you going?"
"Firewood"
"Let me help you"
*Sigh* "Fine"
After gathering dried twigs and branches they bunch them up together to form a bonfire.
Ramza kneels beside it and stretched out his right hand and opens them.
"Ignite"
His hands glows with an orange hue and a wave of heat starts spreading around his hand.
Then the dried twigs and branches suddenly combusts.
*clap* *clap*
"Wow! That was cool" said Abby.
Ramza just ignores her.
He then dust himself off and sits beside a huge boulder.
The cool night breeze strokes Ramza face and the smell of burning wood tingles in his nostrils.
After a long day he can finally relax. He leans his back on the boulder.
All the crazy things happened seems like a dream. All the screams and all the blood. It was like a horrifying nightmare, and it was.
He felt powerless, disgusted at himself for running away.
The screams of help from his comrades keeps ringing in his ear.
Ramza was so lost at his thoughts that he didnt notice a tear falling down his cheeks.
He then closes his eyes trying to stop the emotions but his tears keep pouring.
Abigail notices him crying but she stops herself from bothering him. She decided to just let him. Sometimes its better to leave someone alone to his emotions.
She felt bad for him, Seeing all your friends and comrades die like that. It can really take a toll on a man.
The thought about friends made Abby think about her best friend Tanya and all her friends back home.
I hope they are doing okay and I hope that the governemnt keeps their promise in giving my family food and shelter, she thought.
She reaches out her hands feeling the warm sensation of the bonfire.
The trees rustling from the wind and the sounds of the river gives a pleasant hypnotic tune.
As night slowly ends so does the howl of the dire wolves and the noise of the insects dissapears.
The moon then steadily fades and the sun appears.
Replacing the cold emrace of the night to the pleasant warm hug of day.