The next day, I put action to my pretend mission. I joined our warriors building additional outposts within the sands. All the while I keep watch on the Arkulan base within Sizsha. After a few moments of hearing their annoying conversations, one caught my attention. I have noticed that Kirin Solana seems to have likings with a small group of people.
"Hey, hey! Sterling!" A light-blue-haired woman called out... Sterling? I feel like I recognize that name. "You said you're from Xatholorna, right?! So amazing! You look very much like them!" She looks amazed by the fact that she looks exactly like a Narukh'za. I was confused by her reaction. I heard the Narukh'za woman, Sterling, sheepishly respond to the loud woman. "Ah! No, no... It's just... It's the first time I ever had compliments for... looking like a Narukh'za" Now something I understand. The Arkula has probably shunned her for how she looks. But for some reason, people are interested in her in this place.
"Oh? The people might be afraid of you, that's why! You do look very scary, but I can feel that you're actually kind!" So, it became natural that people started fearing the Narukh'za's appearance. But kind? She looks kind? I took a closer look at Sterling. While she had all our same features, the expressions she was wearing are nothing like of a Narukh'za. If one is to be seen with that timid look, their life will be forfeit immediately. "...Weakness" I grumbled as I thought that showing your cowardly side to others like that is showing big weakness and is a big disadvantage on your part.
After a few seconds, I hear Sterling speak again. "Miss Terra, your leg..." She addressed that woman as 'Miss' A word that you will use to address a woman higher than you. It disgusts me to see a Narukh'za fall so low like that. "And please don't call me Miss!" "...Okay" The loud woman named Terra denies the word 'Miss'. "You're probably older than me too!" Hearing them about to hear their age, I listened closely.
"I'm seventeen. If I recall correctly, you are fifteen, yes?" Sterling mentioned that she is seventeen, and Terra is fifteen. I had no problem with Sterling's age, but they have younger people with them, even a child too. In a military base at that too. "Are they..." They're joining the Arkula? After hearing them reveal their ages, one caught my attention. "How old was she again?" Terra was asking about the child. She might look like a child, but she might be olde- "A-Ah! She's just seven..." As I try to think about it, the older blonde woman, named Niela, tells them she's seven. A seven-year-old child joining the military? Are they insane? And the rest of this little group is young!
The Narukh'za might have forced our children into service within our military in the past, but they don't get sent into military bases just yet. Just what is going on here? "It's Kirin's doing, huh?" I heard Sterling mentions Kirin Solana's name. It's given that everyone pretty much knows that name, but she doesn't see her the same way the rest of the Narukh'za sees her.
They continued to conversate while heading to what seemed to be an elevator that will lead them to the top of the building. "She drooled on that Narukh'za lord..." I heard Niela say that in the middle of their conversation... Drooled? What does she mean? "What a silly child" Terra was somehow amused by that. I am confused, but Niela mentioned the child drools on me. I remember the child's face after some time passed during our encounter, but I don't remember her drooling.
I shook off the thought as it doesn't make sense to me. They are now on the elevator to the top. While watching them, the child, with the name of Chirlin, hid behind Niela, seemingly hiding from Sterling based on where she looked. I've been noticing that Chirlin and Niela are both acting closer than the others, did I somehow miss something here? Perhaps they're related?
"She grew up here at Kryok anyway! So she's a good person!" I heard Terra say that. Sterling grew up in Kryok? Interesting. She was here since her childhood. I feel like I had the memory of this Narukh'za, but I just can't get the gist of it. "We are the same kind, but why do we differ on appearance?" Terra looks genuinely curious. An Arkula is not aware of what's happening around her. Has she been living under a rock?
"It's part of the history, Terra. When Lonara declared war on Narukh'za, they were forcibly driven out of Kryok and they had no other option but to reside in the Xatholorna at the time. They suffered greatly due to the planet's poisonous gas. The weak died and the strong lives on. Those who got used to the gas changed into pale skins" Incorrect. The Narukh'za voluntarily left Kryok with a dream to become stronger by behaving how we desire. "Wow, you know a lot!" "I just studied..."
Why do you look so proud? If any people from the active wartime heard you say that, they will laugh at your face. After watching them come inside a room. "Miss Kirin's on the room right here, recruits" A soldier led them into a room where I just realized Kirin Solana stays. That cursed woman is making something that only the Narukh'za doesn't consume. Coffee. During the active wartime, we scavenged plenty of those from their destroyed fortifications. We just discard them as we thought we ingest the powder, it was very bitter. But now I realize that you put them in water.
"Sit down guys..." Kirin Solana invites the young people to sit with her. They gather chairs near her and sat down. "So! You're officially my squad now" I jumped up from my seat. You're going to use these people?! But they looked too young to be part of the Arkula! I can feel my face burns hot in anger. But moreover, it was confusing for me that they ever allowed even the child within the military. That's something Arkula hated when they found out our children were in service of Lord Kantala. Was Kirin Solana somehow influenced by us? But Arkula will turn against her if she does!
Again, a lot of things I don't get. It just adds up to my stress. I turned off my screens with a sigh. That is enough for this day.
The next day, I continued to survey Kirin Solana and her newfound squad of children. From what I have gathered from observing them, they plan to travel to Valorna right away. In order to do that, they must travel west of their base, to another Arkulan base where Kirin Solana revealed that it's where her fleet is parked. Traveling to that bright planet as their first mission, Kirin Solana will be dragging them into multiple dangers on the way there after they just left their homes. Their reason for travel is to ask the Krygstek for a translation device in order to communicate with the Earth dwellers. She really intends to bring them to their side. But this plan was put aside for the time being.
According to them, the outposts we built recently stand in their way, and they are somewhat paranoid that we are expanding too close to their territory, how childish of them. So, they decided to take the outposts down before they begin their plan. Without any kind of training, Kirin Solana armed up her squad for their very first mission. With their jet-engine bikes, they sped out of their base heading directly in the direction of outpost Van. Anxious to see Kirin Solana's squad of children in action, I silently followed them above with my Siszha.
On the way to Van, Kirin Solana and her squad encountered a patrol from the outpost. She ordered her squad to stop and disembark. "Small party. Two Wraiths and five infantries!" Kirin laid out the patrol's formation with ease. "Those damn eyes..." I muttered under my breath as I stare at the screen, examining Kirin Solana's artificial eyes move. Every bit in her eye moves rapidly as they work. I was almost disgusted by it. As I stare into her eyes, her squad questions the fate of the patrol.
Kirin Solana refuses to let them go for a reason that they might abandon the outpost to seek help from others. No Narukh'za will ever do a such disgraceful thing. We will protect anything that we were tasked to protect. Apparently, Kirin Solana hasn't learned that from the war. "...They're idle, we can do them" As they plan on taking on the patrol, I swiped the screen to move towards the patrol. "Why are they stationary anyway?" I asked myself.
"Alright... we're still a bit far from the outpost, we can play loud here" Kirin Solana said to her squad. Play loud? What does she mean by that? "We're gonna use the Lancer's speed, drive around them, shoot them-" Kirin Solana informs them of her plan on engaging the patrol ahead. She's telling them to run around like lunatics while raining down fire on them. Usually, a Wraith's machine gun can easily fight off this stupid trick, but with Kirin Solana leading the enemies they won't stand a chance. I sigh as I acknowledge these Narukh'za's fate.
The squad readies up while one of them stays behind. "One of them is a marksman?" I focused the screen on their male member. "...He looks like he knows what he's doing" I checked his posture, his control over the rifle, where his barrel is aimed. Anyone can tell that he held and shot a scoped rifle before. "Having a marksman in your squad... You will become troublesome someday, Kirin Solana" I never feared any of the Arkula's marksmen and snipers, but I felt slightly shaken up knowing that Kirin Solana is training one for her own squad. I looked at their weapons. The squad has mixed roles. One has a scoped rifle, then a shotgun, a rifle, a small machine gun, and a pistol. Perfectly equipped for operations outside the frontlines.
Kirin Solana really meant business... is what I would say, but her squad is nothing but untrained, clueless children. If they weren't kids, I'd definitely mark them as a threat. As I run my thoughts, they finally engaged the patrol. The engines of the bikes scream loudly as they push the bikes to the fastest acceleration. Kirin Solana fired the first shot very accurately, killing the driver of the Wraith, then they hastily circle around the patrol, taking them by surprise. When they got their attention, they all fired. I was focused on the marksman that I was surprised when Sterling shoots her shotgun and kills one of the foot patrols.
Right after her was the marksman, he fired and shot one down. The shots from the small machine gun wound the machine gunner from the Wraith. It was a thrilling sight to see Kirin Solana's squad in action I didn't even care about witnessing our own patrol losing. "Hm..." I saw Niela struggling with her rifle. "You're really holding it like that?" I have only seen a few Arkula hold their rifle with a single hand like that, and they were hardened veterans. So the sight of her struggle had me chuckling.
"I got that one!" Chirlin came to her aid and I watched carefully. Niela moved a bit for her and there they exchanged fire. After some firing, she was... ABLE TO DEFEAT THE- "No way!" I stood up and screamed at the absurd outcome of the duel between the two. "Are they Dirhuk's warrior?!" I jokingly said. Dirhuk is the Lord's Third Loyalist, he's the only male within the ranks of Loyalists. Many questions, even the Arkula, about having only one male within the Loyalists that we Loyalists ourselves don't know. Perhaps it is the Lord's preference? Dirhuk is a fierce warrior who leads his brothers and sisters to battle, his skills and preferences for close combat have easily awarded him with a position in the Loyalist ranks. His continuous outstanding performance satisfied the Lord and gave him a sliver of an ancient power only a few Loyalists holds, this made him even more dangerous to our foes, and gained the title 'Blades of the Crimson Winds'
Just like how cruel he is to his enemies, he is polite and respectful to his allies, especially to his fellow Loyalists. He was able to make a few close relationships with some of the Loyalists for this reason, that includes me. He also made sure that we were aware that he desires no intention of taking any higher Loyalists' position.
"Such foolishness..." I scoffed as I think of Dirhuk. Putting aside my thoughts, I focus back on my screen and saw the squad trying to cover up the scene. Sterling picked up one of the radios and slightly deepened her voice to match a voice of a Narukh'za. She tricked the person on the other side of that radio that the patrol encountered Zakana.
"That woman can be deceitful" I was amazed, having a Narukh'za with them must be very convenient for Kirin Solana when it comes to covering their tracks. So far, I have only noticed two talents, I question the remaining three. Two blonde siblings and a blue little ball that stinks of Arkulan wealth. This curiosity will be answered shortly after they enter Van. As I thought about that, they got back to their bikes and proceeded ahead.