The soft sun's rays illuminated Clarence's beautiful yet masculine face. He wasn't up yet though many knocks were heard on the door. "Bro. Bro!" It was Claire calling him. "Are you here already?"
But he was still half-asleep.
"I'm coming in," she said as she came in and saw him sleeping tightly.
After few minutes, somehow, he seemed to finally notice her. He opened his eyes slowly, shrugged and put his arm on the forehead.
"Oh, Claire?" he softly said, brushing some hair up. "What is it?"
"I've been calling you many times but you didn't answer, so I came in to check on you. I thought you were still not back just then."
"Oh... Sorry...."
"It's nine already. It's unusual for you to stay in bed at this hour."
"Yeah, you're right." He smiled. "I overslept."
She suddenly look away. "Uhm...." She tried to call.
"Huh? Is something wrong?"
"Was it... hot last night here?" she asked, slowly looking back.
"Huh?" He didn't understand what she meant.
"Because you don't..." She didn't finished what she's going to say. She just continued it through a gesturing look, and he understood that.
He looked at himself and found that he was half-naked. The blanket was pulled up to his below his chest. He quickly sat up, holding the blanket and forced a smile. "Haha...Kinda..." he excused.
She smiled and nodded. "If you're not comfortable in this room, you can always choose any."
He just forced a grin. "Ok!"
"Later again, bro.," she said, walking to the door.
He smiled at her and nodded.
As soon as she left, he put on his clothes and sighed. "I can transform anytime I want but I can't stop it whenever it's full moon..."
He stood up and glanced outside. "Abie..." he said, remembering her beautiful face and sweet voice. "I'm definitely going to make my promise to you. I'll become a real human, just like you, so we can be together." He put his hands on both thighs, then held it together and placed it on his chin. His eyes were glaring on no particular thing. "Even though the ONLY WAY to become one is very difficult to do..." The tone of his voice also become firm and serious. "Can I really do it?"
>>>>><<<<<<
That same morning, Lance came to the palace. Before he came with his bicycle, he was checked by the guards. He told them that he was approved by Jane to come and showed them a signed paper. With this, he was allowed to enter. He parked his bicycle near the training camp which was on the east side of the palace, a 30-minute walk from the main gate.
The whole ground was filled around 500 men and women of all ages. The youngest looked around 12 years of age. They were in an organized line, all wearing a breastplate and helmet of bronze. Lance was immediately given by someone a breastplate and a helmet and urged him to form in the line at the back. He peeked to see what's in front, as everybody was facing that way.
"We're already on our third week training camp," spoke loudly by a female voice in front. This was Jane in her armor. Her hair tied at the back of her head. "And next week, you will be having a special training lead by our three generals."
Some people turned excited or nervous and murmured among themselves.
"That only happens every 4 years! Lucky us!"
"I heard the generals are very strong and intimidating!"
"I heard that there's a woman general who's so hot at sexy! I want to see her!"
"I wanna live longer! Can I go back home?"
"No, you can't! It's an honor if you get to train here!"
"It's an honor to serve your country!"
But they were all silenced when Jane raised up her closed fist.
"All instructions were already given to your training leaders. Expect it's rougher than the previous since the plan was personally created by my strongest substitute General – Claire!" She gestured her hand towards Claire who was beside her.
They all became stiff. Some people dared to murmur again, but they couldn't speak it out. They're waiting for someone to start. But these were what they were thinking according to their facial expression.
"She's so scary!"
"Her presence herself seem to freeze me in fear."
"She's the strictest of them all!"
"I really want to go home!"
Lance, on the other hand, was surprised to know that. He asked, in a whisper, a man beside him, "What's a Sub-General? I thought Claire is just a student of Gov. Jane, like us?"
"Fool!" the man answered also in a whisper. "Why are you casually calling the Sub-General in her name, without honorific? Anyway, I heard that she was actually one of the four generals 10 years ago, the only surviving general back then. She left here and was only coming back anytime she wants. She only came back three months ago. Since she's a personal friend of General/ Gov. Jane, she can take the army position back as well, but only a sub-general. Meaning, no commitment, no oath to this army."
Lance got more confused. "Wait, 10 years ago? How old was she then when she became an army general?"
"Maybe 12 to 15? This training camp accepts all gender from 12 years of age."
Lance swallowed the lump in this throat and tried to absorb the information he just heard. He looked at Claire in front which was almost hundred-people-in-a-meter-distance away from his current position. She put crossed arms on her chest, covered in a breastplate of silver under a sleeveless fitted shirt, which showed her toned yet slender arms.
"Soldiers, move!" Jane commanded and they all went to their respective group.
And so Lance's training for his first week continued for five days. He was not allowed to go around the other side of the palace. Claire and Jane did not come to the trainings anymore but left everything to their respective army leaders.
Until one night, when he was about to get his bicycle to leave, someone picked him to be escorted to Jane's office.
He went inside and Jane gestured him to sit.
"How's your training, young man?" she asked smiling.
"It's exhausting, but I'm getting the hang of it. Thanks again for letting me in, Gov, I mean, General."
"Tomorrow is rest day. Are you free, though?"
He was still thinking but just nodded. "Yes, General."
"Good timing. I need someone to help out in cleaning the library. Can you help out?"
"Anything, General," he nodded and smiled. "I think it's the only way to pay you for all your kindness."
Jane stamped a paper with her sign, folded it and put inside an envelope. She handed it out to him, "Show this to the guard at the west wing tomorrow."
He took it and put it in his breast pocket. Suddenly, he realized that Jane was looking intently at him with a playful smile.
He tried to push away the awkwardness he felt. "Yes, General? Is there something on my face?"
She grinned. "Nothing. Take care on your way home."
The next day, Lance went at the palace and proceeded to the west wing. He went to the library as he was told. The sliding door was already opened. He peeked inside before entering. He saw piles of books on the floor. He blinked his eyes when he saw two people on the farthest right side of the room. But he only recognized Claire who was giving books to the other girl, who was Canary sitting on the ladder. She was putting the books in the topmost shelves.
"Hello!" he greeted with a reserved smile.
The two ladies looked at him.
"Lance?"" Claire asked. "Why are you here?"
"Gov. Jane told me to help out."
"Ah, ok. Come in."
Lance stepped inside and Claire told him what he must do.
"Noted, Claire. I mean Sub-General," he stuttered a bit saying that.
"Just call me by name."
He nodded. "Okay."
And the three of them continued quietly in putting the books on their respective shelves. After almost an hour and a half, Canary left to get some snacks. Claire took her place and climbed on the ladder. "Can you hand me those?" she asked Lance. He went her and handed the books. He was also holding the ladder as a support.
"Careful, you might fall," he said.
"This is sturdy," Claire said as she continued.
They kept doing that in silence, until Lance broke it.
"Claire," he called, still giving her some books. "Can I ask you something?"
"What?" She didn't look at him, but just continued on. There was no eye to eye contact between them.
"I heard you were in position as General 10 years ago, and for many years. Is that true?"
She immediately reply "yes".
"Well," he sounded hesitant to ask. "How old are you then? 10 years ago?"
"I've lost track of my age actually."
"Eh? Surely, you're just around my age."
"Hmm. Let's just say that."
"So young to be in, uhm, battlefield? Did you experience that?"
"A lot."
"So that thing you told me before, uhm," He spoke low and slow, then he stopped his hand from moving and just held a book. "You said, you were a killer, a murderer. Is that because you were in the battlefield, fighting?"
"Yes."
Lance was not able to respond at first. He just nodded and continued on what they were doing.
"Ok, we're done here," Claire said. "I'm going out for fresh air," she said climbing down the stair. Lance handed out a hand to her but she didn't see it, so he put his hand on his side. Just then, Clarence came from the door.
"Claire, we're done in the other room. Need more help?" he asked.
"We're good here too," Claire answered as she stepped on the floor.
Clarence then saw Lance and smiled, "Hi, Lance. You're here too?"
"Yes, since last month. Good to see you here too, Clarence!"
>>>>><<<<<
"Snacks are here!" Canary called out from the aisle. Accompanying her were two girls. They set the food and drinks by the aisle. Musica and Sora came first from the other room and sat down on the floor, with their feet hanging above the soiled ground. Claire, Lance and Clarence also came forward and took their seats. They ate peacefully and talked casually, though deep inside Lance his chest felt a bit heavy.
Almost sunset, since they were already done in the library, Lance decided to leave. Also Clarence, Sora and Musica also went ahead. Only the four girls were left in that same spot to clean. Then Canary and the two girls left Claire on the library as she will take a last look inside.
"Claire?" Lance's voice came from outside.
She looked back at him. "Yes? You forgot something?"
He walked toward her and held out his closed palm. She put out her open palm and he dropped in it something familiar. "This is..." she softly spoke as she looked at it and then at him.
He grinned at her. "Thought you miss that already."
She smiled and put that - her watch she gave him on the last day she was at the city - in her wrist.
She remembered it was her only option to keep him safe from the nearby Hades assassin on that moment.
"Thank you for keeping it," she said.
"You're welcome."
Lance then asked, "Can you tell me where the stable is? I was also asked to help there."
She pointed to the direction to where it was.
Lance nodded. "Got it. Thanks."
Before he could take another step, he stopped when he noticed she was suddenly looking up to him and her face is getting closer.
"Your eyes," she said, looking intently at his eyes.
"Hm?" His heart beat a little faster than normal. He blinked as if trying to shake off his feeling. "What's with my eyes?"
"It's gray."
Lance felt panicked deep inside him.
"Your eyes is black, right?" Claire confidently asked.
He slowly stepped backward and grinned forcefully. "I didn't realize I forgot to put my contact lens!"
"So your eyes is really gray! It's beautiful," she commented.
With this, he blushed.