"First, you need to pick squad leaders." We spend the next few hours working out the squad configurations. It's decided that there will be nine squads, each containing eight fairies. The squads are named: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, and Indigo. I use the NATO phonetic alphabet to prevent any confusion that may arise from mixing the names up. No one here speaks English, but the sound of the words is all that matters. The remaining village members will be assigned to the reconnaissance division comprised of seven teams, each with only two fairies. These teams are simply numbered one through seven. I mention how different types of spells can be used in conjunction to create an even more destructive force, but it seems Inari is way ahead of me. She explains that each squad has a specialty as well as some general-purpose spells available.
[This is getting a little scary. Having Inari work through the most effective way to apply modern military tactics is bound to be difficult to deal with. I'm interested to see exactly what she's planning.]
"I think you've done enough for today. Why don't you all head back? I'll have Alpha Squad guide you."
""Thanks, Inari!"" The kids all say goodbye, and I wave to Woohee and Hai in the back.
[Things are changing. I just hope it's all for the better.]
Sakura chats with Josh and Shinobu the entire way back to the den. This was her first time seeing the fairy village, so I'm sure it was very exciting for her. I'd like to join in on the fun, but I can't stop thinking about the war; who will survive? How many friends will I lose? Someday soon will be the last time I see some of these fairies, and that thought terrifies me.
"Nick?" I look up to see the three kids staring at me.
"What'd I say?" I ask in a panic.
"Nothing, you're just really quiet." Shinobu cautiously responds. It's clear she's worried about me, which is kind, but there's not much any of us can do at the moment.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just worried about the fairies." I rub the back of my neck as I think of what to say. "Sometimes I feel like that's all I'm any good at."
"Well, there's nothing we can do right now. We should just try to enjoy the moment," Shinobu says with a smile. A little light has begun to return to her eyes over the course of the last few weeks. It's nice to see that she's doing better.
"The last time I did that, I lost a friend." I only realize after the words leave my mouth how they will affect the mood. Everyone was having fun, but I had to spoil it by being a sad sack. Sakura frowns at me; I can understand how she might feel like I'm trying to take over the conversation. "Sorry, I didn't mean to kill the mood."
"No, it's okay. I didn't know you felt that way." Shinobu moves closer to me, which makes me unconsciously pull away.
"It's nothing, really. You're right; we need to enjoy the moment." I look her in the eyes and force a smile. She beams back at me, which only makes me feel worse.
"So, what'd you think of the fairy village?" I try to get the conversation flowing again to clear the air.
"It was amazing!" Her eyes sparkle as she recounts all the fantastical sights she remembers from earlier. I smile and nod while half-paying attention to her words. Eventually, Sakura joins in as well, and the mood picks up again. I slow my pace and allow everyone to walk a few feet ahead of me. Seeing them have a good time makes me feel a lot better. I take a deep breath of the cold winter air, and we all wander back to the den.
The rest of the afternoon proceeds as usual; we workout for a couple of hours before the newlyweds head back to town. The fairies guide them through the woods while Shinobu and I get ready for bed. I move my freshly washed bedding near a wall and sit directly beneath one of the magic lamps. This is the perfect position to read, so I pull out a book about monster species and try to find any information I can about the creature we encountered earlier. I struggle to keep my eyes open as I sink into my bedding. My brother often talked about how the Marine Corps taught him how to be homeless, and I think I understand what he meant now; even the warmth of the cooking fire is enough to raise my spirits. Speaking of which, it seems Shinobu is cooking dinner. I don't want to make her do everything, so I get up from my nest and walk over to the small fire at the center of the room.
"What's for dinner?"
"Sakura left me one of the Polyportas, so I'm just going to cook that up."
"Okay, that sounds good." It's not what I wanted, but I'm not going to complain.
"Do you not like Octopus dishes?" It seems she picked up on my tone. I could lie, but I answer honestly.
"It's fine. I don't have anything against it. I just don't really like the chewy texture. Do you need any help with anything?"
"...No, I'll take care of it." Shinobu sounds disheartening, but there's not much to do about it now.
"I'll make the side dish; what do you want?"
"Ooh! Can you make that fruit salad again? It's so good!" And just like that, she lights back up.
"Sure," I say with a chuckle. "Inari gave me more ingredients today as well as some dressing."
I take the fixings out of the magic bag and place them in a bowl. Inari was kind enough to do most of the preparation for me, so I just had to mix it up.
"It's ready." In less than a minute, I have two plates set out on a small wooden table; both filled to the brim with salad. Josh has been slowly filling the room with furniture, making it feel more like a home.
The Polyporta is finished cooking in another couple of minutes, and we both sit down for dinner. The nearby fire helps ward off the chill of winter falling down through the entrance. We silently enjoy our meal together while listening to the crackling of the fire. I can feel my shoulders relax for the first time today. It's important to enjoy the little things.
The next day we wake up with a surprise as Jezabel is standing at the entrance.
"Um, hi, I guess," I say when I see her. She doesn't even bother announcing herself. She just leans casually against a wall near the entrance. I rub my eyes as I'm still half asleep.
"I've been here for a while now."
"Why?"
"Did you sleep well last night?" she asks in a mocking tone.
"I thought I did until I saw you here."
"And I thought the two of you would be closer, given your dramatic show in the classroom." I look over at Shinobu on the other side of the room. We divided the floor space in half after I moved in. It was never really agreed upon, but I think we both just found it more comfortable like this.
"You know, I was really hoping we all would have forgotten about that by now." I can feel my face heat up as the uncomfortable memory resurfaces.
"What the fuck did you say? 'I just want to make the hurt go away?' I'm telling you, if this adventuring thing doesn't work out, you can always go into comedy. What a joke." Jezabel grasps her chest and takes a dramatic pose as she repeats my words. I feel my face flush from her poorly acted rendition of my scene in the classroom. I bite my lips while I wait for her to finish laughing at me.
"While I'm sure you enjoy humiliating me, I don't think that's why you're here." I use the lull in her harassment to try and change the subject.
"No, that's just a bonus. I came here because I recently made a deal with Count Richter." The already frigid air in the room becomes even colder. I glance over at my roommate, who has covered her head with her blanket and pulled her legs to her chest.
[I figured it would come to this sooner or later. There's not much we can do if he mobilized the whole town to get Shinobu back. In the worst-case scenario, she has at least gotten stronger, so she can hopefully fight back.]
My stomach drops as I consider what might happen from here on out. I'd like to think I did the right thing by trying to help her, but I may have just made everything worse. Various plans and ideas race through my mind, such as moving to another town or asking the fairies for assistance, but none of these address the underlying issue of the pursuing Count.
"What does he want?" I resolve myself and ask the question we're both thinking about. Jezabel smiles, which makes me more uneasy.
"He wants to help you. There's more to it than that, but that's all you need to know for now." She says with a shrug.