Duncan looked expectantly at the two returning soldiers. "So?" he asked simply.
With a grunt, Veronica tensed her shoulders and dragged in the corpse of a beautiful stag-like creature. Michael walked in with leisure cavalier, his appearance a direct contrast to Veronica, who was a complete mess.
Hands behind his head, Michael whistled a tune, carefree smile plastered on his face. "It took a little while, but we managed to bag this beauty"
Veronica's glare intensified, her voice edged with frustration. "I'm the one who got this. Me. You didn't lift a finger."
Michael replied with a casual shrug. "Hey, you're the one who insisted you didn't need any help, so..."
Veronica's jaw tightened as she closed her eyes briefly, breathing in deeply. "That's right" she opened her eyes, a layer of her anger shaved off. "And...ugh...nevermind".
Shane watched in awe, his jaw agape as he found out ]the identities of his squad mates. Excitement and anticipation simmered in his chest, this would indeed be very interesting.
Duncan surveyed the state of his new blonde trainee. Sniffing the air, he scowled. "You, go take a shower" Duncan pinched his nose in displeasure. "The rest of you, prepare the meat" he then turned to face the others. With a subtle smirk, Duncan came up with a wonderful idea. "Once your finished, I want you all to be ready for your first group training session".
Shane, Alice, and Michael exchanged apprehensive looks, their gazes darting between each other, uncertainty clouding their thoughts as they contemplated the upcoming training session and what it might demand of them.
*
*
*
Eyes filled with tears, Shane sucked in a deep breath and fought through the pain. Every stroke of the knife made his eyes water more, but Elinora forbid that he rub them. Stood behind the kitchen counter, Shane diligently sliced and diced some onions.
"Hey, everyone? Have we settled on what to prepare?" Shane inquired through stifled tears, addressing his newfound companions.
"We're going with stew!" Alice stated firmly, asserting her choice.
Michael, hands on hips, chimed in. "Not a chance! We've got all the fixings for a fantastic stroganoff. Aras meat is a delicacy. Let's not waste it on stew."
"Pie," Veronica asserted with a growl, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I caught it, so I get to decide."
Shane's lips curled into a sheepish smile as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's the one who caught it."
Michael rolled his eyes exasperatedly, obviously exaggerated. "Fine, she caught it. But did she bother to share the epic tale of how she managed that feat?" He smirked. "Spoiler, she wasn't the one who found it".
Veronica's expression remained utterly impassive.
"Yeah, exactly" Michael smiled triumphantly.
"Are we going to make something? Or are we just going to stand here arguing?!" Alice had enough. "Because if we can't even decide and work as a team for something like this, then we are doomed, and we all go to bed hungry!"
Shane stepped in to mediate, a bright idea flashed in his mind. "Hey, how about we make Aras stroganoff pie? Combine the two?"
Michael rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...yeah, sounds good" he gave a thumbs up. "I like he sound of that!".
Shane turned to Veronica for her thoughts. She just shrugged and continued to mince the meat.
Finally, he looked at Alice. "You good with that?"
Alice stared at Shane, dead pan, before relenting and revealing a small smile. "Come on Shane, you know I don't care. I'm just glad that things have finally started moving!"
Happy with the outcome, Shane smiled and got to work, using the myriad of ingredients that they had and already had prepared for them.
* * *
A little while later, all four sat attentively at the kitchen table. The smell of burnt pastries whisked around the air. Shane nervously poked and prodded the mound of black in front of him. Duncan stared at what was supposed to be dinner, face unreadable. Awkwardly, they all sat and stared at the abomination in front of them.
The mound bubbled, eerie clouds of smoke rose from it. If one looked closely, they would be able to see movement.
Finally, Duncan broke the silence. "This is inedible...I am shook and am without words..."
He wasn't angry, just disappointed.
"Explain"
Alice was the first to speak. "It was all their fault! They couldn't decide on the stupid volume of meat!"
"Hey, your the one who insisted on using one of your devices from that...bag?" Michael put his arms up defensively. "I didn't even touch the food!"
Veronica shot an angry look at Michael. "That's the issue. You did nothing. You do nothing. Always just laying back with that annoying look on your face!"
"What? You guys seemed to have everything under control! I don't even know how to cook, unless you wanted me to blow you all away" Michael smirked, "Literally".
Veronica looked like she was ready to beat Michael to a pulp, and as entertaining as it might have been for Duncan, he was their Instructor.
"Its okay! I'm sure this tastes better than it looks" Shane picked up a spoon full of the glob, optimistically putting it in his mouth.
Alice jumped up from her chair, not fast enough to intercept Shane's stupid move. "Shane, no!"
Too late.
Moving like fast acting poison, as he swallowed, Shane's mouth began to froth and his eyes turned white. He fell from his chair, being caught by Duncan just before he impacted against the ground.
With an angry grimace, Duncan stood tall over his unruly trainees. "That's enough! To bed, all of you!"
And just like that, it was so.
Laying Shane gently on to his bed, Duncan pulled the blanket over him and retreated to his quarters.
.
.
.
.
Shane shot up, sweat pouring down his face. He clutched his chest, feeling for his heart beat, sighing in palpable relief as he felt it beat rhythmically. 'Oh, thank Elinora!'
He thought back to when he ate the pie, realizing how dumb that was. With a sigh, he turned to examine the room. Laying in their beds, sleeping soundlessly except for Alice, who was snoring as loud as an grazer, all of his comrades to be slept. All their beds were full say for one.
'Where's Veronica?'
Getting up from his bed, Shane shuffled around. He looked around the kitchen, finding nothing but the corrosive stains of the "food" that they had made. He looked some more, checking the bathroom and then the storage room. He had checked the storage room before, finding nothing but training gear. Looking at it this time though, he noticed that one of the swords were missing.
Returning to bed, out of curiosity, he stared outside the window.
Bathed in the otherworldly glow of the moonlight, a young woman with cascading tresses of resplendent gold danced amidst the shadows, her graceful form wielding a sword with both elegance and precision. The blade sliced through the air with a silvery gleam, tracing arcs of determination against the nocturnal canvas. Each movement was a testament to her skill, a symphony of grace and power interwoven beneath the celestial radiance. As she swayed and lunged, the moonlight caressed her features, accentuating the intensity in her eyes and the determination etched upon her countenance.
Shane was mesmerized for a second. The sheer focus on her face, the powerful, sharp arc of her swings painted an image of the countless nights where just like tonight, she trained. She twisted, turned, pivoted around an invisible foe, eyes closed and sweat trickling down her face. Shane could only imagine who or what she was fighting, but he had a hunch. William.
Shane watched a little while longer, before gazing up at the ephemeral night sky. The obsidian expanse stretched as far as the eye could see, countless twinkling jewels of light sparkled in the ever growing canvas of the night. Where most were terrified of the night, haunted by tales about the monsters who lurked in it, Shane had always been more curious about it. Staring up at the illuminant tapestry, Shane's eyes gravitated to a large, white tear.
The tear loomed over the world, gaping like a slash wound against reality. It glowed ominously with otherworldly luminescence. Its exact origins were a mystery, but according to his elders and the history books, it was brought into existence alongside the Arxians. Whatever it was, to the humans of Terraluminos, it was a symbol of death and the looming threat of Arxus.
Well, whatever it truly was, Shane couldn't care less. It was pretty to look at, and useful for navigation.
Feeling a tugging sensation from his mind, Shane lay down on his bed and stared up at the mystical expanse of the cosmos. Slowly, his mind drifted to a deep sleep.