Lost at Sea
I remember a story. One about a love-stricken fool and a frog that wasn't exactly what it appeared to be. Yeah, I remember that stupid tale pretty well. Sometimes I couldn't help but wonder why anyone would put everything out like that, on such a stupid fairy tale. What could ever warp someone to such an extreme? Hah, well... silly me... As it turns out, the only thing that can bend your mind worse than toxic waste is something I'm sure we're all familiar with.
That one human fear, hidden in the back of our minds. Tucked safely behind that grim spectre of death lies an even greater beast just waiting to awaken from its slumber: love. And I don't care what you call it, what your friends call it, what your culture calls it! It will find you. And it will eat you. It'll make a hot mess of those things you call 'inhibitions' and 'common sense' and leave your head spinning.
Me, though? Just another victim of said beast, speaking from experience. Allow me to elaborate.
By the time I was already on that boat, unable to turn around, I was thoroughly pissed at my superiors. The salty sea was hacking up whatever it could as the boat skimmed across the crystal waters, churning me like it was my stomach. All I could do was hold on to the railing and try and stand up straight. After that, I suppose I'd clamber on the first speck of land I saw, stroke it lovingly, and declare my undying affection for it. Then I'd swear a storm so vicious, it would make hurricanes shrink in fear.
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think our efforts are going to prove fruitful. What if this vent-" I found myself cut off once more as the old man before me shook his head.
"What if YOU shut your mouth and actually took the time to think for once?" The General was exceptionally... thorough in dismantling my argument.
Nonetheless, I wouldn't go down without a fight. "General Johnston, please! I just-"
"I have heard ENOUGH." The General placed his foot firmly against the ground, creating a small shockwave that rattled some of the plaques on the wall. "You are to report to our headquarters at Alto Mare at once, Commander. No. Exceptions. Do you understand me?"
Defeated, I could only nod. Hell, as much fight as there was left in me, I still didn't want to lose my job. "...Yes, sir."
"Good." The General gave a beaming grin of satisfaction. "Now, when you have situated yourself at HQ, your duties as Commander of AOEN are to be put aside. You will act under an assumed alias until we deem that The Brotherhood poses no significant threat to the people of Alto Mare."
I groaned as loud as humanly possible, yet it still wasn't enough to be heard over the boat's powerful engine. That and the water constantly spraying into my face. My eyes rolled over to the captain of the vessel; big surprise, the old man was just staring blankly into space like he had been the past four hours.
"Don't talk much, do you, boy?" The captain caught me by surprise, still not removing his eyes from the steering wheel.
"What's there to talk about?" I scoffed and rested my head on the palm of my hand. "Gee, lovely water this is, huh?"
The old man mumbled something under his breath and shook his head. "...Never mind. In any case, we're almost there. General Johnston also wanted me to ensure that you actually have your supplies."
I rolled my eyes almost immediately. "Wonderful..." I knew The General didn't have much faith in me; I mean, why should he have when I openly defied him? It was just... He was wrong. As a commander, I was one step below him, and so I just had to keep my mouth shut. But I don't do that. I don't live on my knees... except when it comes to the almighty dollar. Only reason I accepted, anyway...
"Hmph." The captain shifted his focus to the increasingly large blur on the horizon. "Ah... There she is... You ever been to Alto Mare, Commander?"
As irritated as I was, I had to admit the island we were approaching was quite scenic. Even from my distance in the boat I could see palm trees and golden beaches. "No," I said.
The captain chuckled softly. "Well, even if you don't find anything there... Even if everything goes wrong... It's a hell of a sight." He narrowed his eyes. "Who knows, might even do something for that temper of yours..."
"Tee hee..." I grumbled.
The water spraying in from outside gradually began to decrease as the boat neared the dock. I watched the captain fiddle with the controls as he stopped the boat and took that as my cue to get out of his hair. With a strained groan, I lugged my chest of supplies up on to my shoulder and leapt up on to the dock.
The first thing I took notice of this Alto Mare was that it was crowded. Damn crowded. Tourists were crawling all over the docks and congregating in the tiled streets ahead, totally oblivious of the lines building up behind them. Even so, it didn't diminish the scenery. The beautiful sunny weather, combined with the cool gusts of air from the sea, made for a comfortable environment. And if that weren't enough, the beautiful villa style of the city itself made up for it.
Big glass windows, cheap merchandise blowing on hangars, leis everywhere... Yep, it was a tourist trap alright. Good thing I was with the military; that was just a fancy excuse for doing whatever I wanted. ...Only I couldn't.
"Hmm, let's see... Headquarters would be..." I fumbled with the map I had stuffed into my pockets and tilted my head to the right. "...That way."
It wasn't easy carrying at least fifty pounds of equipment through waves and waves of indecisive tourists, I'll say that much. Still, I had done worse things; The General saw to that... My arms were sore and aching by the time I finally reached the inconspicuous beachfront home marked on my map.
Of all things, why'd it have to be a condo? A beautiful beachfront condo complete with a balcony? I swear to God, The General loved torturing me. I stuck my key into the front door and swung it open, expecting to be greeted by a swarm of military officials. Strangely enough, I wasn't.
The interior did not betray the gorgeous exterior whatsoever. There was an expensive-looking walk-in kitchen complete with silver, streamlined versions of machinery. There was a welcoming living area surrounded by thick leather chairs and topped off with a large flat screened television. And there was a mini-bar.
"Oh, fuck you, Johnston!" I threw the container on my shoulder on to one of the chairs and sat down in another. I hardly had any time to get situated when I saw the small yellow note attached to the television screen.
"Gordon, in case you were wondering: NO, YOU CAN'T USE IT. Hahahahahaha! Have fun DOING YOUR JOB. Hearts and kisses, General Johnston Knill."
I... really had no words for that. It really only confirmed what I had earlier suspected, so I simply removed the note and tore it to shreds. I supposed I'd have to get a tarp or something to cover that mini-bar... Dammit.
But... Johnston did speak the truth. At least, a little of it. I wasn't used to working on my own, not anymore, anyways. The last few years of my life were spent inside my father's cushy castle, planning in front of a war council, running ideas across The General, and moving little figurines across a table. I admit it, I had grown soft. This mission would see that I'd sharpen my skills, if only a little.
What was it, exactly? Oh, that was right. Reconnaissance... Not exactly my strong suit. The General was concerned that a... 'friend' of ours, that is, The Brotherhood of The Blood, might be looking to expand its influence. You know, that racist group that slaughters whomever it damn well pleases. In Alto Mare, of all places. Admittedly, if they were up to something, the remote island city would make a good choice. Sitting innocently east of Redaen's peninsula, Alto Mare didn't have a standing army... or an AOEN presence. That was, until I arrived.