"I'll tell you guys straight out, you can have the afternoon off," Fang
shoutedover the heads of hos tired-looking troops. "I know you've been
working hard lately and I think you all deserve a bit of a break."
"We can't take time off," one of the soldiers called. "Jen'll get mad at us and give us extra work or throw us into more trees. I don't want that."
"I'm *not* Jen, I'm Fang, and Jen no longer has the authority to regulate your off-hours unless I desegate that purpose to her." Fang glared down at the soldier. "D'ya get that?"
"Yessir." The soldier closed his eyes for a moment. "But can you give us the morning instead so we can recharge?" Fang looked at the soldier's Orange medallion. It was totally devoid of energy.
"You been using it to keep yourself awake all this time?" Fang asked, a touch of concern creeping into his voice.
"Yessir." The soldier's eyes sparkled with something Fang knew he'd seen before. Fang looked closer at the soldier and any concern he'd felt vanished. It was Sting.
"Right," he said shortly, addressing the soldiers assembled before him. "I've changed my mind. All working troops—well, all of you—are relieved from duty for today. Toon and platoon leaders report here at 1900 hours or seven in the evening for you dummies. Dismissed!" he stalked away, muttering.
Fang stopped muttering and cursed loudly when a throwing knife lodged itself in his left shoulder. "Who's there?" he snarled, whirling around.
"Only me." It was Falon.
"Falon! What in the name of Hell are you doing here? And what was that knife for? It hit my bad shoulder!"
"I wasn't *planning* on hitting you with a throwing knife when I came after you," Falon snapped. "But you didn't answer when I called your name… *five times*… and you didn't seem to notice the rocks I threw at you, so I was kind of out of ideas." He shrugged. "I *am* sorry about the shoulder, though. I was aiming for your arm."
"That really helps me," Fang growled. "With my luck they'll put Jen in charge of my troops again. She half killed 'em before, who knows what she'll do this time?"
"Don't worry about it." Falon's medallion glowed briefly and the energy seeped into Fang's arm. "Give it some of your Lavender energy to boost that and you'll be fine by this evening."
"I suppose I should thank you." Fang glared at Falon.
"Not really." Falon shrugged again. "The knife was my fault really so it's only right that I patch you up. Besides, you hate me anyway, so what's the point?"
Fang smiled grimly. "I'm so glad you understand."
"Every now and then I do get something right."
"Why are you here, Falon?"
"Why are you so pissed at Sting?"
"I don't know, Falon…" Fang sighed. "I don't get it. He doesn't even deserve to exist. He's an irresponsible, unintelligent slacker. He's got no ambition. The only thing he sports is a horribly irritating personality. I just… I don't know."
"I can sort of understand that. You've got to give him a chance. Æseri's a brat, but he's got potential. You need to try to see Sting in that same kind of light. Okay?"
"Sting has no potential or ambition. Æseri's a brat, all right, but he'll have a chance at being likeable if he stops acting so stupid. Sting has no chance." Fang sighed. "I can make up all of these excuses, but I don't know why. I don't know at all."
"Give it some thought, Fang."
"No."
**********
Æseri stopped, gasping with a futile attempt to catch his breath. "Keep going," he rasped, trying to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. "Gotta… huh… keep… going… heh…"
"DON'T SLACK!" Jen's voice bellowed in his ear. "You're training for the Special Service you work under me! Get back to running!"
"Can't move…" Æseri wheezed.
"What did I tell you?" Jen smirked. "You aren't ready to be a specialized fighter.
"You're too ambitious for your own good and too arrogant for the good of the Devils! Now get out of here, and don't come back until you're ready to act like the man you're pretending to be!" Jen punched Æseri in the jaw and walked away.
Æseri's head lolled to one side as if it were attached to a broken neck. "I must be going insane…" he muttered. "I suppose it's back to the infirmary for little ol' me…" he pulled himself up and began to walk slowly away from the training area.
"Hurry up!" Jen shouted after him as a Big Blue (running very fast) nearly missed trampling him into the ground. "I'll tell you once, I'll tell you a hundred times. Get your act together or get out of here. And do it fast!"
Æseri ran.
As a matter of fact, he ran into a Zilla.
"D… WHA?!" Æseri spluttered. "Who are you?"
"Staunt."
"What do you want and why are you here?"
"I want to join the Blue Devils."
"But I thought it was only for people with Tiger blood!"
Staunt glared at Æseri. "I'm blue, aren't I? And who are you, boy?"
"Æseri."
"Very well then, Æseri, I hate to admit it, but I'm going to ask you to help me. Can you do that?" Staunt glared at him in a baleful way.
"I don't believe this was in the job description of a Blue Devil."
"I'm asking you to help me, Æseri. Is that so difficult, or are you just hopelessly incompetent? Seriously, though. You shouldn't be ashamed to admit that you're an idiot, really." Staunt smiled, knowing that he'd hit Æseri's weak spot.
"All right, all right, I'll help you. But it'll be a long, rocky road, and I don't think the others'll accept you quickly."
"I'm not asking to be accepted. I'm asking to join." Staunt glared. "I've been alone all my life, I don't need to stop now." His eyes softened for a moment. "Nobody's ever liked me, and I'm not asking anyone to like me… that includes you, Æseri."
"Why doesn't anybody like you? Besides the obvious, that is," Æseri smirked.
Staunt grabbed Æseri by the throat and lifted him up to eye level. "You aren't as clever as you think you are, Æseri. Don't push your luck."
"Having a pleasant conversation, Æseri?" Jen strolled over. She turned to Staunt. "And what can I do for you? Oh, and do be a dear and put Æseri down. He's no use to any of us dead."
"I want to join the Blue Devils."
"Name?"
"Staunt."
"Why do you want to join the Devils?"
"I'm a killing machine. I've killed eighteen humans, and none of them deserved it. I figured that here I'd be able to harness my energy and put it to good use."
"Hmm… well Staunt, I like your resumé, but you don't have any Tiger blood in you."
"I'm blue, aren't I?"
"Okay, you're in. Here." Jen handed Staunt a White medallion. "Welcome to the Blue Devils. There's energy stored in those pendants, if you can figure it out then you deserve to use it. Now I'll get back to training, but I like the look of you, Staunt."
"Thanks. And who are you?"
"Jen."
"Maybe I'll end up in your troops, Jen."
"Maybe." Staunt grinned and jogged off.
**********
Æseri kicked his spear target. "So *what* if Jen's taken a liking to Staunt? So *what* if Staunt's nicer, funnier and more polite than me? I don't care that Jen likes Staunt better than me, because I am *not* jealous.
"Damn."
"Jealous, old son?" Fang walked up to him.
"NO!"
"The old man begs to differ." Fang laughed. "You're as jealous as I was at your age, old son."
"What's with the 'old son' all of a sudden?"
"I dunno. It just suits you." Fang shrugged. "Try to put up with Staunt, Æseri. He's a good man, and he could be a valuable ally in the future. I won't always be so sweet and understanding with you."
"When will you stop?"
"Right about the time you learn to take care of youself."
"In other words, just about never."
"I'm not so sure of that anymore."
"Really?"
"You're getting used to being a Devil. Getting better, learning the ropes… you can go the distance if anyone can."
"Even moreso than Staunt?"
"Staunt's likely to peak in five years and retire form the Devils before he reaches Gray."
"You think so?"
"I've seen a great many youngsters who seem great taper off into nothingness. On the other hand, I also Magnate Oliver through his training to become ruler of the entire Bloodrain Territory."
"Oliver?"
"A Blue Kato. Wears Gold now, if my memory serves me correctly."
"Wow…"
"And at the beginning he was as much of a failure and a pain in the ass as you."
"Really?" Æseri started to grin.
"No kidding. So who knows where you might end up?" Fang laughed quietly. "But get out of here, boy. I don't want to end up fond of you when you're dead."
"I'm not going to die." Æseri straightened.
"Don't count on it," Fang replied with every bit of coolness he could muster. "Death may be the exception, but nonetheless…"
Æseri shrugged and jogged off.
"We can't take time off," one of the soldiers called. "Jen'll get mad at us and give us extra work or throw us into more trees. I don't want that."
"I'm *not* Jen, I'm Fang, and Jen no longer has the authority to regulate your off-hours unless I desegate that purpose to her." Fang glared down at the soldier. "D'ya get that?"
"Yessir." The soldier closed his eyes for a moment. "But can you give us the morning instead so we can recharge?" Fang looked at the soldier's Orange medallion. It was totally devoid of energy.
"You been using it to keep yourself awake all this time?" Fang asked, a touch of concern creeping into his voice.
"Yessir." The soldier's eyes sparkled with something Fang knew he'd seen before. Fang looked closer at the soldier and any concern he'd felt vanished. It was Sting.
"Right," he said shortly, addressing the soldiers assembled before him. "I've changed my mind. All working troops—well, all of you—are relieved from duty for today. Toon and platoon leaders report here at 1900 hours or seven in the evening for you dummies. Dismissed!" he stalked away, muttering.
Fang stopped muttering and cursed loudly when a throwing knife lodged itself in his left shoulder. "Who's there?" he snarled, whirling around.
"Only me." It was Falon.
"Falon! What in the name of Hell are you doing here? And what was that knife for? It hit my bad shoulder!"
"I wasn't *planning* on hitting you with a throwing knife when I came after you," Falon snapped. "But you didn't answer when I called your name… *five times*… and you didn't seem to notice the rocks I threw at you, so I was kind of out of ideas." He shrugged. "I *am* sorry about the shoulder, though. I was aiming for your arm."
"That really helps me," Fang growled. "With my luck they'll put Jen in charge of my troops again. She half killed 'em before, who knows what she'll do this time?"
"Don't worry about it." Falon's medallion glowed briefly and the energy seeped into Fang's arm. "Give it some of your Lavender energy to boost that and you'll be fine by this evening."
"I suppose I should thank you." Fang glared at Falon.
"Not really." Falon shrugged again. "The knife was my fault really so it's only right that I patch you up. Besides, you hate me anyway, so what's the point?"
Fang smiled grimly. "I'm so glad you understand."
"Every now and then I do get something right."
"Why are you here, Falon?"
"Why are you so pissed at Sting?"
"I don't know, Falon…" Fang sighed. "I don't get it. He doesn't even deserve to exist. He's an irresponsible, unintelligent slacker. He's got no ambition. The only thing he sports is a horribly irritating personality. I just… I don't know."
"I can sort of understand that. You've got to give him a chance. Æseri's a brat, but he's got potential. You need to try to see Sting in that same kind of light. Okay?"
"Sting has no potential or ambition. Æseri's a brat, all right, but he'll have a chance at being likeable if he stops acting so stupid. Sting has no chance." Fang sighed. "I can make up all of these excuses, but I don't know why. I don't know at all."
"Give it some thought, Fang."
"No."
**********
Æseri stopped, gasping with a futile attempt to catch his breath. "Keep going," he rasped, trying to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. "Gotta… huh… keep… going… heh…"
"DON'T SLACK!" Jen's voice bellowed in his ear. "You're training for the Special Service you work under me! Get back to running!"
"Can't move…" Æseri wheezed.
"What did I tell you?" Jen smirked. "You aren't ready to be a specialized fighter.
"You're too ambitious for your own good and too arrogant for the good of the Devils! Now get out of here, and don't come back until you're ready to act like the man you're pretending to be!" Jen punched Æseri in the jaw and walked away.
Æseri's head lolled to one side as if it were attached to a broken neck. "I must be going insane…" he muttered. "I suppose it's back to the infirmary for little ol' me…" he pulled himself up and began to walk slowly away from the training area.
"Hurry up!" Jen shouted after him as a Big Blue (running very fast) nearly missed trampling him into the ground. "I'll tell you once, I'll tell you a hundred times. Get your act together or get out of here. And do it fast!"
Æseri ran.
As a matter of fact, he ran into a Zilla.
"D… WHA?!" Æseri spluttered. "Who are you?"
"Staunt."
"What do you want and why are you here?"
"I want to join the Blue Devils."
"But I thought it was only for people with Tiger blood!"
Staunt glared at Æseri. "I'm blue, aren't I? And who are you, boy?"
"Æseri."
"Very well then, Æseri, I hate to admit it, but I'm going to ask you to help me. Can you do that?" Staunt glared at him in a baleful way.
"I don't believe this was in the job description of a Blue Devil."
"I'm asking you to help me, Æseri. Is that so difficult, or are you just hopelessly incompetent? Seriously, though. You shouldn't be ashamed to admit that you're an idiot, really." Staunt smiled, knowing that he'd hit Æseri's weak spot.
"All right, all right, I'll help you. But it'll be a long, rocky road, and I don't think the others'll accept you quickly."
"I'm not asking to be accepted. I'm asking to join." Staunt glared. "I've been alone all my life, I don't need to stop now." His eyes softened for a moment. "Nobody's ever liked me, and I'm not asking anyone to like me… that includes you, Æseri."
"Why doesn't anybody like you? Besides the obvious, that is," Æseri smirked.
Staunt grabbed Æseri by the throat and lifted him up to eye level. "You aren't as clever as you think you are, Æseri. Don't push your luck."
"Having a pleasant conversation, Æseri?" Jen strolled over. She turned to Staunt. "And what can I do for you? Oh, and do be a dear and put Æseri down. He's no use to any of us dead."
"I want to join the Blue Devils."
"Name?"
"Staunt."
"Why do you want to join the Devils?"
"I'm a killing machine. I've killed eighteen humans, and none of them deserved it. I figured that here I'd be able to harness my energy and put it to good use."
"Hmm… well Staunt, I like your resumé, but you don't have any Tiger blood in you."
"I'm blue, aren't I?"
"Okay, you're in. Here." Jen handed Staunt a White medallion. "Welcome to the Blue Devils. There's energy stored in those pendants, if you can figure it out then you deserve to use it. Now I'll get back to training, but I like the look of you, Staunt."
"Thanks. And who are you?"
"Jen."
"Maybe I'll end up in your troops, Jen."
"Maybe." Staunt grinned and jogged off.
**********
Æseri kicked his spear target. "So *what* if Jen's taken a liking to Staunt? So *what* if Staunt's nicer, funnier and more polite than me? I don't care that Jen likes Staunt better than me, because I am *not* jealous.
"Damn."
"Jealous, old son?" Fang walked up to him.
"NO!"
"The old man begs to differ." Fang laughed. "You're as jealous as I was at your age, old son."
"What's with the 'old son' all of a sudden?"
"I dunno. It just suits you." Fang shrugged. "Try to put up with Staunt, Æseri. He's a good man, and he could be a valuable ally in the future. I won't always be so sweet and understanding with you."
"When will you stop?"
"Right about the time you learn to take care of youself."
"In other words, just about never."
"I'm not so sure of that anymore."
"Really?"
"You're getting used to being a Devil. Getting better, learning the ropes… you can go the distance if anyone can."
"Even moreso than Staunt?"
"Staunt's likely to peak in five years and retire form the Devils before he reaches Gray."
"You think so?"
"I've seen a great many youngsters who seem great taper off into nothingness. On the other hand, I also Magnate Oliver through his training to become ruler of the entire Bloodrain Territory."
"Oliver?"
"A Blue Kato. Wears Gold now, if my memory serves me correctly."
"Wow…"
"And at the beginning he was as much of a failure and a pain in the ass as you."
"Really?" Æseri started to grin.
"No kidding. So who knows where you might end up?" Fang laughed quietly. "But get out of here, boy. I don't want to end up fond of you when you're dead."
"I'm not going to die." Æseri straightened.
"Don't count on it," Fang replied with every bit of coolness he could muster. "Death may be the exception, but nonetheless…"
Æseri shrugged and jogged off.