Vinder hates this, and he shouldn't.
He's doing his duty. He's guarding the Grand Serpent, like he was assigned to. He's a good little soldier, he fetches things for the man, he guards him, he listens to his superior.
So why does this pit in his stomach not seem to go away?
Lying awake at night, he faces it. It's because he hates being a good little soldier. He hates this game that he has to play, hates the Grand Empire, who gave him a little pat on the head for doing what any decent human should do, who gave the people on his team awards for their valor in combat, but there's no valor in the dead, no comfort in worthless gold medals that the mothers of those dead pilots receive.
And he misses Bel. He knows she would tell him to stop moping around and do something useful.
So, one day, he listens to her advice, and the string pulled taught inside him snaps—and he does something useful.
A/N: One week late! Sorry. Chapter for episode 4 should be out tomorrow.