Two

Takeo Squad

Nara was excited, more so than anyone else in her village. The last snows had finally melted away! The ground wasn't an unavoidable muddy mess, which would inevitably be brought inside the interiors of the buildings! No more complaining from their matron about all the damn mud everywhere! Of the fifty other Inklings in her small village, only one tried to match her excitement, or at least entertain Nara's imagination.

Kazu, who was currently paying attention to the flightless birds pecking at the warm ground, dared to ask why Nara was filled with joy as she struck the wooden post both of them had created during the boring months of winter.

"Because, Kazu! We're sixteen!"

"So?" Kazu asked, receiving an exerted sigh as Nara struck the wooden post with her dull training blade. Nara turned to the boy, busy spreading out feed as the fowl followed him like children.

"So, we're going to be conscripted soon! We'll finally be adults and join a company, Kazu. No more drills from the assholes in the outpost!"

"Yeah, but-"

"No more stupid farming! No more taking care of these silly birds, which we aren't even allowed to eat. We get to make decisions and be warriors!" Nara happily explained as she continued hitting the wooden post, increasing her pace with every word.

"I like the birds…" Kazu sadly whispered, deciding to be pathetic as usual.

"We'll actually get to eat them, Kazu! Aren't you excited?"

"I don't think it's going to be all fun and games, Nara."

"Don't worry Kazu, I'll protect you. Friends have to stick together, no matter what!" Nara happily cheered. "Oh yeah, I hear there's a few companies around Minami right now! We might get collected by the assholes at the outpost, and be taken to one of them! Maybe we'll get one of the single digit companies!" Nara wishfully thought.

Kazu didn't respond, probably too busy putting up the feed bag. Nara continued her wishful dreams anyways, thinking how great it would be if one of the first companies came to their village. If they could be a part of a company that had been active since their nation's first conquests, then Kazu believed she could die happy.

Out of the fifty kids in their village, thirty two had reached the age to be conscripted. A full platoon of assault troopers ready to fight for their country! Each of them had come to this village to help in its construction a year ago, while simultaneously training for their upcoming conscription. Each of them had come from some part of the southern provinces, save for Kazu, who had been raised in the east or north somewhere.

"Nara! Hey! Is that shithead with you?" Someone called from beyond the wire fence that Nara was inhabiting. She lowered her training blade, glancing around for the owner of the voice, finding no one. Deciding to investigate, Nara exited the wired pen, finding the smug face of Yori waiting for her, having hidden perfectly behind the support beam that kept the fence up.

"I have half a mind to stab you, you ass." Nara cursed, not wanting to admit she was slightly surprised by his sudden appearance. Poking him with the tip of the dull blade, Nara watched as Yori took a few steps back as she regained her personal space.

"Heh, heh, heh. If you poke me, can I poke you?" Yori asked, his dumb face lighting up at the innuendo.

"You're gross, Yori. And creepy. And super ugly." Nara informed him, getting a shrug from the boy.

"I was told that when girls make fun of you, they actually like you. Nara, do you have some hidden feelings for me?"

"Disgust, hatred, uh… loathing." Nodding at the words, Yori continued to take the verbal beating in stride.

"Will you two stop flirting already?" Ayumi asked, no doubt coming to see what the two of them were bickering about now.

"Why are you looking for Kazu?" Nara finally asked, ignoring the stupid bitch that had joined them.

"Well, not just him. Takeo told me to get everyone together, since he's in a squad leader meeting right now." Yori explained with dispassion, Nara's face showing her excitement. "No, no, no. It's not that. I don't think so."

"Yori, Ayumi. What's happening?" Kazu asked, deciding to exit the fowl pen.

"Don't talk to me, freak." Ayumi coldly said, turning away from the sight of Kazu instantly.

"Damn." Yori stated as he watched Ayumi walk off, Nara choosing to believe that he was commenting on her attitude, and the burn she had delivered to the one who had come to greet her.

Nara looked at the crestfallen face of Kazu and wondered how he had put up with that treatment all year. Since last spring, Kazu had been the butt of almost every joke in their training squad, constantly picked on because… well, because he was Kazu. The only person other than Nara who didn't make fun of him was their squad leader, Takeo... and the only reason Takeo didn't constantly pick on the walking target was, to Nara's knowledge, because she had asked him not to.

It wasn't like the other five decided behind a closed door to pick on the boy. At the start of their cohabitation, everyone was scared, and in a completely different environment. Because Kazu said weird things occasionally and sometimes didn't think out what he wanted to say completely, it was as if he put a giant mark on himself saying 'make fun of me'. He would always bounce back though, which was a positive trait only Nara seemed to see.

"So… Yori, what's happening?" Kazu asked, closing the small lock on the wooden wire gate that kept the birds inside.

"Squad meeting, fowl-fucker."

"Are we being deploy-" Kazu began to ask.

"No. Shut up. Don't jinx it." Yori immediately interrupted him, even though the words had already set Nara off again.

"We're going to war, Kazu!" Nara happily jumped, grabbing onto Kazu's arms and trying to make him bounce with her.

"We are?" Kazu asked, bewildered at the conflicting information.

"No! We're not. Quit being an idiot and follow me. We need to go get Kiko, Enri and Renzo." Yori angrily stated, only growing more angered as Nara continued to hop, skip, and jump after him, filled with joy at the idea of going to war.


"We're going to war." Takeo's solemn voice stated. He observed the reactions of his friends, worried at how they would take the news. Yori and Kiko seemed the most shocked, an expression plastered on their faces that forced him to look away quickly, lest he be absorbed. Renzo only nodded when Takeo's eyes locked with his, undoubtedly putting on a brave front as Takeo was currently. Ayumi's expression softened once Enri turned to her, the stone faced, callous front instantly dissolving for the other girl. Then Nara, his oldest friend, matched his gaze as if a fire burned in her eyes. Takeo barely glanced at the one sitting beside his friend, not even wanting to look at the empty one.

He had just spent the last hour being instructed by one of the outpost's leader, explaining what was going to happen to them in the next few days and what information would need to be passed on. "We will be given our first real set of equipment tomorrow. No more training gear. It will be up to us to maintain and take care of the new gear as if our lives will depend on it… because they will."

As Yori groaned in despair, individual's priority questions started popping up, as hands hesitantly were raised.

"Enri?" Takeo asked, unsure if he would be able to answer the girl.

"They aren't going to split us up, are they?"

"It depends on what is needed of us. For now, we'll continue as normal, with me acting as squad leader. Nara?"

"Who are we to join? I mean, which company?" Nara quickly asked. Takeo briefly wondered if it was excitement or fear making Nara bounce her leg up and down violently.

"The Twenty First Battle Company. They will be arriving within the week to take those ready for conscription, and join their diminished platoons." This seemed to upset his friend, but he quickly turned to the next hand. "Yori?"

"Are we going into battle? Are we going to instantly be fighting? To the death?" Yori's cowardice revealing itself, along with his nervous tone immediately angering Takeo. Inhaling sharply to buy him time to get his own emotions under control, Takeo translated what the older warrior told him.

"Probably. It's spring now. Marauding fish-tribes are already scouting our shores. Crustacean raiding parties have been spotted along the Minami Delta. The Octrian have made some advancement north of us during the winter, but they are currently contained."

"So we're going to be seeing action, sooner, rather than later?" Kiko, the other fearful Inkling in his squad asked.

"We're so screwed." Yori added.

"HEY!" Takeo barked, snapping the two out of their wide-eyed borderline panic. The small room stared at him, but only one set of eyes really put him on edge. "Steel yourselves. We're all scared, but we've been training for an entire year for this. Our parent's war has now become our war… so calm down, and prepare yourselves."

"Don't let fear take your heart, Yori, otherwise you will become something less than yourself." Kazu softly... advised, filling Takeo with an irrational hatred that always came when this creature spoke.

"Damn it, Kazu. Why do you have to ruin every moment?" Ayumi asked, getting grunts and barks of affirmation from everyone besides himself and Nara.

As the room turned to their shared disgust and hatred of a single Inkling, Takeo couldn't help but notice that the panic had dispersed completely, making him sigh as shouting between six Inklings started, Nara standing up for the quiet, smiling boy, who was intent to just keep looking at his squad leader.

"Okay, okay, shut up. Stop yelling. I knew I should have traded squads once I saw how you assholes act." Takeo sighed, slapping his training sword against their shared table to quiet the room they occupied. "Logistic officers from central will be arriving in two days to take 'samples', whatever that means. We are now considered properly inducted into our nation's military as of this meeting, and if one of you goes missing, you will be deserting and will be hunted down. Everyone got it? Good. Dismissed." Takeo said, leaving the room before he had to tolerate Kazu's gaze further and entering the staring hall of the barracks.


Kiko was terrified, despite wearing actual armor, and carrying a real sword. When Takeo confidently spoke of the logistic officers that were coming, she hadn't expected them to bring a platoon's worth of squid-guard. These much older warriors, silently standing over her and her friends, were near faceless with their masked helmets, only their piercing gaze visible.

Those being conscripted had been rounded up into the barracks during their midmorning chores. Yori had made a fuss about still having to do menial labor when they were going into battle, when Kazu had aired his thoughts about keeping busy, lest they go 'stir-crazy' or whatever. Kiko joined the others in shouting the idiot down, but supposed the boy had a point.

Once everyone being conscripted was accounted for by the two elderly, robed Inklings, all the boys were kindly asked by the wrinkled old woman to follow him outside. Flinching hard as the remaining squid-guard all moved in unison, taking off their helmets in a short manner, Kiko felt confused as the now revealed women began to close curtains and darken the room.

"Calm down, girls. Nothing bad is going to happen." The elderly woman promised in a soothing tone. "For the next hour, I'll be coming to each and every one of you, and we're going to have a small conversation. After that, you will calmly strip, and have measurements taken."

"Measurements?" Nara, the one girl who always spoke before she thought, asked.

"Yes, young lady. As a logistic officer, it's my job to make sure you're all healthy. After I look you over, my helpers will take a few samples, and you'll all be done! I want to thank you all for your cooperation in advance."

Kiko wanted to ask what the heavily armed and armored guards were for if it was such a simple procedure, but was fairly certain of the answer already.

"If there are no other questions, I will be starting at the front, and working my way to the back." The elder woman said, her happy tone only making Kiko want to flee.

After what felt like years of waiting and nervously glancing back and forth between the two guard ladies standing beside her, the lady logistic officer finally arrived and put a chair in front of Kiko. Apparently noticing her flinch from the wood legs touching the floor, the logistic officer quickly apologized.

"I'm so sorry, honey. Are you alright?"

Only nodding, Kiko continued to try to keep all three of the strangers in her vision, nervously looking back and forth between the three of them.

"I didn't mean to frighten you. Now, you are Kiko, correct?"

Nodding again, the old lady didn't respond, as if waiting for something. Quickly putting two and two together, Kiko softly said "Yes."

"Good. I'm glad to meet you, Kiko. My name is Morina."

"Greetings, Morina." Kiko formally said, trying to hide her apprehension.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, so I want you to be as honest as you can with me." Morina started, before asking a series of confusing, mundane questions.

How long had she been in the village? What was her main responsibility in the village? What did she think of the matron? Had she sustained any injuries in the past year? Had she been scarred by water in the past year? What did she think of the outpost trainers who would come to her village? What did her diet consist of? Was she sexually active with any of the boys in the village? Did she have any muscle soreness in the recent months? Wait… what?

"Do you have any muscle soreness, Kiko?"

"No. Not that, what did you ask before that?"

"Oh. Did you want to change your answer? You said no, so…" Morina trailed off.

"No! But what does that have to do with us going to war? Why are you asking such dumb questions?"

"My questions aren't dumb, Kiko. They are vital to knowing how ready you are for combat and how well you'll do outside of combat. This information is so your company's logistic officer can help you, you know. So, you don't have muscle soreness in any of your limbs?"

"No." Kiko answered, defeated.

"Alright! You've finished the questionnaire. If you'll remove your armor and under armor, we can wrap this up."

Kiko didn't like how the squid-guard suddenly shifted in unison, turning directly at her, as if threatening her with their own intervention. Telling her if she didn't comply, she would be made to comply.

"Do… do they have to be here for this?" Kiko asked.

"I'm afraid they do. We don't want you panicking and running naked outside, do we?" Morina joked, laughing quietly to herself.

Whining, Kiko slowly took off her new armor, placing it on the bunk as the three pairs of eyes continued to watch. Standing to shame herself, the logistic officer and her lackeys backed up to give her more room.

Fighting back tears, Kiko continued to stand and do as she was told as Morina moved around her, using what appeared to be a measuring tape to accurately record parts of her body. As Morina finished her measurements, Kiko quickly tried to get dressed, but was told to remain naked, and wait by the logistic officer.

Noticing the other girls questioned before her were still nude as well, Kiko calmly did as she was told, realizing her sword had gone missing from her bunk. Panic filled her as she sat on her bed, noticing that the guard on her right had taken the blade while the one on her left was opening a small container. Kiko would have investigated further, but with barely any light to work with all she could do was wait for Morina to disarm and strip the other girls.

Out of the sixteen of them, only Nara had actually tried to reject the idea of getting naked, and the few remaining girls got to see what happened if one didn't comply, or more likely, hear what happened. Kiko didn't even try to turn her head, too aware of the two pairs of eyes watching for her reaction as she continued to nervously rub her hands together as yelling and violence came somewhere across the room.

"There's always one." Morina sighed, addressing the room. "Please, girls. We aren't here to hurt you. Once we take the samples, you'll be allowed to get dressed. Thank you for your continued cooperation."

Kiko was no expert at judging another's character, but from what she had seen and heard this past hour and the requirements needed to take these so called 'samples', she truly was not looking forward to when everyone finished the questionnaire. As what could only be described as Nara's subjugation finished and the yelling abruptly turned into muffled cursing, Morina seemed to speed up the process at which she was questioning the other girls.

"Alrighty! We're finished with the questions and measurements. Now for the horrible part." Kiko heard the elderly lady say, wondering if this was sarcasm or if this had been the good part of their way to personal inspection. "My assistants will be taking samples of your blood, and ink. They will stab you with thin needles, once in the arm, once where you ink gland is, and once in the waist. It will sting, but the entire procedure won't last more than a minute, so bear with it everyone."

Kiko watched the guard who was toying with her container sat next down on the bunk beside her, and calmly start checking on her arm. After the first painless prick, Kiko wondered why they had to be completely nude for this, suddenly having her shoulders being grasped by the warrior who was now behind her.

Confused seconds followed as Kiko was pinned by both of the older women, shouting filling her ears as panic filled the room. Trying to get them to answer her questions as to why they were being rough with her, even though Kiko had been nothing but compliant did nothing as the one with the small metal tube stabbed her in the side.

Pain filled her, and not the recoverable pain that would vanish and ebb in a moment. As if her entire body was telling her to get out of these Inkling's grips and flee, Kiko began to fight, trying to break free from the one who had taken her sword. For a few seconds, as she felt part of her body leave her, Kiko believed she was going to die.

Then the pain faded, only to return a few seconds later, somewhere beneath her waist. Kicking and screaming did nothing, as these strangers continued to siphon from her body. Kiko could only wait for them to finish whatever task they had come to accomplish, the squid-guard clasping the small box shut.

"You are to get dressed, and await further instruction from your company commander. Thank you for your time, and cooperation." The elderly logistic officer happily chirped, her job complete.

For a time, all Kiko did was lay on her bunk, deciding to just stay motionless, as if they had really killed her.


"What do you think happened?" Yori asked him, not understanding his indifference. "To the girls, I mean."

Renzo continued to stare at his food, slowly taking bites of what was described as slop. For as long as Renzo could remember, his entire body had been fueled by the gruel, but only now was his hunger growing. To celebrate their complete indoctrination as conscripts, the matron had allowed them to kill some of the birds, and celebrate. In comparison to the meat, what he was eating now couldn't be considered food.

"Renzo? Hey Renzo?"

"Maybe they were raped. I don't know and I don't care." Renzo angrily groaned. Why the hell was Yori even talking to him? He had known this stupid asshole for an entire year, and in that time, they had barely spoken to each other. Did Yori trick himself into thinking they were friends? "Why don't you go ask them if you're so curious?"

"Because I'm not stupid enough to go ask any of them. They all look like they'll turn on us at any moment. I just don't understand how they all have this reaction, while all of us guys came out unscathed. Hell, even Nara isn't acting normal. She just sits there, and stares at the birdies while Kazu works." Yori stated, revealing what his true agenda was in talking to him. Fucker was here to complain about the girl he was stalking. "Not that he seems to notice."

Renzo quickly downed the remnants of his bowl with a grimace, shaking the last few grains onto the dirt. He had been using the back steps of the barracks to actually obtain some peace, and this prick was ruining everything. Throwing his bowl into the small bag that he, and every conscript had been told to have ready at all times, Renzo fixed his scabbard as he stood up.

"I don't care." Renzo repeated, grabbing his kit on the way down the steps.

"Okay, well. Go ahead and fuck off then. Enjoy sitting on that damn hill for another day."

"I will." Renzo promised, heading towards the small dirt road that led out of the village. For no other reason other than to get away from these children, Renzo had volunteered to keep an eye out for the Twenty First Company.

He had always disliked these Inklings, save for Takeo, and maybe Ayumi. Takeo had risen to the task of actually leading their dysfunctional group of retards, and Renzo had to respect just how callous Ayumi was to life, for seemingly no reason. The amount of indifference Ayumi had shown to everyone around her at all times, save for Enri, always brought a smile to Renzo's face and at the reactions that followed.

Everyone else he ran into were irrelevant. He didn't care about any of these people, within his squad or without. All that mattered were his family, back home. Somewhere west, his mother and father were awaiting his return, along with his brothers and sisters.

Unlike all of the orphans that surrounded him, who were raised and indoctrinated in nests in their central provinces, only to spread towards the borders of their country as they aged, Renzo had been reared in a home. With a mother, and a father. Unlike these vicious, cruel, and self-centered savages that surrounded him, who had been taught early in life that aggression was the only way to get basic needs, Renzo had been raised under civilized standards. Trained and schooled, by the warriors that were his mother and father.

He missed the southern cliffs. He missed the strong gusts of winds brought by the ocean, and the incredible view as the sea turned different colors as the sun rose and fell. He missed laughing, and feeling protected by the natural cliff walls that rebuffed any sea invasion. Now, more than ever, he missed the beatings his father would give him, that always came before the verbal lessons that elevated wisdom and calmness above all else.

Instead of staying with his family for the last year before being conscripted, instead of joining a garrison force nearby his home, he had been forced out, due to 'logistical needs'. Instead of continuing his training, which would make the childish drills they had him do pale in comparison, he had moved against his and his family's will, and sent to this shit hole that wasn't even on any map.

Best of all, he was joining a company that had no history, Renzo thought angrily as he witnessed the banner of the twenty first head towards his hilltop perch. His father had made him memorize every notable company, and their commander or general in case he somehow was taken from the garrison he was supposed to join. He knew the heraldry of every Squid-Lord, and title bearing general and commander in all of the western, southern, and eastern provinces, but the one coming to retrieve his platoon's worth of villagers were a blank to him.

Not only that, but their heads were orange. The literal worst color to pick for the company's heraldry and ink colors. And what was with that banner? A giant crab claw on fire? He couldn't clearly see the flag being raised, but was sure it was damn stupid.

As he watched the approaching company, Renzo realized he was supposed to be telling his squad leader about what he was seeing, and began jogging down the hill, back to the village he was going to leave.


Nara wasn't particularly excited anymore, she realized as they stood in formation, getting inspected by the four platoon leaders that would be inducting their squads. Her spirits were somewhat raised as she watched commander Kikimo lead his company into their village, happy to know they would be leaving in less than an hour. Apparently, the commander had to speak with the matron, along with the outpost's representative, if they decided to show at all.

When she had found out that the boy's hadn't had to go through such an invasive 'procedure', Nara felt crushed, believing that everyone could get through their pain together. Instead, walls had been put up between the girls and boys, with just how trivial the guy's experience was in comparison to their own. By Kazu's testimony, all the guys had to do was get stabbed in the arm, then prove they could shapeshift into their smaller form. Kazu hinted at them doing something else, but by then... Nara had just shut herself off from the world.

She didn't know what to do. Nara wanted to be mad, but knew the anger wouldn't help anyone. It wasn't like she could go on some revenge quest to hunt down that logistic officer who had conducted…

Nara sighed to herself, waiting for the platoon leader staring them down to hurry up and be done with the silly inspection. Kazu glanced at her, but as she didn't follow up with any words, he turned back to face the army in front of them.

"Alright, Taki squad, follow me." The platoon leader said, satisfied.

"Takeo squad, sir." Takeo tried to interject, following after their new leader.

"Yeah, sure. I'll explain some things as we walk. My platoon is mainly conscripts, like yourselves. Don't tell me your names unless I ask. Don't talk to any other platoon leader unless told by me, the sub-commander, or the commander. Don't be friendly with the logistic officers. If you are having personal problems, keep them within the squad. If one of you comes up to me, while your squad leader is alive, then you're going to be in trouble. Don't ask too many questions, and you'll fit right in." Their platoon leader, who had yet to give his name, told them, prattling on as they joined the other three squads that were staring them down. As they fell into position, their platoon leader looked at each of them briefly, the soldier finished bringing them into the company. "We're the eighth assault platoon, welcome to the Twenty First."

Then he left them there, to wait some more in the back of the platoon. Nara glanced at the others in her platoon, noticing that none even tried to match her eyes. Perhaps realizing how alone she truly was now, Nara began to regret her excitement from several days ago. If this was what it was like being an adult and being properly in their military, Nara hoped these ten years would go by quickly.

Now, all Nara currently cared about was leaving this village behind, and the memories that came with it.