Sometimes I wonder if the only thing I’m good in life is complaining. In the end a job is a job and this career had some of the finest coffee offered to their workers. I question their choices, but it sounded like a better mission than slaying a giant monster. It can be safe or at least the first few weeks of training. We were short handed and I was the only one available with the amount of experience needed for breaking in the initiates. That’s not entirely correct, but after running through the details I could see why I was selected. 

“Sorry,” I said to the phone for the umpteenth time before hanging up. I’ll have to make up for it soon enough. Hopefully I won’t be dragged through hellfire, it’s worse when they are more understanding. I practically inhaled the rest of the cup before settling down on the couch. Having stripped out of my armor, I practically molded into the couch like putty. Every part of my body ached, but I wasn’t going to roll over and die so easily.

“Hey princess,” Alex welcomed as he walked up with panini in one hand and a cup fresh cup of coffee. I made a guttural reply, flailing slightly with my arm towards that cup. He chuckled before handing me the cup and taking out a thermos. I sipped the new cup, letting out a sigh of relief. It took me a good five minutes to settle down again. 

“Looks like I’ll be working under you in this one. Go easy on me will you?” He continued once I calmed down. 

“If everything is straightforward then we have nothing to worry about.” After my reply there was another pause as Alex nodded his head in thought, looking over the documents of each new Pawn. I watched his face and noticed when it scrunched up on a particular page. 

“I can see why you’re heading this, you don’t think?” I waved my hand away at the thought. Alex shrugged, perking up at my nonchalant attitude. 

“If they are involved, then they are. There’s more dangerous things and people we have to deal with at the moment,” I replied, putting the cup of coffee down. Cracking my neck released some of the stress that built up from not being able to go home. This tour had already kept me away for a month now and the training, while less dangerous (supposedly), will take an additional three months. Maybe I can get a week for personal time, but the work will always be hanging over my head.

“Did you get chewed out?” 

“Worse, she was totally understanding and accepting of the situation,”

“Oof, that’s why you should live free and be single. Couple years back you’re the biggest advocate, remember?”

“I thought so too,” I admitted, letting out a sigh before finally standing up. 

“Listen Alex, the world’s a wonderful and beautiful place. Commitment is scary, but it’ll be worth it in the end,” I consoled him, clasping him on his shoulder and giving him a thumbs up. 

“Uh huh, I’m not sure you’re the best person for relationship you goof,” he replied, sipping from his thermos.

“Better a goof than a single goof.”

He narrowed his eyes as though he was about to retort before bursting out in laugher. Wiping his hand on his jeans he stood up to his full height, towering over by a good foot or so. 

“Better start welcoming the upstarts captain, I think they’re waiting on us.”

I waved back at him, straightening my back and trying to seem as imposing as I could. It wouldn’t get me far though, considering how average I looked. Passing back a mirror I stopped to straighten out my short brown hair, the coffee helped my hazel eyes not to look like a dead fish. Puffing out my chest a bit only made me look more like a kid playing a soldier, so I quickly abandoned that idea.

The moment we walked into the barracks 217 where the five new Pawns were waiting, I knew it’ll be a struggle. Not to say they weren’t paying attention, no they immediately stood up and went into attention.

“Greetings Captain Wilson!” They sounded in almost unison. The issue was their attention on Alex. To his credit Alex hadn’t burst into laugher and rolled around the ground, but his shaking said as much, causing a bit of confusion to ripple through the group. 

“Stand down, I’m your supervisor Captain Anne Wilson and this is Vice-Captain Alex Lapin.”

Alensfia

(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و So it begins. I thought I’ll dedicate this chapter to a ‘little’ more talking. It came out faster than I expected. It’ll take some time to build up the world. I’m still tweaking the tags in the listing, so please bear with me.