06-28-2016, 01:21 PM
It was night now, once more the sun was disappearing behind the hills of sand. A chosen few of the convoy guard had been assigned a position and a large wall of sandbags to build as their defense. There were four machine gun positions, each one placed in the middle of the sandbags, one north, south, east and west. Two pick ups would need to sacrifice their mounted machine guns, but Whittorn's truck was the only one that still had a weapon. He declared it as 'Patrol vehicle' though everyone was well aware of his own intentions. Anyone not given a defensive position was kept in reserve to replace anyone on guard shift, and the vehicles were all parked right next to each other, a open space granted to them in the middle of the tribe.
Just like in Carrefore they lit a campfire and surrounded it with discussions and laughter. Some sat on the cars, some surrounded the fire in a circle, others stood in groups talking to each other, Whittorn however would be busy sleeping while Jeff sat next to him, keeping watch on the off duty guards. A few of the locals would watch, but there was no involvement from them, except unless a guard actually got up and attempted to talk to them. There certainly were plenty of those people, but anyone chatting with a local was probably under bet, or simply attempting to 'get laid' with anyone they found remotely attractive, never succeeding to do so. Kalli herself sat near the fire, poking it with a stick while the fire would spread, lighting up any of the cold, untouched sides of the wood. After a while, Kalli's own stick would be too consumed by fire to be of any use, leading her to throw it in and watch it get consumed in flame.
She sighed, moving her head upward to stare at the clear night sky.
"So why don't you summon secondaries like us?"
Startled, she turned to her right- Aoki was sitting there, looking at her with a curious look. "Well, I," She began, pausing before giving a full answer "I just don't like being responsible for life, is all."
"Huh." Aoki replied, adding "But what about companionship? Friends? Don't you have any?
Kalli thought to herself, looking away from him while considering her past. She then shook her head slowly "No, I wasn't exactly taught to be a friendly person."
"What do you mean? You don't seem unfriendly." Aoki stated, then proceeded to put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his thighs while sitting cross-legged. He had the same blank curiosity from before.
She looked at him "I wasn't a real person back from where I came from. I was just meant to do what other people told me, not thinking for myself." Kalli said, soon shaking her head after speaking "It doesn't matter now." she added.
"Huh." Aoki repeated
Kalli breathed out, her head pointed upward again. "Where were you?" she asked Aoki, though continuing to stare at the stars above.
"Oh." He lifted his head upward "I was busy informing the, uh, chief of our warriors." Aoki then sighed deeply "I'm not a warrior yet. Said I'd have to prove myself in combat."
"I thought you were promised to become a warrior by getting help?" Kalli asked
"Supposedly I need more training." Aoki said, sadly
Kalli's eyes began to looked at the stars with curiosity. Seeing if there was anything that moved, a aircraft or VTOL, maybe even a starship. But nothing did move, it was still, no passing comet nor shooting star. Minutes kept passing as she kept up with her stubborn attempt to see any movement. Aoki then tapped her shoulder, interrupting her observation with a question "You're a fighter, do you have any advice?" to which Kalli remained silent. Looking away from the sky and at the sandy floor they sat on.
"I don't mean to ruin your dreams, but being a warrior isn't as great as some make it out to be." Kalli's face was empty of any positive emotion, simply looking at him with dread as she remembered her life from before.
"What?" Aoki asked
"You'll figure out what I mean when you become one, Aoki." She said, then proceeded to mutter to herself "If you live that long."
After a while Aoki left, pondering what the prime meant. Kalli herself refused to reflect on her past any longer, sighing and taking her sleeping bag she had been given some time ago. Keeping it rolled up, she pressed her talons against the sand and got up, walking out from the circle of relaxed, chatting guards and passed those farther from the fire. She then walked toward Whittorn's truck, stopped by the awake Jeff who spoke from an open window. "No one is sleeping in the passenger seat if you wanna rest back here." He said, his thumb pointing behind him while his armed rested on the door. Kalli turned down the offer, to which Jeff shrugged, going back to leaning back in passenger seat.
Kalli clambered onto the pick up's flat bed, standing next to the machine gun and unrolling the sleeping bag, laying it out on the floor and placing a pillow against the rear window. She then stripped herself of her armor and weapons, placing it next to her pillow in a neat pile before sliding into the sleeping bag, falling asleep soon after.
Just like in Carrefore they lit a campfire and surrounded it with discussions and laughter. Some sat on the cars, some surrounded the fire in a circle, others stood in groups talking to each other, Whittorn however would be busy sleeping while Jeff sat next to him, keeping watch on the off duty guards. A few of the locals would watch, but there was no involvement from them, except unless a guard actually got up and attempted to talk to them. There certainly were plenty of those people, but anyone chatting with a local was probably under bet, or simply attempting to 'get laid' with anyone they found remotely attractive, never succeeding to do so. Kalli herself sat near the fire, poking it with a stick while the fire would spread, lighting up any of the cold, untouched sides of the wood. After a while, Kalli's own stick would be too consumed by fire to be of any use, leading her to throw it in and watch it get consumed in flame.
She sighed, moving her head upward to stare at the clear night sky.
"So why don't you summon secondaries like us?"
Startled, she turned to her right- Aoki was sitting there, looking at her with a curious look. "Well, I," She began, pausing before giving a full answer "I just don't like being responsible for life, is all."
"Huh." Aoki replied, adding "But what about companionship? Friends? Don't you have any?
Kalli thought to herself, looking away from him while considering her past. She then shook her head slowly "No, I wasn't exactly taught to be a friendly person."
"What do you mean? You don't seem unfriendly." Aoki stated, then proceeded to put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his thighs while sitting cross-legged. He had the same blank curiosity from before.
She looked at him "I wasn't a real person back from where I came from. I was just meant to do what other people told me, not thinking for myself." Kalli said, soon shaking her head after speaking "It doesn't matter now." she added.
"Huh." Aoki repeated
Kalli breathed out, her head pointed upward again. "Where were you?" she asked Aoki, though continuing to stare at the stars above.
"Oh." He lifted his head upward "I was busy informing the, uh, chief of our warriors." Aoki then sighed deeply "I'm not a warrior yet. Said I'd have to prove myself in combat."
"I thought you were promised to become a warrior by getting help?" Kalli asked
"Supposedly I need more training." Aoki said, sadly
Kalli's eyes began to looked at the stars with curiosity. Seeing if there was anything that moved, a aircraft or VTOL, maybe even a starship. But nothing did move, it was still, no passing comet nor shooting star. Minutes kept passing as she kept up with her stubborn attempt to see any movement. Aoki then tapped her shoulder, interrupting her observation with a question "You're a fighter, do you have any advice?" to which Kalli remained silent. Looking away from the sky and at the sandy floor they sat on.
"I don't mean to ruin your dreams, but being a warrior isn't as great as some make it out to be." Kalli's face was empty of any positive emotion, simply looking at him with dread as she remembered her life from before.
"What?" Aoki asked
"You'll figure out what I mean when you become one, Aoki." She said, then proceeded to mutter to herself "If you live that long."
After a while Aoki left, pondering what the prime meant. Kalli herself refused to reflect on her past any longer, sighing and taking her sleeping bag she had been given some time ago. Keeping it rolled up, she pressed her talons against the sand and got up, walking out from the circle of relaxed, chatting guards and passed those farther from the fire. She then walked toward Whittorn's truck, stopped by the awake Jeff who spoke from an open window. "No one is sleeping in the passenger seat if you wanna rest back here." He said, his thumb pointing behind him while his armed rested on the door. Kalli turned down the offer, to which Jeff shrugged, going back to leaning back in passenger seat.
Kalli clambered onto the pick up's flat bed, standing next to the machine gun and unrolling the sleeping bag, laying it out on the floor and placing a pillow against the rear window. She then stripped herself of her armor and weapons, placing it next to her pillow in a neat pile before sliding into the sleeping bag, falling asleep soon after.
***
She could smell the fire.
There was the sound of car engines, uncountable amounts of them, as well as cheering that followed with every explosion, drowning out the crying and screams of pain. Kalli sat up, looking out from the flatbed. She could see numerous huts on fire before a massive explosion erupted in the distance, to which Kalli ducked and covered her head- pieces of rock falling to the ground as if the clouds were raining them from above. After it stopped, she could feel someone shaking her, it was Jeff. "Are you alright!? I need every to get up and get ready, we're under attack!"