The City of Ionia

Present day:

"Wow, this is so good."

I dug into my omelet stuffed with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and some sort of meat. It's been two months since I joined the cult, and I'd never skipped a meal. The food here was amazing—even better than cafes in towns.

Citrus was the head chef on camp. I didn't know where he got the ingredients (must be from heaven), but every time I ate his cooking, it was perfect. There was no other way to describe it.

Well, there were a few times when it came out awful, like when he occasionally confused the sugar with salt. Other than that, his food was either incredibly delicious or ridiculously repulsive.

Sitting on a fallen log, I continued to chow down my food like it was my last meal. These last two months have been gruesome. Heavy training paired with constantly getting beaten up wears down your body. But it's something I must do. I had to get stronger so that history would not repeat itself.

Randy was off to the side, swinging his sword through the air. Surprisingly, I spent more time with him than Harley, and she's constantly by my side. We've gotten even closer from when we first met. After all, she's also my tentmate.

Speaking of Harley, she was right about Randy being the sweetest person on camp. Even though his training is tiresome, he constantly asks whether or not I'm good to continue. Before every training session, he always wondered if I ate or not. If I didn't, he would whip up something small for me. And after every practice, he always reminded me to get a good night's rest. It got annoying sometimes, but I shook it off since I shouldn't take his kindness for granted.

His heartwarming personality didn't fit his structure. At all. If someone didn't know him, they would've assumed his only desire was fighting. He had the body and scars to prove it.

"Randy!" No answer. I called out his name once more. Still no answer. His sword completely absorbed him. He loved that thing more than he loved himself. "Great, now you're making me get up."

I gobbled down the last bits of my omelet and balanced the plate on the log. I waltzed behind him and knocked on his spaced-out head.

"Is there a problem?"

What the hell? He didn't jump at all.

"You heard me loud and clear, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." He swung his sword as if that was the only thing his body knew how to do.

"Then why didn't you answer?"

"Why is it that you must interpret?" He stopped swinging and pierced the ground with its tip. "You better have a solid reason why you approached me."

Randy was a gentle person, for the most part. Whenever he's busy swinging his sword, everything else turns black. Nothing mattered to him besides the metal blade he held. And when interrupted, his gentle persona morphs into aggressiveness. I learned it the hard way. But here I was once again, disturbing his practice.

"Are you going to start back up again?" I was eager to get back into the groove. A few more hours shouldn't hurt.

"I'll release you today. Rest up for tomorrow. I plan on doing something different."

"How different are we talking about?"

He gave a smirk shaded with a cunning look. "You'll see."

"Leaving me on a cliffhanger? Pretty cruel," I sighed.

He lifted the sword off the pierced ground. He gazed at his reflection from the metal blade, turning it at different angles. I thought he purposely ignored me briefly, but that wasn't until he finally spoke.

"Are you heading to Ruby's tent?"

"Oh ya, I completely forgot. She wanted to speak about some change and whatnot. She spoke like an actual leader, so I think it's a serious matter. Thanks for reminding me, though."

Still looking away, he asked, "And what is an actual leader supposed to sound like?"

"More serious, I guess? I mean, she's pretty laid back whenever I'm with her," I said while poking my cheek out of boredom.

"There's a reason as to why." His voice was soft. Someone would have to be attentive, or else they would've missed those words. "I suggest you head over soon. She's a bit impatient at times."

I ignored the first part, thinking it was some gibberish. Hearing Randy's philosophical speeches is like watching the clouds slowly move. Incredibly boring, but sometimes beautiful. But I did take note of what he said after.

"She doesn't seem impatient."

"I have known Ruby longer than anyone here. You could even say I know her better than herself." His eyes avoided mine. "Now stop speaking to me and go where you're supposed to be."

"Alright, alright, I will. But do you have an idea as to why she called me? I mean, she's inviting me to a meeting with the squad leaders. The squad leaders! I mean, what could it possibly be?"

He deep sighed as if he was annoyed—which he probably was. "You'll find out when you're there."

Thanks…

"I'll take my leave now, then. See you tomorrow or later today if we run into each other."

"Make sure you sleep well. And eat before you come." He still never looked at me.

He loved his sword more than anything else.

It's a bit of a walk from the training ground to Ruby's tent. I had to walk across camp, which wasn't too bad. There were a few people I would always bump into simply because we pass by every day. We spoke a few times, here and there. I would only see them on my commute. Nowhere else. Truth be told, I still didn't know their names. They definitely told me, but I forgot. Remembering names was more taxing than wielding a sword at times.

I was meeting with the squad leaders. I shook off my nervousness with a deep breath. I'd been here for two months but never spoke to them. Maybe because I was usually with Randy, Ruby, or Harley. Either way, I didn't see how this meeting would be a bad thing. It was my chance to put myself on the map.

I entered Ruby's tent and met her along with three others. They gathered around the circular table, conversing in small talk. Ruby greeted me with her beautiful smile, offering an empty seat. I waved back and took the offer, sitting between Ruby and another man I didn't recognize.

"Good, we're all here," she said, clasping her hands.

"She's late. The meeting should've started six minutes ago."

"Now, now, Nadia. Let's give a little leeway. I'm sure six minutes isn't the end of the world."

"Punctuality is key for a good first impression. If she can't even show up on time, what makes you think I can put my faith in her?"

What's with this white-haired punctuality freak?

There was no point in beating me up over six minutes. I was tempted to stand up for myself, but Ruby spoke before I could.

"I never said the job belonged to you. What if she chooses otherwise? There's a reason why the other squad leaders are here."

Nadia clicked her tongue and leaned back with crossed arms.

What's her deal? What did she have against me?

"Ruby's correct. What if she chooses my group instead?"

"Or mine," uttered one of the male squad leaders as he picked his nails.

Nadia didn't say a word. She shook her head with aggravation while distant thoughts piled on her head. The other squad leaders were busy giggling at Nadia. It didn't seem to bother her at all. She was stone-faced, only staring at the table as if she laid her thoughts out.

Ruby had enough of the snickering, clearing her throat loud enough for anyone around the tent to hear. "That's enough from the both of you." Once they settled down, Ruby asked a simple yet confusing question. "Are you ready, Jill?"

"Ready for what?"

"Are you prepared to put Randy's training to the test?"

Fiddling with my hair, I asked, "Am I gonna spar you or one of the leaders?"

"I'm not sure you're there just yet," she smiled. "We're going to raid a bandit base tonight. Are you interested in joining one of the squads?"

A bandit base? Really! This was my first opportunity to display my skills. To test how close I was to defeating that SCAR agent. It was a no-brainer.

I jolted off my seat, slamming my palms on the table. "Of course! Which squad is going? Who will I be with? Where is the base? How many people do I need to take down? Do I get to—"

Ruby grabbed onto my arm. "Hold your horses, Jill." She insisted I sat back down, which I did. "Are you ready or not? It's ok if you are not—"

"I'm ready. I'm a thousand percent ready. More ready than ever before!"

"Ruby, can you just ask her the question already? I'm tryna go back to the tent and snooze." The squad leader with the droopy eyes wasn't having it. Half-asleep, he rested his head on his forearms. He was definitely forced to be here. However, he didn't show his low energy while giggling earlier.

"Why don't you ask, Alexious."

He waved her off, mumbling, "Too much work."

Seriously, this guy was a squad leader?

"Pick a squad to join, rook," said the other squad leader, plucking his nails with both feet crossed on the table. His outfit was rather vibrant compared to his sleepy friend. He wore a neon green shirt with bright pink pants. Whatever shop he got those pants from should burn to ashes since those pants were vomit-worthy.

"Pick a squad?"

Ruby elaborated. "Whatever squad you join is the squad taking part in the raid. It's all up to you to decide who you want to lead you."

I didn't know any of them, so how was I supposed to pick? I complained about my argument to Ruby, which she thoroughly explained:

"Alexious' squad is the biggest. A little under half of the entire camp is in his squad. Let's say… forty-five percent, to put a number on it. They consist of average fighters. They don't go on many raids; when they do, they're normally smaller. Lex's squad are fighters who are between average and elite. They take up half the camp. So call it an even fifty. They take care of most of the raids. The only downside is that the particular group is filled with egotistical maniacs who try to show off so they can join Nadia's group."

"Egotistical maniacs? My squad is more than that."

"Apologizes, Lex. Prideful, egotistical maniacs."

He snapped his finger towards Ruby. "That's more like it."

I ignored Lex's comments, even though they weren't for me.

"What's so special about Nadia's group?"

She smiled once more, looking over at Nadia. "Care to explain?"

She shook her head with her arms still crossed. "My words would only cause bias."

"Typical Nadia response. Very well, then. Nadia's group is filled with the elite, which consists of only five percent. They barely get raids; when they do, they're extremely difficult. Consider them the best of the best."

"You give me too much credit." She covered her mouth with her white sleeve. Her cheeks were pinkish. Was she blushing?

Ruby acknowledged her humbleness, patting her on the shoulder. She then turned to me. "So Jill, what squad do you want to go to?"

Something didn't sit right with me. Why was I getting an option while the others had to prove their worth? It didn't seem fair. I asked Ruby, and her reply was:

"I want to see what you pick."

No, there was more to it. There was no way anyone else got freedom of choice. But whatever. I'll probably find out with time. For now, I should just take the options that were generously laid out for me.

There wasn't much thinking to do. The choice was obvious. Go wherever Harely went. If I recall correctly, she did mention Nadia a few times. Though I hadn't seen her fight, she told me stories about crazy battles. Her love for fighting was on par with her passion for using me as a doll for her outfits.

"Harley is in Nadia's squad, right?"

Nadia scoffed right when she heard Harely's name. However, Ruby ignored it, nodding her head in silence.

"Well, there's my answer. I'll be joining Nadia's squad."

Nadia didn't seem pleased. Her eyebrows arched down, whipping daggers with her sharp eyes. Even though she wasn't within arms' reach, it was still frightening.

"Don't consider yourself in my squad. It's only for this one time."

"She is correct," Ruby said. "You lack experience on the battlefield. Being in Nadia's squad for your first raid will be for the best. You'll witness how things should operate during a raid. Depending on your performance, you'll get placed in either Alexious's or Lex's squad."

Why give me the option to choose a squad in the first place? Well, maybe I guess she wanted to see my pick. That could be why.

"Fine with me."

Ruby, though, clasped her hands with her signature smile. "It's settled then. Nadia already knows the plan and will review it with you later. Our scouts determined it would be easy enough for Alexious's squad to handle, so you should be fine."

"Quick question. How do you know what squad gets what?"

"I forgot to mention that half of Nadia's squads are scouts. They scout bases from afar. Judging by the number of bandits, their defenses, their weaponry, and so forth. And with that information, they determine which squad should take the job."

"Wait, if half of Nadia's squad are scouts, how many fighters are there?"

"Don't worry, they do both."

Phew. For a second, I thought Nadia's squad were scouters with a few elite warriors. Good thing that wasn't the case.

"Alright, everyone here is dismissed besides you, Nadia. There's something I must discuss with you in private. Jill, be safe. She's pretty strict, so make sure you impress her. Nadia will tell me how it goes."

The other squad leader waddled out like a zombie, mumbling his desire for sleep while the vibrant clown held his head high, fixing his hair as he exited the tent. I smiled at Ruby, thanking her for this opportunity. She smiled back, waving me goodbye while I followed the man with putrid, vibrant clothing.