[Veltzeh]: 39.NaNoWriMo.2006: Tales from Kyerrion.4

It had not been quite long when a messenger came from an undisclosed location and the captain and squad leaders had some unusual meetings that took some time off their daily routines. However, the soldiers were not concerned at this point, so besides the overall curiosity, nothing really changed. The change came when it was informed that an extra squad would arrive and stay at the camp for a week or two, after which they and one resident squad would be sent to do a mission whose nature was not yet revealed.

There was no free barrack, so the incoming squad got split up into the existing barracks. As a result, the buildings were slightly crammed, but the people did fit. At that point, Tegafel was jokingly jealous of Krezagon and eir private tent. Ey did not think to ask if ey could share the tent, though. Tegafel's squad also got slightly rearranged to move out people who needed to stay in Ailanihi and move in people who did not.

However, what Tegafel really and truly noticed was one person in the visiting squad: the first and only other wacod ey had ever seen. Tegafel could not help but start stalking em, and did that for two days before ey got the chance to talk to em. The other wacod's name was Roinynin Voggelnet, and ey had joined the army for similar reasons as Tegafel. That had been just under five years ago, and soon it would be time to renew eir contract. Roinynin was also slightly over five years older than Tegafel. Nevertheless, they became friends in a few days, close friends in a week and started getting close to waoners when it was time for them to leave for their still unrevealed mission.

The day before they were supposed to leave, Tegafel and Roinynin walked around the camp, mostly having fun and spending some time together.

Krezagon saw them from far away, but of course did not first know that one of them was Tegafel. Ey continued sitting around and watched as the two figures slowly came closer. Ey thought to hide when they got to a distance from where they would the able to properly see em, but that was when ey recognized Tegafel. Krezagon stared at them for a moment, figuring out what had been going on. Ey then stood up and took a couple of steps toward the two figures.

Tegafel only spotted Krezagon right then when ey moved and was momentarily alerted, but then remembered the friend ey had neglected for two weeks. They stared at each other through the darkness, until Roinynin's voice broke the silence:

"Tegafel? What's going on?"

Tegafel stopped staring and instead looked at Roinynin. "Um... I'd like you to meet a friend of mine." Krezagon looked down, but lifted eir face back up when the two wacods came closer. "This is Roinynin... ey came with the squad two weeks ago."

"It has been two weeks since I saw you", commented Krezagon. "I am Krezagon."

Roinynin was noticeably a bit surprised to see an ancod, but more of it was because Tegafel introduced em as a friend. Roinynin just nodded at Krezagon.

"I hear your two squads will leave tomorrow..."

"...Yeah. I don't know the mission..."

A moment of staring ensued.

"Tegafel..." started Krezagon. "Would you come with me over there? I'd like to say something to you."

"Uh... sure. Could you wait here, Roinynin?"

"Yeah, I can."

Tegafel smiled back and walked over to the edge of the forest with Krezagon. Ey was uneasy. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... to forget you... It's been kinda hectic and... and I met Roinynin." Tegafel made a silly, enthusiastically innocent and hopeful smile one would see on a person who had fallen in love.

Krezagon looked down. "I was sure it would happen one day... but it happened so damn soon."

"I'm still your friend."

Krezagon lifted eir eyes again. "And you'll be gone tomorrow."

"I'll come back."

"You might not. That's the army life for you. I've traveled hundreds of kilometers from the place I was born. I don't even know where it was... I suppose it says on my contract, but I have never seen it."

Krezagon made a great job of making Tegafel feel guilty. A few tears fell down eir face and ey looked down. "I'm... sorry."

Krezagon twitched a bit; ey wanted to hold Tegafel for the last time, but it did not seem very appropriate since ey had a real partner now. A few tears fell down eir face as well. Eir time of some happiness was over and ey thought ey would never have more. "I... I'd want to give something of mine for you... to remind you of me. But I don't own anything."

They stared at each other for a moment, teary-eyed. Krezagon thought to hell with appropriateness and hugged Tegafel anyway, pressing eir face against the wacod's hair and letting out a few sobs.

"Do you think I really won't return?" asked Tegafel with a faltering voice.

"It's fairly likely", the ancod answered.

Now Tegafel also touched Krezagon's back slightly a nuzzled into eir nice, long and pale hair. Ey rubbed eir back a bit before saying: "You do have something you could give me..."

"What?"

"A strand of your hair."

Krezagon shook a bit and let quite reluctantly go of Tegafel. Ey was smiling, though, and then brought eir knife close to eir neck, cutting off a strand of hair about thirty centimeters long. Ey thought ey should tie it with something, and it took em three seconds to remember that ey did have one durable string with em: the string that held eir pants closed at the waist. Ey pulled it off and used it to tie the hair strand so that it would not fall. Ey then handed it to Tegafel.

"I'm glad I got to know you, Tegafel Darrelter. Farewell... sowa." Krezagon greeted Tegafel.

Tegafel almost wept. "I'm glad that you're my friend, Krezagon. Farewell, soan." Tegafel greeted the ancod as well, and after a few seconds of staring at each other, Tegafel turned and walked away.



The next morning, before noon, the two squads packed up their stuff, got organized and moved out of the camp. Krezagon sat up in a tree, watched the squads march away and kept on weeping.



Over fifty days later, Krezagon was still thinking about what had happened to Tegafel and eir squad. The ancod decided to find out, and surprised one of the squad leaders one night.

Ey sneaked up to the gewacod squad leader and said: "Excuse, me, sogewa!"

The gewacod startled slightly and turned. "Well, haven't seen you in a while. Ease. What?"

"I was wondering... Have there been any news about the two squads that left two frindos ago?"

"Neret's squad and that visitor squad? ...Just why do you care?" The gewacod was fairly suspicious.

"Uh... I knew the wacod in Neret's squad, I've just been wondering what happened to em."

"Oh, the wacod. Tegafel, right? I haven't heard any news. There should be some eventually. Just how did ey get to know you anyway? I thought you just sat in the forest all day doing woodwork."

"...Ey walked around. Can I ask you to let me know when news arrive?"

"No." They stared for a moment. "You didn't really answer me."

"...Tegafel wanted to apologize for the behavior of some people from eir squad."

"I see. And you thought it was heroic or something that someone would apologize to YOU? You almost had me believing you weren't nuts there for a moment!"

Krezagon frowned. "I am not crazy, sogewa. May I go?"

"Sure. Dismissed, nutwit."

Krezagon swallowed eir pride and insults and walked away.



Some weeks later a few people came to the camp and it caused a bit of ruckus around. There were rumors and suspicion around, but Krezagon naturally heard none of them. So ey had to ask. This time ey talked to the gewacod who took care of the inventory, since ey was the one who usually managed to talk to the ancod without excessive insults. Of course, Krezagon had a legitimate reason to talk to em anyway, since ey gave eir bolts to em.

Therefore, one night when Krezagon had given the bolts to the gewacod, ey asked: "What's going on in the camp?"

"Hmh... Some people came from Adenelihe with news about those two squads that left two frindos ago. Now I think the captain and squad leaders are sending another squad to meet with more people from Adenelihe so they can sort it out."

"Really? What kind of news was it?"

"They're saying the two squads were slain." Krezagon went pale and the gewacod raised an eyebrow. "Hmh? Strange to see you interested."

"Uh... it's just that the wacod who was in Neret's squad... I mean, I kind of knew em, so I'd like to know."

"Oh. Well, that's what I know. The captain and squad leaders probably know more but I bet they won't go telling it."

Krezagon was idle for a moment, but then said: "Thanks, sogewa." Ey left.



Krezagon kept a closer eye on the people in the camp and tried to listen in on any information, finding out that there was indeed a fairly believable rumor circulating that the two squads had been killed. The captain was sending one third of a squad to join with people from Adenelihe to confirm the news. Krezagon, having been fairly depressed after Tegafel had left, thought that there would be nothing to lose and decided to request permission to go to Adenelihe.

Ey went to see the captain a few days before the small squad was scheduled to leave. Ey entered the room, stood to attention and greeted the captain. "Greetings, captain." The captain's two assistants glared at Krezagon.

"What's your business?"

"I request permission to go to Adenelihe with the inquiry team, sogewa."

The captain frowned. "What for?"

"A person I knew went with the two squads two frindos ago and I wish to find out what happened to em."

"They're dead. The team we're sending will just be there to establish relations with the party who killed them and search for the bodies."

Krezagon was struck silent. "They killed our soldiers and now we'll 'establish relations' with them?"

"Should I have you whipped for insubordination?" The assistants looked quite wishful.

Krezagon was suddenly slightly frightened and gulped. "No, sogewa."

"Good. Do you still want to go?"

"Yes, sogewa."

"Permission granted. Take with you your tent and your tools. The departure is in three days."

"Understood, sogewa. Th– –"

"Tomorrow morning, wait by the storage and one squad leader will bring you someone you can teach to make bolts."

"Yes. Thank you, captain."

"Dismissed."

In the morning, Krezagon loitered around the storage until one of the squad leaders came there, a niwacod with em.

"Attention!" said the squad leader. Both Krezagon and the niwacod stood to attention. "Krez, here's Redfel Togertel. Teach em how to make bolts. Dismissed!" The squad leader walked away.

Redfel looked at Krezagon somewhat condescendingly.

"Follow me", said Krezagon. They walked away and Krezagon showed Redfel the places where ey had been making the bolts and during the two days of time ey had, gave the niwacod a quick, thorough course in bolt-making.

In three days, the small team left. Krezagon got no help in carrying in eir load which was larger than what the others had, was often close to being left behind and even when they camped for the night, got no praise for eir skills in setting up the camp. As usual, ey also slept alone.



One day, Krezagon had been considerably behind, and when ey caught up with the others, ey just flopped down on the ground and lay there, breathing and resting. The squad leader, a nicod by the name of Derekl Turinel, did not approve of that – straightforwardly ey just hated the ancod from the bottom of eir heart. Ey walked next to Krezagon and lightly kicked em on the side.

"Lazying around. That's a good way to be in the army, Shynderfolter." Derekl had also taken to the habit of calling Krezagon by eir unfortunate family name after seeing it on eir contract.

Krezagon startled and rolled on eir stomach. Eir whole body ached and ey just wanted to lie. "Mhmh..."

"Mumbling now?" The nicod got more aggravated by the second and ey just wanted any reason to start yelling. Ey kicked Krezagon again. "Get up, you worthless piece of meat! I'm not going to watch you lie around idling!" ey raged, and Krezagon got up. "You're a stupid, useless undeveloped BRAT! Now move and do some REAL work for a change! You're WASTE OF SPACE! Not to mention food!" The other team members eyed the screaming a bit, three of them snickering and grinning and two seeming a bit disgusted.

Krezagon got to work and started setting up the tents, then looked for firewood and finally set up the campfire. Ey was exhausted and could barely eat, and after ey had eaten, ey felt excessively sick. Ey could not set up eir own tent, so ey just lay down on it and fell asleep, not hearing Derekl's insults anymore.



In the morning, ey woke up to yet another sharp kick on eir side. At least ey did not feel sick anymore and the food had stayed down.

Derekl looked down at the ancod. "Sleeping ON your tent? You're one incompetent nutwit." The squad leader had an evil idea and stepped on Krezagon's crotch. Krezagon let out a short groan and waved eir arms around a bit. Ey was still fairly groggy. "USELESS!" Derekl pushed down with eir foot and Krezagon spent a few seconds clutching eir crotch after Derekl had stepped off of em. "Get up!" Krezagon staggered upright. "Take off your clothes."

"...What?" mumbled Krezagon.

Derekl smacked the ancod across the face. "TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES!" After that, Krezagon did not waste time taking off eir clothes. After ey was done and had dropped the clothes on the ground, Derekl stared at em with a mockingly amused expression. After a few comments about how sick, disgusting and deformed Krezagon was, the nicod said: "There, you can walk the whole trip today just like that. Naked and displaying your uselessness to the whole world!" With that, ey picked up Krezagon's clothes and took them away.

Krezagon felt disgustingly humiliated, but it was yet another thing ey should not care about, so ey tried not to. After packing up eir tent again, ey moved closer to where the others were eating. Derekl, however, said:

"Stay away, Shynderfolter. You're not going to ruin my breakfast with that revolting corpse of yours."

Krezagon was angry. "YOU took away my clothes, soni!"

"Silence, Shynderfolter! Don't try to come nearer!" The other team members reacted much like last night: three of them giggled and two were just quiet.

Krezagon was annoyingly helpless. Ey knew ey would not make it if ey did not get even that little bit of food that ey needed. Ey sat down, leaned eir arms on eir knees and eir head on eir arms, staring the others.

After a moment, the only gewacod in the team spoke: "Permission to give food to the ancod."

The squad leader was quiet for a moment. "Granted." The gewacod started piling up food on Krezagon's plate. "That's enough." It was just a bit over half of a proper portion, but the gewacod did not start arguing. Ey did, however, put in the spoonful ey was already holding, though Derekl had not meant that to be added. The nicod did not say anything, though.

The gewacod turned then and walked over to Krezagon. Ey gave the plate to the ancod. "Hold." Ey then scooped most of the food ey still had on eir own plate onto Krezagon's plate.

"Thank you", whispered Krezagon. Ey ate the food and did indeed march the whole day with only eir cruddy shoes on.

In the evening, ey went through another load of insults from the squad leader, but this time managed to set up eir own tent at least. Some time after ey had fallen asleep, one of the team members shoved eir head inside Krezagon's tent and shoved eir clothes in eir face.



When the morning came, Krezagon was woken up by the squad leader yelling general orders. Ey dressed up and got out of the tent to eat. However, the squad leader started again insulting em and this time concentrated on how Krezagon was slowing them down by walking always so slowly.

Krezagon listened to the rant and let it go out of eir other ear. When ey thought Derekl was done, ey said, with a slightly faltering voice: "May I say one thing, soni?"

"...What, worm?"

"Your loads are barely more than half of my load. I've been able to keep up with you even though I walk behind."

Derekl smacked Krezagon in the face again and then slapped em on the chest, shoving em forcefully backwards. "Insubordinate stinking useless corpse, Shynderfolter!" As soon as Krezagon regained balance, Derekl caught em by the arm, pulled down eir suspenders and almost made eir pants drop. "Lift your arms!" Krezagon did as ey was told and Derekl pulled off eir shirt, tearing it a bit in the process. Having done that, the nicod caught em by them arm again and swirled em toward a tree. Krezagon ran into it and was about to turn, leaning on the tree. "Face the tree and lift your arms!" Derekl turned to the closest soldier. "Find me a whip, Hodfindel."

"Yes, soni."

After a while, a whip was found. Krezagon had already prepared for it, but the sharp pain always struck hard and ey could not help whimpering. Derekl only whipped em thrice though. Krezagon cowered and shook for a while as the others went to have breakfast, but got then dressed again and moved toward the others.

"No food for useless nutwit idiots!" shouted the squad leader.

"I will not – –!" started Krezagon, but stopped then. Ey figured ey could only make eir situation worse, so ey just walked away and went off the path to find something to eat.

A moment went while the others ate. The gewacod spoke again: "Permission..."

"Denied."

The gewacod was quiet. Instead, they all took even more food for themselves. The gewacod took more than ey could eat on purpose; ey was planning on saving it for Krezagon.

The squad leader felt mean again and commanded the gewacod: "Wash the plates."

The gewacod was not too enthusiastic about the command, but thought it gave em a fairly good opportunity to give the food to Krezagon.

Krezagon had returned and was eating an assortment of half-edible plants ey had found in the forest. The gewacod went up to em and gave em the plate. Krezagon ate and gave the plate back.

"I'll take some of your stuff off your backpack. Derekl's not rational."

Krezagon just sat there, feeling helpless and yet somewhat grateful. Ey looked down and whispered: "Thank you, sogewa."

"No problem, uh... er, soan." The gewacod seemed amusedly weirded out. "That sounded weird..." With that, ey walked off. After the inquiry team members had packed their stuff, they started moving again. This time, Krezagon could keep up fairly easily, though ey still walked last. Derekl of course praised eir own threatening skills for the ancod's achievements.