Vanilla Dusk ✓

Dusk Part 4

It is one of those rare nights when Elli can sleep without tossing and turning for almost an hour, with the whole tent pitch-black and already full of snores. Such a moment of tranquillity doesn't last long though when distant voices fall on his sensitive ears and he twitches, eyes snapped open almost instantly. Shaan is sleeping soundly on the bed next to his and Ren, as usual, is drooling and snoring loudly, the hem of his vest curling up a little to show his flat belly.

'What're you? A girl?'

Elli sits up and frowns. He scans the tent vigilantly and finally spots the empty bed near the entrance, presumably occupied by Kaiden.

'I just asked you a question. Speak the hell up, sissy!'

'Something's definitely wrong,' thinks Elli. It's common for ruckus and small fights to arise in the camp. Some comrades can get pretty feisty and cranky, going as far as to smack and prank one another. Still, their unit is mostly on friendly terms. In some other camps though, the one he used to be in with Jónas for instance, people don't really care for conscience and patience. Elli once saw an albino, lanky comrade surrounded by several others and they kept spitting on him, punching and yanking his white hair until one day, they could no longer stand the sight of it and shave the boy's head clean. Another time, he saw a teen comrade with an androgynous face like Shaan and hair slightly longer than others get slapped and pissed on for being a disgrace. Shaan once told Elli that he did get taunted for looking too girly and frail when he first entered the military but his assaulter was unaware of his martial background. Shaan broke his jaw that day and never has he been ridiculed since.

If Jónas hadn't been there looking sombre and savage all the time, Elli would have been a victim of abuse long ago, considering all his cowardly attempts to evade attacks and duck whenever possible on the field, leaving his comrades behind and retreating once he got the chance to.

Elli taps Shaan's shoulder. The boy grunts and wakes up. The voices grow louder and there is a yell, followed by a crash. Shaan gets out of his bed and puts on his bomber jacket. He treads towards Ren and shakes him. When that doesn't seem to work, he pinches Ren's cheeks and directly hauls him up, causing him to groan and nearly retaliate with a punch. Shaan grasps Ren's fist just in time and gestures for him to gaze out of the tent. Ren, though rather reluctantly, gets up and follows the other two boys outside. They walk along the murky, grubby trail for a while before a few figures loom into sight.

Squatting under the oak tree is Kaiden, his lens broken and his cheeks swollen with a trail of blood below his nose. He holds up his arms, apparently trying to block the blows.

'Who're they?' asks Elli, pointing to those three soldiers surrounding Kaiden. They wear a different set of uniforms – navy blue in colour with more patches. Shaan recognises the flag immediately.

'That's the Central European uniform,' whispers Shaan.

'And why're they here?' asks Ren, scratching his head.

Those three soldiers laugh, exchanging some remarks in their own languages.

'I don't think they're speaking English,' says Shaan.

'That's German,' says Elli. 'Jónas's girlfriend knows Danish and some German.'

'That's bad,' says Ren, as the gang raises their feet and begins to kick Kaiden again.

Shaan assumes the tallest boy standing in the middle is the leader, catching sight of his higher rank. The boy is in his early-twenties, his platinum blond hair trimmed and gelled neatly and as he speaks, his protruding canines show. With his angular face and flawless pale skin, his rather well-built body and arrogant demeanour, he would have been extremely attractive were he not spitting and cursing with his malicious mouth. The boy on his right is a bit younger, around nineteen or so. He has curly brown hair, emerald eyes and healthily tanned skin, an energiser half-munched in his mouth as he corners Kaiden with a smirk. The boy on the left is the oldest one, nearly in his mid-twenties. He has bright blond hair combed to the back, drooping blue eyes and light stubble. He calls himself Floris.

'Woah, hold on a second,' shouts Ren as he runs over to clasp the first boy's arm before he smacks Kaiden.

'Stop picking on him,' accuses Shaan, jogging up to the three boys together with Elli.

'Who are you people?' asks Elli.

'Who are we?'

The gang laughs. The one in charge taps the embroidered patch on his uniform and speaks with a thick accent. 'Are you blind or something? This is Sergeant Griswold Schmidt.'

'Lorenzo here,' says the brown-haired boy. 'We're from the European Allies.'

'Why are the European Allies here?' asks Elli, regretting it right away because the three soldiers laugh even louder. Floris drapes his arm around Elli's shoulder and leans in with a flirtatious, smug smile, breathing on his perplexed face. 'Aids, pretty boy. You guys are messing it up. If we don't come to your rescue, you're doomed.'

'Take your hands off him, pervert,' says Shaan as he smacks Floris's arm away and drags Elli close to him. Ren gives Lorenzo a shove and he lets go of Kaiden's collar. Ren helps Kaiden up and keeps him behind him.

'So, you're picking a fight, huh?' growls Lorenzo.

'Be nice to our ally, they said,' says Floris, cackling. 'Look at them. Pathetic. No wonder they're losing the war.'

'We're not losing,' says Kaiden with a glare.

'They like to recruit sissy boys,' says Griswold, turning to Shaan and patting his head. He is at least a head and a half taller than Shaan. 'Are you even five feet seven?'

Shaan squints but refrains from punching the Sergeant. He shakes Griswold's hand off and beckons to his friends. 'Let's go.'

'Not so fast,' says Griswold. Floris and Lorenzo skid to their front and block their way. Griswold sneaks to the back and clutches Kaiden's arm. 'Did I say you can go?'

'Buck o –' Before Ren finishes his line, he is met with Lorenzo's knuckles. He reels backwards, blood spurting out of his nose. Shaan quickly leaps towards Lorenzo and gives him a flying back kick that sends him tumbling back. Floris grabs Shaan's right leg and yanks it hard. Shaan collapses with a thud.

'You're a mix, aren't you?' says Floris as he bends down. 'And your handsome pal over there is Korean, I can tell.' He points at Ren, who is squirming on the ground as Griswold tramples his chest with his right boot.

'How do you know?'

'I study races, all kinds of races, disappearing and existing ones,' claims Floris proudly, distracted for a second and Elli smashes the back of his head with his baton. Lorenzo bounces on Elli and tackles him to the ground. Shaan jumps back up and punches Floris. Kaiden manages to shove Griswold off Ren and roll together with him on the ground. Griswold pins him down and is about to reach for his pistol when an ear-shattering bang interrupts their ruckus.

They all stiffen and whip around to see Asher, standing not far away holding up his shotgun with an aloof face.

'Oh, if it's not Sergeant Foster,' says Griswold as he releases Kaiden and stands back up, dusting his uniform. 'Have been a while, Asher.'

'Gris,' growls Asher as he dashes towards Griswold, grips his shoulders and pins him on the bark. 'You and your men touch my bro again – I'll make sure you're dead. Allies or not. You hear me?'

'I see. So, he's your brother.' Griswold simply laughs and detaches from Asher. 'I hope we can cooperate well then.' He peeks over at Kaiden, who has got back to his feet, shaking indignantly. Griswold ignores his glare and winks at him, before waving at his two comrades. Lorenzo and Floris exchange a nod and leave the area with Griswold.

'Are you okay?' asks Asher, turning to his own comrades.

'Yea,' says Ren, wiping the blood off his nose with his sleeve. Asher hands him a handkerchief and a water bottle.

'Knew they were trouble from the very beginning, but we need their help,' says Asher, ruffling his own hair. He walks over to his twin and takes his arm. 'Tell me if they're messing with you again.'

'I'm fine,' murmurs Kaiden. He keeps his head low as the other boys walk him back to the medical tent to patch him up.

He can't erase Griswold's malevolent wink from his mind.