III. Butterfly of Axes

The Moonlight Princess

After doing everything Elis can think of just to fall asleep, still his eyes and mind is wide awake. He is now definitely thinking of counting sheep out of desperation. Everything is new to Elis, he is used to have his room for his own but here inside the barracks, the strangers, the environment, the sound of the crickets outside and the snoring inside banging his ears for quite a while now, and most specially the "smell"; the well preserved aroma of foot sweat in socks that hangs everywhere, let alone the molds that has been built up for years on woods that incorporates the venue.

Elis found himself outside sneaking out passing the guards. Under a tree, he rested his back. Feeling the breeze as it takes away the pressure and anxiety for tomorrow's orientation, helped him calm down and relax. As Elis is about to close his eyes and his thoughts begin to drift away to slumber, he heard a faint movement from afar altering the flow of the breeze. Elis got up and began to look around and saw in a distant hill, a silhouette of someone that appears to be dancing.

Surreptitiously and curiously, Elis got closer to see who it is. He saw a lady gracefully hacking her short axes with and then against the wind under the moonlight, barefoot shifting through the grass floor. It was dark, yet seemed so vivid how her dark long hair curls like waves of the sea in a calm, peaceful night. Elis watched in amusement unwittingly as his heart gets captivated by her beauty and finesse.

While his mind was boggling, the girl suddenly stopped and in his surprise she's staring right at him, her fierce look is directed towards exactly where he's at! And saying nothing at all, she just walk away. Elis froze, didn't know what to do, neither what to say nor what to think. "Did she actually saw me hiding? Does she think I'm stalking her? Why that stare?" -Elis

The next morning at breakfast, Elis saw the beautiful girl walking by at the kitchen. And as he is about to introduce himself, the girl just passed by him like she didn't notice him. Disheartened, Elis just took his breakfast and sat to eat.

Momentarily staring at his risotto, Elis was suddenly disturbed by a hard tap on his back.

Zack -"Hey I'm Zack. Can I join you on this table?"

Elis -"Uh! Yeah, sure." Took his spoon pretends to be eating.

Zack -"You got good eyes eh?"

Elis -"Huh? Wu what?"

Zack -"You know what I mean." "If you need to know about ladies, all you need to do is ask the expert!" Elis started to turn his head around as if looking for someone.. "You're looking at it!"

Elis -"Guh!!!"

Zack roughly evaded the risotto Elis blew. "Hey watch it!"

"You want me to get her name for you?" Stands up and walks toward Sierra.

Elis -"Hey! No, don't!" Embarrassed

Just before Zack get any nearer to Sierra, she glared at him.

Zack slowly set down beside Elis. Low voice "Damn that girl,can't even get nearer than a mile to her. What's with that girl?"

Zack -"Well! Good luck! You're gonna need it." Walks away with his dish.

That morning all 40 cadets have been handed their uniforms and combat gears for training. At the orientation they were informed the various training they will need to take and pass. History, Combat Training, Harsh Environment Training, Combat Tactics starting the next day.

At the Barracks...

Elis went back to the hill where he saw Sierra that night, it's dusk, and he looked afar he can see the Storm brewing near. He knows this is going to be a rougher night...

Meanwhile on the far side...

A man with SVLK-14S-TWILIGHT on his hand... peeks on its scope... adjusts... estimates the wind as it progress more wildly... He seemed to be turning the rifle toward the Storm. Oblivious to the harsh wet wind, he again peek on the scope, all he sees are trees from miles away. Inhales… Exhales... As soon as the lightning stroke, the thunder rumbled... he pulls the trigger.