Cleo's Game

3. Announcement

After a morning that felt like it would never end, Cleo had finally finished the 'punishment' that had been set onto her. It wasn't much of a difference from usual; Cleo had always been worked like a dog in training. Now that the incident from last night was sorted out and swept under the rug, Orange grew more curious about the circumstances.

"Anyway, what were you doing at the training facility in the middle of the night? And more importantly, how did you freeze the whole damn thing?" Orange interrogated, staring down Cleo with a serious expression that was rare to her. "You're not going to tell my brother about this, right?" Cleo asked, hoping for Orange to take it easy on her and let the situation be forgotten about. Orange chuckled upon hearing her request. "There's not a lot that goes on around here that your brother doesn't know about. He gives me the creeps sometimes." Orange answered, laughing her question off. Cleo frowned, worrying about how annoyed her brother might be.

Drew was quite a high-ranking member of the South Exdritch army and was delegated as the leader of the encampment that Cleo currently resides in. These encampments are usually used to not have all of the soldiers in one place, and to have more tactical unpredictability. The other use these have is for expeditions. Small mobile groups of soldiers from the encampment may be used to go on scouting operations. These scouting operations are what low-ranking soldiers dream of being selected for, as they are the most direct way of moving up. Performing the task well and showing combat proficiency will lead to being picked for more and more expeditions, until you get to the same level as someone like Drew. Well, that's how he did it.

He was recruited under unusual circumstances at the age of thirteen, when he was already something of a prodigy. His rock powers have unique applications that give him a niche, along with his strong motivation and competency. He takes what he does seriously, to the point where nobody is able to remember an instance where he even cracked a smile. In a way, it's to be expected; he's been fending for himself and Cleo since age seven. He knows pressure and responsibility in ways that his peers can't comprehend.

Once Cleo was done with Orange for the morning, she was off towards the main barrack, where food is served. It was unsurprisingly another tasteless, bland dish, consisting of carrots, old potatoes, and whatever else the higher-ups didn't eat. The food itself was nothing to be excited about, but meal times were when conversation flowed freely. The hot topic for today was the event that was occurring tonight. Those picked for scouting expeditions will have their names announced, and many were eager to put their training into use for the first time.

Cleo sat down with her food and attempted to enter the excited discussion, speculating about the night ahead. "I'm really hoping to finally get picked for an expedition!" she announced, excited. "It sure helps having your brother run the whole place," said a snarky, familiar voice from somewhere in the room, providing an implication that infuriated Cleo. "Fuck off, Mince. It's the opposite of help; he doesn't want me to do anything at all."

The meal was dull and boring, but that didn't matter, as it was seasoned with hope. Through the next afternoon of training, it was all that everyone thought about. The night finally came, and the sun dropped down below the horizon as the moon came up to replace it. Crickets chirped from within the bushes, filling the minimal silence that occurred, if any. A small stage was prepared in front of hundreds of makeshift chairs that just happened to be regular old logs. The night was illuminated by the piercing white moonlight and the warm orange radiance emanating from the small bonfires that were lit for the sole purpose of brightening the big occasion.

Cleo took a seat with everyone else, eagerly waiting for the stage to be filled. The higher-ups were preparing themselves to speak clearly and quite loudly for everyone to hear them. After around ten minutes of waiting, which felt more like ten hours, a man finally took the stage. Cleo didn't recognise him, so she was curious to see him introduce himself.

"My name is Francis, and I will be leading an expedition into the Rusted Caves, where I am intending to clear out the enemy base and take it as an outpost. I have already selected the soldiers that will be assisting me in this operation. I will list their names now, and I expect quiet from those listening," he introduced, waiting for the crowd to be silent enough that it's possible to hear the wind.

"Leah from rank nine. Cleo and Vitaliy from rank eight. Mince from rank seven, and finally, Tranquility from rank six. They will be all I need for this mission," he finished, with a stern face, before leaving the stage for the next leader to come up. It was an event that lasted for hours and could be quite a drag, unless you are one of the people being called up. For the under-performers in training, however, it is always a dull night.

Cleo waited patiently, watching each announcement one after the other, becoming a pattern. The final announcement was ready, and it was nobody else but her brother who took the stage. He greeted the crowd with formalities, which was predictable considering his serious nature. "Blake and Scream from rank four," he finished his announcement, only opting to bring two people along with him. Cleo was happy to see her acquaintance Blake picked, although it's rare not for her to get picked for something.

Cleo looked around for Blake in the crowd after the announcements were finished. She was quite an easy person to pick out of a crowd, so it didn't take Cleo long. She towered over even the men beside her, with a chiselled physique that they would die for. Even more unique were her facial features, with fangs so big that they couldn't be contained in her mouth. She had a luminescent, glowing lure that protruded from her forehead that she typically covered up with a black baseball cap. Much like Orange, Blake was a hybrid, sharing DNA with something much more horrifying than a frog. An anglerfish, which came with the gills, rough skin, and terrible fangs, creating quite the intimidating image.