The canteen is unusually crowded, filled with boisterous chatters and clanks. The queue extends out of the tent, reaching the sandy trail and almost the dormitory located a few meters away. The European Allies have dispatched a number of squads to aid them and their soldiers all stem from diverse backgrounds. They speak with multifarious accents and have different appearances. It has been decades since all European countries have been united into one single empire. Some have long forgotten and forsaken their own origins but some are rather stubborn when it comes to identifying themselves. A large proportion of them are descendants of races from Central Europe, just like Griswold and they all tend to retain their blond hair, pinkish skin and pointy noses. A few descendants from the lower regions have darker complexions, standing out with their olive skin and brown curly hair. A few have remarkably light skin, crimson hair and a face full of freckles. Some still remember their native language but some do not. There have been conflicts, of course, when they first arrived. A few defenceless and reclusive soldiers have been mocked and picked on, just like what Kaiden went through the other night. There are occasional disputes when they exchange contrasting views on the war progress or propose a completely different combat plan. Neither side seems fond of their partnership but given the pessimistic condition they are confronting; their alliance remains inevitable.
Kaiden has been avoiding Griswold whenever possible, but ever since the skirmish that night, Griswold has been seizing every opportunity to bump into him and every time they meet, the German Sergeant would be grinning, winking, or cracking terrible jokes. It's starting to get on Kaiden's nerves, especially when Griswold and his companions suddenly stop harassing him and trying to act friendly, whether or not as a way to fawn over his brother.
'Woah, they've got beef stew today,' exclaims Ren as he receives his rations. It has been months since they last tasted something decent. The boys gladly grab their plates and seek an empty corner in the depth of the canteen. Ren flops down swiftly with his legs spread apart, already unwrapping the aluminium foil. The beef stew looks unsightly – a smashed dark mess with a few pieces of chopped potatoes and some measly vegetables. Ren takes a large bite, ignoring how overcooked the meat is.
'It's hard,' complains Elli. 'I can't even chew it.'
'It's still something,' says Shaan, rather accustomed to Elli's habit of croaking. 'At least, you don't have to puke because of those bars.'
Elli sighs and swallows the barely edible meat, trying to relish its salty flavour and the slimy texture. Kaiden smiles and hands him a bottle of water.
'Have to agree with Elli this time,' says Ren, though he has no intention of stopping. He has finished half of his meal with his mouth stuffed and the sauce dribbling down his chin. Kaiden hands him a handkerchief which he grabs almost instantly and uses it to wipe his mouth. 'But I'm hungry. I don't care.'
Elli rolls his eyes and has to appreciate Ren's optimism at times like this. He is basically the clown in the gang and his goofy face is all they need to survive another day of gruelling training.
'Hey, Shaan, I remember that you cooked,' Ren suddenly pipes up and nudges Shaan with his elbow.
'You know how to cook?' asks Elli, his eyes beaming. Jónas used to cook him pasta and made him sandwiches, tortillas and cuisine made from the fine goat cheese from their village. He, himself, can't cook to save his life.
'Sure,' says Shaan.
'You know he's actually a master chef,' says Ren. 'He's capable of making something both Western and Eastern.'
'I don't think many people can do that nowadays,' says Kaiden.
'And I so miss your fried rice with pork chop,' says Ren.
Elli and Kaiden exchange a glance, both wondering what kind of food Ren is referring to. Their ties with the East have been cut off for so long they don't seem to have any access to their cultures anymore and they often feel captivated by the tales from Ren and Shaan.
'And kimchi is wonderful –'
'Oh, shut it,' says Elli. 'You mention this every single day – whatever it is.'
Ren sits back and pouts. They all laugh. Shaan puts some of his beef into Ren's empty foil.
'I used to have pancakes with maple syrup,' says Kaiden. The frequency of him mentioning maple syrup is almost as high as Ren boasting about his exquisite homemade kimchi. Elli looks bleaker as they keep bringing up all sorts of delicacies they used to indulge in. Even if the war were to end, he doesn't think they would revert to their former life. Food will come in smaller portions and more unbearable tastes. Water will remain scarce and oil will be depleted. Before long, another war will ensue and they will be fighting over the remaining crops and cattle or whatever that has a great value at that point.
Maybe, just maybe, sometimes Elli thinks that they should all just die for the sake of this world.
'Those are all trash!' cries a familiar voice. They all freeze, not daring to meet those condescending huge blue eyes. 'We all know wurst is the best.'
Griswold has been showing up a lot lately, mostly around Kaiden, who always fidgets or averts his gaze whenever the Sergeant appears. Ren will always snort and turn away, clenching his fists whenever he recalls how he got punched by the gang the other night. Shaan mostly just shrugs and keeps doing whatever he is doing, completely snubbing the gang. As for Elli, he will simply stand or sit there, observing and listening to the conversations.
Griswold slides a plate to them and smiles.
'He seems to be in a very good mood today,' whispers Elli to Shaan, who nods in agreement. Ren's eyes are gleaming as he spots the aluminium foil.
'Bonjour,' greets Floris, slumping down and sliding over to Kaiden, who twitches slightly and stares at the table. 'How're you doing today, dear?'
Kaiden flushes and sits away as Floris tries to drape his arm around him. Before Ren and Shaan can interfere, Lorenzo drags Floris away and smacks him. 'Stop it. You're scaring the juniors.'
'Tsk, you're no fun at all,' grunts Floris.
'There,' says Griswold, pointing to the food he has left on the table. 'I'm not doing this for your sake. I just happened to have extra and you look way too thin. All of you.'
'What's that?' asks Shaan.
'My awesomeness,' says Griswold. He pats the backs of his two friends and leave.
'See you later, pretty,' says Floris, blowing a kiss to Kaiden, who simply shuts his eyes and covers his face with his hands.
'Stop flirting with him!' yells Griswold, slapping Floris on the arm.
'And you dare say you have no ulterior motives?' retorts Floris.
Their laughter gets fainter as they saunter out of the canteen, arms around each other's shoulders.
Ren, Shaan and Elli all stare at Kaiden, who is still hiding his blush from others. Everything is starting to make sense.
'So, Kaiden, you didn't just attract a bunch of gangsters, but suitors,' says Shaan.
'And we went into so much trouble saving you,' adds Ren. 'Who knows they were actually trying to get your attention?'
'Oh please, shut up,' cries Kaiden, shaking his head in dismay. 'As if I haven't got enough problems in my life already.'
'This is Sergeant Schmidt we're talking about,' says Shaan. 'He's strong, capable and on top of all, handsome.'
'And he's got all these benefits,' says Ren, already unwrapping the aluminium foil. 'I'm sure he'll get you loads of stuff.'
'I'm not that low,' says Kaiden. Even if he is technically into boys, he is not going to date someone so disrespectful, egocentric and inconsiderate – someone who has once picked a fight with his friends. 'And Floris basically flirts with anyone.'
'Anyone beautiful,' clarifies Shaan. Elli bursts into laughter.
'So, are we going to finish this?' asks Elli. Wrapped in the foil is a lot of freshly baked wurst with peppers and onions, gravy on top. Kaiden shakes his head determinedly. The other three boys shrug and start digging in. Within minutes, they devour all the wurst, licking the traces of sauce left on their lips. This is probably the most palatable meal they have had in years.
Kaiden is starting to regret not taking a bite but no, he won't admit it in front of his companions. No matter how Griswold tries to flatter him, he won't budge. He will keep his head high.