Regan took a deep breath. She knew her and training didn't get along. Maybe Iris had trained before but she hadn't. So, even if she'd lose somewhere, she wasn't going to cry about it.
Before she would run in the track, an officer assigned a different route for her. She ran nonetheless and passed one barrier. Then, she went on the climb of the wall and passed it as well. After it, she had to jump on some pointy platforms that Iris had jumped as well. However, she didn't land nicely an she fell in the mud. She heard laughs from everyone and her blood boiled hot.
She stepped out, drenched in mud, her attire sticking uncomfortably. She went behind Jack and Iris. Iris held a triumphant grin but quickly gave Regan a sympathetic look and told her to not worry about it.
Regan felt herself as an excessive person, in the middle of nowhere.
"Alright, that's enough for today! Turn back in your tents." The general shouted. Each soldier stopped their training, their faces full of sweat, their expressions tired. Slowly, the square deserted itself and the soldiers disappeared on their tents or behind some other buildings.
"Don't worry, Ingrid. We didn't come here to take part in the competitions." Jack told Regan and gave her an assuring smile.
Regan didn't say anything, she just nodded. They were the only one left in the field, the general and the officer eyeing them suspiciously.
"See, I knew you were amateurs. Only that woman scored higher." He said, as he pointed at Iris. Iris smiled cheekily in return, while Jack and Regan stood indifferent, "But I'm going to give you a chance, little pricks. I'm not banishing you. Not yet."
Regan glared at the general, getting reminded of Sirius's arrogance.
"Whatever you say, do we have a tent, at least?" She asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.
The general looked at her in disdain, "Yes, It's behind those other tents," he pointed somewhere, "Lieutenant, lead them there." He ordered the other man.
The lieutenant nodded and quickly led them to their tents. The tents were close to each other, the whole place filled with tents. Regan hated the surroundings. The soldiers and their tents were awfully close. The night had slowly crept in, the sky filled with endless stars and two small pink moons.
"Well, at least he didn't banish us." Iris sighed as she looked inside her tent. It was small with a rolling up bed, a place to cook or eat and a closet.
"You're saying that because you got his attention." Jack scoffed as he laughed. Regan couldn't help but chuckle as well.
"And why do you care? You're just mad that you couldn't even pass the first level." Iris crossed her arms, glaring at him.
"I don't brag, at least. I didn't come here for these stupid contests." Jack retorted, his expression careless.
"Yes, guys. That's not important. We have to remember the reason why we're here. We have to do the rebellion quickly, before Sirius comes here as well. I don't want to risk anyone innocent." Regan said, looking outside.
"But how?" Iris asked.
"I know you're tired, but there's no place for sleep. We have to find some rebels out here. Maybe there are some locals left who are willing to rebel against and are just powerless. I believe they are here."
"I think so. Not every southern would be willing to be under Sirius's reign and his commanders." Iris said.
"That's what I'm saying." Regan said.
"Alright. But let's just rest a bit." Jack added, leaning on the rolling up bed.
"Hey, that's my bed," Iris hissed, "you can go to your own tent, you know?"
Jack ignored her, stretching his bulky body and yawning loudly, "Why don't you go to the other tent? I stepped inside here first."
Iris rolled her eyes, "Fine. So, Cornelia.... what's the plan about the rebellion?" She turned at Regan, who was looking outside the tent.
"Once we find these who are willing to stand against Sirius's rule, we can gather up and stand again the general and the other army. If we don't find these, we're going to do it on your own. But....I don't want to get you hurt," she turned at Iris, "If you don't want to take part on this, you can stay here, Iris. I can do it myself."
"No, Cornelia. This is my homeland. I've been looking for this moment for too long. I've always wanted revenge." Iris said, her expression determined, her eyes sparkled with confidence.
"Maybe we can find these locals on the marketplace, or just on streets. Or in the local bar." Jack interrupted.
Iris turned at him, giving him a mocking look, "The bar? For you to get drunken there?" She smirked.
"Hey, I haven't been drunk in a while." Jack quickly defended.
"Oh, come on. If you're drunk, you might as well mistake some soldier for some chick." Iris continued her tease.
"And what about you? You must also try to charm that stern general?" Jack snapped back.
"Well.... he's kinda....hot. And he's got that dangerous vibe. I like dangerous men." Iris smirked.
"You're ridiculous, Iris." Jack chuckled as he smacked his forehead.
"Well, at least I'm honest. You know what they say, Jack? Honesty is the best policy. And I'm always honest about what I want." She winked.
"Whatever you say." He sighed, shaking his head.
"Guys, there's not time for this. We must be quick. I'll let you get some rest, but only some. We don't have time. We're at stake of danger." Regan interrupted, being slightly annoyed by the conversation between them.
She wanted to end this as fast as possible. If she was a guy, she would have looked out herself for any rebels, but she was a girl, and she hadn't seen any other girl around, not that she would talk to any other male alone.
So, she stayed in the other tent with Iris, her anxiety still there, inside her. She feared if Sirius would get there faster than she'd do something, and then, everything they've done would be lost.
Iris looked at her, her expression curious, "So, Cornelia.... you're too much lost in thought. I get it that you don't want to show much, but we're friends now. And you can tell me what's bothering you. Alright, I get it that you're worried if Sirius comes here, but even if he does, you're powerful."
Regan listened to her intently. She didn't want to say a lot but she couldn't help it, "It's not all about him. I....I have to find my parents."
"Oh...." Iris trailed off, "I didn't think of this. Do you have any traces of them?"
"Kind off. I'm not sure." She replied, looking down at her hands.
"Well, keep in mind that I'm going to help you. The same way you're helping me." Iris said, putting a hand around her shoulder.
"Thanks." Regan said, smiling at her. She was so grateful for her.
As time passed this way, Iris spoke again, "What if we search together for any rebels around the town?" She suggested.
"Only you and me?"
"No, I'll wake up Jack as well. It's not very late, the bars must be open or some may even be walking around."
Regan pondered the idea, being skeptical. She hated bars and clubs but she had to do something.
"Alright. We have to be careful."
"Okay."
Iris stood up from the floor seat and walked to Jack's tent. He woke up reluctantly and they gathered before their tents.
Jack yawned, "Shouldn't we've waited a bit?"
"No, we have to do this quick and precise." Iris retorted.
"Fine. Fine. Where do you want to go?"
They set their mind to first search on the roads of the town. Some soldiers and guards patrolled the roads. The three didn't seem to differ since their uniforms were the same. Finally, they came upon a bar. The bar was dimly lit, and a faint sound was coming from the inside.
Regan was reluctant to enter. She loathed these places and prayed that no trouble would come.
"Guys, when we enter, we're going to act as if we're looking to find any rebels and punish them. Okay? That way it's easier to find those who we're looking for." Regan whispered, her voice shaky but determined.
They nodded in agreement, and together, they stepped inside the bar. The smell of alcohol was overwhelming, and the dim lighting made it difficult to see clearly. The groups of soldiers, officers, and even civilians were scattered around the various tables and booths.
The bartender, a tanned man, noticed them, "Hey soldiers. Looking for a good time?" He asked, grinning.
"We're on a mission," Iris answered as she approached the bartender, her voice low, "We're here to find rebels and punish them," she whispered to him.
The bartender chuckled, "Well, you've come to the right place. There's always a few trouble makers here and there." He motioned to a booth in the corner, where a group of soldiers were laughing loudly. "Those guys, they think they're so smart. They've been talking about starting a revolution for weeks now."
"Thanks, dude." Jack said, walking over to the booth. He took a look at their table. To his and the other two surprises, there was a woman on the table as well, wearing military attire. The woman with black wolf haircut, looked at them, a suspicious glint in her dark eyes. A scar ran down across her cheek, making her look even more dangerous.
"Hey, you must be the ones they've been talking about," Jack said. "I'm sure you're aware of what's going on. You don't have to fight them."
"And what if I want to?" the woman retorted, frowning as the other soldiers turned their attention on the three as well.
"Then, you'll have to come with us. We have a deal." Regan said, walking up to the woman, her voice calm but firm. She was surprised, she hadn't ever seen a woman with a scar, similar to hers. The woman looked at her skeptically, but decided to play it cool.
"What makes you think I'd trust you?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"Because we're not here to hurt you," Iris answered, stepping forward as well. "We just want to help you and everyone else in this town." She whispered.
The woman looked at them for a long moment before sighing. "Fine. What do you want from me?"
They led the woman out of the bar and explained their plans about rebellion against Sirius. The woman listened at them, wide eyed. "You're soldiers, willing to do that?"
"We're not just soldiers," Regan replied. "Now, if you're willing to join us, you have to make the decision quickly."
The woman pursued her lips, as if thinking whether to say something or not, "I'm more than eager. But why should I trust you? What if you're part of the army and want to punish us?"
"There's no such a thing. If it was so, we would have already done it." Iris said, her voice filled with sincerity.
"Are there other rebels around?" Regan asked the woman.
"Yes. They are all around. But they have no plan, not any strong plan."
Regan nodded, her gaze distant, "We have to gather everyone who is willing to take part into rebellion. The locals only have to be willing to protest. I'll take care of the rest."
"But what about the army?" The woman asked. "They'll never let them get away with this."
"That's why the rebellion needs brave people. If we're large in number, we can scare them away. We can act abruptly, leaving them unprepared . We'll make sure they know that we are not afraid. And we will not back down." Regan's voice was strong and confident, her gaze unwavering. "And if it comes to that, we'll fight them."
"You have my support," the woman said, nodding. "I'll gather as many rebels as I can. And I'll make sure they're informed about our plans. The time for change has come." She said, her face tight with determination.
The four of them nodded in agreement,
"And this should be done as quick as possible. Sirius will be there soon." Regan said again, her expression warry. She was overly determined for the plan she was doing, although other than helping out the southerns, she was also using is as a way to vent the fury boiling inside her.
"I'll make sure we meet tomorrow night, at the abandoned warehouse," the woman said, handing Regan a piece of paper with a sketch of the warehouse.
"And I'll bring as many rebels as I can. We'll show them that we're serious about changing our fate."
Regan smiled and they separated. Iris and Jack were excited as well.
"Well, this was good enough." Jack said, "Since we're rushing into this, we should us well prepare for attack tomorrow?"
"Whatever, I just don't want this land to be destroyed further." Iris said.
"Don't worry. It won't be destroyed." Regan assured. She didn't know what was going to happen but she couldn't bear the thought of hurting innocent ones either. She just wanted to do something against oppression.
Throughout the night, they continued to walk around and find more rebels. They told the gathering place that the woman gave to Regan, and it was settled. All the rebels would gather at the abandoned warehouse.