Under the Stars, we're Something Else

A faint breeze blew through the hunter's hair as the sun slowly dipped behind the city walls. Ender yawned and rubbed the back of his bandaged head while he watched the civilians around him scurry around in the streets, some getting food, some getting materials, others just out to live the rest of the day. He always felt so out of place in the heart of the city, and yet he couldn't help but go back there every time.

He noticed a small vendor selling small trinkets, charms that were used to ward off evil from people's homes. They were quite popular, but Ender saw no need to buy one when he could kill a cryptien with his crossbow.

"Ah, crossbow-" The ginger sighed and quickly made his way towards one of the weapon shops. The whole reason he chose to step into the crowded area was to get a new crossbow. It was a shame his previous one was torn apart earlier, but it was expected, seeing how he had it for three hundred years, it was bound to fall apart one day.

Ender entered the small shack of a shop and made his way to the counter where the manager stood cleaning a caliber. The elderly woman looked up and smiled brightly at the sight of the boy. "Ender! It's been a while since you came here!"

"Haha, hello Mrs. Kairo . . ." He waved at her before looking around quickly. Surely they had enough crossbows for him to look and pick. "Are there-"

"Crossbows and their ammo are down the back, take your time dear." She chuckled and put the gun down as the woman walked away from the counter and to the back. The redhead never understood why the woman and her family treated him as a relative, but he didn't mind it. It felt . . . nostalgic to him? He mumbled to himself as he looked through the rows of crossbows, stopping in front of a mahogany stock with a smooth foregrip.

He picked it up and balanced the weapon in his hands as his eyes glided over the flight groove towards the riser, where two thin steel limbs stretched out and held back by it's string. It felt so light to his fingers, which surprised him seeing as how this now had a sight attached to the edge of the riser, just behind the arrow retention spring.

"So ye like that one this time?" A gruff voice spoke beside him. He didn't bother to look who it was and nodded, beaming like a little child. The voice beside him chuckled and patted Ender's shoulder. "Glad to see my parents have a weapon to your liking," Feris looked around before turning back to the hunter. "You've got an hour before the meeting starts, so grab that and a pack of arrows before heading to our sector."

Ender put the crossbow down and quickly skimmed through the arrows before grabbing one and paying for it, shortly running after the major-general. "So, why are we having a meeting today?" Meetings were considered important discussions, and meetings with the battalion were almost never needed unless it was an emergency.

Feris sighed. "Shozu's got something to tell everyone. A few things actually." They stopped as a few carriages walked past them before continuing their conversation. "You know the mission you and the others were assigned to this morning?"

The ginger nodded, slightly confused. What kind of situation erupted from that to make the lieutenant-general call upon a meeting? Were they going to be demoted for their actions? Was that it? He looked at the older hunter curiously.

"That brigade that you found came from our sector," The major-general started walking again. "For some reason, that brigade had permission to go on an advanced mission, but Shozu never gave the order."

"Then how could they have gone there if they didn't allow it?"

"That's what we want to know," The taller hunter got on his motorbike that was parked nearby and gestured Ender to come and grab a helmet. "Shozu told me they were going to go and look around the area, see if they find anything about who sent them on that mission."

Feris started the engine and revved the vehicle for a bit before driving off once Ender grabbed sat down. It was a silent ride until they reached their destination, where Farhan stood awaiting their arrival. He waved at the two as the motorbike slowed down and stopped beside the colonel.

"You two are late," Farhan mentioned as they began to head towards their sector. "Shozu had to delay it an hour so that you'd come on time, Feris."

The major-general chuckled and shook his head. "Well I can't say I went against my will to leave. I had to get Ender here too, y'know."

"Ender's presence isn't exactly as important as yours in meetings yet, Feris." Ender slightly winced at the remark, but couldn't quite argue back since it was true. Compared to Feris- hell, compared to Farhan he was only there to ensure everyone in the sector had arrived, a job anyone could do during the meeting.

He stood behind the two as they stood in a rusty old elevator, the metal box guttering out a small creak as they descended downward. He hated using it every time, always fearing the wires would snap, and they would fall to their deaths instantaneously. He shuddered and sighed in relief when they survived and appeared in front of hundreds of soldiers.

The three of the hunters quickly made their spots beside Shozu, who stood proudly with a snarl stitched on their face. "You know, you guys should have taken another hour or so 'til you got here," Shozu whispered to Feris and Ender. "In fact, it'd be fine if you left a whole month, why don't you. You-" They glared at the taller hunter with malice. "-seem to just enjoy pissing me off when it's never a good time."

"Hey, I'm here now, so we can discuss this later, okay?" Feris argued quietly as everyone began to gather around them. Shozu clicked their tongue and stared at the crowd before them.

"Alright, this will be quick so you better everything I say in this damn meeting, got it?" A sea of nodding heads encouraged Shozu to continue. "To begin, I'd like Tyler to leave and head to sector 1 for what he did to division 89." Wait, so they did have a Tyler?

Said hunter immediately shouting at the lieutenant- general. "Wait- what do you mean?!" Although Ender couldn't see his face, he could tell Tyler was terrified, and he had every right to. Sector 1 belonged under General Knox's control, and rumor had it he never showed mercy to his hunters. And yet the elders treat him with such respect as if he was an angel of some sort. Between his sector and the sector the redhead was in, Knox's was a hellhole.

Shozu laughed shortly before glaring daggers at the hunter. "What else do you think I mean? You caused the death of 50 young, untrained privates that had yet to prove themselves to this sector, as everyone else has and is doing. You caused their deaths! You caused their suffering! Therefore, you will face equal punishment for what you have done!" Shozu yelled, silencing everyone in the crowd, the only sound being the small whistle from the smoke pipes and the clanking of metal every now and then.

Tyler looked down in shame as he walked away and left the meeting. It remained quiet for a few minutes, before the white-haired began again. "Now, let's move on with our meeting, shall we?"