TheLittlePenmen

Captain Elizabeth Vinea - an officer with the 3rd Reconnaissance Squadron has been tasked with a retrieval mission.

Her team of four, are two occupy the ruined township of Lycoa and unearth the entrance to a demonic gate reportedly located underneath the now devastated city.

Reports indicated a relic from within the gate is to be retrieved at all costs.

"Intel's here and there, not much to go on, I know. Nevertheless, I'm entrusting this mission to you Cpt. Vinea. We need bodies on the field, and we need them immediately." The Colonel handed over the mission brief to the saluting officer.

"Understood, Colonel, we depart for Lycoa at once." 

"Godspeed."

The captain left with her new orders in hand, the colonel - once the doors to his office were close: snickered, and begrudged:

"...Damned demons...what could they be plotting now..." before continuing on with his desk-work.

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We Who Aren't They

"I'm hoping the creature leads us to a gate."

"Have you ever closed one before?" He asked.

"Me?" I turned to him. Stupidly surprised at such an obvious question.

"...yeah." I turned back towards the town center.

"Sorry to ask." He replied. I imagine he must've sensed my dread for answering these inquiries of his.

"Perceptive, but you do like your distractions, lieutenant." I aired out my grievance.

"Gotta keep myself sane, somehow. Not exactly a fan of what I'm seeing down there."

"Yeah well...you sure do like prying, is all."

"D'eh! It's a force of habit. Pay me no mind."

If I had to guess, the lieutenant is what we in Recon would call a "White Knight" or a "Captain Gold"-type: that's certainly what the adventurers at the guild would call him... oh! For sure...yeah. Mister Captain Gold here is fine with seeing piles of cadavers, so long as they're un-breathing.

Just look at him. The idiot's steadfast in believing a set of virtues or principles: He listens to his superiors well enough, but only when our hands aren't directly being sullied. If the orders are fine-cut, and to the service of an obvious objective that he deems righteous: all's well in the pits of hell.

The lieutenant doesn't deal well with moral ambiguity. I'm sure of it.

Huh! In a way, traditional reconnaissance would suit him just fine.

I'd like to test something out. If only this damned Ghoul could actually find one...

"Lieutenant..." I couldn't finish my sentence in one go. Hesitation? That's unlike me.

"They're on the move, Captain." he interrupted.

Many of the adults in the tribe immediately started running, as quick as they possibly could, towards a ruined building: adjacent to the town-square. 

Ghouls have sharp noses. And they certainly aren't hard of earing. They must've picked something up.

If you're going to hide. Hide well.

The fog wafting over all of us further intensified. The murk was extra thick. It's...turning red.

The creatures began howling. The abnormal was quickly walking in their direction. Of course you would.

"Move, follow the abnormal." I ordered the lieutenant - following him a few steps behind.

I couldn't help myself...If you could only turn around for one second Lieutenant. The grin on my face, would probably scare the living shit out of you.

A soldier needs to face the cruelties of this world. Let's see how you do.

Cruelty