Aftermath

The sun rose over the remains of the battlefield. The eastern walls left a giant shadow across it, providing shade from the desert heat.

The long-awaited battle had come to a close. All that was left was to stock food for the return trip, clean up the area of the thousands that had died, and treat the injured.

‘Hey, Gin?’ a worried Joan said.

‘Mm?’ Gin responded. It was an empty reply; void of any positive emotion.

‘Does-’ she paused, figuring out how to bring up the topic. ‘Did Michal’s death- ’

A finger placed on her mouth stopped her from continuing. She gave up and joined Gin in staring at the line of lifeless bodies laid in front of them. She tended to a gash on Gin’s leg, injecting a substance to aid with the healing through her nails. Afterwards, she got Gin to take off his armour to inspect his back. There were several burn marks and bruises which she prepared to treat.

‘I know what you wanted to say,’ Gin said at last. ‘And no. I’m just counting our losses. I have to write a report to send to the colonel, no? Death is natural and expected, especially in battle. We just have to go onto the next mission.’

‘That’s a little harsh.’

‘Meh. They couldn’t defend themselves and died in the process. I did my best to train them, but it looks like they couldn’t use that. They didn’t anticipate a sneak attack and this is what happens. No point brooding over the grunts of the operation.’

‘Gin! All of them looked up to you and this is how you treat them now they’re dead? Do you not feel anything?’

‘Why should I? I’ve seen worse.’

A few people stopped with what they were doing to watch the spectacle. The interactions between the pair, as they got on each other’s nerves, was infamous in the squadron. They all waited for the next phase: Joan’s sarcasm.

‘Really? Glad to know that, if I get killed, you wouldn’t care at all. Is this a trait the manush have? It’s not like people can feel emotional pain when a friend or ally dies. But do I know? Being cold and emotionless must be the best attitude to have since you’re doing it.

Gin turned around to face Joan. His eyes were red and there were streaks in the blood stains on his face.

‘I know, Joan. I know. No need to rub it in,’ he said. His voice said the bare minimum, but his body showed the truth.

‘Ah. Sorry. Looks like you’re not completely heartless after all. You know you could be more open with me. Remember that promise?’

Gin went into a whisper. ‘Damn. This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything.’

‘Huh?’

‘Listen,’ he continued to whisper.

Without making it obvious, Joan listened to everyone around her. It was then that she realised the people that crowded around them were mostly from the group she arrived with. She felt the he tempers rising as she heard the gossip that was going on.

‘So that’s a manush, huh?’

‘Wow. Is he crying?’

‘He knows he’s pathetic.’

‘Can’t believe Maria chose him to be leader.’

‘Because of him we lost over a thousand men.’

‘Really?’

‘yeah, I heard he drove Rob’s battalion out because they didn’t listen to him. We could have had a flawless victory of Rob was in charge.’

‘No way.’

‘Wow.’

‘Thought so.’

‘Oh, will you shut up! We’re still not done so stop gawking and get back to work! Move! That’s an order.’

The crowd scattered. Jake, the cause of that, squatted beside Gin and Joan. In his hand was a letter which he gave to Gin.

‘Since when did you start defending me?’ Gin remarked.

‘I hate idlers. Nothing else.’

‘I’m sure that’s the case.’

‘You two seem close,’ Joan commented.

‘We’re really not,’ Gin corrected.

‘I don’t like him,’ Jake added. ‘Though you did well. I can’t say I hate you either. Anyway, I should go back to dumping the bodies for the mage-eaters to take from. Read the report then write something to send back to Maria.’

‘ugh. Aftermath reports. The books never mention the tedious duties of a leader,’ Gin said, scratching his head. He read the report, then scrunched up his face in confusion. ‘Jake!’

‘Hey, hold on. I’m not done yet,’ Joan said, holding Gin down to resume treatment.

Jake already had a body in his arms when Gin called. He handed the corpse to another person then went back.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, equally puzzled.

‘We’re dumping the ally bodies too?’ Gin responded. Another crowd began to form, but a piercing glare prevented any further progress.

‘Yeah. We’re going to feed them to the mage-eaters too. What else are we meant to do?’

‘Don’t we bury allies?’

‘Why should we? The desert isn’t going to benefit from decaying bodies. The mage-eaters would make better use of their corpses.’

‘I see. Makes sense.’

‘You’re acting strange.’

‘I’m fine. Carry on with your job.’

‘Alright,’ Jake said as he picked up Michal’s body. He was still confused as to what that conversation was about.

In his year living with squadron W, Gin realised that how much the mages prioritised in natural efficiency. They cared more for the environment than their own kind. They didn’t have the symbolism of tradition and Gin knew he would have been in the wrong to try and impose any of that onto the mages. He found tradition tedious and unnecessary regardless, so he adopted the mages’ stance on the matter.

‘Did you want to bury our dead?’ Joan asked, unsure whether she should have raised the question.

‘No. I just wanted to see what a mage thinks. You guys are still very alien to me after all. Not that it’s a bad thing. I’m fascinated by the variety of mages there are and want to figure out how everyone works.’

‘Hehe. I’m sure people will be interested in you too now that your secret is out. Though you probably didn’t care since you didn’t try to hide that when we first met. I’m done by the way. I’ll handle the scars when we get back home.’

‘Finally! Go help treat the others. I’ll go help clearing the bodies.’

‘You should rest. You’ve suffered a lot.’

‘I’ll be fine – Ow!’ Gin exclaimed as he tried to get up. His thigh and back stung as the treatments fizzled into the wounds.

‘Told you.’

‘I just need to walk this off.’

‘Suit yourself.’

‘I told you. I’m fine. A little stinging sensation won’t kill me. Anyway, I suggest you go treat Sam first. I heard his armour got crushed so bad that it’s digging into his flesh. I want someone I trust handling that.’

‘Yeah, I’ll get on top of that,’ Joan said. She couldn’t help but smile at Gin’s last comment and followed obediently. ‘Don’t overexert yourself though.’

‘‘K.’

After putting on his clothes again, Gin called someone to help him with the lifting. The dead mage was a couple feet taller than him and doing it alone would have been too difficult. They placed the body on a piece of cloth and picked it up from the edges. It was a small trek to the chasm where the bodies were being dumped.

As they got closer, Gin could see the mage-eaters in their full view. They perched on the edges, anticipating the next drop. Their neck and head, which were disproportionally small, made their wings and chest larger than they really were (though it was nothing to be scoffed about). Some had a small red crest while others were brown. Small featherless chicks rested beside the adults, watching with anticipation at what their parents will do.

As Gin and the mage threw the body into the chasm, a single mage-eater swooped down. It made Gin’s partner flinch. It was no surprise. Gin’s heart skipped a beat at its magnificence too.

The beast caught the body mid-air with its beak. The body flailed as it was taken back to the flock of birds. The chicks huddled in one spot for the adult to drop the mage below. It crashed into the ground, met by the ravenous teethed beaks of the young mage-eaters. They shred the body, eating both flesh and bone alike.

‘Sir?’

‘Hm?’ Gin didn’t even turn his head. He was mesmerised by the scene.

‘I feel uncomfortable. Can I leave?’

‘Sure. I think I’m going to stay for a bit.’

The mage left, but not before mumbling, “Strange guy”. Gin paid no mind to it though and continued watching the process of bodies flung into the pit, only to be caught by an adult mage-eater.

A hand clasped onto Gin’s shoulder.

‘There you are!’

Gin turned around to see a smiling Brim. His skin contrasted heavily with the blood stains on his body. It made him upset once more, but Gin decided to pick up the mood instead.

‘Looks like you need a shower,’ he joked, replying with a fake smile.

‘You’re one to talk. You’re more red than brown,’ Brim retorted.

‘I could really use a shower,’ Gin said, inspecting himself.

‘That’ll have to wait. We can bathe in that lake by the forest. We need to conserve our water for now.’

‘So, we’re just going to walking around with blood on our faces for over fifty kilometres then?’

‘Unless it rains, then yeah.’

‘That’s a pain.’

‘What were you doing anyway?’

‘Oh.’ Gin pointed towards the feasting birds. ‘Watching nature at its best.’

‘So, you’re ok with gore but the get touchy when eating mage meat, huh? Nice morale compass you got there.’

‘I-I can’t defend that.’ Gin lowered his gaze. Maybe it was his bloodlust in the heat of the moment that was the problem. ‘It’s possible that’s why I didn’t realise the AAA planned a sneak attack. I was too into the battle to notice.’

Brim placed his arm around Gin and pulled him closer.

‘That’s just down to your inexperience. You didn’t even know what a stealth bestial was a week ago. If anything, I should have known something was up sooner. I figured out their plan too late and a lot of people were affected badly,’ Brim paused, thinking of how Syndra was almost a shell after the loss of her tinoo. ‘But we have to use that to know for next time. Build our experiences up until we can beat anyone and everyone in our way. Also, it didn’t help that Rob betrayed us. With nine-hundred more fighters, we could have had some defending the utility group.’

‘You’re right,’ Gin sighed.

‘Agree to the fact that we both should have done better and not blame ourselves alone in self-hatred? We are a squadron after all.’

‘Agreed.’

‘That’s the spirit. Have you done your report by the way?’

‘No, I haven’t. What about you?’

‘I’ve already done mine,’ Brim said with a smirk.

‘What? When?’ Gin responded as if he was betrayed.

‘Before I went to look for you. You’re still a first-timer at being a battalion leader, so let’s go back to our caravan and I’ll help you with the formalities.’

‘I’ll take you up on the offer,’ Gin said.

There was still a lot to learn. Just when Gin thought he had everything figured out, something else gets in the way. It didn’t matter how much he read about historical war battles, tactics and their consequences. Reality was different. It always ended in thoughts of ‘what could have been’.

As he walked towards the caravan, Gin’s emotions almost got the better of him, but he tried to put on his usual calm demeanour instead. He put aside the negatives and thought on the silver linings. Unlike when the mages attacked his village, he wasn’t the only survivor after this skirmish with the AAA. For that, he was glad. A light smile ran across his face. This time, it was genuine.