When the guards had responded to the disturbance reported to them, they'd have never expected what they found within the not so abandoned house. Strange drawings and scripture littering every inch of every wall, floor and ceiling alike. None so much as eligible to any of them and making entering the house a task all it's own. They were wary enough when the girl lashed out, only to reconcile with a monologue of, what sounded to them, nonsense. Of course, it all sounded plausible, until she mention rainbow squids. Glances were exchanged as a pair huddled around one man as he was handed a scroll of apparent orders. Though crinkled expressions were formed when all they could see were a long list of illegible scribbles.
“Do you think she's serious, captain? I mean...she really could be, you know...”
“I'm really not certain. I'd hate to make assumptions, but I've seen the war to a lot of crazy things to those people we call refugees. She's probably just had an unfortunate encounter....”
Keeping an eye on the girl as she rambled on, a pair of guards tightened their perimeters at Alexis' side. “Shall we detain the subject, Captain?”, asked the closest man. He received a curt nod from his superior, and passed the gesture on to his companion. Before they could touch the girl, she simply collapsed between them, emitting sobs of pure turmoil.
Besides the Captain, a look of grief overcame his 2nd in command. “Wait!”, the man pulled back his fellow men in arms, forcing them to let the young woman weep in peace. Then turned back to the Captain.
“Sure it's absurd, Captain, but making such an easy assumption is too risky in times like these. I mean...just look at her!”
Appalled, the Captain looked between Alexis and his 2nd before gripping his arm and pulling him aside. “And wasting our time discussing this mater is any more risky? She could just be acting. Spies are no more uncommon than unstable refugees,” he murmured in a quiet undertone.
Roughly pulling away from his captain, the man gestured to the young woman fiercely. “THAT is an act? Captain, she's just a young girl.”
The guards standing by began to back down, carefully siding with their 2nd in command. Alexis' tears were certainly not fake. And her cries more than a little convincing. Even as 'men of war', they still had the heart to realize she was just a young girl going through a rough time. Silence became them as they allowed Alexis' crying to be well heard by their captain. Glancing between his guards and the girl, the Captain gave a disapproving sneer to each of them. His only notions of coming to terms with her innocence when his 2nd in command decided to speak up again.
“At least summon the General. If he knows her, than we'll know she's innocent and have done our country a good deed with these...coded plans,” he gestured to the scroll, still firm in his captains fist.
“And if she's a s-...if she's not?”
“She's not going anywhere,” he spoke dishearteningly. “We'll watch her every second until the general gets here.”
A long drawn out breath escaped the general as he messaged his temples. This was a guilt trip he wasn't soon escaping. Giving the scroll, and Alexis, a very hopeful and discerning glance he nodded. “Alright. Alright! -But if this turns out to be something it's not, know that the consequences will fall heaviest on you, soldier.” He tapped the scroll against the 2nd in commands chest. Displeased that he received a grin instead of a grimmer impression. And could only roll his eyes as he sent a summons for the General.
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“A young girl you say?”
“Yes, Sir. She was quite adamant about requesting to see you. She was outright sobbing when she mentioned you.”
“Is that so? I expect you got this young girls name?”
The General lifted his eyes from the scroll, all but suspicious and intrigued by it's script and origins. He gave the soldier before him a ridiculous glance when he failed to provide the girls name.
“You didn't get her name? Are you even certain she meant for ME to get this scroll? As far as I've heard from you, she hadn't even uttered my 'name'.”
“Well, sir. You see....she was quite distraught. I....we....were afraid questioning her, let alone moving her, might disrupt her mental state. Thus loosing vital information. It was decided it might be best to let a possible familiar face stabilize her before we did anything further with her.”
The General gave the soldiers explanation a moment of thought before showing his approval. “I see. Your radicalization of the situation is quite admirable. I shall disregard the prior flaws of your actions.“
“Th-thank you, Sir”, the soldier mutter sheepishly.
“I suppose I could bother to see to this suspicious young woman. What better way to break in our newest transfer. What say you, lieutenant?”, he asked a second man in the room.
The visiting soldier raised his eyes to the man the General gestured to. A mid height fellow he'd hardly noticed, standing quietly in a corner of the room. As he gaze upon the man with much curiosity, the fellow glanced back. Dark eyes sending a chill down the soldiers spine.
“If you insist, General,” the lieutenant replied from his corner.
“Perfect! If you will, soldier, Lieutenant Zahra and I will accompany you back to the lady in waiting.”
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The whole while they traveled, the lieutenant was eerily quietly. An irate expression apparently pasted to his face. It was quite discerning. His only signs of liveliness seemed to be when the General interrupted his apparent brooding.
“Is there something wrong, Lieutenant? You've seemed troubled all morning,” the General commented to his subordinate.
Coden piqued up to accommodate his General with a response to sate the mans concern. Biting his tongue to avoid a tone that would sooner get him in trouble than keep him in good terms with his commander, Coden merely shook his head and waived the conversation.
He couldn't help but be in such a foul mood. After the stunt Angelique AND Pala had pulled this morning, he'd nearly lost it in front of Gale. All he expected of them was to be around to keep Gale out of trouble until Alexis came back. Meanwhile he'd deal with keeping them a low profile through working for the government. He was already stuck with the gimmick; he may as well put it to use. Yet they had the gall to disappear when he actually needed them. Or rather, not show up at all.
Coden hadn't slept a wink that night, waiting for either of them to return. Not a one showed face. Were they all just going to vanish until they all split ways entirely?
The though made him stop dead in his tracks. Gale. Gale was practically home alone right now. Granted their was a neighbor keeping an eye on him, but how much could he really trust a person he didn't know the first thing about? It was frightful enough that Gale's character had dramatically changed the night before. The boy hadn't even finished his meal. When had Gale ever displayed a lack of hunger?
“-ahra? Lieutenant Zahra? Are you coming?”, their guide beckoned.
”Wha-?” Coden jolted into awareness.
“It's this building here, the others are holding the girl inside.” The solider guiding them pointed out the door and continued inside where a soft, continuous crying continued from whence it began. Before Coden followed, the General pulled him aside.
“Lieutenant, are you sure you're feeling well? You're distracted, I can tell. I can't have you distracted at a time like this, anything could happen.”
Brushing the man aside with a low and irateness as he could muster, the Gypus urged for them to continue. “It's nothing, I assure you. My morning simply did not start out pleasant. In fact, none of this past week has been pleasant....”
The General gave a small understanding nod. “I see. These things happen, Zahra. In the guard, we are all family, though. If you are in need of something, do not be afraid to speak up..”
“Of course sir. I assure you, it's nothing of dire consequence. Please, may we venture onward? I don't think your host can wait on you much longer.”
The General, though mildly concerned, seemed to laugh and agree. “So it seems. Let's not keep the poor girl waiting, then.”
When they entered the building, Coden stood to the back of the room while introductions were made, glancing at the walls and floors with interest. The markings looked familiar. Where had he seen these before?
At the middle of the room, the General was knelt in front of a sobbing Alexis. Flashing the scroll she'd given them in front of her face.“I understand you were quite urgent about seeing me, Miss. I was wondering if we'd met someplace, I don't seem to recognize you. I was wondering if you could provide me your name and help us understand what you're doing here.”