Chapter 4

     The demon wrapped his hands around Ethan's neck and began to drag him out to the sewer. "Jarvick will appreciate this sacrifice. This is the one that stabbed him isn't it?" The demon holding Ethan asked.
     "Sacrifice? No, Grevo, he does not plan to sacrifice this one. He plans a better fate for him," one of the other two said.
     "What might that be, Svaric?" Grevo asked.
     Svaric stopped dead in his tracks and looked Grevo in the eye. "We do not need to find out. Curious minds get ended quickly in our line of work."
     Grevo cowered down. "I'm sorry for asking, Svaric." They continued walking.
     A shot rang out through the sewers. Svaric dropped to the ground. Grevo and the other demon ducked behind what rubble they could find. Two more shots rang out. "GET UP AND RUN, IDIOT!" Beth's familiar voice rang. He stood up and dragged his leg along as far as he could. Grevo poked his head out to try to retrieve Ethan and a shot stopped him in his tracks. His lifeless body collapsed. The last demon fled and another shot sounded. The demon dropped.
     "Get up. You can walk now. We need to move," Beth's familiar tone of hostility resounded clearly. "Why does it seem that I'm always having to save your sorry ass?"
     "Moron was hurtful enough, thank you," Ethan said. Beth rolled her eyes and began walking down the sewer in the direction she and Charge came.
     "Lucky that Charge saw what was about to happen were we to waltz right down the sewer. You would have been dead." She said.
     "They were talking to each other and said that a 'Jarvick' had a-" Ethan was cut off by a sudden snarl from Charge.
     Suddenly, Charge spoke. "Jaarrrr-vick...betrrrayyy....Chhharrrge." Beth was around his waist in a second.
     "Easy, boy. Calm down. You can't take him down yet. I know he betrayed you, I know how it feels to be betrayed. Your time will come." Slowly Charge calmed down. His raised back spikes slowly flattened out, lips settled from his snarl, and claws gently retracted. "Easy now..."
     Ethan still frozen from shock sputtered out, "That escalated quickly..."
     “I’ve never seen Charge act this way. This is how he usually is in the heat of war!” Beth whispered to Ethan.

“War changes a lot of people,” Ethan said. “You get used to it.” Beth looked at him. Ethan thought he saw a glimmer of something in her gaze. “I’ve seen too many people die. I’ve already been down that road. You get used to losing people.” The glimmer disappeared. Charge whimpered sympathetically. “Let’s go find somewhere else to hide. They’ll probably have heard those shots.” Ethan started limping. The others followed behind him.

Within three hours of walking, scouting, and exploring, the team had found a place to hide. Deep in the bottom floor of a church was a tornado shelter. It was the perfect place for the team to hide for the night.

They were settled down when Beth pulled out Twinkies and a two liter filled with water. They found a couple of cups and a mug from the shelves of the shelter. Beth leaned forward and asked “What was their name?”

Ethan put down his Twinkie. “Sarah,” he said. “Her name was Sarah.” Ethan laid down and rolled over. Beth and Charge looked at each other. Charge leaned forward and put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. Beth came and sat down next to Ethan. She began to speak, but realized that, coming from someone who’s not lost a lot, words of sympathy are hollow. Instead, she laid down on Charge and listened to the rumble of his breathing. She was asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

Ethan stared at the wall. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. I failed you like I always have. I'm so sorry, Sarah," Ethan whispered. Tears rolled down his cheek and he slowly slid into a uneasy slumber.

While all three sets of eyes closed under the church, two sets blinked above the church. Growls of tactical plans were exchanged and the eyes disappeared into the night.

Chapter 3

     Ethan woke up cold and sore. He sat up and looked around the room. Beth and Charge were nowhere to be seen. A note was nearby where he was sitting.
     "Don't freak out. Don't destroy anything. There's half an apple on the shelf if you're hungry. We went for food. Didn't want you slowing us down. Be back when clock says 3:20." He looked around the room. What clock? he thought to himself. He looked at the pillar that was supporting the weight of the room in the center and saw the clock hanging on a nail. Ah. That one. 2:45. How long have I been out?! He tried standing up on his leg. Pain shot through his body. Ethan collapsed on the floor and grunted.
     Ethan wished he had his family still. His mom would get a wet cloth and put it on his forehead as his brother wrapped his leg in Insta-heal bandaging. His older sister would sing him to sleep. He missed the nights when it rained and thundered. He may have hated the weather, but he would get in his sister's bed and curl up in a ball as she sang him a lullaby. Ethan never met his dad. He died in a terrible car accident when he was very little. His mother always told Ethan that he was a good man. Someone to look up to.
     A jolt of pain woke Ethan from his daydreaming. He looked at his leg. It had been bandaged up already. Then he noticed that he wasn't wearing the same pair of pants he was earlier. He was wearing sweat pants. That's a little uncomfortable... He put the thought to the back of his mind. Ethan pulled up the pant leg to look at his wound. It was wrapped in Insta-heal. It shouldn't take more than a couple of days to heal up now. He lowered the cloth and went back to daydreaming.
     He thought back to his past when it was actually light outside. Climbing trees and racing friends through the streets until the lights signaled "Sunset." Sunset was a new Display every day. From the Sun climbing down a set of stairs to it flying off in the distance with a parade of stars following, it was always guaranteed to entertain people. He remember watching it with his siblings one time.
     "What would it be like to not have the sun?" Ethan asked them.
     His brother looked at him funny. "It would be really dark. What are you thinking, bro?"
     "Just a thought. It gets cold at night and I was wondering if the world would just freeze over or it would just be really cold every day."
     "I think it would just be dark. The sun's not going anywhere for quite a while. It's held here pretty good," his sister chimed in. His sister was always encouraging. Never saying a harsh word in her life, he always looked up to his sister. Then their brother was shot. Everything changed. Nothing mattered anymore. Ethan's sister was still encouraging, but she was very quiet. Not saying much anymore.
     Ethan and his mother were arguing one day afterwards and his sister was in the room. She stormed from the room crying. He shouted at his mother an obscenity that he regrets now before running up to see if his sister was okay. She was holding a gun to her head.
     "Sarah, please put the gun down," Ethan said calmly.
     "Why? Why should I? Nobody listens to me! Nobody will miss me!" She shouted back. Ethan was taken aback. This is the loudest she's been for months.
     "No, you know that's not true. I would miss you very much Sarah."
     "You never show it."
     "I try!"
     "No, YOU DON'T!" Tears were streaming down her face. "I always tried to be the strong one since Josh died, you never tried to get over Josh!"
     "I suppressed his memory. It was too painful. Just like your's would be if you pulled that trigger."
     "YOU FORGOT HIM! YOU'LL FORGET ME TOO!"
     "SARAH JUST PUT THE GUN DOWN! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU TOO! I LOST A PART OF MYSELF WHEN JOSH DIED. I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THAT PIT AGAIN!" Ethan sobbed. "Please don't pull that trigger."
     "Ethan," Sarah paused, her voice quivering. "I love you. Don't forget that."
     The next second seemed to take years. She tightened her grip on the gun and pulled the trigger. The slide drew back. Then came the explosion. Fire flew from the barrel. Red splattered the wall. The shock-wave of the bullet's power was the hardest thing to endure. It felt like Ethan's heart was ripped from his chest. All Ethan heard after the gunshot was the sound of his pounding heart. His mother burst into the room. He remembered her screaming. She shoved Ethan out of the way and picked up her daughter's corpse.
     Ethan lost his soul that day. He is still haunted by that gunshot, by seeing his sister and best friend collapsing, by seeing all the blood. He lost all his friends. No words could comfort him. No actions could be taken to make him feel better. He didn't talk for the following month. He still doesn't talk much.
     A shake of the concrete slab woke him up from his nightmare. He scrambled to hide behind the pillar. He found a piece of glass and used it to look back at the entrance. The slab flew to the other side of the room and three demons walked in. Ethan saw a clawed hand curl around the pillar. It took all it was within him not to breathe. Then a head peeked around the corner. The massive yellow eyes looked down at him. The creature snarled out one word.
     "Gotcha!"

Chapter 2

     Ethan woke up sore. He was leaned up against a brick wall. He tried thinking back to what happened. Then the pain shot up his right leg. He remembered. He noticed that his leg was bent backwards. Bone was sticking through the pants. He nearly vomited at the sight. He looked around for something support the weight. He found a metal bar two feet away and used that to stand up.
     Ethan's first plan of action was to find a way out of the alley without getting spotted. He heard the scuttering of claws on pavement and quickly stumbled to the shadows. He pulled out his pistol and checked the magazine. Five bullets. Crap... Ethan thought to himself. He peeked around the corner and saw demons sniffing around. They had his scent and were looking thoroughly for him. One told the others that Ethan was still alive and still around. He ducked his head back and began to hyperventilate. He tried to control his breath, but nothing was helping. He was going to die, alone and vulnerable. He had been given a crash course in demon fighting and when time came to actually use that information, he failed. He listened. The sound of the demons' footsteps was getting closer. He sat completely still as the demons crawled ever closer, not even daring to breath. Suddenly, there wasn't any sound. No footsteps, no breathing, no claws. A demon's fingers wrapped around the corner of the dumpster, inches from Ethan's face. He prayed that he wouldn't be seen. Then Ethan saw a jaw curling around the corner. Finally an eye socket opened and revealed a yellow eye staring directly at Ethan.
     Suddenly a bullet pierced that eye, going completely through and exiting out the other side of the head. Ethan pushed himself away from the corner as the body collapsed. Someone shouted "Run!" in the distance. Ethan did his best to stumble to the end of the alley. He heard more shots. Three more in quick succession. They sounded like 50 Caliber rounds.
     He finally reached the end of the alley and collapsed. He could no longer run or walk. He couldn't even crawl. A giant hand came from nowhere to cover his mouth. He looked up to see a pair of yellow eyes staring down at him. A demon had him in a strong grasp. Ethan saw the demon motion for him to be silent. The monstrous thing picked him up and draped him over his shoulder. He began to take long silent strides and picked up speed down the street. Curses in its' natural tongue erupted from far behind him. He took an immediate left and ducked down a hole into the sewer system.
     A slim figure with a sniper rifle stepped out from the shadows on the walls. "You're safe in our hands. I know you couldn't trust my friend as far as you could throw him, but you're going to have to go by my word. He saved my life." Ethan looked at the figure and his mouth dropped.
     "Who are you?" He asked.
     The figure dropped her hood. Blonde hair shined in the dim light. Green eyes stared with determination at Ethan. "Bethany Michaels. Just call me Beth. It's all I can get him to say," motioning to the demon.
     Ethan nodded and said "Uh-huh...So how did you two meet?"
     Beth looked at the demon and chuckled. "I was snooping around nearby the market to get some supplies and saw him digging around in the trash. He was hungry. He looked much skinnier than the other demons I had seen. That made me think he was mistreated. I still took caution around him. I yelled at him and he turned around. He began to lunge at me and I started firing at him," indicating the sniper rifle in her hands. "He took one round to the shoulder and continued. He just leapt over me. His attention was directed at the two demons that had snuck up on me while I communicated with him. He chased them off and came to see if I was alright. He tried to talk to me. He motioned to the cut on my arm I got while digging in the trash by the mall, totally ignoring that he still had a hole in his shoulder. I told him I was fine and got to work taking care of his shoulder. We've been watching each others' backs ever since."
     Ethan looked at the demon. He still didn't trust the creature. He didn't know what made this girl trust the ugly brute, but human-to-human, he trusted her. "I still don't trust it, but we need to get out of the streets. Do you have somewhere we can hide?"
     Beth glared at Ethan, "Yes. We do. Follow us." She nodded at the demon. "It has a name, you know."
     "Charge," the creature gurgled out followed with what Ethan could only guess was a smile. They made an odd pair, but they worked. After what seemed like hours, they made it to a small clearing in the sewer pipes. It was through a hole in the wall. When they got through, Charge covered the hole with a piece of concrete.
     "We're safe here. Haven't been discovered for months." Beth scanned the shelves on the wall for something to put in their stomachs. She found a Twinkie and tossed it at Ethan. "Here. Eat it." She found a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich and handed it to Charge. He looked at Beth, shook his head and passed it back to her. "No, You eat it tonight. I ate last night." He looked at the sandwich and back at Beth. A whimper sounded deep in his throat and Beth said, "I know. We'll be alright. We can go for a food run tomorrow." He ate the sandwich and curled up by the wall. Ethan sat down and leaned up against a pillar. Beth laid down on Charge's belly and said "Goodnight, boy. See you in the morning." Ethan was aghast at what happened next. The demon put a protective arm around Beth. He thought he'd seen he impossible. A monster and human acting like sister and brother. He rolled his eyes and laid down.
     Ethan heard a gurgle and looked up at the demon. It was motioning for him to lay down next to him. Ethan, suddenly cold, nodded and crawled over to the creature. Perhaps he isn't that bad after all... Ethan put his head on Charge's shoulder and fell almost immediately to sleep from the warmth of the creature's body.

Chapter 1

     Three weeks had passed since Ethan Aiden had joined the militia. He had been sent on mock missions to be "trained." What had happened in this training was the older members of the militia strapping glow sticks like Christmas lights to him and sending him a couple of miles away from the shelter and telling him to get back without being spotted. If he was spotted, he was shot with paintball guns and sent back to the start again. He finally got back at them by dropping the glow sticks in a trail to a dead end alley and waited until his tormentors all filed into the alleyway. When the person who was supposed to be watching their backs turned away to inspect something, Ethan slipped out of the shadows and knocked the person out and grabbed his paintball gun. He quickly disappeared in the shadows again and waited till the chaos broke loose. The rest of the trainers had pulled up their guns and turned on flashlights.
     "He disappeared over here!" said one of the trainers pointing to a dumpster. Ethan shot him in the neck and moved positions to a trash can further down the alley. He was still hiding in the shadows. The other trainers had figured out what was going on at this point. They dropped their masks and began to back up into a tight circle. The team moved down the alley way back to the beginning. Suddenly a volley of paintballs flew their way and they took cover behind dumpsters, trash cans, and whatever else they could find.
     Ethan dropped down behind the trainer farthest back and threw his head into the dumpster, causing him to lose consciousness. He took the trainer's weapon and hid it under the dumpster. He proceeded to move to the next cover and slowly eliminate his opposition until he was hiding behind the last trainer. The trainer was a little scared. He was the last one "alive" at the moment. He scanned his surroundings and backed into the wall waiting until Ethan showed himself. The paintball gun had finally run out of ammo and was just spouting off gas, but with each shot, the trainer could swear he heard footsteps approaching. He couldn't see anybody though.
     Ethan dropped down from the top of the wall and kicked the trainer into the wall. He dropped his paintball gun and brought his fists up into a defensive position. Ethan was dragged away from the wall and hoisted in the air by a pair of strong hands. Ethan came face to face with Ajax, the ox-like leader of the local militia.
     Ajax smiled and said "You're ready."
     Currently, Ethan was sitting on top of a tower looking through the streets with a night vision scope to see what the demons are doing gathering numbers at an empty museum.
     "There's four outside the door. Just standing there."
     Back at base, The Communicator said "Well intel shows heat signatures increasing massively there." The Communicator is the nickname of the smartest kid in the militia. Kael was found hiding in a dumpster from some very angry demons. After the demons were chased off, the scrawny boy was dragged out still curled up in a ball muttering nonsense. When he was calmed down, it was noticed around the camp that he was extremely smart and the current comms manager was beginning to like the kid. He brought Kael to the comms station when he began to have interference on one station. Kael turned a couple of knobs and flipped a few switches and the interference cleared up. He was brought on the team immediately. He preferred to be called "The Communicator."
     "Well are demons cold-blooded or warm-blooded? They could be gathering human prisoners...or meals..."
     "Demons are...warm-blooded..." said The Communicator. "Well we don't really know. There's never been any documentation on Demon structures. There's never been one captured."
     Ajax came into the conversation, "Hey boys, we're still on the ground out here. Do we need to go check it out up close?"
     "I'll take a closer look and see what's going on." Ethan looked through his scope again and looked through the windows. He couldn't see anything through the planks. He caught glimpses of moving objects inside, but that was all he could see. No definite figures that clarified if it were humans or demons inside. He backed the scope out again to keep an eye on the whole building. He noticed a white handkerchief hanging out one window. "Hey, Ajax. There's a handkerchief sticking out a window. I think it may be a signal."
     "Do you think it's worth checking out?"
     "Well it could mean there's huma-"
     Ajax interruped me, "I already know what it means. I just want to know if my men are going to die for no reason. Is there too many for us to take or do you honestly think that we can rescue those people?" Ethan was silent for a moment.
     "I can't tell how many demons there are. I can only see the four. I'll go check closer." Ethan said beginning to pack up his gear.
     "Okay. Don't get caught." Ajax sounded slightly concerned. Ethan put that thought to the back of his mind.
     "I don't plan on it." Ethan concluded the conversation. "This is Eagle Eye out." Ethan turned off his radio. He began his long climb down the tower. When he reached the ground, he pulled out his pistol. He called it his katana because when he was sneaking around the shadows of the city like a ninja, he always had it at the ready. He's never had to use it before. Ethan rounded a corner and ducked behind a nearby dumpster. He saw the ground team further down the street. He nodded to them and continued on his journey. He passed through three streets, narrowly missing two patrols of demons. The museum was just twenty yards to his left now. Ethan leaned around the corner and saw the same four demons standing on watch in front of the door. He doubled back to get to the back of the building without being seen.
     When he got there, there was nobody guarding the back door. He figured that the danger must be waiting inside if that was the case. If they were so careful about guarding the front entrance, why wouldn't they guard the back entrance as well? Ethan thought. He threw his grappling hook to the roof. He climbed up and found entrance to the ventilation system. He was disturbed by the thought of nobody guarding the back door. He silently climbed down the tunnel and crawled his way to where he thought the back door was. Activating his night vision, Ethan looked through the vents and saw why nobody was guarding the back entrance. There were at least thirty demons sleeping. Ethan treaded carefully back to the front of the museum. He looked through the vents there and saw near fifty humans sitting in a corner with a single demon staring them down. He scanned the rest of the room and didn't see any other demons.
     He began to back out and go back to his entrance on the roof. He got out and turned on his radio. "There are human hostages in there. Four guarding the entrance, one guarding the prisoners. Back entrance. At least thirty demons right behind the door. Ajax, those people are as good as dead."
     "Understood. Now turn off your radio and get back here!"
     "Yes sir!" Ethan turned off the radio and began to climb back down the wall. Suddenly, five demons burst out of the door and turned to climb up the rope Ethan left hanging off the wall. Ethan knew then why there was only one demon watching the prisoners. The rest had been sent to catch Ethan. He quickly got back up on the roof and dislodged his hook. The rope fell, but the demons were faster. They climbed up the wall. Ethan ran to the edge of the building. The demons were right there with him. They cornered him and taunted him. "Where you gonna go now, maggot?" Ethan looked down. That was two stories. He could jump it, but he was sure the fall would break his legs. He could try to fight, but he knew he was going to die.
     Ethan was faced with two tough decisions. He thought back to what his poppa said to him when he was younger. "If life gives you a bad hand, buff." He was talking about poker, but he felt the same applied with this situation. Ethan quickly switched on the radio.
     "I have five snipers trained on each of you right now, so if you make a move to push me off the edge, you're dead."
     "Oh I'm so scared!" one of the demons mocked him. It snorted and began laughing at Ethan. "We know you have no snipers. You are lying to creatures born of lies. We know when humans lie. They're so obvious."
     "Well...I tried." Ethan mumbled.
     "Hang on, kid." Ajax said to Ethan. Ethan stood tall and looked the demon in the eye.
     "I am Ethan Aiden and you don't control me."
     "Don't do anything stupid, kid."
     "I can kill you with my pinkie!" said one of the demons.
     "Hang on, Ethan!"
     Ethan remembered the next pearl of wisdom his father told him. "Sometimes when your bluff doesn't work, keep playing." Bad advice for a losing poker player. Ethan looked around. He slowly moved to the edge. He nodded to the demons and then jumped.

Prologue

     Ethan Aiden stood with his back up against the wall. Just around the corner were two monstrous demons waiting for trouble. The demons were set loose after a great earthquake over a year ago. Ethan was 16 but he remembered it quite well. The sky went dark. Scientists determined that the star that had lit their planet had collapsed on itself. Ethan almost didn't believe it, but it happened before his very eyes so he figured that it must be true. The planet was launched into eternal darkness. To help fix the situation, massive lighthouses were built to give light to the cities and towns. Everything was peaceful for a while. This time period was called The New Beginning.
     This time of peace did not last. Special service agents of unknown nature were sent to sabotage the lighthouses. Their power supply was disconnected permanently. They tried to destroy the lighthouses, but could not due to their complex construction. Shortly after the agents were captured, demons appeared and began to attack everyone and cause distrust and uneasiness among the people.
     Taking a quick peek around the corner, Ethan began to formulate a plan of action. He knew there was a shelter nearby the demons. He also knew that those demons had chased a couple of teenage boys down that alleyway where they lost the boys around the corner. He could just charge the demons and hope to take them by surprise. They were not to be underestimated in such a way though. Demons had a sixth sense that allowed them to sense when people were nearby. They knew that there were now more people nearby, they had only to search to find them. Ethan was determined to make that not happen. He was beginning to lose hope when he saw a metal trash can in the middle of the street. He could use that as a distraction while the boys escaped. He picked up a rock and looked for something to use as a sling. He had a bowie knife with him, but that wasn't going to help against two demons, nor would it be good to use as a sling to throw a rock. Finally, he found an old belt that was in the middle of the street in full view of the demons. He slowly crawled over to the belt. Ethan began to relax when he was only a few feet from the belt. He scraped his foot on a flattened soda can and it made a loud noise.
     The demons turned and were already running to Ethan. He knew he only had one option at this point: run. He knew he was dead. But the demon-kind were not known for their slowness. They were on him in a matter of seconds. He was lifted up in the air by one foot while one of the demons looked at him. The demon uttered something in his native language to Ethan. It didn't sound complimenting. The free handed demon grabbed Ethan by the waist and pulled him away from the other mentioning something about being hungry.
     Ethan began to blubber, "I'm not very tasty! I promise! There's not much meat o-" He was silenced by a slap across the face. The demon only glared at him. Ethan looked at the long snout and sharp fangs protruding from the lips in an uneven fashion. The yellow eyes bored into his sanity. Green slobber dribbled from the devious smile painted upon the demons face.
     "Eat you, ha!" the demon cackled. "We don't plan on eating you. We only plan on taking you to become one of us." Ethan remembered the word for conformed sounded similar to hungry in their language. He swallowed. He said a silent prayer to...to...to someone. He didn't know what else to do.
     A small cylinder flew from the darkness that surrounded them. Ethan recognized it almost immediately. He covered his ears and shut his eyes. The demons were a fraction of a second too late. The flash grenade exploded and made an ear-shattering sound. The demon holding Ethan dropped him. Since Ethan was being held upside down, he hit the pavement on his head. His vision immediately went black for a second or two but returned when he heard gunfire begin. The demons began to screech. It was a combination between a cry of the dying and anger of the mourning. Goosebumps began to race up Ethan's skin. One tried to get Ethan again, the other ran away still screeching. Ethan pulled his knife out and stabbed the demon in the calf. The demon hissed at Ethan as it fell to its knees. It jumped up and limped off into the darkness. Bullets continued to whiz in its direction as it faded into the black. Suddenly, lights began to appear from the shadows. Well armed militia stepped out and stood at attention. One approached Ethan and introduced himself. "Name's Ajax. Sorry we couldn't be a couple of seconds earlier."
     "It's alright," Ethan mumbled. "Were those two boys alright?"
     "Yeah, They came down into the shelter and told us about two demons right outside. We came out looking for them but you had lured them away from base. Brave man, you are."
     Yeah...Brave...Ethan thought to himself. Stupid is more like it...
     "We could use a man like you. How would you like to join our militia?" Ajax looked him Ethan up and down as if sizing him up. "You could make a great reconnaissance agent."
     "I could try."
     "Great!" Ajax exclaimed. "Let's get you armed up!" Ethan walked with the man. He was at least a head taller than Ethan. Massive muscles, scars, and bullet belts decorated Ajax. He had an chain-gun hanging from his shoulder. He had a sort of permanent smile on his face as he talked to Ethan. Thick brown hair flowed from his head. He had an icy blue stare that was warming and chilling at the same time. He was from the edges. The edges were a collection of farms around towns and cities that still had enough light to work. He wore worn, blue overalls. Ethan almost saw the man playing banjo. Finally, they arrived at the entrance to the shelter. "Know that taking on the job of militia reconnaissance is not an easy task. You are going to be sent in to the most dangerous places where you will possibly be the only one for miles around who isn't trying to kill you. Do you think you can take these responsibilities on?"
     Ethan thought for a moment. He would be by himself most of the time. The idea was slightly appealing. He hadn't always liked being around people. But if trouble came, he would be by himself. He would be in the militia, fighting the beasts that kill so easily. "I can."
     Ajax smiled. "Welcome to hell, boy." Ethan was wondering what he meant by that statement. Would the training be difficult or would the life of the militia be so grueling that it can be comparable to hell? He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and climbed down the ladder into the shelter. He would be safe for the night. That is all Ethan wanted for now.
     Off in the distance, two pairs of eyes watched. Words were exchanged, and the glimmer of yellow orbs disappeared into the darkness.