June’s perspective

Today I don’t have to do much, one of the captains would take charge today. I am told that tomorrow, a new captain will be appointed, and after serious consideration, it has been decided that a soldier, Nikolai, would be appointed. Nikolai was quite new to the Republic, he had moved from the Colonies and was one of the first to transfer over from the Colonies. He was around my age and was one of the best soldiers in my opinion.

I made my way to a pub Anden brought me to before, but I find myself venturing to someplace I have not seen before. It appears to me I lost my way. I examine the place, cursing myself for being so lost in thought earlier I didn’t take much notice of my surroundings. A deserted street with a brick wall to my left, a shop across the narrow road on my right. The shop has a sign that says “Madame Brianna’s Fortune Teller” in front, displaying different sorts of fortune-teller materials: a glass ball, a deck of cards spread out, an odd-looking cup of some sort, a poster with a palm on top, explaining the different sections of the hand on top, and more.

I decide to turn back and I pass an alley. I see a shadow on my left and I turn, just in time to avoid the dagger held by a man. I calculate his movements instantly, avoiding his attacks, not attacking first. He was slightly taller than me, with heavy movements. I jerk back and punch him in the gut, twisting his arm and the dagger slips out of his grasp.

But there are more. Three men appear, and I know I am outnumbered, nonetheless, I fight back. I manage to take down two of them, but one of them grabs me from behind, a tight grip and the other is about to put a knife through my chest when he is hit on the head. He falls forward, unconscious and I see someone behind him. He quickly takes the knife and stabs the one that grips me in the shoulder. Wounded, my attacker flees as three unconscious men lay at our feet.

“June,” My saviour bows a little. He isn’t supposed to call me just by my name, but I know him. He always goes around breaking rules and getting himself drunk. He barely addresses me proper, yet I can’t kick him out of our military because he’s one of our best, and I don’t punish him, because I don’t mind and sometimes it’s good to hear your name, and not to be treated superiorly all the time.

“Nikolai.”

“Goodness, Nikolai, June, are you sure you are all right?” The Elector asks after we reported the case to him. I thought it was no big deal, but Nikolai discovered all the attackers bore a mark, a crescent moon with a line across, and it was a possibility for a new force, like the Patriots, once when I was one of them. We informed Anden of that too.

“I am, thanks to Soldier Nikolai,” I say, nodding at Nikolai.

“Yes, my cousin is indeed—“

“Cousin?” I ask, bewildered. I had no idea Nikolai was Anden’s cousin. I heard Nikolai call Anden ‘cousin’ before, but I assumed he just enjoyed calling people that, like Day, despite being unrelated. And I thought Nikolai was rude to Anden, only because he was always rude, going around building walls around himself, as if he were some king of isolation.

“I only found out recently. I had no idea I had cousins across the border, my father was probably too ashamed to even speak of it. I was planning to announce it to the Republic tomorrow during Nikolai’s appointment as captain. By the way, Nikolai. I have spoken to your sister and she’s agreed to help out at the new scientific research department that makes medicinal cures.”

“Amethyst’s business is none of mine. I don’t care what she does,” Nikolai says indifferently.

“Please Nikolai, do show some love for your sister—“

“The problem, Elector, is that I do not love anyone and do not intend to,” Nikolai replies, unshaken. What kind of brother is he, I think, grateful I was gifted with a brother like Metias. Anden sighs, when someone knocks on the door.

“Elector, Miss Amethyst has arrived.” Just then, a girl steps into the room. Calling her “beautiful” was an understatement. She had grayish-green eyes and blonde hair, an unlikely combination, but she and her brother make it seem like the most perfect match ever. She was delicate, with stunning features, and she was exactly like her brother, except that Nikolai wore scars and of course, was burly. With Amethyst as a reference, she could tell that Nikolai would be as pretty as a girl if he didn’t train and fight.

“Nikolai,” Amethyst spits the word out like a curse. “Elector, I hear you request my audience. Oh! June Iparis, I have heard about you,” She smiles brightly, an enormous difference from when she scowled at the sight of her brother.

This was when I first became aware of a faint ticking in the background.

“If that is all, excuse me, Elector,” Says Nikolai before he gives a curt bow and leaves the room.

“His manners, dear me! I apologise on behalf of my brother, Elector,” Amethyst sniffs. I can’t see how such a delicate girl and a brash person be siblings. “I have no idea who taught him to be so rude and cruel…”

“No worries, Amethyst. I trust you have been told already, I would like you and your brother to accompany me tomorrow as I introduce the both of you. June, I need you to come as well.”

“Yes, I have heard. Oh dear, I am already jittery for tomorrow,” Amethyst says it as though she was a Victorian lady, having all the proper Victorian etiquette.

“Don’t be, Amethyst. I’m sure the crowd will love you,” Anden says as he touches her hand gently. It was an encouragement, but I saw something flicker between their eyes.

Anden likes Amethyst, I opined. But they're cousins.

Then, I spotted an object with numbers on top, like a stopwatch, and realised the ticking was coming from there, faster this time, but so faint it was hard to hear.

It was a bomb.