However Long The Night

FOUR: Somethings just don't belong

No one had bothered to wake her.

After they arrived, Rosario had showered, laughed and fallen like a log on her bed. It didn't take two minutes before she was unconscious.

When it came the time for the soldiers to rise and get ready for the day, no one bothered to wake her as she slept well past the limit. By some chance it was that someone had forgotten their pendant in the room and, forgetting Rosario was even there, didn't keep their voice down when they entered.

Rosario stirred at the sound of the door slamming against the wall as the girl rushed in and mumbled to herself about the whereabouts of her pendant. Rosario sat up, stretching her arms and yawning to chase away the sleep. When she was semi-functional, she noticed the girl was completely dressed.

Rosario looked to the window in the room and frowned to see the sun was up in the sky, beating down on everything below it.

The girl noticed Rosario and stopped short, seemingly at a loss of what to say. Rosario didn't moveba single muscle as the girl struggled to think of what to do. When enough time passed that even saying something would have been awkward, the girl sighed and ran back out, forgetting the pendant altogether.

Rosario stood, walking over to the girls bed and grabbing the brown elastic band of the necklace, tucked between the mattress and the sheets. She pulled it out and inspected it. From the looks of it, it was some sort of family heirloom. Important stuff. Rosario turned and with a single toss, sent it flying out the window.

She grabbed a uniform and put it on, testing the fit of every item. The shirt was just a tad big on her, but the pants and boots fit just right. She adjusted the harnesses and put on her jacket. Last, Rosario put her hair in a high tail, taming the loose curls as best she could.

It took her longer than she was proud of to find her way to the yard behind the building. Between suspicion and exhaustion, her memory of the layout was not entirely reliable. She pushed open the double doors and walked into the blazing sun.

Her arms went up over her face. It was too bright. She'd never seen so much light in her life. It swallowed her whole, giving her no escape in the outdoors. For a moment, Rosario considered going back into the building, but sensed it wouldn't go well. She'd have to go back out eventually.

Slowly, she walked ahead without knowing where she was going. Her eyes couldn't open even with her forearms as shields. Were they exposed to this every day? How is it safe? Already sweat began to drip down her face and back. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but the top of her head surely had to be smoking.

It wasn't until she noticed a bit of light obscure that her arms came off from her face. Rosario took the hand before it could touch her, twisting it behind the person's back and trying but failing to see them.

She squinted, but even then it was too much. Tears formed at her eyes that burned as if they'd been pressed with a hot brand. The person released themselves from her hold and Rosario tried to fend off any other attempt to go near her, but going off hearing alone when her blood pumped in her ears from the slight panic of the unwelcome sensations going through her body wasn't much of a plan.

Still, her ears worked enough to hear the slice of wind before a leg collided with both of hers, sending Rosario to the ground. Next thing she felt was a foot on her back.

"Do not," it was the Commander's voice that came directly above her, "attack any of my soldiers again. Is that understood?"

"Crystal."

Another figure crouched beside her face and then a shadow fell over her head. Rosario squinted her eyes open and was able to see only a glassy sliver of grass.