Soldiers And Beasts

4. Dust Of The Lost

(Minor Gore)

John Pov.

I couldn't believe what was going on as we went in a straight horizontal line behind Lt. General Hoffman; The 90,000 Anthro soldiers' thunderous footsteps bellowed behind us loudly with their echoes ringing out everywhere, they even resonated as we walked down the small narrow streets of Castle Evenings. I was impressed and shaken at the same time by the sight of humans fraternizing with the Anthro soldiers.

It was, perhaps, a brazen move made by Lt. General Hoffman herself that bucked common thinking and contested the deeply entrenched predispositions that existed between our species for 39 years to decide to accept humans into the T.N.W.L Armed Forces. I'm certain that Lt. General Hoffman knows of the risks and the consequences that will come with the T.N.W.L. housing human soldiers, but I think she'll handle it.

I would often find myself worrying about the little things - Lt. General Hoffman calls the consequences of this action "one of those little things" that many would see as the big things, but she didn't want to see it that way. I question why she didn't want to see it that way, considering that she is the general of an Anthro army - I must repeat that she is allowing humans into an Anthro-only army. That has to be the craziest fucking thing I've ever heard one of the Anthro soldiers said. You wouldn't find an Anthro that merciful, but perhaps I was proven wrong, very wrong.

I never thought Lt. General Hoffman would ever think of the idea of enrolling humans into the T.N.W.L. Armed Forces - then again, there's me, I'm a human, and she did enlist me into her army so I guess the irony of me saying that she doesn't enlist humans is very fucking ironic - but when she saw them come up to her and ask her if they could help in snuffing out Dr.Attwell's private army, I had to make sure to clean my ears out to make sure I understood her perfectly when she came and told us about the humans that wanted to enlist in the T.N.W.L. Armed Forces.

I just never thought I would see this ever. For as long as I could remember, I never once saw an Anthro army willingly allow humans to enlist. And I don't want to sound like I'm "that guy", but I feel like I'm the first human - since the start of this war, mind you - to be enlisted into an army composed of entirely Anthros, just Anthros. What's even more surprising is that I made it into the highest squad in the T.N.W.L., the one who holds authority over the rest of the soldiers. Then again, regardless of my superior status in the T.N.W.L., not many of the Anthro soldiers were willing to bow down to a human, regardless if he was in the Spec Ops Division. But I wasn't looking to prove to them that I was their "boss" just because I was in a much higher position than they were, I was only there because I want to end this war once and for all between Anthros and humans.

Hell, some of them could have easily killed me if they wanted to, but perhaps they couldn't, not because they were restraining themselves, but because if they do hurt me or try to murder me, they'll know what true pain feels like, courtesy of Lt. General Hoffman.

With all honesty, all I gotta do is do something that will piss off Lt. General Hoffman and all she has to do is snap her fingers and almost all - honestly, I'm pretty sure every single of them - of the Anthros in the T.N.W.L will want to kill me, without even hesitating. At least... that's what I think... but knowing Lt. General Hoffman, all she'll do is either put me on punishment like she did last time when I got caught with Sable, Hogan, and Dario in Affluence City.

Funnily enough, I find myself thinking that most days ever since it happened. Why did I go to Affluence City? I guess it was because I've been spending most of my days since I was born outside of a city, and I've only seen postcards or photos of a city. I'd never been to one before, but, even though I was punished for it, I was still pretty happy that I finally got to see a city first-hand. Even though I got drunk and in trouble for it, I have to admit that I have Sable, Hogan, and Dario to thank for the fun.