The Machine God Series: An Endless Nightmare

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Enter Yahnhinko Enline

The class was filled with the low hum of conversation between students, each blending with the rest to create incomprehensible background noise. Nehna sat at the table she had sat at in home room for the past three years. Only this time, it was empty, four chairs cold to the touch. Though her table sat in the middle of it all, Nehna had no desire to participate in the mundane chatter of her fellow students. Instead, she looked out the window, staring at the bright blue sky with the occasional purple swirl or cloud breaking it up. She wondered if it was the same sky her friends saw.

Nehna was hardly a loner in this school, having grown up with these fellow students from even before she entered grade school. But they were just acquaintances, people she enjoyed hanging out with and talking to, but no one she was incredibly close with. Her close friends were still gone on pre military training, after leaving a little before the last school year ended. She should be there with them, but her parents had insisted upon her staying. Not only would she be lonely until their return, but she was also farther behind in training than Conrad, Leaf, and even younger Zeron.

Some whispering from behind Nehna snapped her from her thoughts. It was different, low and secretive, like a piece of gossip being passed from one student to another. She could only pick up bits and pieces of the conversation, which only made her all the more curious. Now, Nehna wasn't one to eavesdrop normally, but this was different. An "over there" directed her attention to the indoor hallway, where the blinds were open. Trying to be subtle about glancing over, she only caught a glimpse of someone walking by. The door opened with a click, and the classroom fell silent.

In the position she was in now, back to the HoloBoard, she couldn't see, and didn't particularly fancy the effort to look. But she could hear the door slowly creak open, and the clack of boots walking across the second story floor. Everyone was staring, some whispering to each other as whoever had entered quietly talked with the teacher. She wanted to turn around, but it felt awkward. Nehna put her head on her hand, pretending not to care, all the while trying to listen in. She looked from side to side of what she could see without moving, only to find some were looking over in her direction now. Then, there was a tap at her shoulder.

Nehan whipped around, craning her neck to stare upward at the towering man the had called for her attention. As far as she could recall, she had never seen anyone so tall before. He must have stood close to seven feet tall, a pure bred Tribal Zirosu hailing from the mountains just north of Souta. Nehna had never seen a Mountain Zirosu in person before, let alone talk with one. His height alone was unnerving.

"Good morning, I am Yahnhinko Enline of the Ghesotoh Tribe," He gave a polite bow with his hand over his heart. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Nehna's mind couldn't quite process everything at once. She just sat there and stared at him, looking him over from head to toe and wondering why he even asked when there were no other seats available, while he smiled back. He was in what the textbooks identified as traditional everyday wear mountain clothing, which consisted of a heavy, brown, and long trench coat, adorned with several patches and bands sewn on. She had heard somewhere that they were rumored to be bullet proof. To match, he had on a brown fedora, underneath of slightly messy blond hair dangled just above his eyes. Which, she couldn't see. Oddly enough, he was wearing dark tinted sun glasses, which made his eyes near impossible to see.

It was only after she finished looking him over that she realized she hadn't responded. But, before she could, a kid in class yelled for him to "sit down already", adding weirdo to the end. Yahnhinko looked taken aback, his smile disappearing for a second. But it returned moments later, after he sat down in a chair that was slightly too small for him. He then turned back to face Nehna, much to her displeasure.