Don't Forget

#35 Definition of Loyalty

A/N Hey, would any of you be offended if I went back to old chapters and called the squids by a different name for their race? Squid would just be a nickname of sorts.

Quinten dodges a group of soldiers on his way deeper into camp. He's shocked at Mitch trusting him with such an important task, but he's mostly just scared.
Last time that he had to fight, it was for the wrong side. His own people still burned in a fiery grave. How many would have simply fled if they knew what fate awaited them? How many Piscus lives could have been saved? Quinten is sure that most were trapped just like he was.
The squid number is still wearing a GoldenEye uniform. It hides his blue gills and the patches on his arms. Very few people even know what he is. Quinten is scared that they'll chase him away. He's helped multiple soldiers at this point with bruises, scrapes, and a sprained ankle. The soldiers like and talk with him and make him feel needed for the first time in his life.
Quinten wants to see this through. He wants to use his magic for something good, even if it makes people afraid of him. A small part of him even wants to keep the other squids from being completely slaughtered. Most of all, Quinten promises himself that he's going back to the lab to free Seven some day.
The number skids to a stop at a few temporary shelters, starling the little girl that is sitting just in the entrance.
"Um, Hey, I'm Quinten", he awkwardly starts, "Do you know where your p-parents are? We're taking everyone to the medical building for a while". He smiles to try and keep her calm.
The little girl nods, standing up and taking Quinten's hand. He's surprised again, but guesses that it's the uniform that earns her trust. She leads him aground a few more structures and to a group men talking quietly. One of them notices his daughter and quickly looks to Quinten.
"Excuse me, sir? Everyone who can't fight is being t-taken to the medical building. There's, uh.... there are some nasty squids heading this way", even if Quinten's awkward speech didn't alert him, then the threat definitely did.
"Squids!? Here? Where are they?", the man looks around wildly, dragging his daughter close.
"They're not here yet, and there's still time to protect everyone. I'm one of the people in charge of protecting the building", Quinten explains quickly. The man only calms slightly.
"Then we better get to work. I'll start sending people your way. I'll also round up anyone willing to help fight", he nods determinedly and urges his daughter to go back to Quinten. She takes his hand again with a confused expression. "Please keep her safe. Her mother will be there shortly".
"I'll protect her. I promise", Quinten feels suddenly protective, and somehow stronger for it. He has a responsibility to these people now. Not really knowing how to proceed, he lifts the girl up and puts her on his back while moving on to the next area. She giggles a little in glee. It makes the half breed feel a little better.
He finds a group of teenage boys, not much older then him, watching the soldiers at the camp's entrance. It looks like they're building some sort of wall. The other boys look more confused then alarmed.
"Hey! Everyone without training is heading to the medical building", Quinten feels a little more confident, "You guys should go there now. A scout spotted squid soldiers". They teens don't realize right away that he's talking to them. One of them only notices when they make eye contact.
Quinten is just realizing how tall they are when the other boys step closer. His self confidence takes another nose dive as the boys size him up.
"You're a solider? There's no way that you're old enough", a boy with black hair quickly argues. It's true. Quinten doesn't even carry a sword. This one looks like the leader of the group.
"W-Well, I work more in the m-medical stuff. Treating injuries and such. But you really do need to either g-get inside or worn more people", the squid number tries again. The little girl on his back peeks over his shoulder to watch. The black haired boy gets shoved out of the way by his friend. He has the same hair and eyes of the girl Quinten is carrying.
"What are you doing with my sister!?", he immediately gets into Quinten's face. The sorcerer is starting to get annoyed. He's trying to help these people, and they just get angry and doubt him.
"I just got done talking to your dad! He's probably out looking for you, when you're standing right at the edge of camp where the squids could pick you off!", Quinten snaps at them, his blood boiling, "If you don't listen to me, you'll probably die".
Quinten didn't expect the five boys to suddenly jump back after he snapped at them. He doesn't realize why until he feels his magic fizzling just below the surface. The blue specs in his orange eyes must be practically glowing. He takes a second to calm down before speaking again.
"Sorry. Everybody is just a little scared right now. I have a few more rows to check, but I trust you'll make it to the medical building?", Quinten sets the girl down so that her brother can take her. The black haired boy nods and they all start off to the camp's center.
Quinten feels immensely better when the next few people he encounters go without complaint.
The squid number rushes back to the camp's center. Sub and Jason are already there and filing a few people through the doors. All the unoccupied beds have been brought outside in a pile to make room. The building is in the middle of the camp; it's big enough to hide everybody, even if they're a little squished.
Quinten jumps when he hears a screamed command. The hum of a hundred bow strings is unmistakable even to him. The few screams are worse. Quinten is no soldier, as much as the squids wanted him to be.
The people inside the building are finally realizing that this isn't some sort of drill. There's a small ring of troops on all sides. We're their last line of defense.
     "It sounds like it started", Jason speaks up, startling Quinten. He didn't see the Zemrlt approach. Sub is right behind him just like he's been since he woke up.
     "You know, this is exactly what I could have been born for..... I don't like it", Quinten shudders at the best volley. He feels like he can be completely honest with Jason.
     "Adults get mad and fight sometimes", Jason shrugs, "Doesn't mean that you or I have any purpose in it. I just wanna do what's right". He's wearing all the pieces of his close fitting armor, a thin blade on his belt that he doesn't know how to use. Sub signs something to Jason that Quinten doesn't understand.
     "And you have a family on the other continent, right? Liblicen. I don't really know what's gonna happen to me if Lachlan decides to kick me out". Quinten's thoughts are focusing anywhere except for the screams of his own people.
"Come on, he wouldn't do that. You're working just as hard as everyone else to keep people safe", Jason frowns.
"I know. It's just that..... How many of these people would still trust me if I wasn't wearing this jacket", Quinten tugs on his sleeve. It's the real reason why he's felt so jumpy. The squid number is starting to care about winning this war for GoldenEye's people rather then his own.
Would that matter if they knew? Would that little girl still be so trusting of him if his face was as blue as his his arms? It didn't matter back in the facility. Now he doesn't know what to think. Should he be ashamed of his heritage?
     Quinten and Jason are both startled out of their conversation when the shouts suddenly get much closer. They're now coming from the wrong direction entirety. All the fighting is suppose to be on the North side with all the troops! This side is less defended.
      The soldiers around Quinten shift in place and raise their weapons. He can sense that all them are willing to die to protect those inside. That kind of unfaltering loyalty is something that the squid numbers is just beginning to understand.
     "The wall is breached! Defend the safe house", Quinten recognizes the unit leader who comes barreling out of the buildings. There's a few more soldiers at his side as they run to join the medical building's defense.
     Quinten's heartbeat in thundering in his ears. This is the second battle he's been shoved into, but he didn't actually fight. All he did was cause all these people to loose their homes. The half Piscus is determined to protect them.
     "Hey! Where's the nearest lake!?", Quinten shouts his question while running to where the unit leader is standing.
     "About half a mile to the east, why?", they seem confused about being addressed by a kid.
     "Get all the soldiers to stay close to the building. I'm gonna try something, but you can't interrupt me", the squid number's voice is steady. He knows what he has to do. The unit leader is a little hesitant to take orders, but one look at Quinten's bright eyes has him calling in the closest soldiers. They all hug the building while watching the nearby streets for the first sign of the squids.
     Quinten takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. Half a mile, huh? He's never done anything with something that far or for something this big. He doesn't know how far his magic can truly stretch. If he doesn't have the strength for this, it'll put him in a coma or even kill him.
     The magic comes to his finger tips almost like an old friend. The inside of Quinten's eyelids are bathed in and orange light. He slowly sends out his magic to the east, like an invisible chain in his mind's eye. It's not too hard to find the body of water, but doing anything with it is another story.
      Wisps of water vapor are already starting to congregate in the air around him. He can't feel their cool touch through the fabric of his think jacket. Quinten knows that he was to take it off. Contact with his magic element will make him stronger, but he still hesitates.
      The jacket is the only thing keeping his heritage a secret. Quinten feels like he doesn't belong with either race. He's not even human. He betrayed the squids, and what other sorcerer would except him?
      Still, this is the only way for Quinten to help these people without killing anyone. He shakes a little when he slips his arms out of the jacket's sleeves. His magic surges a bit without the restraint. The half breed can feel everyone's eyes immediately shift to him, but he also knows that Jason is watching, too. It makes him feel braver.
      Quinten sends a spike of his magic down that invisible chain. The lake water reacts, heating up at an unbelievable rate. He might kill some of the fish at this rate. The steam rises up, but gets pulled along the chain. A fog of vapor rolls in and surrounds Quinten as he stands still with his eyes closed.
      The amount of magic he's using is a little overwhelming. It wouldn't be possible if he wasn't so determined. He calls up even more magic for the next part.
     The fog swiftly moves to surround the building in a ring, and then it rises up into curved pillars. The fog is so thick in these towers that they can't be seen through.
     Shaking now, Quinten strains to hold the shape. He can feel magic exhaustion setting in. He cans also hear the sounds of battle from just a few buildings down. He tries to drown it all out and focus on his mission.
       Before, he heated up the lake to move the water. Now, he has to cool it own. Fast. There's no time to do it slowly and conserve energy. Quinten will either be able to pull it off, or these people could die.
      "Glacies carcerem", he mutters.
Just as a group of squid soldiers come within sight of the medical building, the pillars of water vapor solidify. The blue ice seems to grow out of the ground, looking like a rib cage rapped all around the building. Each pillar is less then a foot apart. The defense practically sprung up from nothing.
Quinten staggers before his knees buckle, and he can't catch himself in time to avoid crashing onto his side. His vision goes hazy as his eyes fade to a dull and sickly shade of orange.
       Jason rushes over to him, not at all bothered by the blue on his arms and neck. Quinten can see his mouth moving, but he can't here anything that Jason says. He can't feel his body, either. It's all fuzzy. The last thing he sees is Jason looking outside the ice barrier before succumbing to unconsciousness.