Aaron's Home

The area around the house was lovely like usual, there were beautiful plants which could somehow grow easily in these harsh places. Aaron set Gaia down on a chair and checked all the traps his husband had set, they all had been set off. "Well," he said happily. "We have dinner!". He scooped Gaia up gently and carried her inside.


Gaia was afraid for a moment. "Dear lord, please tell me I am not dinner."

Ohanzee was confused. What did he mean by "we have dinner"? He followed him inside and it was actually pretty warm. But he would prefer it to be warmer, he didn't want to tell Aaron, Ohanzee was the guest and Aaron was in control of those things.

Aaron smiled softly at Gaia. "No, you're not dinner." he laid her on the couch and smiled softly. "Ohanzee, stay with her." he went back outside to collect the animals from the traps.



Gaia didn't feel like she was in as much pain and she sat up, smiling at Ohanzee. "Can I tell you a secret?" she looked at him with admiration and curiosity.

Ohanzee lightly smiled at Gaia.
"Sure, anything," he said cheerily.

"I don't think Regenard is going to come back for you," she looked at him and frowned, she hated saying this. "I think you and I were just extra pieces of his game." she looked down. "If he loses us, it doesn't matter. We aren't important to his war." she looked up at Ohanzee's eyes, this was truly what she thought. "I think that he just used us to get things done. That's why he didn't kill us," she licked her lips, contemplating what to say next. "But now, we're useless," she paused "And I'm not just saying this because he attacked me, he had reason to do that, just like you."

Ohanzee bit his lip and looked down. He had feared this, he just didn't want to believe it. He spoke after a long pause.
"You really think so?" he asked.

Regenard's knife began giving off a sound in Ohanzee's pack.
A voice spoke through it. Grey's.
"Listen, Ohanzee. I don't have much time to record this. Open the bottom of the knife. I left you and Gaia something. This is assuming we're all still alive. This was a prerecorded message. Remember the angels, Ohanzee, and how quickly they turn dark and fall."

Ohanzee looked at his pack, confused. He opened it and dug out the knife. He hesitated for a moment, then opened the bottom.

Inside was a note. It was stained with blood.
Written on it, in Regenard's handwriting, was:
"I've been stabbed, kid. I was out searching for Gaia. Found her. Sent her back to you. I'm in pain. Listen, if I'm still alive, find me. You'll hear my voice over the speakers in the city. The war has started. I want you at my side. Bring Gaia too, the sweet young girl. Reminds me of my own kin, she does. And you. You remind me of myself.
Listen, Ohanzee, lad. If I die, take my place. Lead the wastes to freedom. And when it's all over, cross the dead lands. There's an ancient battleship on the other side. I've named it the Rommel.
Take my body, and bury it at sea.
Let me finally drift."

Gaia read the note over Ohanzee shoulder and felt angry. "If I remind you of your own kin then why do you let me suffer!?" she stood up quickly, throwing the blanket off of her. "JUST FUCKING KILL ME ALREADY!" she was in pain but she didn't care anymore. She wasn't going to fight with Regenard, she had betrayed him, Ohanzee and everyone else. She didn't deserve to be in the war. She was glad that she was wrong about Regenard, but she would not go back to the city. She would die out in the tundra and finish the job Regenard should have done when she first held the knife to his throat.



Aaron came back in to see the girl yelling. He was dragging and young moose, a wolf and a snow fox. "I...Have..dinner..."

There was a small scrawling on the back, but it wasn't in ink. It was in Regenard's own blood.

"And tell Gaia I'm sorry I failed her, just like I failed my sister. I owe her and you a story about my past, kid."

Ohanzee bit his lip and stared at the note. Surely Regenard could wait a few days. Surely he wasn't dead. He bit his lip harder, drawing some blood. He couldn't lead a revolution. He decided. Regenard could wait a few more days, he could take care of himself. He stuffed the note in his pocket and put the knife back together, returning it to his pack. Besides, what was Ohanzee supposed to do out here in the tundra? He was alarmed by Gaia's shouting. And saw Aaron walk in with three animals. He was confused. He just wanted some time to think things over.

Gaia's heart sunk. "What is he trying to do to me?" she bit her lip and slid to her knees. "Ohanzee, Go back. Find Regenard." she looked up at him "i'll stay out in the tundra, I want you to tell him that I'm dead." she just wanted to be out of Regenard's life.


Aaron was nervous now. "Um, we set traps to protect the home and uh, we have...food." he was really confused. "What's going on?" he sat by Ohanzee, leaving the animals in the middle of the room.

"That man I told you about before wants me to find him and help him.." Ohanzee said. He was staring at the ground, he didn't want to talk.

Aaron frowned slightly. "Then, Go. I'll go with." he turned to Gaia. "And so will she."


Gaia laughed, there was something crooked and inhuman in the way she laughed. "No. I will not, you see, to that man," she looked down at the floor and smiled sadly, "I'm dead, to Ohanzee, I will be alive but not to Regenard, I'm a Cadet, remember?" she struggled to stand up and she didn't feel like she was in pain anymore. "Ohanzee," she walked to him and leaned in, tipping his chin up. "You need to help him."

Ohanzee looked at Aaron, then Gaia. He sighed, he never liked making these types of decisions.
"Okay," he gave up.

Gaia looked at Ohanzee. "I'm not gonna go back with you, I don't want to. I can't. I'm not good enough." she grabbed the moose, dragging it into the kitchen with her one arm. Amazed at her own strength she smiled.


Aaron looked at Gaia. "How the hell did she..?" He shook his head and hugged Ohanzee gently. "Hey, It'll be fine. We'll go back after we eat, Gaia will be safe here."

Ohanzee bit his lip and nodded. He hoped it would be fine. He hoped too many things sometimes though. He lightly shivered then mentally swore. He didn't want to show any signs of coldness or weakness.

Aaron laughed. "It's chilly here, isn't it?" he smiled softly and pulled away from Ohanzee.


Gaia sliced up the moose with amazing precision, after skinning it of course. She hacked it up, getting her anger out on it. "Aaron, I'm going to use some of your kindling on the stove." she threw some of it in, lit a match and threw it into the stove with the wood.


Aaron called out to Gaia, "Alright." he said before turning back to Ohanzee. "Don't worry about her, If she doesn't leave, she'll be okay."


Gaia tossed bits of the moose onto a small metal pan and slid it into the stove, above the fire. She threw various seasonings on it before going back into the room to join Ohanzee and Aaron. "Ohanzee, I won't leave this place, I promise."

Ohanzee smiled, knowing Gaia would be safe made him feel a lot better.
"Alright," he said. He realized he had only really said so many words since they arrived. The moose cooking smelt wonderful. He was cold and hungry, but atleast he was happy.

Gaia smiled at Ohanzee. "Make sure you tell Regenard that i'm sorry." She smiled sadly and sighed. "Ugh, that meat smells amazing. I'm so hungry i'd be fine with eating my own arm."

Aaron laughed "I'm pretty sure we left it out on the ground. Oh god."

Ohanzee laughed.
"That's......." he was trying to talk while laughing, which wasn't turning out too good, "terrible!" although he continued to laugh.

Gaia laughed. "I feel bad for whoever finds it." She frowned. "Oh god, What if Regenard does come back to get you and the first thing he sees is my de-tached limb."

Aaron smiled, he was enjoying the company of these people.

Ohanzee laughed and shrugged.
"Then I guess he'll be in for a surprise, won't he?" He laughed again then wrapped his arms around himself to help combat the chilly temperature.

Gaia went into the kitchen and pulled the moose out of the oven using a towel to hold the pan. She set it on the counter, it was a little hard at first but she did it just fine. "Boys, Come eat or at least take something to go." She was starved but she wanted them to eat first. She remembered Regenard's note and scowled. What did he mean he had come looking for her, he left her to bleed in the city. She was confused and angry, but she wasn't going to tell Ohanzee about Regenard's lie.


Aaron walked into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of the moose meat, throwing it into his mouth and chewed noisily. "This is great!" He said with a full mouth.