War and MG Chap 4

"Hey, wake up," Casey heard from somewhere, followed by light smacking on his cheek.

 

He groaned and his eyelids fluttered open, and once again Emrald was peering down at him. He was becoming rather fond of her green eyes.

 

"What can I help you with?" he grumbled out.

 

Somewhat annoyed by his attitude, Emrald narrowed an eye while looking at him.

 

"You can help by coming with me."

 

Looking him up and down, "You're a mess though, we'll have to get you cleaned up. You smell terribly and you're still covered in dirt." Her nose wrinkled as she smelled the air around Casey.

 

Then, picking at his clothes, "These rags will have to go as well."

 

Smacking his cheek until he sat up, she then nodded.

 

"You can stand and walk by yourself now, yes?"

 

Casey responded by swinging his legs off the bed and then standing unsteadily. He gave a grunt to indicate he was finished.

 

Her tails now swishing, Emrald smiled a bit. "Good, follow me."

 

Turning about, she proceeded towards the exit, her hands tucked into a long white jacket that was draped over her drab uniform. Casey noted that the back of the garment had a hole cut out of it to allow her tails out. Walking behind her, he noted how they swished in time with her steps. He was struck by a desire to touch one, but restrained himself, lest it cause an incident. They exited the infirmary and proceeded up and down a series of hallways. Casey wondered inwardly at the size of the compound. This was larger than any base he'd been on yet.

 

Eventually he picked up on the sound of running water and the rising humidity in the air. Leading him into a large room full of lockers and benches, she then marched him towards to a bench that was near the entrance to the showers. He noticed the large, muscular cow-girl was rummaging through a locker, pulling out clothing. She was also completely naked. He couldn't help but stare - his eyes drawn to her chest. Blushing and looking away, his action apparently caught the attention of the nearby fox.

 

"Ho... Hoho... like what you see, do you?," came her teasing voice.

 

"Ah, uh, normally men.. and women... are separated..." Casey mumbled out in response.

 

Noticing their approach, Reia turned to face them, making no attempt to hide herself.

 

"What'd you bring him here for?"

 

"As you can see, he's quite dirty. I need to get him cleaned up before we go meet with Serlov,' Emrald declared while patting him on the shoulder.

 

"When you're done, could you try and find some clothing that will fit him?"

 

Reia cocked an eyebrow.

 

"Is that an order?"

 

"If need be."

 

"Fine, I'll find something that he'll be able to wear," she said with a snort.

 

"Now then, take off those filthy rags. I'll get you something to wash with."

 

Casey watched Emrald wander off into a storage closet, though he did not make an effort to remove his clothing. Reia was still just feet away, and Casey was terribly embarrassed. He made many furtive glances at her body, and either he succeeded in avoiding notice or she simply did not care.

 

"Hey, you can't get cleaned up unless you remove those you know."

 

Casey turned towards Emrald, who set some clean rags and a bar of soap in his hands.

 

"C-could you please leave or look away?" Casey stammered out.

 

Emrald and Reia both gave him an incredulous look.

 

"Do you have some kind of deformity you're shamed of or something?"

 

Emrald prodded at him once again.

 

"No, it's just, uh, like I said before... women and men usually do not bathe together."

 

Emrald sighed.

 

"We've no time for your bashfulness. Reia, I will require your assistance - and yes, that is an order."

 

Letting out a deep sigh, Reia removed what clothing she had put on. Looking over, Casey was nearly horrified to see Emrald had managed to shed her garments in moments. Before he could react further, Reia held him still while Emrald stripped him bare. Still utterly speechless, Reia then forcefully pulled on his shoulders, pulling him into the showers. His attempts to cover himself were all in vain as Reia locked his arms in place while Emrald scrubbed him, occasionally raising his arms when the need to scrub arose.

 

They both dried off and redressed, then Reia went off in search of clothing. Throwing a towel at him, Emrald spoke in a most patronizing tone.

 

"Now was that so bad? Or do you humans not know how to clean yourselves?"

 

His face still flushed, "W-what was that all about? Don't you have any shame?"

 

"From what?" Came Emrald's curt response, a hand on her hip.

 

"Now hurry up and dry off. Or do I have to do that for you as well?"

 

He glowered at the fox woman, pausing for a moment before obeying her command. Casey then wrapped the towel around his waist in an attempt to regain some of his modesty. Never before had he seen such shameless and aggressive women. While thinking about his most recent violation, Reia appeared, clothing in hand.

 

"Grabbed these from one of the girls in my squad. She's about his size."

 

Tossing the shirt and pants on the bench, Reia walked out without another word.

 

"Good," Emrald said while nodding.

 

Casey noticed she seemed to nod to herself often.

 

"Now to appease you I'll turn around while you get dressed. Make it snappy," clapping her hands for added emphasis.

 

With no recourse, Casey begrudgingly donned the uniform. It was rather tight around his chest, but loose around his legs and hips. Probably due to being tailored for the female form, he thought.

 

"Fine, I'm ready now."

 

"About time," spinning around, her tails wrapping around her from the sudden movement.

 

Exiting the locker room, Casey spoke up. "Who is Serlov?"

 

"The base commander here. I've decided you'll be the go-to person for prisoner relations, so she wants to meet you."

 

Casey simply hummed in response as they walked. After a short walk Emrald stopped in front of a door that was emblazoned with text and symbols that Casey could not even hope to identify. Emrald knocked on the door.

 

"Captain Dirz and Prisoner Casey Smith, Colonel."

 

"Enter."

 

Emrald smiled and looked at Casey while she reached for the handle.

 

"Remember to be on your best behavior."

 

 

Seated... or not, Casey couldn't really tell, was the most unusual woman he'd seen yet behind a desk. A long and powerful looking snake body was coiled on top of itself, with a human female torso attached at one end.  Underneath the scales of her snake body he could make out powerful muscles as they contracted and relaxed. Looking from the snake portion to her human torso and face, he gave her a silent appraisal. She was handsome, with a regal face, and she wore her uniform well. She certainly looked the part of a commander. He looked down at the fox to his side, thinking her rather plain looking in comparison. Suddenly he caught his thoughts; why was he thinking about their looks? That should be the least of his concerns right now. He shook his head and regained his focus.

 

"So," the snake woman began. "Captain Dirz here has recommended that you be our prisoner liaison." She began to move out from behind the desk.

 

"We wish to keep things as amiable as possible for the time being. While you are prisoners, and will be treated as such, we do not wish to be barbaric or overly oppressive." She continued moving closer.

 

Casey looked over at the fox. She remained standing at attention, not looking at anything in particular. He turned back towards Serlov.

 

"Yes, we plan to question you. I would prefer to avoid... interrogation... so it behooves the both of us to cooperate." Her eyes narrowed to slits, her gaze never averting from Casey.

 

"What do you say?" She finally halted her slow slithering, scarcely a few feet away.

 

"I uh, I will try to work with you, but I cannot say the same for the others."

 

"Please do see to it that you encourage their cooperation, Casey Smith. If things proceed smoothly and your information corroborates, we will be able to advance our plans for you that much more quickly." She gave an odd smile.

 

"Do not worry, I assure you that you will be treated well at all times provided you do not resist."

 

So far Casey had no reason to doubt her words, but they still left him feeling uneasy. Again he was being asked to commit treason in exchange for avoiding torture or other such tactics. He wondered if it was worth it. He didn't know anything particularly damaging to the human war effort, especially seeing as how badly it was being pushed back. Any knowledge he had of army formations or deployments was likely long out of date by now. Convincing the others might prove to be difficult, however.

 

"I thank you for your hospitality then."

 

Serlov gave another odd smile.

 

"Good. For the next few days I will allow you and your men to recover from your wounds. Then we will begin the questioning. Those that are well enough will be assigned various labors around the base as well."

 

"That is fine."

 

Casey really had no choice but to agree. He decided to stay agreeable for now in an attempt to stay on her good side.

 

"Very well, Captain Dirz, Casey Smith, you are dismissed."

 

Emrald gave Serlov a salute, to which she responded with a salute of her own. Casey attempted to mimic the gesture, but it looked rather clumsy. Serlov gave a half-grin at his effort then returned to her desk. Emrald gave him a light tug, and the pair left the room.

 

"Well, she seems..." Casey trailed off.

 

"Seems what?"

 

"I... don't know. She seemed nice enough, I guess, but it felt like it was just a facade."

 

Emrald hummed in thought. "Maybe. She's effective though, so I don't give it much thought. She commands and I obey and all that."

 

"Say, how about you and I engage in some questioning of our own? I have plenty of time to while away"

 

Emrald's attitude was bright, her eyes full of curiosity. Casey shifted uneasily.

 

"Well, rather than trying to extract military information from you I'm more interested in you, specifically. Your world as you know it and all that. In exchange I'll tell you some about us. How about it?"

 

Emrald bound in front of Casey asking this, her tails dancing about energetically. He was hesitant. While he did feel oddly at ease here, despite being a prisoner, he was wary enough to avoid divulging information. Still, he thought, it seems like she's simply curious about the human world. He too was curious about her world, specifically why he had yet to see a single male anywhere. Their candid attitude in the locker room was also most interesting.

 

Suddenly his stomach rumbled, and he realized it had been over a day since he ate. Emrald's ears twitched at the sound.

 

"Ah, are prisoners allowed food?"

 

With a grin, Emrald responded "Of course. Let's go to the mess hall and we'll find you something."

 

 

 

Casey was surprised by the selection. Normally he was used to simply being given whatever gruel was available, but here there was the sort of food he would expect at a diner or have for a home-cooked breakfast. Eggs, toast, and sausage. There was even cheese available if one wanted to make an omelet.

Attacking the plate he had heaped with food, he devoured the meal with blazing speed. Emrald chuckled while watching him, resting her chin on her hand.

 

"Does your military not feed you or something? No, you don't need to respond."

 

Casey paused briefly to look at her, his cheeks buldging. Chewing and swallowing, he managed a response with only half a mouthful.

 

"Ey do, buh ih isn berry goo."

 

Emrald looked at him with disdain, frowning slightly.

 

"Swallow completely before you talk. No amount of magic will allow me to understand that."

 

"Sawwy"

 

Casey kept eating, going back for another plate full with Emrald's permission. There was an actual rationing system in place, but Emrald pulled doctor's orders and had it waived.

His stomach full, Casey felt rather tired again. How long would this questioning session with Emrald last, he wondered. After leaving the mess hall, Emrald guided him to her quarters. He was expecting a bit more from her room considering her attitude. The handful of furniture consisted of her desk, chair, bunk, and a night stand. The only decoration on the walls was a small... something made from a silvery metal. He couldn't guess as to what it was, but it looked vaguely religious in nature.

She sat down on her bed and patted on it, signaling for him to join her. She rolled up towards the head, then sat cross-legged as Casey sat on the edge.

 

She looked at him intently, and Casey suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable. Sitting on a bed with a woman he hardly knew in her room was not appropriate behavior. Before he could ruminate further, she fired off her first question.

 

"What do you think about us?"

 

Casey wasn't sure how to respond.

 

"What? What do you mean what do I think about you?"

 

Emrald crossed her arms.

 

"We're an invading army that you know little about. Certainly you have to have some opinion."

 

"Oh. Well, I used to think of you lots as demons hell-bent on conquering us. I'm not entirely sure that's true now."

 

"Ahhh? Where did you get that idea? The only reason we began our assault was because you attacked us!" Emrald practically yelled her response.

 

"Attacked you? What? From what I heard you began the invasion as soon as the portal opened." Casey furrowed his brow.

 

Emrald sighed and flopped over onto the bed.

 

"That is so wrong! When the portal opened, our forces remained at its outskirts. We sent envoys to discuss things with you humans, but they were called demons and witches by your religious groups. And..." she hesitated, "They wound up killing our envoys with little discussion."

 

Sitting back up and looking at Casey with something between rage and disgust,

"Your leaders would not even hear us out. They branded us within the day of our appearance and began attacking our forces. Combined with their ruthless butchering of our envoys - they sent their heads back on pikes! - it was not something we could tolerate. We responded to violence with violence."

 

Casey sat still for a while, considering her words. It seemed plausible... the churches weren't well known for their tolerance. Casey looked the fox-girl over, and thought about the others he had met. He could certainly see how they would cast them as demons from the onset.

 

"Well, if you were not here to invade us, why did you come?"

 

Emrald suddenly seemed hesitant to speak.

 

"I don't think I can tell you yet. It may be hard for you to accept... that's one of the reasons why we've captured you. Already I can tell you're thinking differently about us. That's good. I hope that in the weeks to come you will learn more about us. When the time comes I will tell you our purpose here. Now then, let's discuss something else, shall we?"

 

Casey was surprised at her words. He was there to learn about them? That would explain their kind treatment and leniency towards him and the other men. Though he was beginning to suspect Emrald was far more clever than her actions and demeanor let on.