I wholly believe that fences are a precaution meant for humans. They’re just so much more fragile. Beyond the wooden fence of Panglao Point I’d found a few stone outlooks jutting out from the cliffside just wide enough for someone like myself to sit.

From here I had an unobstructed view of the ocean and Ma Anod. Ma Anod was the largest city the Sire and to be honest, I’ve only ever stepped foot there a handful of times. Ma’am never liked straying far from the island. Heck, even when going to the mercity I was always accompanied by one of her soldiers.

I suppose that’s why I’m always finding myself in such odd places. I’d always contorted myself in the deepest crevice to escape her subordinates.

I still wonder why she never liked us visiting the mainland.

“What in the—how did you—” Coraline’s voice cracked in surprise when she found me.

“Ate,” I chirped, giving a small wave. She rolled her eyes and hopped over the fence, planting herself right above me.

“I should’ve known I’d find you in such a weird place.” She grumbled. “So. How you holding up?”

I leant against the bumpy cliff. “It’s been…something.” I said, my voice diminishing. She was used to my whining. There was no point in sugarcoating things. “Everyone keeps bringing up ma’am. They look at me as if…” I was so tired of repeating myself. “I wish I could start over in a new Sire where no one knows me.”

Coraline laughed bitterly and rested her feet on my head. “It was just as bad for me my first year.” She said. “…Actually, it was worse since she was there.”

“Mmm.” There was nothing I could add to that. The shadow of our eldest sister was something that stretched beyond the green sea.

“What you’re going through right now, it’s only the surface of what I endured.” Coraline said. “Everyone knew me as Mom’s kid. They expected the same rage, and skill, and bloodthirsty strength. It didn’t help that Pom was considered a prodigy. I either had to be like her, or better than her.”

She sighed and stared at Ma Anod, where our eldest sister Pom had last left her tracks.

“Everyone expected so much out of me…and I forced myself to meet their expectations. Being here is so draining and boring.” I looked up to Coraline and searched her aggravated face. I’d never known it was that bad for her. She complained too, but not to this degree… “Y’know, I only swapped to Officer class because Lori told me to. So when she was appointed commander, I was her first pick for second. It was a win-win.”

“In what way?” I asked.

Coraline smirked crookedly. “Just think about it, Rocca. Everyone in this academy has ulterior motives. Everyone.”

I thought back to my pod. …Even Ofelia?...Even Snyder?

Even…Chid?

* * *

Dear Captain, I wrote. Is it true that everyone has ulterior motives?

“What are you doing?” a voice chimes from next to me.

I slapped shut my whaleskin notebook and tucked it under my chest. Something snapped under me, and I winced at what was likely my bamboo stylus. My coconut container of sap ink remained completely visible.

Cal blinked innocently at me. I can’t help but recall Coraline’s last warning.

Everyone.

“Oh…j-just writing a letter…to my sister.” I said.

“The one working for Lady Corey?” he asked.

I chuckled faintly. “So you knew.”

“You told me personally, Rocca.” he reminded. “You were so proud.”

“…I still am.” I murmured. It was easy to stare at him from down here, laying on our banig mats. How he kept his hair fluffy, even when damp from the water, was something I planned on pondering all night…

But then something heavy splatted on my other side. I turned and groaned. How did I manage to get sandwiched between my dear Cal and this ass Chupacabra?

“Don’t get excited,” he said, “It wasn’t my idea to sleep next to you either.”

I scoffed and turned fully to Cal. Commander Lori blew her shell horn for attention.

“Alright guppies! Here’s what we’re doing.” She said in her standard loud voice, completely ignoring the sleeping pods nearby. “As you can see, you’re all arranged to sleep side by side alternating boys and girls. In battle, getting a moment’s rest is crucial. Now’s the time to get over your reservations of sleeping next to strangers.”

I propped myself up on my elbow and glanced over at Tima sandwiched between Chid and Snyder. Poor girl.

“We will be doing hourly rotations for lookout.” Lori continued. “I will start it out. In an hour I will wake Snyder, who will be on lookout for an hour, then wake Tima, and so on and so forth. Any questions?”

I’m only going to get four hours of sleep. Great.

“We’ll be using my pocket watch to keep time, so please, if you want to live, don’t you dare lose it.” Lori pointedly looked at me. I buried my head on my soft rucksack. “NOW GO SLEEP.”

* * *

I shivered awake. A strange alarm went off in my senses. It felt too peaceful. Maybe because I was so used to sleeping in tight, dark spaces, my unease came with being out in the open. I was squashed close between my podmates but I guess it wasn’t secure enough.

I stared sleepily at Cal’s cute profile soft lit by the remains of our campfire nearby. How does he sleep on his back? I felt embarrassed staring at him for too long, so I shifted over to my other side.

I became face to face with Chimney. Wait. He’s actually sleeping with the mask on? Doesn’t his face hurt? I barely had to reach to touch the glaze wood grain. I reached back to pull out the knot.

Really, to hide from us even now…

“AIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!” a girl’s shriek echoed through camp, and in two seconds half the laying bodies were on their feet. I quickly pulled back just as Chimney snapped up. Synder, on duty, only inched out far enough to see what was going on. Commander Lori reached for her coral rod.

“Everyone stay put,” she ordered, soft yet stern. I snatched my gijo stick from under my rucksack and clenched the wood. Would I really need to fight for myself, now? Half awake? Where could I run?

“OOF! HNNNNG!” someone was getting pummeled at the far end of the pods and it was too much, I felt like puking.

Chimney’s heavy arm fell across my wooden sword. I glanced up questioningly but he still remained facing towards the danger, shoulder’s pricked. I noted that I was at the perfect position to pull his mask loose.

Snyder and Commander Lori returned unharmed as the noises died down.

“It’s handled,” was all she said before plopping back down on her mat. I threw a bewildered expression at Snyder and hoped he could see.

(What happened?!) I signed in one frantic motion.

“There was a—”

Before he could answer, a girl from another pod came over and worriedly tapped her wrist. (Medic??)

Snyder gave me a helpless look and shrugged. I eagerly pointed to my sister at the end of our sleeping row. He pointed at me to get her. I hurried to her side and shook her awake. She growled and threw out a clawing hand. I was savvy enough to remember not to sit that close.

(What??) She shook out her claw hand. I tapped my wrist. She got up faster than I expected and picked up her bag. No snide remark, no grimace. If anything, she actually looked enthused.

Snyder pointed the way and I followed, ever the curious busybody. We followed him to Araceli’s pod. A girl was being comforted while several boys pointed their gijo sticks at a bruised stranger on the ground. Looks like they’d already gotten their fill clubbing him and then some.

“Some creep snuck into camp while that girl was…” Synder blushed, “Um, using the woods, and uh, he basically tried to take her home.”

We watched Coraline inspect the older man and fish for ointment in her bag. She giggled every time the man winced when she poked a bruise.

“…It’s crazy that your sister is the only one they brought up here with first aid training.” Snyder muttered.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so amused. She found everything else on this trip a bore. “Crazy,” I agreed.