Humanatis

 It hadn't stopped raining since he landed. He walked home amongst its drops, ignoring them for the anticipation of seeing her after so long. Although he looked as if he'd fallen into a pond, and some distant part of him was cold and longed to be back in that horrid desert he'd been in for the last two years, he trudged on, picking up pace as he neared his home. She had kept him alive in that dreadful place, and wholly sane unlike some of the others he'd fought alongside. Dreaming of her warmth and her soft skin against his, her smile and her loving eyes was the only reason he was alive. More than the armor he'd worn, more than the advanced

 Davinius Feletzius vaulted over a fractured retaining wall, falling several feet and rolling to catch himself. Coming out of the roll, he opened fire, ripping several Therian troopers to shreds with his M50. He turned to his right as rounds ricocheted from his breast and shoulder plating. The Arch Captain loosed another volley, hammering a Therian nest, a burst of orange lifeblood signaling a hit. Davinius rose to his feet, surveying the ruins around him. Night had fallen, and the Mass-Deployment was underway. His squad caught up to him, dropping down from the ledge at his back one at a time. Incoming shells zipped overhead, chipping away

His words slithered betwixt his lips like a serpent seeking its prey. His every movement emphasized power and control; flowing, angelic, and intelligent. Graceful was the word that came to Ithica’s mind. He looked over his shoulder at her occasionally, light glinting in his yellow eyes. He was, she thought, beautiful. “I must say,” he stopped, “that the cherry blossoms are quite beautiful.” Xaul sighed. “So dark, the black petals, yet so very enjoyable to behold.” “Indeed, they truly are,” Said Ithica cheerfully. “You fit right in, Xaul.” She smiled. He strode backward, smil