Chapter 3

Jasmina hung her head and walked away from the traumatising voices. She couldn't bare to hear more. It hurt that she wasn't the one to hold Tyler's heart, though it wasn't a surprise. She looked up as she crossed the borderline from the Brother Band encampus and the main tents of both the Alkali and Brother Bands. Her father, Alkali Patriarch Enio Lawrencium, stood in front of his office tent waving her over.

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Tyler nodded his thanks to the stall holder as he took his ration of potatoes and goat meat. He goes and sits with his back to a tree overlooking everyone as he ate. A shiver rippled down his back and a strange yet slightly familiar feeling with it; awakening the being inside him. He had felt this instinct ten years ago, fifteen minutes before the compounds attacked the Brothers; twelve years ago, twenty minutes before the compounds attacked the training group and his father.

He carefully, slowly and unobtrusively moved his head and eyes to gaze around the clearing. There! A glint of gear and a slight rustle of leaves. Tyler stood up and made his way to one of the young-senior and experienced Brother of his high commanders. He dropped his empty wooden plate in a grass-weaved bag of other plates as he passed on his way and pulled up beside the confused male.

"Get everyone out of here Mil. Don't bother packing anything. You've got ten minutes max." He told and started to walk towards Enio's tent.

Mil looked startled at the sudden command and called, "Why! We're safe here!"

"Do not question me on this. Just get both Bands outta here. Nine minutes!" Was the calm reply. A few Cavats who were interested between the exchange and had stopped their tasks were soon put back to work rounding up everyone and haling them out of the encampment.

Tyler, meanwhile, discreetly fast walked to the Operations tent and pushed the flaps aside not bothering about announcing his arrival beforehand. The two stunned faces of Jasmina and her father were no setback to him as he dived right into deep waters.

"We need to get everyone out of here. I've already set a one of my men to start getting everyone out. We can come back for the tents and equipment later but right now we've got to go." As Jasmina's 'fiancé' Tyler had to show the right actions and emotions around her in front of an audience and he grabbed her forearm to escort her out of the tent. A hand gripped his wrist intensely.

"Were do you think you're going with my daughter and what are you doing with my Band?" Enio hissed. Tyler turned his head calmly, defensively and cautiously.

"I'm saving your skin. Trust me when I say we need to go. Compounds will be attacking soo-" Screams block out the end of the word. The three turned their heads towards the tent entrance, transfixed by the sound. Tyler swore under his breath. They were early. He let go of of Jasmina and replaced his hold on her with her father's after ripping it from himself.

"Get her out of here and keep the Bands safe." He directed, his overall power coming out and dwindling the Alkali Patriarch's. Tyler turned and jogged out the tent, his hand on the sword at his side. He stopped once outside to look around to get a quick bearing reset and ran towards where a fight was breaking out. He took his and away fro the sword hilt noticing the compound initiating the attack was female and unarmed and going for the closest child. Five metres away, he pushed off the ground and tackled the female away from the innocent. They rolled for twenty metres into the training area before pushing off each other and standing ready for a charged. Tyler assessed his opponent quickly taking in the expert stance of a warrior. Since when did compounds train their females?  The female dive rolled and grabbed a sword from the rack. Her stance, still steady, had Tyler's hand hovering an inch from his sword hilt. The split second tension was snapped as the female Cavat swung an overhand swipe at Tyler. With a flick of his wrist, Tyler's sword was out of its scabbard and blocking the stroke with ease. The compound glared hard at him before continuing her assault.

Backhand, thrust, left sidestroke, overhead!

Tyler easily blocked, parried and deflected each one and got his own in at the same time. In no time Tyler had flicked the compounds sword up and out of her hands and across the training area. She realised that she was in a bad predicament and swung a high kick at Tyler's side. It vibrated from his hands and into his arms as he absorbed the blow, already knowing a bruise would form from the impact. The female narrowed her eyes and backed up warily into the shrubbery of the forest.

Tyler, his body ever in the ready, turned sideways to the left, avoiding the punch from behind. A quick recession in the other direction protected him from the partnered attack. As he turned to face them, Tyler disabled one of the male compounds with a swift kick to the waist and punched the other one in the face. He waited for them to regain their legs then ducked as they simultaneously punched out at him. He twisted his legs while he was on the ground and took out their legs out from under them. And then it all ended. Tyler was taken by surprise as he was whacked over the head with something hard as he turned to confront the sudden presence behind him. He blinked for a few seconds trying to clear his vision. He caught sight of the female compound with a thick branch on her hands before everything blacked out and he fell to the ground with a thud.