"You're crazy!" Windy hissed.

"Batshit," Ozwald grinned a bit too widely. He stood lopsidedly, deep red blood running down his face from a wound on his forehead. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and his wrists bled from the chains and rope he was bound with.

In Spere's hand was her trusted katana. Beside her was Windy, a look of horror on his face, and a metal tube in his hand as a weapon. Boss had long gone.

Spere still had not spoken a word, and instead merely observed the way that Windy had beaten him over and over again only to get no information. Finally, she pushed Windy aside, pulled her katana into her hands threateningly, and prepared to speak. Windy gave her a wide-eyed glance. She returned it with narrowed eyes steadily and confidently, reading let me show you how it's done.

First, she thwacked each of the grey haired man's calves with the flat side of her blade. He growled in agony, and dropped to the ground on his knees. He spat in the dirt.

Spere first swung her sword at him, ripping the rope he was bound with. Then, she pushed her foot into his chest and pushed him onto his back. He gasped, winded, and she loomed over him hopefully menacingly.

Once he could breathe, the man glared at her, and hissed, "You won't kill me."

Spere smirked, "No, I won't. I'll keep you alive for as long as I am, just so I can pound you, and hurt you, and starve you, over and over and over again." Ozwald was unfazed.

Spere pulled one of his arms up, her foot still on his chest, on the ground, so he could not resist. Slowly, gently, Spere touched the sharp side of her sword to the edge of one of his fingers.

"I'll skin you," she growled, "And you'll live through every moment of it." Ozwald attempted to pull his hand back, but Spere did not let him. Instead, carefully, she slipped the edge of the katana over his fingertips, slicing his skin. He screamed, and used his other hand to smack Spere's ankles, but she didn't budge.

Finally, she pulled away, and lifted her foot from his chest. Ozwald gripped his torn fingers with his opposite hand, sat up, and pulled his knees close to his chest, weeping dryly and rocking slightly.

"Tell us everything. How did they train you? What are you guys planning? Why do you want to destroy us?"

Eventually, Ozwald's weeping was stifled. He sniffed, and growled, "They trained us like any other."

Windy piped up, "How so? Explain."

Ozwald grumbled something beneath his breath, licked his wounded fingertips, then huffed, "They train us from a young age. How to build wings. How to fly them. How to do hand-to-hand combat. How to die honorably."

Spere pointed her blade at him threateningly, although this sunken eyes looked bored now, and she said, "You will teach us these things."

"I'm valuable to you, then? You won't hurt me," he chuckled, and shakily got to his feet. Spere wanted to thrust her blade into his abdomen. A moment after, she was horrified at the thought. Somehow, she managed to keep a stone face.

"I can hurt you. I will torture you. If you die in the process then we will simply capture another. Perhaps a child, who is stronger than a fool such as yourself, so we can prolong the torture..." Ozwald's eyes widened, and he coughed for a moment before sitting back down. He clutched his injured hand.

He sighed after a moment of silence, "Ok. I'll teach you these things."

"Good." Spere pulled her sword back. Then, she continued, "What are you people planning?"

"We want to take over your compound," he responded heavily. Spere nodded slowly. That made sense. Their compound was full of supplies.

Suddenly, there was a sound. Spere couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was distant.

Windy took a few steps closer to Spere, "What was that?" The sound played again. Almost like screaming...

"Dogs..." Spere realized.

"Are you sure?" Windy gave her a surprised look.

She turned back to him and nodded, "We're in the Dingo enclosure. Boss must be keeping them alive."

"Dingo enclosure? What does that mean? And why would he do that?" Windy asked.

Spere raised an eyebrow, "Did you not read the sign at the gate?" Windy glanced away, running a hand through his hair. She sighed, "You can't read?" He shook his head.

Spere explained, "Well, the sign said we're in the dingo enclosure. A dingo is a type of wild dog. Most dogs nowadays could be classified as dingos, I think. Boss must've kept them here for the prisoners..."

"Oh." The howls grew louder.

"Alright, let's get him back to camp," Spere said. Windy nodded.

She blindfolded him, holding the sword to his throat, and tied his hands again. They dragged him along and out of the enclosure, and made sure to lock the gates on their way out. In the distance, Spere could make out canid figures. A dozen or so. She had been right. Mist soon filled the air and concealed the animals.

"I can't see much..." Spere admitted. The fog had quickly grown thick, and the sky was deep grey. Thunder rumbled in the distance. She and Windy attempted to lead Ozwald by his chain and ropes across the distance to Boss' building.

Windy slank his arm around Spere's waist, and said, "We'll guide each other." She didn't reject him. Instead, she put her arm around him as well, and held the chains tightly in her other hand.

Eventually, they made it to Boss' building. Windy pulled his arm away from Spere before he entered the building. Boss gave them a look of approval as he saw the two pull in the bruised and tattered Ozwald, dried blood covering his hands and face. They pushed him into the kennel, where he sat and sighed. They locked the door.

"Get anything out of him?" Boss asked from where he sat.

Spere nodded, "Give him a paper and charcoal. He will write how to build wings and fly with them. He will teach us how they taught him. Also, they're attacking us because they want our campus." Spere listened for a moment to the crackling of the small fire. She found comfort in it.

Boss nodded, "Good work, you two. Feel free to stop by anytime to try again for more information. For now, you're dismissed. Go to sleep early, it's getting wet which means a lot of ice will form, and a lot of work will have to be done tomorrow."

"Thank you, Boss," Spere said. Windy nodded his agreement.

Then, right as they began to walk out the door, Boss said, "Be careful... I think there's a spy of theirs on our campus."

Windy replied, "Thanks, Boss. We'll be careful." Then, he and Spere walked out the door. It clicked shut behind them. They walked away from the building in silence for a few moments. Then, Windy stopped Spere by putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him, a question on her face, reading why did you stop walking?

Without a word, he put his arms around her, and pulled her close to his chest. Spere almost pushed him away at first, before she realized what was happening. After a moment, however, she leaned into his warmth, and let herself melt into his arms. She didn't feel romance, or even love, as she assumed he likely did. But, she felt safe, and that was something.