Part 94: Interview 47 Bonus

Barracks 47 - The Lakeside Ladies

Around the lake near the joint camp, a pair of girls are chatting excitedly whilst they dip their toes into the cool water.

“Man, I miss sharing a room with you, Ludmilla.” Eva sighs contentedly as she allows the water to cool her down.

“Same here, E. But I guess the joint camp is fun too. So many more people to meet, you know?”

“That’s very true.”

“Still, it’s good to get some time with you. I was worried you were gonna be joined at the hip with Alina for the rest of the campaign.” Ludmilla says, chuckling. Eva shakes her head.

“I ain’t that bad, come on!”

“Hello, ladies.” says a voice from behind them. They turn to see Fenya striding up. “I… hope you don’t mind if I join you?”

“Of course not!” Eva says, grinning. “I owe you one, anyway. About what we talked about…”

“I already told you. I will ensure that you don’t gamble your money away. I suppose it’s even more important now that you’ve got Alina to worry about.” Fenya says. “I shall help.”

“God, you’re the best, Fenya.”

It’s the first time Fenya’s received a compliment, and she can’t help but blush. As the girls sit and chat, they soon attract the attention of a few more girls who come wandering over - these ones are from other countries.

“Hey, isn’t that super cold?” asks Khepri. She’s with Amarah and Petra of Green Earth, and they all sit besides the Blue Moon ladies.

“Oh, it’s perfect temperature.” Ludmilla says, shaking her head. “I’m Ludmilla, and this is Eva and Fenya. You guys are Yellow Comet and Green Earth, I take it?”

“Gosh, how did you guess?” Amarah grins, feigning mock surprise. “That’s us! This joint camp has been quite a learning experience, you know?”

“No kidding.” Petra replies. “There are so many people to talk to, it’s kind of overwhelming!”

“Always good to meet new friends, though.” Eva replies. “I introduced the Orange Star boys to Blue Moon poker the other day, and they really liked that.”

“It’s how cultures work. This is a melting-pot of four countries’ cultures, all here in this camp, different ideas moving around. When we all leave, we’ll take different pieces of different cultures with us.” Ludmilla replies.

“I suppose that’s true. What’s Blue Moon’s culture like?” Petra asks.

“Very similar to Orange Star, since we border with them. Weather’s a bit colder.” Fenya replies.

“In terms of folklore, we believe in the Incarnation, a spirit of snow who lives in the depths of Blue Moon. He brings winter every year!” Eva says.

“The Incarnation, huh?” murmurs Amarah. “That sounds interesting.”

“Some people get blessed by the Incarnation, on rare occasion. It’s how Olaf can bring snow with him wherever he goes.” Ludmilla replies. “The rest of us just celebrate him on the winter solstice, which usually involves a big party and making snow sculptures and stuff.”

“That’s fun!” Khepri says, her eyes sparkling.

“What about you? Green Earth have the, um, Goddess, is that correct?” Fenya asks.

Petra nods. “We do! The Goddess rules the Forest of Light, and one day, we’ll all return there when we pass on. It’s a beautiful forest full of sparkling lights and golden skies. I wanna see it one day!”

“That does seem beautiful.” Ludmilla replies. “So you’re all connected to nature?”

“Yup. The skies, the oceans, the land itself. Our COs can sometimes command that land - like my teacher, Drake! The seas themselves answer his command, and it’s thanks to the Goddess!” Petra replies.

“We don’t really have any exciting beliefs.” Khepri says, trying to think. “I mean, a lot of the world’s oldest religions started in Yellow Comet, but most of them are quite niche these days. Our main religion is based around a God who made the world.”

“And does he give your COs their power, too?” Fenya asks.

“Unfortunately not!” Khepri says, shrugging. “But, on the other side of the coin, the Emperor is, religiously, intended to be God’s form on Wars World. So, if you’ve ever wondered why our soldiers are so devoted to Emperor Kanbei… it’s because he’s quite literally their God, according to scripture!”

“The more you know. The man doesn’t come across as particularly godlike…” Amarah says. “Uh, that’s not offensive, is it?”

“Oh, nah! We’re much more chill about religion these days, it’s not a super important thing for most people in Yellow Comet. Emperor Kanbei is still important, of course, just not super-duper important.” Khepri says.

“I think that’s pretty interesting. Guess we’ve got a whole bunch of different beliefs.” Eva says. “Eh, religion’s not really my deal though.”

“I’m curious to know more though! What’s this Incarnation really like?” asks Amarah.

“I’m familiar with the stories of the Incarnation.” Fenya says. “We’ve got some free time. Um, how about I tell you a few?”

“I’d love to hear them, Fen.” Ludmilla says. “I’m not too familiar with them myself…”

“Yeah, that’d be amazing!” Petra replies.

Fenya nods. “Alright, alright. Let’s see… the best place to start is the story of the Endless Winter, when the Incarnation first came to Blue Moon…”