Clydde the young Detta, wiped off the sweat from his forehead and quickly reloaded his mechanical crossbow "Annabelle".   Loud shouting could be heard has paint projectiles flied over the practice field.   Clydde swallowed his saliva and started to whisper soft words to "Annabelle" has he moved to his right, out from the protection of the wall and aimed at the nearest target.   A successful hit.   One more down, 3 to go.    Adrenaline rushed through his veins and a scream echoed from his throat has paint projectiles explodes around his face.   He quickly covered himself with the wall to his left.

        He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, never leaving the corner of the wall where is opponents where closing in.   Clydde shouted for an Alpha tactic but no one from his team answered his call.   He turned the head to look for his other team mates but realized he was the only one remaining in Blue team.   Just to make sure Clydde shouted again: "Code Alpha!!!   Calling Code Alpha!!!   Code Alpha to section 3B" but got no answers.   All his team mates were down.   He cursed and could not believe he was the last survivor.   Complete terror filled his mind and he almost panicked, knowing there was still 3 other persons from the Red Team, closing on him to hunt him down.

        The young Detta was now very tired and the equipment he was wearing seemed to weight tons has he began to ran in another direction has he heard his opponents coming.   Again he saw and heard paint projectiles exploding inches from him without touching him.   Clydde jumped on the grass and rolled to cover, dodging a few other paint balls.   Recovering from his roll, he grabbed his crossbow with both hands and aimed through "Annabelle's" scope and fired several shots at his moving opponents.   He hit one target on the legs but missed the other shots.   The young Detta hid in a nearby trench has a paint ball exploded just 1 inch left of his face, sending paint on his eyeshade.

        Now ducked in the trench, he took the opportunity to try to wipe of the paint but only to spread it on the eyeshade, leaving him almost blind.   His heart was pounding at an alarming paste has he heard his opponents calling a Tango Code; a pincer attack.   Clydde knew he could not get out of this one...   He was going to lose.   The young Detta try to force his luck and start to ran, following the trench at his left.   He quickly noticed a figure rising from outside the trench to fire at him.   With reflexes that surprised him even more than his opponent, he jumped and rolled out of the way of the projectiles and fired back wildly at him.   With all the stress he shot about 10 rounds just to be sure he would hit the target, and he did.    He could barely believe what he did.

        He was about to scream in cheers has he heard quick footsteps coming behind him.   He did not turned over but climbed the trench to get out has the small figure behind him was closing in and skillfully shooting at him, barely missing him again.   Clydde wanted to scream in terror but no sound was escaping his dry throat.   Too nervous, he tried to climb but felled in the trench, straight on his back.   Out of breath, he breathed heavily causing more and more steam on his eyeshade, rendering him completely blind.   He emptied him magazine in the direction where the footsteps came from but without hitting anything.   The young Detta's heart almost stopped has he heard he sound his empty magazine made when the last shot was fired.   There was no time to reload, he had to do something and fast.   The term 'close combat' came inside his mind has he stood up on his feet and ran toward his opponent, barely seeing through his mask.   For reasons he did not know, his opponent did not fire at him but was simply standing there, waiting for his charge.   Completely exhausted and encumbered by the heavy gear he was wearing, he clumsily leaped at his opponent to pin it down but was sent flying to the ground by a well executed Dettanbo technique.

        He felled on his back and did not got the time to react as his opponent climbed on top of him, immobilizing him to the ground and pinning both his arms under its knees.   It was all over.   Clydde felt a great disappointment for an instant has he tough how close he got to victory.   He sigh deeply but was surprise has his opponent took of his mask.   The young wanderer's eyes widened has he saw the young women on top of him, taking of her mask, revealing a irresistibly beautiful face under camouflage make-up.

    -    Well if it isn't the handsome Private Clydde, said the young woman with a wide grin, tossing her silky brown hair from of her face.

    -    "Corporal Annia?   W... what a nice surprise to see you here..."   answered the young Detta with a huge smile on his face, now feeling happy to have been defeated by such an admirable opponent.

    -    "Yeah, nice to see you too..."   said Annia.

        Annia finally stood up and grinned to Clydde has she rose her crossbow toward him and shot.   The young wanderer did not had the time to avoid the projectile and took it on the chest.   He grimaced in pain has the young woman giggle.

    -    "Gotcha!"

    -   "Yes you did"   answered Clydde helping her to climb and enjoying the nice view under her.

        After today's training and the paint ball practice, Clydde was tired and drank a cool refreshing ale to relieve himself from the stress he encountered today.   All his muscles ached and he felt sleepy.   He ate supper with his fellows soldiers but then returned to his quarters to get some sleep.   On his way, his superior approached him and gave him a letter.

       -    "Here you go private, this came for you this morning"   affirmed the sergeant handing him the letter.

        Clydde nodded and thanked his superior.   He wondered from who could came the letter...   No one knew he was in the Dettan army now.   Too tired to care, the young Detta put the letter in his pockets and continued his way toward his quarters.

        When he entered the sleeping quarters, he grinned has he noticed that some other soldiers, like him, exhausted by today's training, were gathered in the quarters to get a good night of sleep.   He unpacked his stuff and quickly lied on his bed, without even removing his boots.   Clydde smiled broadly from being comfortable and slowly began to fall asleep but woke has he remembered the letter.   Shaking his head to fight the sleep, he pulled out the envelope from his pockets and opened it.   He then read the letter:

                                 "   Clydde, you must flee the Ancient's Domain has soon has possible, you are
                                 in great danger.   Your father Hetram, was killed not because of a mistake he
                                 made but due to a sabotage caused by his best friend, Goddart.   Your father
                                 was dealing with a crime organization called the "Nameless Rogues" that
                                wanted to destroy the Dettan's effort in the excavations.   He didn't respect some
                                sort of engagement and got killed by Goddart who was working for them.   Im
                                sorry if I do not know more but please, leave the Ancient's Domain fast or some-
                                thing terrible will happen to you.   "

        At first the young Wanderer didn't believed the letter and read it a couple of time.   Finally, he didn't knew why, but then he started to believed the words.   This hand writing...   He could not tell why, but inside him, he felt it was telling the truth.   Slowly, images of his father and mother started to reappears into his mind.   He remembered himself with his father, working in the basement on some sort of new mechanism he invented in school.   The face of his mother came alive has he recalled himself training with her at the art of Dettanbo in their dojo.   Clydde lowered the head and sobbed silently has his parent's gentle and caring faces filled his mind.   His face turned red with anger, sorrow and turmoil has he ripped the letter in his hands.   After the loss of his father, the suicide of his mother and his loss of everything else, the letter hit like a hammer upon his soul. He stood up, studied by his fellow soldiers who were wondering what was happening to him, walked to the fireplace and dropped the remaining of the letter in it.   He looked at the letter burn has he continued to sob without a sound.

        -    "You okay buddy?"   asked Manni, one of his friend.

        The young Detta shook the head negatively and asked him to leave him alone.   Silently Manni nodded and backed away slowly.   Clydde took a deep breath, wipe off the tears that was blinding him and walked back to his bed.   He lied in the bed and tried to sleep but could not keep himself from sobbing and thinking about his parents.   His heart was torned and destroyed into  pieces and he felt great pain in his chest.   It took him many hours before he could find some sleep.   This night, he made horrible nightmares.

        The day after, he told his superior he was quitting, barely telling him that he received some disturbing news and that he had to go.   He told the same thing to his friends, and packed his personal things.

    -    "Were do you think your going?"   furiously asked Annia entering the quarters where Clydde was packing his stuff.   "Your just gonna go like that without saying good-bye?"

        Clydde slowly turned his eyes toward the beautiful Annia but his face remained sad and cold.

    -    "Im sorry, I forgot.   I cannot tell you where im going but it's for personal business"   he replied.

    -    "What's so important?   So important that you cannot tell ME?!?"   nervously shouted the young woman.

        Clydde did not answer but only gave her a sad glance that spoked for him.   Annia saw the sorrow in his eyes.   She suddenly felt bad but did not apologies.

    -    "Are you coming back at least?"   she asked.

    -    "Don't know."   he answered coldly.

        Clydde finished packing his stuff and started to walk toward the exit of the quarters.   He stop beside her.

    -    "It's about my father, something I have to find out.   That's all I can tell you and please, keep it for yourself okay?   Good-bye now..."

    -    "G... good-bye and take care of yourself..."   she whispered to herself has he departed.

        Silently, Annia stood in the room for a couple of minutes, shocked from Clydde's sudden departure.   She secretly liked him.   She sighed.   Tonight, dark clouds filled the sky and soon, heavy rain felled upon the Ancient's Domain.   A storm was to be expected.