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Shena awoke to the sound of thunder outside her tent.

A tear in the damp fabric above had allowed rain drops to fall onto her face. She shouldn't have minded the coldness of the moisture. After all her kind had evolved from the sea. And although they have long since passed the hindrance of only breathing water; for them water was their life and their strength and to despise it should have gone against her very instinct as an aquatic.

Regardless, she still could not help but feel annoyed by the continued disruptive rhythm of the droplets hitting her forehead and interrupting her two hours of sleep.

"Never thought I would be sick of water." she muttered to herself drearily before letting out a long exhausted yawn. Her hand moved across her face to wipe away the frigid water. She stared and played with the small droplets as they traveled down the fingers' of her gloves.

     It had been nearly four years since she had seen the clear oceans surrounding the capital. Five long years of fighting in lands she had never visited, against races she had never met prior to her deployment.

But coming from a military family, she was expected to fulfill her duty to herself and her family name once tyranny unveiled its ugly presence in the world yet again. Especially at the hands of her nations enemies.

She was honored to fight for the monarchy, and besides its not as if she had been raised to do anything but be a soldier anyhow.

So now here she was, in charge of this mess.

     Shena and her men had been ordered to defend a local mountain pass leading to the last jungle province of the monarchy from falling into enemy hands. They just had to hold out until reinforcements arrived. Or so they were told.

Her platoon's camp was located atop a massive elevated mound near a ditch of muddy stone ruins and vines deep within the jungle, that had been destroyed from battles long since passed. It was cold, damp, and it had not stopped raining in months. Everyone was miserable, on both sides.

The enemy had been ordered to take the pass, and had tried and failed nine times before. But they had been repelled desperately by Shena's platoon in each of the previous waves.

They would have just given up and gone home if they were any ordinary mercenaries, for money was the only incentive for their kind usually in this war.

But these were no ordinary mercenaries.

They were facing army ant's. The most destructive and aggressive of all ant races.

Their queen had rented her nomadic warriors cheaply to fight for their neighboring nation, the wealthy Savanna Sovereignty, in another desperate effort to lift her shattered empire out of poverty and return it to it's ancient glory.

'They would never surrender' as Shena sadly knew all to well.

When army ants have a mission tasked by their royal highness, they will complete it through sheer numbers and brutality or die trying. After all they viewed their own lives as worthless, and their mother could always make more to replace her fallen children.The bodies of their dead brothers and sisters had piled up near the pass, and the bugs had actually pushed them together to form a makeshift barrier for cover from Shena's  soldiers.

'The depths some will go to achieve victory.' Shena thought to herself disgusted. But then again maybe she should not have been one to judge another species actions and history given her own ancestry.

She shifted and turned over in her bed trying to get comfortable. Wrapping her thin tail behind her slender body as her head hung carelessly over the side, seeing a distorted reflection in a puddle on the muddy floor. Two black soulless eyes, a long pointed snout and countless  razor-sharp triangular teeth staring right back at her weary face. One might be forgiven for thinking a monster was starring back at them if this is what they saw as a reflection, but for her this was nothing out of the ordinary.

For Shena was a blue shark, and her ancestors had prowled the sea devouring any prey in their path. And although consuming sentient prey species had long been outlawed in most civilized nations, predators still invoke fear and terror as a result of their physical traits. After all that is the role evolution had specially designated for them.

"Excuse me Lieutenant?"

Shena, sensed someone approaching her quarters from outside in the harsh rain. She recognized the gentle voice to who it belonged to as well as the scent of its speaker. She stood upright in her bed and straightened her perfect posture to reply formally.

"Yes Corporal? What have you to report?" she spoke aloud while rubbing her dreary eyes awake.

The soldier poked his helmeted face through the tent soaking wet before replying.

"No sight of the enemy yet ma'm but our sentries will notify us if they spot anything approaching our position." The soldier then paused as if trying to form an elaborate and thoughtful statement.

"On the plus side at least our boys on watch duty tonight are getting an extra bath thanks to the rain, they stink." The soldier chuckled.

'Perhaps not.' Shena thought as she rolled her eyes with a slight lukewarm grin on her face.

"Thank you for the report, you may return to your post" said Shena in a quiet somber tone before she lowered her head back down in front of her.

The soldier saluted and prepared to exit the tent back out into the storm, but stopped abruptly. He slowly turned around to face his superior with a slight conflicted expression under his  helmet.

"Something troubling you ma'm?" the soldier said earnestly to his leader.

Shena hesitated in her response. Not wanting to show any signs of fragility unbecoming of an officer.

"Thank you for the concern corporal, but it's nothing". She lied.

The soldier tilted his head up and down slightly, as if observing his commanding officers whole demeanor, before crossing his arms sternly.

"If its nothing, then why is it your tail is curled up, your head tilted down and your remarkably polished toothy grin absent? Those would be pretty good examples nothing is something if I ever saw, with all due respect ma'm." the soldier replied heartily.

Shena smiled ever so slightly. Had her mood really been that obvious? She raised her head up to face his gentle and compassionate demeanor.

"Nothing gets past you does it?" She said in a warm sarcastic manner.

"No ma'm." the soldier said proudly. "If there's one thing I can notice in the blink of an eye its when morale is low among my comrades and superiors, and it is my self-obligated sworn duty to raise that morale until there isn't a spec of lowness left." He stood quiet for a second before speaking in a more sincere and softhearted tone.

"So, permission to ask what bothering you?"

Shena asked a question, while raising her brow in suspicion of his true incentive.

"Is the only reason you're  asking,  so you can get out of your shift in the rain for a few minutes?" she said aloud in a tone more similar to a mother than an officer.

The soldier hesitated for a few seconds and raised his shoulders slowly giving a nervous smile under his helmet.

"Perhaps....?" he said cautiously and truthfully. "I mean have you seen the rain out there? Its bloody intense this time of.... well always, now that I think of it."

Shena realized there was no use in arguing with him. He really was determined  to get out of both the rain and to talk to her about how she was doing. It was not often she had a good chance to talk to someone about something other than military matters anyway. Plus the company was very welcome even if she still could not decide after all this time knowing him, if she either despised his sense of humor or could not do without it.

"Permission granted Fereen." said Shena warmly. "At ease and take a seat."

"Gladly ma'm and thank you." he replied cheerfully. Fereen entered the old tent and sat down on a stool in the corner facing her bed still drenched while attempting to dry off his bright blue uniform. Shena briefly was amused by his desperate attempt of shaking the water from his boots.

"Even when we lived back home I was never surrounded by this much water!" Fereen exclaimed angrily in response to his heavily soaked misfortune.

There was a brief moment of calm serine stillness between the two of them following his humorous statement. Shena kept trying to keep herself from smiling at Fereen as he kept attempting to make his uniform slightly less doused. The rain and thunder outside the warm confines of the tent the only source of disturbance for an otherwise quiet and peaceful moment.

"Don't get me wrong though, normally I love the rain." He stated aloud cheerily before continuing.

"It hydrates the skin. Provides fresh drinking water without the added bonus of dirt and disease. And it has a nice peaceful sound to it... but too much of a good thing you know? But still I am fascinated by the sheer complexity of rain drops. I mean every single one, is unique!"

"That's snowflakes." Shena corrected with a deadpan tone.

He stopped shaking the water off his vest abruptly and looked up. "Really? I could have sworn it was the same with raindrops." Fereen looked visibly confused, as if discovering drastic life altering information for the first time.

"Eh, the more you know I guess. The point is I like rain most days just not today, enough said." he stated lightheartedly before continuing to dry himself off." Shena rolled her eyes yet again, a habit she had gotten quite used to when discussing with this particular soldier and his conversational topics.

She was taken aback slightly when Fereen took off his helmet.

Shena always had been surprised by how strikingly handsome the soldier looked without the cumbersome armor piece atop his head. His pectoral and dorsal fins had evolved from his ancestors into an ornate proud blue head frill on top his skull, and smaller ones protruding from the sides that resembled frilled ears. His reflective scaled turquoise skin glistening from the light and water.

But by far the most striking thing about him. Was his wings.

Most aquatic races didn't have the ability to fly without using mechanical assistance or a fighter plane. For the sea was most everyone's home in the ocean monarchy, as it had been for thousands of years. Fereen was a part of the few if not the only flying fish species in the world who could have the privilege to call both the sea, land, and sky his domain.

His wings were thin and almost transparent, giving the impression they were delicate. She knew this was not the case and that they were both deceivingly sleek and and strong like their owner. The edges of them had been torn slightly from past incursions but this was not nearly enough needed to distract from their dazzling glossy appearance, especially thanks to the array of colors. Blues, yellows, cyan, and even bright red on the serrated edges all contributed to the incredible display. Shena's own simple head crest and muted skin tones paled in comparison to his lavish features.

"So care to tell me, what's bothering you ma'm?" Fereen said before putting his helmet on the floor to dry. He leaned in closer to better hear her. Shena suddenly snapped back into reality. Shena stared back at him with such an anxious look on her face, that made even him look concerned for a moment.

"We're on our own. The reinforcements should have been here by now." Shena said aloud grievously and hesitantly.

She knew no help was coming.

The camps communication device had been damaged in an earlier attack and their local helmet headsets could not get through the intense storm interference, so there was no way to find out when or even if their promised backup would arrive at all.

They were low on ammo, ordnance, and men. Worst of above all else, all the commanders and captains in the platoon had died in the first three waves. She was the highest rank here  because there were no others left above her in the chain of command to lead what was left of the platoon. She had begun questioning if she had the ability...no competence, required for getting everyone left out of here alive.

 Of the initial two-hundred men in the platoon only seven were left, and most had died when she stepped up to take charge. With their current numbers, the final battle was going to be far too close.

" I don't know if...."

Shena paused and breathed a heavy sigh from her lungs. Desperately trying to be truthful and confident without shutting down in front of him. She pushed her words out of her mouth dejectedly.

"I don't know if we'll survive the final assault."

That was the most agonizing and difficult thing for her to ever have had to say. Not only to her loyal soldier, but also her friend. It was her responsibility to lead these surviving men and women to victory and having to say that to his face hurt more than anything any enemy could ever do to her.

Fereen leaned back in his chair and glanced to the side for a moment, rubbing his chin in a meditative mood, and pondering what to say to his leader. The thunder cracked outside in a loud thunderous echo.  Finally he spoke.

" I don't think we'll die."

There was a slight moment of silence from Fereen as he lowered his head and shoulders briefly. Seeing her friend who was normally so talkative and lighthearted become this subdued and quiet was especially unnerving to Shena, who considered him to be the glimmer of light in the darkness they now found themselves in. The flying fish raised his body back up in his seat and continued.

"We've made it this far with you and me in charge of the others ma'am, we must be doing something right. Otherwise we wouldn't be here talking about the many complexities of rain together right now." he gave a slight smile, but it now had a tint of sadness and concern.

"But we've lost so many men thanks to me." Shena said sadly with as much composure and stockiness as she could muster. Trying not to not show weakness through tears in front of her subordinate.

"Hey, that's not your fault! Fereen said in a distressed manner. Now his playful usual mood was absent entirely, for he knew when it did not belong in the moment. He put his hands on her shoulders. He knocked his stool back carelessly in the process of kneeling down quickly to be eye level with her. His pure alluring blue eyes staring directly into hers.

"You can't blame yourself for the others deaths, they knew the risks. There is no one else in this camp or even the whole world more qualified to lead us than you. You are the most reasonable, intelligent, and disciplined person I've ever met. Sure that makes you a huge stick in the mud sometimes but there is no other soldier who inspires and cares more for our lives instead of her own more deeply than you."

The sound of the rain colliding against the trees and the thundering echo's of the lightning outside, filled the void of the silence that followed for just a brief moment in time.

Shena smiled slowly. She put her left hand on top of his on her shoulder in relief and comfort. She knew her best friend was sincere and could see right through her tough exterior. And that he was right. She had been so conflicted and worried the past few days about their survival, she carelessly had allowed fear, insecurity, and self doubt to slip through the cracks of her mind and replace where courage, confidence, and prowess should always have been in its place as a leader. But no more

She knew who she was, and what she was going to do. They were getting out of here alive, not the raiders.

She slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Purging all her self-doubt and insecurities from her body.

"Thank you Fereen." She said rejuvenated as she slowly stood up atop her feet like the stoic leader she had been trained to be for so many years. "

"Any time ma'am." Fereen gave an understanding warm smile. "We all get all little scarred and doubt ourselves from time to time, even the leaders. I'd be more worried if they didn't to be honest."

Fereen then stood up as well, his full height almost as tall as his leader.

"And remember, I'm always up for a good kick in the tail to get you on your feet again if you ever need it." Fereen then softly nudged her shoulder with his fist as a sign of affection, which he used regularly for all his teammates. Shena shifted her head in slightly and smiled in gratitude for his words of comfort.

The bubbly flying fish then leaned in as if trying to hug and squeeze all the worry and sorrow out of his unusually tall and stoic friend.

"Whoa, Corporal", Shena said in an authoritative tone as she stepped back. A brow sternly raised.

Her soldier suddenly backed away quickly as well. Shifting his arms in acceptance wide apart and above his head, as if he was suspected of concealing contraband.

"Right forgot, not a hugger." Fereen smiled nervously as he rubbed one of his hands across the back of his head frill shyly. Looking down greatly embarrassed by his hasty warmhearted action toward his leader. His teal complexion becoming briefly red-faced.

"Correct." Shena said in a warm sarcastic manner. "You'd have an easier time hugging a porcupine than me."

Fereen Looked back up and let out a devilish smile." Ha! I knew you could crack a joke if you tried!"Fereen exclaimed victoriously, to which Shena replied in the usual appropriate manner.

Another eye roll.

Fereen smiled and nodded up to his lieutenant. He then turned to correct the stool he knocked over upright in its proper position before grabbed his helmet of the floor, all dry. He finally turned back around to face his commanding officer respectfully.

"Will that be all ma'am?"

The flying fish stood at attention and saluted. His posture in perfect form and composition , his triangular wings lowered and folded in accordance with military standards. Any officer would have expected such formality without question. For Shena however..., she was just glad to have had the privilege and joy of having him in her life. And by her side.

She gave a delayed response not wanting the moment to end. But she knew it could not last forever.

"Yes Corporal" She responded in a secure and proud voice. Now back to her normal orderly self.

"That will be all."

Shena saluted back in a similar fashion to him. One that her father had personally instructed in her how to do properly since she was a young child. But it was not just out of professional conduct or discipline for her anymore.

She genuinely respected and cared for Fereen and her soldiers. And this was her way of showing it. She was not just fighting for the monarchy anymore. Shena was fighting so she and all these surviving men and women could escape alive from this nightmare they all had been sworn to endure.

And she would do whatever it took to make that happen. Even die for them if need be.

"Lieutenant!" a cold unfeeling voice erupted as one of the remaining two automaton sentries entered her tent swiftly. Its hard, rusted metal shoulder abruptly pushed into Fereen's, unintentionally knocking him aside slightly.

"They are coming, the final wave of insects!" The perfect, unthinking indigo soldier quickly turned and exited frantically back to its assigned post outside in the rain.

Shena and Fereen glanced at each other slowly. Their relaxed smiles transforming into controlled composure while the sound of thunder echoed through the sky outside ominously.

It was time.

Without thinking Shena stood up and grabbed her bolt action harpoon rifle, sitting upright next to the bed. Already loaded. No need to change into her navy blue and gold officer's uniform, for she had already been sleeping in it.

Fereen donned his ornate helmet, the visor glowing brightly the color of the sky as soon as it hid his face entirely. His friendly face vanishing completely yet again.

The time for small talk between comrades had passed. Now they had to exit the tent yet again to become the soldiers they had been almost every waking moment for the last five years.

Fereen drew his pistol. Flexing his wings anxiously as he stared outside into the rain.

"Those bugs just don't know when to quit. If they did we already would have had them crawling on the run back to that ugly mother of theirs." He paused for a moment while looking outside into the storm.

"And I just finished drying off!" he said angrily.

Shena smiled for the last time as the peaceful moment was coming to end. It was nice to see that her friend was still inside the daunting appearance of the winged warrior in front.

The corporal exited the safe and warm small confines directly outside, before looking back to grab the flap of Shena's tent for her.

Her loyal soldier stood in place in the harsh rain unfazed. Waiting intently until his leader was properly prepared before her departure to lead them all yet again.

As Shena was about to step outside into the cascading strong rain, ready to fight...She stopped.

Shena took a deep breath, excluding all distractions and mental hindrance from her mind, body and soul for the coming battle. Her heart was racing.

The young Lieutenant opened her eyes sharply to see the winged warrior standing in front. Nodding at her in respect wholeheartedly. To which there was no other appropriate response for her to do, but to nod back.

"For the monarchy." Said the corporal with as much warmth and compassion as he could afford to without distracting the concentration of his superior.

She nodded, in an orderly manner and replied to her friend one last time.

"For the Monarchy."

Forest witch character WIP almost done

Princess of the Southen Empire Character Design process.