Alrighty, new chapter. This will be a lot better than the last one with any luck.

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Chapter Two: A New Friend

Sinbad stared at the bear in dismay. "…Get the hell away from me…"

The Tedi rolled his eyes, still smirking. "Now, don't get hysterical."

"I'm not getting hysterical," he answered matter-of-factly, in a voice that was less than intrepid. "Wh-what do you mean by 'help me'?"

He looked thoughtfully at the sky. "Should I define it, or would you like to consult a dictionary?"

Sinbad narrowed his eyes quizzically, taking on a skeptical tone. "What are you?"

"Don't you mean 'who'?"

"Tediz are evil, and they don't waste time killing squirrels."

"Not all of us are bad. Just… most of us," he said in a slightly amused manner, taking a step closer to Sinbad, who nervously inched away, staying to the back wall. "I, myself, am not bad. In fact, I'm one of you."

"What are you talking about?"

"My name is Adrian. I relay information to the squirrels from behind the lines."

Sinbad didn't know whether or not to believe that, but he was feeling very skeptical from his short time on the Island. "How do I know that's true?"

Adrian scratched his chin. "Well, I don't have any identification. That would be a pretty bad thing for them to find," he said, pointing over his shoulder at the base.

"That definitely puts a damper on the situation," Sinbad said on a sour note, and Adrian looked around for something to give him an idea.

"Err… You could follow me away from the beach, and if I don't kill you, you'll know I'm one of you."

"I think I'll just stay here," he replied, moving into a corner.

"Right, right… Why don't you give me an idea?"

"Tell me something that only one of us would know."

"Hmm. Well, I know that Sarge likes to sing Dishwalla when he's alone."

Sinbad gave him a funny look. "I thought that was just a rumor."

"Nope, I heard it for myself," Adrian said with a nod.

"So, uh… How do I know I can trust you?" Sinbad really wanted to trust him, but he had learned a long time ago to be wary of who you rely on.

"You can take my word for it, or suit yourself and stay here," he said agreeably, "But, be warned, they'll be around to haul you off to the casualty department pretty soon." Adrian started to leave, but he'd only gotten a couple of steps before the squirrel called after him.

"Hold on," Sinbad said, peering across the beach. The fog was getting thicker than pea soup, and the façade of the citadel has begun to melt into white.

"Yes?" the Tedi asked in an amused tenor, turning to face him.

"How do you plan on getting me out of here?"

He smiled again, and raised a paw towards the base. "Well, the snipers are temporarily going off duty, since you're the only one left, and with all the fog rolling in, it will be hard to make anybody out from that height. If we follow the fences closely, you'll be fine."

"I'm the only one left? … Alright, let's do this then…" Sinbad replied, following Adrian out of the carrierboat and onto the sparkling sands. After a moment of walking in silence, he spoke again. "…My name is Sinbad, by the way."

"Pleased to find you before they did, Sinbad," Adrian said good-naturedly, and for the first time in a long time, Sinbad smiled to himself. He was starting to feel like everything was going to be all right, if only for a little while.

As they came closer to the base, it unexpectedly began to rain. "Oh great," Sinbad murmured, but Adrian seemed positive.

"We'll be inside soon."

"We're going inside?!"

"Of course. Where else would we go?"

Sinbad knew that was true. There really wasn't anywhere else to go, but right into enemy territory. Pondering that for a little while, he began to wonder. "Adrian, why did you switch sides?"

"It's a long story," he answered. "Why did you join the army?"

"Long story."

"I'll tell you mine sometime," Adrian said, and Sinbad nodded.

"Me, too." He knew that today he'd met someone who was going to change his life.

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Yeah, short chapter, but I've been sick, so I didn't get to type a lot. They'll get longer and better, though, as well as more descriptive. If you're reading, let me know what you think and leave me a review!