Birds began chirping in slow waves around the fort, with the dark of night slowly being dispelled by a hidden sun. A sharp horn rang out into the crisp morning air, signalling first light. This horn was loud enough to pierce into the barracks of the fort. Shortly after the horn sounded the third time, An officer burst into the main barracks, announcing breakfast at 0500, in 30 minutes, in the dining hall. He slapped at the posts of bunks with a cudgel at random, announcing his message with the gusto of somebody overjoyed in waking people up who would rather be asleep. After a solid two minutes of his announcement as he navigated the barracks the majority of the party was in, he left to torture another room.
The officer to the opposing bunk from Ian rose, beginning to make his bed in immediacy. He had not seen the officer, but they must have slipped in last night. "Breakfast is in 30, newbie. You want to eat, you need to be down in the hall before the food runs out." He was a taller man with thin blonde hair and bony limbs. He was pulling himself into his military garb once he'd finished making his bed with zero shame.
At the sounding of the horn, Xiao's fellow officer Axu dropped her pillow upon her head, groaning and balling up underneath her blanket.