The path up to the inn was quiet except for the crunch of boots on gravel and the crackle of a fire starting to burn inside. Solara, Elyria, and Caelan walked together, the air still buzzing faintly from the aftermath of the battle.

  Solara was the first up the path, dropping two large barrels of booze with a thud. “We’re back—with that idiot’s lifetime supply of booze.”

  Braen, Garron, Keira, and Mynxi were already gathered around the fire, a few mugs of ale in hand. Solara blinked. “Everything going alright? Wait—where did you get the beer? I thought we were out.”

  Braen smiled. “Oh, there’s a cute little bar built right into the inn.”

  Solara sighed. “Great. Endured all that for nothing. Where are the others?”

  “Inside,” Garron said. “Something about a fashion show. Seemed to have Veyra worked up.”

  Solara groaned. “Don’t tell me—”

  Her answer came in the form of Milo and Aidan sprinting out of the inn in dresses, shouting, “Please, save us, young ladies, from the vicious monster!”

  “Be careful! Don’t let your dress touch the ground, Miloeina!” Aidan cried dramatically.

  Veyra slid out just behind them, eyes blazing, bow drawn. “WHERE ARE THEY?! AND NO, THE DRESS DOESN’T NEED MORE FLARE—LEAVE IT ALONE, LUMI! Right, get back here, you two!”

  From inside, Lumi’s voice rang out. “What about belts? A few belts should do the job—yeah, I’ll add a few belts!”

  Solara watched the chaos unfold, muttering, “Honestly, she’s mellowed these past few months.”

  Garron raised an eyebrow. “This is her mellowed? Speaking of children—where are your two?”

  “Don’t remind me,” Solara said.

  Right on cue, Caelan and Elyria entered, talking over each other.

  “Oh my god, have you tried coffee before? You need to try coffee! Is there coffee here? Been looking for seventeen years and nothing! Does your world have video games?” Caelan blurted.

  At the same time, Elyria chirped, “So, do you like beer or tea? Tea’s fine, but a nice cold beer—now we’re talking! So do you sleep once a day or nap? Oh, and have you ever thought about growing a beard?”

  Solara sighed. “Well… this happened.”

  “At least she can keep him in one spot,” Garron said.

  Braen grinned. “Aw, they seem nice. Don’t be mean to our little captain, Solara.”

  Keira waved Solara over quietly. “Hey, do me a favour—watch little Mynxi for me? I need to talk to big bro. I really messed up.”

  Solara frowned. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

  “Please—it’s important,” Keira said softly.

  Solara nodded, taking Mynxi into her arms. “So, Mynxi, did we get some food?”

  Mynxi bounced excitedly. “So much! There are loads and loads of food! We can eat forever and never be done!”

  Keira excused herself, raising her voice a little. “Back in a minute! Glory hog, stop kissing your girlfriend for thirty seconds—I need to talk to you!”

  Elyria burst out laughing. “Oh, never say that again—never in a million years.”

  Caelan looked offended. “Eh, no need to be mean about it.”

  “If I wanted to be mean,” Elyria said, stepping closer, “I’d point out how you’re short, incompetent, balding, immature—and to cap it all off, an idiot.”

  “Rich, coming from the greying granny over here,” Caelan shot back.

  “It’s white, for the last time, you idiot!” Elyria snapped, teeth gritted.

  Keira stepped between them, sighing. “You—sit over there. You can play with him later. You—come on.”

  Elyria brightened instantly. “No problem, Keira! And just to say—wow, so incredible today. They’re really lucky to have you.”

  Both Keira and Caelan froze mid-step. Keira raised an eyebrow. “Thank you?”

  Caelan muttered, “Oh, so it is just me she talks to like crap.”

  Keira shoved him toward the door. “Move it—you can play with her later. Always have to be the adult about these things.”

  Solara burst out laughing.

  “Shut it, Sparkles,” Keira said. “Right—you, now here.”

  They stepped to the side of the inn as the rest of the group kept laughing inside.

  Keira leaned against the wall of the inn, sighing. “I’m really sorry, big bro. Sis messed up big time here.”

  Caelan leaned beside her, watching the sky shift from orange to violet. “It can’t be that bad. What’s up, sis? You know you can tell me anything.”

  Keira stared at the ground. “Turns out Mynxi hasn’t had much contact with people—well, not the good kind. From what she’s told me, there’s a lot she didn’t understand. I found her some paper and pencils, and she was so happy. Then she asked me what an auntie was. Then why do I call you big brother—and, well, two plus two made four. Shit, I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful. I know how you feel about kids and all that. I’ve really put you in a spot.”

  Caelan chuckled, leaning lightly against her shoulder. “Shit, I thought it was going to be something bad. Don’t worry about it, sis. I’m planning on keeping her around. You saw how people reacted to her—hell, I’m amazed she lasted this long on her own.” He smiled. “Plus, she’s a pretty awesome kid. Oh, and that was the ripple back there, wasn’t it?”

  Keira laughed softly. “Yeah, my new rifle packs the right kind of kick. Going to start working on that other idea we had. But let’s not forget—someone declared war on a whole city, held off an army, overwhelmed the corrupt commander, and took down a legendary monster while cracking jokes. Captain of the Revolutionary Army is no joke. Hey, I’m happy you finally did it. Never stop being that impossible idiot I dreamed you’d become.”

  Caelan grinned. “Good luck convincing me to change. I promised I’d always match your crazy—and then some. Now, I need some scran. Let’s head back.”

  “And take it easy on Mynxi, please,” Keira said.

  Caelan waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. She can call me uncle—it’s fine.”

  Keira rubbed the back of her neck. “Ehh… well, you see—”

  Cut back to the fire. Solara was playing patty-cake with Mynxi when Caelan and Keira returned. Keira rubbed her head, muttering, “Not so hard next time, asshole.”

  Mynxi noticed Caelan instantly and ducked behind Solara’s coat. Caelan crouched down, smiling. “Hey, little one. You alright? Don’t worry—you don’t need to be scared.”

  Solara gently rubbed Mynxi’s back. “What’s wrong? Did the idiot scare you?”

  Mynxi shook her head quickly, hiding in Solara’s jacket.

  Caelan picked up one of the scattered drawings. “Wow, did you make all these? Oh wow—is that your Auntie Keira?” He laughed. “She looks scary, doesn’t she?”

  Mynxi peeked out, giggling softly. Then she ran around Solara and pulled a folded piece of paper from her jacket, holding it out to Caelan while staring at the ground and twisting her tail nervously.

  “This one’s for me?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He unfolded it carefully. It was simple: a few clouds, a monster on the ground, and two stick figures holding hands above it. The smaller one was labelled Mynxi Langston. The taller one, with two extra stick arms, was labelled Dad.

  Caelan’s throat tightened. He forced a smile. “Is this us, little one?”

  Mynxi met his gaze and nodded.

  “Aww, I love it. How’d you make an old man like me look cool, huh? Can I keep it?”

  Tears welled in Mynxi’s eyes. Caelan smiled softly. “I promise—I’ll take care of it forever and ever.”

  She leapt into his arms, wrapping herself around his neck. He held her tight, closing his eyes.

  Solara blinked, confused. “What just happened?”

  Elyria, sitting nearby, stared wide-eyed. “Yeah, when you figure it out, clue me in. Did not expect to see this today.”

  Caelan stood, holding Mynxi in one arm, turning to Keira. “Sis, round up the idiots. I want dinner before tonight’s hunt. Wait, are you crying?”

  “Shut up, idiot—you’re the one crying,” Keira said with a grin, quickly wiping a tear from her own eye. “Now, to round them up—with pleasure.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant,” Caelan groaned.

  “By any means, got you,” Keira teased as she walked off, leaving Solara laughing and the fire crackling into the night.

  Caelan settled beside Solara by the fire, nursing a drink as Garron lowered his own mug. “So… Revolutionary Army? Wasn’t it just a few days ago you said we didn’t have a name?”

  Caelan smirked, and Braen slapped Garron playfully on the back. “Don’t be so suspicious of our little captain—he was just messing around, right, Captain?”

  Caelan avoided her gaze, rubbing the back of his neck. “Welllll…”

  Across from him, Elyria sat strangely calm, eyes sharp. “That motto,” she said slowly, “where did you get it?”

  Caelan blinked, completely derailed. “Shit—how are you more beautiful now?”

  Solara pinched the bridge of her nose. “I called it. Why, just why would you do this to yourself, Solara?” She sighed in defeat.

  Caelan winked. “Don’t worry, I promise I’ll tell you everything when everyone—wait, what’s taking so—”

  A blinding flash tore through the inn, light bursting from every window.

  “For the love of fuck, what was that—fuck, my fucking eyes, man!” Caelan shouted, stumbling as the inn exploded in brightness.

  When the ringing finally faded, three faint red strikes burned across his arm. Solara’s voice slowly cut through the buzz, mid-rant. “—and you need to start watching your language! How’s anyone supposed to take us seriously when you’ve got a child here? Three times in as many seconds, Caelan! I swear I will break you—”

  Caelan rubbed his ear. “You saying something?”

  He patted Mynxi’s head gently as she rubbed her eyes. “You alright, little one?”

  “Fuck,” she murmured.

  A sound like thunder followed as Solara’s fist slammed into Caelan’s arm. He jumped up and down, biting his lip, muffling a scream into his jacket before turning to her with watery eyes. “Will you please stop hitting my arm? Wait—was that a—”

  Solara’s glare could melt steel. “What, you think I wouldn’t catch up to you? In your dreams. But yeah, I see the appeal.”

  Garron, sitting back up after falling from the flash, groaned. “Do you two maybe want to find out what that was instead of flirting?”

  They both muttered “Ow” in unison—right as Keira, Veyra, Milo, and Aidan (still wearing Veyra’s dresses) burst through the inn door, followed by Lumi.

  Joss stomped out behind them, carrying Takeshi under one arm. “Whatever this moron’s working on, tell him to keep it out of my inn.” He dropped Takeshi to the floor.

  “I can’t see! I can’t see!” Milo wailed, rolling on the ground.

  “Please, someone save us—we’re being attacked by a monster while blinded!” Aidan added dramatically.

  Veyra stormed after them, eyes glowing red, bow in hand. “Touch my clothes again, and I’ll eliminate you both! Let’s not forget—nobody here will find the bodies! And open your damn eyes!”

  Milo peeked, blinking. “Oh, hey, bro, just open your eyes—it’s fine. Well, other than Auntie Veyra.”

  Aidan cracked one eye open and screamed. “No, bring the blindness back!”

  Lumi emerged holding one of Veyra’s ruined dresses. “Not sure—what do you think? Eight belts enough? Maybe twelve to really make it pop?”

  Veyra gently took the dress and stroked the fabric. “There, there, we’ll get you fixed up in no time.” Then she turned to the boys, her tone dropping. “Tomorrow, you three—All mine. We’re going to every shop. You’ll regret the day you mocked my fashion choices!” She lifted the dress to the sky. “You’ll be avenged, my darling! Your sacrifice won’t be in vain!”

  “I need to open the shop tomorrow,” Lumi muttered nervously.

  “Forget that,” Aidan said. “This isn’t an invitation, Lumi.”

  “Trust me,” Milo giggled, “it’s going to be worse than torture.”

  Keira walked over, rubbing her eyes and smiling, offering Takeshi a hand up. “You all better now, Takeshi?”

  He smiled, taking her hand. “Perfect, thank you again, Keira. It’s nice to see you’ve—”

  Her leg shot up, slamming him square in the groin. A sonic boom cracked through the room as Keira walked away, chin high. “These eyes are worth a million of those balls. Pull that shit again.”

  Flat on the floor, Takeshi wheezed a thumbs-up. “I think she… might’ve broken something this time.”

  Caelan laughed so hard he nearly spilled his drink. “Not funny now, is it? Right, everyone—let’s get down to it. Pretty packed night ahead, so I won’t keep you long.”

  The group burst into laughter again, the inn filled with the warmth of chaos and clinking mugs.

  Caelan stood, lifting his mug with one hand and Mynxi with the other, perched across his shoulders. “First—thank you. What a show today. I think the message landed: we’re here, and we are not to be messed with. Thanks for having my back for the millionth time—and hopefully a million more.”

  Mugs rose around the circle. Keira whooped, “Fuck yeah!”

  Solara slipped an arm around Keira’s shoulders, murmuring, “Bet you ten kilos that smile doesn’t last till the end of this.”

  Keira side?eyed her. “Alright…?”

  As they drank, Caelan clocked Elyria across the fire—staring into her mug instead of joining in, posture closed; a little shut down. He filed it away.

  “So,” Caelan continued, settling Mynxi behind his neck, her tail swishing, “I know I said some stupid things out there. Thanks for giving me time to explain. Quick announcement, everyone: our little superstar, Mynxi Langston, who we all met today, is joining us from now on.”

  Applause erupted. Mynxi beamed, tail swinging side to side… and then chirped, “Asshole.”

  Silence took hold for a moment. “Don’t you dare,” Solara warned Keira.

  Elyria burst out laughing first. The room followed, everyone cracking up. Mynxi glanced around, confused—then saw Caelan laughing too and cackled along.

  Solara squeezed Keira’s shoulder tighter. “Let’s double that bet, Keira—since Mynxi clearly picked that up from you.”

  “Hey, not my problem. I’m the cool auntie,” Keira said, loud enough for all to hear. “Big bro’s her dad.”

  The room went quiet again. Elyria looked over. “Say that again, please, Keira?”

  “He adopted her. So he’s her dad. You were right here,” Keira said, matter?of?fact.

  Elyria calmly lifted her mug, took a sip—then put it down before she could spit beer everywhere. “Yeah, because this day really needed a cherry on top. Great choice,” she said dryly.

  Solara sat very still. “I’ve already lost the perfect little princess, haven’t I? It’s over. She’s going to turn out like these two idiots. We’re all doomed.”

  Veyra slid beside Elyria, patting the space on her lap where the newly altered dress was spread out. “Lie down.”

  Elyria eased back across the dress Lumi had just altered. “Yes. A nice lie?down. This is nice.”

  Veyra stroked her hair. “Wow—so soft. Sorry about all the buckles someone added.”

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “You mean fixed, don’t you? Reinvented? Elevated?” Lumi interjected, indignant.

  Elyria, still almost in shock, whispered, “No… no, please. I don’t mind. At least they make me feel something… it lets me know I’m awake right now.”

  Veyra ignored her, still soothing. “There, there. I know—they’re all complete idiots.”

  Aidan and Milo scoffed in unison.

  Across the fire, Garron met Caelan’s eyes. His voice was low, steady. “Be careful. You like to play fast and loose, but I won’t let you take your eye off this ball, Caelan.”

  Braen clapped Garron’s back again. “Will you relax?”

  Caelan lifted a thumbs?up toward Garron. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, buddy. And I know you’ll be there when I need it. Nudge me if I drift.”

  Garron exhaled, a half?smile returning. “Why can I never stay mad at you? Just don’t expect me to do everything for you.”

  Mynxi poked Caelan’s ribs with the pointed tip of her tail. “Dad, can we have food now?”

  “Sorry, little one—just a few more minutes, okay? Then you get first pick. Promise.”

  “Okay, Dad,” she sang, rocking side to side across his shoulders.

  Solara finally cracked, hands to her cheeks. “So cute—ehhhhh.”

  Aidan muttered, “Yeah, because she’s definitely going to turn out stable being raised by this lot.”

  Milo snickered. “Oh, she’s done for. Not even out the gate.”

  Caelan let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. “Ohhh, how the hell do we get anything done around here…”

  He straightened, voice rising just enough for everyone to hear. “Right—sorry. Let’s just jump straight into it. Yes, I do want us to be known as the Revolutionary Army. I’ll explain the how and the why, and what we’re doing going forward, because I know this feels like a big shift, but—”

  Takeshi, finishing his drink, muttered loudly, “Yeah, yeah, get on with it. Not like you’re gonna put us in any more danger than you already do.”

  Caelan laughed. “True. Somehow, I’ve got an intimate relationship with problems in this place. But that leads to my point. I still don’t fully grasp what this place is—why it’s set up the way it is. Everything’s backwards. But from the start? The people we’ve met? It’s like 80/20 whether they want to fight—and the lengths some of these vile pieces of garbage go to…”

  His voice dipped lower. “A few years back, we found what we thought was a slave ring. Forced pledges. Treated people like livestock. What I saw there… I can’t—” He caught himself. “Sure, this might be a war or whatever we want to call it. But it’s not an excuse to lose who we are. Life’s already hard enough.

  “And what’s the reward? God?level power? No. Absolutely not. I refuse to let monsters like that walk out of here and rule entire worlds. Not a fucking shot.”

  The fire popped. No one breathed.

  “So we spent seven months hunting every one of those dogs down. Eliminated all of them without blinking. And the commander?” Caelan’s eyes narrowed. “When I held a sword to his throat, he didn’t apologise. Didn’t ask for forgiveness. Just rambled about how ‘it is my right.’”

  Caelan shrugged. “So I took my right to take his head.”

  A few gasps. A few nods.

  “And after that? I waited for the next bastard to try the same. But it didn’t happen. Word got around instead. Groups came together. People worked together. We found a tiny, peaceful town where commanders and followers lived almost normal lives during the day. That first night sleeping without one eye open… felt worth everything.”

  He smiled faintly. “And that’s what I want the Revolutionary Army to be. Not rulers. Not people looking for thrones. Just a group that makes you think twice before becoming a monster. Even if no one’s coming to save us. That doesn’t mean we can’t be that someone.”

  He glanced across the fire. “Which leads us to our motto. Elyria?”

  Elyria sat up instantly, eyes on him.

  Caelan took a breath. “I need to ask you all something. And I think I already know the answer… Between dying and waking up here—did any of you hear a voice?”

  The room fell completely silent.

  Elyria’s eyes widened. “What do you mean… a voice?”

  Caelan looked around. His jaw tightened.

  “Thought so."

  Caelan exhaled slowly, gaze drifting. "The motto comes from that voice," he said. "Honestly, I'm not even completely sure I remember it right. But one line? Clear as day. And it wasn't the goddess. Not even close." He glanced around the room, "It said: 'I only wish to see… will the Unbreakable still stand, even if reality itself rejects him with unstoppable force?'"

  A shiver rippled through the room. Even the fire seemed to dim for a heartbeat.

  "Still gives me goosebumps," Caelan admitted.

  Silence stretched—thick and uneasy—until Keira finally broke it. "Maybe you're just insane?"

  Before the laughter could begin, Elyria stood abruptly. "I want to join you," she blurted. "The Revolutionary Army. Please. I know I haven’t exactly been the picture of nice today, but—"

  Caelan reached over and planted a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "Chill, buddy. I was—no joke—thirty seconds away from asking you myself. Give me one minute, and I’ll explain the motto, then we’ll deal with your dramatic declaration."

  Elyria huffed, though a small smile betrayed her. "You talk too much. Speed it up. I want to eat before you bald."

  Solara burst out laughing. "You? You weren’t getting an option, love. Right, Captain?"

  Caelan pointed at Solara without looking. "Shut up."

  He straightened. "So. The motto. Whatever that thing was—whatever spoke to me that day—I’ve spent way too long thinking about how I’d answer it. ‘In peace we build.’ Yeah, we’re in a nearly endless war. Seventeen, nearly eighteen years now. But I won’t lie: anytime we don’t have to run around fighting freaks or monsters? My proudest moments are the tiny beats where the war feels like it melts away."

  He gestured vaguely toward the city outside. "And everyone missed something huge when the goddess gave her speech. She never actually told us we had to kill each other. Not once. The war ends eventually—because these monsters? No joke. That emerald today took out five hundred of Aurex’s men. And only six months ago, people were being killed nightly by a White Death. There are literal monsters here already. She didn’t tell us to join them."

  He rocked side to side slightly, Mynxi’s tail brushing his back.

  "‘In revolution we stand.’ You all know me. Someone does something I don’t like? Oh, you bet your granny I’m throwing myself straight at it. ‘We are the Revolutionary Army.’ And you also know I’m winging at least 80% of this—"

  "Eighty?five," Aidan called.

  "Ninety," Milo added.

  Caelan waved them off. "Whatever. Point is, if I want this to be something people can actually look toward—and not just a bunch of idiots drinking and fighting—we’re gonna need some order. Especially if we grow. And I’ll be counting on each of you who chooses this path."

  Solara cleared her throat. "Aren’t you forgetting ‘now we stand’?"

  Caelan snorted. "Ahh, yeah. That one? Pure cringe?bait. What I really wanted to say was: ‘fucking mon then.’ But, well—"

  Solara dead?eyed him. "Good call. Continue."

  Caelan rolled his shoulders, shifting Mynxi a little higher. "Right. So now you all have a decision to make—here and now." His tone softened. "And don’t panic. No path is ever going to be blocked off to any of you. You’ll always be welcome wherever I am."

  He held up three fingers. "Option one: you don’t want any part of this. Totally fine. You’re free to go do whatever you want. If you’d like me to pass your pledge on to a new commander, I’ll do it. No questions asked."

  A second finger. "Option two: you stay as one of my followers, but you don’t take any official role in the Revolutionary Army. You’ll be treated the same as always—fight with us, travel with us—but no rank, no extra responsibility."

  Third finger. "Option three: you join me in the Revolutionary Army. In doing so, you’ll get a rank. When we’re on duty, you’ll be expected to follow the hierarchy and the handbook." He grimaced. "Yeah, we’re gonna have a handbook. I hate me too."

  He let his hand drop. "As I said, you can come to me any time and change your mind. I’ll never hold it against you, and I promise—"

  Solara sighed dramatically. "Hands up for option one…" She scanned the room. "Nope. No one. Hands up for option two…" She smirked. "Yeah. What I thought. Cael, I’m actually getting hungry."

  He snorted. "Well, thanks for that, Solara."

  She sat there all smiles. "Like a lost idiot."

  Caelan shook his head, grinning. "Anyway. Thanks, everyone, for even giving me the chance to try this." He slipped Mynxi down from his shoulders and into his arms. "You can join in too, if you want. Don’t worry—nothing scary’s coming near you. You’ll be by my side the entire time, little one."

  Mynxi glanced around at everyone watching her, then turned to Keira. "You coming too, Auntie Keira?"

  Keira smiled. "Of course. I’ll go anywhere Dad goes."

  The stone beneath Caelan’s boot cracked as he death?glared at her. "That is a Mynxi?exclusive name. Or I tell them about that thing."

  Mynxi smacked his arm with the tip of her tail. "Don’t be mean to Auntie Keira. Mynxi wants to come with you, Dad."

  Caelan’s face softened. "Don’t worry. Your Auntie Keira and I love each other very much." He cleared his throat. "Right. I’m absolutely nerding out on this part. I’m copying my world’s military ranks. Absolute nerd dream. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m not sporting a semi right now."

  "What’s a semi?" Solara asked.

  Aidan and Milo both snickered. Keira groaned. "Don’t ask. Please. You can’t kill him right now."

  "Moving on," Caelan coughed. "We’re not exactly going to expand the ranks much—tiny numbers and all that. But any time you feel ready to take on more, come speak to me." He hugged Mynxi tighter. "From here on out, whenever she’s wearing her jacket—cutest thing in the world, by the way—this will be Specialist Mynxi Langston of the Revolutionary Army."

  Mynxi’s eyes lit up. "Specialist… Auntie Solara, does it sound cool?"

  Solara beamed. "Coolest thing I’ve ever heard."

  Mynxi reached out toward her. "Can we play the hand game while Dad does his silly rambling?"

  "Absolutely," Solara said, taking her into her lap. "Come on, Specialist."

  Caelan watched them for a heartbeat, smiled, then turned back to the fire. "Right. Since you’re so eager, for whatever reason—" he pointed his chin at Elyria "—you’re up next. You can join. We’ll start you off as a Lance Corporal." He glanced around at the others. "Quick note: I’m saying the ranks in order, so pay attention. Sorry. Nerd habits."

  He rested his hand lightly on Elyria’s head again. "No idea who you really are or what your deal is. But you’re the kind of crazy I like. Welcome aboard. Oh, and the sparkly hands thing? Big fan."

  Elyria looked halfway between flattered and horrified. "What am I doing to myself…" Then she steadied, offering him a small, sincere smile. "I’ll do my best, Caelan."

  "Say it," he said.

  "No," she replied instantly.

  "Just say it."

  "Make me."

  Keira groaned. "Will you two get a room and speed this up? Sol… Sol… Solara is right. Gods, that’s hard to say."

  Solara, still playing patty?cake with Mynxi, sing?songed, "Keep smiling, Keira. The tears will be delicious."

  Garron’s stomach rumbled, loud enough to cut through the noise. "Yeah, I third this, Captain. No offence."

  "Fine, fine. Speed?run," Caelan said. "Right—wizard, yeah?"

  Lumi looked over, her oversized hat casting a shadow over half her face, staff propped beside her. She smiled. "Aw, hey, you. Deep pockets. Name’s Lumi. I have—don’t want to say best, maybe just greatest outfits in the whole war. Shop in the east district."

  "Nice to meet you, Lumi. I’m Caelan," he said. "First off—hard wizard?core outfit? Love it. Second, the jackets? Could almost accuse you of stalking my dreams. So cool."

  Lumi’s grin sharpened. "Yeah, they’re beauties. And I’m digging the ‘just fought for my life’ look. Cuts, scuffs—the good stuff. People never get it: looks cooler the more worn in it is."

  Caelan’s eyes went wide. "Yeah, we’re gonna get along just fine. I noticed you didn’t put your hand up, but you only just met us, so—friend of the squad, or joining properly?"

  Lumi hesitated. "Sorry, I didn’t think… Wait, but my shop… oh."

  "Don’t worry," Caelan said. "You keep your shop. It’s not all fighting. Mostly messing around, really."

  Her eyes sharpened. "I want one member every night to be my canvas."

  "Hell no," Veyra shouted immediately.

  Caelan held out his hand. "Welcome to the team, Lance Corporal Lumi."

  Lumi grinned, eyes sliding toward the twins. "So many ideas."

  Caelan stepped to the side, coming to stand in front of Aidan and Milo, one eyebrow raised. "Boys. Loving the dresses, by the way. You two are more clued?in on my dumb ideas than most, so you’re both getting made Corporals. You’ll be working directly under Keira."

  Braen clasped her hands together. "Oh, did they ask for that? The little sweeties."

  Aidan stared straight ahead. "Yeah. Thanks for that, Captain."

  Milo laughed. "Gonna get so many more grey hairs."

  "Grey hair?" Keira echoed dangerously.

  Aidan panicked. "Sis, you know he didn’t mean it."

  Keira cracked her knuckles. "You’re lucky I’m hungry. Or did you not see what happened to Takeshi earlier, bro?"

  "Love you, sis! Cutest sis a brother could ask for!" Milo blurted.

  Flat on his cushion, still nursing his trauma, Takeshi muttered, "Cute. Don’t make me laugh. She’s a monster in human form, I swear."

  "Jesus," Caelan said. "Right. Next—Veyra, Takeshi. You two are taking the rank of Sergeant. Veyra, I need you doing what you’ve always done—chasing these idiots and keeping them in line."

  Veyra’s hand shot up. "What about the uniform? Can I decide on the uniform?"

  Caelan tugged at his jacket. "Ehhh. See, we already kind of have a matching jacket thing going. I’m thinking we just stick with these."

  Veyra slumped. "I’ll never be cute again."

  "It’s only the jacket," Caelan offered. "You can wear whatever you want under it."

  She thought about it. "Can I accessorise it?"

  Caelan laughed—just a little too ominously. "Yeah… I’ll get back to you on that one."

  He turned to Takeshi. "Right, big man. I know it hasn’t exactly been easy getting dragged into all my ‘random adventures.’"

  "Is that what we’re calling them now?" Takeshi muttered.

  "But honestly? It wouldn’t be half as fun without your gaming rants," Caelan said. "Makes me feel a bit more at home. So for you, I want you to do what you’ve always done best—building the kit we need going forward. And before you ask, no, that does not exempt you from monster hunts. But I’ll make sure you have what you need going forward."

  Takeshi dropped to his knees and clutched Caelan’s jacket. "That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Thank you. Thank you. I might actually survive a few more weeks before one of these idiots kills me in the crossfire."

  "Don’t worry, lad. I’ve got you," Caelan said, patting his shoulder.

  He turned finally to Braen. "And here we have the most beautiful, amazing, and downright fiercest woman in my life. B?Dawg," he said, grinning. "The change in you since we met has blown past anything I imagined. Whether you’re keeping the peace with a smile or smashing a building for looking at one of us wrong, you’ve always been exactly what we needed and more. Thank you, Braen. I’ll always be in your debt.”

  Braen waved him off with a flushed grin. “Oh, you don’t need to butter me up, you little cutie. You know I’m always going to be here for you lot.”

  Caelan smiled warmly. “I know. Which is why I’m making you a Staff Sergeant. That unbreakable wall you’ve always been for me? I’m asking you to keep being that for everyone I’ll be entrusting to you as we go.”

  Braen smirked proudly. “Oh, stop. Just keep the booze flowing, and you’ll hear no complaints from me.”

  Caelan moved over to Keira with a theatrical sigh. “Sis, sis, sis… my little sister. Now what are we going to do with you?”

  Keira sat up straight, all smug pride and rainbow energy. “Big brother, I’m honoured.” She hopped up onto the log she’d been sitting on and addressed the group like a queen addressing her subjects. “As we all know, I am the clear choice. I mean, what do we have? I’ve got the looks, I’ve got the brains, and let’s not forget—I know every dirty little secret about every single one of you. And yes, I will use that. So! Sit down, big brother. Let the captain do the talking. This war—and all else to follow—will know the wrath and cuteness of the almighty Keira Langston!”

  Caelan didn’t even break stride. He just walked right past her and said, “Specialist.”

  Keira froze mid?gesture. “No, no, no—I'll take it seriously this time!”

  Caelan paused, turned back toward her with the smuggest grin he could muster. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. Because that’s exactly what I want—maximum Keira, twenty?four seven. So for you, I’m thinking… hmm… Sergeant.”

  Keira’s eyebrow twitched. “Oh wow. Yeah. Cool. Same as Takeshi and Veyra. Totally the same.”

  Caelan leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper only she could hear. “Master Sergeant.”

  Keira’s eyes exploded into stars. She shot to her feet, grabbed Caelan’s hand for a fist bump and shouted, “FUCK YES! Don’t play me like that, asshole! MASTER. FUCKING. SERGEANT. I’m going to make this place scream.”

  Caelan glanced nervously toward Solara, who was already death?glaring. “Yeah, maybe dial that down a notch or two before you know… Solara bursts.”

  Keira followed his gaze. “What’s she gonna do? I’m the Master Sergeant now—wait, you haven’t—”

  Caelan pivoted away fast. “Anyway! Garron Vael—the only man to smash my insides up so deeply—”

  Garron groaned. “What is wrong with you two and the way you describe things?”

  Caelan laughed shamelessly. “Don’t look so shocked; maybe then we’d get bored. Hint, hint!” he added, flicking a glance at Solara’s way. “But anyway—what’s to be said about you? We met three days ago, you beat the absolute shit out of me, and because I’m sick and twisted, I decided to keep you around.”

  He turned to address the rest of the group. “Now, I made an agreement with Garron, and I want everyone to hear it. If the time ever comes where he needs to act on it, I expect every one of you to either help him or get out of his way.”

  Garron stiffened. “Caelan, don’t—”

  But Caelan barreled on. “When Garron joined, I set a condition: if I ever go too far… I want him to eliminate me.”

  The entire room fell silent. Even the fire seemed to pause.

  Milo blinked. “Your whole thing is going too far.”

  Caelan snorted. “I know. I know. But listen—if I’m going to stand here and preach about right and wrong, I don’t get to be unchecked. Absolute power leads to absolute corruption—we’ve seen it over and over. And honestly? If things had gone differently in here, I feel—no, I know—I’d be a much worse version of myself.”

  He nodded toward Garron. “I do not want unchallenged authority. It’s my duty to make sure every one of you is heard fairly. So to that effect… Garron, I’m making you the highest non?officer rank the Revolutionary Army will ever have. My Master Chief.”

  A few gasps. A few impressed nods.

  “You’ll be my bridge,” Caelan said. “If something needs saying, I will always make sure it’s heard with my full attention. You have the experience that the rest of us could only dream of. We’re just dumb kids making noise to you—but with your guidance? We might actually make this place a little better.”

  Garron let out a reluctant laugh. “You’re downright impossible. If you were one of my men before I woke up here, you’d be on toilet?cleaning duty without question.”

  Caelan leaned forward. “But…?”

  Garron sighed, then smiled. “But in here… you’re not the worst bet to follow. Just know—I’ll tell you the truth whether you like it or not. Rank or not.”

  Caelan grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s exactly why I want you there.”

  Garron bowed his head a fraction. “Captain… it will be my honour to serve you.”

  Caelan turned dramatically. “Right! Now onto you—our one and only Sparkles—”

  Keira immediately shrieked, “NO. No, no, no, NO—NO!”

  Caelan walked over to Solara and stopped in front of her. She smiled up at him, Mynxi perched on her lap like a tiny queen. Without a word, Solara pulled a fat bundle of folded papers from her pocket and handed them to him.

  “I know you struggle to find the words sometimes,” she said sweetly. “And if you get stuck on any of the bigger ones, let me know.”

  Caelan raised an eyebrow. “Right…”

  He flipped the first page.

  Then the second.

  Then the third.

  “Wait—what? What am I even reading here? ‘I, without question, believe I would spend my nights in tears if I had remained the person I was only a short time ago.’ Jesus Christ. I’m not reading this shit.”

  Solara’s eye twitched. “Read it.”

  “It’s nine pages,” Caelan said, horrified. “Back and front. Yeah, no way. Let’s make this easy.”

  He turned to the group and announced loudly:

  “Right! It was a dumb idea I had in my head. She’s the one who pushed me to actually do it. So yeah—you can all blame her. Everything is her fault. And she wrote the handbook.”

  Keira launched herself at him, grabbing his jacket. “Shut up! It’s not too late to grow a spine—don’t sell us out again!”

  Pinned to the dirt, Caelan only grinned. “I would like to introduce you all… to the second?in?command.”

  Keira froze. “No. No, no, no—reclaim your balls! Don’t you dare!”

  Caelan shouted over her, triumphant: “And the lieutenant of the Revolutionary Army—Lieutenant Solara!”

  Keira collapsed on top of him face?first. “You really did it. You really did it. She’s going to kill me.”

  Solara sat straighter than a royal statue, smiling ear to ear with razor?sharp eyes. “Well, well, well, Keira. I think someone just lost a bet.”

  Keira turned around with the fakest smile ever seen. “Hehe… eh… well, you see—”

  “Sis,” Caelan cut in quickly, “want to get the food?”

  Keira vanished into the inn. “YES, PLEASE.”

  Solara smirked. “Oh, look. She’s already saying please.”

  Caelan got back to his feet, brushing dirt off. “Boys, want to give her a hand? And put Veyra’s dress back where you found it. Veyra—are you…?”

  Veyra beamed, terrifyingly serene. “Oh yes. Tomorrow. And thanks for putting me over them—because now it’s an order.”

  Aidan and Milo groaned in unison. “Nice one, Captain.”

  “Oh, she’s going to break us, Auntie Sergeant,” Milo muttered.

  Caelan snorted. “Right—and to be clear? Anything Solara says goes. It’s no different than coming from me.”

  Solara stood with authority. “I can take it from here, Captain.”

  “But wait—” Caelan began.

  Solara raised her voice. “Now, the rules and regulations going forward will be—”

  A scream erupted from inside the inn.

  Seconds later, Joss appeared in the doorway. “Oh. You’re back. What do you want done with your guests?”

  “Guests?” Caelan and Solara echoed.

  Cut to the inn's kitchen.

  Three guards were hogtied on the floor.

  Keira was mid?shout at Joss. “Could’ve WARNED me! I almost died back there! I want a room upgrade! I want a bathroom!”

  Joss crossed his arms. “Not my fault, you didn’t ask. And for the record—put another hole in my wall with a hammer, and I’ll nail you to the ceiling for a month. Also—” he pointed at Caelan, “you owe me for the door installation.”

  Caelan blinked. “Right. Too many things at once. Emm—Solara, grab the food before they tear the city down looking for some. Sis, help me untie these guys.”

  Joss added, “Need anything else?”

  “Actually, yes,” Caelan said. “Let’s start with why?”

  “They work for that idiot Aurex,” Joss said. “Came asking questions. So I dealt with them.”

  Caelan smiled proudly. “Oh yeah, I punched him in the face for you.”

  Joss barked a laugh. “Bet those dumb eyebrows went flying.”

  Solara, juggling trays of food, sighed. “No, no—I’ll do it myself. Thank you.”

  Caelan called after her, “Don’t take it all at once, Lieutenant!”

  “It’s more efficient,” she snapped back.

  Keira, freeing one of the guards, muttered, “Those eyebrows, man. Seriously—how’s anyone meant to take him seriously?”

  Caelan groaned. “You know what? Fuck it.” He drew his sword and sliced the ropes off the remaining guards.

  The guards bolted for the door. “You’ll regret this! Mr Vallis will have Ravon on you—he’ll take your heads!”

  Caelan and Keira both burst out laughing.

  Joss raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t take Ravon too lightly.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Caelan said. “We ran him out of town. Now—question. You got any spare locks?”

  Joss blinked. “Wait, you did what? And yes—locks. Wait—what?”

  Caelan nodded. “Yeah. Do me a favour—throw one on my room’s side door. Don’t want someone peeking in from the bathroom.”

  Keira chimed in, “Hook a girl up with six locks. This one’s crafty.”

  Joss sighed. “We’ll talk costs next month.”

  Caelan and Keira stepped back out to the fire pit.

  “Right!” Caelan called. “Let’s get cracking. Sorry, I forgot to mention it earlier, but we’ll be doing our monster hunt around the city tonight. Due to unforeseen staffing issues, they’re stretched thin. So yeah—tonight, clear the zone, then back for drinks.”

  Keira, mouth full of food, mumbled, “Lieutenant, I think the Captain should stay at home since he stole all the fun today.”

  Solara rolled her eyes. “Someone needs to put Mynxi to bed after dinner anyway. Right, Dad?”

  Caelan slumped. “Damn. Hate you all.”

  He glanced over just in time to see Mynxi pluck food off her plate with her tail.

  “No, no—we don’t use our tails to eat,” he said, lifting her into his lap. “Try this.” He handed her a fork. “Wrap your tail around that.”

  Mynxi pouted. “Dad, this is silly. My tail is fine. I always use it.”

  “From now on, we use forks, my little princess,” Caelan insisted.

  Solara stared unblinking. “So adorable—ehhh. Wait… what is that?”

  Everyone looked up.

  Snow.

  Gentle, quiet, endless.

  Veyra sprang to her feet, tossing her plate aside. “I’m not prepared—oh no no NO—I need something to WEAR in the snow!”

  But Mynxi was already on her feet, running into the falling flakes.

  Caelan laughed, chasing after her. “Oh shit—she did say it would snow.”

  The night settled softly over Virelith.

  And the Revolutionary Army’s first day had officially, wonderfully, disastrously begun.