Although Torian was my enemy I could not simply understand him the same way the rest of the soldiers I killed. He was a high ranking member of their military and despite that he still gave me hope within the empire.

  He was the equal but opposite of Rex almost. Where one showed strength, the other gloated that very strength. Where one showed kindness the other showed cruelty. Where one inspired the other demeaned.

  Regardless of my personal feelings I can’t let them get the better of myself. If I was planning on storming the heart of the empire to enlist my parents and their friends to kill even more people I needed my head straight.

  Even if that plan sounded ridiculous.

  After a couple more months of training the cadets felt mostly like a team. Not anywhere near the Iron Legion, but better than where they started.

  We used that to our advantage storming mines, dungeons, the badlands, etc. All to give them practice and to keep the towns running.

  Overall we weren’t doing half bad, we were present within multiple towns of Krail, and it wasn’t always a warm welcome, even if we were simply returning from a tour.

  Life didn’t feel the same as it did since this all started. I’m not sure what part of myself was different, perhaps Mariel’s death brought this out of me? Or maybe this was bound to happen regardless.

  Either way I felt different since Veran’s death.

  Nythris’s presence could be shifting me away from the people that I’ve been so close to.

  Perhaps the more I use her powers the more I cross a line?

  The answers swirled to questions, matched themselves to other questions, then spit me more questions to give answers to.

  I just kept on going to bars each night.

  That was one way the questions seemed to stop asking themselves, but I knew that just because something goes away doesn’t mean it’s gone for good.

  Like Nythris. She hasn’t attempted to converse with me since the dream after my blindness.

  Whatever. I was going to get shit done regardless of what has happened, and what will happen.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  But not until I stumbled out of this bar.

  I felt a slap on my back, I knew it was a cadet trying to make a congratulatory gesture after an outing this day. But he hit me right where a giant bug nicked me.

  Jerek didn’t drink. Not like the cadets anyway. I had a few drinks to ease the pain but they drank for fun.

  Not Rona though. I didn’t ever smell alcohol on her breath, I liked that she could carry burdens without vice.

  I did too, mostly.

  Most nights were like this.

  I felt a change in the room suddenly however.

  Within a moment I stood up and threw a beer at the being.

  It was Cecilia.

  She emerged from her concealment and didn’t have her mask on.

  Cecilia approached me, dripping in beer.

  “We need to talk.” She said, I could feel her unease. “Right now.”

  I nodded. “Very well.” I put down the empty mug.

  We walked outside, Jerek and Rona followed.

  She began explaining that my parents and Fenrick were likely dead. Alongside all of their acquaintances.

  She had overheard a long order to kill all of those who were at one point or another involved with me.

  That unfortunately also meant Cecilia herself.

  She was a Grand Marshal so she could finesse her way through the fault lines.

  But she didn’t care anymore.

  My ears focused on one line in particular.

  “You are the one person who has something I want. Your connection to that being is the only thing I have cared about for as long as I can remember, even with my tampered memory.”

  She isn’t blindly loyal to the empire… So could that mean Torian isn’t either? Or is that wishful thinking.

  Rex was going to half to go eventually, there was no redemption for that man. But possibly for Torian?

  I nodded. “I understand. You shouldn’t side with me, or even consider it for a while. I first need to make a presence for the people to reside with. Once I’ve established that I’d gladly talk more about this with you.”

  She nodded in return and coalesced herself in void energy to disappear back into the shadows.

  Rona and Jerek weren’t staring at me, but they didn’t move. Because I didn’t move.

  Even buzzed they knew I had more than enough clarity to think things through.

  “Listen. We’re going to need to establish ourselves before we launch any full scale attack on the empire. We probably shouldn’t even attempt to rescue anyone from Krail, not yet. It’s unfortunate but this is the beginning of a war. Let’s not reveal our hand too soon.”

  They nodded. And we returned to the bar, if we told the cadets what had transpired they’d likely want to either train, take action, nap, or any number of things that wasn’t the right answer.

  For now they needed to keep their heads straight, and operate on my orders when I gave it.

  I was their general, I hated titles, but I actually didn’t mind that one.

  The only reason one was alright was because it showed my rank.

  Everything largely was coming into place properly, but that itself was unsettling.

  It’s not that it was happening easily, I know there would be something that would happen.

  But what?

  What hasn’t the empire revealed yet?

  What don’t I know?

  Whatever it was, it needed to wait. The plan was simple. We would regroup, formulate long term plans, and focus on the now.

  As much as I didn’t know and was numb to, the more it helped me focus on what was needed short term.

  Short term? We were going to take the fight to Torian directly.

  No matter the cost, I needed this with Torian before I woke up dead one day. Torian had answers to these questions, maybe not the direct answer, but regardless.

  That was step one.

  My conviction won’t let me fail.