He went to check it out, joined by Elion and Lorian. One of the soldiers was complaining about a colleague who was teasing him.

  “What happened?” Rendil asked.

  “Nothing serious, Captain. He always goes too far. I’ve let it go until now, but this is the last time!” the guardian said, his finger jabbing at the ground.

  “I didn’t say anything to you! You’re the one losing it over nothing!” the other said, his hands extended to the sides.

  “All right, calm down. Explain it to me and I’ll decide what happens next,” Rendil said, his hands extended palms down.

  Before they could answer, shouting erupted at a nearby campfire. A bit farther away, a fight broke out.

  “Elion, Lorian, something’s not right,” Rendil said. “Check it out, I’ll handle this scuffle.”

  But then he noticed something near one of the tents, walked closer, and saw a recruit from Fifth Squad being dragged into the darkness. A heartbeat later, he heard Lorian’s voice ring out from somewhere behind him: “You killed him!”

  Rendil reacted at once: “Everyone to arms; we’re infiltrated! Everyone to me, quickly!”

  The soldiers gathered, and those who were fighting were kept in a circle under watch.

  “What’s going on? Does the enemy have some kind of control over them?” Rendil wondered aloud, trying to locate Elion and Lorian.

  “No ...” He exhaled loudly.

  “Everyone, light your weapons with holy Light immediately!” He lit his blade and walked among guardians.

  Some couldn’t do it. There was only one explanation.

  “Fiends!” Rendil shouted. “Those whose weapons don’t shine are the enemy!”

  A huge brawl broke out. Rendil knew his entire unit had long mastered this technique, and from Metatron’s scrolls he’d learned about the demon that causes chaos and changes form. But it was too late. Fiends were too strong for regular squads and had the advantage of surprise.

  As they slaughtered the comrades around them, their slimy, snakelike bodies coiled up and began to rise into the night sky. Their many eyes caught the campfire glow, glistening like yellow embers in the dark.

  “Everyone to me!” Rendil commanded. “Shields overhead! Archers beneath, watch above! Spears forward; watch for wraiths!”

  More demons emerged from the darkness. Pishachas leaped from a distance, draining the Light from everyone they bit. Rendil saw at least five fiends; he and two lieutenants definitely couldn’t handle them all.

  Among the pishachas, dark figures darted, impaling themselves on the first line of spears, but there were too many demons. They drained the recruits one by one.

  When one of the fiends swooped down and grabbed a soldier to drop him from above, Lorian didn't think. He jumped out of the ranks, his sword blazing with Light, and unleashed a powerful Light Crescent at the demon's neck. The fiend crashed dead to the ground, but Lorian immediately dropped to his knees, completely exhausted and unprotected. Another demon seized the opening and lunged. Mona didn’t hesitate. She threw herself in front of Lorian, shield raised, but a serpentine tail whipped her aside. She slashed at the fiend, yet he caught the blade in his bare hand; with the other he whipped a mace at the defenseless lieutenant. Acting on instinct, Mona leaped into the blow and thrust her head in front of him. The mace struck her head, and an explosion of Light erupted, hurling the demon back, leaving him burned and stunned.

  Rendil had to be quick. He jumped in and, with his two-handed sword, sliced the enemy from belly to face. He paused, breathing deeply and looking at her. It was clear to him: Mona had awakened her halo. He knew that despite this, the battle was still lost. The words of his commander from the past echo in his mind:

  Think like a captain and minimize losses in a clearly lost situation.

  He ran to Lorian, grabbed him and Mona by their armor, and lifted them into the air.

  “Elion, run the other way; fall back!” he shouted. Elion understood the situation was hopeless, and when he saw a gap in the defense, he ran and vanished into the thicket with a Light Step. Rendil watched him disappear while the demons finished off the rest of his unit.

  He’d set up camp near a Door they could use to escape. He set Mona and Lorian down at the entrance. “Go through and close the Door behind you. Run straight to the Fortress; I’ll catch up.”

  “But where are you going?” they asked, worried.

  “The demons will try to seize the Light. It'll take time for them to organize, only a few will go after Elion. I believe I still have a chance to save him.”

  As he spoke, Vesaria's voice echoed in his mind: A captain for a lieutenant? Is that really worth the risk?

  Despite his doubts, he believed his decision was right and that Elion might still be alive.

  He flew into the nearby palm forest. In the distance, he heard fighting. Two fiends were chasing Elion. All around, demonic screams rang out as the other devils tried to grab as much Light as they could. Elion was fighting but stood no chance. The snakelike creatures surrounded him, his Light attack missed, and he was left completely defenseless. Rendil knew he had to wait for the right moment. He silently glided above them, watching every move.

  Both fiends crawled around Elion, hissing, their yellow, inhuman eyes hungrily tracking the lieutenant from striking distance. When they both reared back, ready to strike, Rendil whispered to himself, “Now’s my chance.”

  He focused, dove sharply, and landed right between them, next to Elion. With his left hand, he shoved one fiend's head into the dirt while driving his blade through the charging fiend on his right. Bones cracked; the blade slid in with a wet squelch, and then silence fell.

  The other fiend was impaled on his sword, its yellow eyes rolling back as its body went limp. He tossed the corpse off his blade and, without hesitation, cut off the head of the fiend he'd pinned.

  They were far from the Light and, luckily, it seemed no one else had noticed the impact; the demons might have thought the noise was just the fiends attacking Elion. Rendil didn’t know how many more demons were nearby, and he didn’t want to find out. Elion spoke quietly:

  “What are you doing here? You’re going to get chewed out again!”

  “Only if you tell on me.” Rendil smirked, quickly slinging an arm over his shoulder and flying him to the Door. There, he spoke the destination; they passed through and immediately closed it behind them.

  From a nearby hiding spot, Mona and Lorian ran over.

  “You’re alive! You’re alive!” she cried, hugging them both.

  “I think I told you to run to the Fortress,” Rendil said, disappointed.

  Lorian grabbed Rendil’s shoulder. “You’re crazy, you know that? We lost all our squads, but looking at the situation, it didn’t turn out so badly,” he said, glancing at Mona.

  “Let’s save the congratulations for later; we need to decide how to get to the Fortress and call for help as quickly as possible,” Rendil suggested.

  “Take Mona,” Elion said promptly.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to take two more experienced lieutenants and come back for Mona? Nothing personal,” Rendil objected.

  “No,” Elion shook his head. “You're overthinking it. Lorian and I can handle ourselves together. When you come back for us, you'll bring backup, and we can all extract at once.”

  Rendil took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. “I’m going to get in trouble again!” he said.

  He took Mona and flew off at lightning speed. He landed at the Fortress and gently set her down.

  “When I get back, we’ll talk!” he promised her and headed for the Main Tower.

  Upon returning to the Fortress, Rendil reported to both commanders, who immediately called up six available angels and set out for the ambush site. At the Door, two captains immediately escorted the lieutenants to safety in the Fortress.

  Rendil had to show the exact location of the attack, identify where the Light had been taken, and who was behind it. When they landed, it was still night and there was no trace of the enemy. The moon lit the battlefield; only footprints and impressions remained where bodies had lain, those of demons and guardians alike, but they were gone.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Split up, hide your Lumions and halos: we still have a few hours of darkness. It’ll be easier to search. If you find anything, meet here every half hour. Spread out!”

  Everyone did as ordered and flew off to search the area. Rendil searched the northern part but found nothing suspicious.

  Soon Arion landed and reported, “I saw a suspicious Light to the east, about ten minutes’ flight from here.”

  “Show us,” Vesaria ordered.

  They flew east. After several minutes, Arion pointed down. Below, a Light flashed for a moment.

  “We’ll go quietly. Cassian and I first, the other captains behind us. The enemy doesn’t know we’re here. Minimize noise, take them out quietly until we’re discovered. For stronger units, attack on my signal.”

  They landed silently and crept toward the enemy base. Vesaria and Cassian first eliminated the wraiths guarding the entrance with their bows. Then everyone slipped inside; Synaa’s daggers excelled in this environment; she was fast and precise.

  The whole room was dug underground, palm leaves and trunks forming a dome to hide it from above. In the center sat two legions, with a large Rift beside them, and across from them were three fiends.

  In the underground chamber, the fiends argued with the other demons over how to divide the Light.

  “How much Light is left?” the first fiend hissed, her forked tongue tasting the air.

  One of the legions answered in a booming rumble: “If they hadn’t gorged themselves, the master would already be here!”

  “We failed to seize control in time,” Her voice was a harsh rasp. “Reskar and Tarcak should have returned, but that captain cut them down and pulled the lieutenant free. I had to guard the Light from my own kind.”

  Another fiend, a lithe she, turned to her colleague. “If you’d arrived sooner, I could have stopped them.”

  “Hold your tongue,” he snapped, the male’s bass hiss rolling through the chamber. “You took plenty for yourself.”

  They would’ve turned on each other if not for one of the giants who stood his ground. “Keep watch. Angelic filth is surely searching for us even now. We stay hidden; we’re not strong enough.” He pointed to a large pile of Light. “We need to use it quickly and expand the Rift as much as possible.”

  The thud of steel hitting the sandy floor was heard. “No, wait until morning!” another legion hissed. “The Light would scatter now; it’d be visible from outside. We’ll go patrol outside.” Two fiends bowed strangely and slithered out of the room.

  Vesaria and Cassian seized the moment to signal the others. From the shadows, she signaled the attack. She burst from hiding, her two-handed sword whistling; she struck a legion through the weak seam beneath the armpit, the blade bursting out below his neck. The demon tried to stand, but Cassian’s uppercut with his hammer finished him off. The second legion roared and raised a massive spiked club.

  “Captains, take care of the fiends!” Vesaria commanded.

  The fiends, caught off guard by the surprise attack from behind, couldn’t react; arrows pierced them, and the captains finished them with blades. Only the last legion remained. The captains didn’t risk close combat, pelting him with arrows. The demon swung his club but met Cassian’s charged hammer. The weapons collided with a massive shockwave, hurling both back. The demon was left exposed; Vesaria struck in a flash; her massive two?handed sword bit under his throat, punched through the neck, and burst out the back.

  His head was held on by only scraps of skin and flesh at the sides. A heartbeat later, Cassian drove both boots into his chest; the impact tore the head free of the body and hurled it straight into the Rift in the ground. Vesaria lifted the helmet from her blade. Inside, the demon's head shifted, then slid free. It hit the ground with a wet squelch.

  Cassian smashed the hammer’s head into the ground, and the Rift closed with a thunderous crack.

  “For the eternal Light!” Vesaria cried.

  “For the eternal Light!” everyone echoed.

  They searched the area a bit longer, looking for enemies, but instead found a large cache of unused Light.

  “Arion, Caladriel, Ramiros, deliver the rest of the Light to the outpost. That should last them for few a weeks; it’s about a third left. The rest of you, home!” Vesaria ordered, and everyone scattered.

  When they returned, it was already daylight and life resumed its usual rhythm. Squads went out on patrols; some trained; others transported Light. The group of captains landed on the tower.

  “Rendil, come with me,” Vesaria called.

  Here we go again... I’m going to get it.

  He followed her to her residence. She closed the door quietly behind them and motioned for him to sit. He did, and she sat across from him.

  “So, how did it all happen?” she asked matter?of?factly.

  Rendil began: “I monitored the situation; everything seemed fine at first. Then arguments started breaking out, which was unusual. There was even a fight where one squad member killed another. I knew something was wrong, and I found a dead guard.” The room was quiet, only the muffled sounds of soldiers training outside reached them.

  “After studying in Metatron’s library, I understood they were demons who could change form and create chaos. I recognized the enemy, but it was already too late; they had overwhelming numbers and must have killed at least fifteen members of the unit before we discovered them.” His voice held steady.

  “Then the fighting broke out, and it was hard to form ranks since the enemy was among us. I assessed the situation as lost, abandoned the transport of Light, and decided to retreat and rescue the two lieutenants.” His face didn’t show emotion.

  He held out one hand slightly, palm up, as he explained the next part. “But then everything changed. Mona, saving Lorian, awakened her halo. Now there were three to rescue. Lorian was out of action after a Light attack, and Mona was next to him.” Then he gestured at waist height.

  “I decided to save those two and sent Elion running into the nearby palm forest, since he had the best chance of survival. The squad was still sizable, but we couldn’t handle the fiends. The enemy chased Elion; I didn’t know how many. We’d camped near a Door, so I knew that once Mona and Lorian went through, the enemy couldn’t follow.”

  He ran a gloved hand through his thick hair, scratching the back of his head, then went on. “Another choice came; I knew I should have gone with them, but by my calculations, not enough enemies had gone after the lieutenant, nothing I couldn’t handle.” He dropped his hand and stood firmly.

  “I went back for him. The lieutenant missed his Light attack and was left defenseless. I waited for the right time; when two enemies pounced on him, I used surprise, took them both out, and got him to the Door. Then the lieutenants convinced me to take Mona, since she was the least trained, and they had a better chance of surviving together.”

  Rendil fell silent and stood motionless. Vesaria didn’t even blink.

  Oh, I am so screwed now...

  She studied him for a long moment, as if searching for something he hadn’t yet said. “You did well, Captain.” Her voice was calm, steady.

  Rendil blinked, his jaw almost dropping. “But I risked my own life again for a lesser goal ...”

  Vesaria shook her head slightly. “No. For the first time, you thought correctly. The Rendil from a few years ago would have stayed to defend the whole squad; and you all would have died. Now you retreated wisely, analyzed the enemy’s strength and your own options, and only then, with a cool head, calculated what to do next.” A smile crossed her face in the morning light.

  “That’s what makes a true leader. We never know how our decisions will turn out, but what matters is that you can assess your chances and know when to push forward and when to pull back.” She stood up and moved to the side, her back half-turned to him as she spoke.

  “If your faith in success was grounded in reason, then so be it. It was never about running at the first sign of danger; it’s about evaluating the situation as a leader and deciding when to fight.” She turned fully to face him.

  “You learned your lesson brilliantly. Thanks to you, your unit now has three lieutenants.”

  She paused, then nodded towards door: “Go; Mona is waiting for you. You know what comes next. Tell her the truth about her options. Everyone deserves a chance to enter the High Heavens.”

  “I completely agree, Commander.“ Tension fell from his shoulders and a smile escaped before he could stop it. He straightened, trying for discipline, but the smile lingered as he nodded and turned to leave.

  All three lieutenants were waiting for him in the barracks. There was no celebration; despite everything, the mood was somber, just the three of them sitting and sipping their drinks. Rendil sat down and nudged Mona. “In two months, everyone will be back; then we’ll celebrate with them. Today is a happy day anyway!” he declared. “To you, Mona.” He raised his glass, and both lieutenants followed.

  Rendil set down his glass and leaned forward. “Since it’s just us, now’s the right time to tell you something. It’s not only a reason to celebrate that you awakened your halo; you also have the right to go through the First Door and enter the High Heavens.”

  A look of silent amazement crossed Mona’s face. Speechless and happy, she hugged Rendil, then Elion and Lorian as well. She sat quietly for a while, then spoke: “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone for a while.” She headed off to the rooms she now had to herself.

  “She deserves it,” Elion remarked. “I really wish it for her.”

  Rendil and Lorian quietly agreed.

  “To our brothers and sisters,” Lorian said, raising his glass. They clinked and took a long pull of golden ale. The tightness in Rendil’s chest eased; a steadiness he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  “I didn’t expect you to come back for me, Rendil. Honestly, you surprised me again,” Elion admitted when he and Lorian were alone.

  “Did you have a big problem?” Elion asked.

  “On the contrary,” Rendil said. “The commander was pleased. The lesson was about stubbornness and taking risks without thinking them through. I refused to pull back and pushed us into needless danger. You’re supposed to assess things properly first, and only then act.” Rendil said, turning his cup slowly in his hands.

  “That’s good,” Elion let out a breath.

  “These last few days have been really instructive. It’s not easy being a captain,” Rendil sighed.

  “But you’re handling it well,” Elion encouraged him. “Let’s play something,” he added, already running to the table.

  They talked and played late into the night, until the lieutenants went to bed. Rendil didn’t feel like joining the captains; he needed a moment of quiet, so he walked the Fortress ramparts.

  He ran into someone. As they drew closer, he recognized Mona, her white robe light against the warm night air, dark hair falling freely over her shoulders. “Can’t sleep?” he asked.

  Mona shook her head. “I really would like to go to the other side, but who would I go to there? I never had anyone. Thirteenth-century Italy...” She trailed off, then shook her head. “It was nothing like your modern world. The things I did just to survive...” For a moment her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You motivated me, and thanks to you it looks like I finally managed to move on and grow beyond that.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, Mona. You know it’s completely different there, and someone is surely waiting for you,” Rendil encouraged her.

  Mona just shook her head sadly. “No... We have a deal, and I plan to keep it. I’ll wait for you up there. How long? A thousand years? Forever? No, it’s important to help here! I couldn’t forgive myself if you lost here and I never saw any of you again.” She looked at him and met his eyes.

  “You’re my family! And yours will be mine too; you talk about them so much I practically know them,” she smiled. “I can’t rest knowing what’s at stake. And what, I’ll watch you from a cloud up there and cheer you on? No way! I’m a lieutenant, and I want to fight for the Silver City and the Eternal Light! I am Lieutenant Mona!” she said, chin raised.

  A quiet pride settled over him as he smiled. “Now that your inner Light has shone, it’s time to choose your new angelic name.”

  Mona fell silent, almost as if she’d forgotten this moment would come. “Honestly, I secretly thought about it, and I have one picked out,” she whispered. After a second, she said, “Luviel.”

  Rendil smiled. “It suits you. From today, you’re Lieutenant Luviel to us, but for the official promotion you’ll have to wait for the others,” Rendil said with a smile.

  Luviel agreed happily. They walked together along the ramparts for a while, then stopped at one of the towers. They watched the horizon in silence until Luviel returned to the barracks to rest. Rendil decided it was time to clear his head, so he set out for a short flight over the land.