NEW ORDERS

  Baylor

  19th day of Silvershine, Year 1011 of the Custorian Calendar

  Lying on top of the Hauler was never comfortable, but the sleeping pad made it bearable. Without those two centimeters of foam, there was no way I'd be lying on this cold metal roof. I would have been miserable. But even if I couldn’t lie down, I would have been fine sitting. The solitude that came with roof detail at night was a welcome retreat. In one hand I held a book Solara had given me, and in the other was an ember stone to illuminate the pages.

  I wasn’t at the same reading level as she was, so some of the books she had gifted me were tough to get through. But I wanted to be smarter. Like her. It wasn't like I was a big dummy or anything; I just missed two years of school.

  Both the ember stone and the book came to rest on my chest. I smiled at the memory of Solara waiting for me that day. She had been standing in the pouring rain for over an hour, waiting for the large steel doors to open. When they finally did, and I was released, she ran across the street and gave me a really big hug. It was so tight that I almost couldn't breathe. She’d always been so nice to me, even when all the other kids had picked on me because I was the only beastman in our class.

  Gods, I wish I could let her know I’m okay. That I wasn't one of the soldiers who'd died lately.

  I set the book and stone down on the roof and rubbed my eyes. As hard as I tried to focus on the book, my mind kept pulling me back to the tragic events of today. Neither the peaceful view of the night sky nor the gentle breeze that washed over me bestowed the peace they usually did.

  It had been about fifteen minutes since my last scan of the area. Time for another safety check. Sitting up, I took a deep breath of the cool night air through my nose to smell the air. Still no enemy scents.

  Pocketing the ember stone, I stood. My tail stuck out straight behind me as I reached up and stretched. Everyone seemed to be asleep down on the ground below. Thovin and Daria were snuggled up over on the far side of camp, and Oren was asleep closer to the Hauler. Thena though… I could feel her pacing around beneath me, inside the vehicle.

  My ears twitched atop my head as I listened in each direction for the sound of anyone or anything that might be approaching our camp. But all I heard was Thena. I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping on my friend–that's not the kind of person I am–but she had a window slightly cracked, and I heard her quietly berating herself for our friends dying today.

  We’d buried them and then disabled and abandoned their Hauler. None of us felt right about driving the vehicle they had been killed inside of. Even the idea of it just felt… wrong.

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  Now, I kept watch for any approaching enemies while Thena paced and lamented, cursing herself for letting her soldiers down. A sergeant had once told her, “Caring too much about your troops will be the seed of your destruction. Learn to bury your feelings. The military doesn't have need of someone who leads with their heart.” She'd told him she respectfully disagreed, and I did too. But after what she went through today, I was worried about her. Thena was one of my best and only friends, and I wanted her to be okay.

  My ears twitched again as the transvox chimed inside the Hauler. Someone from command was reaching out to us. The vehicle shifted as Thena walked over to it. Barely audible was a slight click as she pressed a button to accept the transmission.

  “Squadron Eighty-Seven, what is your current location and status?”

  I knew that voice. Though I'd only met the man once at an event Thena had taken me to last year, it was impossible to forget someone like that.

  Why would he call us? We never hear from anyone important. I mean, the whole military thinks we’re a joke.

  “General Strauss? Sir, we are currently between the townships of Devonspoke and Talp. As you may have already been briefed, by the time we reached Talp to provide aid, the citizens had already been lost. We eliminated the creatures that had attacked the town, but we… we lost three of our own in the process.”

  A pause on the other end of the call. Then, “Yet another failure on your part as a leader, it seems. Your father will be disappointed to hear of this, Captain.”

  My hands clenched into fists, hearing his cruel words.

  That’s not true at all! Her father is a super nice person! Why would he say that?

  “Y-yes, sir, I… I know.”

  “Well, as little as I wish to leave a task of such magnitude to one such as yourself, I have no other choice. There was an incident this evening as we attempted to summon the Guardian from Earth.”

  My heart started to beat faster, and my breath stalled. The Guardian? He’s real!?

  “Sir, I thought the Guardian was just a legend.”

  “They are quite real, Captain. Horas has divined that he arrived in our world somewhere between Devonspoke and Talp, but south towards the forest. Your mission is to secure the Guardian and deliver him safely to Cirleaf. There you will rendezvous with a military Landstrider, which will take him to the capital.”

  “Cirleaf? Sir, there has been vastly increased Brax activity in that direction. It would be much safer to collect the Guardian and take the mountain pass back by Marjen, northwest of here. It would add some time before they got to Arromak, but very few enemy forces have been sighted in that–"

  “It is not your role to question orders, Captain. Especially when your poor decisions lead to the deaths of your soldiers. Arromak is the safest place for the Guardian to be right now, and this is the most direct route. Even if it wasn’t, you will do as you are told. Collect our guest and bring him to Cirleaf.”

  “But sir, I—"

  “Captain! If the next words out of your mouth are not ‘Yes, sir,’ then you will be stripped of the command I doubt you deserve and brought back for disciplinary action. Is that understood?”

  There was a pause, followed by a very strained, “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. And Captain, try not to get any more of your soldiers killed today.”

  There was another click as Thena turned off the transvox.

  My ears had gone flat hearing his cruel words, a low growl escaping me. And when Thena started to cry, my fists clenched so tightly that they ached. He didn't have to be so darn mean. She didn't deserve that!

  A few moments later, Thena forced herself to stop crying and regain her composure.

  “Okay…okay, I’ve got this. Just make the right calls. Keep them all safe.” A sharp crack rang out as she slapped her cheeks and took a few steadying breaths before walking to the door of the Hauler and throwing it open.

  “Everyone up! We have new orders!”