Meanwhile…

  There were a lot of ominous sounds one could expect from a superior officer writing at his desk–the angrily scrawled signature of something he wanted done immediately. The slow, delicate writing of official orders. The energetic writing with occasional cross-outs for motivational speeches.

  Hadley heard none of these sounds as she, Jurik, and Ragnir laid out the events of the past week to Captain Nevin, and Major Gorovich. The latter was a balding, muscular man with a stern face, square-set jaw, and more scars criss-crossing his face and hands than even Jurik. He sat down with his aide, writing ceaselessly, his pen never stopping, even as he asked questions. His aide was mostly there to take over if his hand cramped for but a moment.

  Then, it was back to the nonstop steady rhythm.

  Their current location was the commanding officer's quarters of the academy barracks, where the Valos army kept their men stationed, separate from the Awakened, but integrated into the routine and faculties. the chestnut colored walls, faint arcane lights providing illumination, and the simplistic decor spoke to a pragmatic CO who wanted fewer distractions from himself.

  Hadley had almost winced when she’d first seen the Major. From what she knew of Jurik, he’d had numerous close calls that had threatened his life. This warrior before her was a man of immense strength and willpower. Especially since he chose to keep fighting after his body had been this badly battered over the years. A warrior and a leader, all in one.

  “Let me see if I understand this.” Gorovich got up from his steel grey desk with a simple wooden chair parked behind it, and walked to a chalkboard where the aide had laid out a timeline of events. “I want to be clear that I understand what is happening. Because the story you three have told me is insane.”

  I knew it. I knew this was going to be a dead end. Of course, they won’t believe it. Hell, I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn't been there. Hadley stood there, hands folded uneasily behind her back. The lack of weight of her gear and her bow was notable, now that she didn’t have them stowed away in her equipment webbing and satchel. The weight of them on her back and hips brought a comfort that she didn't realize she missed.

  She was a great scout and hated enclosures and sturdy walls. She was not a fan of military formalities and felt that itch to move, wander, and explore. Give her an untamed wilderness to explore, and a pack of rudimentary gear, she’d have every major landmark and point of interest marked off, every threat identified within a day. On a good day, she'd even have time for tea and a meal over a campfire by dusk.

  None of those activities was in her future while Gorovich glanced at the board. “Jurik? This is a full accounting of everything?”

  “I believe so, yes.” For Jurik, this military formality was second nature for him, in contrast. Hadley wished she had his composure.

  Patience waiting in a single spot for a single meal on legs was one thing. Dealing with people in the command chain who moved glacially slow? That was a different skill altogether.

  Jurik continued, gesturing to the board. “I understand that this comes as a shock. Truth be told, if anyone told me half of this, I’d have been skeptical, at best.”

  “And that is what worries me, Lieutenant. I know Captain Krevan, and if he vouches for you, I damn well believe that what you’ve given me is accurate, to the best of your knowledge. Same for your counterparts here, Corporal Feywind, and Sergeant Ragnir.”

  Hadley dipped her chin softly. She hadn’t heard a question directed to them. She’d wait, as much as jumping to the point would be more efficient.

  Gorovich tapped the board, with the aide pinning papers in place from the sketches and notes. “Alright, let me take this from the top: the Varadur are massing. They must be planning for a big push. The western side of the skirmish line, far north of Peolein, by the Astarfal mountain range, has more holes than I’d like."

  "But that’s too much terrain to cover, even with our army size, and not have some porosity in observed areas. Even mages with remote reporting abilities have difficulty covering that distance. Airborne scouts can’t pierce the woods at every location either, and griffin units are in high demand. So we ended up with wolves and tunnel vipers breaching the line–the ones that gave chase to you, Jurik, and your ward?” he finished in a pointed question.

  “Correct. We were headed on the southern road for her entry into the Academy after hitting her Tier Two. I believe the ambush that separated us temporarily was one of those groups that got past the line. At first.”

  “We’ll get to that.” The major pinned more points of interest on the map. “Peolein, one week ago. The witch known as Risha Aksen, a formidable witch and researcher, according to what records I have from the academy, was working remotely and under great secrecy. Her ward was an Awakened named Neska.”

  His brow wrinkled. “Seriously, is the poor girl’s name an anagram for a snake?”

  “It’s catchy,” Hadley shrugged. Ragnir scowled at her, but said nothing verbally.

  The Major ignored the comment. “This is the part that really is starting to trouble me. Risha Aksen was working on something important, but no one was sure what, exactly, that was. Even her closest confidants didn’t know. As soon as I received word from Kraven about what happened, I dispatched a team to dig through what’s left of her household and the surrounding property. I’ll have word by tomorrow of their results.”

  He tapped the board impatiently. “Jurik, do you know who Marikand is?”

  “A dangerous monster, likely Tier four, based on its ability to engage with Risha Aksen, along with dozens of others,” Jurik answered calmly.

  “A monster that needs to be eliminated immediately,” Hadley answered sharply.

  “Ragnir?”

  “A high-ranking official within the Seekers organization.”

  Gorovich grunted. “Technically correct from all of you. But my worry is this, now that I’ve confirmed my dread: A branch of the Seekers is infested with mimicoids. They are moving to actively kill Awakened, covering it up as them turning feral or being corrupted. Based on the description and a casual inquiry by myself, they are led by Marikand Strassus, A high templar within the organization of the Seekers. How, exactly, did the Seekers miss the monsters within their midst?”

  Jurik spoke up, standing slightly straighter. “Their scent can be masked to a limited extent. It is also not always a guaranteed sign. Muscle twitches and abnormal movements are also signs. The best way to find out is to cut them. They ooze.”

  “How high is ‘Templar’ in their organization?” Hadley asked. She had a pretty good idea it was ‘this is deep shit territory’ if it wasn’t already there.

  “A templar in the Seekers organization would be the equivalent of a mid-to-high-ranking officer. Higher than me, technically,” Gorovich grunted. “For obvious reasons, this information has not been circulated, and Krevan’s men are discreetly observing the Seeker’s activities. So far, nothing. Marikand is now aware he has been exposed, thanks to Neska’s survival. I doubt he will keep his face for long, if at all.”

  “But the original Marikand–”

  “Dead. With almost near-absolute certainty,” Gorovich said, his voice sounding grave. “How the Varadur got that far and dispatched him, and took his likeness, suggests a severe overestimate of Seeker capabilities, incompetence, or a new threat from the Varadur. Infiltrators that are not so easily spotted.”

  “There were other objectionable Seeker actions,” Hadley interjected. She wasn’t going to wait. That poor woman, screaming as a flaming torch threatened to ignite the pyre beneath her feet, had truly believed her life was about to end. “Since when–”

  “Hadley,” Ragnir interjected. “Please wait.” He clenched his jaw tightly, as if restraining himself.

  She did, for now. Jurik continued to cover up to and including the attack on the town of Bregin in detail.

  This was the part she couldn’t bear. The sight of torn throats, chewed entrails, and the gleeful smile on Felix’s face as he beheaded Briggs with one gruesome bite. She dug her nails into her thigh until the pain became an alternate focus. I buried friends. Then I came here. Why?

  Because of two people who she didn’t realize she needed there to show her steadfast determination: Neska and Juni. Without them, and Jurik, even Wellik’s steadfast calm might not have been enough to save the town.

  And they, of all people, now fully understood why her hunt had led her here. The battle at Bregin showed that Felix was too strong for her to take on alone, and his reflexes and evasion capabilities would make it the hunt of her life.

  But…as a team…there might be a shot to bring an end to him. His death would be a massive blow to the Varadur's organizational structure. She suspected he’d been at or near Tier three when they met.

  She needed a lot more levels to catch up. And the right people for the job. People she trusted. Two of them were present in the room right now, and the other two were likely about to go through a grind of academy lessons that were designed to break people before they were ready for a true battle with the Varadur.

  “Hadley. Anything to add about the village attack?” Gorovich asked.

  “No. I find it problematic, however, that they focused their attacks on a village with even modest defenses.” And still it wasn’t enough to stop them entirely.

  Gorovich approached her, looking solemn. “So you requested a transfer, here. Why?”

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  “Change of scenery. And my talent could be beneficial here to the Awakened, if approved.”

  He let out a grunt, and smiled softly. “I’ll give you a shot to speak without the military parlance bullshit. Why are you here, Miss Feywind?”

  I hate it when people are more observant than me. She pressed her lips together gently before she started. “Major, over the past week, I have seen many wild and unprecedented events unfold. It started with a wolven pack decimating my community, my town, my home. One of them stained the reputation of the academy on a profound level. A man whose actions are an expression of fury and pain. He will continue to be a threat, as long as he is breathing.”

  “But then, a woman reborn as a snake, who had no business fighting an impossible battle, stood up when no one else would. Many times, in fact. And she did that, after she lost her entire world: her caretaker, her home, her human form. She stared down impossible odds and found a way.”

  Hadley tried not to get ahead of herself. “Whatever she is, it is my opinion that she will be one to shake up the status quo. And I would rather follow someone who wants to bring change, than sit and wait to die as the monsters grow bolder and whittle down our safe areas of refuge, one by one. I have seen what's out there, what the Awakened face. The lieutenant and sergeant, even moreso. They need every edge they can get to stay alive.”

  “And you believe that by being here, in one of the most dangerous jobs imaginable, you are contributing your best to the war effort?”

  “Correct.”

  “And because you believe this corrupted Awakened has targeted you, specifically?”

  She tried to keep a neutral face…but the Major’s arched brow was enough to indicate she should speak candidly. “The corrupted…has a personal fixation on me. Before he was corrupted, he trained me, believed in me. Now he seeks to destroy that bond and everyone I care about. My presence here will hopefully draw him from Bregin, and there is no shortage of dangers here.”

  “Probably more, I’d say,” the Major commented gruffly. “I trust you understand that making it personal…is liable to get you killed?

  “I don’t have any illusions, Major. The only way this ends is if we get the monsters to stop attacking us, or we kill all of them. That includes Felix Fenrir, should I encounter him. But I will not hunt him and put my friends or allies at unnecessary risk. He is too dangerous to tackle alone, as it were.”

  The major nodded softly. “I appreciate your candor. Thank you, Miss Feywind.”

  He then turned to Ragnir and asked questions about the Seekers at the town in the mountains. Even the major’s calm and collected nature was strained when Ragnir told him of their strained interpretation of the law and their actions.

  But, it also sounded like he could do nothing, except to send military investigatory services to talk to witnesses. “Do we know anything about the alleged Awakened they were after?”

  Jurik shook his head. “By their description, it may have been a mirage serpent, a Tier two or higher. Its behavior is unusual, as it's inconsistent with the other monsters in the region. They could have been scouting, possible desertion, or an Awakened on a field exercise. Or a stranger option…a rogue monster.”

  “That happens?” Hadley asked, surprised.

  “Rarely,” Jurik cautioned. “There have been a few reported monsters that have allegedly betrayed the Varadur and sought asylum. But there have been none that defected successfully.”

  “Meaning?”

  “They were hunted down with excessive force by their own.” Jurik gestured to the Major's desk. “Do you have any reports of any Awakened deserting?”

  “Recently? No. Statistically, I’d worry more about humanoids deserting. But if there were deserters, their recovery would be a top priority to keep their knowledge from falling into the Varadur’s claws. It’s bad enough we already ask too much of the Awakened,” Gorovich grumbled. “I can cross-check the records of all students. Resalio will give me access. It may be an Awakened who hadn’t attended the academy yet, and got cold feet–well, scales, in this case–and fled.”

  “But I can only speculate what is going on. It deserves a thorough follow-up. Not much I can do to assure the villagers of Earthspire. I liked it when the Seekers weren’t so keen on seeing enemies everywhere.” A sharp growl ran underneath the Major’s words, one of longstanding frustration, by Hadley’s guess.

  Then, he moved on to the battle with Tanileth and the tunnel vipers. Even he was impressed. “Three of them, one of them an unusual elite. I know no words of gratitude or declarations of valor can bring your men back, Sergeant Ragnir. However, those are three major threats that have been dealt with before they could cause irreparable harm. I will personally see to the notifications of their next of kin.”

  “I’ve started writing letters. I…don’t know how to finish them.” His eyes sought the ground for comfort, for a brief moment. “But, Major…the viper called out Neska as a Daughter of Ouroboros. Does this mean anything to you?”

  “No. I can’t say it does. But it is very intriguing. I think this implies they were looking for her. Or others like her. Perhaps the other missing Awakened was a target, too?” he proposed.

  Ragnir arched his brow. “It’s possible. But why? They think she’ll be the one to burn them to the ground. Some kind of prophecy. Not that I believe that, but…”

  “Ouroboros is an old god, and existed long before the monsters did,” Hadley finished. “An Interface designation of an old god, as Neska told us? It’s disturbing. It doesn’t matter if it’s true, if the Varadur believes she will be the one to end them. And maybe, given her unusual powers, she could be the one to end them, or find a way to stop them.”

  “That sounds suspiciously like hero worship, Miss Feywind,” Gorovich said in a wistful tone.

  “She’s determined, if nothing else, Major. Protecting her identity and ensuring she has allies she can trust are instrumental to making those things happen,” Jurik added, giving Hadley a sidelong glance.

  “Is that your professional opinion, Lieutenant?” the Major asked.

  “It is. Resalio also requested my presence here at the academy. Only someone in my chain of command could reassign me. I must admit a slight conflict, because of…”

  “Your ward, Juni?” Gorovich didn’t look at his papers to know where the veteran was leading the discussion.

  “Yes. I made a promise to a dying friend to keep her safe. My concern is, with the proximity…I may let personal feelings get in the way of my duty to the defense of Valos, and beyond.”

  The major shook his head. “I understand that. And I appreciate your bluntness in that. We live in uneasy times. But I also think too many soldiers forget what matters most: the safety and lives of every humanoid and Awakened that stand tall against the incursion."

  The major returned to the board, peering at the timeline and the map on the next slide. “Captain Nevin?”

  “Sir?”

  “I’ve got new instructions. I want people looking out for Miss Aksen. And I am taking a rather unconventional approach: I am reassigning Lieutenant Jurik, Corporal Hadley, and Sergeant Ragnir to campus security and training rosters, effective after tomorrow.”

  Hadley let out a gasp. She thought for sure she’d be shuffled back to Bregin. Ragnir hid his reaction a little better, opening his mouth to speak, then thinking better of it. Jurik stood calmly and composed, though she swore a faint smile creased his lips–if for a brief second.

  “May I inquire why, Major?” Jurik asked.

  “From this point on, Neska Aksen should be considered a high-profile target of interest for the Varadur. They will be after her, since she has incurred the wrath of whatever this ‘Voice’ entity she’s referred to, from your documentation. An overseer of the Varadur, or a slave driver.”

  The Major pointed to the map. “Lieutenant, you and your comrades have fought side by side with her and demonstrated rapid adaptation to unusual but effective strategies. I’m tired of using tactics that don’t work, or the Varadur just defeats us by sheer brute force. She needs people she trusts, and by all accounts, that list is very short at the moment.”

  “But, Major–” Ragnir tried to interject.

  “Sergeant, I understand you wish to return to your post. But what we have is an unprecedented situation; even I know that. I worry that if word spreads, then Neska would be inundated by people looking to examine her, challenge her…or the Varadur will beeline for her with everything they’ve got.”

  Captain Nevin nodded silently. “Are we to keep an eye on her closely?”

  “No. I need Neska to fully explore her powers. I would prefer this be handled by the academy staff, given what happened to the Seekers. Should she go on field assignments–and I certainly feel she will, given her previous actions–she will be assigned as normal. However,” he added, glancing at Jurik and Hadley, “If she’ll have you, I’ll have Hadley and Jurik assigned to them during training exercises, when not actively training at the campus.”

  Jurik let out a soft chuckle. “Captain Krevan always said I’d die in the field, or be withdrawn to train the next wave. But I doubt she will want to be coddled. I got an impression of that already.”

  Hadley couldn’t be happier–though she did have one question. “Are we sure this is what Neska will want?”

  Gorovich let out a sigh. “This will be a difficult balance, Corporal. I don’t doubt her capabilities, but to reach her peak, I suspect at some point we will have to let her choose her own path, without coddling her. I’m sure Resalio, Serkin, and Harvine will also have the same thought process.”

  “What about Risha’s prior work?” Ragnir asked. “There are several unknowns. Are we sure that Risha wasn’t working on something truly terrifying? Something that we just put into the heart of one of our most important institutions? I don’t like asking that question…but…”

  Hadley scoffed. “After what she went through, you’d question her?”

  “I’m not questioning her, I’m questioning what Risha intended for her,” Ragnir emphasized. "Risha's work on alchemy and rituals is immense, along with monster biology. But why does no one know what, exactly, she was doing?"

  Gorovich frowned. “We will go by the known facts, and adjust our strategy accordingly. Captain Nevin, I’ll defer to you to assign tasks for these three. I will also file the paperwork for the transfers. Unless there is a compelling reason to object?”

  All three of them shook their heads. Captain Nevin rose from the table. “Welcome to Rivilat Academy. If this isn’t the most unusual circumstances someone showed up, it’s up there. I want you three to get a full day of rest and familiarize yourself with the faculty roster and academic procedures. I’ll send assignments later tomorrow morning. In the meantime, rest tonight. I’ll send word to the barracks to set you up.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Jurik said softly, giving a slight bow. With that, all three of them departed from the office, and onto the campus grounds.

  The sun had just set, with little but twilight on the horizon, and stars winking into existence above them in that deep indigo expanse. Her light boots were thin enough that she could almost feel the grass springing upwards, beneath her feet, and a light breeze carried a hint of venison and spiced meats from the mess hall in the distance. Arcane lights flickered on, illuminating the web of walking paths throughout the campus, which almost seemed like an eccentric spider had woven the pathways.

  Hadley let out a sigh of relief. Finally, no more close quarters with the military higher-ups. She frowned when she observed the campus. “Not a lot of places to train for scouting here,” she murmured.

  “We have most of the valley,” Jurik answered. “It won’t be safe. I suspect there will be more monsters breaching through. More dangerous ones.”

  “Good. Keeps my skills sharp,” she answered. She couldn’t wait to be back in her element, back on the hunt. And this time, she wouldn’t be alone. "Juni and Neska haven't had us for a whole day. Think their orientation went well?"

  Jurik chuckled softly. "Neska seems to have that draw of a personality. Saw that in her writing, and the way she talks. Juni is anxious, but...I think Neska's boldness is a good influence on her."

  "Spoken like a father, almost," Hadley commented. He didn't respond, but she saw him rub at his waxy skin in a subtle tell. "Yeah, I think those two will be alright. In the meantime, I think I'll grab a bite to eat and find a shower."

  "Sounds like a plan," Ragnir chuckled. "Damn. Guess Bregin will have to make do without us. I'll head to the barracks, see you two in a bit."

  After he left, Jurik cleared his throat. “Hadley, I have one question.”

  She tilted her head toward him. “I think I know what you’re going to ask. Why am I really here?”

  “It had crossed my mind, given your carefully chosen words this whole time. Felix hurt you personally, didn’t he?”

  “You saw the village–”

  “No. Before then.”

  Of course, he would figure it out. She bit her lip gently. Was it that easy for Jurik to tell? He had an uncanny intuition, if nothing else. A skill she realized was grossly underestimated.

  There was no point in trying to deflect. He already had an idea. “You want to know why I want to kill him? It’s not just to end his pain. And my hunt doesn’t stop until my arrow pierces his skull, and he draws his last breath. Him, and those who destroyed the memory of a good man."

  “So, what is the reason?”

  She stretched lightly, glancing at the campus. At a corner on one end of the north side, by the cathedral, and the sorcery-based classrooms with their bunker-style design. Where it happened.

  The day her world broke.

  Her breath shuddered for a split second. “He ate my friend.”

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