The victorious few were quiet as they stood around Vas. Selene stepped forward and took a deck of cards out of her pocket. She set the deck on Jade’s body.

Vas was in a daze. He’d dealt with death. He’d been prepared for death.

But he hadn’t expected Jade to go so soon.

If she hadn’t stepped in to fight Hades and overextended herself, would she still be alive?

What if Vas had just stayed with the Scouts in formation?

He stared at his sword. It was still wet with Jade’s blood. What if she hadn’t turned? What if she had been just fine and was smiling like that to tease him?

Tapo stepped up to Vas.

“Clean your sword.”

Vas nodded and swung the blood off his sword. He’d rehearsed the motion tens of thousands of times while practicing. Next to Jade.

Tapo turned and faced the other Scouts.

“Gather the rations. Make sure we have two tents total. Ensure you all have two water bottles each. If your weapons are chipped or broken, grab a new one. If your clothes are ripped, exchange with one of the dead.”

This was the worst part of winning. Surviving afterwards.

“Vas.”

Vas looked up.

Tapo stared him in the eye.

“She died fighting.”

For some reason this meant more than anything else.

It was the way things should be.

Jade deserved to die fighting.

She’d earned the right.

Vas clenched his jaw and unclenched it. His vision focused and he nodded sharply.

Tapo gave him a sad smile and walked away.

Vas knelt to Jade’s body and used her katana to cut pieces of her scarf.

He used the bandages to dab the gashes on his face.

Then he kissed his knuckle the way Sun and the new recruits had, the very first time they’d spoken of the Scouts.

Vas stood and examined himself. He’d basically avoided wounds to his body this time. His scarf was cut in a couple of places, but not so bad that he needed a new one.

Retracing his steps, Vas found the corpse of the Risen they had dubbed ‘Hades’. Alex and her stories. Wasn’t Hades the lord of the underworld or something? Vas sighed and flipped the body over.

He unclipped the monster’s sheath and took the nodachi from its hand. After shaking the sword, he sheathed it. Then he strapped the large sword onto his back upside-down.

Looking at him from the front, he would appear to have a sword with a hilt poking out on both his top right and bottom left.

Vas quickly drew the nodachi in the same fashion he’d seen his father draw. It felt awkward, but the different drawing angle as well as having a second sword could be extremely advantageous in a fight.

Especially if he decided to throw his miaodao again.

He sheathed the nodachi with less difficulty than he’d expected.

After ten minutes of gathering supplies, the Scouts reassembled.

Tapo gave a warm smile to the group.

“We need to keep moving south.”

“Why are we going south?” Selene’s voice wasn’t cheerful like usual.

Tapo gave her a blank look.

“There must be a real reason. We know we won’t find survivors.”

“Actually,” a short bald Scout broke in, “we don’t know that.”

Selene kept her eyes on Tapo.

“Without the rations, we’d already be long dead. Imagine life without the rations. You’d have to farm your own food or something. It’s been years.”

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Vas had thought about the subject, but never in so much depth.

Tapo sighed, “The commander believes there is more to the Risen than we realize. Kara thought there would be survivors. The mission fit both of their desires. That is all.”

Vas absently scanned the battlefield again. What could he have done differently?

Could he have helped the surviving Scouts retreat instead of fight a battle?

The reasons they had marched south didn’t really matter to Vas.

He wanted the reasons for the deaths.

“Time to go.” Tapo sounded frustrated. Selene was being obstinate.

Vas glanced at Jade’s body one last time. He saw the card deck laying on top.

“Wait, we forgot something.”

Vas jogged away from the group and grabbed the deck of cards.

Jade had told him he should to learn.

Selene walked up to him before he reached the group. She was clearly upset.

“Those were hers,” Selene hissed.

Vas held the deck out, “these are ours. All of ours. We’re partners, Selene. We’re family.”

Selene looked like she was about to cry. She turned and walked away.

“Selene.” The woman turned back to him, and Vas could see the inner struggle. She always acted happy, but now she couldn’t.

“Sorry.” He’d forgotten what she was dealing with. She’d lost almost her entire squad. Trainees she’d spent more than a year with. Selene nodded.

“Now that that’s over with,” Fem patted Selene on the back, “we need to start marching.”

Vas sent the only remaining pair to walk about twenty paces in front of their group.

Alex had complained as usual, but Joust had agreed readily.

Tapo clapped Vas on the shoulder.

“I think we need to talk about which of us will be in charge.”

Vas nodded, “I believe you should be. You have seniority and experience in your favor, and you know things about the mission I do not.”

Tapo snorted.

“Your squad makes up the majority of this group. Without you, us four would have died with the others.” Tapo leaned in conspiratorially, “All I know about the mission is that the commander thought the Risen were preparing to launch a full-scale assault on the wall.”

Vas raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you just say that when Selene was interrogating you?”

Tapo waved his hand dismissively. “I didn’t like her tone.”

“You’re right,” Vas affirmed with a smile, “I should be the one in charge.”

Tapo smiled back. Vas waited for the return joke. It didn’t come. That was when Vas realized the smile was a lie. “Good.”

Tapo walked away to join Selene.

Vas watched the big man who had lost his entire squad aside from Selene.

He watched the two other Scouts they’d saved. One had been from Ishone’s group, the other from Serj’s. They’d both lost everyone.

Fem had lost his partner. Alex and Joust had lost friends.

Vas didn’t have time to harden or get stronger.

He couldn’t close everything out like he had before.

He had to hold them all together.