Dran sighed as he prepared the fire for breakfast.

It had been a long morning, starting well before dawn. He had already gone around and prepped the horses for their journey that day, with the aid of two of his squad mates, Koda and Doyle. Regis had done his best to look busy while doing functionally nothing but glare at him.

It’s not like I wanted to wake myself and everyone else up like that. Does he think I do it on purpose? Dran scoffed and shook his head. I feel bad, but he acts like I do it on purpose. If I wanted to ostracize myself, I’m sure I could think of easier ways to do it.

He looked at Regis and saw Lieutenant Keer quietly approaching him from the rear, and chuckled to himself. That moron doesn’t know when to shut his mouth. He stopped, closed his eyes, and offered a prayer to the Goddess. I deeply regret inconveniencing my squad, so please don’t let Regis make more work for us.

Dran finished his prayer and got back to work, nearly dropping the cookpot as he tripped over a rock.

----------------------------------------

“I could’ve been with Mola’s squad, but nooooo, I had to be stuck with Dran,” Regis loudly complained as their squad took down the tent they had been sleeping in mere moments before. “Lost three hours of sleep and we had to start working!”

Several worried glances and a number of shushes shot Regis’ way.

“If you keep talking like that, we’ll get even more duties,” a frantic whisper sounded in his ear.

Regis scoffed and looked over, “what, are on you his side now, Koda? I thought you two were getting closer —“ he spit to the side “— but I didn’t realize you were sharing a bedroll already!”

A smattering of nervous chuckles sounded around him.

“Ha ha, very funny. No, I just don’t want to every other squad’s duties while they relax and eat breakfast,” Koda whispered harshly.

Regis chuckled, continuing, heedless of Koda’s worrying, “we’re already being punished enough, being stuck with him, and now we have more things to do, again because of him, we’re not gonna get more. Everyone else already feels bad enough for us as it is.”

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Koda gestured wildly at Regis, who just rolled his eyes in return. “What’s wrong, worried Keer will be mad I’m talking bad about his ‘favorite’? As if!” Regis chuckled derisively, shaking his head and continuing, “you know he won’t do jackshit if he hears me talking!”

The whispers reach a crescendo, before suddenly ceasing.

“Ahem.”

Regis paled, slowly turning to his left.

He hastily snapped to attention and shouted out, “Lieutenant Keer! I was speaking without thinking, sir,” as Keer came into view.

Keer simply stood there and studied the man, his piercing green eyes seeming to dive into his soul. Regis stared straight ahead, not daring to move a single inch under the scrutiny.

After what felt like an eternity, the Lieutenant spoke.

“If you have a personal issue, I strongly recommend you keep your grievances to yourself. I will not have any soldiers sowing dissent in my camp.” He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “On the other hand, if it is a personnel issue,” he gave a little smirk as he spoke, “you may take it up with the Bishop himself. He is the one who placed Dran on this mission.”

Keer looked from soldier to soldier, each feeling the weight of his gaze, before continuing. “It would behoove you to remember that you are in the Watchers. Our Bishop speaks with the voice of the Goddess herself.” He looked at Dran a short distance away, stumbling before setting a cooking pot above a fire. “If She believes he is worthy, who am I to say otherwise?”

Who am I to say otherwise?

Regis began to open his mouth, before stifling a swear at the feeling of a harsh kick on his shin. He stole a glance at Koda, who was glaring at him.

Regis made the wise decision of keeping his mouth shut.

“If, perhaps, you men believe you know better than the Goddess herself — perish the thought —” Keer continued, with a judgmental look at Regis, “then I should remind you that all seven of you came to us twelve years ago. You have all been preparing for this for the same amount of time. This is your first mission. I pray that you will come to learn that you must trust your comrades implicitly, elsewise you will not survive very long.

I will allow that he has certain disadvantages that most of our order does not. I also understand that his circumstances are somewhat unique. No matter what you may have heard, however, I will not let unsavory rumors circulate, and I will reprimand whosoever decides to perpetuate them.”

The squad sneaked glances at each other, before one nervously spoke up.

“B-but sir, I had h-h-heard y-you didn’t l-like h-h-him,” he managed to stammer out.

Keer turned an icy glare on the man. He held it for what felt like an eternity. “What did I just say about personal issues and unsavory rumors, Doyle?” He finally said.

Doyle blanched and tried to stammer out an apology, when Keer cut him off with a sigh. “I’ll let you off easy this time, if only because you have clearly not been properly trained on how to act while even just slightly sleep deprived.”

“T-thank y—”

“As such,” Keer interrupted, ”I will take it upon myself to personally train you every single day upon our return, as I have clearly failed you until now.”

Keer looked at the man’s horrified face with a glint of sadistic satisfaction in his eye.

“As for now,” he continued, “all of you help Dran over there so he doesn’t muck everything up.”

”Yes, Lieutenant Keer!” They chorused and ran to Dran.