I jumped off of Renala’s back as she skirted the ground and landed ankle-deep into the muddy mountain pass while she arched back up toward the peak to rest. My arrival was far from subtle and there were several patrols and guards who saluted me as I marched passed them. I waved down their formalities and simply continued into the war camp.

The faint smell of freshly cooked meats filled my nostrils and I had to wipe a bit of dribble from my lips when I entered.

Lydia, Idyia, and all of the army’s Captains and Lieutenants were having a group dinner, no doubt commiserating among their peers. I drew thick lines between the lower and higher ranks in order to avoid abuses of power. I wasn’t an idiot and I didn’t expect my soldiers to act like saints, so preventative measures needed to be taken before any issues could arise. A clear divide between commanders and subordinates was key in developing trust, impartiality, and fairness.

Lydia and Idyia were the two outliers. They were technically independent of the standard command structure, so they could theoretically eat with anyone they chose. I joined them at the table. Lydia and Idyia spread out so I could sit between them. My commanders grinned mischievously at me while my two lovers shot me expectant stares.

With a sigh, I broke decorum and sat between them.

“General, welcome back.” Captain Finlay said as he poured me a mug of wine. I knew he packed his own bottles against my orders, but I needed a drink and sneaking alcohol under your leadership’s nose was a time-honored tradition in any military. I was certain not every barrel we brought was filled with potable water. I climbed up from the lowest ranks, so these games of hide-and-seek were some of my favorite to play. I purposefully told Captain Rhodes not to look too deeply into it so long as we had enough liquids to survive.

“I take it you have all been watching the armies.”

Glum silence followed.

“The Alliance has been routed. They will fall back to Pherae’s second line of defense, Castle Velmonar, and await reinforcements by Pherae’s formal military.”

I showcased my World Map, projecting it into everyone’s mind and drawing upon it with swipes of my finger.

“We will advance,” that drew some furrowed brows. Most would think to retreat. “And circle around the mountain range to cut off the horde’s supply lines.”

“Master,” Idyia spoke up. “The Beur demons will just resort to cannibalism to survive. Cutting off their supply will do precious little.”

“I am counting on that. If we cut off their supplies, they will eat each other and reduce their numbers on their own. It’ll also make it harder for the Greater Demons to maintain control over their ranks if they even had any in the first place. Starvation sucks, no matter what race it is.”

“But that will require a fast-moving, highly mobile strike force,” spoke Captain Victor. “I only have enough warhorses for 50 men at most.”

“Don’t worry about that, we have a C-130.”

“Pardon, General?”

I thought about the gigantic set of saddlebags I ordered Balin to craft for Renala when she made her first supply flight back to Renalis. Lydia scowled at my surface thoughts. Reducing her surrogate daughter into a pack mule still pissed her off, but she swallowed her objections with a tall mug of wine. Oh well, I was in command and I couldn’t let her religious zeal get my soldiers killed.

“Get me at least 100 volunteers who aren’t afraid of heights,” I pushed onward with my plans. “Normally, I wouldn’t care, but we don’t have time to beat out phobias.” I shoved some bacon, eggs, and bread into my mouth and drowned it with wine and water. Lydia was appalled at my grotesque eating speed, but I drew nods of respect from everyone else. Eating fast and moving quickly were staples of any well-trained soldier.

“I’m going to restock my Bottomless Dufflebag and talk to Anna,” I told Lydia and Idyia through telepathy, then power-walked to the supply wagons. Several dwarves and other craftsmen and women directed me to the ammunition section and I quickly reloaded my empty quivers. I saw one of them struggling with a heavy barrel full of fresh rainwater and decided to assist them so they could get dry. Once all the empty barrels were full of potable water, I returned to Lydia's carriage where my lovers were waiting.

I stripped down and Lydia took my clothing and dried it with her magic. I wiped myself off with a towel while Idyia dried my back. I opted to sit in the nude while my clothes dried and closed my eyes to focus on Anna.

“Anna, are you busy?”

“Ah! Darling?” My heart skipped a beat. “What is it?”

“Is Balin there? I need to ask him about the saddlebags for Renala.”

“It is complete, or so he told me several days ago. Have Renala go to the Peak to pick it up. Tinkerer Duin will be there to assist Renala.” I felt her pause. “Levin, I am going to share my vision with you. Tinkerer Duin sent a box to be opened by you and only you.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Duin?” Was it my rifle? “Sure, open it up.”

I sat down and closed my eyes so I could focus entirely on the telepathic link between Anna and me. A wave of vertigo struck me before my vision cleared. I stood in Lydia’s office. Or rather, Anna did. It was strange - like watching a movie through a telescope. It was almost crystal clear.

“Anna, you have amazing vision. What’s your Wisdom?”

“It’s 15, Levin. It helps with looking for minute errors in my weaving.”

“... Huh. T-that’s really weird. You’re extremely dedicated to your craft. You know your Wisdom is almost transcendent?”

“I am the greatest seamstress in the kingdom for a reason, Levin. Now, I’m going to open the box.” She flicked a latch on a long, wooden case. I furrowed my brow. Anna pushed open the lid and focused on what was within. Wait. This almost looked like-

My breath hitched. My mind froze. My eyes widened.

“An M14?!”

“Is that what this is? It looks like a much more ornate version of your rifle, as you called it.”

“Anna. This is huge. Do not let anyone touch that aside from you.” The weapon wasn’t exactly an M14; it was some kind of strange hybrid between my M4A1 and the US Army’s two-generation old Cold War battle rifle, the M14. But it more closely resembled the latter than the former. Even so, it was a monumental step forward in weapon technology. If I gave Duin another six months, he probably could fully replicate my M4A1. Hell, there were even four, fully loaded magazines strapped to the bottom of the lid. It was entirely possible Duin and his crew could finally mass produce modern ammunition. Or get extremely close.

I was brought from my own thoughts when Anna’s mind calculated something, but I couldn’t penetrate past her mental barrier to read her innermost thoughts nor would I violate my lover’s privacy like that. I wasn’t a child. I wouldn’t read my wife’s text messages without her permission.

“I want to learn how to use it.”

That threw me for a loop. “Say again?”

“It’s not fair, Levin. You, the Queen, and Idyia are all galavanting across the world, have grand adventures, and leave me to maintain the house like a maid.”

“But you are a maid.”

“You aren’t helping.”

“Right. Okay. Uh, I’m going to send you some videos on how to field strip a rifle and how to shoot an M14. They look roughly the same, so the general concepts should apply. God, I wish I was there to give you a safety brief.”

“I am not a child, Levin.”

“I know, I know! Promise me you will contact me before you practice. I’ll do my best to guide you through this damn link.”

“Yes, Darling. Now send me those videos.”

She's gung-ho about this. I laughed and did so. For 30 minutes, Anna took avid notes and sketches. I forgot how detail-oriented she was. With her nearly superhuman vision, she might actually be a better shot than most riflemen. Crackshot Anna? God that was hot.

“Ah, I have another audience to attend to,” Anna said. I exhaled and cut off our shared vision. She must have felt the connection weaken. “Stay safe, my love.”

“I will. I love you,” I replied then opened my eyes to see Lydia and Idyia both only a few inches away from my face, wearing shit-eating grins.

“W-what’s up?”

“We love you, too.” Lydia teased. “Why don’t you say it to the two of us, too?”

“You were listening?!”

“We’re always listening,” Idyia wryly remarked. It was only then I noticed they were both completely naked. For the next few hours, I truly felt bad for the guards stationed outside the carriage.

When we were finally done fooling around, my clothes were dry and the rain subsided. I sent Renala back to Akeroyd Peak to pick up more supplies and expressly told her to listen to Duin or she’d be scrubbing herself for a month. The mental wail she sent through our bond made me chuckle, but she submitted and flew off at top speed toward Renalis. My troops would spend the next few days recovering while we waited for Renala to return.

Meanwhile, I watched the Alliance slowly retreat back into Pherae and garrison themselves within and around Castle Velmonar, the first major fortification standing between the Blighted Lands and Pherae proper. Countless red dots converged onto the castle icon on my World Map. Many more continued to trickle toward the castle, like a red ball and chain. Those were either stragglers or the supply line. The Alliance seemed somewhat stable within Castle Velmonar, and I assumed the stalemate would remain until they ran out of food.

A knock on the carriage door drew my attention. I dressed quickly and threw the covers over Idyia and Lydia then left, careful to only open the door enough to let myself through and immediately shut it behind me to save my lovers some unnecessary grief.

Finlay and Dauf saluted me sharply.

“Captain Finlay, Captain Dauf, good morning,” I returned their salute and waved them both to relax. “You have some good news?”

“We wanted to tell you in person, General,” Dauf began, wearing an eager smile. “We’ve selected 100 men and women who are unafraid of heights and are ready and willing to fight.”

“Excellent. Good work. Go through a gear inspection. I want them ready to sortie at any moment.”

“General,” Finlay chimed in, “You still haven’t told us why we had to gather these soldiers.”

“You asked me before, how we were going to hit these supply lines and escape while wearing plate armor. The answer is simple: we’re going to fly.”

Dauf’s eyes rolled back into his head. Finlay caught him.

“General. We’re going dragon-riding?!” Finlay’s voice was hoarse, caught between awe and horror.

I grinned from ear to ear. “You bet your ass! Y'all gonna learn what it means to be an Airborne Ranger!”