Communication with the city began a day out from their arrival, the range limit on the communication magic. For the war effort, there would be a communication relay set up to send orders to the front line, or reports to headquarters. What El had seen though, she couldn’t trust it to just anybody.

“Nexin is on his way out to meet us,” El told the other three. Oril still trailed behind, unwilling to be “part of the group” in any way. He hadn’t even camped with them the one night they’d decided to stop, exhaustion finally overwhelming them.

“He believed you?” Nidina asked.

“If the story had come from anybody else, I don’t think he would have,” El admitted. She’d needed to swear on their mother’s grave it was true, and Nexin knew better than anybody El wouldn’t do that lightly.

“What’s he think?” Laze asked.

“He’s arranging for us to talk to the generals tonight to report what we saw, and he’s coming out here with his wing to escort us until then.”

“Nexin’s wing is being deployed for this?”

“Yes, so that should tell you how important he thinks this could be,” El said. An elite wing like Nexin’s out to escort a couple rookies? That wasn’t normal.

“Guess we won’t be getting any sleep tonight,” Nidina said.

“No, I suspect they’re going to put us through the wringer to get as much information as they can,” El said.

“What should we tell them?” Laze asked.

“The truth,” El said. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Oril doesn’t seem to feel the same way. He’s not going to be kind to us when he gives his report.”

“Let him say whatever he wants to. He wasn’t actually there. Besides, what’s important is making sure command knows how dangerous those lizards were,” El stated.

“And that Stormbearer or whatever he’s called,” Laze said.

“Him especially,” El agreed. “Our weapons could hurt and kill the lizards, but he shrugged off my best shot like it was nothing.”

Nobody had a response to the statement.

They flew in silence for hours after that, El’s thoughts replaying the battle over and over in her head. Could she have done anything different? Anything better? Definitely yes. She’d hesitated. Underestimated her opponents. It was her fault Faled was gone. And now she was in charge of the wing.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

El looked to her right, at the three flying in formation beside her. Some wing. What would happen to them after they got back? Short eleven members, they weren’t anywhere close to full strength. Would they get split up among other wings? Would they get filled out by other new recruits? Would El still be in command, or would she be held responsible for the loss of the rest of her wing?

Too many questions, and no answers out there in the open sky.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Laze said for El’s ears only. “I can practically see you beating yourself up over it. Much more and you’re going to bruise.”

“Maybe not all of it was my fault, not exactly at least, but I should’ve done better. Nexin would’ve done better,” El said.

“Did he ever tell you about his first actual combat?” Laze asked after a moment’s silence.

“Nothing specific, why?”

“I asked him about it when he got back. You know, anything to talk to him. Anyway, he told me about a pair of Guldish soldiers he ran into.”

“Did Nexin actually lose a fight?” El asked. That couldn’t be possible… could it?

“Oh Pyre, no. Don’t be silly. Nexin? Lose a fight? Hah!”

Laze laughed so loud, El flinched at the volume of it.

“So…?” El asked when the laughter finally died down.

“No, he had no trouble beating them… but he couldn’t bring himself to kill them. Even though they were a sworn enemy, and would’ve killed him in a heartbeat if the roles were reversed, he couldn’t do it.”

“Nexin let them go?” El asked. That was almost as unbelievable.

“He might have, but his commander showed up. This was before he had his own wing, remember. Anyway, the commander started giving him an earful about it, telling him to kill the two soldiers.”

“What happened? Did he follow orders?”

“Didn’t have a chance to. A golem showed up. Came straight through a building and hit the commander so hard it broke her arm and almost killed her.”

“A golem in close quarters? Pyre!” El whispered. Those things were more monster than war machine. They took entire wings to take down. “What happened next.”

“Nexin destroyed the golem.”

Of course he did.

“But,” Laze went on. “He blamed himself for his commander’s injury. If he hadn’t hesitated, she wouldn’t have been hurt.”

“What happened to the two soldiers?” El asked. “Did Nexin kill them then?”

“Nah, the golem trampled them to death when it made its entrance.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. But, I asked him about it again a few weeks back. If he hesitated anymore. You know what he told me?”

“No, so if you could get on with it…” El said playfully.

“He said he didn’t like it, but on the battlefield, sometimes you only get the choice to save one life. Your friend’s or your enemy’s. He doesn’t like killing, but he does it to protect his wing. Mercy would just be putting them in danger.

“Nexin made a mistake, like you think you did, but he learned from it. That’s part of what makes him great, and what can make you great too. Mourn for our friends, they deserve that, and I know I’m going to miss them. But, don’t let the self-blame consume you, okay?”

“I’ll try,” El said, the best she could offer at the moment.

“That’s good enough for now,” Laze said.

“Thanks, Laze.”

“You’re welcome, El. Put in a good word with your brother for me?” Laze said with a chuckle.

“Looks like you’ll have a chance to do that yourself. That’s probably them there,” El said and pointed straight ahead, where fifteen sets of flaming wings raced straight toward El and the remnants of her tattered wing.

“Look alive, guys,” El said to the whole unit, Oril included. “Our escort’s here.”