“A second…” El was interrupted by the door swinging open and her brother sticking his head out.

“Good, you’re still here,” he said. “Come with me.”

“Sir,” Lhogan started, “I’ve got orders.”

“And now you’ve got new orders. The generals have asked for these two,” Nexin answered, but softened the bluntness of his words with a pat on the other man’s shoulder. “Let me buy you a drink later to make up for it.”

Lhogan looked from Nexin to El. “Thanks, but I’ve already got dinner plans.”

Nexin raised an eyebrow and glanced at El. “Choose a buffet,” he said quietly, then patted Lhogan on the shoulder again.

“Why you…” El threatened, but didn’t finish.

“Come on. Can’t keep the generals waiting,” Nexin said.

“Oh yeah, hiding behind the generals,” El hissed to mask the butterflies storming about in her stomach. Why would they want her and Laze? What could they possibly offer?

“You’re not in trouble,” Nexin whispered, knowing her tells. “New orders.”

“Why us?”

“Somebody is running to get Faled now, and you’re his number two,” Nexin said, and reentered the auditorium. El and Laze followed without a word, though Lhogan tossed her another wink for good measure.

A dozen levels, each a step higher than the one after it, separated El from where the refugees sat in the center of the room. Shaped like a giant bowl, the entire room was built to draw attention to the large map table. As big as any of the tables in the mess hall, the detailed map was an accurate representation of El’s home, the nation of Pycrin.

She’d only been in this room the one time before, and like then, the map took her breath away.

Dominating the center of the meticulous map, and the nation, was the capital city of Balacin. Easily as big as any of the countries conquered by Pycrin during its continuing expansion, Balacin was the only real city left on this side of the Icicle Mountains. The other cities and towns, barely ruins of their former glory, had mostly been removed from the map. Only the occasional farming or mining town remained, with a handful of fishing villages along the coast.

A cluster of mountains to the east, the God’s Claw Mountains, named so for their unique shape, was the only other notable settlement. The electrum found within those ancient mines was the key to Pycrin’s military might.

Rolling grasslands, tall forests, arid plains, and most importantly, troop movements filled the rest of the space like some kind of gigantic game board. With one player clearly winning. Ninety percent of those troop movements were focused on one key area.

To the northwest, through the towering Icicle Mountains, lay her country’s last true enemy, the country of Guld. Aldrana, the fort town, guarded the only pass through the treacherous mountains, and even from this distance, El could clearly make out the models representing Guld’s golem forces.

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Golems. Powerful machines of war, three times the height of a man, and twenty times as strong. With stone bodies resistant to the Spark’s flames, they were the only reason Guld had been able to hold out so long. A war waged over twenty years. A war slowly grinding both sides down, with Pycrin forcing the Guldish forces to hunker behind the solid walls of Aldrana.

But Pycrin could go no further. The walls, and the golems, prevented the final push through the tunnels of the Icicle Mountains and straight into the heart of Guld. El had trained for that fight. In her dreams, she’d lead the charge over the mountains, a plan thought impossible, but ultimately successful because of her skill and leadership. After that, she’d return home, a hero to her people. To her brother.

Reality was a far cry from her dreams. Her first mission lay at the opposite end of the map. The small fishing village of Salid barely warranted a single model building to mark its presence. Home to only a few hundred people, it was an insult to send her there. And who named a town after a food that had no meat?

But a lizard army? A second lizard army? Did that change things? She’d been disappointed about her initial assignment, but if she was being honest with herself, was that just a luxury because she knew it was safe? An enemy force, even if it was only lizards, meant combat. Despite all her training, all her skill, she was still untested. Could she really keep her head in a life-or-death situation? Would she live up to her brother’s name? His expectations?

“Here,” Nexin’s voice interrupted her thoughts as he led her and Laze to the ground level beside the map. Without a thought, she fell into line beside her brother and snapped to attention, a bead of sweat rolling down the small of her back. It wasn’t just the two generals, Cannon and Vulon, in the room.

There were six generals standing in front of her. And none of them looked happy. Their eyes shimmered with the internal fire of the Spark; it’s long use manifesting like a flaming halo around the iris.

To her right were the three refugees, seated on hard, wooden chairs, and looking exhausted.

The older woman, Wild-Hair, still between the two men, shifted nervously. Hands wrung while her eyes darted between the guards and the high-ranking soldiers gathered on the other side of the map.

Numb-Eyes sat unmoving, while Angry-Jaw tapped his foot eagerly, his eyes raking across El and Laze. Whatever he saw in them, he didn’t like.

The door opened at the top of the auditorium and Faled bounded in, rushed down the stairs, and snapped to a perfect salute next to Nexin.

“Sergeant Ikkers reporting for duty.” His voice only cracked a touch when he realized just who was standing in front of him.

“At ease,” Vulon said. “I’ll get right to the point. Your timeline has been moved up. You leave tomorrow.”

Tomorrow?! More than a week early?

“Further, you’ll be accompanying Sergeant…” she paused and looked at Cannon.

“Sergeant Esis,” Cannon supplied.

“Sergeant Esis’s wing. She will take point, and you’ll follow her lead. Her orders, if it comes to it. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” Faled replied crisply.

“Enemy activity has been reported in the south. Your mission is to remove the threat and report back. One last thing,” Vulon said, and turned her eyes to Angry-Jaw. “Corporal Mance will be accompanying your wings as a guide.”

Corporal? So, he’s military? Or ex-military? But what was he doing so far south?

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Esis will give further orders en route. You know what you have to do. Dismissed.”

“Permission to accompany,” Nexin said, surprisingly, as all four saluted.

“Denied,” Vulon said without even considering the request. “You’re needed elsewhere.”

“Understood, sir,” Nexin said, his tone formal and perfectly polite. His body language though, the right fist just a little too tight, the clenched jaw, and the extra-stiff back, spoke volumes if one knew to look for them. El did, and she did not envy his next sparring partner.

The four turned in unison, Faled leading, and left the room the same way they’d come in.

Lhogan stepped aside as they exited and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped at the looks on their faces.

“Going to need a rain check,” El said with a small shrug.