Countermand

I would not forgive myself if I left the world with promises left unkept.

* * * * * * * *

When Szak and his mother entered the central landing hall, they found Malestros beside their visitors. Silence overcame the room upon the sound of the door creaking open for their entrance. A younger woman dressed in uniform had arrived with her own dragon, another flame-snapper like Fiera, but of a brownish-grey hue. They stood beside a greater, longer dragon of imperial creation. Its body was shaped like a magnificent newt with layered scales in a multitude of vibrant, translucent colors among black, like puddles reflecting rainbow droplets among opaque smog. There were five claws upon each of its four feet, curved and muscular, gold in its hue to match the flames in its gold eyes.

“I suppose Malestros finished her rounds early, today,” Szak’s mother whispered beside him. Szak nodded, not really hearing what his mother had said.

The younger woman, at the sight of them, ran in their direction, waving a large envelope in the air the entire way. Malestros met his mother’s eyes, then lifted into the air and left the central hall to float elsewhere in the mountain.

“Commander!” Her voice echoed up the hollowness of the mountain. Szak watched her brown pigtails flop back and forth as she sped over.

She’d be better off chopping off that hair when she’s at the Edge… who let that hair length pass general inspection?

She arrived with a panting breath. “Lady—pant, pant—Illisia… Commander—pant—Szakarilis. Welcome. Home.”

Szak offered a nod.

The woman swallowed and evened out her breath. “Permission to speak, Commander,” she requested, straightening her stance.

“Granted.”

“I was not aware you’ve returned.”

“I’ve just returned today.”

A nod. “We missed you, Commander.” Another breath. “How was Essensia?”

“Peaceful,” Szak shrugged. “As it should be under the Ashenborn.”

“What has brought you here today, Kinna?”

“My greatest apologies, Commander Illisia,” Kinna answered quickly. “I shan’t bother your conversation with Commander Szakarilis, so please direct me to your Greatest Blessing.”

“He left for the southern border last night. Any information you have for him, I shall receive in his place.” Illisia held out her hand. “He is to return by sunset.”

“This is from Essensia,” Kinna said, handing over an envelope.

Illisia took it and kept it under her arm without so much as a glance. “Is this all?”

“Actually,” Kinna added shyly, “there is one more thing, if you would spare the time.”

“I have all the time for those I care for,” Illisia smiled.

Kinna nodded before trying to speak again. When she did, she started off careful and slow, but eventually sped up faster and faster until her words had, once again, threatened to trip off her tongue. “On our northeast border. Canaries over the Edge caught leads of a raid from the Seas of Anarchy, north of Inez, yesterday, and Elite Commander Uzayil took charge; a troop of four assailants and their dragons was to confirm their location and report back for the counterattack tonight, however, only two returned by dawn with three dragons.”

“Term of separation?” Szak asked before Illisia could respond.

Kinna glanced at Szak, looked back at Illisia, and back at Szak, pigtails swinging the whole time, unsure of who to report to. She decided to face right between the two of them, instead, thereby facing neither of them.

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“A series of traps along the Edge separated them, was the report. Commander Uzayil has already ordered our canary to return to Aideyll.”

“And the attack tonight?”

“Postponed, on the off-chance they gathered information about us. Commander Uzayil is strengthening our border until their current location is reconfirmed.”

Szak raised a brow. From what was reported, this seemed to be just a slight hiccup. Spies needed to be rotated around all the time. Getting one called back ahead of schedule was not out of the ordinary.

“What is it that Uzayil seeks?” Illisia asked. “You would not act so urgent if it were simply an update on our borders.”

Kinna opened her mouth but hesitated to speak. “I—It is actually, not Commander Uzayil who requires urgency.”

Szak glanced over at his mother, who kept her eyes on Kinna.

“… One of the returning dragons left her post to search for her Drakonskar.”

“And?”

“… she went searching over the Edge.”

“This is something to bring to your Commander,” Szak retorted. Which idiot dragon…

“Commander Uzayil prioritizes the region he is responsible for,” Kinna tried to say. “Even before his own family, I…”

Szak stopped. Before his own family…

“It… it was the dragon that requested I acquire a countermand from higher authority.” Kinna brought her entire torso down as she bowed.

Uzayil was a Bloodfang… Szak closed his eyes, hoping his suspicion was wrong.

“It is not my place to bring forth this request to you. My greatest apologies, but it was also not my place to deny the request of a dragon in higher command, either. I had been left without a choice. I implore understanding of my position. Commander Illisia. Commander Szakarilis.”

“I understand,” Illisia answered gently. “At ease, Kinna. I will pass no countermand on my authority.”

The girl nodded soft and slow in understanding disappointment.

“Is it Venimi?”

Both women turned to Szak: Kinna, hopeful; Illisia, curious. But, Kinna didn’t answer quick enough, and Szak tried again, irritated.

“Is it Venimi that demanded the countermand? This is an order.”

Kinna nodded, quiet.

… Katarina. Szak clenched a fist.

“I will countermand.”

Illisia blinked a few times, making sure it was her own son who had passed such an order just moments after her own rejection of the matter.

“Round up a search team under my command.” Szak continued. “Team of five. The two usuals.”

“Szakarilis,” Illisia eased. “You’ve just arrived home. A search team near the Edge hardly requires an Elite to lead.”

“Commanders Jamis Liviya and Bladen Scarletta. Reach them before I arrive in two hours. Let Uzayil know.”

“Yes, Commander Szakarilis, sir.”

“Stop by Foyirsinn and find Fiera.”

“Commander Szakarilis, sir.”

Szak nodded once, to show he was done.

Seventeen posts and military towns, roughly two-hundred and forty-nine miles of forest and fields beneath our northern mountain range…

“Insurmountable gratitude, sir!” Kinna said.

Szak did not answer. Seas of Anarchy are right in the middle of the territory Uzayil Bloodfang is in charge of keeping in check… there’s Inez to the south, mountains and glaciers further up north… the weather conditions of the summertime…

Kinna turned to Illisia and bowed again. “Apologies for your time, Commander Illisia.” Another bow. From behind, her dragon approached them. Illisia offered a gentle nod as a gestured good-bye with a motherly smile kept upon her face. Kinna gave one last, third bow in a row, and ran back to mount her dragon.

Illisia watched Kinna fly away toward the center of the hall, watched her go up with her dragon to get toward the peak of the mountain and exit their home, and then turned to watch Szak stand there, thinking up a plan as he waited for Fiera.

“Szakarilis.”

Szak turned to her. “I’ll return by dawn.”

Illisia just looked at him.

“Bladen in the shadows with Sidian. Jamis keeping guard with Mirage. We can do a second surveillance while we’re at it. I’ll report directly to you when I return.”

“I had provided no countermand.”

Szak paused. He eased himself and tried again. “She didn’t need your countermand. I am equal to Uzayil, and above both her and Venimi.”

He paused again. “… Unless you're ordering a countermand to mine?”

Illisia let out a soft breath. “Return before your father, then, or you’ll be explaining your temerity on your own.” She shook her head twice. “You say you’re done trying for his approval, yet, off you go again. You should know he doesn’t like it when you put your head in things you should not partake.” She reached out and hugged her son.

“The biggest hint that this is not for him, then,” Szak grumbled as he hugged her back. “There are more important things than that.” His scowl deepened at the thought.

“Report to me before sunset,” Illisia reminded him. She let go and met his eyes. “Please. I can only hide so many things you do from your father.”

“I’ll deal with him,” Szak said, turning to walk away. “You also have matters more important than this.”

Illisia let him set off to prepare for the trip to the Edge. She would never show it, but she always worried for him. Every time he left in such a rushed manner, head in a space miles before the rest of his body, she worried for him. All it ever took was a fraction of an inch of a misstep to fall off the Edge and never return.

Illisia started toward the north of the mountain, where Triv should be with Sliverby, catching up with his studies before the start of the new term.

Soon after, when she was on the fifth level of their home, Fiera’s call could be heard from outside.

“… Not many matters matter more than loving a son as a mother should,” Illisia whispered for no one to hear.