"Don't shoot!"

As several Guardian Force members peered over the wall at the fleeing Stanley, a booming voice came from behind them. Asante's face was red with fury as he marched to the wall's edge, eyeing the members of the Guardian Force like a hawk.

"He shall be left alive, understand? If fate is to have him killed, let it be by the Land of Solitude and not by our hands. Each of you are to go to your emergency stations."

With no hesitation, all of the soldiers who sat atop the wall frantically rushed to where their assigned emergency stations were. Most returned to the inside of the wall, while several stayed atop the large stone structure. Asante pulled aside one of them, who had been a sergeant of the wall.

"I order you to find me Kastor Gregor, Leonard Rietveld, Henry Kistler, Erick Newborn, and Hagen Miura. They are all from the 611th corps. Do not question them, I will do that myself. Go."

A salute later, the sergeant sprinted off to find the 5 soldiers. Asante turned to face the Land of Solitude, noticing a dark cloud approaching. He picked a gun from the ground and returned to the wall.

The 8th floor held Asante's office, where moments prior he had come face to face with Freeman moments before. He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door with a large silver key. Inside, the room was spacious, with enough room to fit several large pieces of furniture. In the center of the room stood a wooden desk with a large stack of neatly put paperwork next to a less neat stack of more paperwork. The walls of the room held several large buttons and switches, some lighting up as if begging to be pressed. Only the back wall was free of buttons or levers, instead having large filing cabinets in their place. Asante skipped past his desk and approached the large cabinets, searching for a specific box. Grabbing the desk chair, he stood up on it and opened the 'F' cabinet searching each name, he finally came upon what he'd been looking for. He grabbed the file and closed the cabinet, quickly rushing out of his office and locking the door behind him.

The sergeant had called each of the five soldiers to a small brick building in the military town off to the side where none might eavesdrop. Asante had used this building before, as it had been used for similar purposes in the past. Interrogations, executions, and more had all happened within the confines of a small, shed type building. There were two rooms inside: a waiting room and an interrogation room. The waiting room was a small room housing several chairs and was dimly lit by a few candles hung on the wall. The walls were charred, and the floor was cracked and wobbly. In five of the chairs, the soldiers whom Stanley knew were sitting as they eyed Asante. In each corner of the room was a guard with a rifle in hand in case anything happened.

"You," Asante picked one of the corner guards and spoke to him. "Are they searched and removed of their weapons?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good." Asante turned to the five soldiers, who had looks of confusion about them. "Gregor, come with me."

Kastor stood and followed Asante as he walked through the door into the interrogation room, ducking his head under the door frame.

The interrogation room was much larger than the waiting room, having enough room for a large table where chairs were on either side. The room was much brighter as well, being illuminated by a natural window toward the high ceiling. Asante sat on the opposite side of the table from Kastor, who continued to look confused. He slammed the file onto the table and stared at the young man.

"Tell me what you know about Stanley Freeman."

Kastor jumped. Out of all the questions Asante could've asked, that was the least he expected. "Stanley? Well, uh.." He thought for a very long time before coming up with a response. "I mean, I barely know the guy. I just met him, but my first impression of him was that he was strange."

"Strange?"

"Yeah, that's the word for it, strange. I don't know how else to describe it. Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy. It's just that, whatever he does, it somehow always works out. Like, in the mock battle, he knew Henry would want to fight us personally, and we basically won out of it."

Asante opened the file and began to rummage through the papers. Kastor tried to get a glance but was shooed away. "Do you know anything else about him? Specifically about his past. Did he ever tell you about his family or anything like that?"

"Well, I know he's from the Red-Light District, but other than that, not much. He never really talked about himself much." Kastor fell silent.

Asante closed the file and looked back up at Kastor, who appeared in a daze. "Did he ever show self-destructive tendencies?"

"Self-Destructive? No, not really. Quite the opposite really." Kastor readjusted himself in his chair. "If anything, he's more protective of himself. Not really allowing himself to find misfortune. I don't really know how else to explain it than that."

Asante asked a few more questions afterwards but got nothing out of them. He sent Kastor off with little gained and ordered Leonard Rietveld to enter next. Asking the same questions as Kastor, Asante gained even less from the skinny Rietveld, who said almost nothing of note. Rietveld was sent away and Erick Newborn was next to enter, who like the two before, had nothing of note to say about his former teammate.

"He's a tactical genius," Erick said calmly. "Somehow, he's able to know the entire outcome of the battle before it even starts. Other than that, he's a good guy, quiet."

Henry Kistler was next, who when asked about Stanley blew up in a furious rage.

"That bitch deserves whatever comes to him! Couldn't care a lick about what's going on with him."

After the series of interrogations, Hagen Miura was the last to enter the interrogation room.

"It's about Stanley, isn't it?" he asked as he shut the door.

"Word gets around."

"Not really, no. But when you call the five of us without Stanley it's a safe assumption to think it's about the guy missing."

"So can you tell me anything about him?"

Hagen got quiet and leaned forward. His smile faded from his face. "Simply put? He's scary."

Asante was surprised. "Scary?"

"Yes. Whatever you have in this file about him isn't enough." Hagen put his hands on the table. "Normally, with people like him, I can tell what they're thinking. 'What's their next move?' I ask myself. Usually, if not always, I'm right. But Stanley," Hagen chuckled. "There's nothing behind Stanley's eyes. I can't even begin to understand what he's thinking. If given the chance, and in the right circumstances, I wouldn't think it strange for him to go and send himself on a suicide mission. If you're considering going after him, I'd recommend against it."

Asante said nothing. Instead, he flipped open the file began swiping through the pages once more.

"That file isn't about Stanley, is it?" Hagen asked. "The pages are too old."

Asante glared at Miura. "What about it?"

Miura stood up and shrugged. "Oh, nothing of note. Just know he's not going to come easily. A broken man isn't so easily mended."

Hagen left the interrogation room on his own accord, leaving Asante in silence. He looked back down at the file and closed it, leaving the interrogation room and then the large brick building. Outside the building, several soldiers waited at the ready for him to give them orders, which he responded by ordering the retrieval of a carriage.

After the carriage had been retrieved, he turned to one of the soldiers. "I'm off to the capital. There are things I need to have done. I will be back in 3 days' time and in that time, I need to have the five who I called today to be prepared to enter the Land of Solitude. Teach them to ride a horse. There will be no further questions."

The soldier saluted and ran off.

* * *

The carriage Asante had ordered was for special uses only and had been able to travel to Heldenstadt in just over a day. It was a smaller carriage than the mass-produced, horse-drawn carriages, but it could comfortably fit him and another person if need be. After a day of travel, the farms of the Empire's plains turned into large buildings as he approached the capital's gates. Once through, he made headway for the noble district, where he stopped at the chancellor's estate.

The estate was a large area surrounded by tall brick walls. A large, paved road leading from the gate to an extravagant building. On either side of the road were gardens and fountains sprinkled across a few more buildings. After being let in by the guards who stood at the chancellor's gate, Asante followed the paved road straight to the extravagant building: the chancellor's home.

The chancellor of Heldenstadt was the true acting power of the country, leaving the Emperor as the figurehead of the country. While the Emperor worked from the comforts of the Imperial Castle, the chancellor was offered an equal share in the riches of his estate. Asante, being in the military, worked under the chancellor directly for many years. Despite this, he was nervous for their meeting as he had not announced himself before his arrival.

Stopping in the roundabout outside the chancellor's home, Asante stepped out with his file and walked to the door. Before knocking on the door, it was opened by none other than a man in a gray suit. He was an older man with a full head of gray hair.

"The chancellor instructed me to take you to his office," the man said.

Asante had only been in the chancellor's home a handful of times, each time more impressive than the last. High ceilings, tile floors that could reflect the moonlight in the night sky, and chandeliers that seemed to have been crafted with the highest precision were what greeted him in the hall. A staircase leading to the second floor was off to the left, but the chancellor took him straight. He was led through a maze of a home, each room more impressive than the last. Extravagant furniture, expensive portraits of past emperors, wide, open rooms, each one having a distinct feel that was completely different from the last. Eventually, he was brought to a small room that appeared to be an office. Piles of paper were stacked on chairs, bookshelves filled with books, some on the floor sprawled open. A large window allowed for gazing out in need of thought. Inside the room was Chancellor Joseph Solveig gazing out the window. The suited man bowed before taking his leave.

The chancellor wore elegant purple and blue clothing with gold shoulder pads and a white cape. His chiseled chin was decorated with a brown beard, though he had no mustache. He was around Kastor's height, thus making him much taller than Asante. His brown hair reached his shoulders and had a slight curl to them.

"Jacob Asante, First Captain of the Guardian Force, your arrival is most unexpected," Solveig spoke in a deep and steady voice, sending goosebumps down Asante's spine. "Of all people, I would have expected Antonov to be reporting to me before you."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Asante bowed. "I hope my arrival isn't making too much trouble."

Solveig ushered Asante to raise his head. "It is, but considering the times we're in, and considering you came in person to see me, comfort is the least of my worries. Please, sit."

Solveig pushed aside several stacks of paper as Asante took his seat, slapping the file he'd taken from Erdenjist onto the desk. Asante flipped the file open. Inside wasn't a picture of Stanley, but was a picture of his father, George Freeman. Each page had information regarding his life and where he ended up. "I'm sure you remember this man, Your Excellency?"

"I do, how could I forget? Though I don't understand. Is he not living in the capital? In the R.L.D? I don't see how he is anything of your concern out in Erdenjist."

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"The concern doesn't lie with him, but his son."

The chancellor grew a look of confusion. "George Freeman had a son?"

Asante began flipping through the "Yes, and he was selected by myself to join the Guardian Force. I never thought of the possibility that Freeman meant George's son, but after looking into it further, the data matches up."

"So how does George's son call for concern? I thought I gave you complete control over the Guardian Force during this war?"

"You did, but things got a little out of hand. He seems to have taken a note from his father and makes everything difficult for us."

"You're beating around the bush, Asante. Making everything difficult?"

Asante jumped. He wiped his brow before speaking further. "George's son escaped Erdenjist into the Land of Solitude."

Solveig sat back in his chair. "So?" He chuckled "Men have deserted the empire before. I hardly see why this requires reporting."

"It's not a matter of him escaping, sir, but rather what he brings with him."

The chancellor stopped chuckling. He sat forward and put his hands on the desk. "You mean, you have reason to suspect-"

"More than suspect, and he'll reach the Republic in no time-"

"If he survives at all."

"He will." Asante retorted. The two stared at each other for a minute or two before Asante looked away. "Excuse my irreverence, Your Excellency."

Solveig put his face in his hands. "So what do you plan to do from here? We're in the middle of a war and I don't have the time to be searching for one single man. We're finally taking some ground in Rivercrest, and should I take my eyes off it, we'd fall behind once again. It's roughly 400 miles from east to west of the Land of Solitude, meaning it would take this boy at least ten days to reach the Republic, and he already has a day on you, assuming he's headed to the Republic at all! If he is to survive, how do you plan to retrieve him and bring him back?"

"I plan to use him," Asante said, pointing at the file.

"George?"

"Yes. If no one can convince him, then George can. He is his father after all. I also plan to bring the other men from his recruitment class. We will take horses into the Land of Solitude, catch up to him."

"Recruits? You mean to tell me you're taking recruits into the Land of Solitude? Captain, your mind has gone off the rails."

"He is imperative to the war. If he is too overwhelmed by men he doesn't know then it could lead to grave disaster. I plan to bring everyone he knows from the Guardian Force, as well as his father. I only seek your approval."

Solveig thought for a moment, chin in hand. "You're sure you have the right guy?"

Asante nodded.

"I see. Believe me, I am aware of his significance. If you are sure you are correct in your assumption, you may have my approval on the condition you bring one of my men with you."

"On what grounds?"

"Should your recruits prove to be insufficient. Those are my grounds. I can't exactly come with you to observe your effort myself, thus prompting me to send one of my men." Solveig pushed aside a pile of folders to reveal a communication system. After pressing a few buttons, a soldier entered the room. He was a younger boy, around twenty, with a short head of hair and a gray uniform. He looked to be shorter than Asante, around average. "This is Lawrence Stone, one of my personal men. He will follow my orders and will oversee your operation and intervene when necessary."

Solveig stood and took a paper from one of the stacks of paper on his desk. After he wrote on it and stamped it with a seal, he walked over to the soldier and handed him the paper, now folded in half.

"Sergeant Stone will handle the letter of approval. He either joins you with it, or you go without it."

Asante agreed. "I'll come for you tomorrow morning," He told Stone.

Stone saluted, and the man in the gray uniform returned to escort Asante out of the building. "Thank you for coming," He told him.

Climbing into the carriage, Asante knew he had one more place to go. He told his driver the directions and promptly left the Chancellor's building in the dust.

* * *

The buildings quickly turned from tall to stout, and the bright sky became clouded by the smoke emanating from the houses and shops. Eventually, he reached his destination: the Red Light District. The short, two-story apartment buildings were in as poor condition as ever, and Asante scoffed at the smell. The streets were dark despite it being the middle of the day, and the road was poorly managed. Eventually, Asante reached the address on the file. He climbed out and looked up at the apartment building he'd parked by, looking the exact same as all the other buildings around it. Beggars and homeless people tried to climb onto the carriage, but the driver fended them off.

Climbing to the second floor, Asante knocked on door 201 of the building. After a moment of silence, the door was opened by a man clearly hungover.

"Hello George," Asante stated.

George fell back as he realized who was at his door. He wore drabby pants and a stained shirt. His hair was rough and his face scratched. "Jacob? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

Asante stepped inside the small apartment, closing the door behind him. "I didn't, and I don't. Though, things haven't been going my way as of late, so I have to bite the bullet. Nice place, by the way. Much more gunky than your previous residence, is it perhaps taste?"

"If you came here to mock me, you know where the door is." George stood up and walked over to the mattress in the middle of the room, sitting upon it. "Just because I live here doesn't make me your bitch."

"That's awfully kind of you, completely different from what I'd expect from a R.L.D citizen." Asante stated, walking over to the window. "You've gone stale, Freeman. If this was 5 years ago, I'd see no kindness, much less willingness to allow me in your, must I say, 'humble' abode."

"Not everyone can stay the same person, Jacob, you're the odd one in that regard."

Asante laughed. "I am, aren't I? So perfect I don't need change. Though sometimes, change can be for the worse, as it has been in your case. Back to the matter at hand, I'm here to discuss your son."

"Stanley? What in the hell does Jacob Asante have anything to do with my son? He was to join the military, not your backwards piece of shit division that harbors nobles too scared to fight for themselves."

"Unfortunately, he did just that. As for your comment about how 'backwards' my division is, I'll let that slide. Believe me if I'd have known you were his father, I would have sent him back to this shithole of a district where he belongs."

George paced to the window and swung his fist at Asante, though it was blocked by his forearm. George quickly swung hit foot to knock Asante down but instead was knocked down himself by Asante's quick fists.

"Stale, as I've said." Asante squatted down to George's level. "Now as I was saying, your son, 'Stanley', is not here in the Empire. Do you know why?"

George did not answer.

"You know why, George. Your son is a spitting image of you, you know that? I don't mean, of course, in the physical way. Frankly, he could've laid low for his entire career and I would have never made the connection myself. However, like his father before him, he went and made a mess of everything. Stuck his nose in the wrong place, said the wrong thing, you know it is. He took control of that which is not his, you know what I mean."

George's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Why should I trust you? You're an inbred bastard who's done nothing but tarnish names below you to gain privilege."

"You're certainly right in that regard, I have to climb the ranks somehow, after all." Asante rose to his feet. "I am, however, willing to strike a deal with the devil, so to speak."

"What-"

"Your son has fled to the Land of Solitude. If we leave him be, he will reach Reinbose in a matter of days. Thus, with the chancellor's permission, I will be spearheading a retrieval of this boy. I am enlisting the members of the Guardian Force with whom your son was acquainted with, and with your assistance we can retrieve him alive and bring him back to Einrich."

"Why should I help you? This gives you the perfect fucking excuse to leave me to die out in the Land of Solitude. What tells me you won't do that?"

"George, in order for you to be useful, I need you to speak with 'Stanley'. It would be of no use for me to kill you without you serving your purpose. Do you understand?"

George did not respond.

"You understand. I will be leaving at 7 in the morning for Erdenjist. Should you decide to assist me, you will be standing outside the Red-Light District at this time. Should I not see you I will not hesitate to leave without you."

"I thought I was vital to this mission?"

"Oh you are, but not more vital than the time it would take to wait for you." Asante began walking to the door, swinging it open with great strength. "Oh! I guess I should also mention this: If you assist in the retrieval of Stanley, the chancellor will personally absolve every crime you are accused and found guilty of. You'll be back in the noble district as it once was. Though, if gunk is your personal choice," without finishing his sentence, Asante shrugged and closed the door. He walked down the stairs and entered the carriage once again, taking him out of the groggy Red-Light District and into the market district. The sun was once again visible, though everything had a red hue as the sun dipped below the houses and shops. Asante rode the carriage to the noble district, where he returned to his humble home to rest for the night.

Jacob Asante's home was not nearly as impressive as some of the other noble homes, but his two-story home saw a great deal of important people throughout the years, as his tenure within the Guardian Force was quite long. A gated front yard and large wood doors greeted him to his abode, where the inside was dim from lack of use. Waving goodnight to the carriage driver, he closed the door behind him and took off his shoes. He trudged up the stairs to his bedroom where a closet and a desk stood. Stepping over to the bed, Asante took his uniform off and climbed into bed, falling asleep as soon as his eyes shut.

* * *

Asante woke early that morning. Looking out his bedroom window, he saw the merchants beginning to open their shops as the sun began to peer over the horizon. Children left their homes to go to school, while husbands kissed their wives goodbye on their way to work. He put his uniform on and packed his suitcase, heading downstairs to see the carriage driver waiting for him in his dining room.

With a nod of good morning, the two left Asante's home, entering the carriage and began to make way for the chancellor's estate. On the way, he had his arm rested against the window and his head rested on his hand. The noble streets were comparatively empty than the market streets, aside from the occasional practicing swordsman. Eventually, the carriage reached the chancellor's estate which showed no signs of life aside from the two guards outside the center gate. Sergeant Stone was talking with one of them, only to stand in salute when he noticed the approaching carriage. He wore the same uniform Asante had seen him wear yesterday, fitted firmly to his build, with the addition of white gloves that had been absent the day before.

The carriage stopped in front of the gate and Asante stepped out. "Good morning, Sergeant."

Stone saluted, then put his luggage on the carriage, bidding farewell to the two guards.

The carriage had room for two people, but only by a little. Stone and Asante were packed tightly into the small vehicle, their legs interlocking inside of the small compartment.

"Do you have the letter of consent?"

Stone flashed a folded piece of paper.

"Good. We have one more person to pick up, if he so chose, and then we'll be off."

The carriage took off from the chancellor's estate, heading back through the noble district into the market district and then to the Red-Light District. Much to Asante's dismay, outside stood a half-asleep George Freeman wearing the same tattered clothes he'd worn the day before. He didn't have any luggage with him, and when he heard the carriage coming he jolted awake.

The carriage stopped next to him, allowing him to reach for the door. Asante held it shut and pointed to the front of the carriage. Because the carriage had room for only two, there was no room for George inside. Asante pointed to the front of the carriage, instructing George to climb next to the driver for the duration of the trip. With a look of frustration, George climbed to the seat and the carriage was off.

* * *

It took a day to reach Erdenjist, which had looked the same as it did when Asante left. The sun was setting over the large grey wall and in its place the lights of the small military town went on. The carriage drove up to the wall where Asante, Stone, and George all stepped out. They entered the wall and climbed the eight flights of stairs to the roof, where the last bit of sunlight could be seen over the Land of Solitude's horizon. Waiting for them were the five members of Stanley's group, as well as several military personnel. Asante, Stone, and George walked to the group, who promptly saluted.

"Every man is accounted for," one of the soldiers told Jacob. "We've also retrieved horses for your expedition, and they are waiting on the ground of the other side."

"Thank you." Asante ushered to Stone, who pulled out the folded piece of paper and handed it to the soldier. "This is our written consent. Reach out to Antonov, who will be taking over in my place while I am absent."

The soldier saluted and ran off, entering the depths of the wall.

"You mind telling us what the fuck is going on?" Henry Kistler yelled in Asante's direction as the others tried to calm him down. "We haven't been told a damn thing about this 'expedition' you're taking us on, you mind filling us in?"

"Of course, I will fill you in along with the rest of the battalion." Asante turned his back to the five and faced the large crowd of soldiers waiting to hear what he had to say. "Soldiers of the Guardian Force! Today we embark on an expedition to retrieve a treasonous soldier and bring him to justice! These five brave soldiers, along with these two brave volunteers, will head across the dangerous Land of Solitude in search for this treasonous soldier, hoping to bring him back alive!"

The soldiers erupted in screams and chants. George looked at Asante with a face of worry, while Stone stepped away to discuss the lowering mechanism with one of the other soldiers. Not everyone was content, however, as Henry stepped up and turned Asante around.

"You're taking us out there?! To our deaths?! Is this some kind of punishment for not stopping Stanley?!"

"If it was, Henry Kistler, I wouldn't be going with you."

"Think about it with your head, Henry," Hagen said from a distance. "Obviously there's something Stanley has that the Captain wants. We're simply a means to an end."

"That's right," George said. "Our priority is getting Stanley back. Jacob will use anyone and anything to achieve that."

"Who the hell is this guy?!" Henry blurted.

"This is Stanley's father, George Freeman. He'll be of great use to us in the negotiation phase of the retrieval."

Kastor now joined the conversation, sticking his hand out to George. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Freeman, Kastor's the name."

Asante seized all conversations between the group and brought them over to the lowering mechanism. Erick and Leonard had joined Stone in discussing the mechanism itself. After everyone had stepped onto the platform, he instructed the soldier to lower them to the ground.

"You ready Rietveld?" Henry punched Leonard's shoulder. "We're about to see the land you're blasphemous family created."

Hagen turned towards Erick. "Now we'll really see if the Men of Gordon are still around, that's what I'm most curious about."

The platform began lowering and the faces of the soldiers slowly began to disappear. All that was left to see was the large gray bricks and the Land of Solitude in front of them.

When they reached the bottom, a couple soldiers were waiting for them with leads tied to horses. There were six horses, and when straws were pulled among the group of five, Hagen got a horse all to himself. Asante got his own horse, as did Stone and George. Leonard shared a horse with Kastor and Erick and Hagen shared the last horse.

Asante rode his horse in front of the group. "This is the eleventh expedition into the Land of Solitude by the Guardian Force, and one that some of us will never return from. I appreciate all of you for joining me, regardless of circumstance. Guardian Force, move out!"