“Hey! Leave her alone!” Zan shouted.

The guards turned to see Zan and his lumbering mate stride toward their position. Realizing from their attire and size (though the size bit was mostly Jiehong), they were at the losing end of the proposition, so they back off.

“What’s the matter? Don’t get your kicks in while smashing up some tents? Gotta get up in the face of a woman to prove your manliness?” Jiehong said, heating with each word.

“Don’t get it twisted! We weren’t harassing her because she was a woman. She’s a rebel. Fair game,” the guard said.

“Your trouser snake says otherwise…” Zan pointed out the man’s crotch.

“I’m a man. I’m allowed to become aroused by a pretty lady,” he said.

“Maybe. But while harassing her? Poor form, my man,” Zan said, putting his arm around Whiskey and escorting her past the guards.

Giving the guards the stink eye as they walked by, the altercation ended.

Walking out of earshot of the guards, Zan said, “What creeps!”

“I am used to it, Zan. You didn’t have to come to my rescue. I could have handled them easily. I handle men like those two every day,” Whiskey said.

“Oh. I didn’t know that. I guess maybe I did? I saw you in action… sorry.”

“We meet again,” Jiehong said, talking directly to Whiskey for the first time.

“So we do…” Whiskey said, not knowing how to reply.

The three of them found an even more quiet place to talk. A garden. Public? Either way, they were sitting and talking. So it was public now.

“How was your luck in finding men?” Zan asked.

“Honestly? Not the best. Few rebels will work with the enemy, countryman or not. I found a few good souls, though. With your Colonel Winters and his men, we should have enough. Might be an uphill battle, though. Not including the literal hills, you know?”

“I know. Yeah, up hill. I am happy you found some guys and will help us out,” Zan replied.

Whiskey kept quiet momentarily. “Did your colonel say when he would be around?”

Speaking up, Jiehong only did, Zan thought, because he wanted Whiskey to pay attention to him. He could be such a child sometimes! Jiehong said, “He did not say. He has to collect his own men and is facing difficulties. The same difficulties you face. Not surprising. Few Loyal men would be dare seen working alongside rebels. Might get people talking in the wrong way…”

“Ain’t that the point?” Whiskey said in an unfriendly way.

“Let’s avoid the acrid political conversations for now, shall we, you two?” Zan intervened before the arguing became potent.

“Fine,” Whiskey said, used to it.

Jiehong repeated the sentiment.

“I take it you and Jiehong will be with us during the battle? Rather short time to learn how to ride a horse. You savants or something?” Whiskey asked.

“Not savants. We found another means of travel. Bikes. Not ordinary bikes, though. Special bikes made from ultra-weird material,” Zan said.

“Bikes? Really? Bold. You both are the boldest men I know, so I guess it works.”

“Men?” Jiehong asked with a smile.

“Fine. Boys, if it will make you happy!” Whiskey laughed.

“You two have a room at the tavern? If so, then I guess I won’t have to set you up with cots. Let’s meet tomorrow. By now, we’re only waiting on your colonel.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Agreed. And yes, we have rooms. We will see you tomorrow, Whiskey,” Zan said, standing to shake her hand. She found the gesture amusing, though Zan did not. It was a handshake. Was she not accustomed to shaking hands?

With Whiskey gone, Zan took a sip of his drink. The three of them had finished the platter, Whiskey taking an extra strong sip of Jiehong’s beverage while she was at it.

“You can have the rest of my drink since Whiskey took her toll on yours, but we should get to bed soon. Sounds like we’ll have a busy day tomorrow,” Zan said to Jie.

“For once, I agree. Thanks,” Jiehong said, taking the offered pint and downing it.

The boys returned to the tavern and fished themselves into their room.

Night sped by and dawn confronted them before long.

Stretching, yawning, Zan quickly dressed — mostly equipping his weapons — and left with Jiehong in toe.

Leaving the city, the guards averting their gaze as they passed, Zan and Jie found Whiskey some ways from the limits of the camp. To his surprise, Colonel Winters was there and he was talking with Whiskey.

“Is everything all the right?” Jiehong said, striding once more toward Whiskey with a powerful glide in his step.

Zan was next to Jiehong. He caught eyes with Winters and smiled.

“Everything is fine… now,” the Colonel said.

“Now?” Jiehong said. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Whiskey said, “there was an issue earlier in the morning. My rebels saw an armed detachment of Loyalists approaching and thought the worse. There was a stand-off. Lots of shouting. No one got hurt, though.”

“Excellent. We should be able to work together fine, then?” Jiehong asked.

A tense round of stare-offs begun. Zan thought for a moment fighting would break out. Yet such a fate did not come to pass.

Colonel Winters said, “Yeah. No. My men are as ready as I am, and we are here to help liberate our country from the grip of the invaders. Simple as that.”

Whiskey said much the same.

Moving around to get a better sightline, Zan saw Colonel Winters had maybe a dozen men with him. All armed with impressively forged long-spears, it was a wonder they could even carry the weapons, let alone use them on the enemy.

“Shall we go over the battle plan?” Zan asked. “Speaking of which, do we have a battle plan?”

Whiskey nodded. “We do. I spent the better part of our time apart thinking of one. Here is what I have…”

#

As the winds of destiny whirred between Zan and Whiskey, plotting another facet of their fate, close, we find the imperial engineer Rictus Dawson:

‘We have what will probably be your last or next-to-last task,’ the lead client had told me. He took me aside, explained what he needed, and said, “Go to Feathervale. Enter the town, search, set up these special devices. Then return and do the same to the rebel camp.”

I nodded my head and obeyed without question.

What were the ‘special devices’? Objects known as ‘cameras.’

I did not know the full capability of a camera. Let alone how unique these cameras could be. I knew enough to understand these were spying devices. Meant to get the ‘deets,’ as my kids called it, on the enemy. Information, in other words.

My nation, the Expanse, is busy invading this woodland country. Of course, spying would be in top demand. I had no moral qualms over that; even if I had moral objections, I knew enough to not to give voice to them. Objections ended careers…

What confused me was why spy on this nowhere town and this no-where rebel camp? Over weeks, my contract demanded I stay in this country. During this time, I had grown more familiar with the locals in their day-to-day lives. I learned their habits and routines. Enough about them to report back to my client about the general situation. This went for both the town-folk, who seemed by and large loyal supporters of the embattled-king, as well as the rebels who dominated the spaces outside of the townships. I knew better than anyone how this whole region was worthless. The targets they kept up on, those two farm-boys, were here, though. So I guess they were the real target of these spying devices? Who knew? I kept my mouth shut, regardless.

My big break came when I was within the rebel camp and close enough to my client’s target, I heard a war-meeting. I inched closer to hear, being careful not to make my presence too obvious. Under the cover, as someone enjoying some nearby spirits, I carefully noted everything of value discussed within the meet. When they broke off to ride to war, I did the same, except I rode to my masters.

“I did as you asked, milords,” I told them upon my return.

“We are already retrieving data from them. You’ve done well, engineer,” the leader said to me.

“Thank you, sir,” I told him. “A point of clarification. Now that my mission is done, is this the end of our contract?”

“Let’s save it for a couple of nights. You’re on standby until then.”

Another couple of nights? “I could do that…” I told myself.

So, for a couple of more nights, we waited.

My clients seemed happy. Was it hard to tell? Sure was; especially as they kept me outside like a dog. From the inside, I commonly heard laughter. Usually healthy, non-demented. So the devices clearly were doing what they wanted them to do.

Inside, my clients remained all day, feeding on the data. Discussing it. I never heard more than a whisper.

Which was the thing. I heard them talk…

Talk like normal people. Why let themselves speak so plainly? Are they dropping their guard around me? Treating me worthy of their respect?

Honor aside, at the start of the third day, the leader came back to me. He was going to speak to me about my employment. I took a deep breath and addressed his approach like I always did. He dismissed my formality with a wave of his hand. He said, “We need you for a little while more. Hold tight.”

I barely had time to get out a response when he was back inside the base, giving me not the sparest shred of attention.

Okay… more time. Fine.

More time suits me well. More time to look at my kids’s portraits. Remind myself why I was fighting.