《Marked by Embers》
Chapter 1
The early dawn sun breaks through the canopy, barely touching the ground, a slight breeze rustling the leaves. A small creek burbles quietly as the forest slowly awakes. A small fox cautiously trots to the creek, taking a wary drink as it watches for danger. It pauses, its ears flicking up. It notices leaves rustling more than they should, branches breaking, and a not quite rhythmic pounding. The fox bolts before whatever danger is approaching can find it.
¡°C¡¯mon Dran, hurry up! I don¡¯t wanna miss out cause of you!¡±
A small child bursts out from between the trees, his face a mixture of excitement and impatience. His auburn curls bounce wildly as he dashes forward.
¡°Liam¡ slow¡ down¡¡±
A second child appears, moving slowly, hand on a tree to maintain balance.
¡°I¡ can¡¯t¡ keep up¡¡±
Dran comes to a stop, gasping for air. Liam turns around, now running backwards, and shouts to him.
¡°I¡¯m not gonna move any slower for you! It¡¯s not my fault if you miss it! Or if you take a rest and get eaten!¡±
Liam says the last part with a laugh, then spins back around and disappears into the forest.
¡°Damn it¡¡±
The boy slumps to the ground and rests his back against a tree.
¡°We don¡¯t even¡ have to¡ be there yet¡¡±
He closes his eyes.
¡°Just gonna¡ catch my breath¡ it won¡¯t hurt.¡±
A ray of light hits his eye, the boy groggily stirring from his unintentional slumber.
¡°Just five more minutes¡¡±
Dran feels a tickle on his face.
¡°Go away, Liam, let me sleep¡¡±
He swipes at the offending feeling, grasping a leaf in his hand. His eyes shoot open and he leaps to his feet.
¡°He really left me! I¡¯m gonna make him regret that!¡±
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Dran rushes forward, following the small trail of destruction Liam left in his wake.
¡°I bet he said I wasn¡¯t coming and I missed it all! That little ¨C I¡¯m gonna pummel him!¡±
Dran nears his destination, the scent of cooking meat reaching his nose.
¡°The bastard already started breakfast without me! Bet he¡¯s cooking too, smells burnt to all hells!¡±
He breaks through the last trees into the clearing, temporarily blinded by the sun.
¡°Damn it Liam, you shouldn¡¯t have left me!¡±
He blinks the spots from his eyes then freezes.
¡°Liam?¡±
In the middle of the clearing stands the man they were coming to meet. His body is rife with burning cracks. He turns to look at Dran, his face that of a demon. Next to him lies a small, unmoving form, still burning. The demon steps forward, ashen legs flaking away, his hands aglow with the same vicious flame upon Liam¡¯s body.
Dran stands petrified at the sight, with the demon coming closer with each passing moment. Every step makes bits of its legs disappear, turning to ash.
¡°This is a trick, right Liam?¡±
He takes a small step forward, heedless of the flaming creature steadily approaching. Dran drops to his knees and reaches out to Liam.
¡°Just another one of your stupid pranks¡ Yeah, that¡¯s it!¡±
The demon comes closer. Its foot burns away and it stumbles, the flames eating away at it faster and faster. It reaches out to Dran.
¡°¡why¡?¡±
The burning hand looms closers, and all Dran can do is watch in a stupor. The hand inches closer and closer, until it finally comes within reach, the flames licking at his head. The hand touched him and ¨C
Dran shot up, and he clawed at his burnt skull, a damp bedroll still clinging to his body. His chest heaved as he took gasping breaths. He looked around wildly for the demon, not yet having the mental faculties to register where he was.
Calm down, Dran. It was just that dream again.
He closed his eyes and started to get his breathing under control. He felt a small impact on his side, with an annoyed voice following.
¡°Damn it Dran, this is why I hate sharing your tent!¡±
Dran looked over and flushed, realizing it wasn¡¯t just the rock thrower who was glaring at him.
¡°Sorry Regis. And everyone else! ¡°
Wit a hasty apology, Dran slipped out from his bedroll. Grabbing his gear as quietly as he could, though not quietly enough to avoid several tired looks, Dran packed up and exited the tent.
¡°Bad dreams again, Dran?¡±
He immediately recognized the voice and jumped to attention.
¡°Yes sir!¡±
In his haste, he shouted louder than was necessary and a chorus arose from his tent behind him.
¡°Shut up, damn it! Keep your problems to yourself!¡±
Dran felt another rock hit his back as Regis yelled in frustration.
Lieutenant Keer stepped into his line of sight and set a hand upon his shoulder.
¡°Worry not, lad. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of issues from soldiers in my time, though you were younger than most by a fair margin. It¡¯ll pass. Well, more likely it¡¯ll be replaced with worse!¡±
He added the last part with a hearty laugh.
Anything to get rid of that dream.
Dran¡¯s thoughts drifted to wishes of forgetting everything about that day. When he snapped back to reality, he noticed Lieutenant Keer staring at him with a slight twinkle in his eye. Suddenly, Dran knew he wouldn¡¯t like what came next.
¡°It was so kind of you to wake up the rest of your tent for me. It¡¯s so rare that I get such willing volunteers to help strike camp!¡±
Regis burst out of the tent, still in underclothes.
¡°Damn it, Dran!¡±
With a smile, Keer addressed Dran and his tent.
¡°Thank you all for volunteering! I personally know how devastating losing sleep is, so I commend your commitment! Especially you, Dran, I know it¡¯s all because of you!¡±
Looking at Keer after he expressed his gratitude for their ¡®volunteering¡¯, Dran felt pinpricks go through his burns. Keer was staring right at him.
His smile isn¡¯t reaching his eyes.
Chapter 2
Dran sighed as he prepared the fire for breakfast.
It had been a long morning, starting well before dawn. He had already gone around and prepped the horses for their journey that day, with the aid of two of his squad mates, Koda and Doyle. Regis had done his best to look busy while doing functionally nothing but glare at him.
It¡¯s not like I wanted to wake myself and everyone else up like that. Does he think I do it on purpose? Dran scoffed and shook his head. I feel bad, but he acts like I do it on purpose. If I wanted to ostracize myself, I¡¯m sure I could think of easier ways to do it.
He looked at Regis and saw Lieutenant Keer quietly approaching him from the rear, and chuckled to himself. That moron doesn¡¯t know when to shut his mouth. He stopped, closed his eyes, and offered a prayer to the Goddess. I deeply regret inconveniencing my squad, so please don¡¯t let Regis make more work for us.
Dran finished his prayer and got back to work, nearly dropping the cookpot as he tripped over a rock.
¡°I could¡¯ve been with Mola¡¯s squad, but nooooo, I had to be stuck with Dran,¡± Regis loudly complained as their squad took down the tent they had been sleeping in mere moments before. ¡°Lost three hours of sleep and we had to start working!¡±
Several worried glances and a number of shushes shot Regis¡¯ way.
¡°If you keep talking like that, we¡¯ll get even more duties,¡± a frantic whisper sounded in his ear.
Regis scoffed and looked over, ¡°what, are on you his side now, Koda? I thought you two were getting closer ¡ª¡° he spit to the side ¡°¡ª but I didn¡¯t realize you were sharing a bedroll already!¡±
A smattering of nervous chuckles sounded around him.
¡°Ha ha, very funny. No, I just don¡¯t want to every other squad¡¯s duties while they relax and eat breakfast,¡± Koda whispered harshly.
Regis chuckled, continuing, heedless of Koda¡¯s worrying, ¡°we¡¯re already being punished enough, being stuck with him, and now we have more things to do, again because of him, we¡¯re not gonna get more. Everyone else already feels bad enough for us as it is.¡±
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Koda gestured wildly at Regis, who just rolled his eyes in return. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, worried Keer will be mad I¡¯m talking bad about his ¡®favorite¡¯? As if!¡± Regis chuckled derisively, shaking his head and continuing, ¡°you know he won¡¯t do jackshit if he hears me talking!¡±
The whispers reach a crescendo, before suddenly ceasing.
¡°Ahem.¡±
Regis paled, slowly turning to his left.
He hastily snapped to attention and shouted out, ¡°Lieutenant Keer! I was speaking without thinking, sir,¡± as Keer came into view.
Keer simply stood there and studied the man, his piercing green eyes seeming to dive into his soul. Regis stared straight ahead, not daring to move a single inch under the scrutiny.
After what felt like an eternity, the Lieutenant spoke.
¡°If you have a personal issue, I strongly recommend you keep your grievances to yourself. I will not have any soldiers sowing dissent in my camp.¡± He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. ¡°On the other hand, if it is a personnel issue,¡± he gave a little smirk as he spoke, ¡°you may take it up with the Bishop himself. He is the one who placed Dran on this mission.¡±
Keer looked from soldier to soldier, each feeling the weight of his gaze, before continuing. ¡°It would behoove you to remember that you are in the Watchers. Our Bishop speaks with the voice of the Goddess herself.¡± He looked at Dran a short distance away, stumbling before setting a cooking pot above a fire. ¡°If She believes he is worthy, who am I to say otherwise?¡±
Who am I to say otherwise?
Regis began to open his mouth, before stifling a swear at the feeling of a harsh kick on his shin. He stole a glance at Koda, who was glaring at him.
Regis made the wise decision of keeping his mouth shut.
¡°If, perhaps, you men believe you know better than the Goddess herself ¡ª perish the thought ¡ª¡± Keer continued, with a judgmental look at Regis, ¡°then I should remind you that all seven of you came to us twelve years ago. You have all been preparing for this for the same amount of time. This is your first mission. I pray that you will come to learn that you must trust your comrades implicitly, elsewise you will not survive very long.
I will allow that he has certain disadvantages that most of our order does not. I also understand that his circumstances are somewhat unique. No matter what you may have heard, however, I will not let unsavory rumors circulate, and I will reprimand whosoever decides to perpetuate them.¡±
The squad sneaked glances at each other, before one nervously spoke up.
¡°B-but sir, I had h-h-heard y-you didn¡¯t l-like h-h-him,¡± he managed to stammer out.
Keer turned an icy glare on the man. He held it for what felt like an eternity. ¡°What did I just say about personal issues and unsavory rumors, Doyle?¡± He finally said.
Doyle blanched and tried to stammer out an apology, when Keer cut him off with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off easy this time, if only because you have clearly not been properly trained on how to act while even just slightly sleep deprived.¡±
¡°T-thank y¡ª¡±
¡°As such,¡± Keer interrupted, ¡±I will take it upon myself to personally train you every single day upon our return, as I have clearly failed you until now.¡±
Keer looked at the man¡¯s horrified face with a glint of sadistic satisfaction in his eye.
¡°As for now,¡± he continued, ¡°all of you help Dran over there so he doesn¡¯t muck everything up.¡±
¡±Yes, Lieutenant Keer!¡± They chorused and ran to Dran.