(Date: The Fifteenth Day of the Eleventh Month — Yalta)

  The members of Goji Squad slept in their broken wagon that first night in Posidon. It was chilly, but each Private was able to claim a corner in the cabin, burying themselves beneath whatever gear-packs were light enough to serve as blankets. Officer Shelik chose to spend his night resting upright against one of the wagon's wheels once they found a safe enough street. He slept lightly to make sure no ruffians tried robbing his Privates under the cover of night. He knew there'd be no way to get his desk job if one of the children was injured on a simple introductory mission. But sleep came scarcely for the Privates after their unexpected Roc encounter. Thoughts of Dallis and the members of Blazār Squad pursuing him kept the teens from dreaming for too long. Yet for better or worse, dawn came all the same in Sachi's cruel world. They awoke bright and early to unwantedly loud calls from Officer Shelik.

  "Pop up, boys and girl! This is the first day of the rest of your lives!"

  Sachi, who barely slept a wink in the creaky vehicle, was the last to get up. He was groggy in every sense of the word, sore from the night's rest and worried still for his bunkmate's safety. He wiped crust from his eyes and waddled out of the wagon's rear to see Faron and Victoria already set to head out. Sachi wandered over to Officer Ramses and smiled through his exhaustion.

  "Good morning."

  "Not now." Victoria barely looked up at her squad mate, wearing the same distant gaze in her smoky eyes as the day before. She glanced over at Officer Shelik. "Will you tell us what our mission is now?"

  "Patience, Private Ramses," he answered. "You'll know soon enough. For now, we'll get a move on. It will be another half-day's ride to get to the beach after I find some food for you all." He added with a grumble, "Such a pain! I don't even know what brats eat..."

  "The beach?" Faron interjected with excitement managing to eke through his loud yawn. "I've never seen the ocean, just the capital bay and the big lake."

  "Then today's your lucky day, Private Ali. We have business on the beachfront just west of the city limits."

  Their team rode out from Posidon heading west in the direction of the Western Border Wall. The Privates of Goji Squad were gifted with what Officer Shelik called, "a traveler's meal"; a generous rip of not-yet-stale bread, several slices of sharp cheese, a portion of meat, and a canteen of fresh water. The morning's meat was summer sausage; an ugly log Sachi munched on without complaint.

  On the way out of the city, Sachi pointed out a few spots to Victoria that he and Mira found interesting while living in the area; a pub where the Van'Heatah boys had been allowed to play darts in the afternoons before their regulars shuffled in, a barren park where the brothers trained each morning, the statues of both the nation's founder and first King, Charles Endo Corvus, and current Ash Lord, King Henry Corvus, along with several of Sachi's favorite local eateries. Faron wore a salty face as he listened to Sachi go on with so much knowledge of Posidon. Eventually, tensions rose between the boys as Faron became snippy, and Officer Shelik commanded the whole cabin to remain silent until they reached their destination.

  The shores of Black Feather Bay came into view around noon. The spot was gorgeous despite its grim name, a coast of nearly slate-white sands that stretched on endlessly to the west. This shoreline was a foreign wonder to the eyes of Faron and Victoria, but Sachi smiled at the familiar sight. This was the place where he met his brother. Time had erased the craters Mira had left on the beach all those years ago. The half-Elv's ears perked as he noticed a figure on the beach, a man with long, braided hair waited on their arrival impatiently.

  The man stood taller than Officer Shelik, taller than Faron even. He was built thick too, wearing Silver-grade plate of a dark red tint and a long black cape. When the man noticed Sachi's squad, a wide smile grew on his face.

  "Zayne, my man! How in Hel's name are you?"

  "Lieutenant! It's good to see you as well." Zayne yawned as their wagon rolled closer to the man. "How has the wall been treating you?"

  "Too busy. I hate it out here." The Lieutenant laughed, though it was clear he had other places to be. "We've had several unauthorized crossings since the General Holo's passing and the Aerie's been on fire about it." A smile formed on the man's face. "Still... it made me smile to hear you of all people became a Training Officer. I never thought that new Captain would be able to get you out of the capital."

  "Try not to get used to it." Zayne let a small grin take his face as well, slicking his hair back into place after the ride. "I plan on getting promoted for this. And once that happens, you'll never see me outside of King Henry's palace again."

  "Hmmm." The man rubbed at his stubbled chin. "I don't buy it! You're too talented to waste away in a dark office like some Division Three bookworm." He let his eyes fall on Sachi and his fellow Privates. "They any good this year?"

  Zayne shrugged. "They're okay. I've seen worse and we've all seen better." He waved his squad forward to introduce the armored man. "Listen up now. This is Second Lieutenant Danfur. He's a member of the civilian police unit and has requested our assistance with an easy mission to get you all accustomed to how we operate."

  A thought raced through Sachi's mind, one that he immediately let loose from his lips. "You didn't know what our mission was when we left, did you?"

  "Had no idea," shrugged Zayne with a grin. "I was only told where to go and what time to be there. That's just how things work around here sometimes."

  Faron was next to interject, disappointment in his tone. "I expected more from you, Officer Shelik..."

  Victoria was next to jump in, shaking her head somberly. "Keep your expectations low, Faron. That way you won't be so disappointed next time." The whole squad seemed surprised to hear Victoria's voice, but Officer Shelik didn't let the scornful stares of his underlings distract him for long.

  "Well put, Private Ramses," Officer Shelik said plainly. "Now, Lieutenant, if you'd please."

  "Ahem." Lieutenant Danfur cleared his throat and began explaining their mission. "Today you'll be saving penguins." As he finished his first sentence, every member of Sachi's squad raised a brow.

  "Penguins?" They all asked in unison.

  "Stone Penguins to be specific. These local critters have been on the Kingdom's protected species list for quite some time now, but recently we've had reports of poachers setting traps for them on this beach." He held up a forefinger, "You see, Stone Penguin pelts is incredibly sought after in underground circles—they use it to make garments worth a fortune!"

  Faron glanced around the beach and saw no seafowl. "Where are they?"

  "The stone penguins sleep under the sand in burrows: small pockets they dig for groups to huddle in through the day. They come out to hunt when the sun sets, so you won't see any today if you do your jobs right. No, instead your job will be disarming hidden traps along the shoreline." The Lieutenant bent down and scooped a small pebble up from the sand. After eyeing the beach carefully, he tossed the rock toward a lump of uneven sand. Snap! Right as the rock dropped onto the lumpy patch, a pair of iron jaws hidden beneath the white sands snapped violently. "You see!" Lieutenant Danfur said with delight at his aim. "Just like that one! We need these traps cleaned up before anyone, or any Stone Penguins get hurt."

  Sachi was relieved his first mission was so simple, but next to him he could feel Victoria and Faron shaking in rage. The two of them spoke in unison.

  "Is that all?!" Immediately Faron and Victoria gave one another dirty looks and turned in opposite directions.

  "All?" Lieutenant Danfur seemed puzzled. "There are dozens of traps out there—maybe hundreds if the poachers were thorough. I'd say you three will have your hands full for the day. My advice: kick the sand in front of you as you walk. Otherwise you might end up stepping on one of those nasty little traps." He spat angrily away from the children. "The teeth are tiny, built to keep the pelts in good condition and keep the birds in place. You won't lose a leg if you step on one, but they sting like Hel. So watch your steps out here!" The Second Lieutenant then turned his back on the Privates to make his leave. He took in a deep breath and crouched down into a three-point stance, digging his fingertips deep into the white sand. Orange flames began to dance around the Lieutenant's Silvers, a pulsating flicker that outshined Holy Sola's daylight.

  Light. A blinding flash of Radiance. Then, the Second Lieutenant of Division Four was gone, nothing more than a stain of orange and yellow cinders across the sky. A sandy wake kicked up as the soldier flew west, already halfway back to his post at the border wall. Sachi and his squad watched in awe at Lieutenant Danfur's masterful control over his Radiance. It reminded Sachi of Mira's speed, but not even his older brother could fly.

  So, that's what the upper ranks of the Royal Military can do...

  "Alright!" Officer Shelik clapped his hands together, stealing back the attention of his Privates. "Time to get to work! The sooner we finish up here, the sooner we ride home."

  The sweep for traps began slowly for the Privates of Goji Squad. Sachi became overly nervous after seeing how violently the first trap he ran into had snapped shut. He knew there wasn't any real danger for someone who could regrow a foot like himself, but it still would have been painful to step on one of the pesky things. So, the young soldiers agreed to walk in a line together, kicking up sand as Danfur told them to do. The Stone Penguin traps sprang shut one by one in a meticulous march across Black Feather Bay.

  Victoria kept a sullen face as they stepped together, disappointed that her debut mission was so boring. With her many handguns holstered and arms folded, she kicked up sand step by step, setting off another set of iron jaws.

  "I can't believe this..." she muttered in an almost-whisper. "We're just picking up trash..."

  "Try not to be so negative, Private Ramses." Zayne bent down to pick up the spring-trap and tossed it toward their collection by the wagon; this marked number eight. "Think of this as an easy win. You'll learn soon enough that it's best to keep away from missions that require those things." He pointed with his eyes at the many weapons Victoria carried. "Be serious. Did you really think we'd be sending you into active combat with only a few months of training under your belts?"

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Well, no!" she answered in a defiant tone. "But-"

  Officer Shelik cut his underling off in an all-too-calm tone. "Then relax, kid. It's a beautiful day, so just try to be thankful your first mission is on the beach."

  Victoria pouted at her Training Officer's words but continued kicking the sand as her squad marched further across the shoreline. With Zayne's words fresh in her ears, she glanced down at her pistols, a thought creeping into her mind.

  Did I want to use these?

  Another hour passed, and Holy Sola became a loathsome bitch in the sky, beating down heavily on Sachi and his squad with a heat that made the Green Edge's most miserable summers seem breezy by comparison. They had made quite a bit of progress on their mission, but it was clear they still had plenty of uncleared shoreline to cover.

  "Stop draggin' your feet, Long Ears!" Faron cut in suddenly, tired as he kicked to set off another hidden trap.

  Sachi panted from the heat while responding. "Are you kidding me? I'm kicking higher than you are. Keep up!"

  "Like Hel you are!" Faron may have been exhausted, but he was never too tired to pick a fight with his rival. "You're lazy, slowin' us down and forcin' us to pick up the slack."

  "Hel no!" Sachi threw his arms in the air in frustration. "I'm not doing this today, Faron! Not while we're working!"

  Faron stopped walking and put his hands on his hips, breathing heavily too as Holy Sola's gaze teased them. "Oh... You're working? 'Cuz from up here it looked like you were day-dreamin'."

  "I already told you-"

  "Yeah, whatever!" Faron rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his sweaty mohawk, still standing despite his sweat. "Why don'cha just go scout the next patch if you're workin' so hard. It's not like it matters if an Elf steps on these traps anyways."

  Sachi balled up his fists, the heat affecting his rationality. "Are we really doing this? Here?"

  "Don't see why not! I already kicked your ass on one beach." Faron stepped to the half-Elv without mercy in his eyes. Flames burst into life around Private Ali's right fist as his Radiance ignited.

  Sachi didn't retreat. He glared up at the oversized Human with the same eyes lost to violence's call. "Then stop talking and start it already."

  A roar from Victoria softened the two boys' gazes immediately. "Both of you! Knock that off now!" She stared them down with a hand placed gently atop one of her holstered pistols. Sachi and Faron's eyes widened as they saw Private Ramses posture.

  Sachi thought to himself, She wouldn't really shoot us, would she?

  He then recalled the many times Victoria had set him on fire during Lightwell training since they met.

  She totally would.

  The two squabbling Privates turned their backs to one another and let out simultaneous huffs of frustration. It only took a few seconds for Faron's pettiness to set in. He spoke under his breath at a volume everyone could hear.

  "I could find more without you here."

  It was a mean thing to say, but Sachi heard it as more of a challenge than an insult. After all, far crueler things had been said to his face over the years.

  "Care to bet on it?" The half-Elv shot an emerald stare over his shoulder.

  Faron met the hateful glare with one of his own. "I'd say the man who collects the most traps by sundown wins."

  Sachi nodded at the conditions, grinning with some wicked half-smile.

  Victoria tried to interject, knowing the method of collection had been explained in detail by Second Lieutenant Danfur for a reason, but she was stopped before being able to say a word. Officer Shelik raised a stifling hand and shot her a look of his own, one that said they'd better off letting the angsty young men separate for a while. There were dangers to think about when splitting up, with both boys being likely to get clamped by penguin traps if they didn't pay attention. But Zayne ultimately decided that some peace and quiet outweighed the potential scrapes and bruises his underlings might suffer.

  Sachi and Faron still stood with their backs to one another, facing opposite ends of the shore.

  "I'll take this side, you take that one." Sachi began marching east without glancing back. "I'll beat you here and now, Faron." It would be a small victory—a moral one more than anything, but it would still be a victory to be proud of.

  If I can't beat him in a fight, I can at least work harder on missions than that oaf.

  The crimson-haired boy knew Victoria would be upset with him over the sudden bet, but his yearning to prove merit stood above all else on that sweltering day.

  Today, I'll be 'the hero of Black Feather Bay.' Don't worry, you dumb penguins! I'll clear this whole beach in no time...

  Another hour passed as the members of Goji Squad continued their comb across the bay's white sands. The troublesome boys had fled to opposite ends of the shore by that time, and Sachi found a spot where he couldn't see so much as a speck of his squadmates when he glanced back; he assumed Faron had made it to a similar position. The half-Elv had done well for himself on his slow march east, dropping his forty-second trap of the day along the scattered trail behind him. He hadn't formed a proper plan to carry so many traps back yet, hoping a gust of inspiration would come soon to help find a way to haul them all back. Yet still, his steady progress seemed futile each time Sachi looked ahead at the many miles separating him from the coast's end. He could see the bay water now, the crisp blue of it making him all the more thirsty, but this was only the first line he'd marched. He'd have to double back a dozen times over before finishing.

  With the depressing realization his work had barely started, Sachi glanced back at the afternoon's progress and decided a moment of rest had been earned. The half-Elv pushed up at his spiky hair, doing his best not to fully butcher the stylistic efforts he made that morning to look presentable. But despite those efforts, sweat had robbed Sachi of his well-tamed hair, with nothing more than a matted nest of blood-tinted hair standing wildly above his scalp. That mess of crimson continued to drip the day's efforts down Sachi's dark brow after the Private settled, making a seat in scorching sand with his ass's exhausted fall.

  Pain suddenly shot into the boy's right hand. "Shit!" He looked down to see he had been snagged by the small teeth of another penguin trap. This marked the third he'd triggered by accident. He ripped the troublesome jaw of padded steel off and tossed it behind him with the others. The emerald flames of his Radiance ignited and began mending the wound on his palm. He let out an exasperated huff and peered into the discolored blaze, watching as the puncture marks slowly closed and all pain subsided. Nothing but some dried blood remained, a few specks that blended easily on his red and black cargo pants.

  Maybe that jerk had a point. It barely takes any Light for me to heal from these traps. We could have been done by now if I just charged in blindly and had them sweep up the traps behind me. I might've passed out after a few hundred, but still... beats this slow crap.

  He checked behind his back for any more unexpected traps, then laid his back in the sand too. Another deep breath slipped from his lips as his skin met the sand's sizzle.

  Why can't we just get along?

  Sachi's eyes drifted from the clear skies above to the beautiful ocean at his right. It was practically still, barely a tide to notice in that endless blue. He felt like a man sitting inside of a flash-photograph. He imagined how peaceful a life at sea could be, but the daydream didn't last long. Before he could get lost in some fantasy of fishing or piracy, a small boat disturbed his picturesque view.

  The ship was small, barely larger than a 4-person row-boat, but something odd about the vessel instantly stood out to Sachi. The ship had no mast—not an oar in sight either. Yet somehow this small boat cruised along at a steady pace, fast enough to drag a moderate wake behind it.

  Sachi raised a brow at the odd sight gliding through his view.

  How the Hel could it be cruising so fast?

  After a few moments of watching the odd dinghy, it was gone, vanishing like a ghoul into the crowd of ships and fishing vessels working between Black Feather Bay and Posidon. Private Van'Heatah scratched at the top of his head after the sail-less ship was fully out of sight. He was so confused about what mysterious power was moving the boat. As the weight of his lingering contest with Faron crept into his head, Sachi decided it was best to shrug off his questions. It was time to get back to work. There was no time to get lost in some ocean dream when he had a rival to defeat.

  Another blistering hour of trap collection passed by, and Private Van'Heatah couldn't help but notice that same odd boat pass by another three times while he worked. It felt like whoever piloted the thing kept coming back for a reason, because Sachi was sure the boat was circling the bay.

  Are they lost? he thought to himself several times when the ship would pass by time and time again.

  Sachi made steady progress over that last hour and felt a break had been earned. So, when he spotted the ship for a fourth time, his countryside curiosity got the better of him.

  Sachi waved at the lost ship.

  The boat stopped for a moment when Sachi got its attention. It wasn't long, but enough time for Sachi to wonder if they would approach the beach and introduce themselves. They did not. Instead, the odd boat took off faster than it had moved before, faster than any ship Sachi had seen—and this time, the half-Elv heard a suspicious noise blare from the dinghy. Was some beast trapped under the boat, pulling it along with unseen reins? Or was this some test of new Light-tech being conducted by the members of Division Three? No matter the origin of this boat, it took off in quite a hurry when Sachi acknowledged its presence. However, the Private wasn't too bothered by the ship's departure. He had a contest to win, and the traps were not going to find themselves.

  The smoldering heat of their world's red star reached its climax at the third hour of Sachi's solo work on the beach. He found himself shirtless, stumbling into traps every few minutes in a fatigued state of exhaustion. He thought to himself, Will we even finish today? He looked at his progress—less than half of his section was clear. Who the Hel even had the time to put all these traps here? By the look of his progress, they had another three days' work to finish the entire bay.

  Sachi let out a frustrated huff and sat down in the hot sands once more. He realized that his speed no longer mattered at this point in the day.

  Sachi thought, There's gotta be a quicker way to clear these out. Why didn't the C.R.M. just send a few Hoofs out here to blow the sands away with wind-Radiances? So inefficient! He glanced up to Holy Sola and caught the full ire of the red star's gaze, forcing him to turn away instantly. Fuck... It's so hot out here! He wiped the frothy remnants of dehydration from the corners of his mouth. Then, a familiar sight returned.

  The odd boat was coming back, faster than ever, catching the young man's attention instantly with a soft roar of that same bestial grind. It was approaching the shore's edge. That deep roar grew in volume, coming in closer than any of the boat's previous visits. Sachi was sure he couldn't be the only one hearing all the racket. Then the sound cut, dead entirely as quickly as a finger's snap. Sachi raised a brow from the shore and cocked his head from his sandy seat. What's their problem? He was so curious of this odd ship it felt hard to focus on anything else. He hadn't a single thought in his mind telling him to turn and run, one of the dumbest choices the Half-Elv would reflect upon in the years to come. For instead of alerting his squad-mates of the odd vessel lurking on their shores, nor rushing out of the boat's field of vision, Sachi remained seated and waving as the boat came to a halt less than fifty yards from the beach. It stood there for fifteen whole seconds as Sachi mocked the rude fishers and their strange boat in his head. Then at last, Sachi made his dumbest decision of the day: he yelled out to the boat.

  "Hey! Y'all need some help?"

  A few seconds passed, and Sachi stood in foolish stillness without anyone calling back. When those last seconds of peace ended, four mounted turrets rose up from the vessel's side, springing their barrels to lock into position. Gunfire decimated the beach to the tune of seventeen hundred and twelve rounds per second. Sachi's eyes widened as the first hundred or so flashes of light started popping off. He tried his best to react, but he was shot with dozens of high caliber rounds before ever getting fully to his feet. He dropped to the ground with more holes in his body than a slice of River Town cheese. He gasped for air as the shock of so many rounds raining through him; hundreds at a time. His healing-flames emerged, but the gunfire didn't cease, and Sachi lurched in pain for twenty whole seconds of turret fire from the mysterious boat. Needless to say, Sachi stopping moving when the last of his Light was depleted, allowing his attackers to focus their assault on the remaining stretches of Black Feather Bay.

  As Sachi watched the rampant sparks of gunfire from a broken state, inhaling nothing but sand and blood, he couldn't help but note the nature of this attack. He wasn't the target at all, everything was—the whole damn beach.

  They set the traps.

  Before slipping away into that all-too-familiar state of lifelessness, Sachi felt himself praying for the first time in his young life. He had no specific set of ears in mind to receive his plea. After all, Wilhelm Van'Heatah was so protective of his son that he never taught the half-breed mutt the name of the Elvish Game Master; nor the banished God of his mother's Clan. Yet hope pushed through ignorance in that moment. Sachi was so desperate, in so much pain, that he would have accepted bargains from any Immortal willing to make his prayer come true.

  Please save her... don't let Victoria die like this...

  (To Be Continued...)

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