Spirit Blood: Genesis of War
Chapter 16

Makaylen allowed sleep to take him just as the explosion rattled the hotel. He abruptly shot from his bed speeding down the hall towards the emergency stairs where he was immediately joined by Christopher, Lockefren, Moira, and the large man he now knew to be Jason, in various sleeping clothes. Makaylen led the way being much quicker than the rest. Each of them raced down the stairs through the lobby of frightened guests and employees and out the double doors only to see the smoke and flames of an inferno lighting the horizon.

“So much for getting any rest,” Makaylen stated as Christopher reached his side. “Where’s Davien and Ben?”

They began to brainstorm where they had last seen the two men when Ben and Davien were spotted down the main street solemnly walking towards them.

“What happened?” Lockefren inquired of Ben after the group had caught up with the two men. “Are you ok, are you hurt?” Lockefren began inspecting Ben for any cuts or injuries.

“I’m fine Lockefren, please stop,” Ben said trying to sound thankful yet stern. “We are both fine. Unfortunately, however, all our weapons are lost. The building that was housing them was destroyed in the explosion.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Christopher spoke up wondering if he could be of any help.

“No, no one seemed to be anywhere near the blast. The emergency technicians were so fast getting to the scene, if anyone had been hurt they’d probably be ok now,” Ben answered sounding suspicious instead of grateful.

“So you mean to say no one was near enough to the building to have been effected by an explosion so

powerful it shook the hotel?” Jason finally spoke up. “Where were the guards from the front gate? Shouldn’t they have been guarding the building?”

“You certainly would think so, wouldn’t you?” Makaylen asked also suspiciously.

“Guys, usually nobody getting hurt is a good thing, isn’t it?” Davien asked puzzled by everyone’s reaction.

“Under normal circumstances? Yes, but nothing about this seems normal to me,” Jason announced looking around him for anything suspicious.

“Ok,” Makaylen started, “why don’t we get back in the hotel and discuss what we should do next. Obviously none of us are going to get any sleep tonight anyhow.”

As the group traveled back into the hotel, where they were berated by the guests inside for answers, Makaylen took this opportunity to introduce himself to Jason.

“By the way,” he said holding out his hand, “I’m Makaylen. I assume you are Jason.”

“Yes, yes I am,” Jason answered sleepily. “I’m sorry about earlier with your friend. I’ve not been myself lately.”

“Of course, don’t worry about it. One, I know Davien, so it was to be expected and two, I’m not sure any of us have exactly been ourselves lately,” Makaylen said nodding in understanding.

Finally being able to reassure the guests that everything was ok, the group piled into the elevator and back to the seventh floor. When the doors opened up they were surprised to see Amon and TaeAnne standing in front of them holding up Terrell who, although weak, was more awake than he had been ever since his injury at the hands of Carnivous.

“What are you doing?!” Lockefren asked frantically trying to take Terrell from the two teenagers.

“We heard a loud thud hit the floor in the hallway after you all left. So, naturally I went to check it out

and it was Terrell,” Amon quickly said trying to shift total blame away from himself. “He said he was trying to leave with the rest of you, but he fell in the hallway.”

Lockefren gave Terrell a disapproving glance, which she made sure he did not see.

“Yeah, and he told us to pick him up and help him get to all of you. When we told him we were to stay here he gave us his ‘you better listen to me’ glare, so we were helping him,” TaeAnne spoke up in fear she and Amon would be in trouble.

Terrell tried to lean himself up against a nearby wall pushing Lockefren’s mothering grasp away.

“I’ve got to do this myself Lockefren,” he mumbled in a tone of exasperation and fatigue.

No one wanted to offend the Elvin prince, but he clearly was not able to support himself for longer than a few seconds from the sheer pain and weariness he felt. Christopher shook his head and shoved passed everyone crowding around Terrell.

“I don’t know who you are my friend, but I can do this myself,” Terrell told him holding out his hand to halt Christopher’s assistance.

“Perhaps you can, but I am going to help you anyway,” Chris stated. “I’m a priest and it’s against my religious beliefs to allow someone to struggle when I am more than capable of helping them.”

Before Terrell could push the priest away, a sharp shooting pain shot through him causing him to double over in pain hitting his knees to the ground clinching his ribs and grinding his teeth.

“Please, let me help you,” Chris tenderly said as he took hold of Terrell along with the help of Jason who quickly ran to his friend’s aid. Together they lifted Terrell from the ground and walked to their nearest room laying Terrell upon the double sized bed.

“The pain…is worsening,” Terrell managed to say through his gasps of breath.

“The only thing I knew to do to help him with the pain was to slow his heart, but now that he’s been up

and moving…I’m afraid my power has worn off,” Moira spoke up, worried for Terrell.

Sitting next to Terrell on the bed, Chris noticed the loosening bandages around his chest.

“What happened to him?” He asked of the others.

“He was clawed by a Demon Mage who controlled a Serpith creature just a few days ago,” Jason stated sadly.

Makaylen shot a look at Jason, “The controller of a Serpith did this? Why did you not take him to a temple to be looked over by priest healers? It is the only thing that can stop the poison.”

“We took him to a healer that we found on our way here who put something on the wound, but he said this was all we could expect…for now,” Amon mumbled as he lowered his head.

Not having been with the two teenagers when they visited the healer with Terrell, Jason walked over to Amon as he asked heatedly, “What should we expect after the medicine wears off?”

Amon backed away from the approaching man not wanting to repeat the words of the healer.

“Amon, what did the healer tell you?” Jason said trying to keep his patience in check.

Gathering up his courage, Amon answered, “He said that…there was nothing else he could do and that Terrell would die. The medicine was to ease his pain during the process.”

“What?!” Jason yelled out before grabbing a small eating table near him and throwing it across the room. “Why didn’t you say anything before Amon?!”

“I thought you’d get mad! I guess I was right!” Amon yelled back with tears filling his eyes as he cowered away from Jason’s glare.

The boy’s reaction seemed to shake Jason out of his fury. He began to breath in deep breaths trying to calm himself before looking at the boy again with a kinder look in his stern eyes.

“I wouldn’t have gotten mad before now Amon because we could have tried something else or seen

someone else,” Jason said trying to calm his frustration. “But now the poison may have run its course and it could be too late.” Walking up to face the boy, Jason laid his hands upon his shoulders and added, “You have to start thinking with more wisdom Amon. You’re going to be a great king someday. You need to start seeing the questions inside questions and answers inside answers. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”

Though Amon barely understood the wise words of his mentor, he nodded before lowering his head again.

“Do not give up yet,” Christopher said smiling up at Jason and Amon. “Shiloh knew of your needs and has sent you a priest. And, if I might say so, a good one at that,” he joked trying to lighten the mood as he began gently removing Terrell’s bandages.

“Perhaps we have found yet another common goal that has brought us together at this time and place,” Makaylen told the group smiling to himself for the amazing will of Shiloh.

Chris placed his hands upon Terrell’s badly injured chest and began to pray in a tongue not of this world while in deep meditation. Suddenly his hands began to glow a bright gold consuming Terrell’s body. The light became so bright in the room that everyone had to squint their eyes to witness the awe-inspiring healing in front of them. Slowly the light began to fade from the room then from Terrell’s body and then finally from Christopher’s hands. Tears were streaming down the priest’s face as he stood up from the bed and looked straight at Jason.

“Your friend is healed.”

All eyes were on Terrell as he sat up in bed placing his hand upon his chest where his wound had once been. Surprised, he looked around into the faces of his comrades who, all except for Chris and Makaylen, were gaping at him in amazement for there was no longer any sign of the Demon Mage or his poison.

Slowly he stood to his feet where he could feel a surge of strength flow through him. With misty eyes, Terrell embraced Chris standing before him.

“Thank you Priest. You have truly shown me an unbelievable miracle today,” Terrell said dumbfounded.

Chris humbly shook his head, “Not really. Shiloh made us, why can’t he fix us? It is simply that easy.”

That day, those who did not believe in Shiloh’s power became believers and the priest who had begun to stray found his way back to his master.

After Terrell had had time to bathe Jason ordered room service for them as the now expanded group of ten sat down to discuss the current events.

“Are you sure all the weapons were destroyed?” Terrell asked, pacing the floor waiting for dinner.

“Yes, all of them had to have been destroyed. We couldn’t see any remnants lying around anywhere,” Ben answered.

“That’s impossible,” Makaylen blurted out. “Not all of the weapons could have been destroyed.”

“I’m telling ya, there was nothing left,” Davien replied to Makaylen. “We saw the wreckage and there was nothing left.”

“Then there is truly something wrong here. My sword can not be destroyed by normal fire or even magical fire for that matter. Someone took our weapons, at least mine anyway,” Makaylen stated assuredly.

“What’s so special about your sword that it couldn’t have been destroyed?” Jason asked him.

“It was not made of normal metals. My sword was made of a special blend called crystanium,”

Makaylen answered.

“Mine was too,” Jason pointed out confused.

“Then yours wasn’t destroyed either. In fact, regardless of the metals, remnants would have still remained. More than likely none of them were destroyed, but were instead not there when the explosion took place,” Makaylen told the group warningly.

Terrell stopped pacing the floor having calculated all the information he had been given within the last few minutes.

“It was an inside job,” Terrell spoke up finally. “It’s the only logical explanation. With a theft, explosion and no one being injured all on top of the high security Karza has posted all around, there is absolutely no possibility that all these things were mere coincidences.” All eyes were on Terrell as he continued, “However, the culprit, or culprits, would have to possess great authority to be able to dismiss all the guards, have access to the weapons building and be confident that no one would become suspicious of them being there.”

“It looks to me like we’ve brought some of our problems from Fringe here with us. Apparently we have some investigating to do,” Jason announced half smiling at Terrell.

A knock came at the door.

“Oh, it must just be room service. It’s about time, I’m starving,” Terrell said as he hastily opened the door.

Instead of a room service attendant, however, standing on the other side of the door was a gray skinned, mechanized drone with bits of decaying flesh hanging from his once dead bones. Terrell immediately tried to slam the door closed, but the undead soldier was too quick and strong putting his arm inside to prevent the door from closing completely. The women, Jason and Ben quickly joined Terrell in trying to

push the door closed, but it wouldn’t budge.

“We have to get out of here!” Davien yelled, searching the place for another exit.

“Really? What was your first clue, Genius?” Ben grunted still trying to shut the door.

“We need to brace the door! Davien, help me with this furniture!” Makaylen ordered.

Christopher tried to calm the frantic TaeAnne while Amon yanked the window open only to replace there wasn’t a fire escape and only a severe seven story drop to the concrete below. Looking at the narrow ledge outside the window, he thought to himself, I don’t believe we’re going to live out this one.

After all the furniture in the room had someway been propped against the door the drone was still able to slightly push it open.

“There’s a small ledge outside the window, but nothing else!” Amon announced.

“Everyone get on the ledge and head down to another room as fast as you can!” Makaylen yelled.

Gathering his strength through his open supply of manna, Makaylen slammed the door with a swift flying kick shattering the arm of their assailant and latching the door shut. He locked the door before turning around and climbing out of the window with everyone else. In a single file the group positioned themselves on the ledge trying to slide their way to the next room’s window. Steadily standing on the narrow edge, Makaylen positioned himself to the right of the window and Jason on the left waiting for the drone to make his entrance into the room. With a giant crashing sound the door was blasted off its hinges by the drone’s wrist cannon. The drone went straight to the wide open window and peeked its head out only to be grabbed by the two men waiting outside, pulled over the ledge and dropped to the ground below where it broke into several large pieces as if made of glass.

“What was that thing?!” Jason exclaimed. “It looked like a dead guy with wires.”

“I don’t know, but let’s get back inside,” Makaylen replied.

As Makaylen attempted to climb back in the window three more drones, looking remarkably ‘once alive’ like the first, came rushing through the busted doorway narrowly missing Makaylen’s head with a shot fired.

“We can’t go that way!” Makaylen yelled to Jason who was trying to think of a way out of their predicament.

Thoughts of jumping came to mind before shots rang out not only from within the room, but also from somewhere across the street.

“Whoa! Are those meant for us?!” Jason asked of the shots coming from the rooftop across from their hotel.

“I don’t think so!” Makaylen answered back using manna to increase his sight capabilities.

He could see a black headed woman positioned with a rifle shooting down the drones in the room behind them. After the last shot was fired, Makaylen took a chance and peeked his head back in the window to see that the drones had all been defeated.

“Go!” Makaylen instructed Jason as he watched the black headed woman sliding down a fire escape with the long tech-rifle strapped to her back.

Quickly the two men made their way across the ledge to the room in which their party had also entered. Seeing that everyone else had already retreated, Jason and Makaylen left the room and headed to the emergency stairs leading to the front lobby. The others had already gathered together on the street outside the hotel.

“Where’s Makaylen?!” Davien asked desperately.

“I don’t know. Jason isn’t here either!” Lockefren added.

Just then Makaylen and Jason came crashing through the double entrance doors yelling at the others.

“Don’t just stand there! Keep running, there could be more of them!”

Starting down the street they immediately came to a halt when fifty feet before them was a swarm of army drones quickly approaching them.

“We may be in trouble,” Makaylen said sliding to a stop in the white hotel slippers he still wore.

The adults stood in shock as each of them tried desperately within themselves to come up with a plan of escape.

“Anyone have any ideas?!” Amon abruptly asked of them.

Suddenly the sound of crashing and gun fire sounded as they noticed a large all terrain vehicle barreling through the mass army of mechanized soldiers. The assassins now focused their attention on the vehicle as it ran them down and trampled over their bodies. Just a few feet before the group, the vehicle came to a halt and the passenger door slid open.

“Get in before it’s too late! I’m not waiting for stragglers!” A woman’s voice from inside yelled out.

Without hesitation Makaylen jumped into the passenger’s seat while everyone else squeezed in the back slamming the doors shut behind them.

“Nephida Fox?” Makaylen said in shock seeing his rescuer.

“In the flesh,” Nephida answered back while careening down the city streets headed for the front gates.

“Thank you for saving us!” Moira exclaimed out loud.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Nephida replied. “We’ve still got a few of them on our tail and an electrified front gate to get through.”

A distance down the street stood the front gate and another throng of army drones ready to fire at the modified vehicle.

“Hold on!” Nephida roared as she increased the power level of the vehicle and opened it full throttle.

Everyone braced themselves as Nephida smashed through both the gates and the hordes of drones leaving only a wreckage of metal behind them. Nephida sped out of the city limits traveling east into the thick forest. After driving off road through a labyrinth of twists and turns, she harshly brought the vehicle to a halt.

“Ok, everyone out!” She ordered, jumping out of the driver’s seat. “We have to get a move on before they catch up with us!”

Quickly everyone rushed out of the converted tech-carriage, meanwhile Nephida began pulling a tech-tarp out from a luggage compartment located in the rear of the vehicle.

“Hey, help me with this Mak!” Nephida said handing two corners of the tarp to Makaylen.

Together they hastily draped the tarp over the vehicle vanishing it completely from sight.

“What is that thing?” Davien asked awe struck.

“It’s the best in anti-theft devices,” she answered while gathering gear she had tossed on the ground. “The Chameleon Tarp is a military prototype created for covert team operations.” Starting up the trail towards a mountainous terrain while adjusting her pack she continued, “I was lucky enough to get my hands on one through some contacts of mine that helped develop it.”

“Can’t it be seen by sensors or infra-red?” Davien wondered out loud clearly envious of Nephida’s contacts.

“Not this tarp. It’s made with the latest in technology along with straight up magic. The tarp is charmed in order to avoid being seen by anyone or anything and the technology put into it is an electrified field laced into the fabric. That way, if anyone were to replace it, they would never be able to get to what’s underneath it,” Nephida finished as she began jogging up the trail.

“Sweet!” Davien exclaimed while smiling like a child.

He glanced over his shoulder to see if he could tell where the tech-carriage was parked and was amazed to only see the overgrown brush that surrounded them illuminated by the bright moon above.

“I’ve definitely got to meet your friends!” Davien called out.

“Maybe you will. Now,” she yelled for everyone to hear, “follow me and try to keep up best you can. We’ve got a good three hour hike in the dark ahead of us on some slightly rough terrain. Oh, and those zombie things could still be tracking us, so don’t get left behind.”

Nephida ran to the front of the pack and hurriedly trotted up the trail. Everyone followed her the best they could in their slippers, socks and bare feet having not ever gotten fully dressed after being awoken by the explosion in the city. Many questions circulated in Makaylen’s mind as he rushed to Nephida’s side slightly away from the rest of the group.

“Nephida, what are you doing here? The last time I saw you was in Roog’s Port City waiting on customers at your inn,” he asked both concerned and curious.

“I was wondering when you were going to get to asking me that. Well,” she sighed,” my brother finally forced me to sell my share of the Sly Fox Inn to him shortly after you left town. And he had lots of help and influence from his friends in the Inner Council. I got a bit suspicious, what with the Inner Council getting involved, so I did some investigating to which I found some pretty scary stuff. There is a powerful army called the Dread Army traveling through Krysala as we speak. Apparently they have taken more than one kingdom already. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but one day, before I sold my shares, I discovered some of those zombie army guys, like the ones that were chasing you, hidden in the inn. When I asked my brother about it he blew up in a rage. I thought he was gonna start beating me. He just kept mumbling things about me minding my own business and how my snooping was gonna get him killed,” she sighed again. “I knew then that he was using the inn to harbor those freaks and that they were

part of the Dread Army I was hearing about.”

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question. What are you doing here in Karza?” Makaylen inquired again.

“Well, actually I came looking for you,” Nephida claimed.

“Looking for me?” He asked her puzzled. “Where I went after I left Roog’s was in no way in the direction of Karza. How did you know to come here?”

“I know, I know,” she spoke up. “However, you did speak about Ken Wulf and his brothers who ruled The Great Kingdom of Karza, as you called it, when we last spoke. After I found those drones I got to thinking about where I could possibly go to get out of the city and to somewhere safe. Naturally Karza came to my mind again. After a bit more thinking I assumed that maybe after you’d been in the wild for awhile you’d go looking for some supplies and rest. Where better to go than where you have friends in high places, right?”

“So, you just took a chance on me swinging by Karza someday?” Makaylen questioned her.

“Sort of. I also did a lot of hoping you’d show up here. On my way to Karza I witnessed some heavy destruction in some of the smaller cities and towns. I just kept telling myself that eventually you’d see what was going on in Krysala too and maybe head up to Karza,” Nephida finished with a sigh and a smile.

“You just have me all figured out, don’t you?” He joked.

“Not exactly, but luckily I was right,” she said with a nervous chuckle. “After I got here I just decided to wait and keep an eye open for you. It didn’t take long, though, and I started seeing some of those same dead soldiers here except now they were bearing the crest of the Dread Army. With some snooping around with the right people I was able to discover that the army had hit here about the same time they did Talkain, but instead of attacking, they captured the king and his family.”

“What?!” Makaylen stopped dead in his tracks and turned her to face him. “They have King Wulf and his family?!”

“Yes,” she answered sadly knowing Makaylen’s fondness for the Wulf family. “I’m very sorry Mak.”

“Are they still alive? Was Simon captured too?” He wondered aloud.

“Well, actually I was almost captured snooping around one night, but I was saved by a small rebellion being led by Simon Wulf,” she answered matter-of-factly.

“Simon! You know Simon?!” Makaylen perked up tugging lightly on her shirt. “Take me to him, please!”

“Calm down Mak. Where do you think I’m taking you?” Nephida said pulling her shirt from his grasp.

“Right, right. I’m sorry,” he said as he tried to straighten her shirt. “Off we go then.” He finished in much higher spirits despite the solemn news he had just received.

Three long hours had passed struggling up hill before they reached the plateau entrance of the hidden rebel base. Nephida led them into the mouth of a large cave bearing tell-tale signs of having once been a beautifully carved out home for dwarves. Large pillars and archways were carved out of the granite rock each detailed with exquisite designs well known to be of the dwarves. Now, however, where a great dwarfish kingdom once thrived, the main hall was littered with tents housing women, children and elderly having been freed from the tyranny of Karza by the rebellion. Makaylen frowned as he passed the spectacle of weariness for the survivors were now at the harsh mercy of the elements of nature. Supplies and food for their survival were scarce.

“How long have these people been here?” Christopher asked feeling pity for the sight around him.

“Some, like me, have only been here a few days or a few weeks. Others, however,” she paused

noticing a filthy faced three year old girl playing gleefully in the dirt, “have been hiding here for several months. They’ve only been able to leave the cave to gather what they need for food.”

The disheartening display did not get any better as they traveled through the cave past the collection of dirty, dilapidated living conditions so many had been forced to live in by the spread of evil in Karza. Finally they came to another part of the cave that had been set up as a makeshift commerce with torn blankets draping the openings of small cutouts in the rock where items were being traded. As they continued on the group saw before them yet another cutout in the rock large enough to house a small group of warriors. Nephida led them directly into this room where a group of men were positioned around a table displaying a model of sticks, twigs and mud representing the city of Karza.

“As you can see, our best tactical move will not be from a frontal assault. There are far too many of those blasted drones there,” a well armored man said, pointing at the display.

Walking right up to the man, Nephida spoke up, “I’ve brought some people you may wish to talk to Simon.”

Simon Wulf turned around overjoyed to see two of his old friends from the past.

“Jason Jendryke and Makaylen Stryphe you two old dogs!” Simon exclaimed. “I must have done something right in the eyes of Shiloh to bring me both of you guys!”

Simon excitedly embraced the two smiling men with a large and welcoming hug.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t have seen each other on better terms. There is so much to be said and to catch up on,” Jason sincerely expressed.

“I couldn’t agree with you more my brother-in-arms. However, it’s still wonderful to see both of you. I didn’t know you two knew each other,” Simon said surprised.

“We didn’t,” Jason spoke up.

“It seems our common needs brought us both to Karza to see the Wulf brothers,” Makaylen added.

“Wonderful, wonderful.” Simon bellowed speaking now to his men positioned before him, “Men! Attention in the room! Captain Jendryke and Chief of Security Stryphe are in your presence!”

The warriors rose up in attention saluting in the ways of their differing races and kingdoms.

“Um, just for your information, General Wulf, I was promoted to Brigade Commander before the attack on Talkain,” Jason announced joking with Simon.

“Well, congratulations Brigade Commander Jendryke,” Simon laughed shaking Jason’s hand. “Just for your information, Sir, I was promoted to Judge over Karza some time back.”

“That’s wonderful,” Jason told him with another hearty hand shake.

“Ahem, gentlemen, I know you are both extremely happy for one another, but I do believe there are other matters at hand that need to be addressed,” Makaylen said half joking and half serious.

“Of course,” Simon started. “Some things never change do they Makaylen? You’re still the same stickler after all these years.”

“Yes, I suppose I am your Honor,” Makaylen said smiling.

“Ok, ok. At ease and be seated men,” Simon ordered his troop. “Where we left off…the bottom line is that a frontal assault is too risky and we wouldn’t survive it.”

While Simon continued to speak to his men about their attack tactics, Jason walked over to the make-shift display analyzing its layout. He marveled at the accuracy and detail put into a tactical display made out of only twigs and mud.

“There is a weak point in the city,” Jason spoke up hushing the grumbling of the warriors while still staring at the display.

Simon walked over to the display to see what Jason had found.

Pointing to a bare patch on the table, Jason whispered to Simon, “This is one sector of the city. Do you see this?” He asked pointing to a place in the display. “That is an almost unguarded area. We could have a small covert assault team penetrate this far wall and work their way to the front gate. There they will only need to use non-lethal engagement measures before being able to open the gate.”

Shaking his head, Simon retorted, “There is a flaw in that plan. The reason that sector is not guarded is because it’s controlled by the Assassins Guild. After the Dread Army made their way into the city, we lost all control at being able to divert the Guild’s control over that particular area. It would be far too dangerous and catastrophic to our numbers to try and penetrate that wall. I’ve already lost a great deal of men due to that guild back before they took total control. That sector is nothing but organized crime with both the Assassins Guild and the Thieves Guild running amok.”

“Even better my friend,” Jason replied in hushed tones with a wry smile.

“What are you getting at Jason?” Simon asked confused.

“Send Makaylen to lead the assault. I’ve had very little time to get to know him, but from what I’ve been able to replace out, Makaylen’s got a bad reputation with both those guilds back in Roog’s Port City. If we send Makaylen they won’t touch him,” Jason said glancing over at Makaylen who did not seem to be able to hear their conversation.

“Hmm, that just might work,” Simon whispered pondering the plan.

“Of course, I’ve never actually seen the man in action. I’ve only heard of his accomplishments,” Jason added.

With a toothy grin Simon stated, “Oh, I’ve seen him in action before and trust me when I say he is extraordinary.”

Jason turned his attention to Makaylen and noticed that he was smiling as if he’d heard everything he

and Simon had said.

“Makaylen…,” Jason bellowed.

Makaylen stood up before Jason could finish, “Yes, I’m up for the challenge. I’m going to need three of your best men to help me Simon.”

Jason shook his head surprised that Makaylen had heard him and Simon whispering.

“A covert team is normally devised of at least six additional men, not three,” Jason announced.

“Then I will not do it,” Makaylen stated defiantly before sitting back down.

“This is no time for your pride, Makaylen,” Jason said narrowing his eyes.

“Nor is it time for yours, Jason,” Makaylen replied. “I will need to do this my way or I cannot do it.”

Quite curious and, at the same time, a bit annoyed, Jason sauntered over to Makaylen parting the warriors in his path to the sides while Makaylen only stared back at him emotionlessly.

“Then you had better tell me why only four of you are going in and not a standard team of seven. I need to be convinced that we should be okay with your plan,” Jason said through clinched teeth.

“The fact is that I can maneuver better with less men to worry about. I can assign jobs easier and keep better control over matters,” Makaylen said standing back up to face Jason. “The reason you need to be okay with it is because there is no other way. You may be used to leading large groups of men into battle, but I have successfully lead many small groups into hostile situations as a Security Chief in Roog’s Port City and brought out all my men safely from their missions. I work in small groups, nothing else.”

Jason breathed in deeply trying to calm his frustration, however the wisdom of Makaylen’s words, whether he agreed with them or not, did sound like an acceptable course of action in this situation.

“Agreed then,” Simon announced. “What else do you need?”

Makaylen looked down at his dirty silk sleeping wear and the slippers he’d gotten from the hotel.

“Well, for starters, how about a change in clothing?”