“No casualties?” Tarris asked. “And you say you managed to capture their leader?”

  Raen nodded, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand.

  “Your injuries?” Tarris’s eyes moved over Raen’s blood-soaked uniform, observing the small cuts and bruises visible on his skin.

  Raen shook his head. “Self-inflicted. To sell the act.”

  “I’m not sure what the situation with the other two scouting teams is, but I sent my team to help them. Split them up – each half reinforcing one team.”

  “With the numbers you provided, a battle would be dangerous. Casualties would be inevitable, not to mention neither of the teams knows that reinforcements are coming.”

  “Ah, no need to worry about that,” Raen smirked. “I have already notified the two teams about this last night. The changed routes you have given them were the final confirmation to wait for backup.”

  Tarris stood in silence, staring at Raen with admiration, but also slight apprehension.

  ‘This kid, was he always this sly?’

  The pieces had been set in motion before Raen had even walked into the tent that morning. The entire plan was built around the assumption that Tarris would follow along.

  ‘He set it all up in advance, fully confident that I would follow along with his plan.’

  “Commander?” Raen asked, his face innocent and tone polite.

  “You know, squad leader, I’d hate to ever be your enemy.”

  ‘You have no idea.’ Raen thought, the ghost of an older Tarris appearing in his mind. ‘In another life, you were.’

  “Likewise,” Raen said, standing up and dusting himself.

  “How many people have you notified about this. I’m guessing the battalion commander was the first person you went to, right?”

  “Raen, did you somehow develop mind-reading by any chance?” Tarris asked, this time slightly creeped out by Raen’s correct guess.

  Raen laughed – a real laugh, one that was loud and unguarded. He found Tarris’s reaction almost adorable.

  “The Major is a sly person, and he’s had quite a lot of grievances with the army commander as well as his lackeys. If one was to flip and join the enemy, it would definitely be him.”

  He paused for a moment.

  “Captain Anderson is most likely not a spy, but he lacks the authority you need for this operation.”

  “The battalion commander is upright and not the type to switch sides. And from what I know, you two have known each other a long time. He’s the perfect person to help you catch all the spies at once – which, based on your temperament, is what you want to accomplish tonight.” Raen stated, making Tarris nod his head, his eyes still locked onto Raen.

  The more the young man spoke, the more shocked and unsettled Tarris was. It wasn’t just that Raen was right, but how easily he’d assembled the pieces.

  “We have already made all the necessary preparations. We just need to wait for those overconfident bastards to make their move, and we will apprehend them all.” Tarris said as Raen nodded.

  “As you have asked me to do so in that note of yours, I have not sent anybody to observe Vares.”

  “Good, thank you for trusting me, Commander,” Raen said, bowing his head respectfully toward Tarris.

  “So we don’t have anything else to do now, right?” A cheerful voice came directly behind Raen.

  Everybody jumped in place. Tarris’s hand went to his weapon before he stopped himself, gritting his teeth.

  Thatch stood there, grinning widely, as though he’d been present the entire time.

  “For the love of Aragos, please stop doing that!” Tarris shouted, his face going red.

  Thatch’s grin widened even more as he looked immensely pleased with himself.

  He then turned to Raen. “Cap’n, the other two teams are fine.”

  “One had 2 members lightly injured, and the other one had one guy more seriously hurt, but the blade missed his vitals. A couple of weeks and he should be good.”

  Raen nodded. “Enemy numbers at the other two locations?”

  “Similar to the two teams at our original route.”

  “And the enemy leader you captured?”

  “I left Adam in charge of bringing him back. That guy is the only one who can easily carry a grown man over his shoulder and not be bothered by the weight.” There was a faint hint of jealousy in his tone.

  “How long until the other teams reach the camp?” Tarris asked from the side.

  “Hmmm, give or take, 15 minutes.”

  “That should be plenty of time. Our men are already tailing the spies, and with those bastards being fully confident that we have no idea what is going on –“ Tarris crunched his knuckles, his demeanor shifting as a sly smile spread across his face. “They won’t be on high alert. We’ll crush them.”

  He then turned, looking back at camp with a thoughtful expression.

  “I just wonder what they are trying to do now. Why did they spend so much time and effort to eliminate the scouting teams? It just doesn’t seem right.”

  ‘As perceptive as I remember him to be.’ Raen said, smiling inwardly.

  He, of course, knew what the enemy was planning to do. In fact, this task was quite important, one of the moves that allowed Azurand to decimate the imperial troops in his previous life.

  “By eliminating the scouting teams, they will spread panic in the camp. The soldiers will lose faith in the higher-ups, as well as the scout regiment’s ability to plan the routes.” Raen suddenly said, drawing attention from everybody present.

  “Our men would get scared because so many were slaughtered relatively close to camp. Then, they would be put under pressure, feeling as if a net was being cast on them from all sides.”

  “Without our scouting teams, we’d be blind. The enemy could create hidden outposts, smaller military camps nearby …”

  Tarris nodded in agreement to Raen’s words, this time no longer shocked at his observation skills. He was now beginning to expect it.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “I tried getting info from the enemy leader, but nothing. He’s a tough nut to crack, a pro.” Thatch said as he frowned. His voice sounded like he was displeased with himself.

  “I can make him talk, but it would take more time,” Thatch said, glancing at Raen. “Cap’n, those troops, they weren’t regular soldiers at all.”

  “They weren’t particularly strong, at the level of regular soldiers. But the way they created the trap for the teams, as well as their ability to withstand pain and not talk when being tortured … far from regular, similar to those you came across on patrol.”

  “Yeah, those guys were different. Although not elite combatants, they were anything but regular troops. Had you not been there, taking them by surprise would have been almost impossible.” He looked at Thatch for a moment before shaking his head and turning his attention to Tarris.

  “Commander, I think we waited enough. What are your orders?” Raen asked Tarris.

  “Do we continue the act inside the camp as well, or –”

  “We should go ahead and return, continue the act.” Tarris paused, his hand involuntarily touching his jaw. “But no punching me again.”

  Raen chuckled, and Thatch gave him a confused glance.

  “I’ll tell you later.”

  The sentence alone was enough to make Thatch smile, eager to hear how Raen struck the commander and got away with it. After all, it wasn’t every day that a mere squad leader got to hit a commander and not be punished for it.

  ***

  They all returned to camp, and the scouts had placed a rope around Raen’s wrists, binding his hands behind his back. The ropes looked very tight, but in truth, they weren’t.

  Thatch was the one who tied the ropes, giving the illusion of Raen’s hands immobilized. In reality, he could easily take the ropes off at a moment’s notice and fight if needed.

  It was all a performance, just like everything else.

  Some of the soldiers in camp stared in surprise as the party entered. They had previously seen Tarris leave with the scouts, bothered by something, on the edge. Then they saw three scouts coming back, running off somewhere.

  And now, all of them were back … with Raen, bloodied and bound.

  “What’s going on? Who’s that?”

  “Isn’t that Raen? He was selected as the team leader for one of the scouting teams … I don’t know why he’s alone, and in ropes.” A soldier said, confused by the situation himself.

  Thatch wasn’t with the group as Raen had given him another task.

  ‘His tent is heavily guarded; only Thatch can successfully get in.’ Raen thought as they entered the scout regiment’s tent before placing him on a chair, arms still bound.

  “They should have returned here by now,” Tarris said, prompting the remaining scouts to glance before nodding their heads.

  “That’s right, sir. It shouldn’t take long at all for those three to alert the commanders. Why are they not here?”

  “Sir, should we check –“

  “No,” Tarris said, interrupting the scout.

  “I already have men on them.”

  “All who have behaved suspiciously are being trailed.” Tarris then added, prompting silence in the tent.

  ‘Well done, Commander. Truly worthy of the man once called ‘The Crow’ Tarris, leader of the special infiltration team.’ Raen thought, remembering the shock he had when first learning of Tarris’s identity in the past.

  “Now tell me, why did you stop me from placing men on Vares?” Tarris asked, staring at Raen, who smirked.

  “That guy isn’t as simple as he makes himself to be; any man you place would’ve been made quickly.”

  Tarris lifted an eyebrow upon hearing Raen’s words.

  “Don’t worry, I already solved that problem,” Raen added.

  Tarris sighed. “The kid?”

  “The kid.”

  Both men then smirked, awaiting good news soon.

  ***

  Deeper inside the camp, a large military tent stood surrounded by soldiers on patrol. Their routes were methodical, overlapping, and designed so there would be no blind spots.

  Thatch arrived noiselessly, nobody noticing his arrival.

  He stared at the tent and then the men around it. Amateurs, most of them. Their posture was sloppy and their attention wandering. They were just standard guards.

  But three were different.

  Thatch’s eyes locked on them. They were dressed in the regular uniform of the battalion and blended in perfectly, acting like regular soldiers.

  But they weren’t.

  ‘Rhythmic breathing, each step controlled, calculated. Eyes observing their surroundings without letting any detail pass them. They’re pros.’ Thatch thought, a smile appearing on his face.

  ‘This is so fun!’

  His muscles twitched with excitement.

  ‘I knew it, Cap’n, as long as I stay by your side, I truly will come across all kinds of fun things!’

  ‘I made the right call by choosing the army. Beats the Veil’s dark halls every day of the week.’

  Thatch’s elation could be seen on his face, as well as his body. His muscles moved, seemingly vibrating to show his joy.

  He thought back on the first day he saw Raen, who was sparring with Adam.

  He remembered seeing nothing special in Raen. He was a competent soldier and an average fighter, and yet, he was somehow drawn to him.

  The first time he had seen him fight in a skirmish was what made him even more drawn. Raen was a new addition to the squad back then.

  He fought bravely, but it was not his fighting that made Thatch be drawn to him, but his eyes.

  They were different from the rest.

  And now he was finally getting the return on his investment.

  ***

  Thatch moved closer to the main tent. Even though he didn’t have any concrete evidence, Thatch was already certain that the man was a spy.

  The first reason was that Raen told so.

  The second reason were the three men acting like regular guards.

  ‘Passing by all three is tricky. They are in perfect distance of one another, covering each other’s backs, as well as keeping an eye on the tent.’

  ‘Do I kill one first?’ Thatch asked inwardly, licking his lips before shaking his head.

  ‘No, not yet at least.’

  ‘I’ll have to make a diversion.’

  Before he could formulate a plan, a solution presented itself.

  He moved, his body a blur as his muscles spasmed, allowing him immense control over his body, as well as reaching an incredible degree of flexibility.

  He was going toward the tent, from the right side, and in about 2 seconds, he would be in the sight of one of the three.

  He then flicked his right arm, sending a small pebble flying.

  The pebble drew an arc, soundless, almost impossible to see against the night sky.

  The moment it landed, the man’s eyes constricted as the hand resting on the hilt of his sword moved.

  The sword left its scabbard in an instant, drawing a line in the air as the man swung behind him, his entire body twisting with the swing.

  “Eeek!”

  A soldier coming behind the man froze. The sword stopped, pointed straight at him.

  The intense aura coming from the man caused the soldier’s body to shake before he lost control of his legs. He dropped to his knees, face pale in fright.

  “Why the hell were you sneaking up on me?!” The man roared in question as the soldier stuttered.

  “I- I went for a leak.”

  The man stared down at the soldier’s face before clicking his tongue in annoyance and turning around, returning to his task.

  There was nothing out of the ordinary in front of him, just some soldiers who were glancing his way because of the commotion. And parts of the tent are flapping in the wind.

  Inside the tent, however, the situation was very different.

  Thatch had entered the tent.

  He squeezed through a small gap between the tent and the ground, a gap too narrow for anyone, but plenty for him.

  The inside of the tent was well-lit, but thanks to memorizing the layout beforehand, he was now crouching behind a small crate that was delivered about 2 days ago. It had some valuables, some documents that the Major had asked for, as well as clothes.

  Thatch didn’t really care for the crate, but upon reaching it, he suddenly smelled something coming from inside.

  ‘Blood, metal, and rust?’ Thatch asked himself, taking a deeper look at the crate, now interested in it.

  ‘Later. For now, let’s see what this guy is up to.’

  Thatch moved to the side before taking out three small shards of glass from a hidden pocket inside his tunic.

  He threw all of the shards forward, each of them producing no sound, even when stabbing into the ground. He placed the shards strategically, creating a chain of reflections that allowed him to see around the crate and observe Major Vares from the side, ensuring no light would be reflected, betraying his position.

  Vares was looking up, staring at someone in front of his desk.

  “That concludes the plan,” Vares said. “Any questions?”

  “No, sir.” The man said, standing straight, giving Thatch a good look at his side profile.

  ‘One of the scouts, as expected.’

  “Now go, they will be wondering where the hell you three have been.” Major Vares said, waving the scout away who saluted before turning around and walking toward the exit.

  “Oh, and don’t forget, don’t make any suspicious moves tonight, we strike in the morning.”

  The scout nodded at him before exiting the tent.

  “Tch, damn idiots. If I had a couple of better-trained men, I could already end everything tonight, not wait for tomorrow.” Vares coldly looked at the exit of the tent before reaching inside the inner pocket of his coat.

  He took out a small key before using it to unlock a compartment in his desk, taking something out of it.

  He brought it up, staring at it for a couple of seconds, hands trembling in ecstasy.

  “Soon,” he whispered. “It will begin. Soon.”

  When Thatch saw what the man was holding, his breath stopped.

  Vares was holding an emblem in his hands, one that Thatch would recognize anywhere.

  His grin died, and for the first time in a long while, his stomach went cold.

  He stared at the mark in the middle of the emblem. A pair of twisted, ram-like horns that curved inward. From the base of the horns, three thick, black tears fell downward. The tears looked viscous, like tar or oil.

  It was a mark he had seen hundreds of times in the Sanctum halls, one of the marks of their greatest enemy. It was an emblem belonging to members of the demonic cult.