Lesquare stared down the long sharp blade of his sword. It was lodged firmly in the neck of the man holding Iskal Marks by the scruff. Oddly, it had been a few seconds and the big man hadn't dropped yet, even though he'd definitely nicked the jugular based on the sheer volume of blood spurting in rhythmic beats from the wound.

  He wasn't expecting to kill someone today. It had been some time, at least for him. Nine months or so? It felt the same as always. A rush of action and then a twang of some ancient emotion without a name - a cousin of excitement and shame perhaps, that's then quickly snuffed by the moral sense of duty. Just a few minutes ago, he was having trouble, as he often did, navigating the winding streets and alcoves of the Materials Town, using a map his deputy had given him to locate the newly-appointed Chieftain Marks so he could introduce himself and, more importantly, pass on the message he'd been sent to give. But then he'd seen the open shop door and the few nervous-looking, huddled Embestourians peering in, who themselves must have also heard the noises of combat from inside.

  Lesquare pulled the sword and the big dead man finally dropped and splayed over another of the Bruisers presently laying prone on the floor. At the back of the shop he spied a young man, maybe a boy still, displaying a grimace of fearful anger.

  'Fly off out of here. Now.' Said Commander Lesquare, as he pointed the bloodied sword towards him. He didn't want to kill a boy. The moral sense of duty was always slower to appear, appear though it did, when that happened. The young Bruiser walked tentatively around the counter and past the mess on the shop floor, his hands pressed to his chest protectively, before turning to a sprint as he exited through the shopfront, barging several onlookers out the way.

  'Are you alright? Are there any others?' He asked Iskal in a deep but clear voice, while searching the rear of the shop with his eyes.

  'No others. Just what you've seen. And thank you, I think that was nearly it for me there.' Replied Iskal as he climbed wearily to his feet. 'I recognise you. Lesquare was it? From the summons this morning?'

  Lesquare ignored Iskal's failure to address his superior by the proper, full title, it seemed more that same general, unconscious fault in his approach to authority rather than a targeted one, the trait noted in his files by multiple officers. Instead, he studied the Chieftain for a moment, up close this time. He looked roughly the same age as Lesquare, far shorter, with narrower shoulders and more recessive hair, but more handsome. His grey-ish green eyes contrasted the brown hair and the chin was sharp and strong. The troubled look on his face was all the more apparent from this angle, but Lesquare had, for now at least, decided to chalk this up to the loss of his unit and his visually-apparent sleep deprivation.

  'Yes, correct Old Love, I'm Commander Lesquare.' He replied as he wiped the blood from his sword with one of the silk cloths from the counter. Tolph looked up and let out a wordless moan. 'I came to see you as I wanted to extend a salutation, considering we'll be working closely for at least the next few months it seems.' Lesquare shot out his hand and narrowed his eyes just a touch. Iskal shook his hand without saying anything. Just a smile that flickered with each shake.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  'And I have a message also,' continued the Commander as he let go of Iskal's hand, 'but first, I feel we should drag this unconscious fellow to the nearest jailhouse. Grab the legs would you?'

  Iskal turned to Tolph as he took back his knife from the limp hand of the dead giant. 'Tolph, we'll send a mortician to collect this one. Hold tough.' Old Tolph didn't offer a single word of gratitude to either men. He just looked around sadly as the two soldiers carried the unconscious Bruiser Leader out of the door.

  They deposited the skinny bruiser in the neighbourhood jailhouse, where they also found two Marcher First Classes, who'd been temporarily assigned in the absence of the unit on Monthwatch, lounging behind a desk. One of them was then promptly ordered to head to Tolph's to clear up the mess. Iskal told Lesquare that this had been his workplace for the last eighteen months. He'd looked around as if to take it all in, and fanned through some old papers in one of the back rooms, seeming to want to pick out details about the happenings in the neighbourhood in the last month.

  In the same room, Lesquare leaned back against a table and spoke up about his message, now that they were out of range of any potential prying ears. 'I have another summons for you, this one with a little less pomp and circumstance compared to the last one. It is more of a notification if anything. We have our first meeting set for our discussion of next steps following the assembly of the Regents and Ministers this morning. This meeting will be taking place at 8am in three days time, at the Valley Command rooms in the Palisade Dungeons. Don't worry I will be sending further instructions as to how to get there, it is a bit of a devil to navigate if I may say. As the Prime Regent said herself, you are to be working with us closely, so, naturally, you'll have a seat at this meeting's table. Another thing though,' Lesquare took a breath as if measuring his words, even though he knew full well what he was about to say, 'you are a man of rank so I am sure you are used to keeping schtum about operational matters. But this is a whole new game you're about to enter. That means no words to anyone outside of the meetings, not even your wife, Viella was it?' Lesquare pretended to half remember the name.

  'How did you know...?'

  'My Deputy gave me a breakdown of your details with the map to your house. Standard procedure, and just the basic facts. Not to worry. Anyway I'm getting all of this out of the way now because I wanted to give you sporting nod before the meeting.'

  Lesquare checked the door to the backroom was fully shut before leaning in closer. 'I was just told after the summons this morning that there is significant chatter about a plan for a troop surge of Collosean soldiers into the Central Triskellion Valley. I'm not sure whether or not you are an avid reader of Orosian history but, usually, manoeuvres like this lead to only one thing.'