Chapter 27

I was relieved to see that breakfast was more like the previous day than the ones before, the food on the tables smelling amazing. My stomach grumbled as I saw the eggs and sausages and toast and fruit. I hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before yet again, and I hoped this wouldn’t become a pattern.

I fell in line between Christopher and Sarah and ended up sitting beside them. I looked over while I was serving myself, seeing Sarah dribbling a tomato paste into the scrambled eggs. It took me a second to realize that they had been shaped into a squirrel. “It’s Bartholomew,” she said as she caught me looking, before stabbing the caricature in the head.

My curious smile turned into a shocked recoil. I turned to Christopher. “Why do you think they keep changing the schedule?” I asked, if only to try and distract myself from the thoughts of Hector and my mother.

He didn’t bother looking at me. “Hmm? Couldn’t tell you,” he said with a shrug.

I sat there, waiting, but he didn’t say anything else. “Well, what about,” I lowered my voice, “the other missing recruits. Do you know where they are?” I was confused why no one seemed to be talking about it.

“No,” he just replied, still not looking up.

I was surprised by his lack of interest. Clearly he noticed we were missing some members as the days went, our four by four setup of seats becoming depleted. But he reacted the same way as if I had told him it was a little cloudy outside.

Soon enough breakfast was over. My desire for conversation had been extinguished by the odd half ones that had failed to properly ignite. I left my plate behind as we got up, following the group out as our three escorts guided us.

“Not you three,” Brontus told me, Christopher, and Sarah, his arm cutting in to cleanly separate us from the rest of the group. “Meeting with the captain, let’s go.”

I looked around, confused. A couple of the other recruits looked back at us but didn’t slow. Christopher looked nonchalant while Sarah was equally confused but failed to show the same level of nervousness I did.

Brontus led us down the hallway to Captain Hector’s office, knocking before being told to enter in Hector’s baritone voice. “I brought them, Captain,” he announced, pushing us inside as we apparently weren’t moving fast enough.

“Good, good.” My uncle reclined in his desk chair, smiling as he laid his eyes on us. “As you know,” Hector began, “we’ve been sending the most talented recruits on small missions with experienced military mages.”

My jaw hung open. I looked over at Christopher in surprise. His expression hadn’t changed. Did he know this was where the others had disappeared to!? I felt a bit betrayed that he had kept it from me when I had asked him about it, but I had asked him more specifically where they are, which he wouldn’t know.

Captain Hector continued without acknowledging my reaction. “The first we sent out, in my absence, should be returning this evening. However, while we have been sending them out in pairs of one recruit, one full mage. However, I am sending the three of you with Brontus here to scope out the Eastern Mountains.” I looked over my shoulder at Brontus, who just narrowed his eyes at me, clearly displeased with this arrangement. “There are reports of a kite dragon being spotted there, and your task will be to confirm its presence. Understood?” Hector looked us over, as if evaluating his own decision. “You will leave in one hour. It’s a two day journey and rations are being prepared for such.”

“Oh, oh!” Sarah jumped up and down a little bit. “Will we be stopping in Northcrest? It’s practically on the way, and this time of year they make the BEST—”

“No!” Hector cut her off as cleanly as with a blade. “This is a covert operation and you will be riding through the wilderness, outskirts at best, sticking to the Narga Forest to get there.” He looked us over again, checking if there were any further objections or questions. “Dismissed, you have one hour to prepare yourselves.”

Brontus and the other two stepped back, nodding before they turned and exited. I however hung back. I heard Brontus linger, the absence of his heavy footfalls noticeable, until Hector nodded over my shoulder, and the door closed behind me.

“What is it, nephew?” he asked when we were alone. He perked up a bit, the sternness of his order softening to a more familiar tone.

“I don’t think I’m ready for this. You said that only the best of us have been on these missions so far.”

“Pish-posh, I heard from Andor that you made a leap in your training this morning. I was right to have those switched around.”

“Well, I still am only on basic techniques. And I still don’t know how to make constructs.” I didn’t know if I was more objecting out of pure honesty or just a sense of worry about this trip, about being separated from my father.

Captain Hector seemed to pick up on it. “Ren, I’ll tell you what. If you do this, I’ll make sure that your father is no longer a concern. I won’t even keep him as a prisoner.”

I twitched, eyes widening, slight but enough to give away my thoughts before I could even pretend to be indifferent. “I want to see him before I go though.”

“Of course. As I said, you have an hour.” He motioned to the door, dismissing me. “The guard will be expecting you, nephew.”