Where Lines Are Drawn

Malia sat with Chena, River, Khyrie, Kiel, and Sarah on the second floor of an otherwise ordinary building overlooking the Valeria City Army base.

River kept his voice down. "Chena, if the commander hears about that from Captain Zay, you could be punished for insubordination."

"I don't see why I can't help with protecting—"

"Don't say his name out loud."

"We're indoors."

"You never know who's listening," Khyrie said to Chena.

"Chena, he's with the most skilled and experienced soldier in the military." Malia remained by the window. "They'll be just fine."

"Captain Zay has two non-military people helping him."

"Just focus on our mission," Malia told Chena.

Kiel shuffled through the notes they had gathered. "Nothing traces back to those assassins."

"That's why the Commander said we need to stay in Valeria," Malia said. "We just need time."

“We don’t have time,” Chena said quickly, the words nearly running together. Every second spent apart from Warui felt wrong.

Sarah shifted beside Khyrie and accidentally knocked the stock of her long rifle against Khyrie's elbow.

Khyrie shook her arm. "Ouch."

"Sorry."

"Sarah, where's the other one I made for you?"

"It has mechanical problems, so it won't make the sound."

Chena had squeezed the trigger too hard on Sarah's long rifle. She was looking down at the floor, one hand closed around the square pendant hanging from her necklace. "I can pay for the damage," she said quietly.

Malia waved it off. "Whatever. One shot will have to do."

Lindell Palace, The Capital City of Tiria

The carriage stopped before the palace’s shallow arched entrance. The building rose with an austere grandeur, its foundations laid in heavy dressed stone and its upper levels finished in pale plaster. Broad masonry wings extended from either side, enclosing a series of courtyards.

"Last chance to change your mind, Duncan."

"I've had many chances like this in my life." Mercer reached for the carriage door. "For once, it isn't about what I can control."

"I don't intend to stop you."

Mercer and Dirk exchanged a nod before Mercer stepped from the carriage and headed toward Lindell Palace.

Dirk remained inside, watching him go with a long exhale.

Several minutes later, Mercer stood at the center of the palace chamber before three government officials. Their clothing carried the weight of office, finely cut and accented with polished metal that caught the light. “Mico. Hank. Harold.”

Mico spoke first. "Commander Mercer, may we address the obvious reason for you being here?"

"Yes, please. Explain the grounds. Why must Warui be sent to the capital?"

"He's a citizen of Tiria and he has been attacked. You know that much, Mercer."

"But he's already under Crown Warden surveillance at your request and until the memorial, he hadn't left the Army base for several days. How could that possibly not be enough protection?"

"That didn't stop the assassins. He's possibly being targeted for this unknown ability cited in the Avelorn report."

“Which only a specific few people should even know about."

Harold’s patience had begun to fray. “Commander Mercer, you’re speaking as though we have the luxury of unpacking some long-running scandal. We don’t. The sooner Warui is here, the better.”

"Why can't my branch accompany him? Not even medical staff?"

"No, that creates too many factors," Hank answered firmly. "The unknown weapon he's now capable of handling, combined with the people targeting him, creates an extraordinary threat to civilians.

"The Army has already failed to guarantee containment, and both the Crown Warden and the Army are legally required to submit strategic anomalies to the Tirian government. That gives us authority in this matter. Not to mention, it has been nearly two weeks since the operation in Fort Avelorn.

“The report has only just reached us here in the capital. Don’t drag this out long enough for us to start digging into that.”

"The people who attacked him had an ability no regular human could have. That factor alone—"

"You are to give us custody of Warui Reiki," Mico interrupted Mercer. "No further negotiation."

The chamber went quiet.

"And if Warui refuses?"

"Warui doesn't get a say, and if you refuse, the Army will be charged with deliberate civilian endangerment. The Army will be suppressed. Any soldier refusing the suppression order will be detained." Mico's voice remained level. "And custody of Soldier Warui Reiki will formally be given to the government."

“I see.” Mercer drew himself to his full height. “Then understand me when I say this…

"The Army will not be handing over Warui."

Mercer did not move.

"Restate your position."

Mercer slowly raised both hands into the air.

No words.

Harold stood. "Commander Duncan Mercer, you'll be held in a military prison cell. Any soldier in your branch who aligns with your intention of endangering Warui Reiki and the people of Tiria will be deemed a criminal as well."

Wardens closed in from behind, metal restraints locking around Mercer's wrists.

Three hours later

Mercer sat against the wall of a prison cell as footsteps drew closer through the corridor. A moment later, Dirk appeared beyond the bars. "It was quite difficult to gain access to you."

"Did you have to spew that nonsense the wardens say about the Army?"

"You asked for this favor, Duncan."

"Indeed, I did."

"I'm not sure you'll be able to fight back. Journalists are all over this too. They're saying you’re refusing government custody of an unknown supernatural strategic weapon."

"That's out of our control..." A realization settled over him. "...Only the Crown Warden had shown any interest in assuming custody of Warui because of this unknown weapon."

Dirk waited.

"The day after my proposal to keep him on base and place major restrictions on what he could do..." Mercer traced the sequence back. "You ordered him placed under surveillance because the government requested it.

"I can only assume that's because they had finally received the Avelorn report that day."

"It's only natural that they interfere after reading that report... anybody would."

"But the seizure of civilian registries was their order to me. The registries went straight to them and bypassed Crown Warden possession, and they only demanded that Warui be sent to the capital after he was attacked by people displaying unknown phenomena of their own."

"Are you saying the government has some other intention?"

"I don't know..."

Silence settled through the prison.

"Was it when we were about fifteen?"

Dirk's eyebrows drew together. Mercer’s words stirred a brief, unwanted memory of himself at fifteen, gone almost as quickly as it came. "What are you talking about?"

"When you first asked what I was doing." Mercer's gaze drifted. "It was around that age, right?"

Recognition slowly crossed Dirk's face. "Oh...

"Mmm. I believe so."

The prison fell quiet again.

Outer Edge of Seria City

The sun was beginning to set as Warui sat in the grass between Ela and Lio. Ela held out a piece of ration bread. "I know it's field rations, but it's better than nothing."

Warui took it.

Better than nothing.

His gaze fixed on the bread.

Ela said something.

Warui didn't react.

"Hey."

Nothing.

"Hey."

"Oh. What?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, it... it's better than nothing."

"I was talking about training. You got better at swinging a cutlass immediately."

"Your technique was surprisingly rough for how long you've been military," Lio added.

"Well, you guys teach really well." Warui gave a small shrug. "And I always preferred shooting."

"You the best in your age group?" Lio asked.

"No. It's Sarah, by far. Then Chena."

"Huh, brown-hair girl?" Ela broke off a piece of her ration. "Well, that's fine. Zay is a better swordsman than he is a marksman."

"He's elite at both, though."

"That doesn't change my statement."

"So how long have you two known the Captain?"

Ela pointed her ration at Warui. "Drop that captain stuff. He isn't around."

"Sorry. I'm just used to it."

Lio leaned back on his hands. "Zay's been watching us since we were kids."

"Pretty much."

"Wait. How old are you guys?"

"Relax. We're not young." Ela rolled her eyes. "Zay is only two years older than us, but he's basically our big brother."

"He taught us everything we know," Lio said.

"If you never once thought about joining the military, why did he teach you guys? Why'd you keep training?

"I—I mean, I find it fun to refine my swordsmanship, shoot targets all day, work on hand to hand combat... but it's all I know."

"You don't need to be Army or Crown Warden to fight and shoot a gun. We just wanted to be like Zay." Ela grinned. "He's too cool."

"We all grew up in the slums there too." Lio nodded toward the distant outline of Seria. “Seria isn’t grand everywhere the way Valeria is. You learn pretty quickly how to fend for yourself." A smile crept onto his face. "We're actually kind of famous with the wardens stationed there."

"We hit the biggest bakery heist in Tiria history." Ela perked up. "Read the papers."

"Ela, that was ten years ago. There aren't any papers for that anymore."

"Y—you guys are criminals?"

"What? No. Not anymore."

Ela whipped toward Lio. "What do you mean, not anymore? We never were. 

"We're survivors."

Warui looked down at the ration in his hands. "Maybe I was overreacting."

"You definitely were."

"Ela is just coping."

The Army was the only future Warui saw open to him. Food, shelter, purpose, somewhere to belong. Swordsmanship and firearms had become part of that life so completely that he had never thought much about where else those skills could lead. He smiled faintly. "So what do you guys do now?"

"Give back to where we grew up. Friends, family, and sometimes Zay gives us missions like this." Lio tore another piece from his bread.

"Zay doesn't swing by the slums as much anymore, so we always take him up on his offers. This Army stuff has him too busy being noble."

Warui laughed under his breath. "What kind of guy was Captain Zay growing up?"

"I told you about 'Captain.'"

Lio smiled. "He was always the scary quiet kid in the neighborhood."

"Yeah," Ela said. "And he never went to the schoolhouse, ever..."

Zay rested against the trunk of a nearby tree, hidden from view, listening as their voices carried around it. His eyes closed, and he gave a slow, resigned shake of his head.

And kept listening.

Valeria City, one hour later

By nightfall, Malia's squad was still posted at the second-floor window. Below them, the Army base had changed. Wardens moved between the buildings and tents, ordering Army soldiers to remain inside while others were placed under arrest.

Sarah pressed her palms to the glass, breath tight. "Malia."

River took it all in. "That's what's been decided?"

"Shit." Malia pulled away from the window. "We have to move to Seria. Take off your jackets." Military jackets came off at once. Malia folded hers beneath one arm. “We can't let ourselves be spotted with the Army insignia.”

Five minutes later, Malia's squad raced across the rooftops as wardens flooded into the building they had abandoned.

"Malia, is it even possible to get to Seria City on foot without being spotted?" Sarah asked.

"We have no other choice.

"If wardens are arresting Army soldiers, something must've gone wrong at the capital." Malia and the squad cleared the gap to the next rooftop without breaking stride.

"Commander Mercer said we need to figure out the enemy." Kiel's boots struck the next roof. "What does that make the wardens?"

"These are probably wardens stationed in the capital." Malia moved hair away from her glasses. "They have to answer to the government."

River kept pace beside them. "Unless the Commander's talks with Commander Dirk fell through."

"It's possible."

Another rooftop.

Another jump.

"We can only hope that's not how our situation has developed. If it is, then—"

A clear spike-shaped object flashed past Malia’s face, making her recoil. She snapped her head to the right. Two buildings over, a man dressed entirely in black stood beneath a hood as seven more silhouettes climbed onto the rooftop around him.

"MAKE A BREAK FOR IT!"