Kate nodded. She had been taught about the geography of Telusium and of its different nations. Though Bernar’s accent had not originally seemed pronounced to her—she had been injured just before she met him, after all, and was preoccupied with the pain—she knew from where he came. As she listened, she could pick out the soft trilling of “r” sounds and his nasally “n”.
There were not more than a scant handful of Cebetians in the Order, but she had heard the accent at large gatherings she had attended at her family estate or at the castle.
“The captain charged me with a mission several weeks ago. We had intel that strange things were occurring in my home. I was the obvious choice to investigate. Even I had to be careful, though. I have spent much time in the Order and speak my native tongue with a recognizable accent. I have, as one man I spoke with said, become lazy in my speech. I blamed it on being a mercenary, traveling Telusium and speaking the barbaric languages of other nations.” At this, he tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders in apology. “Such is the viewpoint of many in the land of my birth.
“My goal was to observe the happenings in my kingdom but to stay away from those in lofty positions. By those, I am known, not only as one of the few to join the Order, but the only to attain the Black. The villagers would not recognize me, but those in court would. I say this only to explain why I have not gathered more precise information.
“I spent nine days traveling through Cebet, stopping in villages and towns before finally making my way to the capital city of Torceau. There, I got confirmation of what I had been hearing from my other stops: Cebet is gathering its forces. They are building their army.
“The kingdom has not had war, other than small skirmishes between the forces of one lord or another, for many years, so it is strange for them to increase their strength of arms. With Yuvell to the north and Vonamyth to the east, the Romier mountains to the west and the Sorigian Sea to the south, there is no other kingdom that would be ripe for them to invade, so it must be for another reason they do these things.
“It is a mystery, this thing they do, but nevertheless, they do it. I have confirmed since I returned that arms as well as soldiers are being increased. But to what purpose? No one could tell me a reason.
“I myself believe it is part of a bigger plan. Perhaps a plan to attack the Order itself.”
Bernar stopped talking, and the room filled with silence. The faint scritch of a pen from outside the room was the only sound.
“Attack the Order?” Kate finally said, after she waited for a full minute for someone else to do so. “Why would anyone attack the Order? We are all that stands between the demons and the rest of humankind.”
“Exactly,” Bernar said, leveling his gaze at her.
“Thank you, Bernar,” the captain said. “A flawless job, as always.”
Bernar Giron dipped his head toward the captain.
“Now, Kate, what was it that you wanted to see me about?”
Kate was still stunned. She blinked at the captain. Twice.
“I…uh…that is…” She sucked air into her lungs and gathered her thoughts. “Attack the Order? Why would a kingdom attack the Order?”
The captain’s mouth threatened to quirk up into a smile, but his face remained mostly neutral. “We can talk about that later. Please tell me what brings all of you here to my office.”
“Very well,” Kate said, calming now that she had given her reaction to the news. “We have noticed, individually, that the respect level for the Black is different than when we left on our mission. It is somehow lacking. At times, others are positively rude and insulting to some of us personally. What happened while we were gone on our mission?”
Captain Achard nodded to Bernar, and the man got up to close the door then went back to his chair.
“You have to understand that opinion about the Black fluctuates at times depending upon who is in command,” the captain said.
“Captain, I beg your pardon,” Visimar chimed in. “We have seen what you’re talking about, some officer or another not liking the Black, threatening to disband us, but this is different. Through all those other power struggles—even ones before my time that I discussed with the old timers—the one constant thing was that the Red, Blue, and the other commands all still had respect for the Black. Now, it seems that has eroded.”
Phrixus Achard ran his fingers through his short hair, and his strong, handsome face developed a frown. “Granted, it’s worse now than I have ever heard or experienced before. There are a handful of officers, some of them at high levels, who do not like the Black. I don’t know if they have been recruiting supporters or if they simply talk and others are making up their own minds, but I have noticed the lack of respect and how the negative feelings have increased in a short period of time.
“Unfortunately, I’m as in the dark about why it is increasing as you are. I would be the last person someone would tell about what causes it. I can feel a shift, almost like I’ve been cast out as some kind of pariah. I wish I could answer your question, but I just don’t know.”
Everyone in the room silently pondered what the captain said. There was nothing else until the captain spoke again.
“But I think I have an idea how to find out. Let me tell you about it.”
5
“And so,” Kate said to Wilfred, “what we need is someone to help us to gather information. You know, someone who is not in the Black.”
Wilfred gulped. “Someone like me.”
“Oh.” Kate’s eyes widened and she hopped a little from the bench she was sitting on. “Yes, that’s a fantastic idea.”
Wilfred frowned at her and made a tsking sound. “Yeah, I’m just full of great ideas.”
“You’re not buying it,” Kate said, though it didn’t come out as a question.
“No. You can just ask me straight out.”
Kate’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I thought it might be more palatable if you came up with the idea.”
“You don’t have to try to trick me,” Wilfred said with a chuckle. “I’ll do it for you. For the Black. Tell me what I need to do, and I will do my best.”
“Thank you, Wilfred,” she said. “It really will be a big help. All you need to do is listen as people talk about the Black. Engage them in conversation. Try to figure out if there are any leaders or if people are just gossiping. It’s very important. We need to know if the bias is somehow directed or if it is random.”
Wilfred rubbed his temples “Got it. I’ll try to see what I can find. No promises, though. People see me talking with you, and people who still admire the Black are often excluded from conversations between those who don’t.”
“I really appreciate it, Wilfred. Don’t do anything where you put yourself at risk, though. We don’t know if we’re dealing with an organized group that wants to take physical action or if people are simply tense and wanting a convenient target to blame.”
Later, Kate trained on some of the practice dummies, slashing at them with a practice sword while pretending to defend from counterattacks with her shield, when Koren stepped up.
“Did you hear?” the grizzled soldier asked her.
She stopped beating the dummy and turned to him. “Hear what? I’ve been here training for about an hour. Did something happen?”
“Yeah. A new, improved way of handling the Red guarding the gate.”
“Really? That is…strange. The strategies for the Red and the shield wall are time-tested. They haven’t changed in decades, if not centuries. What new tactic did they come up with?”
Koren grimaced. “Oh, it’s simpler than new tactics. They have reduced the number of Reds who are on duty.”
“They what?” Kate shouted. “Are they insane?”
The gruff expression on Koren’s face cracked into a wry smile. “I knew you’d feel the same.” His smile quickly fled. “What’s more, they are instituting a new rule. When relief forces come, the Red currently on duty leave, go down the Grea
t Stair, and only then do the reinforcements go up the stairs to take their station. They say it’s more efficient that way.”
“Someone is trying to kill the entire Order,” Kate huffed. “Isn’t anyone questioning this?”
“It’s unclear,” Koren said. “We’re talking about career soldiers, after all. There may be some bickering and complaining behind closed doors with friends, but it’s nothing I’m privy too. Especially now that we Black are shunned and disrespected.”
Kate felt a growl building in her throat. She couldn’t believe someone was getting away with putting an end to the Order this way. She felt like screaming.
“Have they changed our duty at the gate as well?”
“Not that I’ve heard,” Koren said. “If they did, I’m sure Phrixus will be telling us soon enough. I just thought you might want to know what’s happening.”
“I do. Thank you, Koren.” She wanted to say more, but didn’t. She would think on it for a while. And she would take her aggression out on the dummies in front of her. As Koren nodded and left her, she let her anger feed her muscles and began to dismantle the training apparatus, one sword swing at a time.
What was going on? She had spent her entire young life dreaming of being part of the Order of the Fire. Once she had made it and then was asked to join the Black, she thought everything she had ever wished for had come true.
But she didn’t even recognize the Order anymore. It was almost as if she had come back through the gate into another world, one that looked like the one she had left, but with important differences.
Differences like the Black being ostracized and the entire command structure apparently bent on destroying the Order from within.
She spun and attacked another dummy, a steady thwak-thwak-thwak echoing in the training yard from her strikes.
What could she do? The Order was too precious to her for her to allow it to fall apart. Not just that, though. If the Order fell, the rest of the world would be vulnerable to demons that human weapons couldn’t harm. The demons would overrun Brasea, and then sweep up the other nations and kingdoms. No one without a firestone, or at least in the area affected by one of the larger firestones, could hope to even injure a demon with a regular weapon.
Kate jerked her head violently, spraying perspiration from her face, as she continued her assault on the unmoving dummies. She wished for a real opponent, and she had a few in mind. Imagining them made her feel slightly better. For a moment.
No, the solution did not lie in beating the straw from the training dummies in front of her. It lay in helping to save the Order.
How exactly she would do that, she didn’t know.
Kate was conflicted. Should she go and talk to the captain? To Wilfred? To Molara?
She’d never had good friends, people she could talk over problems with. Well, other than Dante, but those problems all revolved around training and trying to get ready for the Order. If she was honest with herself, she still felt guarded about discussing her fears with other people.
But she trusted her new friends…
She put up the practice weapon and left the training ground, walking aimlessly. She argued with herself, weighing the merits and the risks of discussing her anger with each of her friends.
In the end, the decision was made for her. She blinked as she looked around. Somehow, she had walked all the way to the hallway containing the door to the secret section of the library without realizing it.
Looking around to make sure no one could see her, she opened the door and went in. Settling on Molara, no matter how unthinking it had been, eased her mind. She could trust the Purple. They had become as close as sisters.
“Kate.” Molara rushed from her workbench to where Kate had wandered into the Purple’s private area. “It’s wonderful to see you.”
“Uh, thanks,” Kate said.
Molara scrutinized her, drilling into Kate’s eyes in a manner no one had ever done before. “Let me make us some tea. It’s obvious you need to talk.”
Kate sighed and collapsed into a chair at the small table where she had spent so many hours drinking tea and talking to her friend. Before the drinks were even set down, she felt a warmth in her chest, not unlike the feeling when the firestone activated.
Molara busied herself with getting the kettle, the small tin of the mint tea Kate liked so much, and the cups, glancing occasionally at the red-haired woman. There was concern in Molara’s blue eyes, but she didn’t say anything as she brought the tea to the table.
The Purple set the cups and the kettle down, and then poured the water into Kate’s cup first and then into her own. Wisps of steam floated up, and the scent of the wet tea leaves washed over Kate. She closed her eyes.
Still, Molara didn’t say anything. Kate appreciated the time to think.
Kate took a breath.
“I’m not sure, Molara,” she said.
Molara waited, then spoke tentatively. “Not sure about what?”
“I’m…I don’t…” Kate sighed. “What is going on? With people disrespecting the Black, with Command changing things—and not for the better—and just everything? I feel like I came back from Hell into a different world than I left. What is going on?”
Molara wrapped her hands around her cup as if to keep herself warm and brought the tea up to take a sip. “I’m not sure.”
Kate raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Do you recognize that things are different, or is my perception off?”
“No, you’re right, though just how much has changed didn’t occur to me until you put it into words. I was here the whole time while you were in Hell, so maybe I didn’t notice things changing slowly. It was less than three weeks, but it was still subtle. A small attitude shift here, a rule changed there. Small things. Now that you mention it, though, I can see that all those small changes have accumulated into bigger ones.”
“But what caused it?” Kate asked. “And maybe more importantly, how do we stop it?”
It was Molara’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Stop it? Kate, you’re talking about things that the command structure has changed. By saying stop it, do you mean rebelling against the upper commanders of the Order?”
And just like that, Molara got to the heart of what was bothering Kate.
“I don’t know,” Kate said. “Is it treason to say that?” She sipped her tea without tasting it. “I have spent my whole life wanting to be part of the Order. It means everything to me.
“Now that I’m here, though, it’s not what I thought it would be. The politics, the strong opinions of some officers that conflict with others, all of that. I just don’t know.
“What I do know is that some of the things I’m hearing about make me very afraid. Reducing the number of Reds at the gate? Inserting a period of time, no matter how brief, when no one is at their station during shift changes? These things make me fear not only for the survival of the Order, but of humankind itself.
“It seems to me that these changes are threatening to destroy everything the Order stands for. Or is it arrogance to think I know more than Command?”
Molara sat silently, listening to her friend work her way through the explanation. When Kate stopped, the two women looked into each other’s eyes and, as if on cue, both lifted their cups to sip their tea.
A wry smile found its way onto Molara’s face and her eyes sparkled. Kate wanted to laugh, or at least smile, but with her stomach tied up in knots, she couldn’t manage it.
Another pregnant pause allowed the friends to lower their cups again before Molara answered.
“Treason? I don’t know, either. Some might call it that. Others may call it heroism and the highest form of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.
“Honestly, I agree with you. I’ve been in the Order longer than you and have seen how petty and silly some people can be. Usually, it doesn’t affect the Order as a whole greatly. These recent occurrences, though, have me concerned. I’m with you. Something is wrong. It was my first thought w
hen I heard about the new rules for changing the guard on the gate.
“What will be next? Will there be rules that prevent the Red from bringing their swords to the gate? I don’t like it at all, and something needs to be done about it. If some would call that treason, well, we are just two friends talking over tea.”
Molara took another drink, staring into Kate’s eyes. She slowly put her cup down again.
“The question, Kate Courtenay of the Black, is what are we prepared to do about it?”
6
Kate and Molara talked for two hours about what the changes meant for the Order, what they thought might be happening, and what they would do about it. When they were finished, both weary and frustrated, they still didn’t have a plan.
“What can we do, really?” Molara asked. “We’re just two people, not even particularly powerful people.”
“True, but perhaps if we can gather evidence of something amiss, we can bring it to the attention of those with more power.”
“Have you spoken to Phrixus about this?” Molara asked. “He is of sufficient level and knows others higher up in the command structure. The Supreme Commander thinks highly of him and would listen.”
“I debated whether I should talk to him or not, but I finally ended up here. Now that I think of it, I am not sure I wish to bother him with how much these changes bother me until we know more.”
“Then we are agreed. We should investigate to determine if something is going on and if these changes are some kind of conspiracy.”
Kate sighed. “I guess we are. I think it is the right thing, but why do I feel as if I am betraying the Order?”
“Because you’re afraid that we will find that the Order itself is the problem. That, more than anything else, is what scares me.”
Despite what she thought she had decided, an hour after she left Molara, Kate found Phrixus Achard in his office. Gehrig let her in with a nod, and she stepped into the captain’s office.
Order of the Fire Box Set Page 49
