Order of the Fire Box Set

by P. E. Padilla

  “They had no idea what it meant. They just latched onto it because it looked like something familiar and used that as their name.”

  “Oh,” Kate said. She dropped her eyes to her tea, but then snapped her head up. “Oh! That means the group wasn’t just infiltrating from the outside. They had to be members of the Order. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have seen the runes on the gate lintel.”

  Molara showed all of her bright white teeth. “Have I mentioned how wonderful it is to chat with someone so smart? By the Creator, if I had known about you before I met you, I swear I would have missed you.”

  Kate had to think about that for a moment, but then got the idea. “Why, thank you. Coming from someone so brilliant, I really appreciate it.” Her smile matched Molara’s.

  Molara sighed. “We’ve devolved into the mutual admiration thing again. Alas, perhaps it’s inevitable.” She sighed again, more loudly this time, then broke into a giggle.

  She controlled it quickly and put on a stern face. “Now stop distracting me so I can tell you the rest of the story.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Kate snapped a salute at the smaller woman, gave her a wry, crooked smile, and then rolled her eyes.

  “Okay, so where were we? Oh, the Black got involved.

  “The entire Black Command was utilized to find the stones and, more importantly, the ones who stole them. Beyond that, they were to find every member of the Eye and eliminate or capture them.

  “By the time Asvard Venator, the commander of the Black at the time, finished, every member of the Eye had been hunted down. Most didn’t survive capture, but that seemed like it was fine with everyone else. Of course, the firestones were retrieved as well.

  “But, by the time the Eye was eliminated, new commands had already been instituted. Five Reds would guard all the large area firestones at all times. And so, now you know how it came to be that we guard the firestones.”

  Kate sipped her tea, processing what she had heard. Both women were silent for several minutes, glancing at each other and around the room. Finally, Kate spoke.

  “So the Black investigated and dealt with the Eye, eliminating all the members?”

  “Yep.”

  “I didn’t know that Black did that kind of work.”

  “The Black do whatever their commander tells them,” Molara said. “Their whole purpose—your whole purpose—is to do the things the regular Order soldiers can’t, whether that’s to kill a big demon or to find and root out spies or traitors. The situation with the Eye is not the only time they’ve done that kind of work.”

  Kate blew out a breath and set her teacup down. “There is so much I don’t know.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, sweetie. There’s a lot to learn. You haven’t been with the Black for very long. Give it some time.”

  “That’s just the thing,” Kate said. “With everything that’s going on, I don’t know if I have time.”

  10

  Later in the evening, after she left Molara’s workshop, Kate thought through what she had heard. When sleep finally claimed her, she dreamed of a group of people calling themselves the Eye, intent on betraying all of humankind to the demons.

  After a night of fitful rest, Kate dragged herself to the mess hall for breakfast. When she got there, the whole place buzzed with people discussing the same thing.

  “Command just issued another order. From now on, there will only be one Black on duty at the gate,” one man said. “It’s about time they cut back on those arrogant freaks.”

  “Shut up,” another man’s voice said. “One of the Black saved my life a little while ago. I was a goner and this Black soldier stopped the weapon before it could get to me. I think it was that woman Black, but I’m not sure because I thought I was going to die. I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.”

  “That’s all well and good,” a third voice said, “but it’s like Girard said, cutting back on them is the right thing to do. We can all see how cutting back on the number of Reds at the gate has helped us so we don’t have to pull extra shifts.”

  Kate missed a step as she came into the room and heard that exchange. Cutting the Black to only one? That was quite nearly the stupidest thing she had ever heard. Almost as stupid as the reasoning the speaker had about fewer Order soldiers being better. How could anyone think like that?

  She scanned the room but didn’t see any other of the Black. She decided to forego breakfast and find someone to talk to about it.

  After an exhaustive search of the training areas, the secret section of the library, and most of the Black barracks, she finally found Peiros and Achard in one of the mission prep meeting rooms.

  “Judging by the look on your face, you have heard about our newest command,” Phrixus Achard said. “And I would hazard a guess that you care for it as little as we do.”

  Peiros nodded and, when Kate met his eyes, put his hands together and bowed his head over them.

  “What are they trying to do, hand the entire human race over to the demons?” Kate said in answer.

  Achard laughed and gestured at one of the empty chairs. “It does seem like it. Please, take a seat. I hardly think it’s mere circumstance that you’re here. I’m guessing that you were looking for someone to talk to about this. Am I correct?”

  Kate stomped over to a chair across from Peiros so that the three were in a triangle configuration. “Yes. It made me so mad when I heard it, I wanted to spit. I immediately started looking for another Black so I could vent.”

  “It seems you have found not one, but two,” Peiros said, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

  “Not really,” Achard added. “Technically, I am no longer of the Black.”

  “Nonsense,” Kate said.

  “Untrue,” Peiros said at the same time.

  The two looked at each other and Peiros winked. Then they turned their gazes back to Achard.

  Kate spoke first. “Captain—and don’t tell me to call you lieutenant; that demotion was ridiculous and dangerous, as you know better than anyone else—the simple fact is that you are still our leader, no matter what others say.”

  “Kate, don’t say that. If anyone hears—”

  “No one will hear. I only say it in secure locations, either in the Black compound or in Molara’s library. It needn’t be said in any case. We follow you. I know the rest of the Black feel the same way.”

  “She speaks the truth,” Peiros said. “It is obvious something is afoot. We trust you and will continue to do so. You cannot change this. It is as we spoke earlier.”

  Phrixus put his head in his hands and let out a long breath. “Fine, fine. Just don’t let anyone hear you saying or doing anything to demonstrate it. You could be brought up for treason. They’ve taken me out of the chain of command, and it’s unclear if I will even be allowed to perform the duties of a soldier of the Black Command. It’s definitely dangerous to imply I am in charge of anything.”

  He raised his eyes and glanced briefly at Peiros. The Salornumese nodded slightly, and Achard locked his gaze on Kate.

  “Kate, do you feel strongly about what you just said?”

  “I do. Very strongly.”

  “I know your history, Kate. The family legacy, your insistence from a young age that you would join the Order, all of it. The slightest indication that you are following me rather than the formal chain of command, and you could be dishonorably discharged and you would bring reproach upon your family. They could put you in prison.”

  Kate maintained eye contact with Achard. “I’m aware of that.”

  “You would risk besmirching your family name after so many generations of honorable service?”

  “I would. Captain, my family’s honor is foremost on my mind. I wonder about how my ancestors thought, how they worked through problems, how they maintained their loyalty in the face of adversity. I have thought long about it, and I believe that every one of them would make the same decision I am making. You are the Black. Not just a brother, but father to us a
ll. I would risk being called a traitor, being punished as a traitor, to do what is right. The honorable thing, the right thing, is to follow you, Captain. I can’t put it any plainer than that.”

  Achard looked over at Peiros, who raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

  Captain Achard considered Kate for a long moment before speaking.

  “Kate, you are going to have to make a decision. Not at this very moment, but most likely soon.”

  “A decision, sir?”

  “Yes. I know you are dedicated to the Order and to the Black. You also have a strong sense of honor, something of a family tradition amongst the Courtenays. The problem is, some of those things conflict. You will have to choose soon, take a stand for one thing or another, casting the other things off.”

  “But how can I do that, Captain?” she asked.

  “It is as simple—or as complex—as making a choice. Will you follow all the commands of someone in a superior position to you, or will you put your loyalty in other places?”

  Peiros watched the two converse, focusing on their faces in turn as they spoke. He didn’t say anything.

  “You would have me believe that in order to keep true to my honor, I would have to disobey the commands of a superior officer?” she asked.

  “Oh, Kate,” Phrixus said. “It is much worse than that. Your honor, your commitment to the Black, your dedication to the Order of the Fire, they may require you to choose a different path for each. How would you react if you had to disobey orders to protect one of your Black brothers? Or what would you decide if your honor demanded that you turn over that same brother to an officer of the Order who wanted to execute him?”

  “Would such a thing happen?” Kate asked, her eyes growing unfocused as she stared toward the far wall.

  “It could, as well as a dozen other conundrums.” He touched her shoulder, pulling her eyes back to him. “It may not yet be the time when you will be forced to make this decision, but it will come soon enough. Consider my words. I have told you before, change is coming, even greater change than we have yet seen. The Order, the very world, may hinge on what you and the others decide. Consider, that you may be prepared when the time for choice comes.”

  Kate left the room more agitated than when she had found the men. This time, however, she was the problem and not something High Command did. She didn’t know what she was going to do. How did things become so murky since she got into the Order? She had always imagined things would be easier, the toughest part being to stay alive in battle. She shook her head. Battle was the easy part.

  A few days later, Kate was lying on her bunk, staring at the ceiling. Why couldn’t things be simple? She’d thought about her conversation with Achard since they had it and still seemed no closer to feeling comfortable about it.

  A knock on her door broke her thoughts as she got up slowly to answer it.

  “Kate Courtenay?” the young man standing in the doorway said. It was funny that she thought of him as a young man. He was probably older than her by a year or two.

  “Yes?” she said.

  “You are summoned to Major Travada’s office. You are to report immediately.”

  “Very well. Thank you.”

  The messenger eyed her, scanning her black armor and cloak. At least, she hoped he was looking at her armor and not at her body. He nodded and left.

  Major Travada. What did he want now? She wasn’t aware of anything she had done wrong, so it shouldn’t be a scolding. There was only one sure way to find out. She headed toward the major’s office.

  “Courtenay,” he said as she stepped into his office. “Good. Sit down.”

  That was different. She hardly thought he would ask her to sit if he was disciplining her. She complied.

  The major steepled his fingers in front of him as Kate took a seat in the chair directly in front of his desk. He looked as if he was considering something. The pause made Kate uncomfortable. Was she supposed to say something?

  “Are you loyal to the Order, Courtenay?”

  Kate barely kept herself from twitching in her seat at the question. “Of course, sir. It has always been my dream to join the Order of the Fire. Like my ancestors.”

  “Yes, yes. But are you truly loyal, even beyond friendship or other ties that you may have formed?”

  “Sir?”

  Major Travada blew out an exasperated breath. “Do you put the Order first in all things? Is it more important to you than friends and acquaintances?”

  “Of course, sir,” Kate said, ignoring the queasy feeling in her stomach. Did he know something? “I’ve never really had friends. My whole life has been dedicated to getting accepted into the Order and fulfilling the Order’s mission.”

  Travada stared at her for a moment, as if his eyes could look into her soul and read the truth—or lie—of her words.

  “Very good,” he finally said. “Then I have a special assignment for you.”

  He paused again. It felt to Kate as if she was supposed to fill the silence.

  “A special assignment, sir?”

  “Yes. I want you to keep me apprised of all the activities of Phrixus Achard.”

  11

  “I can’t spy on my commanding officer,” Kate said so loudly it was nearly a shout.

  “He is not your commanding officer. I am your commanding officer. Don’t forget it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Now, do you understand your orders, Courtenay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You are to report to me each week, more often if something significant is happening. And before you ask, anything that involves using any of the Black for something I myself have not commanded them to do is considered significant.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Travada scrutinized Kate for a moment, his eyes flicking from hers to her hair and back again.

  “Fine,” he finally said. “Go on. I expect you back in a week with a full report of what Achard is doing, or earlier if something happens.”

  Kate nodded, turned, and left the major’s office.

  She found Achard, as she expected, in the secret section of the library. He and Molara were discussing something as she walked in. They both paused, wearing what Kate would have to call guilty looks.

  “Talking about me?” she said.

  “Um, no, not really, but kind of,” Molara stammered.

  “We’re both concerned for you, Kate,” Phrixus said. “What’s going on is a lot to handle, even for veteran Black. It’s very new for you.”

  “Tell me about it.” Kate plopped down in the nearest chair. “Things just got more complicated.”

  “Complicated how?” Phrixus Achard asked. “Did something else happen?”

  “In a way, I guess you could say something happened. Major Travada just gave me a special assignment.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, Kate,” Molara said, hopping in place in excitement. “That means he sees your value. You must be very happy.”

  Kate’s eyes went to Phrixus. “No, not really. My special assignment is to spy on Captain Achard and to report everything to Travada. I think he’s looking for something he can use to punish the captain.”

  “You’re right, that wouldn’t make me happy either.”

  Achard looked thoughtful. “Kate, can you remember the entire conversation? Can you repeat it for me?”

  “Of course, Captain.”

  Kate told her two friends exactly what transpired.

  “Let me get this straight,” Molara said. “Major Travada assigned you the task of spying on Phrixus?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he actually expects you to do so?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what in all of Hell’s machinations would make him think you would do so?”

  “I haven’t the foggiest idea.” Kate ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face. “He thinks I’m some kind of fanatic for the Order.”

  “Well, he’s certainly got you there,” Molara deadp
anned.

  “Ha ha. What I mean is that he apparently believes I’m so dedicated to the Order that I would do such a thing. He obviously fails to realize that perhaps the best way for me to serve the Order is to resist him.”

  Kate replayed in her mind what she had just said. Was it that simple? Was her calling, the honorable thing to do, to fight against the Order itself? No, that was absurd. But to work against part of the Order, one that seemed to be trying to sacrifice the entire organization for some reason, that sounded like what she should do. It seemed to have more truth and integrity in it than obeying Travada’s command.

  Achard had been watching Kate as she had her internal discussion. He seemed to know that she was finished. “The question, then, is what will you do?”

  “Well, I certainly won’t be spying on you for Travada or for anyone else.”

  “Why not?” Molara said.

  Kate did a double-take and then looked deeply into the Purple’s eyes to see if she was joking. She seemed serious. “Why…why not? What do you mean?”

  Molara’s lips rounded into a moue. “Come on, Kate. You aren’t thinking. What do you think will happen if you refuse the assignment, in effect refusing the major’s orders?”

  “I don’t care. He can’t command me to do something that’s wrong.”

  Molara swung her face to Achard and tilted her head. The former Captain of the Black shrugged.

  “Kate, I understand all about you and your honor, as well as the legacy of your family. I know how important all that is to you. Still, it’s no reason to throw everything away.”

  “I hardly think it’s throwing—” Kate started.

  “Calm down, Kate. I’m getting to the point. The simple fact is that we need you. The Order needs you. It’s no use getting yourself kicked out of the Order to prove your loyalty. Instead, why not use the opportunity you’ve been given to work for the right side, for our side?”