𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃

chapter four - soldier

"Go fish."

"I hate this game!"

Lucas laughed as Adam slammed his cards on the bunk. He, Adam, Sarnia, Luigi, and Mera were all gathered in the men's tent and playing with Sarnia's deck of cards. That day was uncharacteristically uneventful for Wanumon's 43rd Cardinal Brigade, so the five young soldiers figured it wouldn't be too bad to slack off their duties.

From behind them, the sound of leather boots meeting dirt could be heard. Luigi hastily grabbed everyone's cards and hid them under Lucas' pillow. The five of them all stood up from their seats, straightened their backs, and turned to face the colonel.

Colonel Nathalia Reid, though only being five years older than the subordinates in front of her, was ranks ahead of them, and it wasn't difficult to see why. She carried an aura of power wherever she went as well as a sneer or a glare that could send a fully-grown man to the hospital. Back when Lucas was still a cadet, he had the honour to see Reid, still a captain at the time, lead only fifty men into battle against violent insurgents trying to break into the Haoraine Palace. Though there were very few casualties among the soldiers, it was rumoured that it had taken about a week for the cosoldierslonel to properly wash out the blood from her ash brown bangs.

"Cox, Cruz, Rossi, Martin, Owens. Follow me," she ordered.

The group all exchanged worried looks with each other. Was being lazy going to turn out to be mistake? Still, whatever was waiting for them at their destination was probably better than what was waiting for them if they didn't comply.

On their way passed all the other tents and soldiers at the outpost, they kept getting curious stares. Reid led the five soldiers to the largest tent in the area. It was one that only those such as her, similarly-ranked, or higher-ranked officials ever entered. At the very end of the tent was a large desk with multiple documents set on top. Behind it was a map of Wanumon and the cities and towns towns that it was made up of. In the middle of the map was the Capital, the largest and most powerful of the city states. Reid pointed towards a river snaking in and around it.

"Does anyone know what this is called?" she asked coolly.

"Um, a river?" Luigi replied with a nervous chuckle. He immediately shut up after seeing Reid's expression.

Lucas shot his hand up in the air.

"Yes, Cox?"

"That's the Jin River," he answered.

"Correct." Reid took a seat at the desk. "Good to see that someone in here has a brain."

Adam opened his mouth to make a remark, but Lucas nudged him to signal him to remain silent.

"Recently, there have been reports of thieves breaking into jewelry stores, banks, and the houses of nobles to steal precious Jorvikian scales," she informed. "Reports also say that these thieves ran away on a massive ship on the Jin River."

"These attacks are by pirates?!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Indeed."

"Wait, wait, wait. I've heard of problems with piracy arising lately, but I thought they were all concentrated in the towns and cities along the Stygian Waters? What are they doing here in the Capital?"

"It seems as though they've broadened their horizons," the colonel replied. "All the scales have since been recovered, but we need you to pick them up from the Kandai district and deliver them here. Royal officials will be here in a few days to return them."

Lucas heard the other four breath sighs of relief. Turns out they weren't going to be punished for their incompetence.

"You leave for the Kandai district now."