Tucker held onto Alex’s arm and supported him as they dashed through the forest. Icy rain trickled down their faces, masking sweat and exhaustion. They moved in silence without uttering a single word. Only the sounds of their breathing and the crunch of leaves filled the forest.

  In Tucker’s mind, questions were piling on top of one another. His heart hammered against his chest as more thoughts gnawed at his mind. He wanted answers but knew that now wasn’t the time for such things. Their situation was less than desirable and with Alex’s current state, there was no telling how long he would last without proper medical care. A sense of helplessness filled his head, but he knew he couldn’t give up.

  They were being hunted by numerous enemy agents and even with the use of feather step. It wasn’t enough to outrun them. Tucker could roughly gauge the distance between them and their pursuers. Somehow, they were narrowly avoiding confrontation, but it wasn’t enough, even with Gale guiding them through the maze of trees and foliage. And to make matters worse, they were slowly drifting further and further away from the extraction point.

  “You fucking idiot. You didn’t actually come with reinforcements, did you?” Alex asked.

  “No, I couldn’t afford to wait for them. If I did, you would have died,” Tucker replied.

  “Then that attack was…?”

  “A simple string holding back a branch I set up with a dagger at the end.”

  Alex shook his head in frustration. “Then what about the pouches? Did you deliver them to the headquarters?”

  “Yeah, I had the mist hawks take it the rest of the way.”

  The veteran couldn’t help but feel bitter. “I told you to leave me behind.” Alex spat the words from his mouth while applying pressure to his wound with his blood-stained hands. “Why didn’t you just listen?”

  “I thought about it when I ran away the first time, but I realized… I probably wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I abandoned you.” Tucker forced a weak smile. “I don’t want to be the type of person who reaches their goals by sacrificing others.”

  “You really are… an… idiot…”

  As Alex’s words trailed off, Tucker strengthened his resolve. It was still possible to save the old man, and judging by the state of his wound, the bleeding had stopped. It was a fragile glimmer of hope but one less burden on his mind. Now, all that remained was for them to escape their pursuers.

  Tucker took a quick glance at Gale and clenched his jaw. His damp cloak felt like shackles, constantly slowing them down as the wind brushed against his face. He knew it was impossible to outrun them while carrying Alex, but that didn’t mean it was hopeless.

  He scanned their surroundings, searching for some sort of answer. Their enemy was roughly two hundred meters away from them and would soon catch a glimpse of their figures within minutes. As Tucker was racing through the forest, a silver gleam caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. He stared at it for a moment and soon a sudden realization flashed through his head.

  Tucker sprinted toward the glint of silver, skidding to a halt as he came upon the corpses of the bandits they had encountered earlier. Rain had soaked their lifeless bodies, turning their skin pale and slick, but the downpour worked in his favor. A desperate plan formed in his mind and whether it worked was up to the gods. He quietly whistled for Gale and stripped the cloaks from himself and Alex before handing the drenched fabrics to his spirit companion.

  “Lead them away from us. Keep those empire bastards close enough to stay on your trail but far enough so they can’t catch you,” Tucker whispered the instructions to his companion and watched as Gale nodded in response before taking flight.

  There wasn’t a moment to spare. Tucker set Alex gently at the base of a nearby tree before grabbing one of the nearby corpses and dragging them over him. Only one last detail was needed to sell the scene, and as Tucker picked up a discarded iron sword. He drove it into the tree trunk beneath Alex’s arm. It was a bullshit disguise, but it was the only choice he had.

  The air shifted. Tucker dropped to the ground and pulled another corpse over him, biting back a gasp as the cold body pressed against him. He pressed his ear to the ground, listening to the sound of grass crunching beneath someone’s feet. They were less than a hundred meters away from them, and thankfully, it didn’t seem like they noticed their presence. From the corner of Tucker’s eyes, he could see twenty or more figures crashing through the foliage. Their voices screamed orders as they chased Gale’s diversion.

  Once they were out of sight, Tucker let out a small sigh of relief but had to hold back as a nearby twig snapped. He held his breath as two figures came into view, stopping a few feet from Alex’s hiding spot. It was difficult to make out their appearances exactly, but from a glance, he could tell they were a young boy and a girl.

  “Hm… that’s odd. I don’t think we’re supposed to leave a sword like this.” A young girl narrowed her eyes at the scene with her hand on her chin.

  “Oh, who cares?” The boy waved his hand, barely sparing a glance. “It’s probably one of those other fuckers that did it. Besides, we just need to follow our orders and look for the two watchmen that escaped. And let’s be real here Hannah. Your hunches haven’t exactly been the best. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have these stupid fucking seals on our hearts.”

  Hannah shot him a glare. “Todd, are you really holding that against me?”

  “I’m not holding it against you. I’m just saying that working for these bastards is by far the worst decision we’ve ever made.”

  “Like we had a choice!” Hannah shouted at the top of her lungs. “If we hadn’t agreed, we’d still be rotting in those cells! We might be prisoners doing their dirty work, but at least we’re alive!”

  “Alive?” Todd scoffed and rolled his eyes. “We barely survived their bullshit training, and now we’re hunting watchmen. Are you out of your goddamn mind? This is anything but being alive!”

  “So! You saw what they did to the other guys that said no!” Hannah’s voice cracked as she stared at Todd, and he took a step back, seeing her expression.

  “I’m sorry, I took it too far.” Todd scratched the back of his head. “Look, just relax, alright? We’ll make it through this.”

  Tucker remained perfectly still, every muscle in his body filling with tension as mud from Todd’s boot hit his face. He did his best not to react to the lover’s quarrel even though his body ached from not moving for so long.

  “Don’t you dare tell me to relax.” Hannah glared at Todd before focusing her attention back on the sword beneath Alex’s arm. “I’m telling you, this isn’t something we would do. They would kill us for making a mistake like this, and it doesn’t even follow procedure in the slightest. We weren’t trained for this and there’s no way the other guys would make mistakes like this.” She leaned in closer, noticing the faintest wisp of breath escaping Alex’s lips. Seeing this, her heart immediately pounded. “Todd, I knew it! This person’s alive!”

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  “I would be careful with your next move, missy.”

  Hannah’s body froze, her hands just above the sword’s hilt. She slowly turned around and locked onto the source of the voice. Tucker stood behind Todd with a dagger pressed against his captive’s throat. Todd nervously glanced at Hannah with his hands raised in the air.

  “Step away from the elderly,” Tucker ordered. “One wrong move and I’ll kill your friend.” He pressed the blade into Todd’s pale skin, blood slowly trickling down the blade from the small incision.

  “Don’t fucking do it Hannah! Keep that blade near that guy’s neck. It’s the only way we’ll get out of this alive!”

  Tucker’s expression hardened. He smacked the back of Todd’s head, making him flinch. “Hostages don’t talk.” The rookie stared at the trembling girl, then back at Todd. “If you try anything again, it’ll be the last damn thing you do,” Tucker sharply declared. “You two lovebirds have more to lose than me, don’t you think?”

  Todd’s face turned red with anger, but he bit back any retort he had as the blade pressed at his throat. Tucker could feel the slight tremble from the young man. They were barely adults, and it was unpleasant to see them used as disposable pawns. He drew the line at killing civilians and innocent lives, not at those who had blood on their hands.

  “What did you say?” Tucker asked, fixing his gaze on Hannah.

  “Hannah, don’t you fucking listen to him, do you hear me? He’s trying to make you lose your advantage!” Todd’s flush disappeared once he noticed Tucker’s sharp gaze. He gritted his teeth and spat out, “You piece of shit! Have you no shame?”

  Tucker didn’t utter a single word, keeping his dagger close to Todd’s neck. He knew his position still had the advantage, and even though the young boy would gamble with his life, he wouldn’t gamble with hers. If it came down to it, Tucker could kill his hostage and then easily deal with the other agent, but whether he could do all that in the short time to save Alex was another story.

  Hannah’s hands shook as she bit her lips. Finally, she let out a deep sigh and threw her sword to the side. “Fine.” As she took a step away from Alex and raised her hands. She angrily asked, “What now?”

  Tucker grinned beneath his mask. “Take a guess.”

  Hannah bit down on her lips even more, drawing blood down the side as she glared at Tucker. “You bastard…” Her hands moved to the collar of her shirt, slightly trembling as she unbuttoned the top.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” Tucker immediately asked with a stern tone, stopping her in place.

  “Isn’t this what you wanted, you savage?” Hannah’s voice cracked as tears swelled in her eyes.

  “Are you stupid? I wanted you to disarm yourself and pick up the old man. Not do whatever the hell you’re doing right now.” Tucker pressed the dagger further into Todd’s throat and glared at Hannah. “You empire freaks always come up with these stupid delusions. No wonder you can’t tell what’s right and wrong.”

  Hannah’s eyes were filled with anger, but Todd was the first to speak. His voice had a venomous tone. “Stupid delusions? You fuckers did this in the past when you kidnapped women and children after the war was over. Don’t you dare try to lecture us on what’s good or bad, you piece of shit!”

  Tucker scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Just shut up and keep moving.”

  The rookie ignored Hannah’s sharp glare and watched as she carried Alex over her shoulder with obvious strain. Her legs wobbled under the weight with each step, and Todd reluctantly followed. His eyes darted nervously as they ventured further into the forest.

  Tucker scanned their surroundings. More and more questions filled his mind, but he had no choice but to bury them for now. His goal was to save Alex and himself. Whatever concerns he had could be answered after the mission. And just as he was plotting their next steps, a sharp pain throbbed in his heart. He faltered as his spirit essence quivered. It was something he read about in books, but experiencing firsthand was something else, and in a moment…the sensation vanished. Gale was gone.

  His heart sank, but he needed to keep his composure. For someone to take down his wind spirit meant that they had to be a powerful adversary—someone that was beyond his current capabilities. They had gained enough distance and crossed the border, but if it was someone who could catch his spirit, then it wouldn’t be long until they caught up. And with Hannah and Todd struggling from exhaustion, the odds were stacked against him.

  Should I just kill them and carry Alex the rest of the way by myself?

  The thought crossed his mind, but before he could act. A subtle rolling sound reached their ears. He turned his head to the object and caught sight of a blood-slick object tumbling across the forest floor. Frustration filled his mind, but he couldn’t reveal it. Not while he was unsure of who or what could've caused it. But seeing Todd and Hannah's pale expressions, he knew it wasn't from their side.

  A dismembered head with lifeless eyes was a few meters from his feet.

  Tucker’s mind raced as it was thrown into chaos. How the hell did they get so close, so soon? He had kept his spirit essence spread out through the forest like a net, extending over two hundred meters with Gale’s aid. A hundred without. Yet it seemed pointless, as he didn’t receive a single bit of warning.

  They had outmaneuvered him in lands he knew like the back of his hand.

  “What’s the point of hiding when you’ve already given yourself away?” Tucker’s voice cut through the rain-soaked silence as he scanned the treeline. Parts of him prayed it was a bandit so he could tell them to kick rocks, but as a lone figure emerged, he knew they weren’t your common thief.

  Their dark green cloak fluttered in the wind with droplets of rain sliding off the fabric. Tucker’s eyes narrowed at the sight. He couldn’t help but be skeptical of the person before them, as they normally operated in pairs.

  “You should be more careful, rookie.” A voice whispered beside Tucker’s ear, sending shivers down his spine. Before he could react, a tap on his shoulder froze him in place. “You shouldn’t rely so much on your spirit essence to detect your surroundings.”

  Tucker held his breath as several figures emerged from the forest with their hands on their blades. The majority of their bodies were hidden beneath the cloaks they wore, and half-masks shielded their identities. They were members of the Order, but seeing so many gathered in one place was beyond shocking.

  “Well, this is an unexpected twist.” A small woman stroked her chin and walked closer to the trembling agent beside Alex. Her brown hair was barely visible beneath her hood and her crimson eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness. She spun her dagger and examined the petrified girl in front of her. “It seems we’ve found Salamander and his little fledging.”

  “You’re reinforcements from the Order?” Tucker asked, tightening his hold on Todd, who was trembling under the pressure.

  “We came after receiving Salamander’s message. Though we never expected for you guys to be in a predicament like this.” She spun on her heel and tapped Hannah’s shoulder. Her smile betrayed the light in her eyes, and, with a swift motion, she passed Alex to a nearby watchman. With a blade to Hannah’s neck, she locked eyes with Tucker. “Now, what to do… what to do…”

  “You fucker! Get your hands off of her—” Todd shouted, but soon felt a sharp pain from the back of his knees as he fell to the ground. Dirt smearing on his cheeks as he struggled to move.

  Tucker pressed Todd’s head into the mud with his dagger still pointed at their neck. “These guys are the Empire’s answer to us. It seems like they’re a new type of covert unit.”

  “Interesting! Very interesting, but…” She playfully grabbed Hannah’s chin, tilting her face up. The dagger at Hannah’s throat gleamed for a moment in the darkness. “Why would that matter? We’ve already dealt with their comrades, and they were weak. Far too weak to even be a concern.”

  “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean we know everything the empire has to offer.” Tucker took the end of his dagger and struck Todd’s temple, knocking him out. Soon, their squirming stopped, and the area grew quiet once more. “These two seem to care about each other more than their organization. So it’s well worth a shot to get information out of them.”

  She raised a brow and exchanged a glance with the other watchmen, who all gave silent nods. Her crimson eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as she scratched her brown hair and reluctantly nodded. “Well, I don’t see why not.” As she finished her sentence, she swiftly struck the side of Hannah’s lower jaw with her fist and caught their body as they fell.

  Tucker watched as she flung Hannah to another watchman. He watched as they prepared to move and said, “There’s a supply depot east of this location. If we move now, we’ll be able to destroy it before they move locations.”

  “Those weren’t our orders. We were only sent out here to find Salamander and you, rookie. Anything else is out of our jurisdiction.”

  “But—”

  “Another word and I’ll consider it treason.” May sharply cut him off followed by a glare. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Tucker hesitated before nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”

  He watched the other watchmen move towards the outpost with a sense of bitterness. They had enough manpower to decimate the outpost, but chose not to. It didn’t make sense to him, but none of the others opposed. They followed their orders and moved without wasting a second. Yet, seeing how they operated, he couldn’t help but feel the difference between them.

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