Chapter Four: The Broken Sword Operation
Mission code: Broken Sword
Operatives: Four
Operative briefing: Shadow fox
Last Name: Not Given
First Name: Galaan
Mission Outline:
Galaan, it is your duty to make sure the other three operatives are not ambushed. Take the hills by foot, and scout the area for rebels. Be especially careful near the dense inner forest. Reports say that dragons live there. Good luck.
Galaan was now wearing the standard military issue black suit, scaling hills and constantly watching for raiders, thieves and of course, dragons. Kiresk and Salena wee completely unaware of Galaan's presence. He was even commissioned a ring made of silver, which is known to have magic-reflective properties. Engraved on the ring was a crest of the legendary Phoenix.
"Wait a minute," Galaan whispered to himself. "The crest on this ring. Where have I seen that symbol before... Salena's staff!"
He removed the ring and looked inside beneath the emblem. A sapphire was embedded in the ring beneath the sacred crest. He tossed the ring a few feet ahead of the main group. Don't let them know I'm here, Galaan thought.
"Galaan..." Salena blurted out.
"What was that, Salena?" Kiresk questioned.
"Nothing," Salena replied. "I just hope Galaan is alright. He was sent out alone."
"I've known Galaan a long time. He'll be alright," Kiresk reassured. "Say, what's that on the ground over there? Looks kinda small."
Salena, pick up the ring... Examine the emblem and underneath...
Salena heard this ringing in her head, echoing, even calling to her. It was Galaan. He was giving her instructions using her magic. The idea was so simple, that its details were genius. She crouched down a picked up the ring.
Compare the emblem on your staff to the one on the ring.
Salena's black eyes studied the ring intensely. She glanced at the ring once more and slipped it on her finger.
Later, at a designated meeting place, where Galaan "met up" with the rest of the group, the four exchanged tales of merriment and heroics. When the fire only drew coals and red embers within the smoldering ash, Galaan and Kiresk started to tell their especially liked story.
"Well, it all started one night," Kiresk began. "When Galaan and myself went to a local tavern. We were both in our twenties and looking for fun, so a tavern was our first choice target, and since I was on leave for only a couple of days, we thought we should make the most of it."
"So we get there," Galaan continued. "And we hand the doorman our cards, like we're supposed to. Then the guy thinks they're fake, because 'who has names like Kiresk or Galaan'? So we throw every piece of ID from full birth ID to training certificates. After about ten minutes of this, the guy just looks at us and says 'you guys are good' and laughs."
Galaan and Kiresk continued their story until the embers and coals in the fire pit were as cold as the night air.
The following morning, long before sunrise would come, the four began the trek through the woods to a small rebel encampment.
"What's your name, by the way, newcomer?" Galaan asked in a harsh tone.
"Eyre," he replied in a disappointed sort of way. "Corporal Eyre."
"Did you serve in the war?" Galaan asked, continuing his interrogations.
"For about a year. I got an honors medal and a silver heart for saving my sergeant," the man claimed proudly.
"Don't let your accomplishments go to your head," Galaan warned. "Medals don't mean a thing to me. You want to keep my trust, you have to earn it first. If I give you an instruction, follow it exactly, or you might end up dead."
"Galaan, quit intimidating the new guy," Kiresk joked. "We only have one."
"He can be replaced. The army has more," Galaan retorted playfully. "Besides, he's only a corporal. What army were you in, by the way?"
"Belcourt. 42nd legion," Eyre replied with a sense of pride in his voice.
"Which legion was yours, Kiresk?" Galaan inquired.
"7th legion," Kiresk responded. "They were a little rowdy, but they followed orders."
When the group arrived at the rebel faction's territory, they spread off in separate directions. Galaan went west by southwest, Salena went southwest. Eyre was to stand guard at the border for an hour, then go southwest. Kiresk went southeast by west.
Galaan arrived at his objective point, which the military called it, and nimbly climbed up a nearby tree. As he reached the top, he could see Kiresk and Eyre pincer the encampment. The rebels drew brutal axes with kinks and chips in the blades. Others drew swords, cudgels and war staves. Both Kiresk and Eyre ducked their adversaries and slaughtered the back rows, then regrouped in the centre. Just when the rebels thought they had them, a large pentagram of flames surrounded Kiresk, incinerating both groups of attackers. Eyre had misjudged and died in the searing flames. Galaan climbed down the tree and drew his silver handled knife. The rebel leader stepped out of the shadows in front of Kiresk.
"Well, well," The leader began. "Commander Kiresk. It has been... some time since I stepped down as your second. Such a pity you won't live to tell anyone who I am."
"Calheth, you are outnumbered and outmatched," Kiresk explained. "Surrender now, before you get killed."
"Why? So I can rot in some military prison compound?" Calheth snapped. "Never."
Calheth swung his sword at Kiresk's head, but Kiresk deflected the blow with his long blade. He quickly came in at Calheth's stomach, yet Calheth jumped back to dodge the blow.
"Hey!" Salena called out. "Over here you brutish oaf!"
As Calheth turned around, the rocks beneath his feet tore holes in his flesh, and extended up to his stomach, then returned to the ground. He slammed to the ground, dead. Salena walked over to his body and searched him, until she found a black book with a silver phoenix plated on it. The phoenix's eyes had been made of sapphires. She placed the book deep inside her robes, so that it touched her skin.
Later, at the debriefing...
"One man down!" the general snapped. "This mission was supposed to be casualty free!"
"With all due respect sir, it was Eyre's fault, not Salena's," Kiresk explained.
"I don't care whose fault it was," the general snarled. "You three are on leave until informed otherwise. Get out."