Page 12 of Sy

The commander nodded again. “Indeed, she was. But I didn’t think the mother would actually bring her here.”

Sy watched Kraath from the corner of his eye. He reached for his Rage, letting it surface just enough to sharpen his senses further.Can you sense anything from him?he asked silently.

The voice in his blood stirred.The old one walks carefully.

Old one?Sy pressed, keeping his expression neutral as Kraath discussed patrol rotations.He’s not feral. I’d know if he was.

Older than you know,the voice whispered back.Older than most.

What does that mean?

But the voice retreated, leaving only a static buzz in his mind.

“Your thoughts?” Kraath’s question pulled him back to the present.

“The patrols are solid, so we can keep an eye on the females,” Sy said, covering his distraction. “Though we might want to increase coverage near the work site. We’ve attracted the attention of some of the wild ferals. I’ll assign Kal and Tor to shadow the girl.”

“Good idea, as long as they understand the boundaries. Make sure they do.” Kraath nodded, his expression unreadable in the moonlight. He pushed away from the wall, pausing before he left. “And keep me informed of any changes.”

“Of course.”

As Sy watched him go, the Rage’s words echoed in his mind.The old one.But what did that mean? Kraath showed none of the signs of being feral—no armor, no claws, no red eyes. Yet something about him felt off, had always felt off.

Tell me what you know about him,Sy demanded of his Rage.

Cannot,came the reply.Old ones have their secrets.

That’s not an answer,Sy growled internally, but the voice had already retreated, leaving him alone with his questions and the cold night air.

He sighed and settled in. It was going to be a long few hours.

5

The night wrapped around him like an old friend, familiar and comforting as he slipped out from the shadows of the garrison wall and into the nearby trees. The moons above cast just enough light for him to navigate by, their pale glow filtering through the thick canopy overhead. It wouldn’t have mattered to him if it were pitch black and he’d been unable to see. He’d made this journey so many times over the centuries that he could do it blindfolded.

The forest floor, damp from the recent storm, muffled his footsteps as he moved between the massive trunks, his eyes wide and all senses on alert. Just because he knew the way through these forests like the back of his hand didn’t mean they were safe. Ferals were always lurking, and some of them weren’t the kind that could be reasoned with.

A night bird called somewhere ahead. He froze, enhanced senses stretching out to catalog every whisper of wind, every rustle of leaves. Nothing felt out of place. The garrison lay behind him, its lights a dim glow through the trees. As always, he’d chosen his exit point carefully, timing his departure between guard rotations on the battlements.

The rich scent of decay and new growth filled his nostrils. He touched the bark of a nearby tree, sliding his fingertips across the rough surface. It was an old habit, the score in the trunk he’d put there to mark the way long since grown. It didn’t matter. Time had taught him that the best trails were the ones that existed only in his memory.

A branch snapped in the distance. Taking a step back, he melted into the shadows of a massive trunk with his back pressed against the bark. His heart remained steady, not panicked as he waited. The sound turned out to be a browsing herbivore, but he waited three full minutes before moving again. Patience and wariness had kept him and his secret hidden for this long.

Walking for long minutes, he paused at the crest of a small rise to scan the darkness ahead. A feral’s hunting cry echoed from somewhere far to the west. He allowed himself a small smile. The predators would keep the garrison’s attention focused outward, away from any internal mysteries. He’d long ago learned to use the natural rhythms of Parac’Norr to his advantage.

The ground sloped down ahead, and he moved with practiced ease, each step placed with precision. He’d done this in storms, in darkness far deeper than tonight’s, and in conditions that would have killed lesser beings. The routine was as much a part of him as his own breath.

Something shifted in the undergrowth nearby… smaller than a feral but larger than the krevasta. He didn’t alter his pace, but his muscles tensed in readiness. There shouldn’t be any scouts from the garrison out here, but there was a slight chance Banic and his search party for the lost human women were back early. If it was them, they would have challenged him already. Even so, he really didn’t want to have to explain what he was doing outhere so late at night, so he changed direction slightly, using a dense patch of vegetation for additional cover.

The moons shifted position, casting new shadows across his path, and the sound of water reached his ears. The tension eased from his shoulders. He was nearing the stream that marked the halfway point of his journey… which meant he was making good time. Plus, the sound would provide additional cover, masking any small noises he might make. Moving parallel to the water’s edge, he stayed just far enough back to avoid the exposed bank and potentially leave footprints in the softened earth.

The forest stretched ahead, dark and inviting. Once he was past the stream, he merged with the shadows again, leaving no trace of his passing. The garrison’s lights had long since faded behind him, but he knew better than to relax his guard.

He hadn’t survived this long by being careless, and tonight’s mission was too important for mistakes…

6

The knot in Ashley’s shoulders pulled tight as she rolled them… a punishment well deserved for passing out fully clothed on her bed last night. The morning sun made her squint through her tinted goggles as she surveyed the construction site spread out before her. The massive HLV-6000, commonly known as a Hell-V, pile drivers thundered across the red earth like very slow mechanical behemoths, their six legs adjusting with fluid precision as they hammered away at the pre-programmed coordinates.

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