The Adventures of a Sword

Chapter 21

"Attention, everyone!" Jordan yelled.
    His army went into position and saluted.
    "Private Marcus will be gone for a couple of days! He will be busy taking some kids to an undisclosed protection area! So, unfortunately, we will spend some days without him!"
    The soldiers started groaning. Private Marcus was a very good soldier, and he was friendly and funny too, so his departure was going to leave an unpleasant impact on everyone.
    "In the meantime," Jordan continued, "we have already burned down Emperor Ginold's palace! He and his men are homeless at the moment! We will have to find them now! We will go on a harsh journey full of turmoil and despair! Be prepared!"
    Jordan marched down the stage, and the army started preparing for the hard and challenging journey that was ahead.

    Meanwhile, Private Marcus was driving his jeep on the road. Gary and Arnie were in the jeep, and they were having a thumb war.
    "One, two, three, four! I declare a thumb war! Five, six, seven, eight! Let our thumbs bleed!" Gary and Arnie said in unison as they started the thumb war.
    Gary won.
    "No fair!" said Arnie. "You simply have quicker reflexes!"
    "Yeah, and your reflexes are trash," said Gary. "Hahaha."
    "No! I declare a rematch!" yelled Arnie. "Rematch!"
    "Nah, I'm good," Gary said.
    The jeep arrived at a building.
    "All right, kids, hop out of the jeep," Private Marcus said.
    "We're not kids!" Arnie said. "We're hundreds of years old!"
    "Yeah, but you two act, behave, and look like kids," Private Marcus said. "Come on, now. We haven't got all day."
    Gary and Arnie groaned as they got out of the jeep and followed Private Marcus into the building.

    The journey started. Jordan and his men grunted as they walked on the road while carrying backpacks that were around 98 pounds. Inside, Jordan was feeling increasingly worried about Arnie and Gary. Now that they both escaped from Emperor Ginold's dungeon, and Ginold's entire palace burned down, Ginold would most likely blame Arnie and Gary, because that's the kind of person he was. Emperor Ginold would start a manhunt and do everything possible in order to track down and take out Arnie and Gary. But Jordan had an entire army to back them up. At the moment Ginold lay a hand on Jordan's friends, Jordan would strike him down in a heartbeat.
    "Captain?" Colonel Biorge said. "Sergeant Flarks is having some heat exhaustion."
    "He's going to need this," Jordan said.
    He took out a water bottle and handed it to Colonel Biorge.
    "Thank you, Captain," said the colonel.
    Jordan saluted and told him to get back into position.
    In the middle of the journey, Jordan could have sworn he heard something.
    "Halt!" Jordan yelled. "Get into position! Corporal Pannots!"
    "Yes, Captain!" Corporal Pannots called out as he saluted.
    "Look around! Check to see if we're under attack!"
    "Yes, Captain!"
    Corporal Pannots started looking around. He first went near a bush. There was nobody there. He then heard someone trying not to laugh. The sound was coming from behind a tree. He walked near the tree and looked behind it. Nobody was there.
    "All clear, Captain!" Pannots said.
    "Okay, get back into your position!" Jordan barked. "Let's go!"