Armies of the Dragon (Book 2 after Warriors of the Dragon)

The Goddess Sephim

This chapter came out of nowhere. I'm not sure what I think of it. I sort of just kept writing and it just came out. Lol let me know what you think? Should I keep the weird dialogue or is it too weird?

"What happened to your personal guard?" one of the Captains questioned Sephira with a polite, concerned tone.

"They must've died in battle. I took off without them because I didn't want my dragons weighed down." Sephira answered without missing a beat. She had come up with an explanation on her journey back and was glad when Helios was too distracted to notice her return.

"Would you like to choose a new personal guard?" he asked, starting to lead her towards where many of the turned orcs were camped. She saw a group of both turned and non-turned soldiers eating around one of the many fires and her eyes went to the sick yellow eyes of the orcs as they ate without tasting.

"Yes, thank you, Captain." She nodded as he brought her over to them and he called the attention of his Officers, two of whom were sitting with the orcs.

"General Sephim needs replacements for her personal guard. Do any of you have suitable soldiers in your Centri's?" he questioned them as they stood side-by-side in a line in front of him. Each Captain had five Lieutenants and below them were about twenty-five Officers and twenty-five Centri's.

"I would be willing to be General Sephim's personal guard..." One of the men spoke up.

"Actually, Captain," Sephira exclaimed, as she looked over the Officers. "Perhaps I want to choose from the Centri's with dragon riding units only." He nodded and dismissed the Officers that didn't have dragon riders. Several of the Officers including the one who spoke stayed. The Captain was well liked and had mostly cavalry and was one of the few to have multiple dragon-riding units. Sephira looked over the Officer who spoke and removed his mask. "Would you mind letting me take an Officer or two?" Sephira asked, turning to the Captain.

"Not at all, General." He nodded, as Sephira's intimidating silvery blue eyes looked deep into the man's determined brown eyes. He was an ordinary looking human with a beard, but had a large build like a warrior and was tall.

"What's your name, Officer?" She asked. He could barely answer with her so close to him and her beauty was stunning up close. Despite the battle and the rumors that she killed many Valkyri, her smooth skin was unmarked by any kind of cut or blemish. Her eyebrows were arched shrewdly and her high cheek bones seemed to suggest a nobility about her not apparent by her position in the Nimbian Army.

"Gerit." He answered as he tried to make eye contact with her and still try to speak clearly.

"Gerit, do you really want to be my personal guard?" She probed, wondering why an Officer would give up command of a Centri to stand outside her tent at night.

"Yes, General." He answered, sounding sincere even though he seemed to be avoiding her eyes.

"Very well. You can choose another dragon rider that wants to join my personal guard." Sephira said, waving her hand and walking away. The Captain joined her as Gerit and the other Officers looked at each other in surprise. "Would you like to eat with me, Captain?" she asked as she decided to join a group of soldiers around a fire. They all looked like they wanted to scoot away from her and she guessed they had seen her handy work with the cock-less man.

"Yes, I'd be honored." The Captain answered sincerely. "Don't the Generals get better food than this?" he asked as she took a bowl of whatever stew was in the cauldron over the fire.