Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 9: Back at home

It was the twenty-third day of Decembrien. Elizabeth and Annabelle should have been coming back any time now. Was it unfair to ask them to travel halfway across the country on some bogus mission out of nowhere?

Yes, it was, thought Colonel Donoran. He was prior enlisted and rose to the rank of Council Squad Leader before going to officer school. He could relate to the lack of morale and absolute disdain the lower enlisted had for last minute, piss poor planning on the leadership's part. He felt bad sending those two on a mission so close to a holiday, but the job had to be done. It was not fair for an entire town to still live in terror during what was supposed to be a wonderful time of year.

He did not anticipate this whirlwind of a day, however. An otherworldly prisoner with purple skin and a serpent tongue who miraculously survived the shoot down of his ship over Starview was brought into his office. He had been picked up by the Starview watchmen and handed over to the Council immediately. His stated his name was Lieutenant Verbefor Sangtok; he was native to the planet "Inferlen" in the Korgen Star System; he was forced to be an aviator for the Shriktan Empire after being captured during the "war." He claimed he saw two women in cloaks board the ship they were ordered to destroy and take off with it.

"So, they're still alive," Joseph said.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you," said Verbefor.

He shook his head. He had no clue what possessed them to venture into the unknown like that, but there was nothing they could do down here. It was completely out of their hands. He could only hope that whatever that reason was, it was a good one. He summoned for Lieutenants Striker and Willborough, Elizabeth and Annabelle's respective commanding officers, at once.

"Lieutenant Willborough, I want you to send a couple of your men to deliver the news to Marigni's mother. She is missing, suspected alive. She and Elizabeth have not been captured. They disappeared near Starview, and not another word. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Her mother and sister live a couple dozen miles up the road in Eisenfaust. If you hurry it up, your men can make it back here by the end of the work day. Get to it."

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Willborough floated away.

The colonel faced Lieutenant Striker. "Same with you. Now, Laminaurus's family lives down south in Edalona. That's a good few hundred miles. We can see about expediting this by waking up the old mascot dragon out in the stables so he can fly you there. Hopefully he'll actually be responsive for once."

The dragon, Maple, was old and had bowel problems. He was one-thousand-years-old and lazy. He let out a fart that blew out the door of his stable. "Fuck," he growled.

"Get going," Donoran said to Willborough. "Also, send a messenger to the royal palace so they can tell 'em what the hell is happening."

"Yes, sir." He turned and ran through the wall, leaving a hole shaped like a runner at a track meet.

Next, he faced the bow wielder, Jane Clancy. "Escort this Mr. Verbefor to a holding cell."

"Yes, sir!"

Donoran sat down at his desk, stared at the new hole in his office wall. "Richard. Richard!"

The bird walked in with a straw hat and a travel bag in his wing. "The fuck you want? I'm about to go home for the day!"

"It's only ten in the morning."

"Yeah, and if I leave now, I'll be home in time for lunch."

"You'd best stay here and listen to what I've gotta say, otherwise you're only receiving half a day's pay." He raised a half-full bag of bread crumbs and shook it.