Tipping the Scales

27

Lukas puffed out his chest, emblazoned with the burning sun of the Solar Dawn. He tried his best to look authoritative and important as they rode through the war camp, though something about having his hands wrapped around Leo's waist ruined the image. Apollo's squad garnered a lot of attention from the soldiers stationed there, who cheered and hooted as they rode past – the sight of the Solar Dawn instilling hope in the Ferlandian Army. Lukas noticed that none of the other squad members reacted to the attention – their faces remaining stone cold as they were showered with adoration. Even Theresa and Darnel, who had messed around every night on the journey north, wore composed, sombre expressions in front of their inferiors. Lukas realised that this was the face of the Solar Dawn – the one the rest of Ferlandia looked up to.

The troop pulled up in front of a large tent in centre-stage of the camp and dismounted. Apollo led Remy into the tent, and two others that Lukas didn't recognise. Everyone else was instructed to wait outside.

"Who were they?" Lukas asked Levi. He knew Leo wouldn't talk to him and he didn't fancy his chances for a serious answer from anyone else.

Levi regarded him for a moment, as if deciding whether he was worth the time. Deciding he had nothing better to do, Levi answered. "Robert Winthrope, brother of Anselet and our second-in command."

"The larger man?" Lukas remembered one of Apollo's entourage having the tell-tale orange streaks in his hair. "I guess that's something I should probably know," he laughed awkwardly. "And the other?"

"I don't know."

Lukas looked at him questioningly.

Levi sighed. "He works directly under the General. I believe he's been assigned to this mission specifically, just like you."

Lukas wondered what the ability of a man who worked directly under Anselet would be like and why it was valuable to this mission. He remembered Remy's words: The General is a very meticulous man. "How does Apollo command such men, he's not much older than we are?"

Levi left the question to open air – finally deciding responding was no longer worth the effort.

After an hour of waiting, there was some activity from the central tent. Remy walked out and went straight for Lukas. "Your presence is requested."

Lukas was hesitant to follow, but Remy flashed one of her reassuring smiles, encouraging him into motion. She led him through the large opening into a spacious interior. The centre piece of the tent was a giant map, sprawled across a table. The map was surrounded by various important looking soldiers in fine armour, kept in pristine condition – the kind of condition that hinted they hadn't been involved in any combat themselves. They were all scratching their chins and pointing at different spots of the map, before grumbling in disagreement and pointing elsewhere. There was a larger gathering at the head of the table, surrounding a grisly aged man with the neatest armour in the room.

Apollo stood to off to the side, flanked by Robert on one shoulder and Anselet's unsettling subordinate on the other.

Lukas' eyes couldn't help but linger on the latter. He looked unnerving - tall and lanky, with pasty skin and a hood pulled over the back of his head, hiding everything but his face. Lukas wished he would cover this up too, as it was completely hairless - eyebrows and all - which drew attention to the only features present – his wide, unblinking eyes and saggy cheeks. Remy led Lukas over to them, falling in line behind Apollo.

Lukas looked around at the Ferlandian officers and the map spread out in front of them. Even he could deduce that the whole effort looked disorganised and lacking in direction. Until Apollo spoke.