Drake Guard

Prologue

"Are they ready?" a man asked in a low voice, his breath white in the chilly air. He held a lantern that was just strong enough to light up his face, but not enough to reveal the presence of another who stood in front of him.

"Of course," he answered after a few seconds had gone by. "We've monitored them for the last few years. We wouldn't have if we thought one of them might become a failure."

A third let out a slow breath. "They're just kids. The youngest batch we've ever taken. What if they're not ready? What if-"

"What ifs never got our predecessors anywhere," the first interrupted, impatience in his voice. "And you of all people know that we need them sooner than later. Weren't you the one to say that we should use them?"

The third rubbed his hands together and breathed on them to keep them warm. He looked around at the dark landscape that surrounded the three. "You're right. But I expected them to be used in a matter of years, not this soon, and not without warning their families."

"Not getting sentimental, are we?" the first replied, anger lacing his voice. He stepped toward the silhouette of the third, whose back was turned to him. "You were not recruited to give us advice on our actions. Send out the Messages. You know what happens if you don't."

The lantern flared up, now illuminating all three men. The second calmly walked in front of the first. "And you were not recruited to pick a fight with your fellow members. Calm yourself." He turned to the third. "We believe that they are ready. I believe that they will perform wonderfully. Yes, there is a chance that they won't succeed, but we all know that it'll be worse if we don't try."

The third seemed to shrink as he turned to look at the second. "Fine, but you must-" He stopped when he saw the first close his eyes and listen. They opened suddenly.

"Meeting over. They're just over the ridge," the second rushed, his voice lowered and more hurried than usual. "Send the messages. No one can ever speak of this again."

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Thank you to everyone has stuck around to read this! Apologies for how long it's taken. No promises for how often I'll update, and there won't be any schedule, but one thing I can promise is that I'll stick with this story until the end. I hope you guys enjoy this story and the characters I've come to love! We're off!