What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath: Chapter 5

Author's Note: Long chapter ahead of you guys! This one is action-packed and easily my favorite and the most fun to write so far! Enjoy! Please drop a comment when you finish! :) Thanks!

© HorseCrazyAsian

The next day, I awake to some commotion outside. I blink my eyes, my body sluggish from the lack of sleep I had allowed myself to get. I had stayed up late last night to scout for any danger, but it had finally gotten to the point where I was falling to sleep out in the open and was hardly helping looking for enemies, so I retired for the night.

I throw on my uniform, grabbing the Sacred Dagger from underneath my cot as I exit the tent, looking for the source of the noise.

It came from a large group of my soldiers, welcoming back the three scouts that we had sent out to search for where the demons have been hiding. By the look on their faces, I am positive they have discovered something important.

“Welcome back,” the men greet the three with encouraging claps on the back and wide smiles. The three young scouts dip their heads in response, their nervous smiles followed with wide eyes. Whatever they had seen must have been unsettling for them as they make their way towards me, each saluting in turn.

“Commander,” they speak together, their eyes darting around as each carries out his own nervous habit. Nervous swallowing. Ticking. Tapping. I begin to wonder if they are nervous from what they saw or just because they are talking to their superior. I'm suspecting it has much to do with the latter judging by their refusal to look in my eyes for more than a few seconds.

Scout is a rank most filled by young men who have just joined the forces. It is a task with the single purpose of either collecting information or spying. They are our eyes and ears, and they are responsible for supplying us with information so that we might formulate a plan of attack or defense. These three are very young compared to most of fleet, only appearing as teenage boys which I can only assume means they are merely around ten thousand years old. I can only assume they haven't seen much of war before. They would have only been children when the Great War had swept over us. Perhaps I was wrong of where their nervous states come from.

“Report.”

“The city has been wiped out, sir. The demons haven't returned to it and there are no humans in sight.”

“And the city to the South?”

Each Scout exchanges glances with firm nods.

“That's where the demons are planning to go next. We saw them making their way through the use of the forest. They plan to sneak up on it using the shadows. If we leave now, we might be able to intercept them.”

“Good work,” I praise with a nod of agreement. “Get your things gathered and get ready to leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

The three run off to prepare and I make my way towards the large group of men gathered, beckoning Garrín and a few others with me as I head towards the tent we use for discussing tactics. I inform them of the Scouts' findings and allow them to think about it for a second, watching each as I wait for them to speak his own thoughts.

“Well, I think leaving as soon as possible is the best shot we have of keeping that city as unaffected as possible. We could save the humans. Most of them, at least,” Second Lieutenant Rylo suggests, the other two nodding their heads in concurrence.

“But the real question is where do we intercept? We have to pick somewhere that gives us an advantage. I don't know the landscape. I can't possibly know where would be the best option for us,” Garrín frowns, rubbing the back of his neck as he ponders his own question. He has circles under his eyes and I can tell sleep seemed to evade him last night, too.