Knights of Angril

Chapter 3

Two days later

As the workers of Ata Colony began to spread back out through the forest, now allowed to return to work after the battle, they wouldn't have been able to ignore the vastly increased military presence. A substantial number of the Colony's soldiers were stationed across the surrounding area, keeping watch over their smaller counterparts as they went about their day.

Grex scanned the farm before her, lower arms folded across her chest and upper arms pressed tight to her back. In one hand, she gripped a bow, the quiver hanging from her belt opposite her trusted blade. Two knives had also been strapped to belts that crossed her red-armoured torso. A part of her was hoping that Crevice was done, for the week at least. Only a part.

She glanced to the other corners of the field: on each was stationed a steel-clad guard, watching as silently as she was. They'd marked themselves with yellow sashes, a red stripe running down the centre; a symbol of respect for their leader, and their main way to tell friend from foe in the chaos of battle. Each had a bow and arrows, with a sword at their hip; standard fare for duties outside the colony. One of the fighters here was a new recruit; fresh from the growth chambers, given a crash course in combat and a set of armour thrust on them before being shepherded out of the nest and into Grex's command. Grex hoped that Taro would come to prove herself – the last things they needed were liabilities.

The farmers ignored their presence for the most part, busy working their way through the field, cutting down the new harvest and dumping it in small carts to be pulled back to the nest at the end of the day. The grain they collected would be dried over the next few days before being formed into the small, circular loaves that formed the base of a Taurin's diet.

Hopefully this time, the orchids will yield enough, Grex thought.

She heard a twig snap behind her, and immediately turned, puling an arrow from the quiver and notching it in the bow string. As she did, she drew the two knives from their sheaths; switching from bow to sword wouldn't be quick enough, she needed to defend herself somehow.

She saw something white disappear into the forest.

Grex carefully stepped away from the field, towards where the thing had run, drawing the arrow back. Coming to where it had disappeared, she rounded the tree, bow up and fully drawn.

Nothing.

She moved back to the field, keeping her bow level as she moved and scanning the area around her.

Your eyes are playing tricks, she decided. She let the bow relax, releasing the tension in her arms, and returned her focus to the farm. She glanced at each of her guards again, nodding to them in turn – seeing one's commander disappear into the forest with her weapon drawn was never a good sign, but at Grex's reassurance they put their weapons away.

As she was nodding to Taro, she saw something in the shadows. She blinked, but the thing didn't disappear – this one was real.

She snapped her bow arm up, pulled the string back, and let the arrow fly. It soared across the field, passing by Taro's head and slamming into the thing creeping up on her. Taro turned, startled, before drawing her sword. Grex jogged over to her to check the corpse.

"She's a Crevice soldier, isn't she?" Taro asked.

Grex looked at the green and orange sash and nodded before yelling to the other guards: "Draw your weapons, and watch your surroundings!" She followed her own command, notching another arrow and raising her knives. Beside her, Taro pulled the bow from across her chest, taking an arrow and drawing the string back. In the field, the workers had stopped, dropping low: when soldiers were doing business, you got out of the way.