The Quest for the Crystals: The Book of Wind

  ~

  General Uriost raked her headfur as she sat down at Sergeant Sabina’s desk with her horned helmet cradled in her lap. Despite her low commanding rank, she was permitted such a luxury with a higher soldier.

  She had returned to Keeto later that night after having her men arrested at the Altas outpost for giving into the heretic’s demands.

  “I’ve heard no word from Sergeant Aruto directly,” Sabina said; the helmetless feline sergeant sat down as well. “...but his two archers were through here a little while ago.”

  “Where are they now?” Uriost asked.

  “Charger and Bastion told them to see me, but they never showed.”

  “Have you sent additional units regardless?”

  Sabina offered a shrug and poured them both wine from the bottle in her desk drawer.

  “You didn’t?!” Uriost felt herself rise, but actually hadn’t.

  “I can’t do anything if I’m not requested to directly – in this case, by the archers. My signature has to be on the request access sheet,” Sabina said, tapping her desk with her index digit, “and then verbally archived by Chancellor Domini in Mecia over radio, before my men can do anything like that.” She shrugged again. “Just in case my guards are lying, for whatever reason.”

  What a stupid regulation, Uriost thought, cringing behind her flat and professional face. She knew however that request access sheets were a safety measure against soldiers going rogue – not that that had ever happened in the past, aside from...

  “And you didn’t think it suspicious two of Rudolph’s archers never showing up when they said they would?” she asked.

  Sabina shrugged. “I’ll let Doblah know about it tonight if I don’t hear from Aruto by oh-hundred.”

  “Fine. In that case, if tonight Aruto doesn’t alert you about the recovery, I’ll go back there tomorrow to check things out on my way to Syreen.”

  “Not even you can get a request approved that fast, I’m afraid,” Sabina chuckled from behind her wine glass. “At least, not with your rank. Procedure is procedure.”

  Uriost narrowed her eyes at Sabina. “Sign that form. Now.”