Year 1020 - Three Months After Promotion
Three months had passed since Nida and Syizen became Crimson Elite.
Three months of routine patrols, guard duty, and gathering information. They'd learned the locations of blood vaults, the mechanics of dragon collars, supply routes.
But they needed more.
They needed to get closer to the inner workings of the empire. And that meant blending in perfectly.
THE MESS HALL
The Crimson Elite mess hall was nothing like basic training.
Real food. Comfortable seating. An atmosphere of casual confidence.
It made Nida sick.
They feast while people starve in chains.
She grabbed a tray, her expression cold and unreadable. Scanned the room with calculating eyes.
That's when she saw him.
Garr.
The bully from training. He'd made it to Elite too, along with his two friends, Vex and Thorn.
Of course.
Garr's eyes met hers across the room. His face twisted with old resentment.
"Ignore him," Syizen muttered beside her.
"I plan to."
They found a table in the corner. Nida sat with perfect posture, eating methodically. Syizen tried to do the same but knocked over his water cup.
"Sorry," he mumbled, mopping it up with his sleeve.
Nida said nothing. Just kept eating.
For a few minutes, everything was fine.
Then Garr walked over.
"Well, well," Garr said, leaning on their table. "Look who made it to Elite. The ice queen and her clumsy pet."
Nida didn't look up from her food. "Walk away, Garr."
"Or what? You'll give me another dirty look?" He smirked. "I heard about the dragon pit. That beast looked at your boyfriend like it recognized him. What's that about?"
Syizen shifted uncomfortably. "It was just... it was dying. Animals act weird when they're hurt."
"Sure," Garr sneered. "Or maybe you're some kind of freak. Dragon bastard or something."
Syizen stood up, his chair scraping loudly. "That's enough."
"Oh, the pet has claws now?"
Syizen tried to throw a punch. His form was terrible. He telegraphed it completely.
But it still connected with Garr's jaw.
Mostly because Garr wasn't expecting the clumsy kid to actually swing.
CRACK.
The mess hall went silent.
Garr stumbled back, blood dripping from his split lip. His eyes went wide with shock, then fury.
"You're dead," he snarled.
Before anyone could move, a commanding voice cut through the tension.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"
Everyone turned.
Captain Renna strode into the mess hall, her presence immediately commanding respect. She was in her early thirties, short-cropped dark hair, sharp eyes that missed nothing.
She looked between Syizen and Garr with cold assessment.
"Fighting in the mess hall?" Her voice was ice. "Who started this?"
"He did!" Garr pointed at Syizen. "Attacked me for no reason!"
"He was insulting us," Syizen protested weakly. "I just..."
Renna held up a hand. "I don't care who started it." She looked at each of them. "You're Crimson Elite now. That means discipline. Control. Not brawling like street thugs."
She turned to Syizen. "You. Kitchen duty for two weeks."
"But..."
"Three weeks if you argue."
Syizen closed his mouth, his face flushing.
Renna turned to Garr. "And you. One more incident of harassment and you're out. I don't care how good you think you are. Understood?"
Garr's jaw tightened. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Now all of you, get out of my sight."
LATER THAT DAY
Nida found Syizen in the courtyard, sitting alone with his bruised hand.
She sat down beside him without a word.
"I messed up," Syizen said quietly. "Got myself kitchen duty because I couldn't control my temper."
"You stood up for us. That's not messing up."
"I should've been smarter about it."
Nida was silent for a moment. Then, so quietly he almost missed it, she said, "You actually landed the punch. That's more than I expected."
Syizen looked at her, surprised.
Was that... a compliment?
Her expression was as cold and unreadable as ever. But there was something in her eyes. Just for a second.
Then it was gone.
"Don't let it happen again," she said flatly, standing up. "We can't afford attention."
She walked away.
Syizen watched her go, rubbing his sore knuckles, something warm in his chest despite everything.
MEETING ASTA
The next day during training drills, Syizen tripped over his own feet and face-planted in the mud.
Laughter echoed across the training ground.
"Smooth," someone called out.
Syizen pushed himself up, mud dripping from his face, trying to maintain some dignity.
A cheerful voice spoke behind him. "Hey! That was a pretty impressive fall! Are you okay?"
Syizen turned.
A young man, maybe nineteen, with messy brown hair and an infectious grin, offered him a hand.
"I'm Asta! Just got promoted to Elite last week!" He pulled Syizen to his feet with surprising strength. "You're Syizen, right? The guy who stabbed the dragon in the pit?"
"Uh... yeah."
"That was AMAZING!" Asta's eyes sparkled with genuine admiration. "I mean, I know it was chained, but still! A dragon! And you're the one who punched Garr yesterday, right?"
Word traveled fast.
"That was... I shouldn't have..."
"Are you kidding? That guy's a jerk! Someone needed to shut him up!" Asta grinned. "Hey, we should be friends! I don't know many people here yet and..."
"Asta," a lazy voice interrupted. "You're talking too much again."
A young man leaned against a nearby post, eyes half-closed like he was about to fall asleep standing up. He looked around twenty-one, with messy black hair and an expression of permanent boredom.
"Who's that?" Syizen asked.
"Oh! That's Sloth!" Asta waved enthusiastically. "He's in Elite too!"
"Sloth? That's your actual name?"
"Nickname," the man yawned. "Real name's too long. Too much effort to say."
"He's really good though!" Asta insisted. "I saw him take down three guys in training without even trying!"
"I was trying," Sloth said. "I just make it look easy." Another yawn. "Can we go now? I need a nap."
Despite himself, Syizen smiled slightly. These two were... different.
NIDA OBSERVES
From across the training ground, Nida watched Syizen talking with Asta and Sloth.
He was smiling. Actually smiling.
Something in her chest tightened.
He deserves friends. Normal interactions. Not just... this.
Not just their dark mission. Their revenge. Their constant vigilance.
For a moment, her expression softened.
Then she caught herself and turned away, her face hardening back into its usual mask.
Focus. Don't get distracted.
THREE WEEKS LATER - THE BRIEFING
All Crimson Elite soldiers were summoned to the main hall.
Nida and Syizen stood in formation with the others. Asta bounced on his heels with barely contained energy. Sloth looked like he was sleeping standing up.
An officer stood at the front beside Captain Renna.
"Attention!" he barked. "We have a critical mission."
The room fell silent.
"Intelligence confirms that Princess Gloria, the Emperor's daughter, is hiding in the Central North sector." The officer's voice was hard. "She possesses the ability to transform into a dragon and has gone rogue."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Your orders are simple: locate Princess Gloria and bring her back to the capital. Alive. The Emperor wants his daughter returned unharmed."
Beside the officer, Captain Renna's expression was carefully neutral. But Nida noticed her hands clench slightly at her sides when Gloria's name was mentioned.
Interesting.
"You'll be divided into ten crews," the officer continued. "Each crew will search a designated sector. If you encounter hostile forces, you are authorized to use lethal force. But the princess must not be harmed. Is that understood?"
"YES, SIR!"
"Crew assignments will be posted tomorrow. Dismissed."
AFTER THE BRIEFING
Outside, Syizen grabbed Nida's arm. "A princess who can turn into a dragon. And she's hiding from her own father."
Nida's mind was already calculating. "This is our chance."
"For what?"
"To learn the truth. About dragons. About the empire's control over them." Her voice was low. "If we find her first, before the others, we might be able to turn her into an ally."
"And if she refuses?"
"Then we adapt." Nida's expression was cold. "But a runaway princess with dragon powers? She's either a threat or a weapon. Either way, we need to understand what we're dealing with."
Syizen nodded slowly. "Okay. We find her first."
Neither of them realized that the captain they'd be working under was the very person they were hunting.
CREW ASSIGNMENTS
The next morning, the assignments were posted.
CREW 7 - CENTRAL NORTH SECTOR
Members:
Captain Renna (Leader)
Nida
Syizen
Asta
Sloth
Garr
Vex
Thorn
Two veteran soldiers (Kross and Mira)
Nida's jaw tightened. "Garr. Of course."
"And Asta and Sloth," Syizen added. "At least they're... friendly?"
"This crew is a mess," Nida muttered.
"At least Captain Renna seems competent."
Nida glanced at the board again, that nagging feeling returning.
Something about the way she reacted during the briefing. When they mentioned Gloria...
But she pushed it aside. There were more immediate concerns.
CREW 7 - FIRST MEETING
That afternoon, Crew 7 gathered in a briefing room.
Captain Renna stood at the front, arms crossed, her gaze sweeping over each of them with cool assessment.
"We leave at dawn," she said without preamble. "Pack light. The Central North sector is rough terrain. Forests, mountains, rivers. If the princess is hiding, that's where she'd go."
One of the veterans, Kross, spoke up. "What if we encounter enemy forces?"
"Engage only if necessary. Our priority is locating Gloria." Renna's tone was measured, professional. "Remember, the Emperor wants her alive and unharmed."
When she said Gloria's name, Nida noticed it again. The tiniest flicker of... something. Sadness? Regret?
Why would she care about the princess?
Garr raised his hand. "What if she attacks us? She's got dragon powers, right?"
"Then you defend yourself without lethal force." Renna's voice turned sharp. "If any of you kill the princess, you'll answer directly to the Emperor. And I promise you, that's not a conversation you want to have."
Garr went pale. "Understood, ma'am."
Asta's hand shot up. "Captain! What if we get lost? The Central North is huge!"
"Then you follow my lead and don't wander off." Renna looked at him. "You're Asta?"
"Yes, ma'am! Just promoted two weeks ago! I'm really excited to..."
"Save the enthusiasm for the mission." But her tone wasn't harsh. Almost... fond? "We'll need that energy when things get difficult."
From the corner, Sloth yawned loudly. "Can we make this quick? Some of us were napping."
Renna's eyebrow raised. "Sloth?"
"That's me."
"I've read your file. You're better than you pretend to be."
"That's the point of pretending," Sloth mumbled, closing his eyes again.
Despite the tension, Nida caught the ghost of a smile on Renna's face before it vanished.
She cares about this crew. More than a normal captain would.
Why?
PREPARING TO LEAVE
That evening, Nida packed her gear with mechanical precision. Rifle. Ammunition. Knife. Medical supplies. Rations.
A knock on her door.
"Come in."
Syizen entered, his pack already on his back, held together with what looked like hastily tied knots that were already coming loose.
Nida stared at it. "That's not going to last five minutes."
"I know how to tie knots!"
"Clearly not."
She stood, walked over, and without a word, began retying his pack properly. Her movements were efficient, practiced.
Syizen stood very still, acutely aware of how close she was.
"There," she said, stepping back. "Now it won't fall apart."
"Thanks," he said quietly.
They stood in awkward silence for a moment.
"Syizen?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful tomorrow. This mission... something feels off about it."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know yet." Nida's brow furrowed slightly. "Just... stay alert. Trust no one."
"I trust you."
The words came out before he could stop them.
Nida looked at him. For just a moment, her expression softened. Her eyes met his, and something passed between them.
Then she turned away. "Get some rest. We leave at dawn."
He nodded and left.
Alone, Nida touched the spot on her chest where his pack strap had brushed against her.
Stop it, she told herself. Focus on the mission.
But the warmth lingered.
RENNA'S QUARTERS
In her private room, Captain Renna sat alone.
She pulled out a small, worn locket. Inside was a portrait of a woman. If you could see...
She closed the locket and tucked it away.
Tomorrow, she would lead a crew to hunt for "Princess Gloria."
END OF CHAPTER 7