Sharp stone slammed the outer ring of the target mounted on the outer wall of the base, marking it with a jagged hole.

  “Close, but you shifted your stance. Keep your feet shoulder width apart at a fourth five degree angle, torso facing forward and your arm straight. Perhaps hold your arm steady with your other hand,” Benjamin instructed as Heba huffed with frustration.

  “My focus wavers with your constant critiques, Aonufaya.”

  Through his brief Faiyan lessons from Yahmi, Benjamin knew anything starting with ‘ao’ referred to his heritage, generalizing Heba’s insults. Whether it was for better or worse, he couldn’t decide. There were a few insults she gladly translated for him, but that one she refused.

  “It’s called constructive criticism, different from your nagging scoffs.”

  Heba opened her mouth, then closed it, letting out a groan. Benjamin guessed what was running through her mind: Majadon’s exasperated sigh followed by “you two bicker as an elder couple.”

  While they were both irked by the comment, it always worked; that horrid thought always made them refocus.

  Majadon was not there, however, as she felt they were ready to train on their own. It took a few weeks, but they managed to tolerate each other —to an extent.

  After readjusting her stance as Benjamin suggested, Heba fired another shard toward the target. It struck just wide of the bullseye. It was her best shot yet. A hint of a prideful smirk came and went on Heba’s face, and despite her best attempt to hide it, Benjamin noticed. He couldn’t help but smile, too.

  “There you go. You’re starting to get the hang of it.”

  “Perhaps I am ready for thirty yards now,” Heba said pridefully, her chin lifted.

  “If you’re ready for thirty yards, I’m ready to spar against magic,” Benjamin said with a chuckle. Heba frowned and narrowed her eyes. “Start hitting the bullseye consistently, then we can think about moving you back.”

  Heba grunted, but did not protest further. By then, Xire had returned to them with the paper target.

  From his observations, companions practiced their shard shot against a barren wall. A good indicator for power, but not accuracy. Benjamin thought it best to use targets from the gun range, which drew quizzical glances from the other companions practicing, though he was used to that. To his relief, nor did it seem to bother Heba.

  This tactic seemed to work as her accuracy was improving quicker than expected. He was unsure if he should be proud, or concerned.

  After examining the target and taking note of her scores, they decided to take a break before reversing roles. As usual, they grabbed a small snack from the mess hall. On the way back, Heba asked between bites, “are you finally getting integrated here?”

  Benjamin stopped chewing and raised an eyebrow. Beyond basic conversation about their training —and her insults— they never talked casually. Their breaks were always in silence, save for her Faiyan conversations with Xire.

  When he didn’t answer, Heba averted her eyes. It was subtle, but he could see a look of… disappointment. Why did that make him feel guilty? He blinked away his thoughts and swallowed before finally answering. “Oh, I… guess so. At least with my new squadron at least. Yahmi has been a huge help with the culture shock. He even promoted me to sergeant already.”

  “I noticed your new insignia. Tahanina,” she said earnestly. Before he asked, she explained, “congratulations.”

  Benjamin glanced at his new patch. It was not elaborate like the guards insignia’s, only being a red triangle, but it gave him a sense of pride. Even if it was for the resistance, he was living his dream of rising through the ranks.

  He then glanced at Heba’s insignia: a red diamond with a claw mark above it. “First leutaniant, right?” He asked, pointing at it. If he was correct, it was the rank just above sergeant. “Is the mark above it in reference to your ichneumon?”

  Heba nodded. “The Claw of Ichardi, yes.”

  ”Is him being attached to you at the hip not enough of a warning?” He asked with a light chuckle.

  The ichneumon glared at him and snorted. Heba rolled her eyes. “Be that as it may, it is an official designation. Like how you will get one when you become a sniper scout. Do Aonachans not have those?”

  Hew thought for a moment. “Each corp, the Guard Corp, the Empire Corp and the Dragon Corp, has their own rank insignias, so there’s not really a need for specialized ranks.”

  Heba hummed.

  They then returned to the training field and finished their food. Before Heba could begin her lesson, Benjamin asked, “why do you all go to such lengths to keep the cavern in its natural state? In the base, everything seems so calculated in its design. I would have thought there would be more Faiyan architecture there.”

  Heba took a moment before answering, handing Benjamin his pads before donning her own. “In Faiyan culture, we have a strong sense of nature. Sure, we adore carving our masterpieces and architecture, but that is from bare stone. When the stone god, Ichardi, graces us with her natural beauty, we must do everything in our power to preserve it. The only reason we allow the dragons to train in the cavern is because it is the only viable option.” She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. “I assume you ask because Evelyn mentioned it when we observed her training?”

  He nodded. “How is she doing, by the way?”

  ”Does she not tell you?”

  ”Yes and no. When she talks about her training, she’s vague with details. And I never see her dragon, so I can’t tell if it— he’s satisfied or anything.”

  ”You do have an affinity for insulting her dragon like you do ichneumon,” Heba scolded. Benjamin grunted, but didn’t argue. He still had lingering doubts of the beasts intelligence, but in his efforts to gain their trust, he was trying to be more respectful. Heba then answered his question. “From what I saw, she is struggling, which is to be expected. Though most of the other riders gave her a hard time. She needs to stick up for herself.”

  “She won’t. I love her, but she’s too soft and too kind.”

  ”Perhaps some support from someone close would help. Someone like, oh I don’t know, her brother.”

  Benjamin looked at the ground. Instincts told him she was right, but his brain told him he was right. The guilt ate at him; it pained him to see Evelyn be so harsh on herself. However, she needed to see she was not meant to be a rider. If not to get her away from the dragon, but to keep her out of battle. Anything to get her away from this insurrection. If only there was more he could do to speed up the process. Anxiety built within him as all he was able to do was gather information.

  Information… That’s right, he thought. That commanders meeting is tonight. Information Yahmi let slip that he was most certainly not supposed to reveal. From what he could gather, it was supposed to be about imminent plans. If he could spy on that, perhaps he could find a way to escape safely.

  He shook his head. That was something he would have to think about later. He stood straight and stretched his arms. “Let’s just get started.”

  After the massive dragon, Foto retreated to the pen and the central light dimmed, Benjamin made his way through the barracks. Thankfully Heba and her ichneumon were no longer tasked with watching him.

  Along with the trust to not have a personal jailer, Benjamin assumed Fukayna did not have her ichneumon spying on him either, at least for the night. It was safe to assume Hafara would be in the meeting as well. All that stood between him and the base was a single watchman, who was promptly asleep as usual.

  Proceeding with caution, he made his way out of the barracks and into the dark base. Everything was still, the hum of the moonlit overhead light the only sound made. He tread carefully, taking quiet, measured strides.

  Eventually, he made it to the Burj Alzae as he learned Fukayan’s building was called. He pressed his back against the shaded side wall and waited.

  After a few minutes, he heard footsteps. It was a sizable crowd of humans and ichneumon alike. Risking a peak, he noticed many Faiyans, some with ichneumon, that he did not recognize. What he did recognize, however, was the five-point star patches on their uniforms, indicating their rank as a commander.

  With confirmation of Yahmi’s information, Benjamin examined the tower to find a vantage point to listen in on the meeting.

  The side of the building where he currently hid was darkly lit, the soft light of the street lamps blocked by the sharp angle of the stone. However, it was too steep to walk up and too smooth to climb. With the intricate design of the front of the building, there were many foot holds to climb, but he would surely be seen by a patrol from there. The only other option was to sneak inside.

  He could think of a few ways to get by the two guards normally stationed at the stairs, however, security would be tighter given how many high ranking officials were gathered.

  As the last of the commanders entered, he snuck around and peaked through a crack in the door. From there, he could only see a slim portion of the lobby.

  Four guards stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the conference room. The clank of boots stomping against stone told him there were at least two others as well. At least six guards posted meant his odds of sneaking in were slim to none. But he had been practicing with Yahmi.

  He retreated to the side of the building to sit down and formulate a strategy. Just as he began weaving together a plan that might work, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He whirled around and lurched back, hitting his head on the stone wall.

  Dazed, he stumbled and rubbed his head. When his vision came back into focus, he saw Heba and Xire intensely staring at him. He tried voicing any sort of excuse for being there, but the words tumbled out in an incoherent mess.

  Heba shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Aonufaya… You plan to spy on the commanders meeting by just walking in?” She asked in a hushed voice.

  Benjamin raised his arms in defense. “What? No, I… How did you know about that meeting?”

  That seemed to catch her off guard. She shifted her weight and scowled. “Irrelevant. But I guess I have to stop you now.”

  Benjamin smirked. “You were going to spy on them, too. Weren’t you?”

  Her face flushed, giving him his answer.

  ”So what, are you going to drag me in there to turn me in and ruin your own chances of sneaking in?”

  Heba stared at him for a moment, her eyes digging into his soul. But he matched her gaze. As her eyes narrowed, so did his. He paid no mind to her beast stepping forward.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  To his surprise, Xire broke the tension with the click of his tongue and a soft trill. Heba looked at her ichneumon. He flicked his tail and nodded. Heba sighed and looked back at Benjamin with a softer gaze. “So what was your plan exactly? Just waltz in and expect all of the guards to be blind?”

  ”I was… still thinking,” Benjamin grumbled. “Do you have any better ideas?”

  Heba looked at the tower. A sparkle in her eye appeared and with a sly smirk, she gave Benjamin a side glance. “Perhaps.”

  “This plan sucks,” Benjamin hissed.

  Despite his protests, they continued tunneling. Once again, he was enveloped by the mountain, unable to see an inch in front of him, and completely at the mercy of an ichneumon.

  He could not, however, counter this plan with another. So reluctantly, he followed them into the hole, hand on Heba’s back so he would not be crushed by the converging stone behind them.

  He tasted blood from his anxious lip biting. “How much longer? Do we have enough air? I feel out of breath,” he muttered in a word vomit.

  “We’ll have plenty of air if you stop panicking,” Heba growled through gritted teeth.

  “Can’t we go faster?”

  Benjamin heard a lower growl that must have been from Xire. Though with how annoyed she was getting, it would not be a surprise if it was Heba.

  “Excavation takes a lot of effort magically. Move too fast, not only would it drain Xire’s reserve, but another ichneumon could detect us,” Heba explained. Her beast then hissed softly. “Yes, especially him.”

  Fukayna’s beast, he imagined. He’d only seen glimpses, and of course been spied on by him, but that ichneumon held authority and power with every step he took. Of every beast in the base, Benjamin dreaded fighting him the most, besides the behemoth of a dragon the groundclaw was.

  To sooth his anxiety, he rubbed his face with his free hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. For the next few minutes, they maintained silence. Only when they stopped did Xire make any more noise. He indicated their arrival with the clacking of his teeth.

  Heba whispered something in Faiyan then turned to Benjamin. “We are on the second level. Follow my lead, stay low and keep quiet. If you get caught, we are not coming to your rescue.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  Heba hummed and pat Xire’s back. Slowly, a hole opened up in front of them. The yellow light from the wall lamps illuminated their tiny cave. The hole was just wide enough for them to squeeze through one at a time.

  Once through, they all crouched and the hole was sealed. Heba signaled them to move forward. Staying low, they took slow, cautious steps approaching the door leading to the conference hall. As they got closer, the low hum of voices became apparent. It was impossible to make out what was being said.

  Heba halted and raised a balled fist. She gestured to Benjamin and pointed at the ground next to her then placed her ear on the door.

  He understood her meaning, but furrowed his brow, doing charades to say ‘make a hole to go further.’ Heba only rolled her eyes and focused on listening, her ichneumon following suit.

  Benjamin looked around for a way to go further, but without ichneumon intervention, the only path forward was the door. A quick peek through the door’s window confirmed everyone would notice the door open no matter how slowly it swung.

  Begrudgingly, he placed his ear on the door, closed his eyes and listened.

  “The dragons are nowhere near ready.” An unfamiliar voice came through. It was slightly muffled, but clear enough.

  “Not only that, we ’aven’t heard from the others that escaped the power plant.” Another voice came through. This one Benjamin recognized and likely the reason they spoke Aonachan. “Has Midrib gotten word on their status?” Isak asked.

  There was a momentary pause. Even through the wall, Benjamin could feel the tension. “Per the latest confidential report, nineteen of the twenty one escaped dragons are here, confirmed recaptured or dead,” Fukayna said, her voice steady and firm. “We have Camadh and two of the eggs. Only one dragon is unaccounted for.”

  “That dragon is as good as dead,” a new voice said.

  “Aye,” the first voice agreed. “So our draconic help is just three hatchlings and a few broken dragons?”

  Someone slammed the table with a clenched fist, cracking the wood and making the walls vibrate. It was followed by a choir of growls from the many ichneumon present. Though one of the growls stood out. It was lower and fiercer, and angry. It must have been Isak’s dragon. But how?

  “Isak… Safir,” Fukayna said calmly.

  Another few seconds passed, then Benjamin heard a begrudgeoned sigh and the creaking of a chair struggling to hold the rider's weight.

  “Do not write them off so easily, Kamose. They can be helpful in more ways than one,” Majadon interjected. “Under these circumstances, we need all the help we can get.”

  “Agreed,” Yahmi said. “This was always going to be an uphill battle.”

  Who Benjamin assumed was Kamose grunted. “So what is the plan, then? Are we taking over the operation? We were only supposed to have Foto here; we are ill equipped for this.”

  “You of all people should know plans never go perfectly,” Yahmi said with a dry chuckle.

  “Then we need a new plan,” Kamose said, raising his voice.

  There was a momentary pause. Then, with her monotone voice, Majadon said, “The Qayad gave us a plan; a plan we will not like, correct, General?”

  Another pause. Benjamin felt anticipation rising.

  “Within the week, Base Cove will begin surface missions.”

  A mixture of protest and support erupted, making Benjamin reel back. Heba and her beast had the same reaction, but her expression was of bewilderment. It was hard to gauge if she loved or feared this prospect.

  “Alsamto!” With authority, Fukayna’s voice cut through the chaos, and the arguing halted. “We are not revealing ourselves to the empire, not yet. Reconnaissance will be the main priority.”

  “Though they are already suspicious given the jailbreak we helped with,” Yahmi said.

  “Not to mention the egg mission,” Kamose sneered.

  “Yes, which is why we must be careful. Limited Ichneumon exposure and civilian clothing. These folders contain your squadron's assignments in the coming weeks.” There was a thud then a skidding sound of paper, then a rumbling of people opening their files. “Yahmi, how soon can your recon team mobilize?”

  “Combatively, we are ready. But if we are talking reconnaissance… training is still required.”

  Benjamin felt a stab at his pride. The only person he would consider unready was him, and he thought he was doing well.

  “You have three days. The Qayad wants the last dragon found.”

  In the brief silence following a shuffle of papers, Benjamin assumed Yahmi read his mission brief. “If I may, why was this assigned to us? Would Majadon’s squadron not be better suited for this?”

  There seemed to be a rumble of agreement. Even Heba looked curious.

  “The Qayad was insistent.”

  “Would it have anything to do with Dahlia’s son?” The second unknown voice asked.

  Me? Benjamin thought.

  “Speaking of that, what has happened with her? Was this not her pet project?” Kamose asked, his voice starting to irritate Benjamin.

  Heba’s frown deepened and her gaze drifted at the mention of Benjamin’s mother. Her beast, however, perked up. Why they reacted that way, Benjamin knew not. Another mystery with those two.

  “She has been… reassigned. To what, I do not know. All that matters is our orders. Keep your troops alert and ready. Even you, Isak.”

  “Aye,” the rider replied.

  “The time for action is near, anything can happen on these missions. Get rested while you can and be prepared. Ichardi kun Maeak.”

  Benjamin and Heba reeled at the screech of wooden chairs dragging against stone and a cacophony of boots and claws clacking. Before Benjamin could react, Xire created a hole in the side of the building and leapt into it. Heba followed, but Benjamin, distracted by the lingering thoughts of his mother, hesitated. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.

  The door handle clanked down and Benjamin’s heart dropped. He was about to be caught.

  A pair of hands grab his collar and pull him toward the hole. Before he knew it, he was enveloped in darkness, pinned back against rough, pointed fur by another body on top of him. He started to groan, then he felt a cold, furry hand cover his mouth. It took him too long to realize it was Xire.

  A burning rage built within his chest and he was ready to throw the beast through the wall he just sealed. Though the cramped space prevented him from moving at all. Not to mention such a maneuver would reveal them to the commanders.

  The barrier between them and the crowd of commanders was thin enough that they could hear everything. Every step, every claw, every small conversation being had. The minute it took them all to leave felt long and drawn out. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought it was closer to an hour of being crammed inside a small hole, and panic started to grip his heart once more.

  When it finally grew quiet, Benjamin shifted, ready to bail; he was pressed closer to Heba than he would have liked, and he imagined Heba felt the same.

  The beast's grip tightened when he did, and he contemplated biting the creature. Then, he heard voices from the conference room.

  “I imagine Dahlia is not thrilled about this,” Majadon said.

  “Many decisions being made upset her.” Fukayna let out a drawn out sigh. “And I understand why she is upset, but it is the way it has to be, at least for now. She has not been this driven since…” the general’s voice trailed off.

  Heba’s beast’s paw twitched against Benjamin. Since what? He thought

  “There is a reason for everything. Evelyn and Benjamin will understand when the time comes.”

  ”I pray that you and the Qayad know what you are doing,” Majadon said as she started to walk away, her beast in tow. It made a soft chatter of its teeth, and Fukayna’s beast responded in kind, leaving just Fukayna and Hafara.

  The pair stayed there in silence for an uncomfortably long time. Benjamin’s legs were now asleep and his back spasmed. He didn’t know if he could stay still much longer.

  Finally, he heard the screech of a chair scraping stone and a pair of footsteps growing louder. They stopped just in front of the wall Xire had sealed. Benjamin held his breath, and everyone tense their muscles.

  Heba and Xire relaxed a tad when Hafara made a snarling squeak.

  “I know,” Fukayna said, a hint of exhaustion in her voice. “But we must… for everyone’s sake.”

  Finally, they continued toward the stairs, leaving Benjamin, Heba and Xire alone.

  After burrowing for another half hour, they breached the outer wall of the base. They all tumbled out, gasping for air.

  Xire had worried that, if they went inside again, Hafara would hear them, so they forged a smaller tunnel from the haphazardly made hole they used to evade detection. Given its rushed nature, they nearly ran out of air.

  Benjamin rolled onto his back and stared at the cave ceiling. He hadn't really looked at it before. It was smooth, extremely so. For a normal human, it would take years to perfect a rounded dome like this. If they weren’t an enemy, he’d think ichneumon would make fantastic architects for the empire. Alas, it was not meant to be.

  He took a deep breath and sat up. Heba knelt next to her beast, who crouched low, her breath heavy as well. Not only was Xire out of breath, Benjamin imagined he was dangerously low on magic, too.

  Benjamin crawled to the corner of the building and peeked at the front. No sign of any lingering commander or ichneumon. The only people out and about were the few nightly patrols and an ichneumon with its companion going for a midnight run. He exhaled and returned to Heba.

  “Coast is clear. Is he alright?”

  Heba said something in Faiyan to the beast, and Xire nodded, making a strained groan. “He’ll manage.” She stroked his mane and helped him to his paws. Then she looked at Benjamin with a raised brow, silently asking him why he was still there.

  Benjamin licked his lip, dried blood staining his cracked skin. “Thanks,” he said. “For helping me. You didn’t have to do that.”

  Heba scoffed. “I only did it because had I not, it would have jeopardized us. Think nothing of it.”

  “I assume you heard what you wanted, starting missions that is.”

  Heba thought for a few seconds. Her hands paused the pets she gave Xire and her face grew serious. “I want to take the fight to the empire as much as any Faiyan for what they did to our people, and what they continue to do to our people. But something feels… wrong. It’s a sudden change in tone from the Qayad. Before, we were so focused on staying in the shadows, not daring to risk our cause being revealed. Not to mention we expected at least half of those now dragons to make it. Something’s not right. I—” Their eyes met and she seemed to remember who she was talking to and quickly shut her mouth.

  Frustration bellowed in Benjamin’s chest. He thought he’d gained enough trust to hear more of her concerns. But she might have thought they’d finally won him over; gotten him to commit fully to the resistance. Perhaps she didn’t want to risk pushing him back to the empire with her concerns. Still, he wanted to know more.

  “Keep this information between us,” Heba said sternly. “Not even your sister can know, not yet. We need more information. Am I clear?”

  His jaw clenched and his brows furrowed. He didn’t know what he hated more, her telling him to keep his sister uninformed, or the fact that she was right.

  They couldn’t make any decisions until they knew more. Though he was already thinking of ways to use these missions to escape, the meeting did not give him all the answers. He needed to find out more before finalizing a plan and bringing it to Evelyn, else he risked her distancing herself from him, or worse, tell someone else about his ultimate goal. So, with a nod, he agreed to stay silent for now and they parted ways for the night.