The Fifth unit of the red army started regrouping around nightfall.
On paper, their mission was simple. Arrest a young woman, sitting alone, in a hut.
5 minutes ahead of the action, Idir, the youngest of the unit, felt uneasiness in his chest. In fact, ever since this mission was announced, he felt it was a bad idea. Although they maintained a confident facade, he could sense that his comrades were starting to fret. Something was oozing from that hut. Some sort of waves. Not particularly malevolent, but not inviting neither. It was clear that the girl was not keen on company, and Idir and his unit felt it in their bones.
Freda, referred to as the red witch, was an emblematic figure in Darkhen. She was allegedly a descendent of the legendary Khen, and -most importantly- she was the sister of the dissident Chi, the most wanted individual in the red government’s bounty list in all of the Ghentii region. Together with Chi and their brother Mao, they were the ultimate threat to the red government's hold on Darkhen.
Idir's uneasiness did not wane. The 3 siblings were virtually impossible to spot. They were known for their ability to disappear deep into the spiky mountains. It was obvious to him that their knowledge of her reappearance was not a coincidence.
Worse yet, he knew that his superiors also thought the same, yet they dispatched his unit anyway. To them, this was the beginning of a chess game, and his unit was the puny pawn you sacrifice to get the game going. They knew it was a trap but they had to react, otherwise, they'd look weak.
The last couple of weeks have been eventful he thought. First, Mao came out of nowhere and attacked the outer fortress. He successfully took hold of it, but was then arrested when the army was dispatched. Ever since he has been brought to the town square every day and whipped publicly. A hundred resounding slashes on this bareback and torso, as a demonstration from the Reds that such dissent will not be tolerated.
Now, Freda is appearing out of thin air as well, although not showing any particular signs of aggression. She did, however, leak the information of her presence in Darkhen to the public somehow, and it's creating waves of agitation. The Reds can not sit still on such information, else rumors of the Dragon might start to resurface.
Nevertheless, those two appearances are not mundane. The pot is stirring and a boiling point is soon to be reached. Idir could it feel around him more and more. He was of the dragonfolk and all around him were rumors of the resurrection of the Dragon.
Idir was conflicted. He was dragonfolk and resented the Red's government and its treatment of his people. He heard stories about the life under the Khens, the Dragon kings, and hoped they were true. On the other hand, he was a slodier, employed to maintain the peace over Ghentii, regardless of its ruler. He always viewed his role as a peacekeeper. A peace that might not be perfect, but a peace nonetheless. That is what he fought for. He heard murmurs of the Dragon's ressurection and the three brothers, but he did not believe in legends and fairytales, and preferred an imperfect order rather than possible chaos.
Idir train of thought was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. A big, bald man with a dark wheat-colored skin was looking at him with a smile. The man had no uniform and didn't seem to belong to a particular unit. He seemed older than anyone else present.
"Stress is of no use here, you're just doing your job" said the old man
"I didn't know bounty hunters were summoned for this mission" retorted Idir
"Whenever a bounty is up, you will find one of us" he answered, in reference to the long-term open bounties on Freda and Chi. The bounty on Mao having been recently removed.
"We have a full unit here. Please do not interfere with our work" "If we fail, She's all yours"
"I'm afraid I can't do that" said the old man "I really need the money" he added with a big smile as he gestured towards the where the unit was. No one was there.
Idir was thunderstruck. All of his unit disappeared into thin air. "Where did they go? What did you do? Who are you?"
"I'm not going to tell you any of that, but it doesn't matter anyway. We have a mission to do"
"What do you mean?"
"You're going to help me get that money!"
"What did you do with my unit old man?" Idir insisted
"They will be back soon enough" replied Manong. "Don't worry about what's behind you, look forward" he added, pointing to the hut.
"She is the red witch!!! we can't go in alone"
"Let me worry about Freda, you just bear witness" said Manong, as he calmly walked towards the door.
Idir followed briskly.
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