Jonan was walking forward with his cohort, his steps slow and his heart heavier than he would admit. His thoughts spiraled around Astrid, her face vivid in his mind, her reluctant smile. He had left her behind, and the guilt clung to his chest like a wet cloth. He questioned himself more than once now. Was he truly fit for this mission? Was he also just a burden they couldn't afford?
Elias, walking a few paces behind, had his eyes on Jonan. He had seen enough men like him over the years, young warriors, brave and bright, but with the weight of emotion clashing against the mission. Elias could almost hear the storm in Jonan's heart. With a soft breath that carried the weight of experience, he sighed. He understood, but there was no time for guilt here. Guilt in the wrong place would only get you killed.
Ahead, Edric and Marla marched with precise and indifferent poise. Theirs were the expressions of seasoned soldiers, stoic, unaffected by the solemn atmosphere. They were not unfeeling, but they were experienced with their missions. There was a difference, and it made all the difference in missions like these.
Elias finally broke the silence. A sharp cough, twice.
"We are close to the bestial area," he announced, his voice cutting clean through the air. "We should discuss our plan before entering their territory. Who knows if we will even have the time to talk at all once we're in?"
Jonan blinked, shaken from his brooding haze. He stood straighter, nodding slightly. There was no place for distractions anymore. He understood that now. One mistake could spell doom, not just for him, but for everyone here.
"Yes, Sir Elias," he said. "Please help us with the plan beforehand."
Elias smiled, though it was a brief, tight-lipped thing—more reassurance than joy. After a short walk, they halted by a gnarled tree with roots twisting like sleeping serpents. Elias knelt and pulled a scroll from the leather pouch slung over his side. The ancient parchment crackled as he unrolled it, revealing a map. He tapped a finger near the upper edge.
"Here we are," he said. "And just beyond this ridge, we will cross into the territory of the beast tribe. As you all understand, from this point on it will not be our human civilization. This is not our land. Here, we cannot simply walk freely or proudly. We can only move in shadows."
Jonan leaned in, eyes scanning every detail on the map. He didn't want to miss anything this time.
"Our mission," Elias continued, "is to find and eliminate a newborn abomination. Not easy, but far from it. Unlike us, the beastkin do not build cities. They dwell in tribal enclaves, hidden within dense woods, caves, and sometimes even in the carcasses of old beasts. They are born of nature and live with it, not apart from it. Which means everything will be foreign and hostile. It will be dark for us. We must move with care, patience, and caution."
Edric and Marla both gave quiet nods, absorbing the information without question.
"Now, listen carefully," Elias said. "These are the rules of engagement while in bestial territory. You will have to follow them to the letter."
He held up a hand, ticking off with each finger.
"First and foremost: No action is to be taken without my order. No matter what you witness. No matter what happens to one of us. If you see injustice, ignore it. If I'm wounded, or even killed, you do not reveal yourselves and place others in jeopardy. Understood?"
Jonan frowned. That felt wrong in his bones. Could he really stand still if Marla or Edric was attacked? He didn't know yet. But he would try. He had to.
"Second: We will be separated. We act alone. You'll keep a minimum distance of thirty meters from the nearest cohort member at all times. That way, if one of us is discovered, the others remain safe and uninvolved. No chain reaction. No entire unit exposed."
He let those two rules settle before continuing.
**"Third: No verbal communication while in the beastial lands."**
Jonan raised an eyebrow.
Elias nodded. "We'll use hand signals only. The basic ones we practiced were three fingers for regroup, open palm for stop, clenched fist for danger. No exceptions. The beastkin may hear us, even through thick forest. Their hearing is as sharp as their claws. They can smell fear, and bloodlust too."
Marla smirked slightly. "Good thing we don't carry fear, then."
Edric gave her a rare glance. "Not the time to be cocky."
"Fourth," Elias said, "we blend in. We will wear cloaks of mud, moss, and fur when we move past their main tribe. We use their land against them. Every tree is a cover for us to make use of. Every stone a step. You are not human in that territory, you are a shadow, a ghost."
He pointed back to the map, his hand now trembling slightly with tension. "Fifth—burn nothing, leave no trace. No campfires, no meals that leave a scent. You'll eat ration paste or root pods. We cannot risk a single smoke trail or meat smell attracting a scout or hunter."
"Sixth," Elias added, voice lower, darker, "if we encounter human children, do not take any action. Do not speak. Do not interfere. They are often used as bait. The beastkins, while not intelligent like us humnas, are highly dangerous and have sharp instincts.
Jonan's jaw tightened. It was hard to hear. But necessary.
"Seventh: Trust no one, and I mean no one." Elias now looked directly at Jonan, his gaze steady. "Some beastkin appear human. Some were human once and some are traitors. You may be tempted to speak to someone who looks like us, but remember this: abominations are shape changers too. Illusions and mimicry are their weapons."
Jonan's mouth went dry.
Elias sighed and continued. "Eighth rule: If you find the abomination… and you are alone… do not fight it. Mark the area with the symbol we discussed, a triangle in a circle, carved into the nearest surface and retreat. We engage as one, or not at all."
Marla asked, "And if it spots us?"
"Then you run," Elias said flatly. "No heroics."
"Ninth: Nightfall is our ally but also our threat. The beastkin prefers twilight. They hunt in dusk and dawn. During the full dark night, we rest in trees or cave ledges, no ground contact. During dawn and dusk, we hide. We move during the dead middle of night or the safest hours of day."
Edric muttered under his breath, "Safer's a relative word here."
Elias ignored the comment and pushed on.
"Tenth and final rule: If I am compromised if I fall under the influence, go mad, or give an order that contradicts what I've just said, do not obey. Follow the plan, not me at that time."
That one struck a chord, as everyone went silent.