Erik! Wake up!

  I jolted upright in the medical tent, cold sweat running down my chest. The nightmare of the blue Guardian still clung to my mind—its faceless hood, the words "green hair" echoing, the bombardment of its dripping flail. In my horrific dream, it had killed my friends, I was powerless to do anything. Just like how it was, my Third Form wore out. I had to get stronger… I can’t let anyone die.

  Thanks for waking me, I told Fern.

  You were having a nightmare, and when you have those, it bleeds into me, not what you see, but what you feel. You okay? He asked.

  Yeah, just a bad dream.

  I looked around. It was night, and I was laying on a cot inside the medical tent. We were fifty yards from the doors we'd fought for, and the two Guardians were nowhere to be found. Outside the medical tent, smaller gatherings of Expeditionary Forces were held. Everyone was celebrating, it seemed. I looked back into the medical tent and saw the cost of that supposed celebration.

  All the cots were full. Each held wounded Cinders—many bandaged like me, some missing limbs, and a few who wouldn't make it through the night.

  "Don't move that neck," a nurse said, approaching. "Jessa! Bring TS Paste.” The nurse lifted my head up and inspected my arms. “And gauze!"

  A young girl, Jessa, I assumed, ran up. She was a Forgeman with tattooed arms whom I had seen before in the background. She was usually following the medical Cinder unit and had joined the Expedition to continue her learning. She ran over carrying a box of supplies, and the nurse took a vial of yellow ointment.

  "What's that?" I asked.

  "TitanSnail paste," Jessa said. "Heals fast, sure, but it burns like hellfire." She poured it onto her calloused hands, smoke rising from her palms. "You've been warned."

  "Wait, is this really neces—"

  She pressed her hands to my wounds. Fire raced through every cut. I tried to twist away, but Jessa held me down with surprising strength.

  "Stop! It hurts! I’d rather heal slowly!"

  "No can do. We need you ready," the nurse said.

  “Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion and pain.

  “Orders from Spiderbane!” The nurse smiled.

  The pain overwhelmed me until I passed out again.

  ———

  Hours later, I woke to find Silas reading by lamplight—he'd clipped a light to his book, the innovative bastard.

  "About time!" he said. "The nurses went to eat. We're filling in."

  "We?"

  Mel slapped my shoulder. "You think we'd leave you alone?" Her grin flashed in the lamplight.

  I sat up, and began testing my body. The wounds had healed remarkably well.

  "That TitanSnail paste is something," I said.

  “It’s valuable stuff,” Silas said. “Aparentally, Spiderbane wants some Foregmen for a special task, and you’re one of them, so she approved the use of it. Resets bones and everything. I think a whole bottle of it could sell for a modestly sized home out in Stylos.” He stretched and closed his book before looking at Mel. “Should we?”

  Mel nodded. “Yep. Erik, you ready?"

  I moved my shoulder in a circle and flexed my toes. Everything seemed to be in place. “Do I have a choice?”

  —————

  "The final hero arrives!" Lucile Spiderbane called from the head table beneath the massive double doors. The other Expedition leaders sat with her while surviving Cinders spread out below. Some were feasting; but most were just sitting quietly, reflecting on the battle, and the ones lost.

  "How did the other Guardian fall?" I asked.

  "We handled it," Usiast grunted. "Would've gotten both if those imps hadn't swarmed us. The blue one vanished at one point and if it wern’t for Mel hearing the shockwaves below, we would have never found you or the girl.”

  "Forgewoman Raine," I corrected.

  Lucile stood. "Regardless, good job. Well, I guess the praise should really go to Silas. He saved both your lives." She gestured to him, and my friend blushed. "The Guardian was protecting its private worship space.”

  “That’s… odd what does a Guardian need worship for? Arn’t they just mindless creatures?”

  “Who knows, what matters is that they have been defeated, and for the first time in Cinder history, the mysteries of the Fifth floor will be known to us. Which… is where you children come in.” She studied me. “You, Forgemen, performed admirably today. But now I need your rested bodies again."

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  "For what?" Mel asked.

  "Most of my men are either exhausted or wounded. We came with five hundred, and we lost over two hundred."

  I turned, shocked. Looking closer at the survivors below us, I saw the truth. Friends had been separated, brothers and sisters in arms were missing people. The Cinders had tears, clenched fists, and hollow stares into the fires. There was no real celebration here.

  "Was it our—"

  "Your fault? No, we weren't prepared for the imps or their poison. The deaths were... tragic. But as Cinders we know the cost. We know that when we die, our brothers and sisters carry our will forward so that our deaths have meaning.” Her voice went flat. “We all know that. We all know it’s when, not if.”

  Lucile paused for a moment, finished her cup of wine, and coughed. “Like I said, we must move forward. No Cinder has passed these doors. We don't know what the Guardians were actually guarding, and with the mounting pressure of the Magebloods threatening to invade our home again, we are left with no choice but to keep moving forward. To go through these doors and pray that we find something to change the course of history. Something to change the tide and keep the Cinders alive.”

  She looked directly at me. "You understand what I'm asking?"

  "You're suggesting the Forgemen scout ahead? Because the other Cinders are… tired?” I asked.

  Lucile rubbed her forehead, “You make it sound like we want to throw you into a snake’s pit. “Look, time is limited, every day counts, and every day we are away from the Academy, the more exposed we leave it. Now, the Forgemen will split into teams of three, each led by a Firebrand or Blazeman. I wont you gone for three days max. Three days to scout the Fifth Floor. Take notes of any creatures, unusual terrain, or ancient ruins. Stay unseen even by the insects. Do you understand? Map terrain, identify threats, then report back."

  Heda, the blonde-haired Firebrand and friend of Hakashi, spoke up. “And exactly are we picking these… babysitters?” She had a somewhat snobby look about her.

  “I will send my most trusted subordinates… like you Head.” Lucile tilted her head with a smile. Heda sulked in her seat and the Infernal continued. “These Forgemen are rested, they are smaller, and quicker, and since most lack full infusions, you'll prioritize stealth over fighting."

  "Why not wait for reinforcements?" I asked.

  "Because if we return with news that we killed the Guardians but lost two hundred trained Cinders, Pyrarch Thorn will terminate the whole mission." She leaned forward. “We are here making history. We will not turn around when greatness could be just behind those doors.”

  I nodded and have a salute. Lucile smiled. “Good, ah! I almost forgot.” She pulled out a small vial of glowing black blood.

  "Waelid!" she called. “Box!”

  Waelid ran up with Galina and had a brown wooden box in his hand. He opened it up and in the box two other vials of glowing blood lat inside. Lucile handed over her vial of glowing black-red blood, and Waelid added it to the case—Guardian blood from all three we'd killed. They were keeping it safe, to one day give to someone for their own blood infusion. The thought alone made my body shiver.

  Infernal Spiderbane dismissed us. “I’ll send over your Firebrands and have them split you up into teams. You leave within the hour."

  I tapped Silas's shoulder as we walked down the stairs. "I need to check on Noah before we go. Stall if they come looking."

  He clasped my hand. "Make it quick, what if you end up on a different team?”

  “Don’t worry so much, it’s not like we will die if we aren’t on the same time,” I said running off.

  ———

  The guard at the storage tent was asleep. I slipped past him, quietly undid the chains, and opened Noah's iron coffin.

  He lay motionless, still ice-cold and stuck in a suspended state, not really did, nor alive. Just frozen.

  "We're scouting the Fifth Floor," I whispered, gripping his shoulder. "If you wake and I'm not here, just... wait for me. Please don't wake until I'm back."

  Nothing. Not even a twitch. But I knew my brother was trapped somewhere inside. I knew that he could hear me like how Fern can hear others.

  "I'll free you. I swear I will not give up on you.”

  Footsteps shuffled behind me. I spun to find Raine by the supply crates, arms crossed.

  "Infernal sent me. We're leaving," she said quietly.

  “What? It hasn’t even been an hour yet!”

  She shrugged, our Firebrand wanted to leave early.

  “Wait… our Firebrand? Are we on the same team?”

  “Apparently… I am not of fan of this whole thing. It goes against protocol.” She turned around chewing on her lip.

  She actually spoke! Fern said, suddenly alert. And her voice is—

  Fern. Focus.

  "Now?" I asked.

  "Yes now.”

  ——

  Outside, another Forgeman waited, the monk looking kid. He was bald, with dark skin, and the deep blue eyes of a Veclan.

  “Hello Brother," he said, bowing. “My name is Nanda, you may call me brother if you wish.”

  "Erik. So we're a team?"

  “Yes, you, and Sister Raine—”

  “Just, Raine,” She said with her back towards us as we followed her.

  “Ah, apologies Si— Raine. Yes Brother Erik, the Spiderband has assigned us together. She believes we have complimentary skills.

  “I can’t believe she is making me do this too,” someone mumbled behind me. I flinched at the sudden voice and twisted around.

  Hakashi was approaching, hands in his pockets, silver hair swept over one eye, and a black mask that covered his now, lips, chin and neck. He looked exhausted and irritated. He looked… burnt out.

  "Infernal's punishing me for letting you two get dragged underground," he continued, eyeing Raine. “I should've kept better track of you, and now I'm paying for it." He continued to complain as he took the lead.

  "Firebrand Hakashi," Raine said flatly, and bowing her head.

  Hakashi stopped and faced us, while we scrambled to attention next to eachother.

  "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with. Look, three days. That’s all I’m asking for. Three days of laying low, nothing like getting dragged into a pit with demonic flying imps, or breaking every bone imaginable below your tail bone. Nothing. Let’s go up now, get there early, and leave early." He led us to the group of other Forgemen and Firebrands gathering up their own squads. He had us each grabbed a prepacked backpack and then started toward the doors. “We will stay quiet, stay hidden, and hopefully come back in three days to report nothing of interest."

  “Yes sir,” We said following him.

  This is the same guy who was so intense during the drills? Fern asked.

  I think he’s exhausted of doing things. He's pissed about the assignment.

  Nanda walked beside me as we followed Hakashi. "First impressions?"

  "Of you or him?" I asked smiling.

  “The Firebrand Brother. Do you think we are in good hands?"

  "Let's just say we should probably rely on our own.” I shrugged.

  Nanda laughed quietly. “I like you Brother.” He punched my shoulder lightly with one of his fists.

  We passed the head table where Lucile and the other Expeditionary leaders were deep in drunken arguments. I caught sight of my friends—all separated into different teams. Silas raised his arm, and I raised mine. I waved goodbye, and turned to follow our Firebrand.

  Hakashi had cracked one of the large doors open, and stepped inside.

  "Inside, quickly, keep moving,” he said, ushering us through. As we stepped inside we were covered in complete darkness.

  A green glow emanated from Hakashi's hand, lighting up the small passageway we were in. "Don't talk unless necessary. We don't know what… or who is listening."

  We followed his light into the tunnel leading upward, toward whatever the Guardians had died protecting.