Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Twenty Four

Important A/N! Read this! -- Okay, this is just a little reminder that I've written so many chapters this week. This will be my 3rd one in four days! I say this just to tell you to make sure you've read the last chapter before coming on to this one. It was a very important one!

Semi-important A/N -- Fearless is now in the process of a massive edit/overhaul. Guys, Fearless is so cringe-worthy as it stands now. I really thank you all for sticking through it!

A week later, General Zayn sat again in his office, rifling through papers. His work had piled up lately due to the research he'd been doing into Iris's long lost sister. Zayn was neglectful to start his paperwork again --not when the time could have been better spent. It was halfway through the morning, and the general still had not found his energy. He figured that was because he hadn't slept for but two hours last night. He'd stayed up far too late... and didn't that just feel like the story of his life lately?

He got to work even still, fighting exhaustion. He didn't get much done, however. The moment he'd found his groove with his papers, he was interrupted by short raps on his door. Zayn jolted up at the noise, almost as if he'd been startled by it.

"Come in," he called.

A soldier entered his room and saluted General Zayn respectfully. "I have a message for you, sir."

"Report."

"The area to the east has been claimed without much interference," he reported. "It took two days once your battalion arrived. It was a clean take. Congratulations, sir, on that." Now, the soldier handed Zayn's orders back to him, checked off as finished. "Also, you got a few people waiting to talk to you, they've piled up over the days you took off. Some of it is urgent by all reports and the rest is standard procedure. Should I send them in?"

Zayn sighed, but otherwise nodded. "Yes. Send them in. On at a time, if you please."

With a curt nod, the Eldian soldier took his leave. A few minutes later, another knock came.

"Enter," Zayn called, leaning back in his chair.

The door opened, and a person ducked under its frame, careful not to hit their head on the way in. The general took a good look at his first visitor --noticing immediately that this had to be just about the biggest damn person he'd ever seen. They stood at over six feet, with a fit body wrought of hard muscles and shoulders like an ox. The choice of attire only accentuated their might --a white sleeveless tunic tucked into thick breeches, and heavy, buckled boots. Whoever this was... they looked like a sergeant.

Zayn found the face with wide eyes. Even with the short, partially shorn hair... the long eyelashes and plushy lips painted a feminine face.

"Greetings, General Rothstead of Eldia," a thickly accented, female voice reverberated from the person's throat. Big, tattooed arms crossed over the woman's chest, and she ducked in a polite half-bow. Zayn was stunned to silence for a long moment, his eyes zipping from her face to her stocky legs and then up to a set biceps that were even larger than his own. This was a woman. Right?

"Greetings," Zayn finally coughed, regaining his composure. "And who might you be?"

"I hail from the Remorda Guardians, as the second-in-command of the order," she said, raising her head high. "I am referred to as Hench." And what a fitting moniker for her, Zayn thought to himself, his heart leaping at the mention of the guardians.

"Well, Hench of the Remorda Guardians, what can I do for you today?"

"First, you can allow my companion to join me," she said with a light smile. "He has our master's written request."