THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 242: 242. MISSION BEGINS

From the Tagayia Collegium to the outer city of Alika was not a long way, and they were at the planned meeting before the early hours of the morning. Once Sagiri and his squad gathered, the other squad could meet them. True to the matter, as if someone had been watching the place waiting for their arrival. Less than half an hour later, the other squad gathered. Tsaka was not with them, but Sagiri and the captain of the squad had already gone through the skeleton of the plan.

Once the two squads gathered, there was a clear distinction in rank and skill. Even with their faces covered, they still looked intimidating.

Squad Sagiri now contained thirteen members, and the other squad, thirty elite warriors. Sagiri could not help but think that they were members of the shadow corps. The thirty members of the elite squad were under Captain Yoka. Perhaps his being from the Anki clan was the major reason he was put at the head of the mission. The role of the Yoka squad was only to offer support if needed and to pull out the warrior cadets if necessary. It would be tragic for warrior cadets to die on a secret mission. Sagiri had a feeling that the other reason they were there was to kill him if he strayed from the plan, but there was no need for that.

”Is this all the team you gathered, Thirteen warrior cadets?” Yoka asked as soon as they were all gathered.

”Yes.”

”Who is the strategist you talked about?” Yoka moved to the centre of the circle. Sagiri turned to look for Kiuga, but kiuga had already stepped forward.

”That would be me,” Kiuga said, smiling ear to ear. Squad Yoka did not look impressed at all. Yoka turned around to size Kiuga up, and Kiuga was so kind as to give him a 360-degree view that could have earned him a beating from Kaka, but the environment was so tense that Sagiri could feel the intimidation rolling off his team. It would be difficult not to be intimidated by the yoka squad. Sagiri had explained a bit about them on the way, parts of the mission, and what had happened. Part of it.

”The southerner refused to trust our strategist. I hope I don’t have to come to your rescue before you even touch Tatani.” Yoka said. It didn’t sound like mockery but a warning. ”What have you come up with?”

”Well, I can’t really say I have come up with anything,” Kiuga started resting his hand under his chin. He was the only one still smiling in the tense environment.

”I can’t believe the general agreed to this,” Yoka cursed.

”The information I have of Tatani is just too meager. I plan to gather more information about them and understand their terrain, power structure, and approximate manpower and level of hostility before I can make a plan.” Kiuga said. His logic was sane enough. Kiuga was not one to make a plan when he did not yet have facts.

”So your plan is to come up with a plan in the future?” This time, it was Yoka’s vice captain who spoke. Tavora, who spoke. They were a brutal bunch.

”If the southerner has not told you this, I will. My squad will not in any way interfere with the mission but only offer support when necessary. That being said, I am not willing to bet my team on any undercooked plan...” he paused for a moment, and his eyes looked around at nothing in particular as if he was listening to something.

”Didn’t you say that your team is made up of thirteen members?” Yoka made a hand signal, and there was a rushed movement before there was silence.

”Yes. I only brought twelve,” Sagiri said. He knew what Yoka was asking him about, but he had been too tired to care about the addition.

”Then who is this wearing the college combat suit? A spy?” Yoka said right as two of his squad, who had disappeared, came back dragging someone. ”Aren’t your senses supposed to be the sharpest?” his tone was thick with warning again.

”I know she has been following us since before we left the Tagayia collegium,” Sagiri answered as the circle split and a way formed for Lira to be dragged forward and be dumped at the centre.

”And you didn’t stop her? Why? ” Tavora asked.

”She is not my priority. She can follow me all she wants. She is not in my squad.” Sagiri said, looking at the girl who had not stopped looking at him since she was brought in. She did not look guilty in the slightest. Just what part of him telling her ’no’ did she not understand?

”We can not have someone following us. I will have her sent back to the war college.” Yoka said with slight irritation this time. It was clear he was not pleased with the level of incompetence ever since they rendezvoused.

”I don’t want to go back. I want to go with you,” she said, looking straight at sagiri and sagiri was beginning to regret not killing her.

”And I already said no.” Sagiri was at the end of the rope. He simply did not have time to go back and forth.

”She has already heard of the mission anyway. We can’t afford for anyone not on this team to know about our whereabouts.” Tavora said. ”Let her come with us. You two can solve your love squabbles when the mission is done.”

Sagiri wanted to correct him, but he was more irritated that Lira was now on his squad. She was like a weed that could not be dug out, and that was choking him.

”If you do anything that goes against this mission, I will kill you myself,” Sagiri warned instead. He meant every word. If she was on the mission to sabotage it and cause anything to go wrong, he was not going to stand for it.

”Yes.” She nodded vigorously. Was she even right in the head? Did she not even understand the lines between friendship and amenity?

”Now that that is out of the way. You warlings can’t go out looking like this. It will draw too much attention.” Yoka said.

Losing the uniforms and wearing regular outfits was the next step of the plan, and carrying regular bags. They would not move in one group, and they were broken into smaller groups by Yoka to avoid drawing attention. Just his luck, Sagiri was stuck with Lira while everyone else was broken into teams of three. They will have to move through the central plains until we are far south enough, then go west. Avoiding as much contact as possible with the West was the best option so far.

The central plains council did not wish him dead, and so they would not be looking for him. They would regroup and rest when they got to the Anki tribe. Moving on foot would take them at least a week. The teams, even separated, were still just a few thousand feet apart from each other, the most. It would take Squad Yoka less than a week, but since they were basically watching the mission, they had to cut their pace.

”We move out!!” Yoka gave the command just as daylight broke.