He was a man in his early thirties, almost as tall as Lith, standing 1.8 (5'11") meters tall with pitch-black hair and eyes. His pale blue uniform had one large black silk band around the right arm with several golden marks knitted on it.
Each mark represented a fallen member of an elite army corps during the current week. Even though the Griffon Kingdom was in a privileged position, they kept losing good people on a daily basis.
All the upper echelons of the Kingdom wore such bands to be reminded of the consequences of their actions.
"Ranger Acala has already explored the complex while Ranger Verhen has proved time and time again to be a one-man army. It offers us a perfect combination and the opportunity to test the buddy system for the Ranger corps." Berion said.
"With all due respect, sir, I work best alone. All I need is a detailed report of the complex's location and layout." Lith already had a partner. Compared to Solus, Acala was dead weight.
"I agree with Ranger Verhen, sir." The simple act of saying those words turned Acala's face into a disgusted grimace.
"After the prolonged isolation, I'm in dire need of rest and food. Time is of the essence, so if Verhen thinks he is able to handle himself, he should be allowed to go in alone." Acala wanted to be left out of such a plan.
He could already see the final report in the case the mission succeeded. Lith would get all the glory and he would barely be mentioned in the footnotes.
"Two against one. Too bad the army is not a democracy." Berion had his first laugh in days seeing the hostility between the two men laid bare in front of him.
"The fact that you both agree is the start of a wonderful comradeship. Ranger Verhen, no report can replace first-hand experience. If the vampires move even a rock to place a trap, Ranger Acala would notice. Having been trapped there for days I'm sure he paid close attention to the slightest details.
"Ranger Acala, I don't see any wound on you and judging from your flight speed, you're more than fit for the mission. I expect you to move out in the next ten minutes. Is that clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir." The two Rangers said in unison.
"Cut back on the alcohol and switch to water." Lith handed Acala a still steaming steak sandwich and a jug of fresh water. "I officially got a ten minutes break and I'm going to spend it with my girlfriend."
When Lith Blinked away, surrounding himself with the Hush spell and proving to his fellow Ranger the complete lack of trust between them, Acala almost choked on his meal.
'What the fuck is that? I spent ten years of my life, enduring sweat, tears, and blood for my country. All I got for it is a minor noble title and a land in the middle of nowhere. How come a little runt gets all the honors and a hottie?
'When I was still on active duty, if I wanted company, I had to pay for it. No one is supposed to like Rangers!' Acala bit the sandwich with fury, his green eyes never left Lith's standing figure in the distance as he ruminated about life's unfairness.
"Buddy system or not, I've sent you Acala's full report along with his personal file and the attack force he had requested to take down the vampire nest." Kamila had gone to the bathroom and used Jirni's code to make sure that their conversation would stay private.
"I don't trust that guy. He whined all the time and left you for dead. I'm digging up his past exploits to give you an idea of his specializations and how he employs them. Just in case he tries something funny."
"Thanks, Kami. You're the best." Lith skimmed through the data, noticing that the most relevant parts had already been underlined. Kamila had prepared them while Berion was still talking.
Lith didn't know whether to be proud of her paranoid behavior or just worried.
'I wonder who between me and Jirni is the worse influence on her.' He thought.
'My money is on Jirni.' Solus said. 'You try to keep her out of the worst shit that happens to you, whereas Jirni rubs Kamila's nose in it to teach her how a Royal Constable survives.'
"You better remember it while you're out there surrounded by pretty noblewomen." Kamila's laugh made his day.
"What about you? I bet that by following Jirni all day long, you got a line of suitors as long as the Kusha route. Do I have to get jealous?" Lith asked.
"Not really. Lady Ernas kills the mood in a room just like she does anyone else. Even when she's not with me, no one is brave enough to face the guards bearing the Ernas insignia. Jokes aside, do you think Acala will drag you down?" Kamila looked at her amulet's watch.
Their time was running out.
"He doesn't seem incompetent like a noble nor annoying like Ranger Eari. As long as he does his job properly, I'll manage."
By the time Lith returned to the camp, Acala was done eating and was taking a nap. The first thing one learned in the corps was to keep their temper in check, the second was to sleep whenever they could.
Lith stored everything inside his pocket dimension before waking him up.
They agreed on reaching their destination by flight. Dimensional magic was mana expensive and they preferred to save their strength.
'Solus, analysis.' Lith thought while Acala led the way.
'Bright blue core and excellent physical condition. For a human. Judging from his file, he lacked both the ambition and the luck necessary to rise among the army ranks. Talent wasn't his problem.
'Ranked second overall at the Fire Griffon academy, two specializations, Battle and War Mage, plus a third as Healer achieved during his service. My estimate is that, unlike you, he lived during peaceful times.
'No conflicts also mean no opportunity to shine. Long story short, peace crippled his wings and now that things got "interesting", he's eager to make up for the lost time. I'm afraid that your coming ruined his plans to finally become a hero.
'The attack plan Acala proposed to Berion revolves around himself. Glory hog much.' Solus was memorizing Acala's file while Lith focused on their surroundings.
'So Kamila's gut was right. He might really try to take me out just to fulfill his ambition.' Lith was mildly amused, but not surprised. Acala had done very little to hide his feelings of envy, and the bloodlust he had released after learning that Kamila was Lith's girlfriend had sealed the deal.
'Too bad that, as the guide, he is the one who has to entrust his back to me. I had already planned to make an "accident" happen to him in the case I need to go all out or we discover the secret behind perfect undeath.
'I can't risk mister boy scout ratting me out or delivering my prize to the Royals just to get his 15 minutes of fame. The undead's dimensional sealing array will be my best ally, preventing the amulets from working.'
Solus had many issues with killing innocent people, but the more she knew Acala, the harder it was to consider him as such.
