Chapter 30: Suspicion.

Candle lights flickered back and forth as the sounds of people talking invaded Kalon's ears as he slept peacefully, wrapped in a blanket on a bed in front of an open fireplace.

"Where did you find him?" A man, wearing black clothes with golden fittings on, asked the Burt as he came into the room shivering from the cold outside.

"He was lying in the snowless than three hundred metres away from the wall, Sir. He seemed to be in pain and was calling for his mother. I couldn't leave him like that in the cold, so I wrapped him in my jacket and brought him back." Burt explained with his hands behind his back while tilting his head slightly back as he spoke to the man dressed in black.

"So you thought that it would be a good idea to bring him into the base and put everyone at risk for the sake of some random child?" The man in black asked with a disappointed look on his face. He seemed to be angry by Burt's choices, but it was too late to do anything about it.

Burt knew that he wasn't going to get out of trouble for apologising, so he stuck by his decision and looked the man dressed in black directly in the eyes as he spoke.

"Yes, General Enrich. I did. And I would do it all over again. I will not stand by and watch a child die if there is something that I can do about it. And I think anyone who wouldn't deserve to call themself human. They can go ahead and join the Sylton empire like the rest of the monsters." Burt spoke with determination to get his point across. Without the care, he could be fired from his job for talking to a superior officer with such disrespect.

But as he finished all that he had to say, they both stood in silence until General Einrich took a deep breath and sighed.

"I agree. Anyone who would turn their back on someone in need doesn't have a place in this army. Be that man, child or woman. If any of my men decided to put the needs of themself over the needs of civilians, then I will personally dispatch their heads from their shoulders.

You did an excellent job First Lieutenant Burt Stanford. You have my respect as a man. And as a reward for your heroics in saving this child's life, even though it could have cost you your own life, I have decided to take you off patrol duty. You will command a unit of ten soldiers and will be responsible for maintaining them in fighting shape." General Einrich shouted at him as if his words were an order and then stopped as he saw the puzzled look run across Burt's face.

"Is there something wrong with what I said?" General Einrich asked with an inquisitive tone. He sounded impatient and as though he couldn't wait for their interaction to be over.

"No, Sir. Erm, Well, it's just that you called me First Lieutenant. I am only a second Lieutenant, Sir." Burt explained as gently as he could to not cause distress to his boss.

"Well, not any more. First Lieutenant Burt Stanford, you are dismissed. Report to my office at sunrise to receive the praise that you deserve. But for now. Leave me." General Einrich said in a casual tone as Burt's eyes began to light up at the news of his promotion.

Burt didn't dream of being promoted when he rescued Kalon from the cold and knew full well that he could lose not only his job but his life if he brought a civilian into the camp. But he did so anyway out of fear that the child would die. As he heard the words from General Einrich, he couldn't believe it and wanted to spread the news, so as soon as he was dismissed, he turned on the spot and marched out of the room.

"Yes, sir!" He shouted before leaving the room entirely and then closed the door behind him.

The room fell silent for a few seconds before General Einrich looked around the room for a few seconds to make sure that he was alone before smacking his hand down on the table in front of him.

"Are you going to continue to pretend, boy!? I know you're awake. Now come over here." He demanded out before looking over to Kalon, lying on his side with his head against the pillow.

'How did he know I was listening?' Kalon thought as he slowly opened his eyes to the shadows of the candle lights swirling around the room before sitting upright and looking over at the muscular-looking man with long jet black hair sitting at a table at the other side of the room.

"Me?" Kalon naively asked as he looked over at the man with a smile, but the look on General Einrich's face said enough. He wasn't playing games and had already demanded Kalon to sit with him and was staring directly at him.

"Erm, sorry," Kalon said and then looked down at the ground before getting to his feet. His heart rate was thumping like crazy, and it felt as though the man could hear it from within his chest.

The more he worried, the more his heart rate increased until his chest began to feel tight and painful. It was as though his heart was being ripped from his chest as he panicked. He didn't want to move, but he knew that he had to.

But as soon as he put his weight on his legs, Kalon fell to the floor and hit his head on the ground.

"Ugh", He cried out in pain as he hit the ground.

'What's going on, he thought as he wondered what had happened to him.'

"So you're not faking your injuries? That's good. I was getting a little bit suspicious of you since you decided to eavesdrop on my conversation." The man said as he saw Kalon fall to the floor and look down in worry at his legs.

Footsteps echoed throughout the room as General Einrich made his way towards Kalon and then reached out his hand towards his neck.

"Here, take my hand. Let me help you." General Einrich said in the same strict voice but somehow managed to sound kinder as he offered his hand to Kalon to help him stand.

Kalon reached out towards him and grabbed his hand before being lifted from the ground and guided back onto the bed so that he wouldn't fall again.