Kyzo perched on the lowest bough of the maple tree as his companions rested. He could not rest himself, for he was too excited for the mission ahead. His elven eyes scanned the surrounding swamp for any sign of nearby danger, but only found the now familiar forms of the alligators floating in the cool water. They resembled the mossy logs that also drifted down the river. Complete with buzzing dragonflies that teased the toads.

Kyzo’s ears twitched as Elucard climbed down and sat down next to his apprentice. Elucard pinched a mosquito between his fingers, squashing it before it could sample his blood.

“Disgusting creatures, mosquitos.” he wiped the bug juice on the bark. “Kyzo, you need to conserve your energy, go get an hour of sleep while you still can.”

Kyzo brushed his chin on his knee and turned to Elucard. “Tell me about the Varis War. Was it anything like this one?”

“You’ve heard the stories many times from Lear. What else do you need to know?”

Kyzo swung his body to face his master and crossed his legs, neatly balancing on the strong branch. “I need to know how it changed you?” He paused before finishing his thought. “And will it change me?”

Elucard was taken aback from the question. “Changed me, huh?” He took a moment to ponder the query. He thought carefully about what to exactly tell Kyzo. Would he speak about losing Trek and that his death would weigh heavy on his mind? That the loss of a student would be a trial for things to come and that creating ARO was a need for redemption? The Varis war did change him. It was an ugly blemish on his already scarred life.

“Varis changed me no more than any other moment in my life had.” A half truth. Kyzo could live with that. “But will this war change you? The short answer is, yes.”

Kyzo frowned. “In what way?”

Elucard pursed his lips. What could he say not to diminish his student’s morale? “You will become stronger—battle hardened.”

“Battle hardened?”

Elucard nodded slowly, unsure if that was the correct answer.

“I like the sound of that.”

Elucard gave the boy a gentle smile. “Get some sleep, Kyzo.”

***

The path that the squad took eventually led to firmer ground. No longer an obstacle course of endless water and tree hopping, but now a mud covered road. Elucard trudged through the muck and puddles dragging his feet through the mud while the weight of the mission laid heavily on his mind. Mave had only replied with short glares and sarcasm after the alligator incident. The unit’s cohesion was near breaking point. He had burned this bridge, much like his burned bridge with Wiccer.

“There should be an orc village up ahead. Mave, take point; my men will be in the shadows in case of an ambush,” said Elucard.

“Do you think us harekins can handle such complicated orders?” sneered Mave.

Elucard ignored the jab and slit his eyes. “Don’t get yourself killed.”

“Aye, aye, fearless leader,” said Mave as she used a finger to pull down her lower eyelid and stuck out her tongue.

Mave waited for the Anti-Rogue Operatives to vanish from sight before addressing her soldiers. “Look alive, mates. We’ve been entrusted with making a deal with these bloody orcs and I don’t like them, not one bit.”

Bruce punched his hand. “Weapons drawn, Captain?”

Corso shoulder his crossbow and Quinn gleefully played with a dagger.

Mave shook her head. “No, we need to look like we are willing to be allies, but keep your wits sharp. ARO claims to have our backs, but I don’t want you all to lean on that crutch, SMO can give as good a licking as any assassin!”

The other rabbits nodded their heads and grinned.

***

Farther down the road, Mave and her harekins approached the large village of the Blood Bog Orcs. Animal bones and skulls hung from the nearby trees and ash caked their trunks with orcish words such as beware and Blood Bog territory. None of the harekins could read the fearful warnings, so they chose to march onward.

As the wetlands gave way to drained and clear-cut dry ground, their nostrils caught a whiff of succulent smoked meat. The aroma rumbled their empty stomachs and watered their hungry mouths. Mave clenched her own belly. Steady there, girl.

Two orcs armed with clubs and jagged spears confronted the harekins to come no closer. Each had sickly green skin painted with ashy hand prints and stripes. Pieces of bone armor were fastened to their chests and shoulders. They grumbled in low, guttural grunts.

“You move no further, rabbits!” one said.

Mave removed her hat and bowed graciously. “Fine gentlemen, we represent the Cypress Alliance, a coalition of nations that wishes for your permission to march through your well kept marshlands.”

The other guard scratched his rear and sniffed his finger. “More rabbits you have?”

Mave opened her arms wide. “We have many more rabbits, humans, and elves.”

The guards bared their pointed teeth and tusks and snorted. “Rabbit threaten Blood Bog Orcs?”

The harekins moved their hands to their preferred weapons. Mave was quick to hold up a hand.

“Not yet, boys,” she whispered to them.

Quinn stepped forward. “Look, is there a chieftain we can speak to? We’re in a bit of a hurry.”

Mave smiled and chuckled nervously.

One of the orcs approached Mave and yanked her by the vest, lifting her off her feet and close to his face. She recoiled her head and kept her hand out to steady her worried soldiers.

The orc licked his lips and sniffed her fur. His breath reeked of rotten meat and warmed her fur. His hands were sweaty and covered in boils. He grinned, showcasing his tusks and jagged teeth.

“Afraid, rabbit?” he croaked.

Mave grasped his large wrist and wriggled free. “Not in the least bit, orc.”

“We Blood Bog could grind your bones and guts into a paste to feast on. You better be afraid!”

Mave waved her hand once more to the other harekins. She stepped forward to the fearsome orc, not giving him an inch. “You couldn’t stomach our guts, trust me!” she smirked.

The orc stood silent before speaking again. “You rabbits wait here. We get Bloodaxe.”

Quinn leaned on his sister’s shoulder and polished his nails on his jacket. “See, Mave? Just got to be more forward with these chaps.”

The drake riders only had to wait a few minutes before a much larger and golden skinned orc appeared. He sported a tall crimson mohawk. Alligator tooth necklaces hung over his broad chest. In his hand he carried a fearsome alligator jaw tomahawk. He sneered and let out a long growl.

“You rabbits dare bring an army through my lands?”

Quinn raised his index finger. “Well, to be fair we haven’t brought any of them through yet.”

Mave gagged her brother’s mouth with her hand. “What we mean to say is, we await your permission, oh great chieftain.”

Bloodaxe eyed Mave and snarled. “You emissary?”

“Yes, oh great one!” Mave bowed once more. “We offer you riches… and… err… more land!”

Bloodaxe raised his chin. “More land?”

Mave knelt down and gestured for the rest of her men to do the same. “Bloodaxe the strong, we plan to bring down the New Estinian empire. If you give us safe passage, we can assure you of the expansion of your territory.”

The orc rubbed his square chin in thought. “The Raven Queen’s made life hard for us orcs. Her tribe is too big to fight. Too many warriors and shamans. Even with our tribes united, we would be crushed.”

Mave let a clever smirk grow into a smile. “Our tribe is many times bigger than the New Estinian one. If we make a pact, we will reward you for your services.”

“We give your tribe safe passage through our swamp and you give us more of Tashna’s land?”

“I shall see it done, mighty Bloodaxe,” said Mave.

“Very well. We shall share a roasted gator and drink bone broth with your chieftain. Consider us brethren, rabbits.”

Mave stood and offered her hand. The orc engulfed her hand with his own. “To the Blood Bog Orcs, may your meat be plentiful and your stomachs full!” cheered Mave.