Chapter 4

            I hadn’t been on many airplane flights in my life, and it was my first time on a pre-Horde jetliner. People from my parents’ generation wouldn’t have agreed, but I thought it was roomy. I had much more legroom than on the newer, trans-continental planes. Flying from the free parts of Europe to East Asia required going over the Arctic Circle, and everything was sacrificed for fuel efficiency and lift. Even better, O’Connor had sprung for first class. If he was trying to win me over, mission accomplished! The only trouble was, the seat was so comfortable I didn’t even get a chance to enjoy it. I settled in, closed my eyes, and suddenly a grinning flight attendant was nudging me awake in Saga.

            The regional airport was much smaller and less ornate, and the conversations around me were mostly in Japanese. The travelers didn’t seem to pay me much mind, but some of the staff subtly followed me with their eyes as I made my way to the private part of the airfield, and they didn’t like what they saw. I didn’t care to imagine why.

            I picked up the pace, and soon enough, I was out of sight and walking to one of the smaller covered hangars. There was a long-winged, propeller-driven plane with Anti-Demonic League Allied Air Force markings waiting there, but I didn’t see anybody around. Was I in the wrong place? I didn’t want to call the Lieutenant and admit I was lost, especially if I wasn’t.

            A loud whistle pierced the air as somebody descended the plane’s airstairs. “Afternoon, Cadet,” said O’Connor, waving me over. I didn’t recognize him at first, since he was dressed more casually than before in a short-sleeved button-up shirt and slacks. It made me feel overdressed in my uniform. “Anything the matter?”

            “No, Sir,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

            “Good to hear,” he said, glancing down at my one suitcase. “You travel light.”

            “I wasn’t sure what to pack, so Mum and Dad wired me some money so I could get some clothes in… wherever we’re going.”

            O’Connor smirked at me. “Yeah, we should be able to get you something. Make sure you pick up some sunscreen while you’re at it; you’ll have plenty of time to work on your tan. This is going to be a cakewalk.”

            “Huh? Cakewalk? You said you needed me and my talents or you were up… y’know.”

            “Shit creek, yeah. I haven’t lied to you once, Rose,” he said, flashing me a self-satisfied smirk. “It’s just for me to know and you to find out when we get there.”

            I wasn’t sure I liked the tone in his voice, but he turned and ascended the airstair again. He turned around when he was halfway up, raising an eyebrow. “Are you waiting for an invitation, Cadet?”

            “No, sir,” I said, rushing after him. I reminded myself this was the same man who had put me through an extra week of interrogations just to feel me out; I would have to expect a few mind games. My brothers in the Wizard Corps had always told me to be wary of ‘spooks’, and I was starting to see why.

            I wondered if there was still room in Iceland.

            No, Rose. You promised him your help. See it through.

            “Pick any seat you like, Cadet,” said O’Connor. “I hope you can keep yourself amused; I have reports to go over.”

            “Shouldn’t be a problem, sir.”

            The small plane, a twenty-seater, was mostly empty. I definitely wasn’t in first class anymore. The cockpit was separated from the rest of the cabin by a narrow passage, and two men in pilot’s uniforms were going over charts and discussing the best route. The only other passengers were a napping old woman towards the back and a muscular, dark-skinned man who only looked a couple of years older than me. I couldn’t see his face, since he was nose-deep in a book, and he wore a military uniform I didn’t recognize. That surprised me; all four of my brothers and my father had been in the Wizard Corps, so I’d grown up with hours of war stories and photos. Must be from a national military? I thought the blue outfit looked vaguely naval.

            Out of the corner of my eye, I saw O’Connor slip on some headphones and go to work on a rugged-looking laptop in the back row. I decided to sit near the stranger, with an empty seat in between so I didn’t invade his space. He’d be the more interesting conversationalist.

            I took the chance while we were taxiing to text everyone that I had landed safely. Family first: Mum, Dad, Albert, Alfred, Steven, and Jack. Then, the extended family, all the cousins I was friendly with. Then came friends; Soren, Junko, Natalie, Yukiko, Hiro, Mariko, Kiyo, Rafal…

            I lost signal right around my least favorite members of my old running club at the school I’d attended before the Nagoya Academy. Good; I only kept up with some of them out of habit. I’m pretty sure that Angela was spreading rumors I had an STD just because I let slip that she’d skipped a club meeting to go on a date with her boyfriend. I hadn’t meant to!

            Well, no more slipups, Rose. Soren’s counting on you to keep a secret for once.

            I turned off my phone to save battery. I’d picked up a sports magazine at the airport in Saga, but I didn’t feel like reading. The small plane’s wings were perfect for soaring and sipping fuel, but we hit a patch of turbulence that made my empty stomach do flip flops. I glanced over my shoulder; O’Connor was still typing away, and the old woman dozed on.

            “You seem distressed, Miss,” the uniformed man said, closing his book. Now that I could get a good look at him, I liked what I saw. He had a handsome square jaw, nicely framed with a neatly-trimmed moustache. He also had kind, brown eyes.

            “A little,” I said, deciding he looked trustworthy. “I don’t fly often, and I might be a little airsick.”

            He winced sympathetically. “I can sympathize. They spent all that time giving me sea legs, and all I have done lately is fly all over the Pacific for the Rear Admiral. You do get used to it after a while.”

            “You are a navy man, then? I thought so. Which country?”

            “Malaysia,” he said. “You seem familiar.”

            “I’m sure you say that to all the girls,” I said.

            “Only the ones I actually know, or the ones I’d like to know,” he replied, smiling rakishly.

            Why did my stupid instincts make me instantly like him more? Oh, well. We probably weren’t going to see each other again after this flight. What was the harm with a little flirting? I wasn’t completely chaste before my magic came in, and with my magic freshly drained, I was open to enjoying myself again.

            “I don’t know where I’d have met a Malaysian naval officer before, but I regret I haven’t had the chance.” I looked at him curiously. “Did you spend some time in England? Your accent is flawless.”

            “I grew up in London,” he said. “I decided to go to the home country for my mandatory service, for my mother’s sake. She was convinced England wasn’t safe.”

            I leaned back in my seat with a sigh. “Isn’t it a bother how right mothers can be?”

            “Absolutely,” he said, with a nod. “Then the Horde tried to take Sumatra a few months back and I was in the thick of it, so there you go; mothers can be wrong, too. But where are my manners?” He reached out his hand. “Leftenan muda Zakariah bin Ibrahim, Royal Malaysian Navy.” I didn’t quite recognize the rank, but I assumed it was similar to a lieutenant. Months with Nagoya’s magical translators had made me lazy.

            Zakariah bin Ibrahim… My jaw dropped. I didn’t let go of his hand right away. “Wait a minute… Zack?”

            “Nobody’s called me that in years,” he said, his eyes narrowing as he gave me a second look. “Not since I left England. Hold on. Rose Cooper, is that you?”

            I immediately shifted over right next to him. “I sure am! Sorry, Zack, I didn’t recognize you with that moustache.”

            “And I didn’t recognize you in that Wizard Cadet uniform. You wear it well.”

“Still flattering me, huh?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you usually try to pick up cadets?”

“Only when they’re worth picking up.” I could see why he and Albert had always been close. “Though…” He looked me up and down with approval. “I still can’t believe it’s you. I see you finally got rid of those braces.”

“Years ago!” I decided it was only fair to tease him back. “Looks like navy life agrees with you; nobody’s going to call you the Scarecrow anymore.”

He winced. “Now there’s a nickname I didn’t miss. Goodness, how long has it been?”

I thought back on it. Zack had gone to school with Albert, so he would have been about twenty-one or twenty-two, which meant he would have shipped out for the navy when he was eighteen or nineteen. “Two years, maybe three?”

“God, how the time’s flown. How’s Albert? I haven’t heard from him in a while.”

“Really? You two were thick as thieves.”

He shrugged. “We’ve both been busy.”

            “Not that busy; Albert’s back in the hospital again. Friendly fire.”

            “I see he hasn’t changed,” said Zack, rolling his eyes. “Remember that time he broke his nose on that elevator door?”

            I felt bad for laughing, but I still did it. “Good thing Jack had picked up some healing magic at the Merlin Academy.”

            “I swear he didn’t put it back totally straight,” replied Zack.

            “It wasn’t totally straight to start with,” I said. “Oh, Zack, I can’t tell you how much of a relief this is. I was sure you were… after the Horde invaded. There are so many people I’ve lost contact with.”

“Same. You almost don’t want to look too closely or…” He trailed off, both knowing what the other was thinking, but not wanting to say it out loud.

I broke the silence first. “So, a Leftenan? That’s like a Lieutenant, right? That’s amazing at your age!”

“Leftenan muda,” he corrected. “Lowest rank enlisted officer. It isn’t as impressive as you think; they fast-tracked me because I’m a native English speaker and I’m halfway decent at Japanese. I’ve been an errand boy since I got out of training, except when they needed all hands on deck during that mess in Sumatra.”

“I’m so glad you made it out of that okay.”

“It was close.” He abruptly changed subjects. “So, you’re a wizard? That’s a shocker; we thought you were going to be normal, the last I heard. I bet that’s why I didn’t recognize you in that uniform.”

            “Things would be easier if I was,” I said, leaning back in the seat. “I don’t have the best control all the time.”

            “Yeah, but wizards saved my arse a dozen times in the fighting,” he said. “Where did you go to school? The Merlin Academy, like your brothers?”

            I shook my head. “I was too late to attend there. I ended up at the school in Nagoya. They put me in the class for special cases. I’ll still make a storm when I’m upset sometimes.”

            “Then it’s a good thing you’re my old mate’s sister.” He held up his hand like he was taking a vow. “I promise to be on good behavior.”

            “Maybe not too good? I’m not a child anymore.” There was something about a man in uniform, after all, and it wasn’t like he was a stranger. He had always been one of the only friends my brothers brought over who would tolerate my presence. “Maybe you can show me around when we land.”

            “Albert’d kill me if he found out,” he said, his wry grin giving the lie to his words.

            “Then let’s make sure he doesn’t find out.”

            “It’s a date.” He nodded. “I still can’t believe that little Rose Cooper is on the same plane as me.”

            “It sure is a small world.”

            Zack shook his head, looking at me thoughtfully. “If this was a regular flight, yeah, but on a military plane like this, with four passengers? This can’t be a coincidence. Aha!” He snapped his fingers and pointed at me. “You’re the asset!”

            I cocked my head at him. “The what?”

            He put his hands together, looking apologetic. “Sorry, Rose, I can’t say anything more. Top secret, and there’s a chance you aren’t what I think you are. You’ll hear when we get there.”

More secrets. Oh, well. I decided to change the subject. “What were you reading before?”

            “Oh, this?” He held up the paperback with a cover showing a patrol boat wrapped up by one of the Horde’s sea serpents. “I’m rereading The Spratly Island Wars. There used to be a lot of action out there before the Horde stopped trying for them, and the League decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Uncle Ahmad wrote these as a memoir. They’re still best sellers.”

            “Are they any good?”

            “Not really,” he said, chuckling to himself. “He was trained as a captain, not a novelist, and I don’t know what monkey they hired to do this Japanese translation.”

“Japanese? What did he write it in?”

“Malaysian, but it’s good practice since I know the story. You want to try it out?”

Zack was smooth, I had to give him that. Before I could respond, he shifted over a seat. He opened the book so we both could read, while slinging an arm over my shoulder.

Nope, definitely not the Scarecrow anymore. The navy had been good for him, errand boy or no. I settled in, glad to see a familiar face. Suddenly the mystery of the trip didn’t seem quite so bad.

The translation was complete rubbish, though. We took turns reading to each other, and it took twice as long as it should have.

Oh, well. Good company can make a bad book seem like Shakespeare.

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