---
Mardek leaned back on his elbows by the dome, eyes on the sky like it had told him a good joke. His men kept quiet because that was how he liked it. When he felt the edge in the air turn, he sat up, brushed sand from his palms, and spoke in a steady voice.
"Send fifty men to the east," he said. "Something is coming with killing intent. It could be a beast. It could be a wild predator. It could be someone who does not like us. The fifty must be four star rank or higher. If it is a wild beast, kill it and bring the corpse. If it is a predator you cannot beat, fall back and tell me. If it is a beast man, capture him or her. I am bored. Let us have sport."
The nearest captain bowed his head. He did not ask for more words. He already had three squads marked in his mind. "Yes, Vice General."
