General Mica Rexton stepped out of the black car and motioned for the driver to drive ahead. He straightened the cuffs of his uniform jacket, making sure the buttons were in place. The cool air of Parlera was something he would need to get accustomed to, but he would only be here for a few days. Keshtin, the capital of Xtavia, was where he needed to be, but the Council had made the split decision to send him instead of Roman, the General of Vinearl. It was an urgent case that he’d been willing to take. There was no saying no when the Council made up their minds, though he would have taken the opportunity anyway.

The failed mission was a curiosity. Many of the pieces didn’t match up and once he found out what really happened that night, he would report back to the Council. It was just another job he had to do.

He knew little about the General Iza and his work in Parlera. The general had been assigned to the SWARM when he was just entering training school and as any fifteen-year-old, he didn’t care much about the politics that concerned the rest of Xtavia. Now, it was his job to know the details concerning every general in Xtavia and that included regular check ups now that he was taking over for President Maxem. He’d been appointed as the general three months ago after he completed his last successful mission, capturing three escaped Mekiahs and a middle class demon. It had called for a celebration and as a well deserved gift, President Maxem promoted him.

It wasn’t a surprise. Since he graduated from training school, he’d been working hard to climb the ranks and secure a spot in President Maxem’s favorite tables. All that he’s done has been for this very purpose and now that things were coming together, he didn’t feel relaxed. He felt pressured to work even harder to keep his place amongst the elite. He knew how the circles worked in the Exteru society. They were easily distracted by new people and beautiful things. To keep their attention, he would have to dazzle them with great work and impossible defeats.

From the rumors he’d heard back at the Capital, he was going to find a shiny new toy that would keep the Exterus attention. The things was, he had to find a way to secure it for himself.

He was escorted into the building by a guard and shown to General Iza’s office. The base was in fine condition, nothing out of the ordinary, but most bases worked the same and didn’t differ. It would have been embarrassing to see guards ill mannered and he didn’t want to punish the general before he even met him. There was nothing else that pissed him off more than a weak and pushy general. The positions were meant for strong willed characters who didn’t put up with anything short of perfect. While this wasn’t an annual check up, General Iza should be prepared to hear harsh and real feed back on his managing.

First impressions had been taught to him as the most important. Raised with a stern hand, he regarded the set out rules as unchangeable boundaries. He obeyed them, though he hated following the rules of others, and he moved through life with nothing but respect. He regretted nothing and didn’t care about anything except being eyed as one of the most powerful generals in the country. These mere goals some would call dreams, but he’d turned them into reality. It was never about reaching for something he couldn’t imagine having; he knew he would become who he was today. There was never an ounce of doubt in his mind.

“General Iza is waiting for you, sir,” the guard said. Mica barely looked at him.

“Perfect. I don’t have time to wait.” He narrowed his eyes at the back of the guards head. The man lead him further down the hallway.

There was an urge to walk in front of the man, but he had to keep his cool. While his dominant traits had served him well in securing many social endeavors, it did sometimes prove to be a character flaw.

He inspected each new hallway they passed, keeping a calm collected look about him. This would be a breeze.

There wasn’t a part of him that thought differently and how the place looked, he wouldn’t have any trouble winning over as top dog. There wasn’t a person that didn’t bend to his will after a few minutes with him. He wouldn’t say that it was a forceful act he had to put on, but he knew how to persuade when it was needed. Like anything, he learned the set rules, played the game, and did everything needed to win. One could say that he dealt with losing harshly, but really, even that, he could turn around in his favor.

They stopped outside the third door in the hallway.

The man opened the door. “Sir.”

Mica gave him a slight nod and entered the room with graceful footsteps. The room matched his own back in Keshtin, down the cool gray tones and the warm shades of brown. He felt a waft of cold air from the ceiling from what he knew was an air vent. His eyes roamed the room, taking in the two leather chairs placed in front of a desk and the large desk chair behind it. The wall was bare except for an analog clock. The desk was neat with a stack of manila folders placed to the side, neatly pressed down with a metal paper weight.

From the room alone, he had the feeling this would be harder than he anticipated.

There were few people that saw through him. It was usually those who were as detached from the world as he was that did.

He sat down in the leather chair on the left. It gave him a clear view of the room and the door. He crossed his legs and gazed at the man standing behind the desk.

A smile pulled at his lips.

“Take a seat, General Iza. We have much to talk about.”