"All right, load up. We're heading out."

The soldier smacked the side of the wagon as he spoke.

"We're moving out!?"

Changrel staggered after him, balancing a towering pile of gear and supplies.

"Does that mean I get to come?"

"Oh, yeah. They'll need you up front to support the vanguard."

"Wait, like, all the way up front?"

"Yeah. They need as much ammo as they can get if they're gonna fight these things."

"...Oh, Uhh... A-awesome, it's just that..."

"Yeah, no, I'm just yankin' your chain. See, this is why you never get to go with. Supply carts don't belong up front. Now, to the back of the line."

With a tink, Kaldron flicked the chest plate stacked on top, and spun around on his heel.

"Make sure it's all bolted down. Ground's gonna shake with this one."

"Hmph."

Carefully rebalancing the stack, Changrel dumped it all into the nearby cart.

He could already see the front of the line starting to move, and drummed his fingers along the edge of the cart in deep contemplation.

It was common for young sorcerers to join fights, even hard ones, but if he worked in the supply chain, it was never going to happen. Of course, it was the only position he'd been considered for in the first place, so it wasn't like he had an option. 

The supply line was considered the most important part of battle. It carried not just weapons and equipment, but potions for the restoration of energy. Anything that required the big booms would drain a sorcerer's energy in just a few shots, in most cases. Without their resources, sorcerers were basically defenseless. Material weapons didn't do much against larger beasts, which most sorcerers found themselves fighting during peace times.

He wanted to go ahead. He could skip the line, maybe, and pretend to be serving a different unit, but the notion held no water. If he didn't do his job, and do it right, he wouldn't be back in the field for the next mission. So, with a sunken heart, he reached for the leather straps on the side of the cart and started tying down all the goods. Taking special care to place blankets around the potion containers so they wouldn't klink around too much.

Verlicity and Lalinia, his two stride horses for the week, whinnied with discontent anticipation.

He turned his head. Then he sighed.

"They're moving out. Don't worry ladies, we'll catch up."

He grumbled, hurrying to finish tying down the load while the whole rest of the line was pulling ahead.

Luckily for him, there wasn't a huge time crunch at the back of the line. Several carts would be ahead of them, and as long as they were in position and there was no breakdown in the supply chain, there was little need for him at all. So, he could take his time. Even if it meant missing the action. Yet again.

He smacked his hand down on the last latch, then drummed on the cart.

"Okay, ready to move out?"

The long-fanged horses thumped their hooves on the ground. They watched the rest of their so-called herd draw further and further into the distance. A snort of disappointment came from the both of them.

He hauled himself up into the cart and took a seat. 

He was just about to whip the reins when—

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait! DON'T MOVE THE CART!"

Changrel turned around.

He glanced left, then right, then up — even though it wasn't logical.

Sure enough, falling like a stone from about 10 feet above the cart, was... a girl?

"Uh!"

He jumped out of the coachman's box, wildly flailing his arms.

"No-no-no-no-no-no-No-NO! That's not an actual roo—!"

Dust and splinters went flying as the thin, glorified kindling normally used to hold up the fabric canopy snapped. What followed was a painful ruckus of metal and glass breaking, every shift in the cart a dollar sign in his mind.

After a minute the dust settled, and then all was quiet.

He nervously stepped towards the cart.

"Miss? Are you okay?"

He stretched his neck to look over the collapsed side.

There was a wheeze, a hack, followed by a few strained coughs.

"Oh... yeah... Great. Just... great."

A few wood scraps were thrown aside, and just as she was sitting up, the cart lurched forward and back she tumbled again.

"Hey—!?"

Changrel's head snapped to the side. 

That was it. Verlicity and Lalinia'd had enough. They stomped at the ground, dragging with all their might. If it wasn't bad enough that they were lagging behind, now it seemed they were under attack.

"AAH!? Hey! Stop!"

Seiyul shrieked. Her hands groped around at her unstable surroundings until she caught the edge of the cart.

"Where are you taking me!?"

"No! Come back—!"

Changrel cried, fleeing after his cart.

Somewhere up ahead, dust was rising toward the sky like smoke from a monstrous fire, the sound of a sorcerer's war well underway.