I formally stepped down to the team and let Erik take over. We had all gathered in the mess hall when I made the announcement. Nobody said anything. It had been a total dick move on Erik''s part. We all sat around the mess hall, staring at the floor, tables and ceiling awkwardly. Good times.


    Anders came walking in, all smiles and stuff, with Chase not far behind him. He was like a shadow, omniously lurking behind Anders as he strode over to our table. The contrast was scary; Anders in his typical grey suit with his big smile and Chase in his black dress shirt and jeans, his face unreadable.


    “It’s like a graveyard in here. Glad you are all together though.” Anders said.


    It’s not like we were really all together, though. Erik sat his stupid self at the end of the table, with Kalysta about half way down the table, and the rest of us at the end. Dyson had plopped himself at a completely different table nearby.


    “We have a mission for you. As you know, we rescued Rabbi Elijah from being forced to make more Golem for someone working against the Order''s interests. I have also more recently confirmed that the ship they are sailing does not belong to any other division of the Order and was not from.the Vault.” Anders said, motioning for Chase to continue the briefing.


    “After speaking with the Rabbi at length about his creations, it was agreed that the best course of action would be to not fight the Golem head on. We have decided to send you to Greece, where our sources tell us the Queen Anne’s Revenge has been docking to offload its cargo. You are to sink the ship with as many Golem aboard as possible.” Chase added.


    “Queen Anne’s Revenge? Are we gonna fight Blackbeard?” Ethan piped up, all excited.


    “I’m certain the only way you’d run into him would be if he was in the same shape as the Rabbi.” Anders laughed.


    Ethan let out a loud groan and slumped into his chair. Amelia rolled her eyes.


    “The plan is to have you take the sleigh to Halifax, where you will meet up with an Order member from the Scotland Branch. You will board the ship provided and sail across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.” Chase explained.


    I shook my head, cause it all sounded wrong.


    “Why can’t we just take the sleigh all the way? We went to Egypt and back, I know the reindeer can handle it.” I asked. I almost felt insulted for the reindeer. After all, they were supposed to have covered the entire world in one night.


    “I don’t doubt the capability of the magic reindeer Mr. Wells,” Chase laughed at me, and I kinda half smiled cause he was creepy looking when he smiled. “The plan is to have you sink the Queen Anne’s Revenge with the weapons on your vessel, should you happen to come across it on the water. Otherwise, you will have to sink it in port, when you feel that there are the most Golem aboard. Rabbi Elijah was adamant that he wants his creations destroyed so they will not be used for nefarious means."


    I nodded cause I understood the plan, but I didn''t like the exclusion of my reindeer buddies. The had proved an effective means of communication and they provided us cloaking from regular peering eyes.


    “You are under no circumstance to engage anyone other than the Golem, and only if you have to. Gather what information you can, but that is only secondary. Sinking the ship and eliminating the Golem from a distance is the priority.” Chase finished, before handing the floor back to the boss man.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    “Now, I know you guys are used to fighting monsters and collecting Artifacts, but I think it might be best if we just avoid all that if we can. It is important to me that you all make it back unharmed.” Anders rolled his eyes at the collective groan of disappointment from the O’Bryne twins.


    “You will all be leaving this evening, so you can fly the sleigh in the cover of night. It shouldn’t take you very long, and you’ll know which ship is yours when you get there.” Anders gave Ethan a big dramatic wink and he got all giddy with excitement. “Kalysta, you will be staying behind on this mission to further your training with Chase. We''ll try to get you bonded with an Artifact before the team gets back.” He said.


    Kalysta sighs and rolls head to the side, but there is no arguement from her. I looked down the table at Erik giving her this heartbreaking glance, like they’d be separated forever. I wanted to gag.


    After the briefing, Chase went back to, well whatever it is that he does. Brooding somewhere dark and scary probably. Anders hung around and came to sit in one of little plastic chairs and crossed his legs. He looked over the team.


    “I need you guys to get along in this. I know there might be some tension between certain people in the team but you will have to get over it. Besides, this is Dyson’s first mission. You all remember your first missions, so let’s make his an exciting, yet safe adventure.” He said in his best dad voice.


    Dyson''s head popped up from the table. "Wait, what?"


    “Exciting doesn’t happen if you’re being safe.” Amelia said with a smirk.


    Anders raised his eyebrows. Dyson was still trying to comprehend why he was being involved. And honestly, so was I. He had bonded to Death''s Scythe, but from what I heard his training wasn''t going particularly well. But if he was going to go on a mission, a boat ride recon mission seemed like an easy start.


    "We will be prioritizing safety on this mission, Amelia." Anders said sternly.


    Amelia huffed and crossed her arms under her chest and pouted. I catch Dyson staring at her and I roll my eyes so hard I swear I saw my brain. Maybe I was just being bitter.


    “I’ll make sure everything goes according to plan, Sir.” Erik said like a gigantic douche. I glared daggers at his big stupid head.


    “I appreciate it. You all have to come back alive. I don''t want to be the one to call your parents if something happened. Besides, you are all capable Agents of the Order." Ander said before standing and turning for the door.


    When he leaves, Dyson slams his head into the table and groans.


    “What’s a-matter buddy?” I said with a laugh.


    “I’d like to point out that I have been doing awful at training. Kalysta can attest to that.” He said from under his hood, talking into the table.


    "It''s true," She said. "He''s awful at just about everything."


    “You have Death’s Scythe! Just smack the bad guys with the pointy end.” Amelia said, still in a bit of a huff. Dyson responded by smacking his head against the table again and groaning loudly. Erik stood up and came to his side.


    "I need you to get it together. I can''t have you jeopardizing the team." He said coldly. I stared at Erik, who refused to meet my eyes. I also went beside Dyson and put a hand on his shoulder.


    “I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’ll only have to use the Scythe in an emergency anyway. We’ll all look out for you. We’ve all been where you are.” I said, trying to be comforting. Dyson looked at me with this sad smile, and I patted his shoulder. I realized the team was staring between Erik and I, the tension in the room growing.


    Kalysta stood and put a hand on Erik’s shoulder. She whispered something in his ear and then left. Erik turned to face me.


    "Are you trying to undermine my orders Orion? I need him in top shape so he doesn''t sabotage this mission." He growled.


    "I''m trying to comfort my friend while he''s having a hard time." I shot back.


    Erik and I stared at each other for a long time. I could see his jaw clenched, as he started grinding his teeth. His hands flexing into fists. Slowly the rest of the team dispersed to prepare for the mission, and it was only Erik and I, standing alone in the mess hall. Even Dyson slinked out from between us.


    “I don’t want to fight with you through this whole mission. Let’s try to work together.” He said, without a hint of sincerity.


    “Whatever you say, Sir.” I replied sarcastically, the word ''sir'' dripping with venom.


    “Orion, don’t be like that.” He has the balls to say.


    "I have no interest in pretending to be your friend any longer man. I''m all done. You''re team leader, and I''ll follow orders. Aside from that, don''t fucking talk to me." I said, trying to hold back tears.


    He tried to say something, but I wouldn''t give him the satisfaction. I turned and walked away from him, flipping him off as I went.