#1: Before the Sun

The smell of bubbling flesh filled the hut in the pre-dawn darkness. Liquid gold dripped down the warrior's arm as he held the tip of the needle to his flesh, glowing white with heat. If it hurt, he didn't show it, his face calm as he checked his work. The gold burned into his flesh started to resemble symbols, his tale of glorious battle.

    His head snapped up as a war horn sounded, shattering his focus. His needle fell to the ground, instantly cool before it landed, forgotten for now. Gold spotted the ground in a trail as he shot out of his mud hut and sprinted to the rally grounds.

    Even with his speed and the early hour, he was not the first to arrive. Tight ranks of warriors stood tall in the darkness, lit only by a large, solitary brazier in the front of the cleared field. The Watch Commander smirked at Brass as he fell in to the front right column. Into his position as strike leader. 

    All was quiet, save for the calls of exotic birds and the chittering of deadly critters. The oppressive heat blanketed them all. The heat that smothered the entire jungle, swallowing its sounds.

    "Morning." The Watch Commander said, standing at the front of formation. A resounding "HUH!" greeted him from the team of twenty. He nodded in acknowledgment, then continued.

    "Alright, I'll cut right to it. Our dear friend the Warden is on her way here. Ahead of schedule. She thinks to surprise us before the dawn. What she does not know, is that we do not need the sun!" 

    Another "HUH!" rose sharply from the formation, quickly falling silent again. 

    "We have less than an hour before she arrives. Let us make her feel welcome." He paused with the weight of unspoken commands. "Dismissed."

   The outpost exploded with activity as the warriors raced across the outpost, gathering up weapons and tearing down banners. New banners were raised in their stead. Banners of black and gold. 

    "Brass, to me." The Watch Commander called out. The warrior with dripping gold stopped folding a banner, passing it to another warrior instead of letting it fall to the ground. He ran over to join the his superior, who raised an eyebrow at him as he arrived. Then they turned and began walking through the clearing together. "You were late."

    Brass sighed. "Yea, Arden. I was trying to get some beauty sleep. You keep saying I need some, with a face as ugly as mine." 

    Arden smiled and glanced sideways at him. "When I walked by last night, I heard some beauties, but not much sleep."

    Brass allowed himself return the smile, then his smile faltered. "Sleep is for the tired. I am not tired."

    "You mean you don't want to sleep." Arden stopped and faced him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Look. I know, Brass. They haunt me too. But it's not something that will just go away if we don't face it. We must learn to deal with our demons."

   "I do. Through battle."  Brass brushed off Arden's hand, looking at him with hardened eyes. An understanding passed between them, of a shared torture. Then it passed. Arden nodded, and they started moving again through the activity.

    "Have the time to finish your story before your girlfriend gets here?" He gestured towards the bubbling flesh capturing a small gold symbol on his arm.

    "Too many things to do. Besides, I think she likes my rugged visage." They both shared a chuckle over that, and Brass unbuckled his gleaming sword from his belt, dropping it in the growing mound of weapons as they walked by. 

    The orange glow from the sword faded slowly as the sun began to break through the trees.