by Matt Wilk
He waved us off to question his fellows. They argued about the tasks ahead, but it was only a distraction. They dropped their voices in turn to secretly discuss the possibility of some fallen spy having been involved with the ambush. We should not have been listening. When Major Swiftblade gave another speech about demanding a lack of walls around him, I gave us away.
“To life on the surface master!”
“That’s right boy, on the surface, we are free!”
“Who are you interrupting boy-o? Make me some late night soup!”
I cringed from realizing my mistake the hard way. Luckily, whatever mission sent him into town had met with great success. Instead of yelling, they all ended up laughing and agreeing.
“Get up sonny, there’ll be enough of that in the morning.”
“How went your mission in town sir?”
“Ah, feel like a Deputy turning in stolen loot for Reclamation. Oh well, such is the life of an honest man.”
“Don’t be too down sir, you at least got that finder’s fee, eh?”
“Yes, little pirate boy. A tenth of a share, then split three ways evenly. You know why I hate that voice so much?”
“No sir.”
“Not all the pirates speak Lanteeni, but I can remember all of them the moment you get going. The Swillian fleet fell apart after they lost the war.”
He paused to sit by the fire. With all the grunting and the cracking of joints, we could not have heard him anyway. Then he cracked a horn of berry wine with the same smell of those he had given to his mates. Even I knew to mix the concentrated horn liquor with water at the very least but he drank it straight the way Major Talon had been doing.
“But it weren’t just them. After the pox took all the wise and the newborns, the people were without hope. Most men didn’t see a purpose other than to care for their own, and when they were all gone…”
“Sir, you keep suggesting good people turned to pirates so easily.”
“You doubt me? You know how many leapt from a cliff just days ago? Your sister was only one amongst more than a hundred. A whole damn hundred!”
“Sir, why did you not simply become king of the pirates?”
“Ruling the masses is a job for a woman. I’m just in it for the license to kill.”
“So, you were just enjoying the arena for a decade?”
“That’s right boy-o, anything to kill more Swillians. And you, scoffing at the idea of a woman wearing a crown? Your sister would have had full rights under the last queen of Vinland. That’s right, Belutgrava kept the Slorrick from their own sick traditions before her death. I never thought I’d see the day they started giving women the whip again.”
He sucked his teeth and spit into the fire.
“Long live the queen!”
Major Talon called out from the Swiftblade’s cart.
“Blood for Belutgrava!”
The silence that followed was surely meant to allow for a hearty drink. I yawned while we waited, and it went airborne, spreading across the plateau to even the last tired wisps of the fire.
“They squeezed every drop of peace from our bones, and took all the world with them when they left. Get some sleep, they’ll be back soon enough. Better to be well rested.”
“Sir, what can we do? The armies were fully ranked then and every man had a sword. There’s just this small lot of us. Why does no one else see what’s coming?”
“Sound just like the Lantos. All I can say is- good. Less cowards to get in my way.”
His words were the last anyone dared to speak. The giant went and played with his puppies until he fell asleep. I was still wide eyed when his drunken snores rolled out of the stables like the cave home of a hibernating bear. The dark purple sky and the pink city gave the land the appearance of child-like paradise. Just behind my eyes, I saw it burning. The Majors portrayed this as their last mission. At least, to them, it seemed a just cause. We would die for the honor of protecting one of the last functioning societies, boiled down into a single remaining city. The six of us were their only hope for survival, and that meant that there was no hope left for our own.
An odd noise stirred me early and I opened my eyes to the sun’s glare banking off my gauntlets. I sighed at the sight of my gear laid out in the light. In cleaning everything else, my back shell and boots were left caked in mud. When I rolled my eyes, I realized it was Major Swiftblade that had made the noise. He had finished carving the face of a Drakkah onto the extra shell. The tiny slits left to safely see through were centered in the large dead eyes and, though he made a smaller opening for his mouth, he had carved the outline of the beast’s fangs around it.
“A true work of art sir.”
“You are not afraid?”
He changed his voice to sound like a madman and I would have burst out laughing if he had not shushed me first. He moved to lean over Senjay. What he saw made him turn and hold his mouth shut to keep from laughing. Senjay had slept with a gauntlet still around his hand. To make matters worse, he was sucking on his thumb and humming a soft tune in between snores. Major Swiftblade decided to wake Lazarus with the mask. Major Bloodaxe tucked the bed roll tight around Lazarus, stepping on the ends to hold him down. When his eyes opened, he saw only the mask, shrieking in the highest pitch possible.
“Just listen to that scared little girl. Ha! And who do you dream of lover boy?”
Senjay opened his eyes with fear when the scream woke him. He was still half in the dream state when Major Talon started yelling.
“Let me guess. She has long blonde hair, fierce blue eyes, and is repulsed by your face.”
Senjay turned red and tried to go about getting dressed for the day.
“It’s too easy to torture this one. All I need do is lean in close and dare his eyes to look on my flesh.”
She bent over and leaned in close as she spoke. We all held our breath- watching Senjay’s eyes. Lazarus was still clutching his chest and used the distraction to slowly back away.
“Fall in soldier!”
“Yes ma’am!”
We all hopped up and stood at attention.
“Matthius.”
“Yes sir?”
“Only you passed the bravery test. Also, only you failed to clean off your armor.”
“But sir, I-”
“Shut it boy-o, you heard him. Now, we’re gonna get a few things straightened out, and then we will resume testing. By sunset tonight, we will have our new corporal to command the turtles in the event of our absence. Are you ready to prove your worth?”
“Sir yes sir!”
We were first shown a hidden block of basalt that had been carved into a circle. The block was heavy because, underneath, the circle was carved into a bowl to be used for a fire pit. Once we cleaned the ashes from underneath it, we moved the carts into a more standardized position. They were lined up perfectly, with just one foot between them- measuring from the tip of the parallel wheels- by the width of one whole block. The rear of the cart was set at the same distance from the vertical block wall. From that ready position, the steeds could be quickly strapped in and led down the incline northwest, or into the forest trail going southeast, and back onto the paved road.
“Now we’re all set for an emergency, let’s act like we’re staying a while.”
Major Bloodaxe wanted his trails free of snow to prevent anyone from slipping on hidden ice. We had fun sliding down the long hill. Our shells plowed it free of snow in just a few turns. As for the gravel trails snaking up the mountain, we got to clear them on our bellies, as Major Bloodaxe wished to ensure that we had a proper view of any ice patches.
“Finally, we can have some fun.”
“Sir, I worry about your perception of that word.”
“Oh I’ll have fun, don’t you worry. To the base and back, ten times. Stop hesitating.”
Lazarus led us down the trail with Senjay right beside him. I could never keep up with their long legs, but I was the first to see the other Majors preparing to ambush us
on the way back. Snowballs, stones, and trained dogs made going uphill hell for the two of them. Thankfully, they let us run down safe each time to prevent a fatal fall. Senjay took off ahead on the last round only to have Kru trip him at the knee. Lazarus beat us both by far. It was easier for us to finish whilst covering each other from incoming projectiles.
“Lazarus wins the foot race by a long mile. Both of you make me soup while we prepare the next event. The feat of strength will decide the victor.”
“Sir, that’s no fair. You have yet to see my greatest skill. I drafted an over map of the world for use in your travels.”
“Too bad I don’t need a map maker boy-o. Nor do I need a corporal what still sucks on his thumb at bed time.”
In the few moments we were given to drink water I tried to confront Senjay about taking credit for the map. He could only drink faster and throw up his hands, as it had not even worked. The dogs joined in to test our strength. They had a fun afternoon trying to balance on our backs as we crawled to the top of the long grassy slope. When none of us gave in, Major Swiftblade proposed we carry each other and Major Talon volunteered to even the numbers. She made it impossibly hard for Senjay too, by teasing him and swaying around unevenly. In the end, I carried Lazarus and Senjay to the top on my back- winning the event.
“That’s it then, just in time for sunset. Fall in you sweaty little runts.”
“Matthius, you-”
“Wait sir, wait. Please, I can’t. I’m not ready to lead anyone to do anything. I cannot responsibly assume any command.”
“I’m out too master. Sorry to disappoint.”
They laughed at Senjay but nodded at my honesty.
“Good, because that was just a test. Of course my charge has all the grit. Lazarus.”
“Sir yes sir!”
“You are hereby promoted to the temporary cadre position, corporal in training.”
“Yes sir! Thank you sir!”
Major Bloodaxe saluted Lazarus and, when it was received, promptly punched him in the gut. The shell allowed him to slide across the plateau and he flipped over just in time to teeter on the edge. He walked back to our line holding his belly. Major Bloodaxe showed him how to properly act as the middleman between the commander and his troops. He centered on our line, marched three paces forward, and received the orders in our stead.
“Corporal, I want gear cleaned and inspected. My troops are lined up at dawn and awaiting orders. Oh, and you get your own cart. Enjoy your sleep, you earned it.”
“Sir yes sir!”
Lazarus summoned the deepest voice he could and relayed the orders to us. We were dismissed, but he demanded everything be cleaned before we could eat. It was fun watching him speak so often, and acting serious for a change. Until he inspected the stables.
“Clean this mess up recruits. Why are the steeds going without food? The dogs can leave a carcass lying about all they want because they don’t have the hands to pick it up.”
At the very least, the delay of our meal only made the powdered mix taste better. When I had finally finished the dishes, and was properly inspected, I laid under my shell by the fire. Kru came out to join me and we were not alone for very long.
“So, what’s this map you and that Bahgeshi were fighting about? Bring it to me.”
Senjay stopped dead in his tracks on his way to the fire. He made sure to grab a puppy for the trouble. When he returned with the map, I went through the lengthy description of that day’s events. The location was spot on, and Major Bloodaxe even showed a look of recognition as he traced the lines with his finger. However, the moment I mentioned grinnlies, everyone laughed at my story.
“Whoa, you got me good boy-o. I didn’t expect the Grinnlies to show up. And then a dragon flew you safely across the valley?”
“Just walk to the peak and look north. You can see the map accounts for the melt. I’ve never been to Hi-yadora, nor Dante’s Isle. Honestly sir, they were all around. But they only eat the dead, right Kru?”
“Well, if the dog says so.”
Major Talon pet Kru rougher than he would have wanted and walked into the compound for bed. Lazarus rolled his eyes around and sauntered out of sight as well. Major Bloodaxe made fun of the whole idea, and yet, he was very careful to roll the tiny slip of paper evenly. He even ran his fingers through his beard to tie it tight with some loose hairs.
“Can I keep this boy? Wanna check it out myself, just to be safe.”
“May you what?”
Senjay was just as surprised as I was to hear the infamous Bloodaxe asking for permission.
“Why sire, it wouldn’t be right to set you’s out to sea blind. Ya follow it straight to the buried treasure. Do save us a bit of the spoils master.”
“Yea, and a Grinnly marks the spot, eh?”
They laughed at me one more good time. Kru ran home from the cold while I put the fire out and I was left alone to flip the block back into place. Senjay and I shared Major Talon’s cart- as it was the only one left open. Major Swiftblade was not joking about his disdain for the block walls. Just before I fell asleep, I loosened the tent cover to allow sunlight in as early as possible. The dead white Commando Graveyard strangely filled me with the will to get up earlier and train harder. The grinnlies seemed so far behind me that, I could only hope the days we spent training would pass just as quickly. For certain, the wee hours set aside for sleep sped by quite fast enough.
Lazarus and I made a competition of being the earliest one to stir. While on a run one morning, he found a tiny stone that had trapped a dead black piece of soul glass on its side. From then on, the tiniest sliver of light had him up first. In that way, three weeks went by with a quickness. We were up before dawn running in the wood, training until the early sunset of spring made us pine for sleep. Major Bloodaxe simulated attacks every day and was only occasionally joined by his mates. Once the days lasted long enough, they introduced lunch back into our diets, and the afternoons became another opportunity to train. Raining stones down on us was their favorite game, even while we ran up that slope backwards. Unfortunately, the fun could not last. A bird arrived for Major Swiftblade, known to the Lantos as merely ‘Monster Hunter,’ assigning him to find a striped lion they had spotted stalking near the training grounds. He set out eagerly after the beast without showing the slightest sign of fear.
“Get up. Don’t talk.”
“It is too early, stop it.”
Lazarus was inside the tent pulling Senjay’s leg- hours before sunrise.
“Matthius.”
“I haven’t slept a wink. Is he alright? What has happened?”
“Good, you’re already dressed. Get to the white sprite patch and wait for further instructions. Senjay.”
“Ma’am, what is going on?”
“Don’t touch me recruit. I don’t know anything. I don’t know!”
Major Talon slammed her fist down on the cart door. Because she had equipped her heavy gauntlets, the hinges broke free and the door dropped with a heavy thud.
“Move!”
Lazarus stayed behind with Senjay while I chased after her. The burned out path had been flattened from overuse so that, even though she was weighed down, Major Talon could lean into a full sprint. She did not stop at the patch of the early blooming flowers. I lost sight of her heading uphill and into the shadow. At least Mother Moon was bright enough to make her flowers glow in the dark.
“Keep quiet. Stay low.”
“Major Bloodaxe? Um, is that you sir?”
“Yea, we’re just waiting. Catch your breath”
“Yes sir. What happened to Major Swiftblade? Is he still alive?”
“I suppose. What, did you sleep in your gear?”
“Sir, I just want to know what happened is all.”
“And I don’t feel like repeating myself. That is all.”
They finally caught up and bent over to pant. Lazarus offered me a horn he had just filled with water, but, I brandished an empty soap powder bag
that I had reused for the same purpose. For once, I was quiet as Major Bloodaxe wanted.
“Which one of you can tell me why bows are illegal in this part of the nation?”
“You can still hunt out here. I mean, can’t you sir?”
“Yes, with a permit and a party and a claims’ tax. But of course, we would know if there was a party moving through. Nice try lover boy, now make me some soup. Anyone else? No? How’s about all of ya’s get down then. Now think real hard.”
“Sir, I think I know why sir.”
“Well alright Swillian, spit it out.”
“Sir, bows were used for all of the assassinations during the incursion.”
“In fact, that’s how they began their little sneak attack. However true that may be, that’s only the official story. Come on corporal. Give it yer all.”
“Sir, only an outsider would be so foolish as to display his bow. This makes him a very obvious threat sir.”
“That’s very perceptive. However, you are very wrong. Get up and learn something.”
Major Bloodaxe spit and thought deeply of how to phrase his message. He curled his hands from the strain of holding back and tried his best to keep from yelling out.
“Look, the world is filled with poachers. It’s like this, someone shows up in the valley. Once they kill one of the megas, they got so much meat and skin, they don’t know what to do with it. So, next thing that happens, you got wasted dinner rotting everywhere and you’re attracting all the predators and the disease. Sometimes, they go through the whole mess just to kill whatever rare monster shows up to investigate. And that really pisses me off, and the Lantos said I can kill ‘em all. Right, any questions?”
“Is Major Swiftblade…? The way she ran after him…”
“She’s sweeping wide to the high ground. Your beloved master is fine. He found evidence of poachers the hard way. There were pieces of ‘em still in the stomach.”
We all let out a groan at the image. The poor lion had done nothing to deserve such a death, but, once a monster tastes man-flesh, there is no going back. Senjay asked the next question without bothering to hide his tone.
