by J. Wright
Jotus trained with the company for over a week, trying to keep attention away from himself while still working to locate Jotan. So far, there was no trace of his son. Jotus' duel with Flaminus, however, had not gone unnoticed by the Major Chiefs. Pyrus, a Minor Chief, had been contacted and ordered to give a full account of the duel, to which he was then instructed to promote Jotus to the rank of a Squad Leader.
It should be noted that Tatoran warfare, unlike modern Earth warfare, is more of a solitary fight. It is not unlike Native American warfare; there is a chain of command, but once a battle commences, each Tatoran essentially fights alone, seeking individual honor and glory. Tatoran officer chain of command, from lowest to highest, is as follows: Squad Leader, Minor Chief, Major Chief, Grand Chief, and War Chief. Each rank was signified by a number of emeralds in the belt or harness. A Squad Leader wore one emerald, and the number increased as did the rank, so that the War Chief wore five emeralds in his belt. For every set of ten warriors, or squad, there was a Squad Leader. The Squad Leaders then reported to the Minor Chiefs, and there were ten Squad Leaders under the command of one Minor Chief. This meant the Minor Chiefs commanded a company of one hundred and ten warriors. For every ten Minor Chiefs, there was a Major Chief that they would report to. A Major Chief, in total, commanded a battalion of one thousand one hundred and ten warriors. The next highest ranking officer was the Grand Chief, to whom ten Major Chiefs would report to. Altogether, a Grand Chief commanded a division of eleven thousand one hundred and ten warriors. Finally, the highest ranking officer was, of course, the War Chief, which position Amentus firmly held. He had been voted in and now commanded the entire army. At its current size, the army contained about seven thousand Aanthoran warriors, and was awaiting reinforcements from the Arkinian nomads.
Pyrus told Jotus the news of his promotion and showed him to the squad of reliable warriors he was to command. He then told him of the officer's meeting that was being held later that evening. Now that Jotus was an officer, his presence there was mandatory.
Jotus was worried. He knew Amentus would be there, but so too might Jotan. It was risky business, but Jotus would have to go.
The pavilion where the officer's meeting was being held was very spacious. Hundreds of officers sat at the many tables, drinking, eating, talking, and laughing. Jotus remained near the entrance, with his back to a corner, allowing him to see the entire room. Amentus, along with the only Grand Chief and six Major Chiefs, sat on the far side of the room, lined up next to one another on small pedestals. Jotus made sure to stay out of their sight.
As Jotus looked around at the Major Chiefs, he didn't recognize a single one. It seemed the once high ranking officers, those bound by honor and justice, had failed to respond to Amentus call. He must have had to dig deeper into the ranks to find those who would follow him, and maybe then only for a price.
To Jotus' extreme surprise, upon the pedestal furthest to the right, he saw Jotan! He was adorned in the clothing of a Major Chief and now wore the three emeralds!
"How could this be?" he thought.
His son looked good sitting upon the pedestal, though he was clearly the youngest of the Major Chiefs. Jotus then remembered that this army was not for good. Jotan would be commanding the deaths of innocent Dotarans, and whoever else Amentus saw fit to raid and pillage along the way. Armies are very large, and they need much to sustain themselves. It’s not uncommon for a Tatoran army to take what it needs from the very citizens they are sworn to protect. Rape and murder even ensue in many of these cases. No, Jotan was not in a good position at all.
After most had finished with their hefty meals, Amentus rose from his seat in order to address the room.
"Welcome, my brothers. I'm glad to see so many of you here. As you know, enlistment in this army is strictly voluntary. You need only enlist if you are in search of tremendous glory and riches.”
At that, the officers about the room cheered.
"Business tonight will be relatively quick," said Amentus, "First order of business: tomorrow, Major Chief Jotan, along with three squads of his choosing, will ride out to meet the Garthoran battalion, commanded by their Chieftain, Grand Chief Desomos. They have come a long way, so make sure to give them a warm welcome. Second order of business: two days from now, the Arkinian nomads, under the command of their leader, Kirchuk, are scheduled to arrive. They have volunteered a small battalion of one thousand warriors to our cause. Kirchuk will remain in command of these warriors, as Grand Chief. Welcome them as you would your Emerald brethren. Room has been allotted to them on the Northeastern side of the camp. Now, for our third and final order of business tonight. We have just received word from a Dracothian messenger. He brings news from the Ruby High Chieftain, Barthos. He promises four battalions of strong, highly trained warriors to meet us at the edge of the great forest, just north of the Hodarth Desert, in a month's time. The time is almost upon us to venture out and find the Dotaran hideout. We know it is in the North, or at least that is the directions their flyers always return to. I have placed agents at various points across the land, searching for any way to locate them. The blue scoundrels can't hide from us forever!"
With that, the officers cheered once more. Jotus, however, remained quiet.
"That is all the business for tonight. You may return to your meals. Drink well, but not too well, for we have work in the morning."
Jotus remained in the pavilion, waiting for Jotan to leave. He didn't have to wait long, since Jotan, bored with the happenings, got up from his seat, excused himself from Amentus, and walked out of the pavilion.
Jotus quietly slipped away from the tables and began following Jotan. Jotan, seemingly unaware he was being stalked, walked down a path in between a line of tents. Jotus crept after him. Jotan then made a sharp turn around a tent. Jotus went to follow, but the moment he turned the corner, he was grabbed by his throat and thrown to the ground.
"Where did you learn to do that?" asked Jotus.
"Father? Father!" cried Jotan.
"Shush shush, not so loud," said Jotus.
"Father, I can't believe you're here!" whispered Jotan, "But why, and how? You shouldn't be anywhere near this place. Amentus has placed a high bounty on your head. Dead or alive," said Jotan.
"I came to rescue you, if that is what you want," said Jotus, "At first, I thought you were Amentus' prisoner, but now I see you’re one of his commanding officers. He must like you a great deal."
"Why didn't you tell me he was my uncle?" asked Jotan.
Jotus looked away.
"I was ashamed," said Jotus, "Ashamed for losing her, your mother. And Amentus blames me for her death, just as I blame myself. I didn't want you to grow up with hate and anger in your heart as he has. I was only trying to protect you."
"You should have told me," said Jotan, "but that is neither here nor there. Yes, he's given me a high command, but I haven't earned it. The only reason I accepted the command is because I've been trapped here and I thought I'd never see you again."
"So what are you saying?" asked Jotus.
"We need to get out of here as soon as possible is what I'm saying," said Jotan.
"I'm glad to hear you say so, son," said Jotus, "We can leave tonight then."
"No, we would be killed if we deserted our posts," said Jotan.
"But Amentus said enlistment was voluntary…" said Jotus.
"Joining is voluntary, yes, but leaving is forbidden. He kills any deserters," said Jotan, "I've seen him do it."
"Then we must figure out something else," said Jotus.
"Tomorrow, when I go to meet the Garthorans, I will select your squad to come with me. Then, somewhere along the way, we can find a way to desert," said Jotan.
"Excellent idea, son," said Jotus, "It seems your time with the army hasn't been for naught.”
"Indeed," said Jotan.
Chapter Four – Garthora’s Finest
