by S D Huss
He relaxed his arm and the green energy disappeared around the blade. He sighed and handed it back to the instructor who had brought it to him.
“Take this seriously, lordlings. With everything that is going on with the Rexunii, we might be in an all-out war with them soon enough.”
Delmos scoffed at the words and leaned in to talk to Daniel.
“Half of these people have never even picked up a blade before this training… this is going to be easy for me.” He whispered. “You will get along great with them.”
“There’s more to battle than your skill,” Daniel said, nudging his friend with his elbow. “Do we get to choose our group?”
“Doesn’t look like it. Don’t worry though, make sure that we are on the same team.” Delmos snickered and leaned back to his place in line.
The instructors had a random raffle as they pulled names from each of the three classes. As they called the names, the Dae cadets all met in the middle and moved over to an area designated for them to start their preparations. Daniel was called almost halfway through with two other noble names. He walked to the center and found a female Dae, and a male one who came to greet him.
The three moved out of the way and sat near the others who had been called on a small bench. After several agonizing moments of awkward silence, the male finally spoke.
“Hello, my name Lord Kresh… but I guess that's cadet Kresh now, from house Millar… nice to meet you both.” Daniel could see the noble was trembling slightly and trying his best not to meet eyes with him.
“I’m cadet Vissa, from house Kurt.” The female Dae said stiffly. She seemed less apprehensive about working with Daniel but had a tinge of hostility.
Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m Daniel, from… uhh… house… well, I don’t have one. I’m a human. It’s nice to meet you both.”
There was a solid minute of silence as the three awkwardly looked around and sighed. Daniel could hear the different groups all talking and planning their organization, it was going to be difficult to break the ice.
Almost as if on cue, Delmos strode up to the group.
“Well hello, my good friends! So great to see you.” He punched Kresh on his shoulder, making him flinch. “Sorry to say, but one of you is going to have to leave this group and go to that one over there.” He pointed lazily to two Dae standing irritatedly about twenty feet from them.
Delmos looked at both the nobles, his eyes lingering considerably longer on Vissa.
“Sorry, sir.” He said, putting his hand on Kresh’s shoulder. “After long deliberation, I have decided that it is you who must leave.”
“Wha-” Kresh said, attempting to protest. “This isn’t allowed, we have to stay with the group assigned!”
“Sure, sure, but you see.” Delmos put his arm around the Dae noble and shook his head. “I’ve been given the crucial, and believe me… extremely taxing task of handling this human. This comes from the top, from Avria Regios herself. So you see? It is perfectly fine.”
Kresh stood slowly and glanced at the two other Dae in his new group. Delmos said some more words of encouragement and eventually, Kresh did join them.
“Delmos…” Daniel said trying not to laugh. “Sometimes you amaze me. Your sister wouldn’t like to hear that you are dropping her name like that.”
“Well, what is the point of having powerful friends if you can’t use their influence a bit?”
Vissa looked stunned at the realization. “Wait, you’re the Regios son?” she asked bluntly.
“Why yes, I am. And no, I won't answer any questions about my being sent here. Let’s just say that is because I made a mistake that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”
She looked at him inquisitively, expecting him to elaborate, but he just turned to Daniel and began to speak.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you again Dan. What type of warrior were you in your world? And please don’t dodge the question this time, it could really help us win this competition. I was observing some of the other nobles here, and let's just say some are a bit more experienced and determined to win than I expected. Whoever wins this gets selected by a high noble family to squire. It is fantastic for lesser-known families to gain prestige and raise their station.”
Daniel thought for a moment. “Well, I was what we called a United States Marine.” He raised his hands to try and help him explain it as best he could. “We were essentially a fighting force that was expected to engage the enemy first… and break them as quickly as possible… then leave. There were other branches of service… uhh… warrior castes that had similar duties, but were…” He tried his best to keep his bias out of his explanation. “We used interesting tactics to defeat our enemies in combat, we didn’t have any Dunamis to help us out. We created tools and weapons of war to improve our chances of victory.”
“Like?” Vissa asked. “What do you mean, you didn’t have the Dunamis?”
Daniel sighed at the difficulty of trying to explain the concept of combat in a world that functioned and developed in a completely different way. “Look… the point is that we adapted to the situation at hand. If our enemies changed their tactics, we did as well. The battlefield is a constantly evolving environment, we will have to be smart to win.”
He looked over at some of the other groups. They seemed to be conversing and laughing about something or another. Only a few looked as though they were planning how to win.
“First we have to figure out who will be in charge,” Vissa said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Delmos.
“Me?” Delmos said with a surprising amount of disgust. “Let’s not assume that just because I come from a powerful house that I am supposedly bred to be some great leader. I have been trying as best I can to avoid the crushing responsibility of leading Dae.”
“But here you are… in the Proistem. Learning to lead Dae warriors into battle.” She said.
“You can thank my father for that.” Delmos clasped Daniel’s shoulder. “What about you? Didn’t you say you were someone of importance in your world? You have lead warriors before, right?”
Daniel sighed again. “I was a Platoon Sergeant, so yes. But this is a tad more complicated than just leading warriors into battle, and I am sorry, but leading a bunch of Dae in a war game is a little above what I am comfortable with.”
“Why would you think that? They’re commoners, they will do what you say. Because of your status as a… uh… well, you are a friend of mine! So, of course, all will fear and respect you.”
Daniel chuckled. “I’m sorry man, I’m not ready for this sort of thing yet. At least not with Dae.”
Vissa cleared her throat. “I have to say that I am not comfortable with this either, my family name is on the line here, and I can’t leave it in the hands of some… thing or one that I don’t understand. I am going to have to insist that Lord Regios take command of the war-group.”
Delmos let out an exasperated sigh. “Why not you?” He said to Vissa.
“What would people say? A lower house takes command over a Regios? Your family would ensure that I do nothing more than command a guard post in the city. No, my Lord, you must take command.”
Delmos looked to Daniel pleadingly. “This is just what my father wants.”
“Lots of fathers want to see their children succeed,” Daniel said.
“Well, that's what Avria is for. His shining successor.” The Dae noble let out a defeated sigh and nodded slowly. “Fine… I guess I have no choice; but if we screw up, I refuse to take all of the blame. You can't say that I didn’t warn you both.”
◆◆◆
The instructors grouped up the different teams and brought them to the main part of the camp, where the rest of the whelp trainees were being lined up into small war parties.
Each of the twenty teams of cadets were placed in front of their own war party and given an hour to get acquainted with their new charges.
Daniel scanned the faces of the whelps while
he stood behind Vissa and Delmos. The young nobleman was pacing back and forth, bleeding as much intimidation as he could possibly muster. Daniel could tell that much of what he was doing was a show, but a fair amount was natural to him. These nobles looked down on the common folk, and though he called some of them friends now, he would do his best to remember this.
“My name is Lord Delmos of House Regios!” He finally called. “And I am here today, to stand before my new war-group and tell you all that I intend to win, by sword and sweat, I intend to defeat our enemies and claim the prize of the Hego.”
Daniel could see the faces of the whelps. They stood straight, and stared forward, not moving a muscle. This was a disciplined group of young warriors. -Good- he thought to himself.
“Now, beside me is Lady Vissa of House Kurt and Daniel… the…” He paused for a moment. “The blasted Spirit sent! His house is my own, and he is a with us today as a gesture from the Hego himself. So heed his orders as you would mine, or you will pay with your honor… and we will whip the skin from your bones.”
-Not a natural leader, huh?- Daniel thought.
Delmos turned from the whelps and winked at Vissa. Daniel saw the twinge of fear in his eyes; he remembered his own experiences on earth and empathized. This was a task he should feel comfortable with; speaking in front of a group of junior warriors was something that he had been doing for years. The military was all he had known in his adult life, but after twenty-seven years had accomplished only an unhealthy case of PTSD and stories for people who had never been ‘over there’. Daniel shook the thought from his head. He was here now, in a world beyond anything the people back home could imagine, and he had managed to find a place here. His resolve steeled at the thought. He would not take this chance for granted. Regardless of one's beliefs, whether in a higher power or not, this was a chance at a new life, to become something greater than anyone thought possible.
“This assignment is only temporary.” Delmos continued. “And you may feel a bit uncomfortable taking orders from an alien creature like the Spirit sent. I know some of you are wondering if the stories you heard about him are true. I can say with moderate confidence that half of it probably is, and the other half is about half right.”
The whelps began to look at each other, slightly confused by Delmos’ failed attempt at humor.
“Regardless of these rumors, I am here now, and you are in my charge. The competition we will be experiencing over the next couple of days will test us on a plethora of different levels. Many of the Dae nobles here are pampered and spoiled brats.” There were several chuckles in the ranks that were muffled quickly after Vissa glared at the whelps. “They are only here because their parents wanted to give them an opportunity to gain prestige or glory. They won't be accustomed to the hardships of the trial, and we will defeat them easily. There are some, though, that might pose a problem. For this, we are going to do things a bit differently. Innovation and creativity during battle are essential for victory. One of those requirements is that we speak to each other about the battlefield, and how it changes.”
Daniel was scanning the faces of the whelps when his eyes met a familiar one. -Kholek?- he thought. The whelp’s face was frozen as their eyes met. This was too much of a coincidence. -The commander must have set this up on purpose- he thought.
“I will be counting on you,” Delmos said. “All of you, to keep your eyes open, to keep your senses alert, and for the love of all the great spirits, don’t piss yourselves out there. I know that winning this will be good for all of us, you warriors will be placed in elite units and given special privileges. A great prize… I know, but these things come secondary to the real purpose of this exercise. To see your prowess and abilities during battle. War may be closer than you think... so let’s show them that when we are finished, and on the battlefield staring our enemies in the eye… that we will slaughter them all, and avenge our fallen brothers!”
chapter 23
Robert screamed and gasped from pain as the torturer stabbed another pin under one of his nails. He struggled to breathe but found it difficult to funnel air through his broken nose and blood-filled mouth.
“Shhhh,” The Dae said, taking a white cloth and dabbing at the blood that smeared his ruined face. “We have learned much from you my little demon. Just a bit more. We are almost there.” He said, with a genuine and calming tone.
Robert’s mind was in shambles. He had lost track of time and buried his thoughts of home and loved ones behind a wall of despair. It had been several weeks of the same routine; strapped to a stone slab, every morning the torturer known only as Gurt, would come into his cell, talk to him for a time about how he slept and how his dinner was. Then, in mid-conversation, he would casually begin to apply his terrible skill. The torturer was a Dae-Voh, and would create small pins of sand that would penetrate his skin and change size and shape while within. Large portions of skin were peeled off as well, using a similar method of manipulating sand. Regular beatings and questioning were sprinkled in between and the fragile sanity he had held onto after waking up was all but shattered. He confessed to all they accused him of. Everything from plotting to destroy the Dae in collusion with dark spirits, to feeding on the flesh of their children. It didn’t matter anymore to him. The first two days he resisted, trying to muster his strength and break free. He screamed at first, telling them that he wasn’t a demon, just lost. But the pain was too much, it took its toll on him; it broke him down and now he just wanted to die. -Why won’t they let me die?- he often wondered to himself in the long hours of the night, weeping as his wounds burned and ached in agony.
“The Espi-Dae is coming today, isn’t that wonderful?” Gurt said, manipulating another pin of sand into his flesh. “I hope he lets you stay here a bit longer, I have enjoyed you the most, I think. More than anyone in a long time… I think it’s your blood... your blood looks so interesting…” He touched his fingers to Roberts bloody hand and began to rub the blood between his fingers.
Robert endured another several hours of the torture, rasping with pain as his tired body was stabbed, cut, burned, and beaten yet again until finally the sound of boots echoing in the halls could be heard. Robert hoped it was the end for him; he silently prayed for it. While at home he was a progressive student, and believed in scientific innovation and social justice, here, under the knife of torture, in a world that could not be explained… with spirits and monsters, all he knew was that he knew nothing at all. That there are larger powers in the universe than the insignificant human being he was. He had never prayed as an adult, but recalling his childhood Sunday School classes, he prayed to whatever may be above to release him from this constant torment.
The door opened, and Espi-Arl walked in with his entourage of holy men and several guards. Roberts' eyes were swollen from the beatings, only his left eye still seemed to open now, but he saw that Demessa had made her appearance finally. She had warned him of this, telling him that they would pick him apart. They did, and now she had come to see the result. There was a moment while the visitors processed the sight before them. Many seemed disgusted at the gruesome scene, Demessa included. The scent of death and defecation was overwhelming. She flared her nose at the smell of it all and turned away after making brief eye contact with Robert.
“Good work, Gurt,” Espi-Arl said, stepping closer to see the details of his performance. “Its blood is… red. Do we know why yet?”
“No, my Lord, I do not yet know why. If I had more time I could-” Gurt was cut off by Demessa as she stepped forward.
“The King has demanded that he be purified immediately. We are here to bring him to the temple.” She said.
Relief flowed over Robert, the thought of an end to this living hell was more than he could bear. He smiled a broken smile, and tears again began to well in his eyes.
“The King does not command me.” the Espi-Dae said defiantly. “I serve the High Espi-Dae, who advises the High King, and answers to the Spirits themselves. You c
an tell Alektor that I will do what I deem most appropriate with this creature.”
Demessa’s eyes flared at the insult to her King. “You should remember where you are. The Espi-Dae are not as widely appreciated here as in Torre’. Our King rose to power to end the foolish corruption of Dae like you… we threw them into the pits to answer for their crimes. Do not disrespect him here, or you will find yourself in a similar position.”
She paused for a moment, then nodded to the rest of the guards. “You have ten minutes to finish your work Arl, then he comes with us to the temple of Dio’Mar.”
She turned and exited the cell with her guards, leaving the Espi-Dae and his followers alone with Robert.
The Dae fumed silently as he looked to Robert. “Finding a live specimen has been extremely difficult. Unfortunately, the Rexunii found him and we are stuck here in this dung heap of a territory. These people have no class, all they want to do is kill each other.”
The Espi surrounding him nodded in agreement. “We will let them kill each other all they want.” He looked at Robert again. “We will do what we must. Obey the orders of the King, but bring a piece for study. We need to get as much out of this as we can.”