Part 13

 

Greza stood in formation in full uniform with two white stripes on her shoulder: the highest promotion of any other recruit.  They were graduating from recruit to soldier.  This was the day she would finally become a full member of the Chimera Company. 

This was her new home and she was proud to be a part of it.  As she looked around her she saw the beaming faces of her fellow recruits.

It was almost winter and the entire company had been pulled back to the fort as the campaigning season ended.  The Duke had returned from securing next years contracts, the contracts she’d help fulfill. 

She looked over at Nika who gave her a wink. 

Duke Verin watched from a balcony three stories up on the keep.  He had his companions and officers with him. 

It was strange but she really felt no connection to her fellow recruits.  She liked them and cared about them, but she felt no desire to be friends with them.  She had been alone all her life and was fine with being alone.  None of them could equal Erinad.  And unless they were assigned to her same unit she wouldn’t be fighting with them. 

She couldn’t talk to them about history, philosophy or religion.  All they cared about was drinking, gambling and doing nothing of any worth.  She wasn’t one of them. 

Sgt. Drakan read off a speech followed by a few other sergeants and officers.  She didn’t pay attention.  They meant well but nothing they could say could equal the beauty or poetry of the great orators or poets. 

She hated thinking about these speeches as “quaint,” but she couldn’t help it.  She wasn’t impressed. Ironic since she had a reputation for being a dumb brute. 

Then they came to the part that interested her: the unit assignments.

One by one they read off a name and a unit.  The new solider would then walk over to their new commanding officer.  None of them would be assigned to cavalry.  That was reserved for people who had proven themselves as infantry first. 

She stood there and waited for her name.  Greza hoped to be sent to a scout platoon.  She would rather be on her own, allowed to do things her own way instead of stuck in a formation, unable to break out or make a difference.

Yuro was assigned to an artillery battery and Nika went to a medic unit. 

Then she heard her name. 

“Greza of Roristan.  First Infantry Company, third platoon.”

Infantry?  She’d just be a front line fighter?  That seemed a criminal waste. 

She maintained her discipline and moved quickly to where she was directed.  A scowling woman in a decorated uniform waited her with a platoon behind him.   She lined up in the new formation and tried to figure out what asinine thought process led her here.  

Once the ceremony ended everyone clapped and then the different units broke up to continue with whatever they were doing. 

The female lieutenant led them inside the keep and into one of the many barracks. 

“Alright, listen up everyone.” The Lt.  said.  We have a new soldier.  I don’t want to see our standards slip to make up for her incompetence.  Maintain discipline and don’t disappoint me.” 

Then she turned and left the room. 

As soon as the door closed behind her everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. 

“Good, she’s gone.  Now we can welcome you properly,” one of the soldiers said.  He was an Elf male with a shaved head (most males kept their hair very short,) and a long scar down his cheek and neck. 

“Don’t pay too much attention to lieutenant Tezana.  She’s got a red moon every day of the month,” a female human said. 

“What’s your name?”  Someone asked.

“Greza.”

“Welcome to Third Platoon.”

She then was barraged by all the usual questions which she answered with patience. 

“You’re that recruit everyone says is a good fighter.  They say you beat Sgt. Drakan like he was a child.”

“Yes,” Greza said.

Then a man with dark skin and short beard sat down at the table next to her. 

“You really that tough?”  The man asked.

Greza shrugged. 

“Let’s see,” he said.

He put his elbow on the table with his hand open in the air.  What was that supposed to mean?

“If you’re really that tough then you’ll have no problem with me,” the man said.

“Come on Terak, she’s half your size,” someone called out.

“Leave her alone,” someone else said.

“No, if she can beat Sgt. Drakan, then she can beat me.  Arm wrestle me, girl.”

Ah, that’s what he wanted.  She had seen this before. 

She put her elbow on the table and took his hand. 

Some people laughed.  Others cheered and others gasped in surprise.  Apparently this was the alpha dog of the pack. 

She didn’t know if she could beat him, but if she put up enough of a fight she could gain some respect. 

Someone placed their hand over both of their hands and then released, signaling that the match had began. 

Instantly they both began pushing.  The man was strong, she had to give him that.  He even started to push her arm back.  Then she adjusted once she realized that she wouldn’t have to worry about not hurting him and pushed back. 

There were gasps when their hands went vertical again.  She was holding her own.  She didn’t know if she had the strength to push him back but she could definitely maintain.  It would be a risky move to push back.  Perhaps it was worth it. 

No, this man’s strength was an unknown.  She’d maintain and play it safe.  Hopefully she would outlast him. 

“I can’t believe she’s lasting this long,” someone said from behind her. 

“She’s as strong as Ox!” 

The man, apparently named “Ox” was starting to turn red.  He was clearly putting everything he had into this.  That meant he had no reserves and from what she’d seen of Humans, it meant he wouldn’t last much longer. 

A full minute went by before she slowly began pushing him back. 

“Impossible!”  Someone said.

Ox tried one last time to push back and managed to go vertical again but it didn’t last long.  After that his strength gave out and she slammed his hand against the table. 

The room exploded in cheering and shouts.  Hands patted her on the shoulders and back. 

She had taken out the pack leader and began to think that perhaps that was a good thing.  There was no desire to be Alpha herself, but the respect would be useful. 

Then a Human male with sergeant stripes on his armor came in.  Everyone quieted down but not to silence.  His eyes found her. 

“You’re Greza, huh?  Welcome to Third Platoon,” he said with a smile. 

There was a chorus of agreements. 

“Greza, you’re going to be assigned as a targeteer.  You’re in my squad.”

A targeteer, the most dangerous job in the army.  She would be at the very front of the battle.  They only saw her ability to kill and nothing else. 

Perhaps it was her own fault.  She didn’t let her education show.  Years of hiding it had made her too good at appearing to be a cipher.  

“Yes, sergeant,” she said while trying to hide her disappointment.