Chapter 305: The Power of Monsters

Kellar stood at the edge of the training field with Julian and Aldric, watching the line of recruits still in work clothes.

"Julian. Aldric," said Kellar. "I know the two of you are absolute experts in your disciplines. One at sea, one on land. Your fighting styles differ and I do not say one is better than the other."

The two waited.

"I want a versatile army," said Kellar. "That is why I am asking you to train them in both formations."

Julian squared up without hesitation.

"It will be done as you order," said Julian.

Aldric took a little longer.

"My lord, most of a knight apprentice’s training needs young horses," said the old man. "A knight is raised alongside his mount so that they know each other all their lives. The horse is half a knight’s strength. Without it there is no cavalry, only men on top of animals."

"And?"

"And our horses are all male," said Aldric. "We brought no mares. Fetching them from some neighboring realm will take time, and it will not be easy. War-charger mares are very dear and are generally not sold, because they are what guarantees the blood purity of the war horses."

Kellar stayed quiet a moment.

"Do you think bulls would serve?" asked Kellar.

Aldric looked at him.

"Bulls, my lord?" said Aldric. "You mean your giant bull? It might work. Their warriors are big and strong. I have already watched them ride the white tigers."

"We can try it," said the old man. "But I have not seen young calves."

"They will be born soon," said Kellar, with a sly grin. "Big Horn has worked without rest."

Julian raised his eyes.

"Big Horn?" asked Julian.

"The bull father."

Julian nodded slowly, as though a piece on the board had been moved on him.

"Meanwhile we begin with whatever is at hand," said Kellar. "Even if the mounts take time, we can use the young tigers."

Aldric scratched his beard.

"A charge with horses is not the same as with tigers, Great Shaman," said Aldric. "But the fundamentals are alike. We can try and see what comes out."

"Good," said Kellar. "And I want something else. The two of you will be on the same field, not on two. I want the recruits to learn to fight in close formation and on deck, with the same men and the same instructor."

Aldric furrowed his brow.

"Great Shaman, a man who learns two things at once takes twice as long to learn one."

"And when he has learned it, he serves for two," said Kellar. "I do not have men for two armies. I have for one."

Julian came forward a step.

"The first days will be a disaster, my lord," said Julian. "They will mix up the calls."

"The first days of everything are a disaster," said Kellar. "That is what instructors are for."

Aldric and Julian looked at each other. It was a long second, the kind that gets measured.

"As you say, Great Shaman," said Aldric.

"I want an army as soon as possible," said Kellar. "And I want the two of you familiarized with firearms as well. I saw you have artillerymen working long-range cannons like the Garnis, but you need to know rifles too."

"I understand, Great Shaman," said Aldric. "I had never seen cannons so small. I do not think it will be so difficult. I have familiarized myself a little with them during the drills."

"Good," said Kellar. "One thing more. I want to see how strong you are."

Aldric held his silence a moment.

"My lord, I am no match for Julian without my charge," said the old man. "My fifty knights amplify my strength. I do not say I could beat him, but without them I could not even face him."

Julian only watched, with a courteous smile and no comment.

"I do not say between you," said Kellar. "I say against me. I want to see what I am capable of."

The field went still.

Kellar knew the numbers. He had read them the morning the three of them arrived.

[Aldric Vane]

[STR: 1000]

[DEX: 500]

[REC: 1000]

[INT: 45]

[Julian Pendelton]

[STR: 1200]

[DEX: 1500]

[REC: 1000]

[INT: 45]

And his own, to set beside them.

[Kellar]

[STR: 400]

[DEX: 500]

[REC: 300]

[INT: 100]

Against them, he was a boy.

Against him, they were monsters.

He wanted to know what a monster did when told to fight.

Grok stepped forward.

He did not speak. There was no need. The intent came off his shoulders.

Since those two had arrived, Grok had understood that he was weak. He had not fought them and he had none of the shaman’s gift for seeing strength, but inside he knew he was missing far too much to even stand before them.

[Grok]

[STR: 500]

[DEX: 600]

[REC: 450]

[INT: 25]

And for Months he had kept a routine. He woke three hours before dawn, when he supposed Kellar still slept, and went down to the barracks to fight the captains and the commanders with intent to kill one another. Soldiers joined against him ten at a time, with weapons. Fighting at the edge of death every day had been fattening him with strength, day after day, without anyone noticing.

By day he followed Kellar like a shadow. By night he went back to the barracks and trained more.

The obsession smelled off his face. To be the shaman’s right hand was his mission, his vision, his objective. Julian’s arrival had shown him the road. The objective stood very far off.

But he wanted to see how far.

"Come on," said Kellar. "I want to see what you are capable of."

Julian settled his belt.

"I do not wish to offend you, Great Shaman," said Julian. "But it is impossible at this moment. For you."

Kellar was about to answer when something white came out of the trees.

Freyja.

She gave no warning. No growl. She dropped from the edge of the field in a straight line at Julian’s face.

Julian threw himself back and the claw passed a finger’s width from his eye.

But he did not shut them. He followed her.

Freyja arched in the air and seemed to fly, came around without touching ground, and loosed a second cut at his throat.

Julian raised two fingers and caught her paw between them.

"Little one," said Julian. "You should not frighten people that way. I could have been startled and killed you by accident. And then I could not explain it before the Great Shaman."

Freyja hissed and twisted free.

Kellar did not move.

Julian was terrifying. Not for the strength, nor for the speed. Because he had seen Freyja come, had let her reach a finger from his eye, and then had stopped her with two fingers, without a sword and without taking guard.

And he was still smiling.