Dark Wolf's Awakening Read online

  After Colonel Karsam spoke, the rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. The sergeants handed out crests to the new soldiers before them. Several soldiers and sergeants exchanged words. Sergeants praised their students for their perseverance and determination, and soldiers gave their thanks for the help given to them along the way.

  My envy at seeing their exchanges couldn’t be helped. If things were different, I would have accepted my crest with pride and known I had earned it. My purpose would have been clear, and I would have been among my comrades in arms. Instead, I sat alone on a stage surrounded by other officers that cared nothing for a bastard noble.

  Before I succumbed to my melancholy, I shook off the negative thoughts. I wasn’t without advantages. The other nobles’ auras didn’t compare to my own. My strength and regenerative ability stood second to none. Even my shifted form stood without equal. I refused to be ground down by my circumstances. I’d use my situation to become stronger and overcome anything that stood in my way.

  Beast-kind continuously struggled for dominance. Our society taught us from a young age that, while we may find others to stand with us, only personal strength mattered in the end. If I was to be thrust into this position, I would claw and rip my way to the top so that none ever threatened me. My beast growl in approval. I needed to calm myself, quickly.

  My internal struggle went unnoticed as the ceremony continued. After giving the soldiers a moment to celebrate their accomplishment, Karsam addressed the entire assembly. “Alright everyone, let me have your attention and I’ll tell you what your first assignment as Silvanti House troops will be.” His voice carried over the crowd. While there was clear authority to it, it also carried a hint of merriment that seemed to only elevate the mood of those gathered. Again, I suspected the use of his aura to subtly reinforce his speaking.

  Everyone quieted down in expectation of their orders. I hadn’t heard our future plans yet either, so I was also eager to hear what he had to say. “You should all feel honored. The empire has need of House Silvanti’s strength. The saurians of the eastern expanse have been wreaking havoc along our borders, and we have been called on to help remind them of why they should fear beast-kind wrath,” he said passionately. At this, the soldiers and sergeants all let out a roar of approval that echoed in the night.

  “Tomorrow morning we’ll begin a three day march to meet our other field troops. Once we’re a unified force, we’ll head south-east three hundred strong and show the imperial soldiers why they envy house troops,” he announced, his voice easily carrying to all those assembled.

  “A special dinner is waiting for you in the dining hall,” he continued after the chatter had quieted. “You’ll find ale available tonight for you to celebrate your accomplishment. Just keep in mind that you’re expected to be alone in your bunk by midnight. Muster is at sun up regardless of how late you stayed up or how much ale you drank. Dismissed!”

  The laughing and cheers from the newly graduated soldiers as they walked towards the dining facility would make you think Karsam had just given them a week off, not that we’d be moving out in the morning. The mood was contagious, and energy radiated off of the crowd of graduates.

  Until today, male and female trainees had been separated. From now on, everyone would serve together. The barracks remained separated by gender, but the new soldiers could move between them freely until midnight.

  We’d received stern lectures all during the past week reminding us not to “make poor choices” when we were mixing with the female graduates. We’d also received several reminders that any dishonorable behavior would be severely punished. It was common knowledge that all the female soldiers were given an herb mixture monthly that prevented pregnancy, but after so many years apart, I guessed that most of the graduates would do well to even speak to a member of the opposite sex. If I was right, intimacy wouldn’t be much of a concern tonight.

  I imagined sleep deprivation and hang-overs would be the biggest obstacles for tomorrow. I noted that Iglias and the older sergeants didn’t seem to be cheering as fervently. No doubt, they were thinking about our upcoming opponent. They’d been around long enough to understand what we faced.

  The empire considered its eastern territories to be the frontier as the population was much smaller compared to the other regions. The reason for that was the terrain on the eastern border was much more rugged and harder to thrive in.

  I remembered from training that saurians were a savage race of scaled reptilian bipeds that ate any meat they caught. That even included other saurians from time to time. Their strength rivaled most shifted beast-kind and their senses were almost as acute. Add a tough, scaly hide resistant to claws and blades, and the picture was bleak. I wasn’t a coward, but I didn’t see a lot to cheer in that. Our biggest advantage was that they weren’t as intelligent as the other races and lacked the unity present in more civilized societies.

  Interrupting my thoughts, the other nobles stood at some unspoken signal and headed back to the officers’ quarters. Since I was now one of them, I followed behind by several steps. I wanted to find Tristan and talk about all that had happened, but it would frowned upon by the others.

  As we walked back, I noticed Iglias close by and couldn’t resist the temptation to get his attention. My actions were a breach in protocol, but I decided the scorn was acceptable. I’d already angered most of the nobles around me and needed to speak to the man that would run the day-to-day operations of my squad.

  “Sergeant Iglias, a moment please,” I said whenever he was close enough that I didn’t have to raise my voice. It felt strange addressing sergeant Iglias as a subordinate after so many years of him being my superior. I noticed both the colonel and major look my way, but neither one of them said anything. They turned back and kept walking towards the officers’ barracks.

  “Yes sir?” Sergeant Iglias asked as he walked up and tapped his fist to his chest in a salute. I returned the salute and told him to relax as I waited for the others to be out of earshot of our conversation. We had important matters to talk over, and I’d rather our words be in private.

  “First, I’d like to discuss what happened earlier,” I said with my eyes fixed on his. Instead, he interrupted me.

  “Before you say anything, sir, I’d just like to say I realize what I did earlier was foolish. I had an idea of what was happening, and I didn’t want you to lose control on a fellow trainee. I figured that if I forced your hand, I would be prepared if you lost control. Looking back at it, I’m not sure I would have been able to defend myself as well as I thought,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  It was strange to see the obvious embarrassment from the stoic sergeant. I nodded and committed what happened to the past. He seemed to appreciate my gesture, and we continued in an unspoken respect for one another.

  Moving forward, I addressed the reason I’d stopped him. “Sergeant, I’m sure you’re aware that Colonel Karsam will announce the chosen squads tomorrow morning before the march begins.” He nodded in response saying nothing. “I’ve selected you as my senior sergeant, along with the two sergeants you had with you this year during training. You all seemed to work well together. If you have something to write with, I’ll give you the names of the rest of our squad.” He pulled out a folded piece of paper from a pocket along with a charcoal writing utensil. Paper was an expensive commodity, and it spoke to his professionalism that he had some on his person.

  I told him my selections, and he grunted as he wrote them out. “This is a solid lineup,” he said with a hint of approval in his voice. I had hoped that he’d feel that way about his charges, but to hear him say it out loud lifted a weight from my shoulders.

  “I’m glad you think so sergeant. I’d like you and the other sergeants to make sure that they’re aware of their assignment. They can enjoy their accomplishment, but I don’t want them to be dragging when we get moving tomorrow morning. I’ll also expect our people to be together before the actual assignments are ann
ounced.”

  My orders were a little irregular. Customarily, the nobles left their soldiers to their own devices until they officially placed them in a squad. I didn’t care about that; my people needed to be ready to go when the time came. They also need to be close enough for the sergeants to take care of and keep an eye out for them during the march. They had been my family for the last six years, I wanted the best for them even if I couldn’t be a part of their world in the way I’d expected.

  Iglias had an appraising look in his eye as I finished giving my orders but voiced his understanding and saluted again as I released him to take care of his task. Though I thought my orders necessary, I hoped he had time to relax as well. I felt badly about making him work while everyone else focused on celebrating, but if he had a problem with my orders, he didn’t let it show.

  When I got back to the officers’ barracks common room, everyone else had already dispersed for the evening. Lathian found me there with orders to report to Colonel Karsam in his office. It was a surprise to find out he had an office attached to his actual room. I had assumed that he did all of his work in the common room since there were so many tables and chairs. Lathian led me towards our destination while I followed without saying a word. I didn’t press him for information, assuming it would be unprofessional to ask.

  Before long, I stood in front of the Colonel’s door. Lathian knocked, and he called for us to enter. The interior reminded me of the common room. The walls had the high, thin horizontal windows going around them near the ceiling. Two torches illuminated the room. A lamp was also lit on a large desk, allowing the colonel to read and write without difficulty. Tapestries like the ones in the hall decorated the entire office, and full bookshelves accented the space.

  Colonel Karsam sat at his desk looking over various papers while Lathian walked over to an alcohol display on the side of the room and poured a drink. I stood in front of Karsam’s desk, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge me. I wasn’t sure whether I was here under official circumstances.

  “Have a seat,” Colonel Karsam said after a short while without looking up from his reading. I did as directed while he wrote something and put the paper aside. “So you had quite a busy day,” he said as Lathian brought a single drink over and handed it to Karsam. I didn’t think it was a great sign for the conversation that he didn’t offer me a refreshment.

  “Yes, sir,” I stated after a little while, once it was clear that he was waiting for me to respond. He didn’t seem angry, but there was tension in his posture.

  “In less than a day, you alienated and angered one of the strongest families in Silvanti House. The Umbras are ruthless and loyal to each other above all else, and they go after threats with a vengeance. I’m not even sure I’d be safe if they marked me as an enemy,” his voice rose as he spoke.

  My anger rose with his voice. By the time he finished his statement, an involuntary growl escaped my mouth, and I gripped the arms of my chair so hard that the wood groaned under the strain. Karsam froze in place, I saw the beast in his eyes and knew Lathian stood behind me to my right. By the whisper of sound that came from his direction, he’d pulled his blade.

  “If you try to use that blade Lathian, I promise it’ll be your last mistake in this life,” I said while still looking Karsam in the eye. My voice came out almost like gravel being shaken together, and I could see the hesitation and doubt in the colonel’s eyes. My voice being partially changed snapped me out of my naked aggression.

  “That’s what I’m talking about Valian,” Karsam said sounding exasperated. I noticed that he’d gone pale at my expressed anger, but recovered quickly.

  “You have got to master your self-control. You cannot lose your temper at every perceived challenge. I’m Silvanti House’s second, and Lathian is an elite warrior and noble among his people. Either of us can stare down most beast-kind in the empire and not think twice, but when your inner monster comes to the surface; it’s unnerving even for us. The Umbras will see you as a threat and try to find the best way to do away with you. As it is, just your presence has a weight to it that will make others wonder how strong you are. Leave them unsure to your actual strength and they’ll be cautious, but if they realize just how dangerous you are, they’ll be looking for a way to end the threat you represent.”

  Karsam sighed before continuing. “Enough of that, just know I can’t protect you from them. You must fight your own battles, but to do that, you need to learn the rules of the game,” he said as he pulled a large book from the shelf behind him and placed it on the desk.

  “This is the imperial charter. In it are the laws that make up the foundation of our political system. The Soltaran Empire is merciless, but it has clear rules about how the nobility can act towards each other, commoners and slaves alike. Consider this book a gift. You must read and memorize it in the next couple of days. We’ll be reaching our main force and many of our other nobles in three days. I’d like to know you will not cause an incident when we do,” he said. His tone indicated the end of the conversation. I took the book from the desk, bowed and stood to leave the office.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Colonel Karsam asked as I turned away from him. “You’re not done here yet. You’ve spent the past six years learning how to fight as one of the rank and file. I’m sure you’re quite good, but now you have to fight like a noble. Tonight, Lathian will show you a thing or two about your new long sword. From there, you must learn how to apply the lesson yourself.” I nodded, and he continued.

  “You’ve learned to defend yourself on the battlefield, but dueling another noble is a different animal all together. While this one session won’t make you a master swordsman, if you continue to practice and apply what you’re shown, it will help you,” he said as he returned to whatever he had been writing at my entry. I put the book back on the desk and looked to Lathian for instruction.

  He directed me to move the furniture to the wall, creating a practice space. Once we cleared the area, he began the evening’s activities.

  What followed was an hour and a half of working on my stance, body posture and grip variations. It wasn’t exciting work, but I stayed focused as the elf described several variations of lessons I’d already learned. His goal was to get me used to my new weapons, not re-teach me the blade.

  Lathian possessed an icy demeanor as we trained that unnerved me. I knew nothing of him but his past with Karsam, but I didn’t think there was anything that would make him dislike me personally. My bloodline was the only conceivable reason for his demeanor. Even in his haughtiness, he maintained a strict professionalism. I had to admit that I learned a great deal by the end of our session.

  As soon as my practice session concluded, Karsam dismissed me for the night. As I closed the outer door, I tried to let some of my tension go by taking a deep breath and exhaling in a controlled manner. Shortly after I released my breath, my tension returned.

  I’d been so wrapped up in my situation I’d missed the servant standing in the hallway. If it had been an assassin or someone who wished me ill, I’d have been out of luck. I took a moment to shake off my paranoia as I realized that I wasn’t important enough to assassinate. As I dismissed my inner dialog, I focused on the attendant before me; she quietly waited for me to acknowledge her.

  The young human slave was a female near my age wearing a simple but expensive sleeveless dress bearing the Silvanti House Crest. She had the imperial chain link tattoo without the broken spear on her neck, marking her as a victim of raiding or being born a slave instead of a defeated opponent. The skin on her face and arms was smooth, showing that she hadn’t been beaten or physically abused recently but I saw the faint outlines of old scars indicating a rougher past.

  “Milord, Lathian instructed me to lead you to your room once you finished in the colonel’s office,” she said while curtsying and dropping her head.

  “Very well, please lead the way,” I said with a smile on my face. Even with my friendly disposition, she
smelled of fear as she led me down the hall to a room further away from the central part of the building.

  In our society, female slaves were taken advantage of, but nobles were supposed to be above such base acts. Having met some nobility, I wasn’t so sure about the truth of the matter. While the house crest on her dress marked her as a servant to the primary family and offered her some protection, it didn’t guarantee it. In her eyes, I was a new arrival and an unknown regarding how I would treat her.

  Growing up in the orphanage, I saw what the slaves in the poorest parts of the city experienced. That people treated others in such a manner infuriated me. Because of those experiences, I disagreed with slavery as a whole.

  The slave before me had no way of knowing all this, but she had nothing to fear from me. It sickened me that just walking in the hallway with me caused her fear. In my anger, I made a point not to interact with her. The smell of fear just increased every time I did.

  We arrived at my room for the night in silence. She mechanically opened the door and started to enter. “Are you afraid of me?” I asked, curious how she would respond. While I asked my question, I gently grabbed her arm to keep her from entering my chambers.

  “Yes, Milord,” she answered in a hoarse whisper. She kept her head down, and a slight tremble ran through her arm. The thought of her fearing me without cause bothered me, but I appreciated her courage.

  “You need not,” I responded as I released her. I took a small step back to give her space, and show I wasn’t a threat.

  “I’m sure I can handle things from here and see no reason for you to have to enter my room with me. Thank you for escorting me, and I hope you have a good night.” I said in a brusque tone. She startled as I spoke to her and her trembling increased.

  “Yes, Milord, if you need anything in the night, please ring the bell inside and someone will attend you,” she said with her eyes still on the floor as she bowed. It may have been my imagination, but she seemed to run from my room at her release. I shook my head to dispel my irritation and entered my room for the night.