PART VI: A CALL TO ARMS

Sergeant-Major Natala turned and took one step forward. Raising her hand, she drew a symbol in the air reminiscent of the sigil that Kyra used to amplify the speeches the officers gave. If loathed towards her, coming to rest on her chest by her left shoulder. Satisfied, she tapped the symbol, took a deep breath and began to speak.

“All present are to stand fast for orders!” she called out, her voice booming out over the field. She paused for several seconds as everyone ceased walking or stopped talking to take heed, before taking an even deeper breath, obviously preparing for something important. “To arms! To arms! The following are immediately ordered to combat duty: Major Celeste, Corporal-Major Pixyl, Corporal Tazrok, and Recruits Jesca, Shul’an, Thucax, Ambria, and Lhawni. You are to retrieve, but not eat, your midday meal from the food tent, and report immediately to the Commandant’s office wearing full armor and, if weapons have been issued to you, armed. All make way! Corporal Vanis, report to me immediately.”

There was a stunned silence across the field as everyone tried to make sense of what they just heard. Finally, her voice once again booming out to all, but this time seeming even more forceful, the Sergeant-Major added, “Move it! This is not a drill!” Natala sliced her hand across her chest, severing the symbol and ending the spell.

Major Celeste was the first to react, needing only a moment to shift from Bunkerball to command mode. She gestured towards the recruit players still leaving the field. “Jesca! Pixyl! You heard your orders. Get moving and get your food!” She gestured up towards the bleacher seating where the other called recruits were standing with confused looks on their faces. Placing two fingers of one hand in her mouth, the Major gave a shrill whistle. “All of you called, move it!” Walking stiffly towards the food tent next to the bleachers, the Major began to force a few people aside as she called out, “Make a hole! Let us through!”

To their credit, the recruits whose names were called, encouraged by seeing the Major springing into action, needed only a few more seconds for their minds to shift into gear. Jesca and Pixyl fell in immediately behind the Major, soon joined by the others as they ran down from their seats. From overhead, the adorable winged kitty swooped down from the skies, transforming into the form of Tazrok and falling into step behind the moving group.

“What’s going on?” Jesca asked the Major, a worried tone in her voice.

“I have no idea, but we have orders and it's not a drill,” the Major responded as she stood aside, ushering the rest of the team past her. “Get your food and go get the rest of your armor on. All of the rest of you; full armor, including helmets, and don’t forget your backpacks, any weapons and to fill your waterskins. Pixyl, keep wearing your suppression bracelets while we figure out what’s going on.”

Callie was almost amazed at what she saw. She had expected her friends to all come running over to get explanations, but with both Natala’s forceful call to arms, and the Major herding everyone along, everyone simply … moved. The idea that, with only a few words, her own instructions, relayed through the Sergeant-Major, had called people to combat action was simply strange to Callie. ‘Go here’. ‘Do that’. All by simply telling them to, almost like a machine. She began to imagine her orders being given to larger groups, or multiple groups in coordination. Could she do things like that? So lost in her sudden thoughts was Callie, that she didn’t see Vanis come sprinting towards them.

“Sergeant-Major?”

“Corporal,” Natala acknowledged.

“Sir,” Vanis said, stepping sharply to attention, placing his hand on his chest as he nodded towards Galin, knowing this was a serious situation.

“Corporal,” Galin echoed, returning the salute.

“How may I be of assistance?”

The Legate gestured towards Callie. “Corporal, Acting Sergeant Callie is in charge of this mission. Receive her orders.”

Vanis stumbled, but only for a fraction of a moment. “She is? Really? Of … of course.” He turned towards Callie. “Sergeant?”

“Um…” Callie said as she swallowed, trying to find both the words and the authority. Then, Natala’s words of simple advice echoed in her brain. ‘Get your shit together!’ Callie nodded hard once and then looked up at her friend. “Vanis. There is a situation within Juniper’s woods. I’m leading a team to deal with it. I need you to make sure she remains here in camp, where she can be kept safe.”

Vanis looked at Juniper, standing behind Callie and weakly waving with one hand, while her other held on to Loki’s vine-arm. “Oh … of course,” he repeated, still getting his head focused. “Is she in danger?”

“Not as long as she stays here. Don’t let her leave. If she tries, then get one of the officers.” Then Callie’s tone lightened, and she added, “She’s nervous. Just keep her distracted, Vanis, please.”

“Understood!” Vanis said sharply.

“You don’t say please,” Natala interrupted, a polite, but lecturing firmness in her tone. “You aren’t asking him to do something, you’re ordering him to. Short and to the point. You need to expect in your mind that your orders will be followed, and you don’t need to explain yourself.”

“Uh, okay,” Callie replied. “Well, keep her occupied, then, Vanis.”

“Absolutely, Sergeant,” Vanis said with a nod, sensing the seriousness of Natala’s comment. He extended his hand to Juniper. “M’lady,” he said smoothly, “would you consider gracing me with your presence?” He stood waiting for further instructions.

“Uh, dismissed, I guess,” Callie finally said.

“Understood. Good hunting, Sergeant,” Vanis replied. He glanced up towards Galin and Natala. “Good day, Legate, Sergeant-Major.”

Juniper giggled slightly, taking the Warlock’s arm with hers, and together the two walked off, heading back to the seating, Loki trailing along like the good puppy-plant he was.

The Sergeant-Major looked down at Callie, once again demanding her attention. “I mean it.” She tapped hard on Callie’s head with her finger. “Don’t ‘guess’. You need to be confident up here. If you’re in charge, you cannot show you doubt yourself, even if you do. Your job is to wade through all the information coming at you and then tell people how to deal with it so that everyone is thinking the same way, and be the rock-hard strength they need. Don't be intimidated by their rank or their personality. Remember, you are the one in charge.”

“Listen to her,” Galin said. “She has years, decades even, of battlefield leadership experience.”

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Callie looked from Galin, back to Natala, and swallowed hard once again. She was still intimidating as hell. “Okay. I’ll try.”

“No,” Natala warned, jabbing her finger lightly into Callie’s chest. “This is what I’m telling you. ‘Trying’ is not an option here. You … are in … command! You don't get the luxury of ‘trying’. Ask people questions to get information, you can even ask them for options and opinions, but then you decide what happens next. Your orders need to be clear, simple, and absolutely expected to be followed. Then, you do not change them just because someone complains you didn’t pick their option. You only change them if new information requires you to issue new clear and simple orders. But, above all, you must be absolutely confident.”

“Okay,” Callie replied, with a little more strength now in her voice.

“I assume the Major is going as backup?” Natala asked Galin.

“Yes, along with Reynard.”

“You’re taking all the Rangers, so that makes sense,” the Dwarf said, before she looked back at Callie. “You have two experienced people along, but this is first of all a training exercise, so they will only take over if you can't handle it. So right here, right now, you tell yourself, and then you tell me and the Legate, that you can handle whatever comes your way. Nobody would have handed this responsibility to you if they didn’t think you could do it. Take a breath, believe it and then say it.”

Callie took a deep breath, trying to push aside the dread and panic that had been building in her gut ever since she was called down the hill. She took another, in through her nose, held it, and blew it firmly through her lips. Looking Natala in the eyes, she saw the look of encouraging concern. But, more importantly, she saw the look of somebody who actually believed in her, despite her initial surprise and doubt. She didn’t judge Callie because of her Gnome race, or her height, or her lack of experience, or anything. The look in Natala’s eyes said she absolutely knew Callie could do it, and was trying to convince Callie of that fact, not the other way around. With a sharp nod, Callie said simply, “I’ve got this.”

“Good,” Natala said, putting a hand on Callie’s shoulder. She stared hard and held Callie’s gaze. “I’m going to tell you one other thing; something I wish I had been told when I was starting out. Listen closely. When you fuck up, and trust me, someday you will fuck up, you deal with it. Every Sergeant fucks up eventually. Hell, every officer fucks up, usually even worse, and usually requiring a sergeant to fix it for them. What really matters, though, is what the person in command does next. When it happens, you need to put your emotions aside and work the problem. Panic will only get your people hurt or killed. The emotions are allowed to come later, when the mission is over and everyone is safe. When you get back, you come find me if you need to talk to someone for some reason, and we’ll have a drink.”

“Thank you,” Callie said, smiling. “I needed that. I needed all of that, actually.”

“Good,” Natala said with a sharp nod and encouraging smile. Her face turned business-like again. “Your orders have been called, Sergeant,” the Dwarf said, stiffening and acknowledging the original request. “Have you more need of me?”

“N-N-No, Sergeant-Major,” Callie said, stumbling for a moment as her brain raced realtime through her mental to-do list, trying to remember if there was anything else that might be needed from Natala. “That’s everything.”

“Excellent, Sergeant. Good hunting to you.”

“Good,” Legate Galin said. “Thank you Sergeant-Major for your call to muster as well as your words. Sergeant Callie, what do you need to do next?”

“Um…” Callie replied, her voice trailing off. “I guess get my own food and then get dressed. Then we all meet up at the Commandant's. Right?”

“Is that right?” Galin smirked, slipping back into being cryptically unhelpful.

Callie rolled her eyes. “Yes, that is next.”

“Very good,” Galin said. “Then I shall meet with you and your team outside the Commandant's office.” With that simple statement, he turned and began to walk back down the hill.

Looking across the field to the rest of her team, now in line waiting for their lunch orders to be finished, Callie found herself hesitating. Had she forgotten something? Was there something else she needed to tell them? No. She was pretty sure that was everything until they assembled together once they were ready. She looked up at Natala. “Thanks again. I really mean it,”

“Get going!” the Dwarf said with a light laugh, her hands making a shooing motion.

With a wave, Callie jogged off to join the rest of her team, dashing across the playing field to avoid the throngs of milling people. “Move, I gotta get up there, too,” Callie cried when she got close.

“Callie, what do you mean?” Celeste said, gently ushering a couple people aside so the Gnome could get through. “Your name wasn’t called.”

“I know. I’m leading this thing.”

“What? You? Really? Why?” the Major asked in surprise.

“Hey!” Callie snapped, not liking Celeste’s tone for some reason. “They were Xera’s orders, so I’m going to follow them!”

The Elf raised her hands defensively. “Sorry!”

Callie sighed, feeling bad for being snippy. “No, I’m sorry. Every single person that hears I’m leading this says the same thing. Including me at first, honestly. It’s a little tiring, that’s all.”

The Major knelt, waving Tazrok ahead of the two of them. “What’s going on?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“A Bogwump nest in the swamp. It’s a threat to Juniper. We need to take it out.”

With a groan, Celeste put her hand to her face. “I hate swamps.”

“No kidding. They suck. Trainer Rowani is flying out to scout and make sure that’s what it is, but both she and Reynard are pretty sure.”

“They’re coming, too?”

“Just Reynard. The Commandant only allowed me two trainers, so you two drew the short straw. Sorry. Rowani is just going to scout.”

Callie could see Celeste running through the team makeup in her head. “A lot of Rangers, don’t you think?”

“We don’t need mana for ranged attacks, and there will be a zombie animal army coming for us.” Callie shrugged.

The Major bobbed her head back and forth, as if considering what Callie said. “I can work with it, then. Tazrok?”

“Second Guardian.”

“Huh. Good choice,” Celeste said, raising her eyebrows. “It will be interesting to work with him. Why shouldn’t we eat?”

“We need to drink a potion with food when we get close.”

“Ick,” Celeste snarled, but then sighed. “Okay, let’s get lunch and we’ll brief everyone when we’re all together.” She then put a hand on Callie’s shoulder. “Congratulations on your first mission, Sergeant.”

‘Yeah, thanks, I guess,” Callie said sullenly. “Do me a favor, stop me if I’m about to screw up really badly.”

Together, they stepped forward in line. The available food was the same as the previous Homeday, and Callie ordered another ‘hotdog’ sausage thing, but also a mushroom burger, because she really wanted to try it. Then, she remembered she should get something for Reynard, too, and got him two sausages. Because it was summoned food, and even the burlap cloths they were wrapped in had been summoned, one could easily toss anything you didn’t like or couldn’t eat aside. They would just fizzle away into nothingness when the summoning ran out. No need to worry about litter.

Two bundles of food in hand, and Celeste with her own, the two walked quickly towards the edge of the field. There, some of the other recruits were all gathered in a group and Jesca waved Callie and the Major over.

“Tazrok said he overheard that you were in charge? Is that really a good idea?” Jesca asked, a note of concern in her voice.

“Argh!” Callie screamed, really getting sick of people instinctively doubting she could do this. “Fine! Yes, the Commandant picked me to lead you all. If I screw up, the Major will take over. You’ll get details once we’re all assembled. Now, everyone go get your armor on and whatever else you need.”

Nobody moved.

“You heard her!” Celeste interjected. “Move it! All of you!” She didn’t add a Command Aura pulse to it, but her tone and several sharp claps got the point across just fine. As one, everyone turned and started jogging towards their respective houses.

“Thanks,” Callie said to Celeste. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Likewise, Sergeant,” the Major replied as she turned to walk towards her own tiny cabin.