“Specialty unit recruits, form up!” Yuri shouted out to the busy practice yard.
The young men and women hoping to be placed on one of Agorra’s elite army units swiftly found their places. They lined up five across and four deep, standing proud with stiff backs, sweat mixed with dust drenching their practice clothes.
“At ease.” Alton announced and noticed very few changed their positions and even then they barely moved. He shook his head in amusement trying to remember how he felt all those years ago when he was selected to join Hawk team.
“For those of you who don’t know, my name is Captain Alton of Wolf team, third army striker unit. I will be spending the next month here training and evaluating you. I will take four of you back down south with me as privates and Two of you as Wolf teams’ newest corporal and sergeant.”
Alton heard scattered whispers from the crowd at his announcement. It was rare to place directly in as an officer in the specialty units. The regular army units recruited heavily from officer schools in the cities, the specialties almost only promoted from within. That was one concession he had wrangled out of Corbin before he left the camp. He wanted to train his officers from the ground up. Through the years, Alton had operated his team in a way unique to him. It would be easier to train these kids without having to break bad habits.
Alton walked the line and took in the soldiers standing before him. These would be some of the highest scoring recruits of the entire country. Each one would make an exceptional common soldier, but none of these kids wanted common. They aspired to be the elite of the elite, defend their homes with honor, courage and strength. Each of them hoped to embody an aspect as all Agorrans dreamed of, as he had. The malaise that had clouded Alton’s mind eased looking at the young and eager faces before him.
“I run my team a little differently than most. I look for a strong character, ability to make snap decisions under pressure and dedication to the details that make missions successful. I care not who swings their sword the fastest or the hardest, or who your parents are, or for that matter, who you think you are. I do not care how large your mana core is. What I care about is how you use it. Can you be reliable? Can you follow orders? Will you panic?” Alton continued his speech. There were many parts of the pageantry of army life that Alton disliked. Bullying new recruits was not one of them.
“There will be four primary focuses I will look for. Two shields, two blades, one observer and one flex. Observers and flex must make the bow a primary weapon. You may specialize within reason. I will not deny natural talent or curiosity. I will enjoy hearing you explain how it will fit into the team dynamics. These will not be pointless tests. Every scenario you encounter is one that I have encountered out there.” He stopped and spread his arm out towards the mountains in the distance. “You have the rest of the day to spend as you choose. Report here tomorrow at first light. Dismissed.” Alton finished and released the recruits.
———
Twenty young and eager recruits stood in the dusty practice yard facing the horizon where the sun would come up shortly. Most of them had been here long before first light with only a few stragglers risking being late. Amelia stifled a yawn and tried to remain at attention despite the uncomfortable ache in her back. She had slept poorly, nerves amped up for the trials of the day. Rico stood off to her right, looking just as tired as she was. Her only other friend from the academy, Nelson, was directly behind her, humming quietly to himself.
“Where is he? The sun has been up for an hour already.” Jarl asked in frustration for not the first time.
“I don’t know, Jarl, why don’t you ask again?” One woman in the back sarcastically replied to a few snickers in the crowd.
“Whatever. I don’t have to wait around like this. I’ve already reached the second tier and passed all my weapons exams. I don’t want to join one of the stupid strike teams, anyway. I’m destined for the Vanguard.” Jarl announced before turning and walking out of the practice yard with a huff.
———
“Hah! You called it! Jarl is the first one to break and leave.” Alton said, patting Yuri on the shoulder and laughing.
He timed his entrance from behind the wooden bleachers to enter just as Jarl passed out of sight. Alton and Yuri took their place at the front of the awaiting recruits, and Alton studied the faces staring back at him. He could see a few were angry, some confused, most just impatient to begin.
“Congratulations! First test passed. Patience is a virtue in our line of work. There will be days we wait around without orders, only to be needed as drinking buddies and card game fill ins.” Alton gave the recruits a big smile.
“Does anyone have anything to get off their chests before we begin? I won’t bite.” He said. No one spoke, although a few of the recruits looked at each other.
“Shy crowd Yuri, what have you been doing to the poor kids?” Alton chuckled, having way too much fun.
“Blades line up to the left, shields in the middle, everyone else on the right. Each line of you will represent a team of three. I will meet you all individually while Sergeant Yuri takes the remaining teams through team combat drills.” Alton announced and walked over to one side of the yard.
Yuri got the teams organized after some first impression confusion and starting running the recruits through team oriented combat drills. Three-man teams were essential to all strike teams. A blade, shield and archer combination poised a deadly threat, able to defend and attack at multiple levels with a variety of weapons. It would be a cornerstone of their fighting style moving forward and something that required intense practice to perfect.
Alton reviewed the files given to him by Yuri and his recommendations after the first month of training. Alton despised politics and crossed off a few names that were too well connected. He read through the personality results logged by both Yuri and the officers at the previous recruitment camps. It took a special personality to thrive in the strikers and it would take an even rarer personality to begin as an officer.
“Ricorde Dulrim!” Alton shouted and waved over the soldier that jerked his head up. The potential blade ranked at the top of Yuri’s list. He read over his profile one more time as the private walked up and stood before him. Ricorde was fairly tiny for a soldier, only five and a half foot tall, and he was thin as a twig. He would need to put on real muscle to handle the rigors in his future.
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“Rico, sir,” Rico replied as he reached Alton.
“Oh good. Ricorde is tough to tell out in a scrap.” Alton replied with his cheeky grin. “So, Rico, only seventeen and already in the second tier. That is thoroughly impressive as far as I’m concerned. Did you know that makes you the youngest recruit here?” Rico nodded his head up and down. “Interesting. So what makes you want to join a strike team?”
Rico hesitated for a moment before he answered, “in truth, I had never heard of the strike teams before the recruitment camp. When I was told I had been selected to try for the specialty units, I spent some time researching them and found the strike team resonated with me the most. I aspire to be on the front line and make an impact. I want to learn how to be strong.”
Alton nodded in response and asked, “Why the role of a blade?”
“It was the weapon I learned first in the camps and it feels right. I want to specialize in body enhancement like you and make my body a weapon.” Rico responded.
“The sword is a good choice for someone of your build. A short and slender blade would complement your build well and give you great flexibility…”
Alton talked to the kid for a few more minutes about his life growing up and what he wanted out of Wolf team. Trying to pin down what motivated the kid. Joining his team would require a mental toughness that was not bred in healthy homes. When he was satisfied, he sent him back to the practices and called up his next victim.
——
“So, Amelia Oaker. Twenty-two years old and also from Agorath. Not too surprising being the most populated city, but I have to confess I am quite confused about you. I am no stranger to women becoming soldiers, but you do not look like the type. Bakers daughter but not a fan of the family business so joined up instead, hmm,” Alton mused over his fourth blade interviewee. He grabbed her hands and looked them over. There was evidence of recent hard work, but no callouses or scars that donned most soldiers. Her hands, and the rest of her for that matter, far more resembled a noblewoman.
“Uh…yes sir. I…did not plan on joining the army until some circumstances at home that I would rather not detail occurred. What matters is that I am here now and I place among the top of the blades. I will be a blade, sir, whether that is now with you or another team.” Amelia responded hesitantly at first, but fiery by the end.
“Woah, my young friend. Assume no judgment from me. I ran away from home to join the army myself, after all. I have read your profile, and it seems to me like you sold them a nice little story, but I don’t believe it myself. Let me just ask this: are you bringing trouble down on my team if I select you?” He kept his face neutral as he asked.
“No, sir.” She responded.
“Good enough for me.” He waved her on back to the line and called up the next.
———
“Riley Ironlung. Twenty-four, excellent with the blade, halfway through the second tier. Your family served, I see. Is that why you joined up?” Alton asked the well-built young man. He looked exactly like Alton would picture a soldier desired to look. Alton could imagine he would be popular among the camp followers.
“It was, sir. My family has served in the Agorran military for generations. I look forward to serving on Wolf team.” He responded with full confidence displayed on his face.
——
Alton had spent the last two hours interviewing the recruits and knew he had been in the sun too long when he must have called the same one over. He scratched the back of his neck and stared at the massive shield in training before him. The Kid was at least six and a half foot tall and must have weighed twice what the other recruits did.
“Nelson. Haven’t I already spoken to you, son?” Alton asked with a chuckle.
“Oh, no sir, that would be my brother. We’re twins and both hope to be shields. We work very well together, sir, if you selected us….” The recruit named Miser started to answer before Alton stopped him with a raised hand. He looked back over to the training yard and saw that he was indeed a mirror of one he had just spoken with.
“You're identical twins…your poor mother.” Alton muttered.
——
“And what makes you want to join a strike team as a utility Prian?” Alton asked the utility hopeful. Three hours in and he was exhausted, but he knew it was important to speak to each of the kids. Even the ones he didn’t select should carry a positive impression of him forward. Friends were always useful in the army.
“Well, sir, I’m not good enough with a sword or spear and not big enough to be a shield. I want to specialize in manasight and longsight without the stuffy job of sitting in a tent all day. I aspire to be out in the forests and mountains tracking our enemies and sniping them with my bow!” He said excitedly. He was about the same size as Rico without the lean, wiry muscle. He also spoke a lot and spoke very very fast. “I want to specialize in tracking and….”
———
“An archer mage combination is a rare one for a strike team. You will be a liability up close from both specializations, but damned useful at range. Offensive, defensive or support mage?” Alton asked the last utility interviewee, a young lady named Letty.
“Well, offensive right now, sir. I need permission to train in it from a sponsor and reach tier four before the academy will begin teaching us cool things like mana blasts….”
———
Much of the day had passed when Alton finally finished speaking with each recruit. He agreed with most of Yuri’s personality assessments and had a good idea of who he wanted. It was up to them to complete the rest of the training, and he hoped they would. Everyone could say they wanted to be a striker, proving it was different. He walked back out to the practice yard and called for everyone to gather near him.
----
“Directly west of our position, there is a forest. Beyond that forest, there is a cave. Inside that cave are nineteen stones marked with the initial of your first name. If you share an initial, there will be two. You will retrieve these stones and return here to the practice yard before dusk. You may form teams or work individually, you may use any tools currently on your person with the exception of a water canteen that will be provided to you by Sergeant Yuri.” Alton finished and watched the surprised looks spring across the faces of the gathered recruits.
“How far do you reckon that is? Six or seven miles?” Sergeant Yuri mused on queue.
“It’s probably closer to five, really. The forest alone is about one mile wide.” Alton replied.
“As a striker, you will be asked to cover various distances throughout many different types of terrain. This one will be easy because you don’t have to carry any extra supplies. I placed the stones this morning before meeting Sergeant Yuri for breakfast. Dismissed.” Alton said, closing down his smile for dramatic effect.
“But…”
“Did I not dismiss the recruits Sergeant Yuri?” Alton stated loudly while rubbing his chin, imitating a thinking pose.
Recruits scrambled up to Yuri, and he passed them the canteens since none had brought their own. The only thing Alton forgot to mention was that the canteens were empty. The looks on their faces when they realized it was almost enough to make the two break character. It took a great deal of effort, but they held off until the last one was out of the training yard and jogging across the plains toward the forest in the distance.
“Oh, man, this is too much fun. I should have gone to drill instead of strike.” Alton said after he finished laughing.
“You have it easy. I had to whip them in to shape long before you arrived. You should have heard the complaining when they first arrived. The academy spoils them, I swear. They don’t make them like they used to.” Yuri laughed alongside him. “Was that true what you said yesterday? About each scenario coming from a real mission?”
“It was,” Alton replied. “What better way to learn?”
“I think I’d like to hear this story, if you don’t mind sharing it.” Yuri said and pulled a flask out of one of the many pockets on his uniform.
Alton hesitated before he accepted the flask and took a long tip, reclining back on the bleacher and looking up at the sky but seeing a scene from a different time.