Chapter 1

Army of Recruits

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I am ready.

With my right knee down on the floor, the king—my father—asks me what do I want. It’s not unusual for a prince to kneel down in front of his father to ask for something. But it is unusual when there’s only two of you. If my brothers want something and if they think it will win them some favors from the nobles, they will kneel down without a second thought.

A point in fact, just last month my second big brother, Calius, prostrated himself in front of our father and his entire royal hoodlums to ask if he could lead the rebuilding of the city’s water mills. The gesture apparently had won Calius some support from the nobles, who deemed him as capable and humble.

But I have no time to play their politics. I asks my father again the same question I had asked two years ago which he rejected flatly, saying I was too young.

“How many?” My father asks.

“Fifty, sire.”

“Fifty?”

“Yes, father.” I said ‘father’ to appeal to his paternal instincts.

“Look, son. I’m really glad about this, but I think fifty men is a lot for your first command.” I think he means that. He was really glad. The king had fathered five children, four sons and a daughter. He expected at least one of his sons would take the military path but it seemed all my brothers were only interested playing politics. But not me, of course. And my father knows it.

“Forty, then, father.”

“Thirty.”

I paused, trying to act that I am gravely considering his offer and that it was a great compromise on my part. “Thirty would be fine, father.” I said, as if I just lost a deal. Actually,I just need twenty men. But hey, an additional ten would be most welcome.

On that day, my father tasks his royal secretary, Critton, to arrange for me to have thirty men at my disposal.And soon the next day, I met my command outside the barracks. Surprisingly, they have arranged themselves in five files, with six soldiers each.

As I expected they were all young, fresh from recruitment, no experience besides cutting chicken except lieutenant Brax, he was a famous veteran of three battles and also famously known to be an ass, in short no platoon wants him.

This was my oldest brother’s doing, obviously. He wanted me to fail, so instead of men, he sent me children. I may be young as them but I know my way around swords. And it seems I have to show it to them soon, for Lt. Brax is eyeing me quite intently and I could feel his blood lust.

I looked around, and saw some of the soldiers are actually laughing, snickering and snorting at us. I could sense the uneasiness within my ranks. Part of it, I sensed, was shame and whole great deal of it was fear. I could practically smell it from my men.

I know what this is. Older soldiers probably had told them that they are going to die very young, that I am just some snotty, little prince who like to dress up and play war. And that, eventually, I would lead them to their early death. Well, I wouldn’t blame them, if I were on their place, I would be scared shitless, too, if a sixteen year old kid would demand himself to be my commander.

Morale is very low, as expected.I looked at them trying to project my most confident self and my cock-sure attitude. I don’t know if they could see it, but somehow they have settled a bit. I could feel Lt. Brax eyes drilling a hole onto me. He was sizing me up so I moved in front of him.

He was tall, taller than me—and I am the tallest and the baddest sixteen year old I know—he’s also bigger than me and scarier than me with all the scars in his angular face.

“Lt. Brax.” I said.

He seems surprised that I know his name. But he recovered quickly and just nodded.

“Are you deaf, lieutenant?”

“No.” He spat the word.

Looks like I have to teach him a lesson, after all. But not here, I don’t want to embarrass him in front of the other soldiers that aren’t in my command.

I ordered them to follow me inside the stable. It’s a bit cramp, but we all fit in just nice. I eyed Lt.Brax again and he returned the gaze with some understanding. He knows what I am about to do, and I swore, even with a rigid face, he managed to smirk.

“Clear a space for me and Lt.Brax.” I ordered.

Confused, the recruits moved slowly, but soon they formed a circle leaving me and Lt. Brax inside it.

“I assumed the sword in your waist is not just for decoration, isn’t it?” I said.

It was a great insult to a war veteran who had survived three skirmishes, who had dipped his sword in the blood of his countless enemy.

I feel his gaze got more intense. He probably wanted to skewer me to death now, but the fact that I am a prince is the only thing that’s stopping him. So I had to insult him some more.

“Or was it only good for killing women and children?” I asked. This was the deal breaker. I could feel his killing intent flared up. It was a really wonderful feeling, every hair in my body stood up. Truth to be told, I know something about Lt. Brax. He participated in an off-the-books mission personally ordered by my father to assassinate Duke Bornis who is selling vital information to our enemy—the Kurgs.

I was there, along with my brothers, when my father ordered that. But it turned out, during the assassination mission, they were given a wrong information and they didn’t know that Duke Bornis was actually fleeing the kingdom with his wife and son.

Faced with a choice of letting the wife and kid go, Lt. Brax and his fellow soldiers chose to kill the entire family. There were two soldier other than Brax who had participated in the mission. And soon those other two had died in the heat of the battle. Coincidentally, Brax was also on the same company with those two. And I don’t believe that’s just a coincidence, or rather I don’t believe in coincidence at all, and it’s time for me to find out.

“Don’t test me, boy.” Brax said,but he left the part: Or I will forget you are a prince.

I stepped closer to him. I am well within his killing range now, every part of my body screamed, warning me of the danger. “Should I bring women and children here for you to slaughter?” I whispered, making sure he’s the only who heard it. Ok, that part he didn’t deserved, but I need to teach him a lesson, remember?

He growled, and I noticed his shoulder dropped and I was already out of his range by the time he had fully drawn his sword. A risky move in my part, but I had to do it. I need him to attack me first to make it more dramatic and to fully achieve the effect that I intended.

I draw mine and shouted fast. “Nobody gets in our way.” But it was a futile warning, it seems no one was really planning to—and that kinda hurts—even though Brax is now fully committed to kill their commander and their prince. That’s how scary Brax is and how chicken my men are.

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His downward swing was really powerful that even after deflecting it masterfully, my hands ached. He was shouting like a madman. His swings are wild but I could feel the power and speed behind it. During the battle I was smiling, I could see the raw potential of Brax, and I decided I need this man more than his need to kill me.

With limited space, I danced around him. I can’t exactly move backwards because of the fear that he might accidentally chop some of my men into pieces. I punched him in the face when I got an opening. He staggered back with a bleeding nose.

This had calmed him a bit and probably realized that he was trying to chop his own commander and his prince into little pieces. I saw an acceptance in his eyes, he knows his life is already forfeit by attacking me. Now he just wanted to finish what he had started. A good quality, I noted.

Time to get serious. This time, I initiated the offense. I managed to wound him in his right bicep, followed by a sword thrust aimed at his head. He barely deflected it and his left cheek tasted the sharpness of my blade as it bleeds.

I don’t know if he had noticed that I slightly held myself back with my last strike. If I didn’t, the fight would have been over with my sword protruding at the back of his head. I lowered my stance, held my sword in both hands and pointed it at his face.

He stared, I stared back. He knows the next part will decide everything. He was calm, and this makes him ten times more dangerous. I was the first to attack, and he blocked it easily. I pressed my sword against his.

This is a battle of strength now,and I have to win it. There’s a lot of stakes riding in this fight. Defeating Brax, not just defeating him, but completely obliterating him will gain me a bit of respect from my men and hopefully Brax’s respect as well.

Brax was very powerful, I could feel the weight of his sword as it hard-pressed against mine. I let out a roar and I channeled my body’s energy into my sword. Brax was forced to take a knee against my oppressive awesomeness.

I won, but I decided to let go of my right hand to give him another smack into his already bleeding broken nose. He sprawled on the floor and his sword went flying. But I didn’t stop just yet, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to show to my men my awe-inspiring kicking abilities.

And there it was, a front kick to his face sends Brax on the floor again. My left foot hadn’t entered the spotlight yet, so I used it to stomp his stomach. I am not a sadist, mind you, and I don’t enjoy all of this. But I am young. Chances are my soldiers won’t take me seriously and it just so happens that scary Brax was the perfect asshole I can make an example of.

Brax was lying down, but the tough bastard was still conscious. It looks like he still wanted to see the end of my boot so I gave it to his face. And then he was down.

I looked around and saw mixed expressions from my men. Fear and respect is what I expected to see and I almost smiled when I saw it in their faces, with an added bonus of their jaws dropped low. I got to admit, what I did was impressive, but I didn’t expect it to be a jaw-dropping performance.

I stood, returned my sword in to the scabbard and tried to fix some creases in my uniform. “From now on, you will either call me sir or commander.” I said.

They quickly straightened themselves and saluted. “Sir, yes, sir.”

I heard a grunting behind me. What a resilient bastard, I thought. He’s already awake now, fully calmed, I hoped. I walked into him and offered my hand. He saw my eyes, and I saw his. He understands I owned him now. He reached out to my hand and I pulled him to stand.

“Lt. Brax, I appoint you to be my second in command. Do you have any complaints?”

He eyed me. He expected that I will charged him with treason and see him hanged for it. There’s still a lingering stubbornness in his eyes. But I smiled when he said. “I accept the duty, sir.”

“Men, leave us be for a while.” I ordered.

Their movement got quicker at least. This means they have a gain a little confidence in me. I looked at Lt.Brax and at his bloody nose. I had probably broken his nose because I hear a wheezing sound in his breathing.

“I will not apologize for insinuating your sword is only for display. I, however, will take back what I said about you dipping your sword with the blood of women and children.” I said. “That’s the best and the closest apology you could get from me, so I suggest you better take it. I, however, also know you killed your fellow soldier involved in the Duke Bornis’ assassination. I don’t know what had transpired and I will respect your privacy as I respect your honor as a great soldier.

“I wish I could say I am going to save this kingdom from rotting, but I am not. My reasons are my own but I assure you it transcends their petty politics. In time, I am going to earn your loyalty and I will tell you everything. That’s why I did what I had to do today. I’m sure you understand.”

He nodded. He knows I used him to make an example for my men and I think somehow he agreed to my method, cruel as they may be.

I took my white handkerchief and offered it to him. “Clean yourself up. You’re a bloody mess.”

I believed I saw him just smirked as he took my handkerchief.

When we walked out of the stable. Surprisingly, again, my men had formed themselves in five files. They may not have balls, yet, but at least they’re disciplined.

“My name is Calex Zath Archivon and I am your commanding officer.” I addressed them. “You will answer only to me and no one else. You will not take orders from other men except from me and Lt. Brax here. Got it?”

They answered softly. They’re still afraid of other military officer outside my command. After all, they are still recruits bound to be humiliated from veteran soldiers.

I want them to stand proud but it seems promising them glory would be an empty gesture in my part. In their standards, I am also a green like them. But I don’t want to rush into a battle to bleed them and have them killed. First, I need to train them so they can live up to my own standards.

I handed Lt. Brax a small map. He knows the marked location but not the purpose behind it. It was a nearby village from the east. The location was quite far from the city and I intend to hole them up there as soon as possible.

“I’ll give you half a day to prepare the men, bring only necessary items, and we will leave immediately. Meet me at noon at the east gate.” I said to Lt. Brax.

“Sir, yes, sir.” He responded.

And I left them. All in all, I think it went well.

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First Fiction. Hope you like it.