Callie's Heroes

PART III - TAZROK’S VERDICT

Somewhere in the throng of recruits, a solitary slow clap started. It was soon joined by another, and then two and then a dozen. The field erupted in applause and then in cheers. On the stage, only Xera, Galin, Thorn and Celeste remained confused and unmoving, all the others were clapping along with the rest; soldiers and staff alike.

It took a good long minute for the cheering to settle enough for Tazrok to regain control of the stage and his audience. Waving his hands to settle the crowd, Tazrok finally grunted, “Bring prisoners.”

Major Celeste snapped out of her confused moment, making a sharp whistle and circling a finger in the air. “Bring them!” Quickly, the assistant Elf appeared, tapping the Major so her voice was amplified.

As a group, each of the five was brought forward and lined up across the stage. The Rhinokin and Wolfkin were on one end, followed by the two Dwarves and finally Dunilawal. The five looked both resigned and scared as each escort produced a piece of rope, and looped it around each prisoner’s wrists, loosely securing their hands behind their back.

“This five still behave like children,” Tazrok said, gesturing to the prisoners. “So, like children they be treated!”

Sergeant-Major Natala had appeared and joined the Major. Together they walked down the line, stopping in front of each Dwarf. “Dwarf Children do not have beards!” came the Major’s amplified voice. In a flash, before either could even register, Celeste and Natala each whipped out a sharp knife and in a single motion sliced off each Dwarf’s beard. The locks of hair fell to the ground with a lifeless thump. Both turned and stiffly returned to the side.

The Major spun, calling out, “Each of you down on one knee.” Collectively, each of the five dropped to a single knee, the two Dwarves looking down at the beards lying at their feet with an obvious sense of loss across their faces. Dunni’s Fairy wings, normally out and unfolded, had rotated down and flat against his body, making him look sad and pitiful. The Major gave a sharp nod, and behind each of the five, one of her people stepped up. Each was an appropriate height to be visible behind the kneeling forms.

“If you behave like children. You shall dress as children!” Tazrok said with a coldness in his voice.

As one, each soldier reached forward and in a single fluid motion put a … BABY BONNET on each of the prisoner’s heads. Each head cover was pastel pink and trimmed in white lace, with pink lengths of fabric to tie them in place, and looked absolutely ridiculous. Like ripples on a still lake, the audience of recruits began to chuckle. Xera, Galin and Thorn all looked at each other with questioning disbelief.

Still amplified, the Major called out, “Each of you is hereby demoted to the rank of Baby! And that rank you shall remain for five days. You shall not be seen in public without wearing your bonnet. Do you babies understand?”

Each of the five looked at each other, seeing the pink bonnets on their compatriots for the first time and realizing they must be wearing one as well. In stunned shock, they each mumbled out a vague acknowledgement.

The Major stiffened. “I said, ‘Do you babies understand?’” There was no need for a Command Aura pulse to get their attention.

“Yes, Major!” each called back as one, their gazes returning forward.

“Stand at attention,” Celeste barked, and as one, the five rose and stiffened.

“All shall call you by rank of Baby,” Tazrok said before another wave of giggles could tumble through the crowd. “In five days, punishment over. You will then be adult and act adult. This, I have decided!” The Ogre turned back to Legate Galin, and nodded sharply, before stepping aside and yielding the stage. Quickly, the assistant Elf tapped the Legate’s shoulder to move the amplification from Celeste to him.

As the Legate walked to the center, Trainer Terrin waved his hands and the Nether Hound quickly dissolved into purple smoke, blowing away in the breeze. “Are we done?” he quietly asked Major Celeste, but with the amplification spell in effect, all could hear the question. The Major quickly nodded back.

Clearing his throat, Galin again looked out over the crowd, his face returning to its normal stern expression. The flood of giggles that had been threatening to take control of the crowd seemed to wither and die, perhaps having missed its moment, or perhaps under the seriousness of Galin’s gaze. “With that, this detail is concluded,” he said, “release the prisoners. All recruits are confined to quarters or the garden until the dinner bell, which should be in about thirty minutes. You are all dismissed.”

Behind each of the five, someone unbound their wrists. The Major walked up to them collectively saying, “Each of you tie your bonnet in place. You’re dismissed to your bunkhouses.” Celeste turned to one of her soldiers. “You, see that these are hung by the bell with the other.” She gestured towards the two limp Dwarf beards on the floor of the stage.

Rubbing their wrists, the five tied their baby bonnets in place, before joining the rest of the recruits in returning to their homes. Celeste stood next to Tazrok, watching the recruits leave. “I do think that went rather well,” she said to the Ogre, a crooked smile on her face. “I believe you made your point.”

“Should all behave now,” Tazrok said with a grunt and a nod. “They will hear my words.”

“I should hope so,” Legate Galin said, joining the two. “Your words were … inspiring, and your punishment unique. Thank you, Recr…. I mean Corporal.”

Tazrok looked down at the Elf, and repeated his grunt and nod to him as well. “Need me more?” he asked the Major. “Otherwise will go home. Want to rest before later.”

“No, I don’t believe so. You go ahead.”

“Good,” Tazrok said, before unceremoniously jumping down from the stage with a thud, and following after the rest of the recruits.

“That was …,” Legate Galin said, trailing off. “This was all his idea?”

“All the way down to the fact they needed to be pink,” Celeste said with a smirk. “I didn’t know he was going to give a speech, though.”

“I knew he was going to say a few words,” Trainer Terrin said, joining the other two. “He told me at one point I’d need to summon a quote, ‘scary monster’, to show the recruits. I assumed he had permission to make that request.”

“Not from me,” the Major said.

“Nor I,” Galin added.

“Oh dear. My apologies then. I assumed it had been cleared with at least one of you.”

Legate Galin waved his hand dismissively. “It’s of no matter. What I want to know is what that Aura was. I’ve never encountered anything like it."

“You felt it as well?” Commandant Xera interjected as they joined the group. “I wasn’t sure if it was just me. Was this what you felt yesterday, Major? Was that some kind of a skill?”

“It had to have been,” Celeste said, before adding, “The speech wasn’t really that good, so a skill is the only thing that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, it was well-delivered with solid sentiment, but a little bumbling. You see now what I was saying yesterday about how primal that was, though?”

“I do,” Galin said. “It felt, in a way, like Command Aura, but at the same time, completely different. Xera?”

The Commandant shrugged. “I am unsure what to make of it.”

“I may have an answer, or at least part of one,” Scryer Earick said, also joining. “I took a quick reading while the Ogre was speaking. I didn’t push hard, so I have very few details, but it was most-certainly a skill. Something called Chieftain’s Inspiration. I’ve never heard of it. There were some similarities with Command Aura, but at the same time it’s not anything like it. I apologize, it’s very hard to explain a scry’s readings.”

“Chieftain’s Inspiration?” Xera pondered. “It’s not hard to figure out what it does just from the name, but it certainly works differently than Command Aura. I’ve never heard of it, either. Anyone else?” All heads shook. “Why didn’t you see this at intake?”

“I can’t explain it,” Earick said. “He was scryed multiple times, and nobody saw it, including Juniper.”

“How very odd,” Galin said, rubbing his chin.

“Did you notice how his speech pattern changed?” Celeste asked.

“I did,” Earick replied, “I’m not sure how that would be possible, at least from a skill. But he certainly seemed far more eloquent than normal when he was speaking to the recruits.”

“Thoughts?” Xera said, opening the topic for next steps. “How do we find out more about this skill? Does anyone know his background? His life before coming here?”

“How about you just ask him,” Master Trainer Thorn said. He’d been standing back listening to the conversation. “He will know tomorrow how to query his Symbiote. Just ask him to explain what this Chieftain’s Inspiration is. If need be, do a deeper scan. It’s painful, but I suspect he’d consent to it if you asked.”

“I could do that,” the Major said. “We’ve had a good rapport so far and he’s been quite pleasant to work with.”

“In the meantime, I’ll advise Trainer Rowani of what we’ve learned,” Thorn said. “She indicated she was going to watch for this Aura when we discussed it yesterday, thus will need an update. I’m actually surprised she wasn’t here.”

“One last thing, as long as we’re all gathered,” Galin said. “I suspect the answer is no, but I have no concerns in allowing Tazrok to continue in his role as this ‘Corporal Punishment’. His responses have been unique, to say the least, but appropriate. Any objections?”

Heads all shook again, before the Major responded with a light laugh, “He was very proud of the baby bonnet response. I get the feeling he has an odd sense of humor underneath that giant exterior. However, I will continue to watch over him, just to make sure he doesn’t get out of line.”

“Thank you, Major,” Xera said. “Let’s do what we can to cultivate him. Depending on the details of this ‘Chieftain’s Inspiration’ skill, we could actually have an officer candidate here. Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

“An Ogre that is both a Druid and an Officer?” Legate Galin muttered. “Could things get any stranger around here?”

“Sir, why did you have to say that?” Celeste groaned. She could almost feel the fates turn their gaze the camp’s direction.