Ecdysis

Chapter 13. You’re in the army now

My boots stomped the ground as I turned for another circle across the training ground. I didn’t care much since that was not the loudest noise I was making at the moment.

Apparently, my trainer didn’t particularly like my attitude and decided to make sure I was up to the task. Or at least was properly humbled for the foreseeable future.

I was stripped and inspected. Finding my physique to be ‘sufficient’ for a ‘scholarly murk’, he pointed me at the heap of clothes and metal.

The full infantry armour according to his words. And not the bare minimum that Emanai provided at a cost to the freshly trained recruits, which was already substantial, but an upgraded kit fit for a promising warrior. My trainer did lament it would be wasted on someone who will most likely stay behind the lines and count grain deliveries or something equally administrative. Nevertheless, he expected me to wear it all.

Well, Aikerim was wary of losing her future son-in-law and a present gold-laying-goose so armour did make sense. I was wary of getting stabbed somewhere soft or, specifically, blocking said stab with my skinsuit and then trying to avoid resulting suspicions about why I wasn’t dead. Which meant the only questions I had was how to put it on and in what order everything was layered.

The weight of the hauberk pushed my shoulders down like two hands of a giant. Said weight was exacerbated by a breastplate on top. And a helmet with its own chain scarf along with vambraces and greaves on my now-panted legs. It was no wonder that my belt had gotten even wider just to pick up half of that weight off my shoulders and distribute it over to my waist.

The equipment didn’t stop there. Apart from the newly-issued pants and a hood to cushion my head, I got a long kaftan to cover most of the gear underneath. Thick and sturdy — good enough to act as a barrier to the elements yet easy to remove. Good enough to cover me from head to toe too. Slap the helmet with most of the face hidden behind a crescent nose guard and I could paint myself underneath in ultramarine blue without anyone noticing.

Fair to say I was not complaining. Although some adjustments to the metal components were in order.

My nonchalance however was not received well. I was strapped with all three weapons and the shield and told to march. Then to run.

Eventually, I found myself sprinting while carrying an entire military backpack, a set of marching tools and even a small wooden keg filled with water.

To call this exercise loud was an understatement.

I would’ve been dead by now or seriously contemplating falling over and wheezing on the spot without my nanites. So I ‘cheated’ even further. Covered by multiple layers of armour, my skinsuit grew across my body. Distributing the load and providing additional assistance to my now-enhanced muscles.

I could still feel the drain on my energy reserves but now they weren’t time-critical. This was less about my ability to metabolize and expel waste and more about how much energy I had currently stored in my body. And I had enough to keep sprinting like this for hours.

Then I would need to eat. Ravenously.

In the meantime, I listened to the barks of the trainer and carefully adjusted my running gait, pushing it from loud and awkward to merely loud and less awkward.

I would definitely need to do some adjustments later. Protection was essential but it did sacrifice too much of my mobility in the process. At the same time, while I didn’t think of myself as a professional armoursmith, I did have enough knowledge about history and engineering know-how to already start considering replacements.

Especially for the bulky and rather uncomfortable hunk of bronze on my chest. Two solid pieces wrapped around my upper body like a shell I didn’t need.

“And yet he isn’t even a wer,” My trainer shook his head, “how long are you planning on making so much noise?”

“Until you tell me to stop?” I tried my best to shrug my shoulders while running, it didn’t work very well, “I am not sure I can stop the noise — I need a completely different set of gear and better straps to hold everything in place.”

He sighed, “Enough of this, all you do is give me a headache with that rattle.”

I stopped and silently waited while he grumbled some methods of getting even with Sulla or something similar.

In the end, the wave of his tail signalled the continuation of our conversation: “I would’ve demanded to know more about what manner of murk you are but I have been warned not to ask too many questions. Nevertheless, I see that you have potential. Given time and training obviously, don’t think that your physical prowess is enough.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“Hmm,” His fingers traced my neck, stalled for a few seconds near my artery and vanished altogether, “Domina had asked not just train you but train you well. But to do that I must know what do you seek? Glory in battle and the strength to defeat your foes? Or do you seek profit and spoils? Perhaps to increase your renown and get noticed by a future wife?”

I shuddered, “Definitely not the last. Frankly — none of them. All I seek from this is freedom.”

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“Freedom?” he blinked, “That’s it? Assuming Domina is already willing to let you go, all you have to do is survive.”

“Yes. I value my freedom high enough to even attempt this venture. I prefer to do what I do best: alchemistry and other crafts, rather than shedding blood in battle.”

His tail swiped the ground in frustration, “Anyone can teach you about survival. A few months in the training fields will give you enough experience to survive behind the Barrier walls. Yet Domina decreed for me to train you. Why?”

I flicked the golden Gestr on my neck, “There is one reason that I know. Aikerim is extremely averse to me dying. No matter how small that chance would be. And I share that sentiment. Despite having no plans to dedicate my entire life to battle, I will learn anything that you deem necessary or even beneficial without rebuke. After all, discipline is the most important value for a soldier.”

“Aikerim?” His eyebrows rose, “My, I wonder how Ramad Qasam would react to such words. Or even Domina herself?”

Ramad? Ah, Aikerim’s first husband. I think I remembered Anaise talking about him once or twice. While Tarhunna acted as a naval envoy of sorts, Ramad had been travelling across land routes somewhere north and east, past the Babr mountains.

“Domina would probably smack me upside my head for speaking like that,” I conceded, “Ramad Qasam would probably be curious about his future son-in-law.”

My trainer sucked in his breath, “I…see…”

It was a good thing I had permission to say this much. As Aikerim saw it, my union with Anaise was a foregone conclusion. The only thing left was to wait until she had her Entrance Feast and proclaimed twenty years old and capable of joining life-long unions like sadaq. Well, and to figure out who was officially entering which sadaq.

Not that I could brag about it to anyone around, lest I'll have another ‘acute steel allergy’ incident, but I was allowed to drop hints to ‘facilitate certain conversations’ and ‘alleviate the surprise’.

“You can confirm my story with Domina,” I bowed politely. While a slight shock therapy was useful he was still my trainer and I had no desire to needlessly antagonize him, “But this should shed some light on why you were chosen by Domina herself.”

“My, my,” he cradled his cheek with his palm, “So energetic and well-spoken, I can see how you might have caught the gaze of our Lady. If that is true, that is. But finding that could wait for now. Now, how much do you know about Emanai’s might?”

“Its forces? Very little. Only that they exist.”

“Very well, we will start with that so that we can plan ahead where you could go.” He raised his hand, “What makes Emanai that much stronger than its enemies is structure. You can’t have a fist without both the fingers and the palm. Each ‘finger’ is a unit of ten warriors murk and wer alike. They work together, sleep together, fight together, and die together. A ‘palm’ is made of elite wer and wermages: archers and spell-slingers.”

He closed his fingers into a fist, “Take five of the first and one of the last and you have a ‘hand’ or a ‘fist’ depending on whether it is used to build or attack — an independent unit, capable of performing any task of the entire ‘arm’.”

“How large are they?”

“A finger is ten, a palm is five tens so a hand is a hundred. These usually work in pairs as ‘left’ and ‘right’ of a maniple so expect to travel as a group of twenty-tens. An entire arm? That varies greatly based on its purpose. The arms that lead our battles and strike fear into our foes are usually five to six thousand strong. If what you told me about Domina plans is indeed correct, you will be sent to a smaller arm that is largely tasked with supporting activities. Ten maniples and one or two cavalry units — twenty-five to thirty hundred strong.”

I nodded along, trying to digest new designations. So five melee squads of ten people with an additional ranged platoon with fifty. Add together and double that and it is two hundred men. A company of sorts. The arm itself was somewhat short to be called an army, however. While I would call it a brigade, a legion would be more apt. Emanai was populous but large bulk of her population was locked in farming. This made arm numbers more significant in turn.

“These are just the warriors?”

“Not quite. Two of every finger are the helper slaves — their task is to tend to the rest. Twenty of a palm are the same — they also guide the carts with equipment and provisions. Before today, I would have expected you to join their ranks. Seeing your physical capabilities you are likely to join a finger as a ranking member. Do not expect any help there from our Domina, her powers are vast as is her influence but she has no say in military matters while she doesn’t lead the forces herself.”

He glanced me up and down, “You can see she expects it as well or you wouldn’t be provided with all this gear. And don’t try to hide your prowess — any commander worth his salt will see through it eventually and you won’t like the consequences. The military laws are strict, you might find yourself lashed mercilessly for trying to avoid your duties or even executed outright. What you can do, however, is to prove yourself indispensable enough not to stand at the front line. To show you have some skills beyond your strength. Knowing Domina — you do, and not just in the Companion category, am I correct?”

“My skills…” I mumbled, thinking. While I was not very familiar with their methods of battle I could grasp the general things that their military might value, the challenge was to pick the best ones and translate them too, “I can read, write, and count. I am the Alchemist so I could work with healing tinctures and mend wounds. I have the skills of an engin… an architect and, while I am unfamiliar with Emanai methods, I believe I could pick them up with ease.”

I slapped my fist into my palm, “Oh I can play music too!”

My trainer barked a laugh, “What I really wish to see is the face of your future commander that would try to assign you! Yes, most of these would mark you exempt from manual labour and even basic patrols. Not immediately, however — all are expected to have these basic skills. Expect to see yourself assigned as part of the ‘thumb’. It is a special group that usually serves as a link between the palm and the other fingers.”

He stopped for a second and started to slowly pace in front of me, “My training is not a necessity to join the arms, but if I am to train you I will do so until I deem you ready to my standards not the standards of a mere recruit. And not any sooner. Make your decision now — I won’t tolerate those that stop halfway no matter their status and if you do I will make it known to Domina that you are not fit for duty even as a donkey slave to care for pack animals.”

“I would hope for nothing less. It is not just my wellbeing on the line but the well-being of those I care for greatly.”

“So be it. My name is Akhtar Kiymetl Siamak or master Siamak for you. I am well aware that I cannot train you day and night, as one should be trained, but that is the will of Domina. Nevertheless, I would still expect the same discipline from you as from any other warrior sworn to defend the honour of Kiymetl. You will have the task of familiarizing yourself with the gear between our meetings and be capable to dress yourself alone and at a moment’s notice. At least as a start.”

“Thank you, master Siamak. Can you tell me more about the gear and the weapons?” I made another short bow.

While I had ideas where I could improve my gear I understood that the current gear wasn’t just randomly picked. I wasn’t arrogant enough to think that my knowledge of human history trumped their probably millennia-long experience of trial and error. Just like many safety rules and regulations were written by the blood of accidents, all this armour and all these weapons probably had many casualties behind to prove their necessity on the battlefield.

“Why, to stop the pointy parts from going into you and to stab others with the pointy parts of your own.” He smirked and waved me to follow, “Ai, let us start with the main target — your enemy.”

After a brisk walk to another area, we came close to the target dummies. Some of them were mere logs, chipped and frayed by hundreds of strikes, others had a rudimentary shield attached nearby. And then there were a couple of much larger constructions — wooden spider-like manikins suspended by the ropes. I knew what these were about after seeing Aikerim’s trophy.

“You will learn new strikes here; when you practice by yourself you will be responsible for building your own target or you will spar against someone else. But that is for later — what you see here is what you will face beyond the walls. Murk, wer, perhaps a wermage, or even a creature of the Forest. Your weapons reflect that.”

A stick in his hand, that appeared out of nowhere, tapped my spear. “While a wermage would not let you too close, a creature will lunge at you. Having a strong and sturdy spear with a decent cross-guard will not only be able to possibly pierce its shell but it would stop its advance too. Many murks had saved themselves by holding it close in the Forest.”

A tap on my short sword, “In battle, you will use your sword and shield to get close and strike at your enemies. Others will stand beside you like a wall while the wer and wermages would rain fire and arrows over your head. Your task is to stand strong and repel anyone, who would try to reach the mages. While your sword is sharp, a single ball of fire or a flying boulder would strike tens if not hundreds. But be prepared to advance, once the mages are exhausted, and bolster other melee ranks.”

It kinda made sense. Murks had the greatest numbers but mages were the largest force multiplier of Emanai. Looking at the shield and sword I was initially expecting shield wall tactics or even square formations of the Romans. Apparently, Emanai went further and started developing rudimentary tercios to mix the ranged and melee units into one formation.

Well, the way he spoke about werbows and remembering the hole Anaise punched through my lab I couldn’t fault them for simply thinking smart. These were the magical counterparts to firearms and cannons. Extremely effective but ultimately squishy compared to their firepower and low in numbers. It made sense that they would delegate the role of infantry protection to numerous murks and allow the few wer and wermages to concentrate on more devastating tasks.

I should probably keep my mouth shut about normal firearms. At least for the foreseeable future. I also needed to take a look at the werbow in action too — I might not even be able to replicate anything stronger anytime soon yet cause unnecessary scrutiny on me anyway.

“And the katar?” I pulled the final weapon out of my belt. The blade was short but sharp yet it still felt somewhat unusual with the rest of my gear.

“Kattar is a final chance.” Akhtar spoke seriously, “There might be a time when a spear won’t hold a creature, there is no spear, or it would bypass your thrust. Kattar is your final attack at the lightning-fast enemy and its grip will help you puncture that shell or find purchase between the plates. That is why you will wear it everywhere. You will have it on you when you eat and shit. When you sleep and while you pick your nose. For it is both a warning and a promise.”

I quietly sheathed it only to draw again, familiarizing myself with the movements. The grip was unusual for a blade yet I could see how easy it was to stab someone even without lots of experience wielding it. Punching was familiar to most if not all. And kattar simply added a blade to the said punch.

Live and learn.

It was a sobering reminder of the challenges ahead. A weight on my sash that somehow felt just a little bit different than the sword to the side. The sword felt like a tool, while the katar felt like a threat.

“The mattock and a pick-axe are the tools of defence and logistics,” He continued, “The maintenance of roads and defensive structures outside of Border walls is the responsibility of the arms of Emanai. Each warrior will know how to dig and chop — a good wall is better than a shield and a well-defended fort is another guarantee of a restful sleep within the Forest. Especially a fort without any trees nearby. Creatures travel on the ground but are excellent climbers and often ambush their prey from above.”

Drop bears, great.

“No wonder the armour is so thorough.” I lifted the bronze breastplate by one of the straps with my thumb and let it drop. “I understand the chainmail but this feels rather cumbersome for how little protection it would add on top.”

“It would add plenty. Your task on the battlefield is to march, stab, and hold the shield, not to perform tumbles in the air. While creatures tend to swipe and slice as their tendrils wrap around your torso. If you don’t want to see your guts spilling out of your mouth you will wear it.”

“Fair enough. I will have to keep it in mind if I decide to change anything. I will seek your opinion before committing to any changes, of course.”

His tail stilled, “Are implying that you are a smith as well?”

“No, that I definitely have no skill at. However, I do have the knowledge of many armour designs and likely gain a master smith under my employ sometime in the future. Perhaps some of the designs will pass the muster of a skilled smith and warrior.”

“Ri-ight,” He drawled, “May the horns save you if you bring me something stupid. Any other revelations that I should expect?”

I shrugged, “Can’t say at the moment. Irje had expressed her desire to fight alongside me. She is a wer. I can probably spar with her during my off-hours too.”

Master Siamak thought for a second. “She did? A lover?”

“Wife.”

“Ai, and you dare to lay your eyes on the Lady of the House?” His eyes narrowed once again.

“Anaise Hilal had made her choice, I can simply be grateful for it.” I tried my best to answer it as politically neutral as possible.

He stared at me for almost a minute then groaned and palmed his face.

“Bring her over next time. While there will be others to spar against she will probably end up fighting beside you. Coordination will help.”

“Families fight together?”

“If they wish to. Most do. Military service is a great way to show oneself off and find a partner. Wives tend to make sure their husbands don’t stray too far.”

I could hear the intent of his words but I couldn’t help but scoff at the hilarity of the situation. I knew Irje well enough by now. If she even thought about that part of the military service it was me who was in danger of her bringing someone else. To see if I would like to have another.

XXX

“How was the training?” Yeva quietly asked as she slowly washed the sweat away from my body.

“Informative, to say the least. Did you know that people use it as a dating service?” I asked incredulously.

She giggled, “I’ve heard some rumours. Successful military service means that you aren’t just free but likely have a stipend and would own a piece of land someday. That does elevate one status somewhat.”

“Ugh, and Irje is coming with me. Is it weird that I am more worried about her shenanigans than the potential threats?”

“Don’t joke about that,” Yeva gently slapped my head, “And she is getting better, her current shenanigans notwithstanding.”

I quietly shut up and let her work. The new sleeping arrangements meant that she could no longer enjoy sleeping with all of us every night and Yeva made perfectly clear that she did expect some ‘allowances’. This was one of them.

“Say, Erf.” She suddenly started, “If I told you not to take Anaise in, would you?”

“Well, no. That was the point of our sadaq originally. I mean we would have talked about it first but if you had valid reasons to veto her, and your emotions would be valid too in that regard, then I wouldn’t have accepted her into our sadaq.” I frowned, “Why are you asking it now? Did something happen between you?”

“No, I…I’ve met her father today.”

“Tarhunna? Did he threaten you?” I started to rise up.

“What? No!” Her palms pushed me down again into the water. Quieting my heart as well.

Main baths were being repaired, so we were using the sacrilege that I would never call a sauna. Obviously, the temperature could not keep up with the volume but it was enough to have a nice warm bath.

“We spoke…He mentioned certain things that I, after some thinking, realized as true. Like how much I could influence sadaq. He didn’t judge but he did suggest for me to grow stronger.” She sighed, “I think he is right.”

“You want to get the nanites today?”

“No, it could wait until tomorrow as we planned. I meant stronger in heart and mind. I don’t want to either lose you or squander my connection with sadaq due to my naivete. I am well aware that after the Entrance Feast the news of this sadaq would spread. And with them — there will be others who would either think ill of us. Or try to use us. Irje is loud but she is a wer and lived for many years already. Anaise is young but she had teachers and training. I have neither.”

She let out a disgruntled huff, “I can’t even make your family to change their mind!”

“Let them be for now, so they can enjoy some peace and stability. So you wish for education? I think we can make it happen. I am all for it and both Anaise and Aikerim would likely agree as well.”

“Do you think I will be able to catch up?”

I grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss, “Nanites won’t make just your body stronger. They will strengthen your mind as well. Just as I learnt to read and write within a day, so would you. And many other skills as well. You would be able to read a codex and remember its contents a century later if you so desire. My knowledge too — there are ways to share it even faster than with speech or writings.”

Yeva hummed as a tiny smile graced her lips, “My these worms of yours are truly magical.”

“They aren’t worms!”