His Shadow Upon Your Fate: Part 1

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*This story is from Old Age Canon. Some of the lore may have changed.

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Author: WinterAnswer Continued: His Shadow Upon Your Fate: Part 2

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Sequel to "Her Blood on Your Hands."

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"For your lack of caution," she said without smiling, no warmth in her voice, "you must sacrifice a piece of yourself to me."  She revealed a dagger, it's blade worn and dull.  "The tip of your tail will do."  She came closer to the four, their arms bound behind their backs.  She motioned for the guards to cut their ropes and the knife was thrown to the leftmost soldier, Budio.

His eyes were full of fear as he looked from the General to the blade before slowly taking it in his hand.  He grabbed at his tail, bringing it around front and pinning it to the floor before him.  His arms quivered as he measured how much he would have to forfeit.  "No," she shocked her head, "more."  And the dagger's blade went further down the length of his tail.  Finally, with his breath quickening, the dagger rose in the air and slammed down to severe a portion of his tail.  Pained groans escaped his mouth as his teeth gritted, a few more strikes required to separate the two parts wholly, but his turn was now over.  Next was Niyi.

She seemed less skittish as the blade hovered over her tail, but a yelp had escaped her maw once it had taken her piece.  Then came Akuna, her expression of anger never leaving her before or after she had completed the General's mandate.  Last was Rupland.  Poor Rupland, Akuna thought, having just lost his right eye a few days ago.  Now sporting an eye patch, she knew it would have an effect on him in the battlefield.  Now, he was to give another bit of himself, but his face held no sadness, only blank indifference.  He partly moaned when the deed was done, but that was all he showed.

"Push the blade over here," Rain told him and he did so, letting the knife drive itself over to where she stood.  She now smiled at them as she picked up the portions of their tails from the floor, blood dripping onto the wooden floor.  "This is just one part of your grievances, my children," she told them, the pain still fresh within them.  "Whatever squad you belonged to, you are no longer a part of.  All four of you will be placed in a new squad with a new captain.  Hinokun squad, it will be called."  'Hinokun' rang strong in all four of their heads, the word meaning, 'crippled bastard.'  "I don't hear my thanks," the General remarked after staring at them for a moment.

"Thank you, my General!" they all boasted, their heads bowed low.  A few of them meant it, considering that pain of death was appropriate enough after associating themselves with a traitor and an assassin.  It was a horrid fact to hear that Luka had made an attempt on General Rain's life and even more horrid to hear that Unkli was somehow involved.

All four had stated that they retained their loyalty to the clan, even after the beatings and having their heads dunked into pales of water.  This new development, which would no doubt shame them in front of their friends and allies, was the only other option they were given.  All of them could feel a bit of regret for trusting Luka too easily, but Akuna's wraith was more aimed at both of the conspirators.  She would be cursing their names for many weeks without end now for the trouble they had caused upon them.

They would be allowed to rest today under the watch of guards with small cuts of meat to fill their stomachs.  They waited for tomorrow with baited breath, the army ready to move on through the forest.

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"How long have you've been second-in-command to Captain Reksut, Kusno?" Rain asked to the blue-furred sergal standing at attention in her presence.

"For some time now, my General."  He spoke clearly, confidently.  Unlike so many others, Kusno actually enjoyed the General's company without the evident scent of fear about him.  Now, he stood here, with the excitement growing and threatening to overflow within him.

"How would some time being a captain sound?" she asked and his eyes widened as did his smile.

"That sounds excellent, my General," he stated, attempting to restrain his enthusiasm.

"Good," she smiled back at him.  "But I have to inform you.  You will have command of a squad of...questionable recruits.  Can I trust you to see that they are lead efficiently?"

"It will be my honor to do so, my General, but I have to ask," his curiosity showing, "what do you mean by questionable?"

"Remember when I scrambled the troops to find a couple of would-be assassins that retreated into the forest?"

"Yes, ma'am."  Already he didn't like where this was going.

"While they were found and killed, the ones they were associated with were given a chance to retain their honor.  Those four, with a few additional troublemakers, will be a part of your squad.  Hinokun squad."  Her smile never left her while Kusno's disappeared immediately once he heard that word.

"Hinokun squad," he repeated.  "That is the name of my squad?" he asked with much disbelief in his voice.

"Yes, it is.  You have my trust that you will make use of these unruly few.  I rather not kill them since they wish to please me."

"But," he began, feeling his excitement be replaced with his anger, "this is all you could give me?  A pack of misfits?  I imagined myself leading a better collection of soldiers."

"Are you second-guessing me, Kusno?"  Her smiled turned less bold, eyes growing with a coldness.

"No, my General.  I just imagined something differently."

"What fate gives us can be very different from what we imagine," she informed, coming closer to him, looking down.  She was much taller than him, many were.  "And this is what I give you, a chance to step out of the shadow of your captain and cast your own upon others under you.  It's a blessing."

He attempted to not show his anger, severing eye contact with the General.  "Th...thank you, my General."  He then peered up at her.  "You have my promise I will lead this squad to victory."

Her smile grew wider.  "I will keep that promise, Kusno.  Captain Kusno."

"Thank you, my General," he lightly smiled, bowing his head.

"Keep watchful over these few," she began to walk away from him.  "Keep stern and unrelenting, least they overthrow you."

"Yes, my General.  I will, but are there any I should...take extra caution against?"

"None that a few floggings and hard words can't fix."  Again, she presented a smirk upon her face and he showed his own, but his rage remained as he was dismissed.  Poundings on wood echoed from an alley, Kusno slamming his open palm again and again against the side of a dwelling as bursts of infuriated vocals blasted through his throat.  A trio of Talyxians had stopped and stared, but they quickly left as Kusno eyed them a vicious leer.

With his hands burning and his anger dissipated, he retuned to the numerous squads of troops camping out on the town's outskirts.  He gave news of his promotion to Reksut and the rest of his squad mates, keeping them ignorant to his new squad's name.  They all seemed to smile, the ones that were actually happy for him and the ones that were just glad to see him go.

"Remember, Kusno," Reksut advised him quietly, "a part of it is about being friendly, another is about being strict, but most of it," he grinned, "is about fear."  Kusno had no intention of forgetting such, smiling to himself as he waited anxiously for tomorrow.