The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 50

Captain Harris

I raced forward and yelled at them, "Stop! You are entering a quarantine area! I repeat, stop!"

"We are newly conscripted into Captain Harris' unit at Finton, for our first conscription."

"You have got to be kidding me," I mumbled, as I watched the coach land in the distance. It dumped out 3 people, and a large satchel. Then the coach was gone. One of those dumped out grabbed the satchel, and they all headed towards camp. "No masks," I mumbled. Well, they are here now. I sighed, "Fine! Stay right there! I'll get you face masks! You must wear them at all times! Do not touch anyone, or their stuff!" I went to the drying station by the boiling pot that everything went into every day. There was a large stack of dry masks.

The closer I got to my new conscripts the more I realized how green they were. None looked the regulation 16. "Names, ages, skill level, and for great spirits sake get those masks on!"

They hastily grabbed a mask each and tied it on. One casually handed me his conscription notice with confidence. He was used to being given into. I did not take his conscription. "Where were you raised? Under a fucking rock? This is the Host asshole. At attention, now!" They stood up straight-ish, and got their salutes all clumsy and wrong by following the boy who had tried to hand me his conscription. I shook my head sadly, "You have a long way to go, if you live through this." Especially if they were going to be part of the raider hunters group.

"Straighten up your line. When at attention your right hand, your weapon hand, goes over your chest. You don't hand me anything until I ask for it." They tried to straighten their line, and switched hands. I went to the boy to the right, and held out my hand.

He handed me his conscription notice. Sure enough, he was in the right place. It was signed by the Captain of the Royal Guard even. "Name?"

"Ivan Brekken, 15 in June. Uhm, 14 beads in fire, 3 in earth."

"Beads?"

He nodded, "At the Academy you earn a bead for each semester of mastery in a subject."

"Fire. That's good. Might need your assistance in disposing of some bodies later today."

He blanched, "S-sir?"

"You are in a moonpox quarantine. The dead must be disposed of to keep the spread down. Best way is a fire."

I went to the next one. He handed me his conscription. "Cortan Depkitch. 15 since November. 16 beads in earth, 5 in wood."

I took this in. He was young, but, "Earthcasting is good too. You can help with the fire pit, and maybe some more tubs." Were all of these greenies from the Academy?

I took the conscription from the last boy. "Brandon Velora, 16 in May. 19 water beads, seven in metal." He seemed to think I would be impressed by this.

"You know anything about healing?"

"A bit."

"Perfect, you've become our next healer."

He blinked in shock. "Healer? But I'm-"

I picked up a stick and smacked him across the face with it. "You. Are. Nothing." Blood welled up on his face as well as anger. "You are children, who pissed off someone bad to be dumped here, especially now. My men are all specially recruited. We have a very specific mission, and if you want to live you will do as I say. Now, grunt Velora, what is your job?"

"Healer."

"Depkitch?"

"Fire pit."

"Brekkan?"