Jayke
He had only been in the camp for three days and he was already called into action. Talking to the other rookies in the army, they had said that he was the only rookie to be called into Tonso Metelli’s quarters within the first week of training. Granted, he was the quickest on the kill and the quietest in the field, but he didn’t think he was that good.
The day was nice and the late summer breeze cooled the air so it was just nice. The overcast clouds that had fore-casted rain all morning had floated away and no cloud had dared to come by ever since.
Jayke marched to the up the left fork of the road, heading northwest to the wide building in the distance. The distance from the training camp to the captain’s quarters was not that far, but the hill that occupied the land in between was an illusion that made yards seem like miles.
As Jayke arrived at the doorstep of the captain’s quarters, he realized that Tonso Metelli himself was standing in the doorway, waiting for Jayke. “Jayke!” He smiled at him, “Come, I have much and more to tell you.”
Tonso put an arm around Jaykes neck as they walked inside. Jayke stepped forward and entered the structure with Tonso. Tonso shut the door after they entered and took a seat at the head of the table. Jayke looked around at the faces at the table. There were only three of them. Mayor Konco sat to Tonso’s right and Missionary Pompi to his left.
They all stared up at Jayke, smiling. Jayke found himself paralyzed in his spot. Three of the Glave’s protectors in one place. Jayke thought, What an honor. Jayke looked at all three of them. Tonso was a true warrior. His age of thirty-two told all that he was no stranger to battle and the scar by his right eye vouched for that point. He wore a suit of leather, always ready for any hidden enemy. His eyes were green and his hair, black.
Missionary Pompi is a slender man in his mid twenties but armored with many scars of the ghosts of past battles. He wore the same thing as Tonso, but his eyes were blue and his hair was a dirty blond.
Lastly, there was Mayor Konco. The mayor was a fat man with a double chin that flapped as he spoke. He wore a blue doublet of whole and studded with jewels and whatnot. He had lost most of his hair with age and his eyes were grey. His skin wrinkled with the marks of time and his stomach bulged with feasts of the past.
“Come, sit.” Tonso offered.
“Where?” Jayke said.
“The choices are plentiful.” Pompi laughed, “How about I narrow them down for you, why not sit face to face with your commander?” Pompi pointed at the seat at the opposite side of the table from Tonso.
Jayke nodded meekly and took a sit at the foot of the table. As soon as Jayke took his seat, Tonso started. “I have been told that you have been making astonishing progress in your combat and scouting abilities. Even surpassing some of your elders like Blue Jim Buckner and Gull Lampshire from The Levion.”
“Yes,” the mayor added, “Not to mention you defeated the Undead King in single combat when we called you to help suppress the undead in the Toshi Cave.”
“The lad got lucky on that one I tell you, cheep shots and shield bashes.” Missionary Pompi insisted.
Jayke could remember that day as clear as it may have been yesterday. It had been the day he arrived at the encampment, as bold as ever and more rash than some. He had been saying that whole day that he would slay the God of Discord himself and all of the guys back at camp would choke on laughter off of that. . .until Pompi heard it and took him to the Toshi Cave.
He had done impressively well holding off the undead, Pompi had admitted, but when he had slain the Undead King in single combat, Pompi had not believed it and ended up making absurd claims about the battle being dirty and not chivalrous.
Since that day, Pompi had taken a hating to Jayke and watched him closely in everything he did.
“Even so,” the mayor continued, “A soldier of his prowess is just the thing we need in a world as chaotic as this.”
“Aye.” Pompi agreed, “Even if he is a treacherous fighter.”
“We can all agree that he is no knight and no seasoned man. The undead are not the Dreadspite Elite.” Tonso stood from his seat and paced around the room a few times before stopping and looking at Jayke. “I brought you here today to give you a task. Tedious, yes, but it will season you for what may come.”
At that moment, Jayke’s heart gave a leap. I am finally going to get my chance to kick some Dreadspite ass. Jayke thought, but what Tonso said next tore his mind to pieces.
“I want you to go into the wild and kill ten wolves and twice as many boars. Skin both of them and bring me the hides of the beasts you kill. The hides will be the proof of your kills.” Tonso commanded him.
“Wait. . .what?!” Jayke puzzled.
“You heard me. You will do as I commanded, or you will leave and desert your chance at great honor.” Tonso told him coldly.
“Yes, sir.” Jayke said.
“You may leave now, Jayke. I will be eagerly awaiting your return. I am in need of a new ale-skin.”
Jayke stood slowly and exited. He then returned to the training camp and equipped his sword and shield and then doned his leather armor and half-helm.
It took him the rest of the day to carry out his orders. The killing was the easy part, but the skinning. . .
After he was done skinning, he would hate himself. His hands smelled like blood and he would be covered up to his elbows in blood. He always shook when skinning and the knife would sometime slip, digging deep into the animal’s body. It also took forever to skin. To skin an animal correctly, much time would have to be spent, slowly ripping the knife across an animals body.
By the time Jayke finished his task, the day was wasting away and he smelled like blood and fur and sweat. He did not, however, gain any wounds from his excursion which would show his commanders how he could handle himself in the wilderness.
Jayke came upon the commander’s quarters from behind and went around the side to the front door and entered. Tonso stood up as Jayke entered and smiled at him. “My pelts?” He asked.
Jayke reached into the satchel hanging from his side and pulled out thirty pelts (ten of them being wolf pelts and twenty of them being boar pelts). Tonso took them slowly and turned around to a cabinet and placed them inside. Jayke waited impatiently through the process until Tonso started walking up the stairs behind the head of the table. Jayke was about to say something until Tonso leaned back down and looked at Jayke.
“Jayke.” He said, “Tomorrow, you will take out DireThirst.”
