Hounds of War [Yandere Generals x Female General Reader]

5. The Meek General.

The next several days passed in relative calm. General Denlleonis and her entourage had been keeping to themselves, for the most part, recovering from their long journey. Other than the occasional beating reserved by a drunken or disrespectful soldier, it was like the Estainians weren't even there.

This was a fact that quite pleased Vanbinicci. He still bullied Meccio into continuing to spy on them, saying that he was not about to lower his guard even though the Estainians had not yet made any blatant moves to seize control in the military camp.

Meccio hated his task. Not only was he forced to follow general Denlleonis around from dawn till dusk, but he also frequently crossed paths with her deranged aid Esclave. He had kept what he had witnessed to himself fearing what would be done to him if he revealed Esclave's secret, but he could no longer see the regimented warrior he had seen him before. Instead, he only saw a terrible and ravenous wolf lurking behind his blue eyes.

To make matters worse, he was often beaten and bullied by the other residents of the camp. General Denlleonis physically disciplining the soldiers that offended her led to a rise in aggression among the men. Since they couldn't take it out on her, they would take it out on the weakest link in the army, which happened to be Meccio.

Even though he was the son of a highly respected general and a general himself, that didn't stop people from picking on him as everyone knew that he was a coward. And there wasn't much worse that you could be if you were seen as a coward.

Meccio was presently being reminded of that as he was shoved to the ground by a low ranking officer. "Hey, Vilu! I heard that you were so scared by that bitch of a general when she first arrived that you wet yourself, is that true?"

Meccio only whimpered in response. He pulled his limbs closer to himself and backed up against the canvas wall of an empty tent. He knew that if he tried to get up he would only be pushed down again and that if he tried to run he would doubtlessly be caught and receive twice the beating he was about to suffer.

"The fact that you don't even have the guts to answer me tells me it's true," The soldier scoffed with a cruel laugh. He kicked dirt at Meccio and a crowd soon gathered to the sound of his jeering cries. "Your father must have been so disappointed when your mother gave birth to you when he wanted a son. I wonder if he wanted the midwife to drown you. He would have saved the house of Vilu the disgrace of being carried on by such a pathetic excuse of a general."

P-Please... J-Just leave me alone," his voice came out muffled as he hid his face in his hands as he cowered on the ground. Even though it was muffled, the unsteady quaver in his voice made it clear that he was crying.

"Are you actually crying?!" The soldier gasped, feigning surprise at Meccio's delicate nature. "Lady Luccia, why don't you just return to the capital and cry into your mother's skirt if you're going to be so soft, I'm sure that she'd love to coddle you."

The officer raised his boot-clad foot and delt the redhead a fierce blow to the ribs as he said, "oh wait, you can't because she's dead."

Chuckling with malice, the officer walked away, leaving Meccio curled up on the ground, crying from the force of the blow. Those who had gathered around laughed and mocked him, some spat at him while others threw stones. Eventually, they grew bored of him and wandered away, leaving him alone.

Meccio continued to cry, his face pressed in the dirt. He hated it. He hated how weak and pathetic he was. He hated the way he was bullied and mocked. He hated that he was such a disappointment to the house of Vilu.

Suddenly, he heard the crunch of approaching footsteps. His violet eyes snapped open, and he stared up at the hulking silhouette of general Denlleonis towering over him, her blue cape flapping and her E/C eyes as cold as they always were. Even though she was only in a navy tunic and had forgone wearing her gleaming armor she was still just as terrifying as she had been when Meccio first laid eyes on her.

"Leave me alone!" He cried, curling into an even smaller ball. The memory of how badly he had embarrassed himself the last time he had talked to her smarted painfully in his mind. "I-I've already humiliated myself in front of you enough."

"You know, I've seen soldiers do far more humiliating things than you," she said, as blunt as ever, but in a more gentle tone then was to be expected. Meccio flinched when she came closer but was surprised when she only plopped down on the earth next to him. "I have seen many that were sick from the stench of death, and many who fainted at the sight of blood. What you did is nothing shameful in comparison."

"R-Really?" He asked, his voice wavering with skepticism as he opened his eyes and looked up at her again.

"Yes," she replied, leaning her back against the post of the presently empty tent behind them. Looking straight ahead, she continued, "Even though you were clearly terrified at that moment, you stood your ground and didn't flee, and that is something that not many soldiers can claim."

Meccio sniffled quietly. He would be lying if he said that her words didn't make him feel a bit better, but what she asked him next only made him feel worse again.

"You're general Vilu, aren't you?" She asked, turning her attention to him with curiosity. "Even in Estain, the redheaded house of Vilu is famed as one the has produced some of the most ruthless and successful generals to have ever lived. If you are a Vilu, why do you let common swine like the lout who was just hear push you around? From what I've heard about your family you should have ripped him to shreds, so why didn't you?"

"B-Because I-I am a disgrace to the house of Vilu," Meccio replied, covering his face as fresh tears filled his eyes. "I've always been this way, much to the disappointment of my father. You're right, the House of Vilu has sired fearsome mercenaries since before the reign of the three sisters, and I'm the first one to have been born a weakling."

He balled his hands into fists as more tears flowed from his eyes. "My mother died before she could bear any more sons to my father, the previous general Vilu, and he never remarried. I didn't see him much in my childhood, at-at first I think it was because I reminded him of mother, but once I started to grow older and continued to show no interest in the martial practices of the family he started avoiding my out of distain for my weakness."

Meccio wasn't sure why he was telling general Denlleonis all these things. He had never told anyone so much about his insecurities and shame, but something about opening up to someone else felt good. "I don't think my father ever liked me; I was always far too sickly. Even though he's far the more capable general, he sent me to lead the Luccian army instead, hoping that the savagery of the frontlines would make me a man, b-but I'm just as much of a coward as I always was!"

After that was said Meccio broke down into a fit of sobs. His body shook and he was reminded by every gasping breath how inadequate and pathetic he was. He just wished he could die a noble death, maybe that would atone for his worthless weak existence.

Y/N raised her hand and patted his back roughly, knocking the air from his lungs. It was meant to be a comforting gesture, but Y/N had never been particularly skilled in that field. "If you could become a fearsome warrior, one that even your father would fear and respect, would you want it?" She asked the young general Vilu, a strategy already forming in the back of her mind.

"Yes! I want that with all my heart!" He exclaimed, his violet eyes wide as he placed his desperate gaze on Y/N. "I would do anything to not be so afraid, to no longer be a disgrace, to be worthy of the name of Vilu."

"Hmm," was all she said as she stood. Without so much as a word of goodbye, she walked off, leaving a very confused Meccio crouched on the ground. She had a fully formed plan in her mind. She was going to help Meccio find his inner bloodlust. It did not serve her to have cowards in her army after all.

A/N

Aww, Meccio is so cute. He won't be so cute when Y/N finishes with him though.

Out of the three generals, I'm curious to hear who is your favorite?

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~