Chapter 1494 (2/2)
So much lost for the sake of power… Lady Iellaya allowed a sliver of melancholy to swim through her irritation. But it was swiftly overwhelmed by her tightly controlled annoyance as the man continued to doubt her.
“Are you sure this applicant… will be suitable?” Commandant Shevran Wick spoke in a gravelly voice, his substantial jowls shaking as he did so. The man was covered in thick brown fur and had the build of a bear. The only hint of his truly impressive age was the long grey stripe that ran through his furr down his spine.
It was clear both from his tone and the grand history of their interactions that Commandant Wick would like nothing better for Randidly Ghosthound to show up and be a steaming pile of donkey shit. Then he could sorrowfully shake his head and lecture her on the importance of tempering and patience. Her applicant, like Lady Iellaya herself, was too young, too fresh. What would be implied was that the Commandant himself was beyond reproach and capable of doing no wrong.
“You’ve seen the survival rate of the men under his command during that particular attack,” Lady Iellaya said, doing her best to keep her voice even. The Commandant was not her direct superior, but he was the senior member from the Military Council in charge of this project. If she wanted to pull this off, they needed his support. She had no doubt that the Xyrt Brigade representative would continue to abstain. “Soon, you will see him in person and taste his image. But I assure you, he will suit your purposes.”
The Commandant reached up and physically grabbed his furry jowls, lightly massaging them as he considered what she had said. Likely, he was looking for any word that was a bit too hasty for his taste. Lady Iellaya found herself less concerned about his general disbelief and more disturbed by the weird physical gesture she was forced to watch. But she held her tongue. The Commandant cleared his throat. “There are… many methods to achieve such numbers on a battlefield. Especially as one as chaotic as that one. Many of those behaviors shouldn’t be casually rewarded.”
You weren’t even there, you bastard. You have no idea what it was like. Lady Iellaya felt acid running through her veins, eating out through the capillaries and sizzling, hot and dangerous, in her flesh. For a brief second, images of that haunting melee of bodies appeared before her eyes. If there was a method of challenging and killing the man next to her without turning the entire military council against her, she would do it. But truthfully, Lady Iellaya was unsure of whether she could manage it. None of these ancient Commandants could be underestimated.
Instead, she offered him a brittle smile. She never had hated an action as much as smiling at this man in front of her. “I believe that with your insight, you will understand the truth when you see him.”
“Hmmm.” The Commandant fell back into the process of stroking his jowls and considering. Luckily, some of the other examinees arrived. They greeted each other quietly, less out of professional courtesy and more with the tired acknowledgments between laborers that had been grappling with a particularly difficult problem for far too long. A giant tree had fallen across their road and now the investors were demanding assurances the thoroughfare would still open on time. Some concessions needed to be made.
Lady Iellaya and the Commandant represented the Military Council. There were also two stern-faced women from the NLC. They sported identical glasses and frowns as they nodded toward the military representatives. Last but not least, the one Special Investigator from the Xyrt Brigade walked into the room and yawned. Then he waved at the others while walking toward his seat and casually scratching his lower back. Next to her, Lady Iellaya felt the Commandant bristle at the unseemliness of the display.
Together, they formed the special tribunal on Drill Sergeant Selection.
Lady Iellaya lifted her head as they settled into the five seats at the table, peering through the doors of the amphitheater to the two figures that had arrived outside. This was the first of the three candidates they were considering for the position of Head Drill Sergeant. It was already tacitly agreed that they would choose one of these three.
Octavius Shrike had brought Randidly Ghosthound. And he had the advantage of being the first candidate they saw.
Lady Iellaya’s loyalty to this newly created, rather small faction based around Edraine and the idea of radically altering the Nexus had been relatively shallow at the time of its creation; she had just been named Supreme Commander of the frontline and was content to nap in her victory like a cat in sunlight. Plus, her emotions were extremely turbulent, making her unwilling to commit for too much. She was high from her success, grieving over the loss of Abiodun faction, and deeply skeptical of the rather unknown Edraine’s capabilities.
But then Lady Iellaya had been forced to interact with the Military Council for three months. The invisible limits had become obvious. She clearly felt that she was currently at the apex of what she could accomplish, without someone dying above her on the totem pole. Many a time she had been sent away from a meeting while all the established Commandants of Central Command remained behind, drinking brandy.
There was a greasy edge to their smiles as they watched her go; they knew exactly what they were doing. And although there might occasionally be internal disagreements, they delighted in keeping the power just amongst themselves.
And then Edraine had returned and Lady Iellaya had met with her. The raw power that woman could release unnerved even Lady Iellaya; she possessed the sort of power that could shake even the Military Council. Gradually, Lady Iellaya started to take their faction’s abilities quite seriously. She agreed to go along with their plans, at least for now.
They just needed the smallest crack to form a grip on the army. Then they could begin to tear everything down and remake it as they wished. And Randidly Ghosthound was the key to that.
Honestly, she had been rather surprised that she had so easily gotten a seat on this Tribunal. But from what she learned after the fact, most of Central Command believed that these troops were being sent to die. There was a strange certainty amongst them that if these youths were really so talented, they would have already been noticed. Therefore, it was for the best to stay some distance away and blame others when the recruits started dying.
The only reason that Commandant Wick became involved was he did have a descendant that seemed quite talented and insisted on participating in the draft. So the Commandant moved directly, determined to shield this seedling from harm.
We have the opportunity now. All we need is for the impression that Randidly gives off to be the right balance between controllable and capable… Once more, her gaze went out through the still shut doors. Her examination was acute, relying on their prior interactions to judge him. As Lady Iellaya sensed the changes in Randidly Ghosthound, her eyes began to glow. It was almost too much, the speed at which this man improved. To the point that he was becoming somewhat… unsuitable for this role.
No one of any true power was going to be allowed anywhere near the ‘elites’. What if their instructor earned their loyalty and had the power to pry them away from their original factions?
Which prompted Lady Iellaya to send him a quick message. When you come in to the interview, focus only on your tree image. And especially emphasize its ability to heal and alleviate mental damage. I’ll take care of the rest.