Monstrous World

Take that!

Hah!

The training ground rings with the voices of the newest recruits, an ever-dwindling number. The Beast Vanguard is the heart and soul of Strenglan, the military force that allows for its expansion. And yet…

“Watch your footwork, recruit!”

Eber jostles the recruit, knocking the young man to the ground. “A beast would kill you if you are that careless in the field.”

He turns his gaze over the green soldiers, fighting to keep a stern expression. In truth, his heart weeps for them. Training continues to get longer, fiercer… But the number of recruits continues to fall. Some quit under the strain. Some get called out into the field early- practically a death sentence.

Not that completing the training course ensures safety. The beasts that wander the wilds of Strenglan… They are vicious. And they are smart- damn smart. Each and every one of them are more dangerous than the normal animals that live in the wild, the normal animals the beasts were birthed from. A squad of the Beast Vanguard has to fight smarter, with excellent teamwork and enough technique to attack with surgical precision. Every inch of ground in Strenglan is a hard-won haven for humanity, and the blood of the Beast Vanguard is the cost.

“Eber!”

He turns sharply to face the one calling him. “Marko.”

Eber attempts to ignore the worry constricting his heart. Marko rarely comes to relay good news- especially in the middle of a training cycle.

“There’s an odd one here, he wants to talk to a higher-up. Claims to have some sort of strategy, and wants to run it by someone.”

Eber's stern expression cracks with surprise. “A civilian?”

Marko nods, looking as confused as Eber feels. “I sat the boy down in a room, figured we could hear him out at least. At first, I figured we could convince him to join the Vanguard regardless of what silly idea he has…”

“... But?” Eber prompts Marko on. He leans in obligingly, responding in a subdued tone, “I didn’t notice at first, cause he is wearing this big cloak? But he has some nasty, misshapen arms. They are covered in bandages, but even through that it ain’t pretty.”

That catches Eber’s attention. “Misshapen arms?”

“What are you thinking, boss?”

Eber’s eyes crackle with focus. “I’m thinking he had an encounter with a beast.”

A small ember of hope ignites in Eber’s chest. Perhaps… Perhaps this boy noticed something. It is doubtful he noticed anything new, but maybe…

“Take me to him.”

The cloak is the first thing about the boy that catches Eber’s eye. It must have once been a deep red, but now it is faded and barely kept together. There are patches of many shades sewn poorly in place.

This boy is poor, probably an orphan. Not that that is surprising, in these times.

Despite Eber's light footsteps, the product of training and then surviving in the beast-overrun wilds, the boy in the red cloak turns around the moment he enters the room. As the boy stands to greet him, Eber notices two things.

First- this boy is tall. It is hard to tell how old he is, as shaggy hair obscures a good portion of his face, but he towers a full head and a half over Eber.

Second- the arms. They are bandaged, as Marko mentioned. So tightly bandaged that not a bit of skin can be seen, from the friendly, outstretched fingertips to where the arm disappears beneath the cloak.

The bandaged hand hangs in the air between them, both a friendly gesture and an unasked question as the boy introduces himself. “Hello, sir. I go by J.”

Eber shakes the proffered hand and gestures for J to take a seat. “Eber. I hear you wish to talk about strategy.”

Now that they are seated across from each other, Eber tries to peer into the boy’s eyes. From beneath the shadows of J’s hair, he sees eyes that flash a friendly gold. Despite their difference in height, the boy has folded himself over the table so that he is looking up at Eber, instead of the other way around.

“Yes, sir. Are you the one that needs to hear it?”

Responding quickly, Eber says, “I’m in charge of training, but I also get whatever information needs to go to Woulf. She is busy, and we don’t waste her time.”

J is visibly disheartened by this, and Eber feels disappointed for him. Perhaps he is too soft for this job. He adds, “I’ll hear you out, and if I think it’s useful information I’ll take you right up.”

“Oh it should be, sir!” J exclaims.

Eber smiles a bit at the excited young man, gesturing him to keep talking.

“I know a way humans can negotiate with beasts!”

That ember of hope in Eber’s chest extinguishes. Negotiating with beasts is simply impossible.

“Ah- I know you don’t believe me right now, but I can communicate with them. What’s it called… Telepathically? If you send me to places, I can try to negotiate with them. Relocate them. No one would have to die!”

Does he need to get this kid to a doctor?

Frantically, J continues, “I can prove it! If you will let me…”

Eber decides to humor him for the moment. “How?”

J’s eyes glimmer mischievously, and he leans back to pulls his cloak open a bit. “Don’t kill it.”

From beneath the cloak, a ball of fuzz drifts out. It floats in a lazy circle, eventually landing on Eber’s hand. “Some insectoid beast?”

It must be a young one, still small and harmless. The longer a beast lives, the larger it grows and the more dangerous it becomes. The largest gain insane abilities in addition to their superior strength and reflexes. Each time he closes his eyes, Eber remembers the worst of them. He can still clearly remember the expression on his friend's face... Or rather lack of expression. Everything that made him himself was gone, leaving only a husk of a man with no will or ability to fight. That is what a few seconds staring into the eyes of a beast can do.

This particular fuzz ball may seem harmless now, but Eber still feels a twinge of disgust knowing what it could become.

J nods, either oblivious to or ignoring Eber's reaction. “Tell me to have them do something, and I’ll relay the message.”

“Hmmm…” Eber tries to think of something the beast wouldn’t do on its own. In the end he decides something simple is best.“Fly two figure-eights between us.”

The friendly golden eyes close with a smile, and a moment later the beast alights from Eber’s hand. It moves faster than before, completing two neat figure-eights above the table before stopping mid-air. There is no calling this chance, but there is also no telling how useful this is.

The boy beams at the fuzzy creature, reaching for it with his misshapen hands and encasing it with affectionate pats.

Leaning back in his chair, Eber narrows his eyes in contemplation. Who knows if the boy can truely talk to beasts, but at the very least he can train them. Some more questions are in order. “You can do that with all beasts?”

The smile drops from J’s eyes. “This one will do as I ask because it is a friend. Also… It is a bit simple. It can only understand very simple ideas, and doesn’t have much will of its own… The beasts you have troubles with are more complex. I can communicate with them, but I can’t order them? If that makes sense."

Eyes widening in some realization, he quickly adds, "But I think I’d be able to convince them to move!”

Eber doubts that J has ever encountered one of the massive beasts his people train to fight. The boy wouldn’t be so optimistic if he had. But this ability… If he truly has it this changes things. He stands up from his seat.

“Follow me, J. I’ll take you to see Woulf.”

The boy stands up with a start, releasing the beast in his hand to float about. “Really?”

“Yes. Now follow.”

Eber walks swiftly, boy and beast in tow.