The Mortal Blade by Christopher Mitchell

Author:Christopher Mitchell [Mitchell, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912879397
Publisher: Brigdomin Books Ltd
Published: 2020-08-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Acceptance

The Circuit, Medio, The City – 8th Koralis 3419

Daniel walked down the line of troopers, checking they had everything they needed for the patrol. For almost twenty days, the Queen’s Own Regiment had been based inside an abandoned soap factory deep within the territory of the Circuit, after being moved up from the frontier. In that time, Daniel had watched the appearance of the troopers under his command degrade; their professional uniforms now filthy and perpetually coated in the grey dust that permeated the Circuit.

‘You look like a bunch of peasants,’ he said to them. ‘I know this will be your eleventh dawn patrol in a row, but there’s no excuse for letting your standards slip. I can see four men here who seem to have forgotten what a razorblade looks like, and several with holes or rips in their uniforms that could easily have been repaired.’ He paced down the line again, knowing full well that the troopers were barely listening to him. ‘You’re wondering, who cares about keeping your uniform neat and clean when every day we have to go out onto the streets and face… rocks, stones, fire, dog turds, crossbow bolts, and whatever else the rebels and rioters throw at us. The answer is that I care. When the Evaders look at us, I don’t want them seeing savages, I want them to see a professional force that is in the Circuit to protect them from the rebels, not to bully or harass them. I’m perfectly aware that many of the Evaders loathe us, but that’s no excuse for discarding what makes us civilised. Instead, it means that we have to work even harder to gain their trust, to prove to them that we are fellow citizens who are here to help.’

He shook his head. No one was listening. The eyes of the troopers were already distracted, as each pictured themselves being out on the streets. He glanced at Sergeant Monterey. ‘Let’s go, Sergeant; lead us out.’

‘Yes, sir,’ the man saluted. ‘You heard the lieutenant; form up and move out.’

The two dozen troopers turned, and began marching through the old warehouse, passing stacks of crates and barrels of fresh water. Groups of Taran soldiers were sitting around, some displaying signs of exhaustion from the previous night’s patrols, others getting kitted up for the day ahead. The large sliding door at the entrance was closed and heavily guarded, and the captain on shift nodded to Daniel as his platoon arrived. Their details were scribbled down in the regimental logbook, and two burly soldiers pulled the massive door open, letting in the pink light of dawn, and the stink of smoke.

Sergeant Monterey led the way out, followed by Daniel and the troopers, with Sergeant Hayden at the rear. The forecourt of the factory resembled a fortress, with concrete barriers and guard posts, and a high wooden tower that overlooked the neighbouring streets. No Evader civilian was allowed to approach the front entrance, and a new bolt-throwing ballista had recently arrived to help enforce the rule.

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