CHAPTER NINETEEN

Homeward Bound

Potions and Tonics for the Aberrant Mind burned a hole in my bag — and my brain — while I suffered through the gratitude of Drenken’s mayor and its upper-class citizens. All of whom had gathered inside the posh-looking city hall one might expect a recently bustling merchant town to have so they could praise Wolf Squad and shower us in platitudes that I didn’t much care for.

Why not, you ask? Because these people could see me and Number Three in uniform and not balk at the thought of child soldiers. They nearly ignored our presence entirely — probably in an effort not to confront what we represented — until the mayor pinned a medal on my chest that forced the gathering to recognize the eight-year-old arcanist apprentice who’d just saved their collective butts from the threat of a monstrous fiend.

Here we go again. Time to put on the monkey suit and dance.

I smiled and waved my hand at their expectant faces just like I’d been trained to do because I didn’t want the colonel to hear about any non-compliance on my part. Now wasn’t the time to tip my hat and show even a hint of rebellion.

Number Three didn’t have a pact with the devil though so she was free to be belligerent enough for the both of us. She stuck her tongue out at the well-dressed ladies who’d initially cooed at how cute she was, earning her the frowns and raised eyebrows that seemed more genuine to me than the praises we’d just received.

“They’re just like you told me they’d be.” Mayor Baumann, a bald, barrel-chested giant of a man who sported a thick gray beard was eyeing me and Number Three with a curious expression on his face. “So, these are the future champions of the state, huh?”

He let out a laugh that seemed as weary as the expression on his face.

“All-father, the fuckers of the capital have gone and done it now, haven’t they?” Mayor Baumann sighed just before training a steely-eyed gaze in my master’s direction. “They’re one step away from shoving a rifle in my grandson’s hands, Leon. That’s how crazy they are.”

“They’ve already done that, Bram,” Major Wolf said in a familiar tone that suggested these two knew each other enough to be using their first names.

“Yes, but I didn’t care for that fool they’d conscripted into their war in the west,” Mayor Baumann grumbled, but then his eyes got glittery after he’d begun talking about his other grandson. “But my Rufus… he’s a bloody genius and he’s only six, Leon. I daresay he’ll be more famous than you when he grows up!”

The mayor pulled out a black-and-white photograph of his grandson from his coat’s breast pocket so he could show him off to Major Wolf — and I tiptoed up so I could take a peek at it.

"Oho, you want to see my Rufus, too?" he asked me while sounding extra-proud.

The short-haired boy in the photo was smartly dressed in his little boy’s coat and tie. The smile he’d given the photographer was so wide I assumed he was deliberately being cute for the camera. It was something a user of the ‘cuteness’ tactic like me could respect. It obviously worked on his grandfather because the man was so into that photograph that he was bordering on creepy, and the few adults gathered us looked quite embarrassed for him.

“See how adorable my Rufus is?” Mayor Baumann cooed.

Major Wolf, who’d been standing between me and Number Three, raised an eyebrow at Drenken’s mayor. “Could you try to be a little more dignified, Bram?”

Our master placed a hand on mine and Number Three’s shoulders in a kind of protective manner.

“I don’t want the first adult outside the institute my kids get to meet to be so—”

“Unencumbered?” Mayor Baumann supplied.

I watched Major Wolf eye Mayor Baumann’s belly which looked to be staging a rebellion of its own against the tight coat he was wearing. “That’s not the word I’d choose.”

“Silly?” Number Three chimed in.

Major Wolf grinned, and to my surprise, so did Drenken’s mayor.

“I am a silly old man, aren’t I?” he gave Number Three and me a warm, grandfatherly smile that seemed so genuine that I decided he might not be such a bad guy like the rest of the posers in the gathering.

Mayor Baumann leaned down to whisper conspiratorially at us, “If you children ever want to run away from that horrible place then you come to me, alright?”

He ruffled my hair as he straightened back up, and I didn’t recoil away from him. Honestly, the man had a personality that made him easy to like, and it probably didn’t hurt that he didn’t seem fond of the military brass too.

Could it really be possible though? Was there actually an adult besides Major Wolf who hadn’t drunk the army’s Kool-aid?

“We’ll hide you away so Heinrich and those other degenerates won’t ever bother you again… Maybe you can try living normally or even learn a trade here in Drenken.” He guffawed after that last part.

Wait… what?

Did we just get an offer for refuge, a boon I believed would be the most challenging part to find in my budding plan to rebel against the monsters of the institute? If it was a real offer then — shit — it was a huge deal.

Calm down, Number One… I’ll need more info on this dude before I can accept Drenken as a refuge option.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t probe Mayor Baumann anymore about his offer because his aide, a frail-looking young man in thick glasses and dark, wiry hair was already chastising his boss.

“You shouldn’t be talking like this in public, sir.” As he said this, the aide’s eyes were continuously darting left and then right as if afraid of who might be listening in. “We don’t want your critics getting even a whiff of such compromising talk.”

Mayor Baumann grumbled at his aide but deflated quickly enough. Opting instead to reassure the young man that, “They won’t do jack-shit to us as long as they keep profiting from our success, Stoker,” while also adding, “And now that Leon's grunts have taken care of our, ahem, little problem, then we can get back into the business of making money, can’t we?”

The thought that Drenken might finally be rid of their temporary ‘ghost town’ status seemed to please Stoker a lot as his smile mirrored his boss’ wide grin. “I’ll get started on whipping the local guilds back into gear, sir. We should have the market up and running at a hundred percent capacity again within the next three days.”

“See that, Leon?” Mayor Baumann guffawed. “I’ve got capable subordinates too.”

We’d parted with the mayor on good terms with him promising Number Three that if Major Wolf ever worked us too hard then we were to report to him and he’d give us a helping of our master’s most embarrassing secrets to keep him in line.

“Don’t let this guy,” he jerked a thumb in Major Wolf’s direction, “boss you around too much, alright?”

“Kay!” Number Three said. “Tell me all of master’s secrets next time!”

She gave him a smile that caused the old man’s eyes to twinkle in that starstruck way one might get in the presence of a pop star. And I guessed little Rufus now had a rival in his affections as she was at least twice as cute as the boy in that photograph.

For my part, I shook his hand and thanked him for his hospitality while implying that, “We might be back for a visit… if you really don’t mind having us?”

His reply of, “Anytime, my boy. Anytime,” sent a thrill through my system that kept me giddy throughout the parting. Drenken might actually be a real option for us now. We’d have to revisit it again in the near future to be sure though.

Then we were off and heading back to the institute, a trip that would take us a full day by carriage. We stopped at a local inn midway from Drenken as Major Wolf thought we deserved a night’s rest after such a grueling mission. Well, this was the case for everyone but me and Number Three. Our master insisted we practice our CQC techniques so we would be better prepared the next time we faced a fiend.

“Is that even likely?” Number Three whined.

I knew she was just annoyed that she couldn’t take a dip in the inn’s hot baths with Lieutenant Spiers and Medic Jensen ahead of all the sweaty men in the squad though.

I wouldn’t mind getting ahead of the others either. A bath filled with hairy, sweaty adults isn’t something I want to experience in the outside world.

Major Wolf hadn’t answered Number Three’s question, although the look he gave me told me he was thinking the same thing I was. Yes, it was very likely we’d encounter another fiend. Maybe even closer to home than Drenken, and maybe sooner than we’d like.

“I need some training in holds and throws, Three,” I grimaced as I said this because I hated practicing holds and throws with Number Three. She was far too enthusiastic when it came to beating me up.

Kay!” she said, perking up instantly. “I’ll teach you a new armbar transition from the shoulder hip throw!”

Apart from the cramped bedroom I shared with Lieutenant Allers and Sergeant Jager, nothing of note happened that night besides Allers getting so drunk at the inn’s pub that Lieutenant Spiers beat him up early next morning to remind everyone, “Wolf Squad doesn’t ever puke their guts out. If you’re going to be brave enough to ignore regs and drink all night then you better drink like real men and be sober enough to fall in line the next day.”

“Yes, ma’am!” came the collective answer, with Allers adding a weak, “Y-yes, m-ma’am…”

That afternoon, the sight of the institute’s high walls over the horizon sent a collective sigh from nearly everyone on board the transport. And it was honestly comforting to know that Number Three and I weren’t the only ones who dreaded returning there.

Abandon all hope you who enter here... Yeah, that quote fits this place so fucking well.

I had to repress a shudder as our carriage crossed through the institute's wrought iron gates because my claustrophobia began to act up as that feeling of getting locked inside a cage once more overcame my mind.

It’s like I’m willingly entering the lion’s den while carrying a pack of hotdogs in each hand…

As if on instinct, Number Three’s fingers intertwined with mine, and the cool touch of her skin against my palm made me feel slightly better.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

She just leaned her head against my shoulder in a way that told me she needed the comfort of my proximity too.

Colonel Heinrich, the devil incarnate, was waiting for our carriage just outside the entrance to the institute’s main building. This meant the squad had to endure forming our lines despite how tired we were and then standing at attention while he addressed us.

“I’ve received word of your mission’s success.” He spoke in that pompous voice he’d adopted since being promoted to colonel. “It seems congratulations are in order.”

Colonel Heinrich sent an imperious look at each member of Wolf Squad — ending with me, naturally.

“You have upheld the honor of both the military and our institution,” he droned on, “and as a reward…”

All ears perked up suddenly as the word ‘reward’ rarely escaped the colonel’s lips unless you’d impressed him enough, and that was a tall order on any given day.

“I’ve instructed the canteen to prepare a special meal for Wolf Squad,” he stated, a placating smile appearing on his lips. “As you know, compliance and success will always be rewarded... so enjoy your spaghetti.”

The other guys were too disciplined to cheer out loud, but you could see the enthusiasm for the rare 'spaghetti' flashing across their faces even though actual spaghetti tasted nothing like the slop they served us. Still, at least we didn’t get reprimanded, which might have happened despite doing our job right. After all, we did lose a man to this mission so it wasn’t a total success.

“Now, I’d like to see it, Major,” he said with nearly uncontained enthusiasm for a guy whose face was usually devoid of emotion.

Major wolf jerked a thumb back at the carriage. “The package is waiting in the cargo compartment, sir.”

“Condition?” asked Dr. Michel, a tall, raven-haired, middle-aged woman with a bob-cut who served as one of the institute’s chief researchers as well as our teacher for Survival 101.

“Preserved in ice and relatively intact,” Major Wolf reported.

Dr. Michel glanced sideways at Colonel Heinrich, and with a nod of his approval, she and the aides waiting behind her eagerly descended on our carriage.

“Allers, Brandt, go help them,” Major Wolf ordered before turning his attention on me and Number Three. “It’s only midday. You guys can still make afternoon period.”

Number Three whined that she was too tired to go to class, but I was quick to drag her away as I knew that the major was giving us an excuse to avoid further interaction with the colonel who at that point had fixed his eye on us.

“I don’t want to go to Armestys History,” she complained as I pulled her into the main building’s foyer. “The teacher smells weird and he talks funny and he—”

“Lies a lot,” I finished for her.

She nodded.

Yes, I knew that AH was the class where indoctrination was most conspicuous because the teacher, Mr. Acker, liked to spout propaganda to us like it was the written word of the All-Father, as well as give us the most biased view of our country’s past and current affairs. It was interesting that even though she didn't know how indoctrination worked, Number Three could clearly tell that Mr. Acker's stories were just mostly tall tales meant to embellish the state’s authority. Luckily for her, I wasn’t taking Number Three to the second floor where we had most of our lessons.

“I want to show you something.”

“What?”

“Let’s get to the lib—”

We’d moved from the foyer to the first-floor hallway which led to the institute’s shared facilities when we were waylaid by two of our crib mates — Number Sixteen and Number Seventeen.

Number Sixteen was a girl whose golden hair, bright blue eyes, and pretty face made her the poster girl for the institute’s ideal ‘Eurian Perfection’, while her partner, Number Seventeen, was a tall, pasty-faced kid with curly light blonde hair and freckles around his big, hawkish nose.

“Why are you two here?” I asked, sounding a little more combative than I liked.

They didn’t like that either. Not that it mattered. I could have approached them while waving a white flag and they'd still stare daggers at me.

“Look, Sixteen, the traitor’s back,” Number Seventeen sneered at me from the shadowy corner where he often liked to stand around in.

“Looking all proud of himself, like usual,” Number Sixteen jeered.

These two used to be like Number Five, funny and playful to the point of mischief-making that would make us all laugh, but ever since their little buddy Number Fifteen died, well, they’d become quite the moody pair that the higher-ups labeled troublemakers for their, in the colonel’s words, “Insistence of non-compliance.”

Even more unfortunate, most of their frustrations were focused on the person they believed was responsible for Number Fifteen’s death — me. And they’d made it their mission this past year to try to get in my way as much as possible.

“Didn’t get anyone killed this time, did you?” Number Seventeen teased.

I would have loved to laugh in their faces and tell them to suck it, but they’d hit the mark for a change. Private Jenkins was dead, and it was partially my fault. If only I’d gotten to him before his body gave out, perhaps then I wouldn’t have had such a guilty face appear on my face now.

They must have noticed my guilty look too because their demeanor quickly shifted from taunting to surprise to downright furious. No doubt they were seeing Number Fifteen’s dead body again in their minds or something equally antagonizing — and they'd assumed something equally horrible had happened to someone else on the mission I was a part of.

“So, the perfect soldier’s not so perfect after all,” Number Seventeen taunted.

“Maybe he should be the one to die next time,” Number Sixteen joined in.

“Oi!” Number Three stepped forward, and the atmosphere around us got considerably colder. “You take that back or I turn you into a popsicle!”

Both of them backed off instantly, which was the wise move. It wasn’t smart to pick a fight with the girl who could turn her room into a winter wonderland whenever she wanted to. Although they hadn’t run away like I hoped they would. They simply continued to send icy glares at me from the shadows. I won't lie, they were kind of starting to creep me out as the sight of them brought up visions of vengeful ghosts from those horror movies that had been my guilty pleasure in the old world.

“Why are you always siding with that traitor, Three?” Number Sixteen asked. “Weren’t you there when he…”

Emotion caused Number Sixteen to choke up.

“Yeah, she was there…” Number Seventeen hissed, “…and she let him die too.”

The anger in Number Three’s face subsided somewhat, and I could tell that she was sad about Number Fifteen too.

“Yeah, I was there. And if you were there then you’d know One couldn’t have—”

But neither of them looked eager to listen to her explanation, preferring instead to continue glaring at me like I was a bug they wanted to crush under their boots. No, I wouldn’t have expected them to be understanding. I’d have felt the same if either Number Three or Number Five died in such a horrible way.

Wait, what about Number Four you ask? Weren’t we tight enough to share our chocolate?

Well, that’s where things got a little complicated. And speaking of Number Four, it was just our luck that we’d been waylaid in the busiest section of the main building because that’s when the colonel’s star pupil made her appearance.

“What’s going on here?” Number Four asked in the haughty tone she’d adopted this past year. “Why aren’t you all in class?”

I sighed as I watched her walking down the staircase toward us while looking like she was going to hand out punishment notices to the whole lot of us. Yeah, Number Four’s changed this previous year. She’d gone from simply adhering to the rules to enforcing them, and Colonel Heinrich backed her endeavors, naming her the official representative of our class and giving her authority over everyone but me.

Yep, being the main star of the institute still had some clout to it, even though I wouldn’t wish such a label on my worst enemy.

And yes, I always figured Number Four would go down the route of disciplinarian, but I didn’t think it would be so soon, or that she’d get roped into the colonel’s machinations like I’d been forced into. Perhaps the trauma she’d experienced after she’d pulverized Number Five had never really gone away and this was her way of managing it — by ensuring none of us could hurt each other that way again. This meant she was probably still a good kid at heart, but it was still cringy to watch her spout the colonel’s rhetoric for her own.

Luckily for me, Number Four’s kryptonite was standing at my side, and with a shout of, “Four!” Number Three dashed over to her friend and jumped into Number Four’s arms. The other girl was so used to this that she’d easily caught Number Three.

“Welcome home,” Number Four said while she patted Number Three’s head.

And just like that, the disciplinarian’s façade vanished, replaced by the doting sister Number Four had been for Number Three all our lives.

Number Sixteen and Number Seventeen were quick to use this distraction to slink back into the shadows, and I could almost swear that they melted into the darkness like they’d found some way to manipulate it.

I am going to have to figure those two out soon… And if I can’t set them straight, I at least have to know what they’ve been up to.

They weren’t the only ones to vanish though. With a whispered apology at Number Three’s back, I made my escape through the door to my left as I wasn’t really in the mood to deal with Number Four’s pigheadedness. There was something I’d been dying to do since yesterday, and with a hop in my step and a loving pat on my pack, I hurried to the library while feeling excited about the chance to finally read Potions and Tonics for the Aberrant Mind.