“Everyone listen up!” Terrance ordered as we stood by the front gate. “The veterans are going to go through an equipment check for you newbies. Listen to them, and add in anything they suggest.” He walked over to me, looking over every bit of my gear. Every strap, buckle, and blade.

“Getting a bit worn on the straps for your greaves.” He said, finally standing back up. “You’ll be fine for today, but by the end of the week I want them replaced. I expect nightly checks of your armor and blades. Understand?”

“Yes sir.” I said, falling into line with everyone else. I hadn’t heard any shouting, so it seemed like we all passed.

“Alright, let’s head out for our patrol. Everyone needs to be on alert, we could get attacked from any direction at any time.”

We had gone nearly a mile from the base before it started. Joffrey of course was the first to ask about it.

“Terrance sir? What’s up with this mist?” He asked, though I was wondering it too.

“Vampire magics.” Terrance said. “You all need to be very careful not to get separated until you have memorized the maps of the area. There are very few natural landmarks here, and the mist just makes things worse. It will randomly clump, change the distance between your group and the edge, and work to conceal everything it can to lead you in circles. On the thick days you’ll even see some of the stronger fledgelings come out. We don’t know which side called it, or if it something both are working together to create.”

Point made, we headed deeper into unknown territory, at least to half of us. While everyone was on alert, I had spread my aura out to the max to give us warning of any attacks. My range was wildly reduced though, as the mist even made it difficult to tell what I was feeling through it.

“I hate this fog.” Joffrey grumbled nearly a half hour later. “I swear that’s the third time we have crossed that group of trees.”

“Can’t be.” Lawrence said. “The streams are all different.”

I understood their frustrations, and judging by the chuckles of a few veterans I wasn’t the only one. The land was mostly flat, with streams scattered like wet udon noodles. Trees grouped randomly, though there were occasional batches that could be large enough to start being called a forest. It was nearing lunch time when I finally noticed something. Terrance, sharp as he was, immediately noticed me flinch.

“Halt.” He calmly and quietly said, turning to look at me. “What is it? Vampires?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Something in those trees there, but I’ve never come across it before. If I had to describe it, vampires feel like old blood smells to my aura. A bit sticky, with a gentle rot smell. This is different, it’s like a pile of meat that has been sitting in the sun for a few days.”

“Sounds like ghouls.” Terrance said. “You sure there aren’t any vampires controlling them?”

“Can’t be sure.” I said. “This damn mist makes sensing tough. I can’t even tell how many of them are over there.”

“Right. Form up! Save your pilae, we’ll engage hand to hand. First rank, hold steady and contain their initial charge. After that, I want quick midsection thrusts. Second rank, you are to keep any bastards from climbing over the first rank’s shields. Slow march!” Quick, decisive orders and in seconds we were in formation and slowly moving toward the trees. Sensing the ambush was kaput, the ghouls gave a howl and charged.

AHHHHHWWWOOOOOOO!!!!!

What broke from the woods could in theory be called a former human. Their skin was grey with blue veins showing, and their muscles were oversized. Yellow eyes glared hatred at us as slobber flew from their maws. As they neared, it was obvious they had no strategy. No lines, no cohesion.

“Front line, keep the shields ready, they’re feral!” Terrance shouted. In five seconds they had already covered half the distance between us. “Anything you can do to disorganize them?”

“Caltrops aura, coming up.” I said, concentrating on the seven feet in front of our line. As soon as the first ghoul reached that area, I hardened my aura into hundreds of tiny peaks. The unsuspecting ghouls never stood a chance, as the tiny spikes impaled their feet and disrupted their charge. The first part stumbled, making a gruesome bridge for their fellows who simply ran over their backs before slamming into the shield wall.

“Joffrey! Hold damnit, don’t attack!” Terrance yelled, but it was too late. Joffrey had seen a chance and shifted his shield slightly to take a kneeling ghoul in the neck, but before he could retract his arm a second ghoul had slashed just behind his vambraces.

“Jackson, Eckert, squeeze in and force Joffrey back. Front line, you’re down one at the moment, hold shields and let the second line whittle them down a bit.” Terrance gave the order as Joffrey was bodily shoved backwards. After that, the butchery began. Raging and slashing their friends as much as the shields, they stood no chance. Methodically, my friends butchered them. While they were doing that, I was busy keeping an eye out to make sure that this wasn’t just a distraction. What took minutes yet felt like a half hour was soon over.

“Alright Brandon. Clean up’s yours.” Terrance said, patting me on the shoulder.

“Me?” I asked, confused. I only got a smile in return. I looked at the rest of the squad and saw some encouragement there. Nodding, I took a calming breath. “Alright, Jackson. You’ve done this before, are there any trophies we need to prove the death of ghouls?”

“No sir, nothing below Master Vampire needs a trophy. Too much of a hassle.” He replied.

“Got it, thanks. Joffrey, Thomas. You are on death detail. I want a sword blade through the heart of every body, no exceptions. I don’t want any of these coming after us for revenge. Jackson and Virgil, you are on guard for Joffrey while Eckert and Dorian are on guard for Thomas. While they are doing that, I want two sets of eyes on each direction and four on that forest in case they have friends out there. Anyone with a wound call out, I’ll come around to check it. Joffrey, you’re last on the list since you disobeyed orders.”

As one, the group split up and went to work. Luckily all the ghouls were dead, meaning Jackson, Virgil, Eckert and Dorian had rather boring jobs. It took a few minutes to shift around, but in the end there were seventeen ghouls that were disposed of. “Eckert, what do you guys usually do with the bodies?” I asked once it was clear only Joffrey had been injured.

“Leave ‘em.” He shrugged. “Unless they are gonna foul a water source, they decay quick enough. Vampires get strung up to drain of blood if we can.”

“Sounds good. Joffrey, get over here and let me see that wound.” I ordered, getting a sheepish look from him as he came.

“Hey man, sorry-“ He started, but Terrance interrupted him.

“Enough.” He ordered in a stern voice. “You disobeyed a direct order in battle. You are damn lucky that the only injury was to yourself, and that nobody died! Had it been any other commander in any other cohort, you would be summarily executed!” All of us had stopped to listen to the tongue lashing, while the veterans simply stood guard.

“Luckily you did it out in the field with no witnesses.” He continued, though it was in a gentler voice. “Let this be a lesson to every last one of you. Orders are life and death. No matter how hard they hammer it in training, there’s always a mistake the first time out. We veterans know and understand this, and we just hope it isn’t costly. You guys got damn lucky.” He looked around at all of us, pausing to let it sink in as he stared into our eyes. “We don’t have the population to waste on killing people for the slightest mistake. So we take you kids out on your first few missions, and wait for the inevitable. Now, let’s get back work. We have a patrol to finish.”

The patrol was subdued after that, though we didn’t let it affect our vigilance. Terrance made sure to point out a few of the major landmarks. There was a long ridgeline that was great for ambushes, as even the fifteen feet of height offered an amazing advantage. A few stone monuments were present, and the last one was something called the stone maze. We didn’t enter, as nobody had finished fully mapping it. There were a few cave systems in there as well that added to the confusion. It wasn’t until we were on our return trip that I noticed something strange just as Terrance called a halt. In front of us was a large stretch of muddy field that had been churned by recent battle stuck between two rivers.

“I don’t like this.” He said as we surveyed it from one side of the creek. It was only four feet wide and mid shin deep, easily fordable, but it was the field beyond that was giving me the creeps.

“Sir.” I said, concentrating. “It’s just the barest hint, but I think that field has ghouls in it.”

“Bastards buried themselves.” Eckart said, spitting out the side of his mouth. “Field aeration?” He asked.

“Sounds good. We cross the stream already in formation. I want everyone half an arm’s length apart. You take two steps forward, and stab your blade into the ground. Second line will be between you, stabbing every two steps. Eventually they will erupt out and come for us, so be prepared to close ranks in a hurry. Brandon. Spread your aura as much as you can. There’s a Master vampire somewhere out here, they are the only ones strong enough to get a ghoul to obey some sort of strategy. Find him and keep track, once the ghouls are engaged you are to split off with Jackson and Eckert to take him down. The vampire is yours, they will interfere with any ghouls that try and stop you. Remember, the sooner you take out that vampire, the easier our battle will be. Everyone clear?”

“Yes sir.” We all replied, and started crossing. I had to wait for everyone to cross before I could search with my aura, as running water was even worse for it than the mist was. Our group made it nearly fifteen feet into the muddy area before the first ghoul shrieked in pain, and the ground in front of us erupted into chunks of flying mud. While that chaos was ongoing, I finally found my mark. Nearly in the middle of the pack, he was surrounded by ghouls.

“He’s in the middle of the pack. We’re gonna have to fight through to him.” I yelled to Terrance, getting a nod of acknowledgement.

“Settle in for a grind boys! Second rank, third rank, you are free to use pilae! First rank, counter when you have the opportunity, but do not extend beyond your shield! We’ll wear them down as soon as we can!” Terrance called out over the din of battle, and we settled in for the long haul. Outnumbered nearly three to one, our only saving grace was position and superior equipment. The ghouls couldn’t swarm us with the creek to our backs, and they couldn’t do much beyond scratch our shields. Had we not known of the trap, we would have been slaughtered. We had barely enough to form a proper square formation, and being surrounded it would only be a matter of time before someone fell. After that, it would be a like a chain slipping into a well, each link that fell would bring down it’s neighbor. It would have been a lot more work, but several volleys of pilae devastated the reinforcements, taking a lot of pressure off the front line. In addition to throwing them, all of us in the back lines kept one in reserve, using it as a spear to assault heads that peeked over the top of the shield wall.

Nearly ten minutes in, and we had visibly thinned the horde, though our own position was starting to become precarious. The already muddy ground was now thick muck that clung to everything from all the blood. I had been using my aura liberally, mostly destabilizing any ghoul that was winding up to deliver any sort of powerful blow that could threaten our defenses. A small portion of my mind was always on the lookout for the vampire, as I had an aura lock on him. But fleeting glimpses were all that I had managed.

“Brandon, you need to take out that vamp and fast.” Terrance hissed in my ear.

“He’s smart and knows someone is looking for him.” I hissed back. “And he can at least defend with aura. I’ve tried a few sneak attacks. Ones he can’t get a ghoul to intercept he blocks outright.”

“Do whatever it takes!” He ordered, and I gave him a nod before taking one more look at the field. There were still around 35 ghouls, and they were all focused on our group. I nudged my guards, and motioned to one side. Ducking down, we slipped around and started circling the group. Keeping low and unobtrusive, I wasn’t that surprised that the simple minded ghouls ignored us. They had orders to kill our group, but wouldn’t show any initiative.

“Here.” I whispered once we were slightly behind the vampire. I used a strand of aura in a large circle to draw his attention to the opposite side of us, and when he started his turn I stood and launched my last pilum before charging in behind it. He easily swatted aside my aura attack, but the pilum took him in the back and just below the lungs.

“Damnit!” I swore, having just barely missed my target. He tried to twirl to face us, but the pilum caught on a nearby ghoul and bent, tearing through his flesh as his pained cry ratcheted up into one of agony. That still didn’t stop him from giving mental orders apparently, as two ghouls broke off from his guard to intercept us.

“We got this.” Eckart said, and I slowed to let him and Jackson take the lead. To my surprise, they slowed as the ghouls arrived, using their shields to throw the charging monsters over their backs before impaling the downed and defenseless creatures with their blades. I flashed by them, going as fast as I dared with the terrible footing, reaching the snarling vampire just as a ghoul managed to remove my pilum from his now gaping wound.

“You’ll pay you-“ He started, stopping and throwing a desperate slash at my face when he realized I wasn’t slowing down. I used the mud and slid beneath his arm, my blade easily slashing deep into his right side. I regained my feet at the end of the slide, lashing out with my trailing aura even before I could see him. It pierced deep into the fresh wound, angling up and splitting to wrap around his heart.

“No!” He tried to cry, panic on his face. I never gave him time to finish, using blades on my aura to shred his heart. With their strings cut, the nearby ghouls turned onto the nearest being. I condensed my aura as much as I could, using it as a warning for incoming attacks. Eyes closed, I turned into a whirlwind as my blade lashed out at every opportunity. Claws would miss by inches, and off balanced lunges designed to tackle me would be redirected into the nearest body, which generally devolved into a savage clawing match between ghouls.

“Oi! You ok Brandon?” I heard a panting Jackson ask as I finally registered friends in my aura.

“Yeah, I’m good.” I said, opening my eyes to see two ghouls and a few severed limbs in a circle around me. “The fight?” I asked, turning to see only to breathe a sigh of relief. Without a leader, the coordination fell apart and the butchery began once again. In the time I had taken to dispatch my few ghouls, the squad had taken out the majority of the remaining. Only six ghouls survived, and they were running away in a pace that we wouldn’t be able to match.

“Looks like Terrance has things in hand. Go ahead and take the fangs of that master, we’ll guard you while you do. Just wiggle a knife near the base of the tooth, it should pop right out. That’ll be your trophy for proof of kill.” Eckart explained, walking me through the process. While he was doing that, Jackson was making sure the corpses near us were truly corpses. I had just finished up with everything when I heard Terrance making his way over.

“Well done you three, well done! You broke that control just in the nick of time.”

“Injuries?” I asked, concerned. Ghouls weren’t known for keeping their talons clean, and well over half of all injuries tended to be infected.

“A few, but we’ll be fine until the healers back at camp can get to us. We’re only an hour out at this point.

“Thank Solaris.” I said, a weight coming off my shoulders. “Are all patrols like this?” I asked as we headed back.

“Naw, you guys are just lucky.” Jackson confessed. “Most times we only meet a few lone ghouls, sometimes a group of ten or so.”

“Ah, that’s good.” I nodded. “Cuz I’m nearing the bottom quarter of my aura reserves, and I don’t think we can do another battle like that.”

“Bah, you don’t need aura. I saw that sliding slash thing you did. Unconventional, but hey. It worked, and that’s all that matters in the end.” He chuckled, slapping me on the back.

“Yeah, but I would much rather have my brothers beside me in a wall than have to keep doing things like that.” I countered.

“Amen.” Eckart agreed as we rejoined the group, going through and making sure that every ghoul was dead. We took our time getting back, making sure there were no ambushes on our way. We got lucky, though several of us were cursing Terrance once he reminded us at dinner that we would be needing to give all of our gear a thorough cleaning afterward.