Chapter 5
Owl gritted his teeth, glaring at General Patreck. The man was an idiot, he had no idea of what he was talking about and was sure to get them all killed. Alchemists were bookish by nature, more interested in scientific studies focused on research and improvement than in matters of violence.
Sending non-combatientes to the battlefield? What was his Excellency thinking? Dammit, what was everyone thinking?!
“Shut your mouth, Patreck.” Owl snarled, walking forward. Captain Charis hissed behind him, but the warning came too late. He had already cut through the crowd, getting into the podium where the upper ranking officers were.
“What is the meaning of this, Major Veska?!”
Owl put his hand over the chest, generating a spark. Twisting it and making the electricity curl around his arm, the chirping was almost deafening as Owl pointed his fingers to the General’s face. He was slightly appeased as fear danced inside his eyes; normal soldiers are so out of his league that is pathetic.
“Get out.” He ordered, the man practically scrambled.
Owl turned to the other general, the man was looking at him with some kind of amusement. Thankfully. “I guess you wish to have the word, Major Veska?”
“I do, General March.”
“Go on, then.”
Owl turned his attention to the sea of white uniforms, letting the energy disperse. “Raise your hand if you have military training or if your alchemy is toughth for combat.”
Fifteen hands from almost sixty men, thirty if you counted the blue uniforms that were part of the different officers units. Owl took a deep breath, evaluating his options in a matter of seconds.
“We are the ones that will make it on the battlefield.” Owl declared, looking into the eyes of the other soldiers. Knowing that they are aware of what many of the other alchemists were unaware of: They were walking weapons.
One of the men, much older than Owl, took a step forward. “You have an idea, right? Let’s hear it.”
Three crimson stars on his shoulders, a colonel.
“Sir.” Owl saluted, “Unlike the rest of the troops we hold a power close to the ones of a god. I think we can end this war in one hit if we work together and use this our alchemy to show the Einira something so far away from their reality that they have no other choice to surrender.”
Similar to what the atomic bomb had done in Japan; because that’s what they were in the end: a deterrent. The weapon the Empire held against the rebels and enemy countries.
Owl hoped, with all his heart, that this decision never again was needed. He also hoped to be able to end this with one hit so the carnage would end.
“Make them fear us?” A common soldier asked, doubtful.
Again, with no idea of what was going one.
“No.” The Colonel and Owl said at the same time. The elder man closed his eyes for a moment, pained, then held Owl’s eyes with hard determination. He understood what Owl was hinting at and he wasn’t happy about it. Even if it was the best choice they had at the moment. “It’s more like showing them what desperation looks like.”
Owl nodded, face grimm.
“One conjunction attack combining all our abilities against the city.” He admitted gravelly, gathering dark chuckles from the rest of the Alchemist Officers.
“What do you need?” The Colonel asked.
“Knowledge.” Owl breathed, unwilling to flinch at the growls and narrowed eyes that answer generated. “Basic knowledge, gentlemen. Just enough to gather the points where your abilities will serve better in the incoming mission.”
Another thing Alchemists were: territorial. A thing that they all hated was the possibility of another person learning about the research they sweated and bleed for. They all wrote in code, hatching another alchemist’s research was nightmarish.
Nevermind that most times you would have to take those notes from the cold hands of the author first. Or die trying.
“Consider it done, Major Vaska.” The colonel said.
“Then, let’s move this to somewhere private.” Owl nodded, getting down the podium and moving towards the tents.
“W-What about us?”
Owl stopped, glancing at the rest of the alchemists “Rank of Major or not. You’re non-combatants, make yourself useful by aiding the medic units if you can.”