Leaving Slith in charge, ordering the men to have the ballista ready for action on his return, Kang marched down the road toward the Battle Tent. The First Division flag flew in front of the Battle Tent, indicating that the division commander was inside. The human guards came lazily to attention and, though Kang outranked them, they didn’t salute as the draconian entered.
“Ah, Kang. Come and sit down.” Lord Rajak wore black leather armor, so new that it still glistened. Beside him sat two of the other regimental commanders and a huge minotaur warrior.
“As you no doubt have heard,” Rajak continued, “I have been promoted to General, and now command the First Division. I am going to need excellent regimental commanders, and frankly, Kang, that doesn’t include you. No offense, but we all know you lizard-boys are a bit thick, eh what?”
Kang’s claws itched. It took every ounce of self-control the draconian possessed to keep from tearing off his commander’s face and feeding it to him for lunch.
Rajak was continuing. He gestured toward the minotaur. “I want you to meet Tchk’pal. He will be your new commander. Commander of the Third Regiment, First Division.”
Kang’s anger was momentarily diverted by confusion. “Uh, sir, we don’t have a third regiment in the division….”
Rajak waved his hand lazily. “My dear draco, you are the third regiment-you and your little band of engineers. It has become obvious to me that this army is wasting a valuable resource in you draconians. Engineering is better left to the humans, who have the mental capacities to undertake it. You draconians will now find your true calling, what you were intended to be all along. You will become the main fighting troops of the First Division! Commander Tchk’pal, here, will be given the honor of leading you.”
Kang’s scales clicked together in alarm. Not only was he being demoted, but he was being sent to the front of the fighting, with a minotaur warrior at the head!
And this was no ordinary minotaur warrior.
“You know Tchk’pal’s reputation as a courageous fighter,” Rajak was saying.
“I know his reputation, sir,” Kang said darkly.
This Tchk’pal was single-handedly responsible for the fact that there were now no minotaurs left alive in the First Dragonarmy. He had led them all to death in suicide charges-stupid, behind-the-lines attacks that had no hope of success. For those under his command, at least. Somehow, Tchk’pal always managed to return.
“You have men ready,” the minotaur said in what he took for the draconian language. “Me talk to men.”
The dark clerics maintained that Sargas, god of the minotaur, was the Dark Queen’s consort. Kang could not approve Her Majesty’s choice in companions.
Glumly, Kang saluted, and left the tent.
He ran back down the road to his command bunker. Mud huts formed the sleeping and living quarters of the two hundred draconians under his command. Here, too, was the construction area for the battle engines, such as the ballista. The bunker had been dug into the side of a hill.
Kang pulled open the wooden door, paused to let his eyes adjust to the cool darkness after the glaring sunshine outdoors.
Slith and the commanders of the seven engineer troops sat around the table waiting for Kang’s return.
“That was fast!” Slith said. Noting the droop of Kang’s wings, the sub-commander added, “That bad, huh?”
Kang gasped for breath. He wasn’t used to running. “We’ve been turned into the Third Infantry Regiment!”
Slith scrapped his claws across the wood table, leaving long scratch marks.
Gloth, one of the Bozaks, and admittedly none too bright, blinked and said, “Infantry! That means the front lines! A fellow could get killed doing that!”
Kang sucked in a breath, about to add the really bad news, when it walked through the door.
“Enough talk!” Tchk’pal loomed in the doorway, an enormous battle-axe in his hairy hands. He had a bovine stink to him that was particularly repulsive to the reptilian draconians. “Have all troops form ranks. I talk to lizard-boys about tomorrow’s battle!”
Lizard-boys! Kang’s tongue flickered out from between his teeth. Gloth, knowing his commander’s temper, involuntarily cringed.
Reluctantly, slowly, Kang saluted his new regimental commander. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”