Army of Humans and Monsters-The Book

Chapter 9

“Pet patrol, now that is a new one,” said the second in command, when Bloodtooth and Wolfblood were being debriefed. “Maybe I should assign it to you and make it true. After all, we can’t have pets running off.”

Then he burst out in laughter.

“Can you imagine it?” he said, trying to stifle it. “That some private was searching for some officer’s personal pet? I can see it now, the poor guy whistling and saying, ‘Here boy/girl. I have a treat for you if you come to Private Whoever.’ It would be so funny.”

But then, he looked at Bloodtooth and said, with a very serious voice, “However, while I understand that this stunt, as well as the stunt last month, had to deal with keeping your niece safe, and was within regulations to do so, I will not tolerate you going out and blowing up businesses and buildings whenever you feel like it.”

“Actually sir,” Wolfblood said. “This time, there was justifiable cause to do so.”

“What do you mean?” (Second-in Command)

“The one recruit, William Jenkins, came with me, when I went to try and deal with Bloodtooth, and try to calm her down, and may have been injured, somehow, by one of the patrons.” (Wolfblood)

“In what manner was he injured?” (S-in C.)

“I’m not sure sir. A dridder had tried to attack us, when we were leaving, peacefully, and he shot her. Well, that caused Bloodtooth to press the button, because we had warned them to not try anything foolish, when we confiscated those there, and took the children of the patrons that had them there, including the dridder’s daughter. However, he stood there, as if in a trance, not even trying to go under a table for protection. I had to stand in front of him, to protect him from shrapnel, and he just collapsed into my arms.” (Wolfblood)

“Did he say anything before he fell unconscious?” (S-in C.)

“Yes sir, he said, ‘I killed her.’ I think he may have been talking about the dridder, though, if it’s any consolation, the woman should be alright, because I put a healing barrier on her.” (Wolfblood)

“Well, that is understandable, as is what he said.” (S-in C.)

“What do you mean sir?” Wolfblood asked.

The Second in Command stood up, and looked out the window, and looked at a statue of a human soldier wearing an older style of military clothes.

“The boy,” he said, “May all that happens to be all that remains to be left of that man’s surviving family. The rest, it is believed that most, if not all, were murdered a few years ago, by a deserter, a werewolf named James Ripjaws. The man found out that they were of THE Uniter’s blood, so, to prevent another person, like him, from showing up, which is somewhat implausible, he decided to kill them, as part of his vengeance, after we found out what he’d been doing. The boy though, managed to injure him, by slashing his eye, which caused the deserter to run like the coward he is.”

“What was it that this man do that was so horrible sir?” Wolfblood asked.

“He was a good for nothing traitor,” Bloodtooth said, with a low growl. “He tried to sell certain secrets to the wrong side, like why our military is so powerful.”

“Thankfully, we were able to stop him before that secret was revealed,” the Second in Command said. “However, the monster swore that he’d get his revenge, in one form or another.”

“Well then, where is he?” Wolfblood asked, with a bit of anger, and hatred in his eyes.

“I would like to know that myself,” the Second in Command said, lowering his head into the light, revealing himself to be a kitsune. “The military has every ghost spy that can be spared, out looking for him, even now. Somehow though, he has eluded our efforts so far. I wouldn’t be too surprised if the brass decides to tell our allies overseas that the man knows many of their own secrets, and is planning to sell them to certain groups, so that they will help out in the search for him as well, if only to make sure that their secrets are not sold as well.”

The man then looked at Bloodtooth and said, sitting back down, “So, how, and what, did the boy do on this little, excursion, of yours?”

(The following is Bloodtooth speaking)
“Well sir, he did come up with a very good plan sir. Other than a few things that needed to be made up on the spot, the kid had it all mapped out, and for the most part it worked. Wolfblood snuck in the back, knocked out the kitchen workers, rescued those being held there, planted the explosives, in a manner that would appear to be somewhat rushed, and, somewhat, expertly well placed. Jenkins and I entered the front door, with me saying that the owner of the place had bought stolen government property, and that they’d all best cooperate. Had to do a bit of acting with Jenkins, as if he was some piece of worthless trash, including giving him a, relatively, light slap on the face, when he brought me a wet washcloth instead of water and a washcloth like I had told him. After that little scene, I proceeded to wash the skin-toned make-up that I have on my niece’s mark, so that she can go about her day as a normal little girl, who has no connections to the military, and revealed the mark to everyone in the place. Had to do some improvising when a few people started complaining about us taking their meals, as well as their children, including having to handle a dragon that called me a human lover, though Wolfblood managed to make him saying that he, loves, to, drink, the blood of dragons.”

“Hey, I do love the taste of dragon blood you know, though I seriously doubt that I could drink a whole dragon dry in one go. Then again, some of those kitchen workers put up a bit of a fight, so I took the liberty to remove enough blood from each of them, so that they couldn’t fight me any more, and that they would be safe with each other, until they were rescued, so I was a little full at the time. Of course, you know the rest of what happened there.” (Wolfblood)

“So, the boy’s plan actually worked out?” (S-in C.)

“Yes, his plan worked out, for the most part sir.” (Bloodtooth)

“So, how many potential recruits did his plan get us?” (S-in C.)

“At least three hundred are of age right now sir. As for the rest, they were below that, including at least, one hundred that are barely able to walk, due to the fact that they are under the age of three years of age, sir.” (Wolfblood)

“Civilians,” the kitsune said, with a slight growl in his voice. “They should realize that children are sacred, and should not be harmed by another person’s stomach acids. In fact, no one should be, not until they are at least thirty, at least that way the person would have had the chance to have children of their own, to carry on the family line, at any rate. You should know that some in the military wish that we could declare martial law, so that we would be able to protect, at the very least, those under the age of recruitment.”

“Well, what about that city next to Fort Splittooth sir?” Bloodtooth asked. “I hear that there is a no-predation law in effect there.”

“That is true,” the Second in Command said. “A friend of mine stationed there told me about it. He said that while predation of others is not prohibited, it is discouraged and that those who don’t eat others enjoy financial benefits.”

“What sort of benefits sir?” Wolfblood asked.

(The following is the kitsune officer speaking)
“Bonuses added to one’s paycheck, lighter taxes than those who prey on others, that sort of stuff. I tell you, if this guy, who did all of this, a Mr. John Wolfstone, who happens to be a size-changing werewolf, ran for office; he could find everyone in the military supporting him. Also, according to the chaplain, his one stepsister, one of over eight hundred step-siblings actually, is married to the Prince of Hell, and I mean The Prince of Hell. Then again, those two went to the same university, Harmony U., together. Also, his step-daughter, Julia, is the niece of one of the most powerful dark wizards out there, who also went to the same place as him. Also, when you throw in everything else, like his personal and financial connections, his personal wealth, his physical, and some slight magical, abilities, all could make him the most powerful person out there, and yet, his humbleness, as well as the fact that he is a vegetarian, all tell me that he sees everyone as equals. Of course, much like some of us non-humans in the military know, he’s got the urge, although, he seems to be able to keep it under control. Of course, there have been instances were the wizard, or the Prince of Hell, have made a stop at the base and asked for help with dealing with him, for when he has lost control of himself, which is usually somewhere on or near his land, as the wizard has a spell placed on him to teleport, and keep him, there during those times, so that he doesn’t destroy the city. After all, while there is that part of him that wants to cause destruction and mayhem, and all that, he doesn’t want to, in his own words, ‘Be seen as a monster to those that I care about’. That tells me that he genuinely cares about others, for who they are and not what they are. Now, that’s enough about him,” the Second in Command said. “Let’s get back to Private Jenkins. I want to know where he is right now.”

At this, Bloodtooth said, “He’s in the shrink bag now sir, which I have on me sir, or rather, in me sir.”

“Please tell me that you secured the bag first, and made sure that the top was closed,” the kitsune said, shaking his head.

“Don’t I always do that Sir,” Bloodtooth said, with a grin.

“I know that,” the kitsune said. “I just remember that time in Sana Barbra, when you had me in one of those things, and swallowed it, without securing the string to your tooth.”

“Hey, you were the one who was in the bed of the wrong man’s wife. Then again, we were supposed to be undercover on that operation. Claiming that you had gone out the window after you entered the room was the only reason that that dridder left. Besides, I got you out all right.” (Bloodtooth)

“Yah, when you went to use the bathroom. I mean, do you know how much shit stinks when all that’s between you and it is a strip of cloth.” (kitsune officer)

“Well, what about you and that dragon wife of yours? I hear that you like to spend plenty of time in her at night.” (Bloodtooth)

“There is a difference between those two things. Now, if you don’t mind, cough the bag up.” (kitsune officer)

“That is not a problem sir.” (Bloodtooth)