Free Zachania by Joseph Henry Gaines Page A

discover more about him.”
    “As you wish.”
Chow replied a little puzzled.
    “Speak to no
one on this matter; just be at my office first thing.”
    “Of course
General!”
    As General
Krustov left the hall he turned to take one last look at Talon.
Talon was standing in the centre of a crowd of cadets as they were
congratulated him when suddenly Talon turned to look directly into
the eyes of the General. Talon smiled warmly at him before turning
back to his friends.
    The General
left the hall with a mixed feeling of anxiousness and intrigue “how
could he have known I was looking at him” he asked himself.
    It played
deeply on the mind of Krustov and he could not believe that with
only one meeting with this cadet he could feel himself feeling
intimidated and upstaged. There was a strangeness to Krustov
thoughts as he contemplated on how this twenty one year old cadet
could make one such as him with all his experience and wisdom feel
afraid. Talon was like a magnet to the cadets but to Krustov he
brought fear; fear that this cadet seemed to be reading into the
very depths of Krustov’s thoughts “I must study him with caution.”
Krustov whispered to himself.
    Later that
evening Talon and a group of his friends had ventured into a
military tavern in the centre of Kallick town which was commonly
known as a rough part of town, but Talon and his group now full of
ale were keen to continue their celebrations deep into the
night.
    Once inside the
tavern they began drinking heavily as they threw their Krasos
around the bar in boyish and arrogant manner. Talon however sat
quietly as he enjoyed the antics of one of his friends who began to
sing a song.
    Across the
tavern sat a group of seasoned soldiers who were drinking quietly
to themselves. It was obvious that they were growing tiresome of
Talon’s rowdy friends. The rowdiest one who had just sung out loud
a song was now fast becoming very drunk, he began to sing again as
he was asking everyone in the bar if they would like a drink. He
was the son of a rich General and he was throwing his gold Krasos
onto the bar in an arrogant and pompous way.
    Once he had
asked everyone in the bar what they drank, he turned his attention
towards the seasoned soldiers, he staggered his way across the room
and threw his hands hard down onto the table
    “Join me for a
drink.” he drunkenly shouted “anything you want!” He added
    The soldier
seated in the middle looked at his fellow soldiers and laughed
before turning angrily back towards the joyful cadet.
    “Get out of our
face boy.” he growled to the drunken boy who was way too drunk to
realise the soldiers menace.
    “I just want to
buy you a drink, anything you want.” he persistently replied.
    The soldier
rose swiftly to his feet now clearly angered as he reached across
the table and grabbed the cadet around his throat, the cadet was
then pulled forcefully across the table and twisted onto his back
so he was lying face up
    “So you want to
drink with us then do you boy?” the soldier shouted as he
forcefully pushed his tankard of ale down onto the boys mouth and
then pushed hard forcing the cadets mouth to open. Talon’s friend
began to cough and choke as the soldier grabbed his companion’s
drinks and repeated the violent act.
    When the
soldier had run out of ale he lifted the drenched and coughing
cadet’s head up by holding tightly onto his hair. “You still want
to drink with us do you boy!” He shouted violently.
    Suddenly the
man’s arm was grabbed violently from the side which made him
relinquish his grip of the cadet; he turned angrily in the
direction to see Talon standing beside him.
    “I will drink
with you!” Talon calmly remarked
    The soldier
smirked as he gazed Talon up and down in disbelief at this young
fool’s arrogance.
    “So a man
appears from within this crowd of fools.” the soldier replied as he
grabbed hold of Talon’s friend once again by the throat. Talon
gazed deep at the man before him;