All of a sudden, that excitability vanished. The directional anger was changed into something more uncertain. The hearts that had been ready to burn everything in their path were left on the back foot. They might have thought Oliver was merely faking his calmness, after his anger had been so real, but from the expression on his face, they could see no evidence of that.
Indeed, what had replaced the anger was a fierce pride. Purple flecks swam where there had once been gold.
"The High King has issued an order for me to quell a rebellion," Oliver told them, speaking honestly, so that he might reveal more of his heart. "I am to be left with fewer men than I would have liked. Seeing fierce men of your calibre – good ferocious Stormfront men, I find myself wanting even more…"
It seemed to Skullic as if he would speak a good deal more. Whatever was happening, it seemed to be working. The traces of hatred that had borne the guardsmen's eyes had been replaced by anger, and then something akin to similarity. Fierce men though they might have been and angry at that – both sides. Oliver and they. Both heated, and willing to war.
And yet, for all of time, what has ever made for a more exciting alliance than two old enemies joining together to confront a powerful foe?
He hit them with the order all of a sudden, assailing them with Command all at once. Oliver didn't have to experiment now, as he'd feared. When the moment had come, he knew exactly what to do, just as an experienced smith knew exactly when his sword was sound.
It was a position he'd been in before. His only difficulty was in recreating it. He seized command of them all at once.
"Close the gaps!" He demanded. The men rushed to do as he bid, without even realizing what they were doing. It was not as swift as it had been for Skullic – his connection to them was still tenuous and excitable, whereas Skullics was strong and efficient, but it worked all the same.
Their faces were hard as they came together. Oliver nodded his approval to them, casting aside the mantle of the young boy and assuming that of a leader. Somehow, his approval meant something to them now. Their jaws were tight, yearning for it.
Oliver proceeded to repeat the same orders that he'd heard from Skullic. "Lower the spears!" He said, followed by "advance!".
Each order was completed with passion. It still wasn't the same effect that Skullic had managed to create – that effect of refinement – but there still remained the fact that there was something animated about the men, something that bespoke of leadership.
As the men came towards them, Skullic finally intervened with his approval. "…Good," he said eventually. "Odd, unconventional, and if your examiner was anyone but me, liable to be dismissed, but good nonetheless. It should be effective on the field of battle."
The General stroked his chin consideringly, trying to gauge whether such a group of Command-empowered men would still be able to overtake five hundred trained soldiers, likely with a few men of the Second Boundary amongst them. He couldn't have been sure, but at the very least, he supposed that they were in a better position to do so than he had assumed earlier.
"Was that your first time performing such a use of the Command?" Skullic asked.
"Intentionally, yes. I managed it once before when I was battling in Solgrim," Oliver replied.
It was the answer that Skullic had expected. "It is one thing to do that with people that you know, and quite another to do it with soldiers that despise you. Very well, Oliver Patrick, I will admit that you seem to have an aptitude for leadership."
He huffed in a breath, trying to decide on something. "…I suppose, at the very least, we shall bet on that. I shall dare to entrust you with my men – and I shall dare to believe that you will keep them safe, despite the odds."
"I shall do my best, General," Oliver said.
"Do better," Skullic said. "You will not be enough as you are now. Allow me to attempt to teach you one final thing, though whether you'll be able to grasp it or not remains to be seen." He turned to face the advancing soldiers. "Halt. You there, Sergeant, step forward. The rest of you – at ease."
Even in the face of such complicated orders, the men immediately ceded to Skullic's Command, as Oliver consciously released his own hold on them. A Sergeant stepped forward from the group, as the others settled back into the same inspection formation that they'd been in twice before.
"Yes, General?" The Sergeant said, looking more than a little intimidated to be signalled out.
"You will assist me in teaching this boy," Skullic told him. "Follow my orders to the letter, and do not question them, no matter how uncomfortable you might be."
"Yes, General," the Sergeant saluted, though he did so with a degree of hesitation. After all, every soldier was trained to do just that, weren't they? They didn't require prior warning before they were given an uncomfortable task. They expected uncomfortable tasks to come their way.
"Watch, Patrick," Skullic said. "Whether or not this proves useful to you will be another matter, but there are other ways for Command to flow, rather than just from General to soldier."
Oliver nodded, intrigued.
"Sergeant – you have command of this entire force. You are hereby temporarily promoted to Captain," Skullic said.
The Sergeant stiffened. It was about the only order that could have made a soldier like him uncomfortable, and Skullic was very well aware of that, hence his warning. He spoke loudly enough that the other soldiers would overhear the order he had given to the Sergeant, and go along with it. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
"Yes, General," the Sergeant said, saluting.
"Very well, we shall begin," Skullic announced, before leaning forward, and whispering an order in the Sergeant's ear. "Do as Patrick did before you, and have the men advance on us. Do so in my name."