A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Oh my… What foolishness," Karstly said. Somehow, he'd made his way back all the way to the top of the mound, despite barely being a step away from the bottom the last that Oliver had looked. "Indeed, you are quite right, Samuel. There is a name on here that I should at least do the dignity of calling out myself. Oliver Patrick – you must forgive me.

I fear too many blows to the helm has affected my memory. For the slaying of two Rogue Commandants, Amion and Inka, and the slaying of ten Violet Commandants, you are awarded the nice round sum of a thousand gold coins."

"Of course, there is still the matter of your insubordinance to consider," Karstly said, just when the Patrick men were beginning to cheer. "In our confrontation with Khan, I do believe you disobeyed ordered in order to wage a war of your own. One can not call it cowardice what you acted on, given that you put your men – and yourself – in more danger than they otherwise would have been in.

Nor could it have been called ineffectual, for your actions did lead to our victory in the end. But that is not what an army is meant to operate, do you understand, Captain Patrick?"

As Oliver began to walk up for his reward, in front of all the Karstly forces, the General delivered his chastisement, and he did so with a smile on his face.

"Indeed, even here, in our battle with General Phalem, your overeagerness put us in a troublesome position. I was forced to put you in the vanguard, when the role ought to have gone to a more veteran man.

Of course, few doubt your strength young Captain Patrick, now that we have seen it firsthand, but nor can we let the emotions of a young man sway our military strategy as you have attempted to sway it," Karstly said. "And so, for all those reasons, your reward will be reduced to the sum of two hundred and fifty gold coins.

For I think, in the end, what you achieved did indeed outweigh the chaos you had caused, but in future, I would like to keep your surprises to a minimum, mm?"

By now Oliver had made it to the hill, by Karstly's voice grew no quieter in his reprimands. Once more, he wanted the entirety of his forces to hear. Just as with Firyr, his actions always had one than one meaning.

Even those veteran men – such as Gordry – who had been displeased by Captain Patrick's flagrant disregard of some of their earlier orders could not complain too strongly, when his reward had been cut down by such a shocking degree. Some – more than a few – were even inclined to feel a little sorry at the harshness of the punishment.

"It does beat a whipping though, doesn't it, Captain?" Karstly said with a teasing smile, before finally quieting that loud voice of his, to say something meant for Oliver's ears alone. "If you can settle yourself, you might find that the significance of your battlefield positioning only increases.

I do not dislike your temperament as a rule – but you must not go too far, else even I will not be able to cover for you. Do you understand?"

"…I understand, General," Oliver said, speaking loudly, just as Karstly had, so that the rest of the men could hear. "Thank you for the generosity of your reward. I will put it to good use."

"Well, of course, I am excited to hear that. Still, just like the rest of the men, you shall have to wait until the end of this campaign for that reward to be delivered. There are the chances, then, that you might add to it, just as the rest of us might hope to add to our own rewards. Samuel, make a note of it – and with that, I deliver the same assurances to the rest of you.

Your rewards shall not be forgotten. Ser Samuel knows his way around his accounts. He will not see any numbers misplaced. As soon as the campaign is over, and we are victorious, you shall get all that you are due."

"Thank you again, General," Oliver said, bowing once more, and returning to his men. They had cheered for him, but there was doubt on their faces as they did so. They couldn't tell quite whether he was being punished or rewarded with how Karstly had reprimanded him. With such confusion in their tones, their cheers didn't end up being quite as jovial as they ought to have been.

"Very well," Karstly said. "Truly now, that ought to conclude our rewards, and with it, I hope, you all shall understand the purpose of this demonstration. Not all Generals are willing to give coin out like this, as you more veteran men ought to know. Such rewards, ordinarily, should be saved for the High King himself to deliver. However, I think it to be important, in ways that others might not.

I think the mighty should be recognized be his superior, and that is all the more important on a campaign such as this. How are you to know what I approve of, and what I disapprove of, when I wait until the very end of the campaign to tell you?"

Once more, Oliver had the sense that there was more to Karstly's words than he was letting on. He made it seem a straightforward point, if even a little over-explained. It seemed more as if he was playing a character, or at least some small joke on all of them. The fact that there was a small smile on his lips throughout didn't help that impression.

"For those that did not hear their names called to receive rewards, you have my assurances that there will always be the next battle. We might be out here for as long as several years, but if you fight with enough might in mind, you could secure yourself enough gold to last your families generations.

You Serving Class men might even wish to use it to establish an estate, and rise yourself up to the ranks of nobility. This here is the very crucible in which men are made, just as it was in ancient times, when the founders of the Stormfront banded together, and the first High King used his strength to carve out a patch of land in this merciless continent. Here, your fate is in your own hands.

It rests upon the very tip of your spear. Do not slack in your training. Recover, rest, and forget not how to use your weapons. In Verna, we find our opportunity."