Hounds of War [Yandere Generals x Female General Reader]

10. New Regime.

Esclave groaned as his face was pressed into the dirt. His whole body ached and he savored the feeling of the cool grass against his cheek. His muscles trembled from exertion and he could already tell that he was going to be covered in ugly black and blue bruises the next day.

"Come on, back on your feet Esclave!" Y/N, the cause of his present condition, called. She nudged him with her foot. "Stop groveling, we're not done training!"

"Y-yes, general Denlleonis," Esclave gasped as he pushed himself up with shaking arms. His whole body screamed in protest as he struggled to get back on his feet, exhausted from the intensive sparing he had done with Y/N. His limbs continued to shake as he picked up his sword from the ground. He was a spent force, but he forced himself to continue. He had to obey the order he had been given.

He let out a gasp of surprise as before he had fully gotten to his feet the general had swept her leg out, knocking him off his feet. "Too slow, Esclave! Now get back up, a warrior doesn't mind the of pain!"

The air had been knocked from his lungs by his sudden fall, and he struggled to regain his breath as he crouched on the ground, covered in sweat and dirt. It was times like that which made him question his affection towards the general. She was always harsh and cruel. Why did he bother loving such a vicious woman?

The pair were suddenly interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Esclave breathed a sigh of relief and let his muscles relax as general Denlleonis turned her attention on the new-comer. Even at a distance, the ginger hair of the soldier running towards them marked him as general Vilu.

He sped across the grassy meadow on the edge of the military camp where Y/N and Esclave had been training and came to a halt. "What brings you here, Vilu?" Y/N quizzed him. "What news was delivered to the other generals?"

Meccio was winded from running across the entire camp and could only shake his head as he struggled for breath, his freckled cheeks flushed from exertion. After several minutes he finally managed to gasp, "A l-letter... A decree from the king."

After several moments more, he finally gained enough composure to withdraw the letter he had snagged from the meeting and read it aloud, "I regret to inform you, general Arrogari, that I will have to ignore your concerns about general Denlleonis. The King of Estain assured me that she is their most capable warrior, and given that you have led the army into a seven-year stalemate I have no choice but to appoint general Denlleonis as the new head of the Luccian Army, with authority above all three of the present generals, until Luccia is victorious in this war. P. S. I saw your mother recently, and she looks well." Meccio concluded, "Signed, King Ilidoro I of Luccia."

"Excellent!" Y/N exclaimed with a hearty laugh. "I finally have the power to begin turning this collection of degenerates into a proper army - Esclave call a meeting in the central square and make sure that every man in this army is in attendance."

Esclave struggled to his feet at her command. Even locking his joints didn't stop the tremors traveling through his whole body. "Yes, general Denlleonis," he saluted her.

. . .

Several hours later a great throng had assembled before the same platform on which Meccio had decapitated the officer who abused him. Even in his exhausted state Esclave still valued fulfilling his duties to the fullest, as such he had managed to gather the entirety of the army there in only a few hours.

He was pleased to see that even general Baccoso and general Arrogari were in attendance near the front of the crowd. His mouth twitched up into a smirk at this, but he winced. A bruise was already forming on his jaw; one of the many places where he had been struck during his training session with general Denlleonis.

He turned his attention to the general. She was standing in the center of the platform, while he and Meccio stood further back on either side of her. The ginger was watching her with the same beguiled look on his face that he always had. Seeing him so enamored made Esclave question again why he had feelings for the general besides fear, respect, and maybe even a little bit of hatred. It didn't make any sense.

"Soldiers, I have an announcement for you all!" Y/N began addressing the army in a booming, full-bodied voice, interrupting Esclave's train of thought. "During my stay in this camp the last few weeks, I can say with ease that it is the most wretched, ill-managed, pathetic, sickening place I have ever seen. This army would be more beneficial to Luccia if it was razed to the ground, at least then the Luccian taxes wouldn't have to pay to feed worthless louts who were all nursed from the right tit!*"

(*nursed from the right tit is a derogatory insult in Estain. Because of the religious practice of women in the army baring their right breast to go into battle, it leaves most of them damaged beyond use. When someone says you were 'nursed from the right tit' it means that because both of her breasts are intact your mother never saw battle and that she is weak. It also means that since you were born from such weak stock you are weak as well. You can insult the person and their mother simultaneously with this one. ^~^)

"Therefore, you all should be glad to hear that your king has declared me the official leader of this army until the day that Vascini is crushed under our heel!" She pulled out the letter that had been delivered and displayed it. The Royal Seal clearly visible shattering any doubts that the soldiery had for the authenticity of her claim. "YOU ALL SHOULD BE GROVELING ON YOUR KNEES IN GRATITUDE THAT I AGREED TO TAKE CHARGE OF SUCH A MISERABLE COLLECTION OF GELDINGS!! BUT I WILL SETTLE FOR OBEDIENCE!!"

The army took a collective step back, as her scathing words cut through their ranks, "things are going to change around here. I do not tolerate mediocrity in my subordinates so you will either reach my standards or die trying. Get a good night's sleep tonight, because tomorrow, you all begin the eight-day trial. I don't expect all of you to survive it. I have only seen one man able to pass my trials flawlessly; he stands right next to me, and his name is Esclave Azeeion."

Esclave's blue eyes widened and his heart seized in his chest when he heard his name being spoken from Y/N's lips.  The rest of what she was saying got tuned out as he repeated her last words over and over again, his heart racing. It may have been a small, passing compliment, but to Esclave it meant the world. This, this is why I love her, he thought. His eyes glazed over and a blush came to his cheeks as he continued to watch Y/N.

She's ruthless, and blunt, callous and unfeeling, but she is so much more than that to me. She can be harsh and demanding, but she only requires from her soldiers the same effort that she requires from herself, Esclave justified Y/N's cruelty, forcing himself to ignore the aching of his limbs from their training. It's not so bad, a warrior doesn't mind the pain.

A/N

Esclave is not ok. (Poor baby.) He is an interesting case. He has been abused by the general for so long that it led to him developing a strange version of  Stockholm Syndrome. I think because of his warped perception of reality he is my favorite general to write.

For those of you who have been waiting for it, I switch to writing Loyal Hound for the next ten days, so that's exciting.

Until next time I'll see you one the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~