DISCLAIMER: This chapter features heavy violence between an adult and a child. Although it isn't too graphic, I wanted to give you readers a heads-up.

CHAPTER SIX

Iron in the Blood

“Step aside, Number Three,” Major Heinrich instructed. “Your opponent will be Number Seven.”

Number Three shook her head. “I don’t wanna.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from the adult observers around us. It wasn’t often when one of the kids complained about an order.

Major Heinrich’s eyes narrowed. “Number Three...”

Number Three was just about to shake her head again when I moved to her side so I could elbow her in the ribs.

“Go,” I whispered.

One could understand the hesitation on Number Three’s face, not just because she knew about how I hated hurting my fellow crib mates, but because Number Two was the worst opponent to have in a no-holds-barred sparring match. The kid just had zero control, and his wild magic was dangerous, often resulting in injuries for the kids who went up against him.

“I’ll be fine...” I insisted.

It took another second, but she eventually relented. “Kay...”

Things might not have ended with just that though, as the major was staring daggers at my friend. Luckily, General Hauser’s hearty laugh and his approval of her, which in his own words, “The child has spirit, I like it!” pushed the major to relax his stance.

With that settled, the general pointed a finger toward Number Four’s and Number Five’s mat.

“Them first,” he commanded.

With a high-ranking general giving the order, not even Captain Wolf could disagree. And so he called the first pair over to the central mat where he would referee their fight. Unfortunately, Wolf’s attempts to keep the ‘kid gloves’ on were dashed by General Hauser further insisting that Number Four and Number Five fight until one of them could no longer stand.

Seriously... a no-holds-barred match with 1st graders?!

I glanced nervously in Number Two’s direction. The kid kept his eyes to the ground, and I could see his shoulders sagging even more than usual.

I wish I knew the number of social services... Hell, I wish this country had social services.

At the sound of the gong, my focus drifted back toward the central mat. Number Four and Number Five were glancing nervously at each other, and neither of them seemed eager to get started.

We’ve got strong bonds... they can’t just expect us to beat each other up...

Their obvious hesitation caused General Hauser to frown. “If they will not fight then they will be beaten by one of my soldiers until they no longer fear pain and find the willingness to bring pain to others.”

I won’t lie. My body shivered at hearing his words. There was zero hesitation and zero reluctance at the thought of hurting children or pitting child against child.

Holy freaking hell... You don’t just look like one. You are a genuine monster...

Sadly, that seemed to be all the encouragement my friends needed to get their heads in the game. A grim determination flashed across their faces.

So much for bonds...

Number Four had more power magic-wise, but Number Five was quicker on his feet. And knowing how good she was at ranged attacks, he chose to close the distance between them, forcing her into a close-quarters-combat that locked out her patented ‘Dust Arrows’.

They grappled for half a round’s worth of time — both of them attempting to throw the other into the mat — before Number Five flung a pretty weak punch at Number Four’s face.

“Oo~~oh,” I whispered, not being able to help myself.

I saw Number Five hesitate at the end there, and I was damn proud of him for holding back when he could have given her a black eye with that single punch.

“Tighten your fist before you strike, stupid boy,” General Hauser bellowed.

Number Five nodded as if he had no choice but to do as instructed, although he never got the chance to try again.

Honestly, I often thought that there was something weird about Number Four. She was such a stickler for the rules that I figured that it would get very dangerous if she ever blew her cool — and that’s exactly what happened. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was because she’d been struck in the cheek or because the general’s goading got through to her, but when I saw the shadow of anger flit across her face, I knew she’d finally snapped.

“Oh, shit...”

In a quick-draw motion reminiscent of an old western, Number Four drew her hand forward, causing the ground beneath her to rumble violently. Then, with an icy glare aimed at our friend, she balled her hand into a fist — and as if responding to her will, a thick shard of rough-hewn stone burst through the mat at a speed that Number Five couldn’t dodge. It smacked him squarely on the chest and knocked the wind out of him.

The chunk of rock broke apart into dozens of smaller pieces, although none of them had fallen to the ground. Number Four kept them floating in the air around Number Five with her power alone.

Holy cow... she’s a freaking earth bender...

She smacked her palms together as if in prayer, and the floating pieces of rock flew toward Number Five, peppering him in blows that caused the kid to repeatedly cry out.

Captain Wolf stepped in then. He caught Number Five in his arms, and with a burst of magical aura spreading out of him, scattered the pieces of floating rock pieces away.

“It’s over,” he sighed. “You’ve won, Number Four.”

However, the little girl didn’t respond. She was staring wide-eyed at her friend, her chest heaving. Her hands were still clasped, and I could tell even from where I stood that they were held tight together.

Captain Wolf passed Number Five to one of the nursemaids before moving to wrap Number Four in his embrace. Whatever it was he whispered into her ear was enough for her body to relax. Then the little girl buried her head in his chest and sobbed. I couldn’t blame her. She’d lost control, and one of our friends was being carted off by the medics because of it.

After a while, there was some half-hearted clapping from the audience, although the general’s frown remained in place. I didn’t think he liked that display of affection Captain Wolf just showed Number Four, but he didn’t reprimand him for it.

As for Number Four, she was led off the map by her nursemaid. She ignored everyone’s stares as she walked — even Number Three’s hand as it reached out for her — and then she sat cross-legged in one corner with her head bowed and her shoulders shaking.

None of us went over to comfort her as we were all still pretty bug-eyed by what just happened. Hell, I wouldn’t have known what to say, anyway. It’s okay, you didn’t mean it, sounded damn hollow even to my mind. Besides, I didn’t have the time to worry about Number Four because the general’s finger was pointing at me now, and that’s when things got even more messed up.

“Face your opponent,” Captain Wolf ordered.

And we did, although Number Two’s face was as pale as I’d ever seen it.

“You can do this,” I whispered to him.

My well-meaning lie fell on deaf ears, though. Number Two couldn’t even look me in the eye. And it wasn’t until I heard the gong ring when I finally decided I wasn’t going to hurt this kid. So, I stepped off the mat.

Cue the hushed whispers and worried looks.

I didn’t care. I wasn’t like the others. I wouldn’t be goaded into hurting my friends for the entertainment of some sadistic fuck like General Hauser.

“Aren’t you the boy who could transfigure iron at age five?” General Hauser confirmed.

“Yes,” I said, flatly.

I didn’t mean to sound belligerent. It just came out that way.

The general’s frown deepened. “I don’t understand why someone so capable would decide to run from a fight.”

“I...” I wondered if being honest here would save me from a world of pain. Probably not, but I tried anyway. “...I don’t want to hurt people.”

One of the general’s eyebrows arched up. “You would rather bear the pain than harm your fellow compatriot?”

I nodded.

“You are brave, I like that,” he said in a surprisingly approving tone.

For just a second, I imagined that I was in the clear. Then I saw the general motion someone forward with his hand, and I realized I had just failed my persuasion check.

Oh, fuck… here we go.

A firm hand grasped my shoulder and then whirled me around so that I could see who it was that had been ordered to beat me up. It was 1st Lieutenant Weber; the only one of Major Heinrich’s henchmen I thought was a relatively decent guy.

I could see the guilt clear on his face, although that didn’t stop him from balling his other hand into a fist. A second later and I felt that fist collide with my gut. Then pain like I hadn’t felt before spread across my abdomen, forcing the wind out of me. And if the lieutenant hadn’t been holding me up, I was pretty sure I’d dropped to my knees.

“A brave boy like you will certainly grow up to become a fitting guardian of our great nation,” the general said, although his voice barely registered to my addled mind. “But first you must be taught the meaning of pain and suffering.”

I felt the second punch to my gut, one strong enough to lift me off my feet.

“Argh!” I spat.

My vision blurred. My chest heaved.

“Pain, she is our great teacher. And once you know her as intimately as a mother's love, then you will know suffering, and that will teach you resolve,” General Hauser continued.

I wanted to shout that I didn’t have a mother in this life, but I was too busy trying to escape the lieutenant’s grip. I couldn’t. He was too strong for my six-year-old self.

A third punch struck me in my left cheek, forcing my legs to turn into jelly. The fourth punch aimed at my right cheek caused my world to go dark momentarily so that I found myself blinking up at the ceiling moments later.

“Stop,” I gasped. “Please...”

My sentiments were echoed by my crib mates with Number Three’s voice being the loudest of all. But the general wasn’t persuaded by their cries. He ordered 1st Lieutenant Weber to continue.

The kick to my gut forced me to stumble back onto the mat, which is when I puked out my breakfast.

“Once you’ve discovered resolve, only then will you be of use to the primarch and his goals,” General Hauser added.

Through the black spots hovering over my vision, I noticed a few of Major Heinrich’s henchmen restraining Captain Wolf by the arms, preventing him from rescuing me from another one of the lieutenant’s kicks.

“Once you have thoroughly learned pain’s final lesson, only then will you be a true son of Armestys,” General Hauser finished.

I was sprawled on the ground with my head bowed. Blood poured freely down my nose. I could taste its iron scent in my mouth, too.

Iron...

I wasn’t entirely sure what made me retaliate because I was way too out of it to be thinking straight. But somewhere in the back of my mind, the idea was born inside of me. And when the lieutenant moved to attack me again, I raised my hand palm-forward and croaked, “Stop...”

And he obeyed.

As remorseful as 1st Lieutenant Weber looked while he beat me repeatedly with his fists and kicks, I couldn’t forgive him. It’s why I’d directed the magic swirling inside of me to take control of the iron in his blood.

Four grams, little more than a spoon’s worth, and typically how much iron existed in a male body of regular height. The lieutenant was quite tall, so he probably had more than that, but not by much. The real feat, however, had been the huge amount of natural energy I’d harness in the split second of reprieve between beatings which was enough to give me control of the iron in the blood flowing through his veins.

His face reddened as he strained against my control. The veins of his temple bulged. But my improvised spell held.

The science of how I’d managed this act of sorcery was beyond the current me so I wouldn’t be able to explain it yet. All I know is that it had been fueled by the wish that he would stop hurting me. And I was so relieved that the beating had ended that it took me a long while to notice the unnatural silence permeating the arena.

Through my blurred vision, I could see the fear plastered on everyone’s face — even Number Three. She even took a step back after I caught her eye.

Why are they all looking at me like this...?

I heard a strange gurgling noise, and as my focus drifted toward that sound, what I found caused my jaw to drop.

1st Lieutenant Weber stood before me like a puppet whose strings had been tangled. The man’s limbs twitched awkwardly like he had zero control over them. Even more horrifying, blood leaked out of his eyes, his nose, and his mouth. It was quite a horrific sight.

Oh. My. God.

Then my mind gave way to fatigue and pain. My vision faded, and oblivion finally took me.