Malak Warhammer's Arc

Chapter 2 of 6

Malak knew training started with discipline, not swords. He lined up the recruits at dawn and made them run. Their boots pounded the dirt until their legs shook. Some collapsed after the first mile. He stood watching with his thick arms crossed. When they finished, he taught them to stand properly. Feet apart. Weight balanced. Eyes forward. The farmers hunched and swayed. He corrected each one with a tap of his practice sword. By noon, sweat soaked their shirts. By evening, they could hold formation for ten minutes without moving. The next morning, Malak led his best recruits to the war hall. The brownish burgundy stone walls rose before them, harpoons mounted on the roof. He pushed open the metal doors, their etched surfaces catching the light. Inside, thick wooden tables held maps of the lowlands. He spread out the largest map and pointed to the villages scattered across the territory. His officers gathered close. Malak traced the main roads with one thick finger. He showed them where raiders usually attacked. The recruits learned to see patterns in past battles. They studied which formations had failed and which had held. By week's end, his officers could plan defenses for three settlements. Malak rolled up the maps and looked at the faces around him. These men would lead squads. They would protect the lowlands. The real work had finally begun. Outside the war hall, Malak built an armory for his officers. The compact cubby held armor and weapons in the same brownish burgundy hue as the hall itself. Each officer received a set and learned to maintain it daily. They cleaned rust from blades and checked leather straps for wear. Malak inspected their gear every evening before dismissal. One officer tried to skip the cleaning. Malak made him polish every weapon in the armory twice. The lesson stuck. His officers understood that readiness meant survival. They would lead by example when the real fighting came. The lowlands needed defenders who respected their tools and their duty. Malak hauled the war table outside near the armory. The metal surface gleamed in the afternoon sun. Etched details showed every lowland settlement he had to protect. Strange alien plants marked the borders where danger lurked. He gathered his officers around the table and traced supply routes between villages. They learned to count travel days and position squads where they could respond fastest. One officer suggested splitting forces too thin. Malak tapped the table hard with his knuckle. He showed them how concentrated strength protected better than scattered guards. His officers nodded and adjusted their plans. The foundations were set now. His army knew how to stand, how to study battles, and how to plan defenses. They were finally becoming the force the lowlands needed.