Duty Calls: The Reluctant War God Book 1 by Bill D. Allen Read Free Book Online

one. Toger was one to talk, he looked like a pregnant ox. Of course, I knew what was coming as soon as I let out the chuckle. Toger rushed over to my position and got smack dab into my face.
    “Is there something funny, Mr. Music man?” His breath was something I can’t properly describe.
    “No, sir.” I said, choking back my laughter.
    He scowled. “Really? Well, then, I suppose you were just volunteering for a little lesson. Over there, you miserable piece of shit. Stand in that circle. Move it now! Go! Go! Go!” He chased behind me the entire way, screaming in my ear as I ran to the practice circle.
    I stood at attention. My battle shovel was held at ready, my eyes were focused front and steady.
    He circled me slowly, staring at me with his beady red eyes. “We know how to deal with smart asses in the King’s Army, Mister. I suppose you think you can handle that weapon?”
    “Do you mean this shovel?”
    Toger cursed and threw down his hat. “That’s a halberd. How many times do I have to tell you idiots? You are soldiers and while you are training those are halberds.”
    “Sorry sir, it looks like a shovel.”
    “All right, that’s it. Hendel? Hendel! Get over here and get Mr. Fancy Pants Musician a real halberd. He’s too good to be like everybody else, he’s gotta have him a real weapon.”
    Hendel rushed over and handed me a wobble-headed halberd that looked like it had last been used about a hundred years ago.
    “More to your liking, your worship?” Toger asked, his voice thick with sarcasm.
    “The head needs to be tightened to the shaft, but it’s workable.”
    “Oh, it is, then. Well, that’s good because I’m gonna show you something.” He turned to the rest of the men. “I’m gonna show all of you something.”
    Toger barked at Hendel. “Give me Mr. Music Man’s shovel.”
    “I thought you said it’s a halberd.” I know, I know, I was pushing all the buttons, but I was having too fine a time to stop.
    Toger turned red as cranberry. He came at me with the shovel at port arms. “Defend yourself.”
    He launched a sweeping shot at my midsection with the flat of the shovel head. I was impressed that as angry as he was, he didn’t intend to do me any more damage than possibly busting my spleen.
    I leapt back, using the butt of the halberd to block the blow and then I countered with a hooked shot around Toger’s guard and slipped just the barest bit of the tip of the bladed head into his backside.
    He screamed like a scalded cat. “Arghh, you bastard!”
    Then he lost it completely. He launched blow after blow, every one of them powerful, but too big and too reaching. He was so easy to read I countered every one of them, but I made no further attempt to attack him again. After a few seconds of this, just as I saw Toger was tiring, I backed away and raised my hand.
    “Sergeant Toger, please. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t know how long I can protect myself. I’m sorry about that lucky shot.”
    He seemed confused for a moment by my words because he obviously knew I had him outclassed. But he quickly recovered. “No harm done, lad.” He turned to the others. “I hope you all learned something. See, even with a shovel you can do some damage if you have the right training. We do it right in the King’s Army. Now, let’s practice some basic moves.”
    I started back to my place in line. Toger gave me a grin before he started us all on practicing simple thrusts and parries. He really wasn’t a bad sort, but he definitely needed to work on his people skills.
    It didn’t take me long to demonstrate I had previous experience and was soon I was allowed to practice sword with the regulars. Part of me wanted to stay with the conscripts, but I had learned all I could from them and frankly, I was getting tired of lugging around a shovel, er… halberd.
    It had been centuries since I had held a practice sword. Although I had personally developed many fighting techniques, those