The Dream Shifter

Chapter 298

The barracks were easy to find for Eudokia. In the course of her walk, she passed many soldiers along the way. None of them knew her, but it did not stop them from looking as she passed. They all had the same reaction, bewilderment. 'Barracks M,' she noted to herself, when she reached the building. It had the same well-maintained appearance as every other building. It looked like it could stand for another millennia without change.

She pushed open the door, needing to put all of her weight into the effort. The door was designed to be opened by an adult, one with strength, something she lacked. It did not stop her. It creaked with her entrance. Light bled into the floor surrounding her shadow. 'This is where I'll find my squad…' Eudokia stood in the threshold searching out for signs hinting to her squad.

Her appearance stirred the soldiers resting. They all called their attention to her the moment they realized a child was in their barracks. Those still uninterested were tapped or nudged to get their attention.

"Someone let their kid into HQ?"

"i***t, that's a MP."

"Woah, you're right. She's got their white uniform."

"Sure it's not some guy's kid dressing up?"

"Like she could fit their uniform."

"I've never seen one so young before."

"Don't they usually stay in the capital at that age?"

"What's she doing out here?"

They were only whispers, but Eudokia heard them well enough. She grew accustomed to such voices. However, she was lost. 'He purposely didn't guide me,' she realized. Her eyes scanned the area trying to sort out any identification, but none of the squads had any markings. 'Shouldn't they mark where each squad is?'

Resorting to the only option, Eudokia stopped in front of one of the soldiers. "I'm looking for the 241st Squad." She gathered several blank stares and empty looks. It took a little while for a soldier to lift an arm and point in the direction. "Thank you." Eudokia marched off with a new direction.

"What was that about?"

"Is she getting assigned to the 241st?"

"They did have their MP transferred back to the capital."

"If feel bad for them. Getting a helpless child as their MP."

Ignoring the comments, the five cots assigned for the 241st Squad revealed themselves. She stopped in front of the middle of the cots. In silence, Eudokia stretched her eyes over the four members of the squad. They lazily lounged in their spaces. None of them seemed very interested in her presence. 'These are soldiers? They don't look anything like Atlantean soldiers. They just look…bored…'

It might have been that they could not deploy until they received a MP. So they were forced to do nothing while waiting. It might have been the way they handled their off time. Eudokia did not know the reasons, she would understand in time. "This is the 241st?" She received no recognition from any of the four soldiers. "I ask—"

One of the men shifted in the cot making it groan under his weight. He slowly made effort to get out of his bed and worked over to the short Eudokia. Even at a slightly above average height, the man in the black uniform towered over her. "Who's asking, kid?" His tone ignored any respect due between them. In his eyes, he saw only a child, one that bothered him.

Eudokia narrowed her eyes reading the man for a moment before responding. She never flinched despite his efforts to appear intimidating. "I'm Second Lieutenant Eudokia, Lieutenant Sergeant," Eudokia declared with intent to curb some of his insubordination.

The Lieutenant Sergeant did not take her attempt at throwing around her rank well. A wrinkle appeared around his nose. "I earned my rank, Second Lieutenant. I don't appreciate our new White ignoring who's actually in command here."

Unaffected, Eudokia continued, "I'm glad you appreciate the chain of command. I'll expect you to obey my commands."

The man took a step back, a little surprised by the child unwillingness to back down and bold declaration. He caught himself in a fit of laughter, which spread around to the other three soldiers. Nearly a minute passed before they recovered themselves. "You're funny, kid. Like I said before, you might out rank me, but I'm the one in command. I'm the Squad Leader, you follow my orders."

"You'll find that you're working on outdated information, Lieutenant Sergeant." Eudokia retrieved her transfer papers along with her new command papers. She presented them out in front, purposely keeping them low. "I'm the new Squad Leader of South 241st Squad effective today."

The man leaned down suddenly no longer feeling secure in his position. Her declaration also silenced the other three and even garnered the attention of the rest of the barracks. It had everyone taken back. "Can't be…" He stared at the papers, almost expecting them to be hand drawn in with finger paints, but they were official. Even the General's stamp sat at the bottom.

Eudokia stared up at the man. "I expect you to follow my every command, Lieutenant Sergeant."

"You'll find that you're working on outdated information, Lieutenant Sergeant." Eudokia retrieved her transfer papers along with her new command papers. She presented them out in front, purposely keeping them low. "I'm the new Squad Leader of South 241st Squad effective today."

The man leaned down suddenly no longer feeling secure in his position. Her declaration also silenced the other three and even garnered the attention of the rest of the barracks. It had everyone taken back. "Can't be…" He stared at the papers, almost expecting them to be hand drawn in with finger paints, but they were official. Even the General's stamp sat at the bottom.

Eudokia stared up at the man. "I expect you to follow my every command, Lieutenant Sergeant."

The three other soldiers all looked around at each little dumbfounded. Eudokia's declaration was absurd, yet she held proof. They did not know what to do. However, each of them caught a narrowed eye from Eudokia. It gave them an unsettled feeling of command. It felt weird coming from a child, someone half their age.

Child or not, she was their superior in both rank and deed. While MPs out ranked most soldiers, it was a rarely honored respect. Eudokia silently demanded it from them. It compelled them to comply. They moved an awkward walk to the front of the cots coming to attention. "We apologize for our disrespect, sir!"

The Lieutenant Sergeant slowly turned his head towards his men in disbelief. "You're calling that thing 'sir'?!" He wanted to forget he even heard their words. It all had to be a dream.

"But sir, she is the new Squad Leader."

"They are orders from command, Nikon. If you disobey them, you'll be punished."

Nikon ground his teeth together listening them squawk. He could not believe that they gave in so easily. It would not end with just him accepting it. There was something wrong, mistaken. She had the wrong orders. "You bastards! I'm your Squad Leader! We've been together for a year and this is the respect I've earned from you?" His yelling had the entire barracks watching, not that it was not already. The attention made him sweat or possibly the looks of pity from his men.

Looking back down at Eudokia, it only made his blood boil more. Her expression looked nothing like a child. She demanded respect and his compliance. It grated on him. "You're coming with me to the Captain's office! We're getting this mistake resolved now before your charade goes any further!"

"What do you mean?!" snapped Nikon. He slammed his hands down on the desk once more. "This isn't something I can discuss with his assistant." Nikon glared down at the young man, probably no older than him. He dragged the child behind him only to be blocked by the Captain's assistant.

The whole time Eudokia remained silent, merely watching everything play out. She was the first to notice when Captain Simonides appeared from the hall.

He managed to sneak up on everyone else. Surfacing near the side of the assistant's desk, he interrupted the yelling, "Things are quite noisy out here." There was a lighter tone mixed in with his commanding voice.

Nikon immediately went still as he realized the Captain stood nearby him. He came to attention shortly after, knowing his place. "I apologize for my rude behavior, sir!"

Narrowing his eyes, Simonides took in the area before responding. "That is of less concern to me right now. What is the reason for your being here?"

Driving straight to the problem, Nikon hesitated a little. He planned to approach the Captain, but he forced his hand in a way that left him unprepared. It took him a few moments to react. Paper in hand, he handed it over to Simonides.

Simonides glanced over it for moment. "There something wrong?"

"Yes, sir!"

He glanced over at Eudokia briefly and back at the paper. The orders disappeared in his hands. "I see, let's move this to my office." He motioned sharply at the two to follow him before he turned around.

Once inside, Nikon explained his complaint to Simonides. "I see," he responded, after hearing everything. He looked over at Eudokia, who's head was about the only thing that broke above the desk. Still, she remained silent. "I'll grant you the unusual nature, but the orders are real."

"Captain?!"

"Second Lieutenant Eudokia here was granted this request."

"You can't be serious! Sir."

Pulling out a file from behind his desk, he placed his hand on the closed file. "As you know, the top cadet each year from the academy is granted a command of their own with them picking the posting."

Nikon glared down at Eudokia with some jealousy in his eye. In front of the jealousy though was doubt, stubborn unmovable doubt. "What's that got to do with her?"

Simonides sighed to himself. He read the scene already and did not want to spell it out. "This year's top cadet was Eudokia."

"That's not possible! Besides being a child, she's one of them. They aren't allowed participate."

"It would seem you're misinformed, as many are about the academy." It was a common misconception due to the way things worked. When it did happen it always appeared like a miracle, an impossibility and easily forgotten, likely intentionally. "Whites are allowed to participate. Anyone in the academy can do so, but due to the system in the academy it is very rare for it happen."

"I've never heard of any White achieving it."

"You know one other, everyone does."

"Sir?"

"General Demosthenes Alexander was the last one to achieve the honor of top cadet."

"The General? Of course, it would make sense he would. There is no one greater than him."

"Besides the King," Simonides added.

"But she's just a kid, sir!"

"As you know, the military does not distinguish between age when it comes to them." He glanced over at Eudokia, who still said nothing while the entire conversation carried. Any normal child would have been unable to stand still or even withstand the barrage of voices. She did not react to anything. "You went through the academy, so you know the training required to pass. She completed it at her age, surpassing everyone else. Remember that, Lieutenant Sergeant Nikon."

Nikon realized then he had nothing left. The Captain made his decision and he was being told to leave. "Yes, sir!" He came to attention and saluted. Dismissed, Nikon marched out of the room. He had Eudokia following behind him. It took until leaving the building for Nikon to turn back. "Listen here. You may be the Squad Leader, but that doesn't mean I acknowledge you. I'll be watching you and the moment you screw up your a*s is mine!" After he said his piece, Nikon quickly marched off, likely to fume more about his misfortune.

Eudokia watched him leave, allowing enough time for him to disappear before slipping out of her stance. She sighed heavily and ran off in the opposite direction. It hardly mattered to her where she ended up, just so long as she was alone.

Empty fields just behind headquarter was where she found herself. There were a lot of green fields in Atlantis, most of the land was very similar. However, each area still felt different. Eudokia certainly felt the difference in the South Gate. She fell over eventually tired of moving. Her face landed in the grass with only her arm as a pillow. 'This is completely different from what I was expecting!' Her body trembled thinking back.