Chapter 25
A few days of thinking, Xiao Chen finally decided to model his army after the legionnaires of the Roman empire. Their feats and success in battle in the ancient era was something truly worthy of praise.
Checking out the total number of combatants available for him to utilize, he now has a total of 1296 warriors including the newly absorbed Galuk tribe members.
Organizing the composition of his army in his plans, Xiao Chen called the entirety of his warriors, the combatant ones. Reorganizing the army, the officers are still Sakh’arran, Trot’thar, Gur’kan and Drae’ghanna but now instead of the phalanx, they will be restructured into a new type of formation.
Dividing them still into four groups with two platoons each, but now each platoon will have twelve squad each with each squad having thirteen men or fourteen in the case of the first six squads in each platoon.
*****
What came afterward was the intense training which Xiao Chen had devised, a full set of exercise for the entire body to help the Galuks match with the physical capabilities of the Arkhans.
“Why is the chief tiring us out, we should be resting instead of being exhausted under the hot sun”
One of the Galuk tribe members complained as he was now panting after two rounds of running, since the Galuk weren’t accustomed to these new things that was introduced to them.
.....
“If you aren’t asked to talk, don’t talk...if you are told to chant, you chant...where the chief points to, you go...what he wants you to do, do it...if you utter more nonsense... I’ll let him accompany you in the Battle Pit”
Sakh’arran yelled, pointing his finger at the towering Galum’nor running just a few paces away from him as he heard the complaints of the Galuk warrior, he knew that all the Galuks are thinking of the same thing and he must discipline them as the chief requires them to.
After completing the rounds of running, the Galuk tribe members collapse on the ground, their trembling legs no longer able to support their weight as they buckled. Gasping for air as they stared at the clear bright sky, the unhappy grunts of the Galuks filled the place.
“Hahaha...puny ones...and you call yourselves warriors...a few rounds of running is already enough to make you this exhausted!!!”
Galum’nor bellowed loudly as he pointed at the Galuks suffering from exhaustion. The Arkhans soon joined him in his laughter, they were like the Galuks before but it felt refreshing for them to know the difference between undergoing the chief’s strange trainings and not.
Just like before, Xiao Chen shouted for them to get into their new formation. Eight platoons consisting of twelve squads each platoon, the pace of forming wasn’t as quick and clean as before due to the unfamiliarity of his men to the new formation. The Galuks earned a few slaps at the back of their head for not knowing what to do and where to go from their commanders and even from their own peers, the Arkhans who knew the chief very well. Undergoing additional rounds and being denied of the prime beef, they didn’t want to experience it again, if possible.
Each group had an even number of men, 324 strong warriors, 162 in each platoon with twelve squads. The new formation needed to be revised in the future but with the low number of available soldiers, Xiao Chen will have to make do of what he has for the meantime.
Push-ups, sit-ups and other modern day physical exercises were introduced to the Galuks which sapped them all of their energy. The feeling of exhaustion that they are suffering was almost the same as the bite of the demon’s curse but unlike the demon’s curse, their hatred for everything is only directed at their commanders and the chief.
Staring at the unhappy faces of his men, Xiao Chen can’t help but show a satisfied smile. He loves his role as the villain during training, he knew, the commanders knew and even the Arkhans knew what an advantage his training could give during battles, only the Galuk were the only ones who are complaining and unhappy about it.
The new part of the training the Xiao Chen introduced was for each squad members to stay together in the same tent, sleep together, eat together, train together and suffer together in order to promote more unity among them.
The unhappy grumblings of the Galuks immediately vanished as the prime beef was distributed. The foreign taste tickled their taste buds and made them crave more of it to which the Arkhans only chuckled.
*****
Early in the morning before dawn, the noisy loud sound of the war drums awakened the Galuks who were happily snoring in their sleep. Forcing their sleepy eyes open, they saw their squad mates quickly moving around.
“Wake up! You lazy bastards...wake up before the commanders makes their rounds and punishes us”
An Arkhan orc shouted towards his companions and giving those who are still asleep a good kick to wake them.
Tired and sleepy, the Galuks joined the Arkhans in formation, their bodies swaying left and right, their brains still not awakened fully.
“I see you guys are still dreaming...Drop down and give me fifty!!!”
Xiao Chen shouted and his men spread out as they got into push up positions, curses and angry grumblings could soon be heard as Xiao Chen smiled like a villain he is.
“When I say down...you go down and restore to starting position”
Xiao Chen shouted again as he paced around his men who are down on the ground ready to suffer.
“Because some of you are still asleep...Down!!!”
He could hear curses as he walked around the formations
“Because somebody is cursing...Down!!!”
Xiao Chen continued until his men hit fifty, the curses and angry grumblings still continued which Xiao Chen really anticipated to happen and the angry stares of his men made him more happy
“Because some of you still are whining like babies.... Down!!!”
“Because some of you are angrily staring at me...Down!!!”
“Because somebody just cursed at me...Down!!!”
“Because some of you aren’t performing properly...Down!!!”
“Because some of you are just lying down...Down!!!”
“Because I just want you to...Down!!!”
“Because I just feel like it...Down!!!”
Xiao Chen continued on as he observed his men, their looks were like they can’t wait to tear him apart into pieces.
Finally, after doing more than probably two hundred or more push ups, his men finally learned their lesson, specially the Galuks,
that Xiao Chen won’t end their suffering if they won’t cooperate.
After a few warm up exercises, the rounds of running that the Galuks dreaded finally followed but what surprised them was that the chief joined them in running. Xiao Chen was running just beside them and keeping a pace the same as theirs, observing them as they run.
“Get out of my way and stand aside
Yohan army member is passing by
Get out of our way were coming through
And if you don’t, we’re gonna mess with you
And if your smart don’t mess with me
We are the warriors of the Yohan Tribe
U! Yah! Wey!
Get out the way
U! Yah! Wey!
Just another sweaty day”
The chanting started with the commanders shouting the lines first then repeated by the soldiers. It was their way of keeping themselves on the same running pace and to keep their minds occupied and not think about themselves getting tired.
Xiao Chen finally decided to give his tribe a name base on the old Orcish after consulting with Rakh’ash’tha and came up with the name ‘Yohan’ which means ‘(yu-hann) the strong’ and his tribe will be named as the Yohan Tribe and his army the warriors of Yohan. The First Xin Infantry Battalion name will now be replaced with The First Yohan Battalion since Xin was in Mandarin and the tongue of the orcs can’t utter it well turning Xin into Khinn which makes it lose its meaning.