Bakuss was busy sitting behind a counter, reviewing the names of the many recruits who had just enlisted into the army, primarily focusing on their physical results along with their historical backgrounds. The new waves of potential recruits were a true gift by the gods, as the recently established outposts on the northern coastlines have reported Minotaur-type ships sailing along the northern fringes of the Zebrican continent, most likely scouting out the coastlines for possible landing sites, or simply keeping a close eye on them.

The not-so-distant defeat they suffered certainly created a sense of unease back on their islands. The Minotaurs were known to be quite prideful and spiteful at the same time, and suffering such a defeat from a previously splintered nation would certainly steer up quite a bit of unrest within the minds of the Minotaur king and his vassals.

It was definitely just a matter of time before they saw the Zebras’ slow buildup of power as a possible threat to their own dominance within the region, launching yet another full-scale invasion, though with a vastly larger force than they first invaded with.

Plus, it was also just a matter of time before other nations start taking the Zebras seriously as well, especially with the rapid expansions the king was planning to lay out.

The old Zebrican Empire expanded out too; far more than just their ancestral homeland during its heyday. Many vassal states and tributaries were also part of its vast riches, with the Minotaurs having been one of them.

War would be imminent if the king planned to reclaim all of the Empire’s lost territories from their old rivals. Unless the king can somehow pull a solution out of his pants to prevent a major war from happening in the first place, and it was not outside the realm of possibility that the king would do just that.

The king was certainly full of unexpected surprises. That much was clear.

Though at the same time Bakuss wasn’t exactly sure how long it would take for the king to convince the remaining tribes (the most powerful ones) to also support his claim to the throne, so bolstering up the defenses back home certainly was not a bad idea as long as the most powerful warlords were not onboard with the king's plans. In fact, it was a must as far as Bakuss and Liuanda were concerned.

Right now, all that Bakuss was doing was simply reviewing the names of the new recruits.

Though one name in particular quickly drew the captain’s attention.

“Najero? The Najero? Really, the little market thief signed up to join the guard?” Bakuss wondered out loud as he scratched his head.

That was certainly someone he didn’t expect to see on the list. The name of that little hardheaded thief joining the military.

Liuanda stepped up from behind the captain to look at what Bakuss was referring to.

She hummed when seeing the name. “Well yes, I actually saw him taking part in this morning’s test exercises along with his group. I was just as surprised as you when I first recognize him. Though he did lacked a certain level of… enthusiasm, when I spoke to him. I would guess that someone forced him, or maybe talked him into joining the training program. That would at least explain how such a rebellious little thief even joined this program in the first place.” Liuanda responded while thinking back to the training she had to supervised that morning, despite her injuries.

So many new and young faces. Most of them having most likely never worked through a proper job yet by the looks of them. Joining the army pays well, but it obviously comes with great risks when ‘shit hits the fan,’ as the king would often state.

Especially in times like these where rivaling nations and races are pointing their attentions at the Zebra lands with great vigilance.

“Well...” Bakuss began before placing the papers down. “We’ll just have to make do. At this point, any fresh new hooves we get are better than nothing, and the changelings themselves still seem to be too busy at the moment to really lend any significant aid if war does come. At least, that's what the new queen informed me of this morning.” He commented with a sigh.

“Well either way, we have to make-do with what we have now. Focus on the program and let the others do their own thing. Like Akunezzar keeping a personal eye on the land reclamations outside the city. It's actually quite fascinating just how much is being worked on all at once. All of these projects must cost more than just a fortune.” Liuanda wondered while rubbing her chin.

Bakuss nodded. “Well, it kinda is. But wealth is certainly no issue for the king. Nor are resources.” He added, referring to the massive stash of gold and valuable stored away inside the Palace vaults.

“Anyway, let’s head back outside and see how the training tests are going. The next group of recruits should already be in the middle of their physical exercise.” Bakuss stated before getting up from his chair and moving towards the open door that led outside, right onto a balcony which overlooked the training grounds outside.

Shining unopposed, with hardly any clouds nearby, the harsh sun of the Zebrican desert was as vigilant to make this day just as hot as any other day in these harsh lands.

And It's not even summer yet.

“Darn, today’s certainly another extremely hot day. I can only imagine what the visitors and traders in the city are feeling right now.” Bakuss commented out loud while shielding his eyes momentarily from the sudden shift in brightness.

There was certainly some truth to his statement. The Zebras in comparisons were naturally adapted to such climates, and even Bakuss was feeling a bit uncomfortable when standing out in the sun to long

The heat and never-ending glare of the sun was hell for anyone else who isn’t a Zebra. An opinion reinforced when Bakuss spotted a changeling on the eastern wall of the barracks chugging down a whole jug full of water as if his life depended on it.

It actually might have, as he couldn't imagine that a race of subterranean hybrids were even remotely suited for the hot and dry climates of the Zebrican desert.

Very few insectoids were from what he knew, and Bakuss could tell changelings were part bug from just by looking at them. Though of course he wouldn’t openly say that, in case saying so was offensive to them.

Bakuss expelled those thoughts from his mind before focusing back on the training below him. Watching as large groups of new recruits were being drilled for their physical test, which then led into a more mental exercise later on to see if they had the attention needed for the job as well.

After that, the real work for him began; combing through all the potential recruits and see who truly had the stuff to join and who was better off contributing their part to the nation with more civil services.

Thinking about that made Bakuss groan, as he wasn’t exactly a fan of paper work.

“Are you Captain Bakuss of the Palace Guard?” A random voice suddenly asked, which caused Bakuss to nearly jump in surprise, especially when the voice came from directly above him, which was a bit confusing.

He looked upwards, raising his eyebrow in confusion when he saw absolutely nothing.

“A little bit further back.” The same voice suddenly stated.

He followed its advice, turning his head and looking upwards behind him. What greeted him was a changeling guard perched on top of his roof, gazing down at him.

He again raised an eyebrow at this before fully turning himself around with Liu following in turn.

“Yes, that is me, and who might you be?” Bakuss question.

The changeling cleared his throat. “I am guard officer Prine of the Queen's royal guard, and I have come to personally inform you that the queen wishes to speak with you again at dawn. If that’s possible, that it.” The changeling responded.

Bakuss hummed to that. “Well, I see no reason to deny her such a request. I have a good guess on what might be on her mind, thinking back to the talk we had this morning. Go ahead and inform the queen that I will be here at dawn.” Bakuss responded back.

The changeling guard nodded, before buzzing his obsidian-armored ass out of the scene, leaving both Liu and Bakuss as they were before he arrived.

“Hmmm, flight. That’s certainly something that we should capitalize on. Not to mention their magical abilities as well.” Bakuss mumbled to himself, which Liu managed to overhear.

“Won’t the shamans and priests oppose the use of magic? Our kind hasn’t been exactly keen on making use of magic before in history. We've gotten on well enough without it. Plus, it goes against our cultural and religious teachings.” Liuanada openly criticized.

Bakuss sigh. “I know, but… times are changing. Magic has become a lot more prominent these days then it has been during the age of the old Empire. And I’m not just talking about us, but with many other races across the world as well. From what I’ve heard from one of the temple schools, the number of unicorns in the pony lands has significantly increased over the past millennia, for example. That of course gives way to a much greater use of magic and magically enchanted gear and weapons. If we ever want to fight fire with fire, then we better start lighting up our own set of torches to properly guard ourselves against the incoming inferno. We need to weigh our options here.” He explained.

Liu tapped her chin in thought. “Wait… isn’t what the shamans use just another form of magic as well? Brewing those glowing concoctions and communing with the spirits inhabiting these lands?” She wondered.

Bakuss nodded. “Yes, but it's a lot more passive than what I was talking about, and relying only on the magical residue that is natural within almost every living being instead of tapping into the magical winds directly is going to be problematic when we start having an enemy that uses magic in a more offensive way. I doubt that all of those shamans can really brew up and get the ingredients needed to make magic-resistant potions for a whole army. There aren’t enough shamans or even High Shamans out there to cover such a demand, and most of the… lesser shamans, I guess I can call them, don’t have the necessary skills or knowledge to create those more advanced potions. I asked a local shaman the other day downtown who informed me of this reality. Only the High Shamans within every tribe know the secrets of brewing some of the most powerful potions out there. So making use of the changelings’ innate magical abilities is almost going to be a must, unless another solution can be found.” Bakuss stated.

This forced Liu to scratch her head at the flood of knowledge and suggestions while looking back down at the training in front of them. She personally didn’t have the privilege of visiting one of the temple schools in her youth, so she didn’t have anything else to input without running the risk of sounding stupid.

She would normally be down there taking part with the active instruction of the recruits, but her injured leg and the crutch she was momentarily relying on made that rather difficult to do. Maybe she was a bit of a workaholic as some of her peers liked to call her. Perhaps she should just take this opportunity to go visit her grandmother at the westernmost edge of town, instead of running around the guards barracks in full gear and on an injured leg that made just trotting somewhat of a chore.

She mentally sighed. “Is it ok if I excuse myself, sir? With these injuries on my legs, I’m not exactly a massive help with this recruitment program. Besides doing paperwork, maybe.” She asked.

Bakuss nodded. “Sure thing, in fact, I'm somewhat concerned as to why you’re even here again in full battle gear with that encased leg of yours. Go do something sensible with yourself and take a break until your leg is fully healed. I have enough officers and guards to get back too, so don’t worry.” The captain responded.

Liuanda nodded back, before giving her goodbyes and excusing herself from his presence, leaving Bakuss to stand alone on top of the balcony overlooking the ongoing training tests below. Zebras marched in columns or formation, while others performed basic physical training, such as weight lifting, carrying, and sprinting around the barracks.

Overall a typical routine. Barking officers and new recruits being fitted with gear and weapons, being trained on how to move in their new armor, marching and engaging in a formation with a full set of battle gear.

Bakuss was about to return to his office when he suddenly spotted a very distinct looking Zebra out of the corner of his eye. A certain market thief, who had just arrived with a brand new group of recruits who were going to be next in the full gear marching and formation-forming exercise.

Bakuss was intrigued by this and decided to capitalize on the moment before he eventually makes the decision of truly letting him into the guard. He’d like to question the little misfit of a stallion personally.

“Hey you!” Bakuss shouted to the officer leading this new group below him.

The aforementioned Zebra gazed up from his position and gave Bakuss his full attention.

“You there, can you send THAT Zebra over there up to me? I wish to speak with him personally.” Bakuss ordered while pointing his hoof at the Zebra in question.

The guard nodded, before approaching the rather un-enthusiastic looking Najero and telling him to get into the officers wing and to get himself up to the second floor.

Bakuss watched as Najero did just that. Watching him disappear through the door beneath him and allowing his group to get on with the day's test training.

Bakuss of course returned to his office and waited for Najero to show up from the stairwell to the right of Bakuss’ desk.

It didn’t take too long for the neutral-looking stallion to show up and stand in front of Bakuss’ desk.

Bakuss on the other hand took his time to eye the stallion over first before finally addressing him directly.

“So… never thought that I would see YOU taking part in this program. A former market thief and night life troublemaker joining the guard. Who in the gods’ names did you manage to piss off now that you had to resort to such… drastic measures. Or did someone talk you into it, for various reasons?” Bakuss questioned, getting straight to the point.

Najero silently grumbled to himself before replying. “The second one. I was talked into doing this. Simple as that.” He responded, at least confirming one thing.

“I see, and who might that be?” He asked again.

Najero sighed. “My sister. Getting food and coin has started to become more and more of a hassle, and getting constantly caught these days by you guys isn’t exactly healthy in keeping our old life style going, so taking up an actual profession is the only option now. Still not a fan, though.” He answered flatly.

Bakuss hummed at that while rubbing his chin. He could imagine how that conversation must have gone between the two. It is true though that basic thievery became a lot harder for even the smallest of low-lives since the number and efficiency of patrols had been increased and laws properly enforced. Just as it should be.

Plus, the added bonus now of having shape-shifting, magic-casting, flight-capable changelings in the populace also made it hard for things to stay hidden. Even basic changelings had made it a priority to report any shady happening to nearby patrols, which was obviously a bonus in keeping the city streets clean and lawful.

All of that should help in keeping more or future wannabe troublemakers off the streets and the city entirely. The less petty thievery he had to investigate the more time he could focus on bolstering the guards with fresh new members. And having Najero here of all Zebras proves the overall accessibility of this position. No former skills needed, just a fit and healthy body and a sense of perception. Fitness and loyalty can easily be trained later on if those two are lacking from the beginning. So really, any child could sign up for the guard if they wanted to. Though obviously accepting actual children was out of the question, unless things got really bad, of course.

This was just a mental comparison on Bakuss’ part.

But he was of course still a bit skeptical about the situation, given Najero’s and Nami’s track records. Granted, they were never part of anything grand or scandalous, never getting themselves associated with any major crimes. But they had always proved themselves to be annoying little sand flies rather than either wasps or mosquitoes. Never really causing damage but always there to somewhat annoy him or his fellow citizens.

But alas who cares, especially knowing that the increasing build up of security and law enforcement was really growing its own flowers. This could finally steer those two onto a more contributing path to society and no longer be annoying little flies flying in front of Bakuss’ face.

So it was a win-win for him, and possibly for Najero as well if he pulled through. He could finally do something else besides stealing from market vendors or doing questionable things with his sister. Bakuss still had that one memory stuck in his head that he had problems getting rid off.

“Well… anyway, just go ahead and rejoin your group with your test exercises. Just do what the instructor tell you to do and you should be fine. I have a lot of paperwork to do afterwards. So… if you please.” Bakuss stated.

Najero just sighed before casually giving bakuss a nod and excusing himself off to do as instructed. Bakuss could tell from his expression that he wasn’t too keen on being told to do things, but that was to be expected from a character like him.

But alas, this was just the first step, after all. Once he gets properly accepted into the guard, then most of that rebellious attitude should be pounded out of him.

Or so he hoped. He probably needed to keep a personal eye on him later down the line. Perhaps even take full control over his regiment as well just to be sure.

Bakuss sighed. “His presence is just going to end up putting piles of paperwork on my desk, I just know it. Perhaps having him here is not such a good idea after all. But hey, it’s worth a try at least.” Bakuss mumbled, before returning his attention back to the stacks of papers next to him.

Time to see who isn’t fit for this job. Somehow looking through a lot of papers was far more tiring than marching along with the troops in the glaring mid-day sun of the Zebrican desert.

Paperwork, the bane of all stallions and mares.