[h1][b]Cayenne[/b][/h1]

Ahhh! BREAD!
Bread was, of course, the best breakfast any soldier could ask for. At least, for the second in command of the 74th Armored Division. Cayenne munched away on his fresh baked roll. The butter had melted into it, mingling the flavors. Oh! Man did not deserve to taste such divinity! The smell alone was enough to bring great men and women to their knees. The savory scent had a small whiff of sweet; it made him drool a little bit as he breathed in. He licked his lips and gingerly took a bite of unparalleled perfection.
His bliss was short lived as his commander entered the mess hall and told him to get ready to ruff up some recruits. Cayenne hated dealing with tenderfoots; most of them didn't even know which way to point a blade. Hopefully they would get lucky this time.

Cayenne walked into his division's barracks and observed the recruits. As the youngest to achieve his rank, he was well known among many that aspired to be a soldier. He was not known for the fear he invoked, but the courage he inspired. The 74th division was considered one of the easiest to go through when someone spoke about it, but that illusion is quickly dissolved once they started their training. It was his and his captains duty to weed out the weak or those ill suited to combat. Everyone else was fair game. The second in command walked down the rows of beds. Everyone was laughing, chatting amongst themselves. Their carefree attitude reminded him of his first day; a young boy that only wore the face of an angry teen, not speaking to anyone. He smiled. Good times.

Some of them recognized Cayenne and brought themselves to attention. The others laughed at their fellows, acting so serious for another recruit.
"Line up!" The commander shouted from the entrance, causing those that had lazed about to jump to their feet. Some fell behind, earning hard stares from the others. "Since the higher ups haven't come to snag any of you yet, you are still under my command. If you do end up going to work with an advanced squad, then may the Gods have mercy on your soul..." Many of the commanders disliked people like Lyona and Cerylia, but Cayenne felt like they were only misunderstood. Such beautiful women couldn't have malice in the hearts for no reason. He had asked Lyona out twice and got knocked out cold each time. Since then, he has kept a respectful distance from her. "I expect you all know your superior, Cayenne Ro'ni. You will obey him as if you were receiving your orders directly from myself." he nodded at his second in command, having him take the lead knowing that the young man was far better with the next words than he was.

[b]"I know many of you are looking for an easy way into the Imperial Army, thinking its all just a bunch of lazy men and women that do nothing all day."[/b] Cayenne paused, giving the recruits a moment to realize they've made a mistake. [b]"You are wrong. The division whose barracks you now stand in is part of the Armored Division, do you know what that means? It means we are the first on the battlefield. First to strike. First to show the enemy how strong our nation is. That also means that we are the first to fall."[/b] He walked along the row of greenhorns, inspecting them. Many now held fear in their eyes, but a select few still showed determination. One or two just looked like they hated everything. The commander simply looked on, a smirk across his face. [b]"War with Tormin is on the horizon, making death even more of a reality. We need only those that can look into themselves and find the courage to fight. This isn't a place for fanciful dreams, ideals, or the faint of heart."[/b] Cayenne walked over to the entrance to the barracks and pulled the door open, [b]"This is the only chance you will have to walk away."[/b]

Both he and the commander had been surprised that none of the recruits had left when he opened the door. Perhaps Cayenne hadn't scared them enough. They led them outside to run some laps. Stamina was important. Plus it was a good way to get them to work as a team.
[b]"Remember! The Armored Division is about teamwork. Stay together. Get too far ahead, you will die. Lag behind and you will be left behind. Find the pace that gives your group the best odds of survival."[/b] They were new. Cayenne knew none of them would care too much about staying together as a group. They had already broken into two distinct sets; one holding a steady speed while the other thought this was a race to see who could finish first. He had jogged behind the group, setting the initial pace, the second group kept to it. Nice and easy. After the first lap, he had broken off to the side to watch them. He made notes on who was doing what he said and who was not. He had set only five laps, an easy number for any recruit. The first group finished way before the second, causing him to scowl.
[b]"Just what were you hoping to accomplish, recruit?"[/b] he was speaking to one of the more speedy ones.
"What do you mean? I finished the race." At his answer, Cayenne picked up and swung a heavy wooden stick at the boy's leg, causing it to buckle. Everyone took a few steps back, each extremely surprised.
[b]"The point of the Armored Division is to stay together. We are a group, we stay as a group. I want you all to run five more laps. This will be the punishment of anyone who thinks its a good idea to run ahead."[/b] he pointed the stick at the boy who was now rolling around on the ground, holding his leg. [b]"Don't forget your friend here."[/b]

After fifteen laps and three more bruised legs, the group finally figured out how to move as one. Satisfied, the commander allowed them to take a break. Cayenne brought them all small plates of food and cups of water. He overheard a couple recruits talking.
"Man, I thought I was lucky getting into the 74th division, but that Cayenne guy.. he is a hardass."
"I know! I can't believe he punished the ones that ran ahead of everyone. I thought the army wanted soldiers that pushed themselves."
"We should have left when we had the chance.."
[b]"Being a single unit is more important than fighting alone."[/b] as he spoke, the recruits jumped. Some of the others turned to watch, amused that they had gotten caught talking about their second in command. [b]"Some of the others don't put such heavy strain on working as a team, but if you fight alone.."[/b] he paused and held out his hand to one of the sitting recruits and pulled them to their feet, [b]"who will be there to pick you up when you need someone?"[/b]