BK1 Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Vishka's Guidance System

Eduard Heversham

Likeability:-17% (+2%)

Vishka's Guidance System

Callan Heversham

Likeability:-21% (-1%)

As the horse-drawn carriage moved onto a rougher road, I rocked a little in my seat. Eduard and Callan sat opposite, neither looking too pleased from the looks on their faces. It had been a tearful goodbye for Kara, all her siblings leaving at once. Roger had watched us go holding her tight to settle her emotions. Eduard and Callan had both been troubled leaving her after such a short visit, but it was the same every year since they each joined the Army when they turned eighteen. The only difference this time was that I was leaving with them.

"Do you need to pick anything up before we leave?" Eduard broke our silence, pointing the question to both Callan and me.

"Nah, Felicity is getting most of our stuff", Callan answered, leaning back in his seat.

"Felicity?" I asked curiously

"A member of my squad" Callan rolled his eyes at me. "You may get one if you survive."

"Callan", Eduard scowled ", Enough."

"Whatever", Callan waved his hand in dismissal. "I'll teach her how to use a Jian but don't expect me to help with anything else."

"Callan, you will do what is required." Eduard's lip twitched. "You will be the closest to her."

"So what? She's a trainee now. We didn't get special treatment on the first march, nor should she."

"We had years of training, Callan. We didn't need support."

"She chose this knowing she had no training. So why should I suffer for it?"

"Because," Eduard said sternly ", Father has asked that of us."

I sat listening to them argue about me as though I wasn't in front of them.

It was irritating.

"I don't want Callan's help", I butted in, folding my arms. What use would help be from someone who didn't want to provide it?

"See?" Callan nodded at me

"Lynette, to guarantee your safety, it's best that Callan assist you", Eduard sighed, frustrated with this conversation.

"I don't want his assistance. It would be unfair for the other trainees if no one else is provided with it. I will learn the Jian only as Roger insisted." I shook my head at them both. Helping me would likely only make me stand out against the other trainees. Moreover, it could result in some bitter opinions toward me.

"Lynette, I must insist that y-" Eduard began.

"There you go, it's settled. I'll teach her the Jian and nothing else," Callan cut Eduard off as the carriage pulled to a halt. "See you on the march" he pulled the door open forcefully, stepping out before Eduard could respond.

We both watched him enter the growing crowd of recruits, disappearing into the sea of coloured cloaks and raggedly dressed people.

"You know he's right," I said, watching the crowd and spotting a few faces I recognized.

"Right, about what exactly?" Eduard raised an eyebrow

"I shouldn't get special treatment." I stood up and took the first step out of the carriage. "I did choose this for myself. I accept the responsibility of that."

***

It didn't take me long to find the smaller group of recruits. They stood out from the crowd as no one had an official uniform yet like me. Instead, we were all dressed in our own style of marching gear. Some people had leather gauntlets and chest plates, but they were not the black-dyed superior gear the fully trained members wore. Others wore poorly scraped together cotton strapping polished borrowed weapons to their belts. The disparity in gear between the nobles and commoners was extravagant.

It hadn't escaped me that the shirt I wore matched both Callan's and Eduard's, but it became even more strikingly obvious now that I was here. Did he gift me this clothing because it was our family's reputation to focus on water Aether?

Standing unsure where to place myself, I noticed several recruits approaching a brown-cloaked summoner. The summoner stood in front of a series of crates loaded onto a wagon. He handed out various items to the people who approached, logging it all on his clipboard. Moving over, I listened to their conversations and learned many of the nobles were informing the supply staff of who they wished to share a tent. The commoners requested items they lacked and were informed of the repayment due when we reached the capital.

Before I knew it, I was in line, and it was my turn.

"Name?" the summoner asked with a pleasant smile.

"Lynette Heversham"

"Alright, Lynette, what can I do for you? Are you In need of any equipment?" He asked, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling. "Anything you borrow will need to be returned or repaid when we reach the capital."

"I understand. I would like some armour, if possible, and a dagger."

"Is that all? We also offer spare clothing and food rations" he gestured to the crates stacked with goods.

"No, that should be fine. I have brought my own rations."

"Very well, hold on a moment" he looked me over, tapping the pen he held against his lips. "This should fit, I believe," he said, pulling out a very worn grey leather chest piece. It was short and only covered my chest, leaving my waist uncovered.

"This is a short cuirass made from a stone vole. It's tough against piercing damage," he explained as I took the piece from him. "These are gauntlets made from the same vole" he handed me those as well.

"Now for a dagger…" he mumbled, searching through a crate of weapons. "Ah, this should do nicely" he pulled out a blade no longer than the length of my hand. Its edge was serrated, the handle wrapped in blue leather. "This is a standard iron dagger. The hilt is wrapped in treated marsh snake skin. It should do for this trip."

"Thank you," I said struggling to keep hold of it all

"Now, your tent mate has already picked up your camping gear. Go find them to distribute the load and wait for the call to leave," he finished with a beam.

"Um.. tent mate?" I wasn't planning on choosing anyone in particular. I was happy to have a stranger, in all honesty, even a commoner.

"Yes", the summoner smiled. "Miss Teresa Garpson requested you as a tent mate."

"Who?" I asked before realizing I was scrunching my face

The summoner chuckled. "The young lady stood over there" he pointed to my right towards a quieter part of the square. Following his direction, I saw a small girl with blonde hair tied up in a tight ponytail. She wore a plain white cotton shirt and brown canvas trousers.

"Oh…" I said, surprised to see the quiet girl from the tent yesterday.

She requested to be my tent mate?

"Hurry along now. There's a queue," the summoner gently prompted me.

"Right, sorry, thank you", the words spilled as I moved out of the way readjusting the armour tucked in my arms.

Carefully balancing it, I walked towards Teresa. She noticed my approach quickly, her smile pleasant.

"Here, let me help you with those" She reached out and took the short cuirass from me, relieving me of my struggle.

"Thanks, um... Teresa, right?"

"Yeah, guess you heard I asked to be your tent mate", she awkwardly spoke, scratching the tip of her nose.

"I did. Why did you..." I trailed off as a slight pink hue formed on her cheeks.

"Well... it's hard to explain, but I like you," she chuckled nervelessly

"But we've barely spoken?" I was so confused. Nobody liked me.

"I know, but I saw what happened during orientation yesterday with that girl who was rude to you, then that man who took you."

"Rian and Eduard?" my confusion only furthered. Unfortunately, both of those interactions in the orientation tent were bad for me.

"Yeah," she scratched her nose again ", I sort of resonated with you and thought, well… sorry if I was being presumptuous, you're welcome to decline to be my tent mate. I'm just a commoner from Ingalham Town. I know nobles don't like associating with commoners, so I get that, but I get the sense you don't get along with many people here in Talbour, and I sort of thought you may be okay with being my tent mate. I don't know many people here, of course. I know the other commoners who came with me from Ingalham for the sign-up, but I don't exactly get along with them, so I relate to you. Oh! I got your name yesterday when you were called up by, Eduard, did you say? He looked fairly upset with you, by the way. I hope everything is okay," words tumbled from Teresa so fast I barely blinked until she took a breath.

"Slow down", I laughed, surprised by the information she was spilling so fast. "You are from Ingalham Town? That must have been a long trip. You came with others?"

"Ah, sorry", her hand covered her mouth. "Mother is always telling me I talk too much", she sighed, disgruntled.

"That's okay", I chuckled again. "So, Ingalham?"

"Ah, yes! I'm from Ingalham Town. It's a little strange here in comparison. There are lots of people. I travelled here with others from Ingalham by carts with some merchants for protection. We travel here yearly for the sign-up as the Army doesn't come to us."

"That must have been a rough journey" I smiled, seeing the tension in her shoulders settle slightly.

"Oh, it was. I had to sit on the carts with my peers," she sighed dramatically. "It was exhausting."

"If you don't get along, I can understand that must have been uncomfortable."

"It really was", she slumped. "That's why I resonated with you when I saw the looks the nobles from Talbour gave you." she scratched her nose again. That must be something she did when she was unsure or nervous.

"I see. I must be honest, I am a little surprised," I shook my head, still compressing this information. "but I would be happy to be your tent mate. I hadn't thought anyone would want to."

"So you don't mind that I'm a commoner?" Teresa brightened

"Not at all", I waved my free hand. "I was adopted into nobility; status doesn't bother me like it does other nobles."

"That's great!" she exclaimed, dropping my short cuirass and clutching my hand, her happiness seeping from her aura.

"Great?" I widened my eyes at her enthusiasm

"Yes! We have even more in common than I thought" Her grin was so wide I could see her teeth.

"We do?"

"Yes", she nodded vigorously. "I normally hesitate to tell people this, but I think you will get it" She looked around us and then leaned into my ear, holding her hand over her mouth.

"I'm an illegitimate child of a noble", she whispered, surprising me yet again.

"You are?" suddenly, what she had told me began to make sense. An illegitimate child with a commoner mother would be scorned by her peers. I had seen it before, it was no fault of the child, but commoners would see them as different from themselves. Nobles would see them as a dirty secret to hide.

"Yes, Mother refuses to tell me who my father was, only that he's a noble from Ordil" She pulled away from me. "Oops, sorry!" she said, noticing my dropped short cuirass, picking it up quickly.

"I understand why you must not get along too well with the other commoners from Ingalham" I smiled understandably at her.

"It's not been easy", she agreed. "Much like it probably hasn't been for you, right?"

"Right," I nodded with a sigh. "I'm glad to have met you, Teresa. I hope we can be good friends," I said, my stomach tightening. I had never had a friend before.

"Likewise", she grinned. "Now let me help you put these on!" she motioned to the short cuirass.

***

I tugged the shoulder strap of my new stone vole chest armour. Teresa helped me get it on with some grace and then showed me how to put on the matching gauntlets. They sat a little loose on my arms, so I had to pad them with some spare material from the supply cart. After seeing them, Teresa quickly went to get her own armour, and she now wore a similar design set. We then shared the tent supplies. Teresa had insisted on taking the tent itself, whereas I took the pegs, mallet, a strange metal pole, and cooking set that had been provided. Finally, we each carried our sleeping bag, a roughly sewn cocoon blanket tied to the top of our bags. It was a heavy load, and I could already feel my back straining.

"Are you worried?" Teresa asked me, tilting her head

"A little", I bit the inside of my cheek. "I've never left Talbour before."

"It is a little scary outside of the walls. My stomach was in knots when I left Ingalham for the first time." Teresa looked over at the path leading out of the square. "There was a whole bunch of trees I had never seen before, and the ground was so un-smooth the carts jolted all the time. There were even some rocks so large you could fit a dozen people on them. I think they were called boulders." she looked thoughtful. "The trees started to thin as we reached Talbour though. The further south we went from Ingalham, the more fields there were and less forest."

"I don't think I've ever seen a forest," I said, thinking back to all my lives. I hadn't seen much, having never left Talbour since I was brought here as a child. Talbour had some patches of trees but nothing large enough to be called a forest.

"I will have to bring you to Ingalham then", she smiled. "Trees surround Ingalham, we have them in all of the streets. It's wonderful," she sighed. "I don't think there will be too many on the way to Zromore, as it's called the highland plains."

"I think you may be right. It's mostly open fields from what I know" I wonder what that will look like.

"Zromore may have some. I heard they have the Haro Woods nearby" Teresa tapped her chin.

"The capital has woods? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, not as good as Ingalham Woods though" She smiled that toothy grin.

"Of course not", I chuckled.

"Hey, look!" Teresa pointed over to the sign-up stands "Looks like they have finished up the morning recruitment. Maybe we will be setting off soon?"

"They have? Perhaps we should move to the" I stopped, staring at the orange hair that bobbed with movement from the last table. His black cloak was decorated with a golden clasp, his trousers cut neat and adorned with leg braces matching the leather chest plate atop his burgundy shirt.

Garret.

"Lynette?" Teresa waved her hand in front of my face. "You stared off there for a moment" She tilted her head as I pulled my gaze away.

"Sorry, saw someone I would rather not" I pinched my fingers, trying to hold back my trembling.

"Oh, who?" Teresa started looking over

"My to-be fiance", I mumbled. "Not by choice."

"Kay, so we stay away from him, yeah? Don't need someone you dislike getting near."

"Thanks" I smiled at her. I think she may be the only person I have met who saw my discomfort so plainly.

"Anytime. I know all too well about wanting to avoid someone" She wiggled her eyebrows, making me laugh.

"I guess you would," I said, feeling the trembling in my hands lessen. Is this what having a friend was?

"Let's move over there. Looks like that's where most of the Trainees are gathering," she motioned to a small spot outside of the orientation tent. I nodded and followed her over.

So Garret had indeed decided to join the Army earlier than my previous lives. There was no other reason for it other than the change that I was here this time. Thinking about it, Roger had said I was to return with Garret. Perhaps he had instigated his sign-up this time.

That meant not only did I have Eduard and Callan to deal with but also Garret Asher and, of course, Rian Thornfax, alongside all the others who disliked me from Talbour. It was somewhat comforting to know that people like Teresa, who had come from different towns, perhaps held no prejudice toward me. Not yet, anyway.

"Oi, you" Teresa and I paused as we reached the group of trainees. A young boy, maybe nineteen at a guess, approached us. He wore a torn, uncoloured cotton shirt and patched trousers tied with rope. From his mannerism to attract our attention, he was definitely not a noble.

"Reuben", Teresa rolled her eyes. "What da ya want?" her articulation changed, and I was a little confused. She had spoken far more properly to me so far.

"Just wanted ta let tha girl know not ta bother with an outcast like you" he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "Duty to inform her, ya know."

"Consider me warned" I frowned. Teresa really did have similarities to me.

"Oh, a noble, are ya?" the boy fumbled a bit but performed a messy bow. "Sorry, mi lady, didn realize."

"Ya heard her, Reuben, now bugger off" Teresa narrowed her eyes, folding her arms in a humph.

"Alright, alryt", he held up his hands in defeat. "I get ya, Teresa, just doin' what I wa asked by Tomin."

"Ugh, Tomin", Teresa huffed. "When ya goanna stop doin whateva he says Reuben, ya better dan that"

Reuben shrugged. "Gotta do what I gotta do", he smirked before turning to me again. "Mi lady" he bowed and then left us be.

"What was that about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry", Teresa scratched her nose in a blush. "I grew up with Reuben. He's from Ingalham, like me. He and a few of the other boys joined. He started following Tomin when we were about fourteen, and Tomin… well, we don't get on."

"I saw, but I was more surprised at how you talked," I said, making her blush further.

"Ah well... since you're a noble, I thought it best I speak with you the way mother taught me" She meekly smiled.

"I will have to meet your mother", I smiled. "So I can tell her you spoke excellently."

"I would love the praise", she giggled.

We both waited quietly, chatting to one another about ourselves. I learned Teresa grew up as an only child, raised by her mother alone. Her mother worked as a seamstress and had sometimes tailored items for nobility when they visited Ingalham, which was how she guessed she had met her mysterious father. There was, of course, a small pool of nobility in Ingalham, but as the town furthest north from Zromore, the capital, they had smaller trade coming in from other towns and instead specialized in exporting Lumber from Ingalham forest. Talbour had a much larger trade system as a town at the centre of the landmass between Ingalham, Ordil, and Ridgeson. It was the first stop for all three before passing through to Zromore by land. Situated between two mountain ranges, it was protected and instead specialized in trade and food export because of this.

Ingalham had a Marquess, as all towns do, only one viscount and two barons. Talbour, in comparison, had Marquess Rothstar, two viscounts, and several barons. Teresa tried to describe the buildings to me and how they differed from Talbour, but it was hard to imagine commoner dwellings built into the trunks of trees by summoners who created the town many aeons ago. Apparently, it was a skill now lost to the empire, as the ability to manipulate plants was lost. This meant some new buildings looked like that what could be found in Talbour, built from brick and mortar, which were the noble's homes.

Teresa expressed her desire to one day rediscover the magic that built those homes. She wanted to be able to repair the homes of the commoners there, which were now patched up poorly from years of decay. She was fairly down at the prospects of that happening, knowing it was a slim reality considering it was lost so long ago and the countless people who had already tried and failed.

When she asked about myself, I tried not to divulge my life too much. It hadn't exactly been forthcoming so far. I explained to her about my adoption from Wayward Town to the East and how Cassandra had taken pity on a begging child despite my obvious Dramorian features. Then I told her of Cassandra's death and how isolated I had felt afterwards. I didn't get into any details, but I also explained how my status had created a divide between myself and the other nobles. I then told her a summarised version of how Roger wanted me to marry Garret and my disagreement. I didn't tell her about my family life, only who they were, but she seemed happy with that, not pushing for more.

Our conversation ended as, around us, the supply carts began to pack up, summoners began to bark orders to one another, and the setup in the square became bustling. The last of the trainees gathered with our group, Garret among them, each with packs and tent equipment ready. Some looked scared, others determined.

"Trainees gather up", Nathaniel's voice spread out over us as he strode towards us. He was flanked by two other summoners also wearing red cloaks like himself. I noticed, unlike yesterday, Nathaniel had a Halberd strapped to his back, the staff was wrapped in a red leather skin, and the metal of the axe blade glinted beside the sharp spike mounted on top.

"I am Captain Hudson, your commanding officer for this march. You will do what I say when I say it. There will be no ifs, no buts. You do it" he slowly raked his eyes over the crowd to solidify his authority. "You will be placed in front of the back line of the march. This position is fairly safe, as trained summoners will cover your backs and fronts. Do not attempt to leave your position unless ordered to for your own safety." He said whilst proceeding to be handed a board by one of the summoners beside him.

"This is Lieutenants Sharpclaw and Cragborn, you will be divided into two groups of twenty, and they will be your team leaders." The two red-cloaked summoners stepped forward. Now that I got a better look, my eyes widened.

Lieutenant Sharpclaw was a very tall man, at a guess almost six foot, his shoulders were wide, and his arms bulged with muscle, no fabric covering them. Two triangular ears poked through his shaggy brown hair, their dark hazel colour matching the furry tail that swished under his long cloak. He was a beastkin. He folded his arms and stood straight with a no-nonsense attitude, his expression very serious.

Lieutenant Cragborn was a wiry man. His nose was crooked against a sharp narrow chin. He glanced across us all with scrutinization. What caught me were the bright red slits of his pupils, and two small spikes jutted out of his collarbone. His reddish hair was long, tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was a Daemon.

"When I call your name, move to the left", Nathaniel continued clearing his throat. He quickly began bellowing names at a fast pace. People started to scramble quickly when they heard theirs called, moving to the left as instructed. I heard Reuben and Tomin being called and looked to see if I could spot who Tomin was so I could recognize him in the future, but it was hard to figure out as so many people moved at once.

Eventually, Nathaniel finished the list without ever calling my or Teresa's name. "Those whose name I have called will be under the command of Lieutenant Sharpclaw" Sharpclaw nodded happy with his group moving to stand in front of them.

"Those whose name I didn't call, you will be under Lieutenant Cragborn" Cragborn gazed at us in silence, then proceeded to stand before us.

"Greetings" His voice was smooth, almost hypnotic.

I gulped, looking at the other twenty recruits in my group. They were mostly nobles. Many of the commoners had been assigned to the left. I was in a group with Rian Thornfax and her followers, worst of all, Garret Asher.