The four weeks of pain marked the nearing end of the month.
With this day, tomorrow would start the official start of Autumn, the season of stone and harvest.
And as if to herald its soon arrival, a cold wind slowly crept in on from the frontier lands, the once ever prevalent summer heat abating somewhat
Moving past the autumn branches that were becoming more and more bare of leaves, the subtle crunch of orange leaves was repeated continuously as the heat of several sweating bodies reached through the branches.
As one of the many training camps spread across the Fertile lands of Europatan, it was hardly unique in its training of well bodied soldiers for the cause of fighting against the Barbarians ravaging the borders.
However, if there was anything unique about this particular training camp set besides a river and a forest far from civilization to the point that it took five hours on foot. It would be the cliff face being the home of all their important figures.
But every training camp had a small landscape trait that set them apart from the others.
No, what made this training camp different from all the others was one thing and one thing only.
A grey haired individual shorter than most.
A rather rare sight to see in the Vast Lands of Europatan since his camp was the only one with a grey haired recruit.
This was Ren.
A 14 year old teen 2 years from adulthood with a story behind his name and rather unassuming appearance.
He might've taken a magical family heirloom that had been in their family for at least a century, but that wasn't important since the magic in that century old object had long since faded.
What was important was that he was here because of a debt that he had to repay.
Literally.
Staring at the falling autumn leaves flitting above head, a voice came from his side.
"What are you thinking Ren?" Amber asked, much taller than before as he ran steadily, the spear in his hands held steadily against his chest.
Amber might've been here because he wanted to find his father, but with the passing of his birth day, Ren watched as Amber shot up from his previous height of just a finger taller to a whole head taller.
He was still the same idiot though.
"Nothing... Just thinking about how fast time's been going lately."
"What's did you say? What did he say Lint?"
Gary Porker, the big red haired 15 year old who had initially greeted Ren had grown even bigger as he struck his growth spurt, thick muscles coating his body as he endured the long run like a cool breeze
"Ren's just being terribly nostalgic about the past Gary"
Lint Porker, Gary Porker's black haired 14 year old brother in everything but blood was still the same height as Ren, with the only notable change over the course of this month being him gaining a new vocabulary after listening to the Instructors lectures.
"Nostalgic... What does that mean?"
Osso, the shortest and youngest friend among them all was still as short as ever, the black haired baker's son of 13 still the same as ever despite the physical changes of his older peers.
"It means he's just remembering the past Osso"
Replying to Osso was the last of the bunch Bell, with a little more height than before, the brown haired 14 year old boy with teachers as parents now had visible muscles on their wiry frame as they held their spear abreast.
"Is that so... well he has shitty nostalgia" Cursing quietly, Gary who had overheard laughed loudly.
"Osso isn't wrong there Ren."
Ren growled and pushed himself harder while raising his spear subtly above his head "Get over here you!"
"Ack! We're friends! We don't abuse friends!"
"Were we? I seem to have forgotten it because of shitty nostalgia."
"Ah!!!"
Laughing loudly at Osso's plight as Ren grit his teeth and charged at the Shortie as they neared the end of their run, completely ignorant of the situation ahead.
Bell being the quiet one as always was first to notice the anomaly, something that he alerted the nearest three of.
Lint and Amber receiving the signal first, they widened their eyes at the sight in front of them as Lint forcefully stopped his Brother.
However there was a problem.
Since the four of them had suddenly stomped on the brakes, there was no one able to warn Ren and Osso of the dangers ahead.
And to be honest?
It was definitely to late.
Sensing the atmosphere up ahead first as the one up ahead, Osso forcefully stopped in place only to be mock bonked on the head by Ren who swiftly caught up.
Something that the Camp Instructors up ahead noticed swiftly when Ren belatedly noticed dozens of eyes on him
'Well this can't be good'
Awkwardly standing in place as the Vice instructor muscled his way through the crowd who willingly gave way. Osso the traitor who abandoned him in his time of need raised a pair of thumbs from afar as Ren failed to distinguish the cold sweat from the hot.
'Hoo... This definitely isn't good.'
"Recruit... What in the Nines do you think you are doing?"
Growling darkly, Vice Captain Hillary finally made his way to Ren, broad shoulders covering his entire body in a shadow.
"Have you forgotten what's happening today?"
Desperately drawing up his memory, Ren was horrified to find out that it came out as a blank.
Eyes narrowed as if he took the answer either way, the Vice Captain growled angrily. "You're on Firewood duty today recruit."
Moving to take the spear from his hands, Ren instinctively tightened his grip around the spear causing the man's eyes to narrow further.
It was only once he realized what was happening did Ren's eyes widen even further than they were before as he belatedly released the spear into the vice captain's hands.
Holding the spear in his hands, Vice Captain Hillary snorted with a hint of pride in his voice "It seems you listened to training well boy"
"But not good enough, you're now on Latrine and Firewood Duty." He finished angrily. "Now Go!"
"Yes Sir!"
Hurriedly adopting a pose before the vice captain could tack on anymore chores, the Vice Captain growled one last time before walking away.
"You can retrieve your spear from my tent at the end of the day."
Standing stock still until the crowd of recruits finally reformed the path created by Vice Captain Hillary forcefully muscling his way through, the rest of his friends finally caught up to him.
"Abyss below the Vice Captain's scary" Shuddering in fear, Osso began to shudder from pain as Ren angrily grabbed his head and began to grind it down with the knuckles on his fist.
"Ack! Ack! Peace! I call Peace!"
Leaving behind Osso who was now writhing in despair as his head was being ground into oblivion while his friends moved to shield others from the sight of torture.
Ren turned to look at the other four who stood around to shield others from the sight of torture.
"...Didn't you listen to the morning call? I was wondering why you looked so confused from afar, it turns out you just didn't listen." Looking dumbfounded, Amber patted Ren on the head.
"...When you're done patting my head, can you tell me what I missed? Also, I was busy trying to not fall asleep like Gary."
"Why did I bribe you that bread roll?!"
Ignoring Gary who had just been hit unawares from a traitor, Amber shook their head. "No I won't stop patting your hair, it's really fluffy."
"...If I let you keep patting it can you-"
"The Barony's Heir is coming here" Amber interrupted Ren, still patting his head.
Something that Ren couldn't bother with less as he comprehood what Amber just said
"What?"
And for good reason as well.
It's the Baron's Heir they were talking about!
In the Principality... Nay, the whole world! Nobles were exalted beings with capabilities beyond any other.
Since Ren had known, the Nobles had an impossible honor in them to take care of their subjects.
Even since birth, his father always bragged about how well the Noble lord treated them here despite being a Baron, something about low tax and affordable living.
It always made Ren wonder how much more Noble and Honorable Nobles Higher up than a Baron were.
*Thoot DadoooOOOTTTT!!!
Hearing the brief song of trumpets ringing out in the distance, Ren turned to its source as a voice echoed over the crowd of Recruits headed by instructors standing stock still
"Soldiers of the Lorelai Barony!" A man bellowed loudly with a trumpet in hand "Barony's Heir Meredith Lorelai of the Lorelai family enters!"
Swiftly moving to the side, the man held his long trumpet in a standard Soldier's salute as a carriage guided by soldiers moved forwards.
---
As they neared the training camp that was preparing the recruited soldiers from the city over, the Heiress of the Barony. Meredith Lorelai opened the curtains.
Despite the name Lorelai in their name, Meredith in particular had no connection to the water spirit.
Instead, she used the Summer Magic that stood in stark opposition of Winter Magic due to the nature of her constitution.
Ironically enough, despite the nature of her constitution, Meredith was out here building support amongst the army soon to be sent out to defend their borders instead of with the elder's who held considerable influence over the Barony.
They were uselessly stubborn.
Clenching her fist inside of the carriage, the Heiress wondered what they saw in that brother of hers before realizing in the same moment that it would always be the same reason.
There had never ever been a head of the Lorelai family with the power of Summer.
'I know that the Lorelai's use Winter Magic the most, but there's been a history of Autumn magic and Spring magic users despite that fact.'
It was something that Lorelai had personally confirmed by diving into their families extensive records.
'So why can't they just allow me to become the head of the family?'
Grinding her teeth, Lorelai adjusted the specialized leather gear covered her body. 'And now I have to deal with these peasants.'
Taking in a deep breath, the Heiress of the Barony's carriage moved on deep into the camp towards where Captain Harken resided.
The only other thing she did as the aging old man in Butler's clothing drove the carriage into the training camp was smile and wave.
Smile and wave.
Smile.
And Wave.
Meredith would make sure that the Elder's would be able to do nothing else but Smile and Wave when they saw her.
Fish made of flames glittered in the dark carriage.
She would make sure of it.
A favor of disdain shall be met with a favor of similar disdain.
A favor is always is greeted by a favor.
Always.
The Fish burst.
---
'She's really pretty.'
Staring at the Heiress who smiled and waved at the lot of them currently standing stock still in formation, Ren couldn't help but appreciate that fact.
'It seems that alongside being a Baron's daughter, she's really pretty.'
Staring at the smooth features and blue hair slowly disappear deep into the camp with some lingering regret.
It was only until the carriage had disappeared from their sights that the Vice Captain glared at everyone before bellowing.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOT LOOKING AT!? GET BACK TO TRAINING OR LIKE REN HERE, YOU'RE ON SWEEPING DUTY!"
Ren blinked in confusion.
'But wasn't I on Latrine and wood cutting...?'
'Also what is there to sweep? Isn't everything dirt?' Tilting his head in confusion, the Vice Captain turned to glare at Ren before pointing to the tool shed where shovels and axes resided.
Ren made a face.
But orders were orders, and if he didn't want to be forced into another duty, he should probably get to work.
'At least I got used to that smell now after three weeks.'
That smell never seemed to disappear until he took a wash with cold water taken from the nearby river.
Shaking his head, Ren moved past the other recruits moving to take care of other chores and grabbed an axe.
'If I'm fated to take care of the latrines again, I'll do the less smelly task first.'
Prior experience told him that his fellow sufferers didn't appreciate the smell of the latrine near them
Moving through the camp, axe in hand, Ren noticed a distinct lack of instructors.
It wasn't strange since the Heiress was now here and they were probably attending to her, but of the few that he did see, they were either really quiet as they watched the training, or they were...
'Still as angry as ever.'
Watching someone get harshly berated for pitching a tent wrong, Ren grimaced.
Whatever that person did, they probably didn't deserve it, but...
'They seem more agitated than usual'
It was weird, but that's currently not his problem.
'Since I'll get put onto some other chore if I don't finish these ones.'
Not wanting to do chore after chore after chore as it ate into his break time, Ren glanced around at the strangely dead training camp before hurrying into the forest to chop some more wood.
Ren didn't hear the Bird Song today for the first time in four weeks.
---
In the forest adjacent to the river and across the training camp, a gathering of black cloaked figures gathered facing a group of warriors in the middle of a bone decorated camp.
Incredibly primal in nature, the black cloaked figures wore bat and fox skins over their heads, a man wearing a wolf skin stepping up as the leader of these animal wearing figures.
"The Plan is coming to fruition my comrades, soon, you will be able to achieve what you desire."
Wolf like grin plastered on his face, the man held a staff bearing the skull of a deer and other small animal bones as he stood in front of three coffins.
"...Are you sure this will work?"
An instructor with a scarred lip spoke up warily to the black cloaked figures who turned to glare at him.
"And pray tell, who was it that came to us first? And now you doubt our Totem Gods prowess?"
"No... I-I wasn't thinking I'm sorry!" Panicking, Scar lip hurriedly back pedaled as the bat cloaked figures moved threateningly towards Scar lip who was just as swiftly abandoned by his fellow instructors.
And for good reason, because the last remnants of those made into an example of the Totem Gods prowess were now...
In a state that should've been death.
Glancing at four extremely clear examples that being those who had once accompanied Scar lip on the first day, they stared blankly at the air all glassy eyed.
Scar Lip didn't know what these barbarians had done to them, and he wasn't in a hurry to find out.
His hand clenched into a fist as the face of an incensed captain entered his mind.
If it meant doing the same to that Mage Captain who had humiliated him right in front of all those new recruits, he would gladly shake hands with the Barbarians of the Unnatural Turnings.
"Enough"
A harsh, rough growling voice echoed throughout the camp, the wind rustling as cold sweat instantly dampened the rest of the Instructors who weren't sweating already.
It was a primal fear etched deep into their bones.
The fear of a predator eyeing them like prey.
A magical pressure that instinctively reminded them of the food chain.
Campfire surrounded by bones of a large prey animal like a deer, the flames coalesced into a large three eyed form.
With stripes made of black ash and a body form with orange flame, fangs made of the bones of its prey and eyes made up of nothing more than predatory malice stared at the wolf cloaked figures who instantly turned and kneeled.
"..."
Staring in shock, the Tiger growled snapping the shocked instructors, causing every single one of them to instinctively kneel to the higher being.
No, An Apex Predator
"You may rise"
"Thank you for your grace Milord"
"The Plan proceeds as planned, did you bring the corpses?"
"Yes Milord." Bowing to the tiger formed of flame, the Instructors eyes widened at what had happened in the next moment
"Good"
Opening his jaw made of animal bone in a mockery of a grin, the tiger breathed lightly, sending whisps of blue flame into the tops of the coffins.
They burst into flame, mimicking three different forms before merging together.
The Tiger's three eyes turned into crescents.
The Barbarian Tribe of the Three Eyed Tiger danced in celebration
The Instructors turned traitor held their breaths
The former soldiers turned into unwilling servants stood silently.
A Wolf, A Bat and A Fox opened their one eye.
"Tonight when they sleep, you strike."
"Yes Three Eyed Tiger."
---
Guard's Log: Night Watch
- Event 21: Candlemaker Martin (Former Sunspots patient) wrapped in special bandages came to the gates and declared that he just wanted to harvest some herbs beneficial to his health.
Request to leave the Town Denied: Reason: When questioned on the type and name of the herb, it was revealed to be all common herbs purchasable in the day market.
I gave him 2 Sats
Martin elaborated on reason - To find his Son.
Request still denied: Reason: Summer Tower was still in the process of curing him.
- Event 22: Former 'Guard' Halsey was found to be making a ruckus in nearby Tavern 'Fat Hog' using unretrieved Guard sigil.
Current State: Knocked out.
Once elaborated that Former 'Guard' Halsey was in no way shape or form connected to the Night Guard, Witness
Reason for current state: failed to assaulted a woman behind the bar due to the intervention of a young teen of 14.
Suggested punishment: A fine of 5 Jupes and 5 Uras
Suggested Reward: 5 Jupes for the teen
Request to Put out a 5 Uras reward to find teen for reward.
+++
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