Chapter 27

Music drifts into the tent shaking me from my restless sleep on the ground. After I returned to the tent, I kept my original promise to myself and slept on the ground. Thanks to the tent having flooring that consists of the same cloth fabric the walls and ceiling are made from, it wasn’t that bad.

Senses frayed, I rub at my face and eyes while desperately wishing the music would shut up. Movement to my right puts me on high alert making me jump to my feet in a crouching position. 

When I sit up, I realize the Nocturne and Kenndey are getting dressed. I’m not sure what’s happening, but they seem to have somewhere to be which means I probably have somewhere to be.

I throw on a pair of pants and the first shirt that touches my hand inside the trunk. Before I’m able to lace up my shoes, they’re already heading out. In the end, I’m running to catch up to them.

Kennedy realizes my presence immediately and turns around to glare at me. I’ve purposely put several yards of distance between us, but I still managed to piss her off somehow. Casting my eyes down to my shoes, I take a few more steps back.

She’s terrifying.

Nocturne pats her sister’s back. I’m not sure what they say to each other, but it manages to divert Kennedy’s attention from me. I still follow them, but the distance is enough that you could make the argument that I’m not following them. Instead, you could say that I’m simply headed in the same direction as the rest of the people that are pouring out of their tents.

All the soldiers seem to be headed in the same direction. Since it’s hard to see from my vantage point it takes me a second to realize that people are forming lines. I’m not sure if there’s a specific order so I pick one that’s already long and stand in the back.

Seeing all the soldiers in one area makes me realize that there’s more people here than I thought. Initially, I calculated that there was max two hundred soldiers here, but it’s over double that amount.

When a shiver works down my spine, I realize that it’s colder here than it was in Wirra. I’m now regretting not grabbing a long sleeve shirt. A yawn slips from me right when a soldier steps next to me with a checklist in her hand.

She does a double take before going back over the checklist. When she rolls her eyes, I stiffen. This might have been the wrong place to stand after all.

"Go over there and look for Lieutenant Tallmaul,” she orders.

My head turns in the direction she’s pointing, but all I see are more people standing in line. When I don’t move, she raises her voice so everyone around us can hear, “go!”

I go. I don’t know where I’m going, but I go.

Some people’s eyes watch me as I pass them, but no one stops me giving me some confidence that I’m headed in the right direction.

“Get in line soldier!” A booming voice orders.

A plump man with deep set wrinkles on his forehead is yelling at a soldier that is on the verge of tears.

Ahgg. I really hope this isn’t him.

Stepping closer to the group of soldiers that are standing in a line straight across, I address the man that’s now red in the face after yelling. “Hello Sir. Are you by chance Lieutenant Tallmaul?”

He glares at me before roaring, “Who else would I be?”

I open my mouth to say something sarcastic, but then I remember where I am and shut up. After apologizing several times for interrupting him and being late, I stand next to the man that was being yelled at earlier. This close to him, I see the tears that are threatening to spill out. Poor guy must be having a rough day.

When the lieutenant speaks, it’s loud enough for everyone in camp to hear. I’m not sure if he just has a loud voice or what, but I wish he would take it down a few decimals. “I am Lieutenant Tallmaul. Since there are inconsiderate people that chose to join us late, I now have to repeat myself. If you were not listening earlier congratulations, you have another chance. Do not waste it.

“This is Ceto Dere’s pre-deployment camp. Once you are assigned a squadron, you will be moved to your next location. You two,” –he gestures to me and some guy in the middle that looks like he never smiles– “as nobles you will need to register for the teleportation pads for this country.”

Lieutenant Tallmaul glances in my direction and lets out a pained sigh. I want to ask what I possibly did to offend him now, but he just turns and walks away.

After following the lieutenant, we, the noble and I, end up in front of some circular stone structure. Inside the platform making up a smaller circle are black little stones that give off a dim glow.

“Pay attention,” the lieutenant declares making me indeed, pay attention. “Place your family crest against the stone in the middle. Only remove it once the outer stones begin to flash again.”

The other noble takes it upon himself to go first. He steps up to the platform and taps the ring on his pointer finger to the inner stone that has a milky white color. The entire circle shines reminding me of a full moon for an instant before it burns out leaving behind a faint white pulsing glow.

With a satisfied nod, Lieutenant Tallmaul turns to me. “Since you are a child, a guardian is necessary to complete your registration. Who is assigned to your tent?”

“Actually, I’m an adult.” Lieutenant Tallmaul’s gaze burns into me as if I just snapped the last thread of patience he has for me.

“Really, I am.” I raise my left hand to show my insignia.

He unfolds his arms and switches from being angry to just annoyed. “Good, then hold up the insignia to the center of the circle. Your family’s code is in there so you will be able to register.”

My steps are hesitant because, I highly doubt that there’s a family anything on my brand. If this thing only recognizes nobles and royals then all my lies are about to unravel in front of everyone. But refusal is not an option so I can only try.

When my hand touches the white stone and my breath catches. I wait, and…nothing. There’s no glowing, just the rhythmic pulsing of the outer stones. Lieutenant Tallmaul and the others are staring at me as I stand there awkwardly with my hand on the teleportation pad. I want to remove it, but I also don’t want to get yelled at.

Grumbling that I’m wasting precious time, Lieutenant Tallmaul orders me to step off. I comply immediately since I’ve embarrassed myself enough. He walks away before coming back with a necklace. The golden color of the stone belongs to the Divinity of Light; however, unlike the other stones, it doesn’t emit any light.

“Take it,” Lieutenant Tallmaul orders as he passes me the necklace.

Not sure what to do with the necklace, I let it dangle in my hand as I wait for my next set of instructions.

“Put the necklace on and try it again.” Each word out of his mouth is louder than the last.

Once the necklace is around my neck I go through the same process of placing my hand on the white stone and waiting. The stones just keep pulsing. There’s absolutely no glow. Am I doing something wrong?

‘Let me.’

After the voice says this, there’s a tingling sensation that ripples through my finger. It freaks me out since this is the first time the voice has done something to my body.

What did you do?

The voice says nothing; however, the necklace around my neck gets brighter. When it gets to the point where I nearly close my eyes from the blinding light, the stones on the platform finally start to do something.

Warmth runs through my body as the black stones pulse at a chaotic rhythm changing between dozens of different colors. Red, blue, white, gold, silver, pink, black—

The air seems to vibrate unsure of what to do as the colors change faster and faster. And then, everything stops.

The stones change into a dull black color and the space around me settles. I retract my hand and perform a self-check. Other than feeling a bit disoriented from the light show, I’m actually alright.

Nodding my head that the worst possible outcome was avoided and something did in fact happen, I prepared to step away. Then, as if my contentment offended them somehow, every stone disintegrates.

The one on the necklace, the black stones on the platform. Even the white one in the middle. Feeling like I messed up, I face the group behind me only to find that everyone, even the soldiers that are still in formation, are staring at me.

“I think they—”

Before I finish my sentence, something cracks behind me. I don’t have to check to know that it’s the stone platform. I guess that one was just for good measure.