“Are you out of your damn mind?” Judy’s shout echoed out of the tent where they all sat. “Going to war?”

Kaleb looked as apologetic as he could be. “It’s not that simple.”

“It is,” she said. Her chair wasn’t rocking as usual and she was leaning forward, keeping him fixed with an intense stare. “It’s as simple as looking for an early death when you barely avoided it not a month ago.”

Jane was seated beside him, and she was acting restless. Kaleb imagined she had her own little speech to give. This time, it wasn’t only the three of them though. Mike, Judy’s oldest grandson, was seated in a corner as well.

“It’s different this time,” Kaleb said. “It’s safer, and I’ll even have my own personal guard.”

“War is safe.” Judy stood up and laughed. “I must be going senile.” Her frail form started pacing around. Even when upset, Kaleb had never seen her so physically anxious.

“It can be–”

He was interrupted by A firm, hard shake of Mike’s head. Judy’s grandson was pressing his lips together as if Kaleb had been about to step on a landmine. Judy was still pacing around, shaking her head and muttering angrily.

Jane looked up at him. “You told me you wouldn’t leave again, that we would look for mom.”

“That’s what I’m doing.” He looked back at her, though he couldn’t shake the guilt out of his face. He felt he would be manipulating her with his next words. “The biggest Arrival nearby was in the guild cities. There’s a high chance mom is there.” Though that’s not the only reason I’m going, is it?

She perked up. “Could you take me with you?”

“It’s a mercenary company, Jane,” he said. He could understand how she was feeling, hopeful, reluctant, sad. “They wouldn’t take children to war, and neither would I. I promise you, though, I’ll look for mom, this time for real, and I’ll do everything I can.”

Jane seemed conflicted, and Kaleb looked at her apologetically until Mike gestured with his head for them to talk outside.

They stepped outside and Mike turned on him. “Listen, this whole thing with war…” he paused. “We used to have an uncle back home, before we could remember.”

Realization dawned on Kaleb. “Shit,” he said. “No wonder she’s so angry.”

“Well, you did almost die about a week ago, by your own testimony,” Mike said dryly. “But yea, mentioning war has brought it out of her. You know, dad once told us that she had even become a voracious smoker back then. He’d tell us that the grandma from back then is different from the one we knew growing up.”

“I see.” Kaleb nodded. “I’ll tread carefully.”

Mike nodded. “Yeah.” Then he seemed to remember something, looking taken aback. “You said you’d have your own guard. Did you say that just to reassure them or…”

“No, I will,” Kaleb said.

Mike looked incredulous. “How? I mean, why?” He shook his head, confused. “I don’t know which I mean.”

“It’s because I’m a caster now,” Kaleb said. “My book turned out to be a magic tool of sorts. I guess I should begin explaining that to them.” He’d certainly been avoiding going into detail about his contract, which would sound suspiciously like slavery to any human.

Mike inadvertently gave him an envious look. “Well, congratulations, I guess?”

Kaleb nodded in thanks, then he heard a commotion from the far end of the path going through the tents. “What’s going on?”

“Mr Yang passed away this morning.”

“Huh, I think I remember hearing his name,” Kaleb said. “Never talked to him before.”

“Yea, he kept to himself.”

“Did he live alone?”

“Yea, why?”

“Who gets his tent now?”

“I don’t know. Whoever?”

“What would it take to make it available to someone I know?”

“Still don’t know,” Mike said, looking at him as if he’d suddenly gone crazy. “Judy could help with that though. Speaking of whom, we should probably get back inside before she comes after us with a broom.”

They stepped back inside. Judy had returned to her seat, and Jane was on her feet, looking at the entrance. She sat back down as they came in.

“So, listen,” Kaleb said. “There’s a mage in the company. He helped me figure out my node.”

“Was it magic?” Jane asked, wonder and worry mixing in her features.

“Yes, in a way,” Kaleb said. “The book lets me cast magic I shouldn’t be able to, up to a limit.”

Judy didn’t respond. She was fixing him with a stare that could wither trees. Kaleb went to her, kneeling a little below her level. He held her skinny hands gently. “Casters are always in the backline,” he said softly. “We also have a guard. Mine is a friend. I think I can trust him.” He eyed her face, its tension easing slightly. “They even told me that people rarely ever hurt mages. They’d rather ransom them or even hire them.” Or rather put them in an even worse slave contract, I imagine.

“Unless they have to,” she said. “I know that war never comes with guarantees, Kaleb.”

“I know that too,” Kaleb said. “But I will be as safe as any one of us can be in this world. It hasn’t been exactly a walk in the park for us.”

Judy nodded, relaxing slightly. “Look out for yourself,” she said.

“I will.” He smiled. He got back on his feet and said, “speaking of safety. I was told that slavers sometimes made it this far.” He looked at Jane. “We’ll have to exercise more caution, especially in those little group adventures of yours.”

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Jane nodded vehemently. Kaleb noted that if she was feeling rebellious, she wasn’t showing it. If anything, she looked horrified at the notion.

He turned back to Judy. “Remember the two kid brothers of my friend?” She nodded. “I think it’d be good for them if they could move to Mr. Yang’s former tent.”

She waved it off and nodded. “It’s done.”

“Good, I think it will do them good to stay in contact with you. I hope you can look out for them too.”

“I see you’re giving me multiple assignments,” Judy said, raising a brow on her, now, amused face.

Kaleb chuckled. She was right. He might as well have been her boss with all the things he’d thrown at her. “I know, Judy. Sorry to burden you so much. Jokes aside, you should know I really appreciate it.”

She reached out and patted his hand with a smile. “I do.”

…

The next morning, Kaleb led Jake and Oliver to their new tent. Judy worked fast, and her word carried weight this side of the camp. It hadn’t been difficult to persuade the brothers to come into the fold, as they were still lost and reeling from their brothers’ death. They hadn’t been idle, however. Jake surprised Kaleb with some news.

“How?” Kaleb asked, still finding it hard to believe. Jake had been hired to work in a small library in the city. “I might as well have begged them for a job, and I’m awakened. You’re not even old enough.”

“I think my age is one of the reasons they accepted me,” Jake said. “I also succeeded in proving that I love books. They’re going to train me for a while, I think. The wage won’t be much, but it’s better than nothing.”

Kaleb patted him on the arm. “Yes, it is.” They were standing in front of the brothers’ new tent. A sullen Oliver had entered it already. The kid had taken Mark’s passing the hardest. “Take care, Jake. And listen to Judy.” Even though I don’t, he thought ruefully.

Jake nodded. “Thank you, Kaleb.” He shook his hand.

Next, Kaleb went to his tent, where his belongings were packed. Jane was standing beside them, sullen in her own way, but this time, thankfully, she wasn’t running away before he could say goodbye.

“Are you sure you don’t know how long?” she said as he approached.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really don’t. Months, maybe? Nobody can predict when the war will end, and whether the company will even be hired until it does.”

Jane nodded, resigned. “Do you promise to come back?”

Kaleb was conflicted. Could he make that promise? The chances of things going wrong wasn’t very high, but there were no guarantees, as Judy had put it. “I do,” he said. Hesitating now would only stress her. “And in one piece too. I have the luck of the devil, kiddo.” He mussed her hair.

She pushed his hand away with a half-hearted scowl. “Don’t call me kiddo,” she whined.

“Hey,” he said, a bit of mirth taking his face. “Is that how you say goodbye to your brother?”

He opened his arms, and she ran into them.

After she hugged him, she looked at him pleadingly. “Find mom,” she begged.

“If she’s there, I won’t come back without her,” he said, his intention as serious as his words. “Did you move your things?”

“Yes,” she said. Judy’s three grandsons would move into his and Jane’s tent, and Jane would move in with Judy. The grandmother had suggested this arrangement, and Kaleb found it appropriate under the circumstances. He would be away for a long time, and Jane would need some direct supervision.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaleb carried his luggage towards the entrance of the company’s camp on the hill, which was on the other side of the city. He was recognized by the guards, and one of them led him to the captain’s tent, where he was told to wait.

The captain’s tent wasn’t as luxurious as Master Beris’s from the outside, but it was much bigger, as if it was made for gatherings. Kaleb supposed it made sense. The captain probably met with his lieutenants inside whenever anything of significance was discussed.

He didn’t have to wait long. Yezdriel’s head suddenly popped out of the tent “Come in.”

Kaleb followed him in. Inside, Master Beris was standing to one side of a large table. Across the table from Kaleb, stood a squat quill who was stocky in a way that suggested coiled strength and unpredictable speed. He was wearing a tunic with rolled up sleeves. Kaleb immediately spotted the stars on his forearm, including what he assumed to be a constellation. The seven stars weren’t arranged in a straight line like Yez’s five. They were arranged to form something of a sickle, and each one of them was connected to the one next one with a line that began with the first star and ended with the seventh. Kaleb noted that there were eight ‘free’ stars next to the constellation.

Kaleb nodded a greeting before the silence could get awkward. “Captain Simion,” he said to the captain then he turned to the clayton mage. “Master Beris.” The mage nodded back silently.

“Kaleb,” the captain said, acknowledging him with familiarity rare in first meetings. Yez had told him that the captain had agreed to the proposal and that they’d discuss some details until he came back with his belongings. Though Kaleb hadn’t seen the captain before, he’d been told that the latter had seen him.

“I’ve agreed with Caster Beris on the minutiae of this contract.” The captain pushed a parchment onto the table. “He has told me that you already have an agreement.”

“We do,” Kaleb said.

“Good.” Captain Simion said. He tapped the contract on the table. “Affirm this, if you will.”

Kaleb approached the table and took the parchment in his hands. The written agreement was worded clearly. It stated that he was hired as an apprentice-level caster in the Awakened Company at the wage of six silvers a day, and that he would be paid only eight coppers out of those, while Master Beris would receive the rest. The agreement also mentioned that this rate doubles for every day in combat.

Eight coppers, Kaleb thought. That’s four shy of a silver. Still, that’s only a ninth of what an apprentice-caster gets paid for just being present for a day. It was a ridiculous amount. He doubted all ‘regulars’ were equal in pay either. There must have been those who were paid better than others based on what they brought to the table. Kaleb suspected he was getting the short end of the stick in that department, but he’d already agreed with Master Beris on getting a regular’s pay and they hadn’t talked about a specific amount. Besides, Kaleb wasn’t exactly a veteran. Even though it was regretful that they hadn’t discussed the exact amount, there was nothing to feel bitter about, considering that he wouldn’t be able to get an apprentice’s pay without Master Beris’s runes, but the runes would still be with him even after his time in the company. It was like a one-time payment for a permanent commodity.

The contract mentioned a period that would range from one week up to a year, during which the company would have the right to retain his services or dispense of them the way they see fit, or rather the way the captain sees fit.

The rest of it was details, ranging from rights and duties to punishments for theft and desertion.

Kaleb saw nothing that disturbed him in the agreement. In fact, his pay would be much more than he’d expected. It seemed like the recently shitty wages in Echelon had conditioned him to expect the worst. He remembered that someone with his job at Master Shabti’s shop would have been paid four coppers before humans began learning the language, which was in the range of the middle-class.

Kaleb spat on the designated spot on the parchment as was the norm for confirming an agreement. He then handed it back to the captain who nodded, satisfied, and rolled it up.

“You’ve read what the sanction is for desertion?” the captain said, as if to confirm.

Kaleb nodded gravely. “It’s death.”

“Good,” the captain said. “Because I won’t hesitate to expend time and resources in letting prospective recruits know that I can’t be taken for a fool. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Kaleb said. The meaning was simple. The captain would track him down if he fled, even if it cost more than Kaleb’s worth. It was more about reputation and long-term interest than a single deserter.

The captain nodded in satisfaction. “You’ll have your own tent, and you can share the carriage with Caster Beris and Miryodel during the march.” The captain turned to address Master Beris. “Will he need any items for his casting?”

“None,” Master Beris said.

“Very well,” Captain Simion said. “We depart tomorrow.”

Everyone heard the dismissal in his voice, the three of them leaving the tent together,

“I need to buy some things from the city before we leave,” Master Beris said. He turned to Kaleb. “And you’re coming with me.”