A new day came, waking to the feelings of my weak body yelling at me from the activities of the day before. And yet I somehow found the power to start moving, stretching my body out as those same tired muscles spasmed with my stretching, and oddly I felt refreshed. Like the straining activities the day before had lit a fire inside of me, one created by the words of the settlement commander. Me? Able to become a warrior? "Yea right, he seems like a great guy but a bit delusional.", it was such a unbelievable concept that I could have laughed. And I would have if it wasn't for the motion out of the corner of my eye, something moving.
It was a girl, she looked a little taller then me with shoulder length black hair. Though, it's all I could make out of her before she walked out the door. So it seemed my roommate was a girl, one who looked better fit to be a warrior then I ever could. "Well, Mr. Wayne said he'd take me to the boss. But never gave me a time, so maybe I have time for breakfast.", And with the encouragement of warm food, I forced my body to stand holding onto the side of the wall. Perhaps I had overdone it, just a little bit.
And as I made it out the door, I was once more blinded by the sunlight over head. Though this time it took far less time for my eyes to adapt to the sunlight, as I was able to get a much better look at the settlement around me. It was bustling with people, who all walked with a sense of purpose and the fact it was like that spoke volumes to me. A place where people were able to move around with a sense of confidence, and not ran by fear. Though at the same time it made me slightly nervous, like I was constantly in the way trying to make my way through the people to get to the cafeteria.
Though I must have stuck out like a sore thumb as it didn't take long for someone to approach me, though it was weird that I had heard their speech before their footsteps. "You're new around here.", it wasn't a question, instead it was an observation my guess having been correct on standing out. "I am, I guess it stands out pretty well-", though I was cut short as I recognized who this was. It was the same girl from before, with the same shoulder length black hair, taller frame, and now that I could see their face I noticed their eyes. A piercing blue, so bright it seemed like they could have been glowing.
"You're my roommate right? I only caught a glimpse of you this morning.", I would ask, I felt like I already knew the answer but didn't want to risk being wrong. Though she didn't take long to confirm my suspicions with a nod, "I leave early, get to breakfast early, so I can train early. Like Mr. West used to say, the early bird gets the worm.". I really hadn't ever heard an expression like that, but it seemed true enough, as the girl in front of me already had her food. Though despite this, she still escorted me to the breakfast line to get my food.
And after going through it and getting my meal we sat down at a table, my eyes looking down to the warm food. Eggs, bacon, and toast a rather simple meal, but it was warm. And the first meal I've ate in a long time that was warm, and cooked just for me. It was so good that I could feel tears welling up behind my eyes, and I could have cried in that moment if it wasn't for the approaching figure. A figure who stood out even more then me, though for a different reason.
They had been dressed up in quite an odd outfit, a cowboy hat, red button up Hawaiian shirt, cargo pants, and cowboy boots. And as I went to look at their face the outfit had been topped off with a pair of circular rimmed sunglasses. With an almost silver platinum blonde hair, they seemed to be quite the figure. "Sup, this the newbie you told me about? Mr. Bridal Carry?", what had they been talking about? Though thinking about it now a blush came to my cheeks from embarrassment as I realized I had been carried into my room after passing out. "My name is Joel, and yes I am new here.", I said my tone quiet and a feeling like I wanted to shrink down into a corner and just stop existing for awhile.
"Don't be too harsh on him Sam, we all remember your entrance into the camp." Kayti chimed in, mockingly to the other figure. The two laughing with each other I soon came to a realization, these two were friends and really close ones at that. "That may be true, but at least my parents could spell my name right Kayti.", they seemed quick witted able to pull out a response in mere moments to anything that came their way. As I listened to these two go back and forth for a bit, Kayti cleared her throat and looked back to me.
And upon hearing the two go quiet and stare at me, I didn't know who to keep my eyes on at first. But eventually stared back at Kayti as she began talking in a more serious tone, "Mr. Wayne told us about you, Camp Obsidian huh? Heard the place is a shit show, can't say this place is much better though.". What was she talking about? This place seemed amazing compared to Obsidian, but to be called a shit show it did make me wonder what I was missing from the equation. "What do you mean? Compared to Obsidian, Ignis seems like heaven.".
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I was only met with the two figures giving each other a grim glance, before Sam took over for Kayti. "Well, regardless Mr. BC. Me and dyslexia here are gonna take good care of you.", it was nice to know at the very least that I had people backing me. Even if the two were constantly in a state of playful banter, it was refreshing to have friends after so long. And it helped give me some confidence in myself, and just as I was getting comfortable with it a horn went off outside as Kayti rolled her eyes. "Welp, time to get to work. Meet us back here at lunch, and remember. It's best to get here early."
With the rushing crowd to the doors, I did my best to be up close to the front. But with all the people, it quickly became a fight to just stay upright but with my body having been pushed so far yesterday I could quickly feel myself losing. That was until the word would spin around me, as I was plucked straight out of the crowd by a pair of strong arms, as a towering man held me the crowd parting for him. "Mr. Wayne?", it had been one of the commanders of the camp, though I shouldn't be surprised he had said that he would be coming to collect me yesterday.
"You sound like you weren't expecting me, I told you we had to go meet the boss.", he said letting out a tiny laugh as we headed to another large building. Though this building was much more odd, it had a smell to it one I hadn't smelt before. It smelled of apple and something else, something that I couldn't put my finger on. "Mr. Wayne, what's that smell?", and as soon as I asked Mr. Wayne had been quick to respond to me. "Some kind of Applewood candle, don't tell me you've never smelt a candle.", I just replied with a shake of my head as we paused in front of a door.
Looking towards it, Wayne put his hand on my back and gave me a gentle push. It was all I needed, as I headed inside and looked at a man standing over his desk looking down at various papers. A chill going down my spine as his head moved to look back at me, his body turning and leaning against the desk his hand steadying himself on either side of him. His voice was cold and calculated, as if he was reciting some kind of plan. "Joel, from Camp Obsidian. I hope Wayne didn't wear you out too much, he has a habit.", he took a slight pause between thoughts as he would look off to the corner of the room behind me.
"I have a test of my own I'd like to run you through, to see if you're special like I think you are.", he raised a hand gesturing someone out from the corner. Emerging from it was Sam, their arms crossed as a disinterested look was on their face obviously not wanting to be here. "He-, sorry. They will be testing you to prove my suspicions.", and so as Sam turned to face me I looked back at him. My hands coming up protecting my chin as my body shifted into the fighting style taught in Obsidian to the soldiers.
And yet again, it was proven to be useless here. As I could feel my brain being melted, a sensation so weird and so foreign that my body didn't know how to handle it. And as my body remained standing, I fell into unconsciousness due to a fight again. It was like my brain had been overloaded in an instant, and had caused my body to shut down. Reality itself seemed to fade away as I awoke somewhere else.
I was back at Obsidian, in a puddle of mud. My own blood coating my face, and yet there wasn't any pain that I could feel. As I stood up to walk around the camp, though it was completely empty. Barren of people, and weathered down from time more then it already had been. And despite the lack of people, I could hear voices speaking. "What just happened Sam?", I looked around frantically trying to find the origin of the voice. "I don't know, I've never seen that happen." came the voice of Sam next.
And as I turned around looking down at the puddle I looked into it, but what it reflected was me and yet it wasn't. I was a mismatched combination of three people, Sam, the leader, and myself. And then came a 4th being, though it seemed different unlike the 3 mouths theirs didn't at all. "I hope Sam is going easy on the poor lad. Unlike himself, Joel has a weak body but an amazing willpower..he shouldn't have been able to beat that course yet he forced himself to.", what was I hearing?
Though things fell silent as only my own eyes looked back at me, though what I saw down in that puddle scared me more then anything else that had already happened. It was still me, more me then I was before. And yet I had eyes so full of anger and hatred, that I couldn't help but to recoil backwards. And as I fell backwards, my eyes shot open looking up at the ceiling of the leader's office. A splitting pain going through my head, one of the worst migraines I had ever felt.
"He doesn't stay down for long, does he Sam?", no answer came. And after a moment of awkward silence the boss began speaking again, "Welcome to Settlement Ignis, Joel. You can call me Mr. Vinwell." his hand outstretched down to me, as I took it once more blinded by sunlight though this time it being reflected off of the man's head and glasses. I was starting to get really tired of the sun, though it was far less effective in blinding me this time around. "Sam please escort Joel here to the bunker, it should be around that time now.", and with a nod Sam put his arm around me helping me through the doors.
After a little distance was gained, Sam started talking again. "Well BC, not sure why you decided to take a fall I didn't even pay you to rig it.", thinking back on it how had they beaten me so quickly without even moving? They hadn't even gotten into a fighting stance either, one minute I was standing and the next I was in that odd dream. "I'm not sure what happened, maybe it's from over-exertion?", though I never got an answer. Not even a quirky remark this time.
Deciding not to press them on the matter or ask why they had been specifically chosen to go against me of all people, and as I was left to my thoughts. We entered a dark bunker, my sight being taken from me from the lack of any lights.