Rane woke with the chirping of morning insects. Why did some people refer to them as singing? He sat up and rubbed his eyes, memories of his dreams floating around vaguely in his head before fluttering away. He may have seen Bask’s face again. He most definitely dreamed of his deployment into the fronts, where he would find that which he sought. He gathered his things, washed his face in the stream, and set back out to camp. It will be a busy week.

Rane entered an already buzzing camp. Recruits were running about everywhere, gathering things, some taking down tents, a few setting up new tents, but everyone seemed to have some assignment to do. Rane decided he would head to the kitchens to grab breakfast before finding out what he should be doing. He would not actively seek work. It could find him itself.

And so it found him as he ate his modest portion of grain gruel that the cooks liked to call porridge.

“Rane!” Puddles yelled from across the cafeteria. “I’ve been looking for you.” He hurriedly made his way over saying as he sat down, “we got our squad assignments… Oh, and by the way, you have to call me ‘Captain’ now.”

There was a flash of jealousy that sparked in his mind, but Rane quickly extinguished it. Puddles was his only friend in this camp of almost 200 recruits. He forced himself to think logically. I am monumentally lucky for this occurrence, and if I’m correct, he deserves this. He wasn’t one of the camp's pinnacle talents, but he had better ambient control than Rane before even starting the training for it, and I already had practice in the forge.

Rane got up from his seat in a rush and placed his left arm in front of himself as if holding a shield, “Yes, Captain Mack!” He yelled loudly enough to draw the attention of the entire cafeteria who were now looking at the two embarrassed recruits, one still stuck in a mocking salute to the other.

“Come on Classient Rane, you’re late for your first squad briefing,” Puddles replied with a sigh. He was looking down at the table, and muttered, “I could probably punish you for this now.”

“What’s that?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it… Until you have to,” his new captain responded cryptically.

“Let’s go,” Rane said. They both hurried out of the cafeteria. At this point the attention had long left them, but neither wanted to linger there longer. Puddles led him through the bustling rows of the tent city where things were being rearranged in the center.

“What’s going on there?” Puddles asked.

“The commanders are coming in tomorrow for deployment commencement. We are part of Auryck 72nd Platoon. They are leaving us in suspense for any more information.”

Rane was not particularly excited, but the ceremonial look of it all, the stage, the podium, and the many unfamiliar banners of noble houses struck him with a grand sense of awe and depth. He would once again see a completely different class of people. They wouldn’t be simply wealthy, like the Kenly’s back in town. Nobility were qualitatively different people, or at least, all Rane had heard of were. And the one he saw as a kid still left its mark on him today.

“This way,” said Puddles, as he disappeared to the right and into a squad tent.

Rane placed his hand on the flap to push, but hesitated. The last time he had faced a tent of his peers, things hadn’t gone well for him. He heard Puddles from inside the tent answer a question he hadn’t heard, but could guess from the answer.

“He was right behind me, maybe he got lost.”

Rane took a breath and pulled the tent flap wide, ducking his head to enter the large canvas structure. There were six pairs of eyes trained on him, but without the intensity of before. These boys weren’t curious about much other than his name. Maybe it would stay that way.

“Anyways,” Puddles began before the silence reached an uncomfortable length, “this is Rane, and yes, if he is to be believed, that is his real name. Now,” he gestured, “introduce yourselves.”

Rane looked to the leftmost recruit first. It seemed he was to be the first to speak up. He had brown hair and was a bit taller than Rane. He looked a bit older too, lacking many of the boyish features shared by many of the other recruits.

“I’m Erick of Auryck,” he said with a quick wave.

The next to introduce themselves was now on the far right. It seemed this introduction had no real order to it.

“I’m Sven of Auryck, good to meet you, Rane.” He flashed a smile that made Rane sure that this one couldn’t have joined to have a better chance with women despite being the shortest present. He had loose blonde hair and features that could almost be described as pretty if his jawline weren’t so pronounced.

Rane nodded in acknowledgement. He was not sure whether he was supposed to say something back to them all individually, but he had already skipped Erick, so he would just wait until the end.

The next was to Sven’s left, a tall, bulky one with deep red hair.

“Mud. Well, that’s what they call me.” He spoke softly, but the depth of his voice could still be heard. He sounded old enough to be one of the tallies, and he didn’t offer his real name.

“Klein of Hardtskirt,” said the next. He had gray hair, but not the gray of the elderly, but a lustrous gray that made Rane wonder if he were finding some way to wash his hair.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Last and least, I’m Aabe of Auryck, and I’ll get this out of the way. I haven’t reached classient yet.”

“Yeah, and I’ll take the explanation,” Erick piped in. “You see, dear Aabe here led a more pampered life than the rest of us. I understand you had a blacksmith apprenticeship. Aabe was being groomed to take over a cushy merchant business before he made his family mad enough to send him off to the military.”

“Idiot. You should have let me trade places,” muttered Klein.

After a short pause, Rane decided it was his turn to speak, “well, as Puddles said before, I’m Rane… of Kelston,” he glanced around to gauge reaction there before continuing. “I look forward to serving with you all.”

“Aright,” said Puddles, his voice now loud with authority. Rane had not heard this from him before. It suited him, though. “We have a lot to get done before tomorrow’s ceremony, so let's get to it. Rane, Klein, go to the kitchens and stock dry rations, Aabe, Erick, go check in with the tallies to report our squad as complete.”

Rane glanced at Klein and nodded. As Puddles continued to give direction, they gathered some bags and set out toward the kitchens. Now that solo training was over, there would always be work to do.

*****

On the following day, they stood at attention in front of the stage. It seemed higher up than it did from afar. The banners seemed to have more color. There was a group of VIPs seated at the back of the stage. High Tally Cloud stood above the recruits, preparing for the opening address. The stoic man seemed nervous. It was the first time any of the recruits gathered had seen this expression, so they could not be sure. Rane looked around. There hadn’t been many times that everyone gathered at once. He estimated that about 200 recruits remained. It was enough to make up four platoons, each with seven squads of seven. As Rane racked his brain doing the calculations for military grouping, he felt High Tally Cloud’s presence flare up. He glanced up just in time to see him open his mouth to emit the booming voice of an officer that they all knew.

“Recruits, Dregs, Classients. Most of you are now the latter. It has been my honor to guide you onto the path you will take to serve the Empire. It will be your honor to continue this path in its service. Regardless of rank, you are now soldiers all, and so I will present your commanders, starting with commander of the Auryck 70th platoon, Jaskil Fyord Ten Warlskill, may ambient surround him always.”

A man stood from the section behind the tally, walking towards the podium. He was taller than High Tally Cloud, and his long, blond hair contrasted the black uniform he wore. Over his uniform was an emerald green sash, likely tying him to his house, though Rane was unfamiliar with the great houses, so he couldn’t be sure.

He opened his mouth to speak, and at the same time, did the same thing as the High Tally did, somehow seizing the ambient to amplify his voice. The difference, however, was palpable. Rane felt as if he’d been grabbed and shaken for a brief moment before he calmed down. As he looked around, he knew he was not the only one. In his stupor, he had missed the first thing Commander Jaskil said.

“And to lead these fine troops, under me will be veteran tallies Atly and Nash. I look forward to serving with you all.”

After Commander Jaskil was Commander Germaine, another from Warlskil. He would lead the 71st. Rane’s eyes drifted along. Ceremonies, he decided, were boring. The only relevant information they would get here would be the introduction of their tallies. Anything else important would likely be reserved for the closing bit. They had to know themselves that the group of young men that they had just proclaimed to be soldiers were not wholely enraptured by the speeches of their new commanders. Well, Rane thought, some people are.

Puddles had not broken his attention a single time. He clearly admired these men. Rane did, too, but it seemed to border worship to give them any more than the respect of silence and attention.

Soon, Commander Germaine was finished with his introductions, and the next commander stepped forward. Rane’s attention was suddenly held. This commander was clearly a woman. She wore a similar black uniform to the rest of them, but in an obviously differently tailored cut. She was slim, and she was shorter than the other commanders, though not by much. It was difficult to judge height from below. She had brown skin, sharp eyes, and tight, black curls that created a short but noticeable afro. She carried the aesthetic of a woman, but still exuded the same aura of superiority as the others. The High Tally announced her as she approached.

“Commander of the Auryck 72nd Platoon, Caeris Teld Wind Auryck.”

Her entrance caused murmurs among the troops. There were no women among the recruits; however, when she gathered her presence to speak, Rane flinched. She was noticeably more impactful on the surrounding ambient than Commander Germaine.

“Greetings, soldiers all, I am the second daughter of Aethulwulf Suroh Thael Auryck. I come to you as a member of the nobility, unknown, and you all can ascertain my age, and yet I stand here, above you all.”

Rane was paying attention, but not feeling particularly inspired. It was as she had said. She was no child, but many would harbor doubts anyways.

“And that is where I belong!” Rane suddenly found himself listening more intently than before.

She continued, “I will have the counsel of veteran tallies Gap and Hertz, your new low and high tallies respectively. I am Caeris Teld Wind Auryck, and by decree of the emperor, I shall lead this us to victory through might and merit alone.”

It had been a brief address, but more impactful than the others by quite a margin. There were several that cheered, but they broke down quickly under stern looks from the tallies present.

The next commander was introduced as Nastael Darkhart, who put on another performance that lacked the luster of the commander of the 72nd. He was an off-putting man. Rane could not really place why the commander made him feel that way, but the slender man stood with the poise of a coiled snake. The reds that embellished his uniform were gradient in quality, as if dyed unevenly in blood. He spoke quietly, but enunciated every syllable in such a way that no words were missed, and no one dared to make a sound.

Finally, the tally spoke again, “High Commander Havertz Aethulwulf Kaid Auryck.”

He walked towards the center stage, carrying himself with an air of confidence that was similar to Commander Jaskil’s, but overshadowed it in maturity. He was putting on no airs, instead letting his presence speak for itself. He had eyes much like his sister who had spoken before him, albeit with darker skin and a larger frame. Everything about him spoke of pragmatism, from his largely unembellished uniform to his shaved head. He reached the center of the platform and surveyed the crowd, waiting for absolute silence before he began.

“Congratulations are in order. You have already been changed from boys to men, and now you will go from recruits to soldiers. Soon you will go from rookies with bright eyes to veterans with worn soles. The Emperor, may ambient surround him always, has ordered that the west be won, and so this regiment will deploy to Kelston, which will be the staging ground for the operation.”