Chapter 3

The training area wasn’t much to look at, it was set out in a rectangle, along the long sides were barracks, simple buildings with beds, communal showers and bathrooms. On the short side pointing out into the wilds of Dragon Falls was the storage buildings. The other side pointing towards the nearest village was a single large building that served as the cafeteria.

Valter walked the training yard in the center. One could pick out the various states of units in a glance. The new ones were still trying to nail down marching, pale faced as their training cadre drilled them closely.

There was a flow a confidence in those further along their training.

Their kit was simple and effective. Spears and slings. Petor had hooted in laughter as they picked out the final weapons, he’d been so excited to add in his training on the weapons.

A bare smile graced Valter’s smile.

“Looks like we’re going to have to break down this group as well,” Galleck said, more resignation than annoyance in his voice as he walked beside Valter. Gavrik the other administrator of the training camp, once a company commander within the Molten Fist was away doing a training rota with the Infernal Marauders and their training administrator Niora.

“How you think that Gavrik and Niora are doing?” Valter asked.

“Its going to be the most complicated part of the training getting everyone ready for the ships and knowing how to not get in the way. I think that it might become its own rotation adding onto this one in the future.”

“Agreed, but we just need people to fill every role right now. Retraining those that are already on the ships is going to be a tricky one. Each group knows a part of the whole and most of them will look down on others that don’t know the same as them, instead of being interested in learning something new.”

Valter glanced over, it was the second day at the training camp for the newest rotation. Each week they added in a new group.

The training staff moved through the rows, throwing people together into pairs. They’d watch over one another throughout the training schedule.

Several were complaining and yelling back at the training staff.

“They’re losing control,” Galeck said.

“Yup, told them that we had to pick out the trainers based on their ability, not just to show an equal split between groups. Tenured professors playing at soldier don’t work well,” Valter grumbled.

“Ricken is getting a handle on things,” Galeck said.

Valter watched it go on, it continued to devolve. Two that were supposed to be paired up were yelling at one another.

“I came to fight, not be paired with a fucking barbarian!” the student yelled.

“I’m a fighter not a baby sitter, don’t even know the right fucking side of a sword! Caster bitch.” The ex-mercenary spat.

“You even know how to write inbred?” The other leveled a finger and sneered.

The mercenary threw a fist.

Valter stepped forward, his molten steps surged as he appeared among them, crossing a dozen meters in just seconds controlling his power tightly he punched the ex-student in the gut and ignited the air infront of the ex-mercenary.

The noise of the detonation snapped heads over to him, falling on silence as he looked at them all and found them wanting.

He grimaced, showing his distaste.

“Here, upon this field and in this program you are trainees, each and every one of you. We do not give a flying fuck where you are from, the skills you had in your past lives. Those are your sins that we are going to fight to clean up.” The two were on the ground nursing where they’d been hit.

“Get the fuck up! Into position side by side by your partner!” His voice rang through them all as he stepped forward.

The trainees moved into their partnerships. The training cadre moved through them all.

“Mm-“ A voice cut off, Valter shifted his path through the rows getting chivvied into place. Galleck was having a quiet word with Ganesh who was supposed to be leading the training staff.

“You are here because the recruiters thought there might be something we could scrape out of you to turn you into a member of the Trinity Armed Forces.

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“We are not here to be your parents. We’re here to turn you into something useful. You care about who you’re partnered with?” His eyes cut through them all there, none trying to meet his eyes. “When you’re on the battlefield, your guts in your damn hands, the person either side of you will be standing over you, protecting you with their lives, putting them on the line so that you may survive!”

He reached one edge of the formation and turned, heading back to the front, the trainers and trainees were silent.

“We are not looking for individuals here, we are looking for partners, we’re looking for teammates. Those that will put down their lives to push the other forward. Right now, you are bunch of individuals.”

He stopped infront of the duo he’d laid down.

“See the two of you will be as close as siblings, closer than many.” He leaned forward, one looked over his head, the other trying to find anywhere else to look.

He glanced down at the new boots everyone was wearing and continued to the front of the formation.

“Sergeant Makowitz!”

“Sir!” The training officer stepped forward coming to attention.

“I see new unconditioned boots, lets get to breaking those in!” He lowered his voice more conversational while still carrying across the formation. “Warrant Ricken and training officer Ganesh a word if you’d please.”

They walked over to him, Galleck staying where he was.

“Make a line two abreast infront of me, stay with your partners!” Makowitz yelled. The trainees rushed to obey, the corporals moving among them to get them sorted out.

“Move out!” Makowitz turned and started jogging, the group surging after him like an accordian, the corporals got those being slow into position.

“Watch the feet of the trainee infront of you, do not step on one anothers boots! Reach out your hands and put it on the shoulder of the trainee infront of you!”

Ricken and Ganesh stepped up to him. Ricken looked like a piece of ground up rock, scarred and marked by a lifetime of fighting and spat out all the harder for it. His skin was shades of grey with black spotting, his eyes glowing with red light.

Ganesh was a petite woman, her hair cut short there was a hardness to her eyes and a tan to her skin of someone that spent their time outside.

“What happened?” Valter asked.

“Prejudices flared and we were slow to lay down the rules for them, verbal turned physical,” Ricken answered.

Valter nodded and turned to Ganesh.

“Should have clamped down on them as soon as they started verbally yelling at one another.”

Valter nodded and let his body relax. “I know that we all come from different backgrounds, I think that will make us stronger. On this training ground we have to be firm. What we teach them here is how they will act upon the battlefield. For that outbreak you’re going to have to make them hate you more than they hate one another. Few people can argue when they’re panting for breath or when they could fall asleep standing up.”

They both nodded.

“I expect great things from you both.” He held their eyes.

“Sir, with them breaking in their new boots their feet are going to be in a bad way,” Ganesh said.

Valter nodded for her to continue.

“Can we break out some healing salves to get their feet repaired for tomorrow?”

“Turn it into a training on first aid,” Ricken added.

Ganesh bobbed her head in agreement.

“I think that would be a great idea.” Valter said.

“Could make them do buddy aid, if they want their feet to get fixed up they best do a good job on the other person,” Ganesh said.

“Good, the more we can make them work together and rely on one another and build that trust and understanding up, the better,” Valter said.

“If you’ll allow us sir?” Ricken indicated to the troops being harassed around the training area.

“Good luck.”

They both tapped their fists to their breasts, Valter returned it before they ran off.

“She’s got the right stuff in her, just needs time to get it out,” Galleck said as he approached.

“Agreed, but we don’t have that sort of time. We should be putting all of the staff through a training rota of their own,” Valter said.

“Have to get a fighting force together as quick as possible. Never know when our neighbors or others might come knocking,” Galleck said. “Honestly I’m surprised with how quickly you were able to come up with a training program and get people in the right places for it.”

“Trained more soldiers than I’d care to count. Was trained up to be a fighter from a young age, my father ran the armed forces of our local lord. All my brothers and even my sister learned how to fight with every weapon we could lay our hands on. We were an auxiliary to the king’s army, one of the few units that they trusted implicitly.” Valter looked over the training area. The descension of Xander had changed all of that. Lords focused on supplying the materials required for war, food, weapons, armor and bodies. The army took over all training, using them as a steel fist to control the population, with those that advanced their cores becoming chosen sworn to the god-king.

He'd spent over a month stabilizing things here.

Everyone knew their roles, it would still be another two months before the first group of trainees graduated. Can’t help but feel I’m spinning my wheels.

He had all of that Dimantium, he’d made plans but didn’t have the time to forge up the party’s gear.

Devin was still out there and Xander rebuilding himself.

His crystal vibrated, he drew it out of his pouch drawing mana from his core and threading it through his channels, hand and the crystal.

“—water plane.” Mya finished saying.

“Valter here.”