Welcoming Party
As the Company filtered into Errstile, Legionnaires and military-adjacents alike stopped and looked at the procession. People swarming about stopped, and some even waved to the freshly approved Legionnaires providing backup to the fort.
The layout was similar to the camp at Marineford, with a thoroughfare looping all the way around the fort, and connecting the various Squadron’s barracks to the central facilities. However, some differences were immediately noticeable.
Instead of the somewhat cheery and hopeful atmosphere surrounding Marineford, the troops were clearly aware of the war brewing. Anxious nerves were palpable in the air as the new Legionnaires entered the camp. The looks they got mostly consisted of side eyes and knowing stares. It was enough to send a shiver down Logan’s back.
Those weren’t all the differences, as they were greeted with another. Back at Marineford, the Major had been the highest ranking official present, which was not the case at Errstile. The Company had all been informed to stand at the ready for an announcement. Eventually, a man in an entirely too frilly outfit stepped forward to meet the incomers, after playing a short series of notes on a small brass horn.
“Welcome, newly raised Major Frear, and Company. You are now in the presence of his highness, eighth in line to the throne and Lieutenant General of Errstile Fort, his royal majesty Prince Augustus.”
Major Frear fell to a knee, and the troops from Marineford promptly followed her example. Within a couple of seconds the entire Company was down showing their respect. Except, of course for Logan.
He immediately fell to the ground trying to avoid attention, but it was too late. A rather shrill voice called out over the sea of bowed heads.
“You there. The one who was late to show me respect.”
Logan was afraid to raise his head, but he couldn’t avoid peaking up with a single eye open. Unfortunately, he could make out a heavily dressed man extending one finger forwards, pointing directly at Logan.
“Ah heck.”
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Gregor joined the Major in going to greet the Prince in a more private setting, along with the other Captains. Gregor was anxious, not only because he had never even thought about the possibility of meeting a Royal, but also because of his worries over Logan.
He had just told the man to go along with it, when guards had tried to escort him away. Thankfully, Logan had listened, and hadn’t run off, because if he had started teleporting, Gregor doubted anyone could have caught him without injuring Logan.
Instead, the Prince’s guards had taken him away to the sole wooden building in the camp, and Gregor had joined this officer’s meeting.
He didn’t do much while he was there. Gregor and the other Captain stood in the back while the Prince communed with Major Frear, at first admonishing her for the lack of respect among her troops, before moving onto other, more tactically pressing topics. However, once he started talking of such things, it was clear the Prince had no real idea what he was doing.
Gregor was sure that the Prince had received the best tutors available in the Kingdom, but apparently he didn’t have much actual battle experience. He kept going over the numbers of reports, but without illuminating how the formation of the troops was arranged, or their procedures in various situations. In essence, the Prince's tactics clearly lacked any substance, and made their purpose in reinforcing Errstile clear.
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Eventually, they were dismissed. However, as Gregor went to turn to leave, he got singled out by the Prince, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
“Not you. Gregor Greatwood, am I correct? Of course I am. You, my good sir, have someone quite intent on meeting you.” At that he chuckled slightly, in a way that seemed rehearsed to the dot.
“You should be quite honored, it isn’t every day that someone catches the eyes of a Royal. Enjoy the attention while it lasts, mister Hero of Langst Harbor, for it is unlikely to ever happen again.”
With that he turned away, clearly done with the one sided conversation.
“Guards, show him to Amelia’s quarters at once.”
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The guards weren’t particularly gentle as they escorted him over to the wooden building. They had cuffed his hands behind his back immediately, and then grabbed him roughly. At least they had allowed Logan to bring Remy with him though, and the two were now being pushed through the building’s entrance, with Remy riding Logan’s right shoulder. Inside, it was clearly some sort of intelligence hub, but Logan wasn’t given a very good glimpse.
Instead, the two goons immediately manhandled him down a set of stairs into a damp and dark basement. The steps were uneven and rickety, and Logan almost fell twice during his forced descent.
Those stars led out into a room that was clearly both a prison, and much larger than the building above ground. A series of five cells ringed the outside of the damp room, with reinforced dirt walls beyond the other side of the cells’ bars. Logan could see that two of them were already filled, as the guards directed him to an open cell.
Then they just left, leaving Logan alone with Remy, and the other prisoners.
-Why are we here, Logan? We ok?-
Yeah bud, we are gonna be just fine. Don’t worry your cute little head about it, we could always teleport right out if we had to, right?
-Yeah! Let’s do it!-
No Remy! Let’s… let’s just wait a while, and relax here for a bit. You’re tired too after that long march here, so let's just chill out for a while.
-Ok!-
Rubbing the Rizzel’s head, Logan looked around at his surroundings more intensely. Although the walls were dirt in his cell, Logan quickly realized that digging out would be impossible, or extremely difficult, as you couldn’t dig your way back into the room. Wooden beams supported the walls where the cells met, so any prospective escapee would have to dig all the way to the surface to get out of their cell.
Which would leave them still in the center of camp, with an obvious hole leading to their cell. Not a great method of escape, Logan decided. Apparently, he wasn’t alone in that judgment.
“You won’t escape through the dirt, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” Another prisoner said to Logan, stealing his attention.
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Amar was worried for her friends at this point. Earlier, Logan had been taken off by the Prince’s guards, and now Gregor had yet to come back from the officer’s meeting. She hoped that he hadn’t tried to stand up for Logan, because she doubted that would go well for the young Captain.
The Prince had not impressed her either, rather spoiling her impression of Royals. He had appeared exactly how she imagined an ordinary person with much too much power would act, and without any of the grace or nobility she had envisioned. It was disappointing, to say the least.
Amar had gone back with the Company, and eventually just the Greatwood Squadron, where they were assigned their barracks. Without Gregor to direct them, the Squadron just got themselves situated, then started to just relax around the barracks. Amar was tempted to join them, but her worry made her feet start moving automatically.
She didn’t know where either of her friends were, but Amar knew someone who probably. It took her a while, but she eventually found Major Frear, commanding a group of workers unloading the supplies the Company traveled with.
Approaching the woman, Amar started to speak.
“Hello Major, I was wondering if you knew what happened to Gregor and Logan.”
“Ah, Private Amar, yes, I do happen to know where they are. I’m sure you saw Logan being taken away, no doubt he’s holed up in a detention cell, before inevitably being released.”
Amar let out a sigh of breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.
“And Gregor… Well, he seems to have caught someone’s eyes, although I’m not quite sure whose. Lieutenant General Augustus kept him after the officer’s meeting, saying someone wanted to meet the ‘Hero of Langst Harbor’. Not quite sure where that nickname came from, but whatever.”
“Oh, thank you, Major.”
“Anything else I can do for you Private, or can I get back to work?”
Sensing the dismissal in the Major’s tone, Amar saluted and responded with, “No ma’am, thank you for your time Major.”
With a curt nod, Major Frear dismissed Amar, and she began to wander back towards her Squadron’s barracks. She now knew where her friends were, but she couldn’t help but try and imagine what they were doing…