Alchfrid nodded.
“Unfortunately, we keep forgetting to put a new map on the wall. But since we snatched our last military map from a patrol ship more than half a year ago, they are definitely outdated as well.”
“Wait, but how would it even work? Do you have a Magical air connection, or something?”
Alchfrid shook his head.
“Why would we need such a thing? This map is just a sheet of paper, Joe. Real military map is, in fact, a huge and heavy black box with the size of nine coffins put together, hidden inside the ship itself. We are using the old one, which we looted from a patrol three years ago. Jackal was putting in another map, he should be done already. We stole it just last month.”
Joseph nodded. They could use some updates on that front, without a doubt.
Theo stood up from the seat.
“Hey, junior.” He grinned. ”I like your honest enthusiasm. Let’s try this again.”
Captain put his hand up.
“Joe, don’t forget that Xander is waiting for you as well. Theo will help you there, but I need a break, so it is my time to leave.”
“Thank you, Captain, for giving me some of your time.”
Alchfrid nodded, turned around and left the room, going down the stairs in the back.
Joe turned around, only to see Theo wiping nonexistent tears from his face.
“That was so sweet! I can’t believe that old man has found himself a son, after all this time!”
“What?! He is not my father!!”
The helmsman grinned with sparkling eyes.
“You are the first person I’ve ever seen, who managed to get him to share his precious always-filled-time with others. That’s a no small feat, junior. And don’t blush on me here, you have a long night ahead! Grab that wheel, and be ready to listen to my every command! Sharp right, thirty degrees!”
*****
Marvelous job, student! You received a passing grade in my book!
Theo gave him one too, after almost an hour of flying around in circles. Joe even got to tilt the ship and learn what the middle line was meant to be. In hindsight, it should have been pretty obvious from the beginning.
Xander was his next stop.
The Hold was warm and welcoming. The quartermaster was sitting on the edge of the bath, made out of black marble. He was concentrated on Henry’s Medal. His finger slid on the carved image of a soldier, holding his rifle above the head in one hand, with a bouquet of flowers in another.
“’We come in peace…’ seen that statement before. Usually it ends with a country in ruins.”
Xander flinched, startled by the sudden intrusion.
“Joe…” He glanced at the Medal. “You are correct. It almost did, once.”
“The Revolt, right? What happened back then?”
The rhevalian kept staring at the Medal for a while, before sighing and putting it away.
“Some things are better left buried… If you wish to know, then the history is your answer.”
“But what does it mean to you, personally?”
The frown on Xander’s face had all the answers Joe needed.
“You wanted to train, didn’t you? Then cut the chatter, and put your armor away.”
After Joe tossed his arm guard to the side, the dragoncat was already staying in the fighting stance, since he removed his own protection much quicker. Xander nodded, seeing Joe doing small exercises to warm up his muscles, and cracked his knuckles.
“Alchfrid told me that you have some experience. Show it on me. Don’t hold back, just do it. Right into my chest.”
Joe shook his head. He wasn’t sure, if it would be a good idea, but Xander had his usual stone-cold serious expression, and nothing beyond it.
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“Well, here goes nothing…”
He pushed forward with his leg, targeting the spot behind Xander. He extended his shoulder forward; his fist blazed through the air and crashed full force into the dragoncat’s solar plexus.
Xander flinched, but remained standing. His face frowned for a second, before returning a mask back.
“...Passable. Now, do a series of punches.”
Seeing him still standing from a direct hit made Joseph’s confidence sink down. He looked at Xander, straightened his shoulders and focused.
He jabbed Xander chest, punched it with his right and threw his body forward, finishing with his left, when dragoncat redirected it away with his right hand, grabbed Joe’s left arm and swept the left leg with his own in one swift motion.
The floor crashed into Joseph’s back. His vision blackened for a moment.
“Sorry, Joseph…” He heard a low distant voice. “I didn’t really mean to throw you like that…”
Joe grunted, waiting for the pain to calm down.
“Something soft wouldn’t hurt…”
Xander chuckled.
“I wouldn’t mind making it less dangerous, but I barely have enough time as it is. Besides, it’s much better to get used to the injuries now, while you are still in the safe place.”
The logic was sound. Just as sound, as the pain that was screaming at him right now.
Thankfully, the Inner State was doing its job properly, so it didn’t take long before Joe could stand again.
“Kicks, Joseph. Throwing hands is good, but more often than not, you will be holding a weapon in them.”
The image of the privateer, flying away like a ball, emerged from within his memory. Joe chuckled.
“Right. We are not going for chivalrous fighting rules, of course.”
Xander nodded.
“Never. Unless you participate in Knight Tournament, but I highly doubt that you have will become one. Such live doesn’t suit you. Now, try to kick me.”
Joseph did just that. Xander pushed back with his own leg, causing Joe to flail around, frantically trying to keep his balance.
“Hm, that’s no good… seems like you need some practice on this side too. You know what, I’ve changed my mind. Let’s work on chokes and defense first.”
“Chokes?”
His teacher nodded.
“Of course. One of the best ways to get the schmuck out of the way is to choke him out, when he has no idea about you. I will show you the best of them…”
Joe put his hands in front of Xander.
“Just a second. What are we going to do today, anyway?”
He shuddered at the sight of the dragoncat’s gleeful grin.
“Chokes, kicks, defense, knives, guns, swords, throws-”
“Knives?! Guns?!!!”
Xander’s gaze was calm. His genuine encouraging smile wasn’t helping Joe one bit.
“Oh, absolutely. We are covering all the basics today. We are going to be here all night. You and me alone…”
…
…
Somebody, help!!!
*****
“Joseph.”
“Yeah…”
“Joe, get up. You can do it…”
He grunted. His body would not let him move that easily.
Xander sheepishly smiled.
“Maybe it’s the best we can do for today…”
Joe waved his arm from the floor. Or tried to. He felt like a truck fell down on him, drove his neck over, fell again, and rolled on his remains a hundred times.
Xander wasn’t lying one bit. He was as straightforward as they come, demonstrating techniques himself, then telling Joseph to do the same. In the case of throws and chokes, however, Joseph himself was a punching bag. His sadistic teacher had absolutely no mercy.
At least, the weapons were fake. The quartermaster brought some wooden knives and swords along with a couple of unloaded pistols and rifles. Joseph would be glad to appreciate his commitment to the task… if only he could move a muscle.
“Hold on… a bit… I am fine…”
No, you are not, soldier! Even I am not that brutal, you know…
Good to know. Good to know. Ow…
He finally managed to sit up straight after several minutes of wallowing on the floor.
“How do you feel?”
“Like if Archrhyder just chewed me and spit away…”
Xander scratched his head.
“I might have gotten a bit heated… Have you remembered anything?”
Joseph did. He remembered how he managed to hold Xander in a choke for a little bit, before he got an elbow to the side, with his ribs almost cracking. He remembered when he successfully disarmed him, wrestling the knife away, and later, a pistol. He remembered a successful kick to the groin, which his teacher took like a champion he was. And finally, he remembered how he was flying all over the damn Hold, landing on the metal floor, crashing into crates, drowning in the pile of vases...
“Yeah… I think I got some stuff… Just let me shake my memory jar…”
He slowly pulled himself up, leaning on the nearest crate. Xander was looking away, not daring to meet his gaze. It was a small victory for Joe, sure, but it didn’t make his body feel any better.
“Maybe… We should take a break… yeah…”
He fell back down and didn’t even feel the impact. Xander nodded, and sit down with him.
“I am sorry. Really, I… I tend to lose myself…”
Joe nodded, wincing from the pain in his ringing head.
He opened the flask to drink some water. Xander followed his example. Then the quartermaster pulled out a watch.
“It’s morning already… we have been at it for several hours. You did good, Joseph. Better than I expected. Throws and kicks are still lacking, but you got the rest down pretty quickly.”
“Thanks… how long until our place?…”
“Eleven hours, or even more. Tearing did us dirty.”
Joe turned his head to his 'teacher'.
“What did it do?”
“It threw us off the course. Tearings are dangerous beyond just damaging the ship. You see, they can distort the space and time within and around itself… and we were lucky, that it didn’t happen. When your ship in the Tearing, Compass doesn’t work, which means you can emerge anywhere in the Threshold.”
Joseph slowly nodded.
“Oh, that’s why. I see, we got lost and stumbled upon another island.”
“Exactly. The Fate was on our side this time.”
Joseph leaned back on the crate. His muscles were aching quite actively still, but his vision returned to normal. The head was no longer ringing. His curiosity rose up from the depths again, but he didn’t want to break his promise to Ralf. So instead, he went for more urgent matters.
“What are you going to do, when Alchfrid leaves?”
Xander crossed his arms on the chest. His eyes were looking into the floor, as if trying to find an answer somewhere below.
“No idea… I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
You are the next captain, and you are not thinking ahead?! What kind of quartermaster are you then, a bouncer-secretary?!
Joseph quietly sighed, and got up from the floor. He had eleven hours ahead, and he was up throughout the whole night.
“Thank you for your lesson, professor. If we have some time, I am going to take a break.”
Xander looked at him awkwardly at the mention of ‘professor’, but waved his hand, sending him ahead.
“Of course.”
“You are not going to?”
The dragoncat looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“To do what?”
“Sleep? I thought it was a normal activity, no?”
Joe heard a quiet laugh.
“It is indeed… I have my own duties to fulfill.”
“After the entire night of action?! Are you nuts?!”
He didn’t mean to shout. The words burst out by themselves, as Joe was completely stunned by such unreasonable dedication to work. A toxic one, he added in his head.
Xander sat there for a while, looking at him, eyes wide. Joseph had no idea, what he was thinking at this moment.
“I mean… wouldn’t it be much better, if you get a healthy night… morning of sleep, and get back to work fresh and proper?”
That was just common sense, right? Right?
This workaholic on the floor smirked.
“What, you worried about me?”
No, he wasn’t! He said that just because this kitty was being a complete idiot!
“Is this a forbidden quality on this ship now, being worried about crew health?”
“Quality?” He chuckled. “I thought they were just some basic good manners.”
“Well then, as the future captain of this vessel, quartermaster Xander Knight, you should be resting right now, so when the time comes for all of us to rely on you, you were in perfect Body, Mind, and Spirit. Does that sound like ‘good manners’ to you?”
“You are pulling the ‘responsibility’ card on me now, Joseph?”
“Yep. Exactly what I’m doing.”
The stubborn cat shook his head. Joseph heard a long sigh.
“...You’ve made a convincing argument. Don’t worry about me. I will wrap up some tasks, and will hit a bed shortly.”
“I sure hope you do… have a good night, quartermaster.”
He received a nod as the answer. Joseph turned around, grabbed his inventory and left the Hold.