They walked in silence through the the Market of the lower district. Gideon’s anxiety continued to build as the time stretched on. Captain Daniels lead the way, a somber look on his face, a stride that showed determination. Gideon saw street friends and associates as they walked through the city, they sat watching him from the shadows. Most of them worked for the captain, one of his children as the city called us. They would never interfere with official guardsmen business, never try to save him. The gates to the City Guards Barracks for the lower district were just ahead. Gideon caught a wisp of brown hair, and maybe it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn the vibrant blue eyes as well. Then Raya slipped into the shadows and was gone. They were nearly to the barracks of Lower Rime and Gideon was trying to psych himself up to argue his case with the captain.
They passed through the gate leading into the guard compound. Gideon was so lost in thought on how to clear himself, it was a long moment before he realized they had passed the barracks. Why hadn’t they stopped he thought. “Captain, I thought we were going to the barracks? I don’t mind taking a tour of Rime, but my breakfast got cut short and I’d like to give it another try.” Gideon tried to make light of the situation, he hoped the captain would play along. He had no such luck.
“Hush yourself boy, this isn’t a conversation to be had in public.” Captain Daniels shook his head, “I think…never you mind, later boy, just later.” The Captain stuttered. Multiple thoughts spilled out of his mouth at once. Gideon had never seen the captain so rattled, the lines on the captains face stood out and showed his age. Gideon had never noticed them before, the captain was always timeless. When had he aged? Realizing the seriousness of the situation Gideon went from afraid to terrified. How could a day that started so good turn so bad in a short time. They approached a small building in the back of the guard compound. Captain Daniels opened the door and stepped aside. He motioned for Gideon to enter. “Lets go son, it’s time we talked.” Gideon entered the building and the captain followed close behind. He pulled the door shut behind him.
Gideon looked around the small room. There was very little in the room. A small wooden desk and chair were in the corner with a Magitek lamp sitting on top of the desk. A small pallet with a mattress sat in the opposite corner, its blankets were pristine and neatly folded. Gideon continued to look around and noticed there were very few personal items or affects in the room. A mannequin stood in the final corner and served as an armor stand. A set of guard armor hung on the mannequin, clean and polished. “Captain, is this your room?” Gideon asked after noticing a stack of small sacks on a wall shelf. The same sacks that the captain used for the goody bags he handed out to the scamps of lower district.
“Yes son, this is where I live. It’s not much, but it is all I need. What’s important is the privacy in here and the private training yard out back.” He opened the narrow door between the bunk and desk, then presented the area beyond as though it were a prize. Gideon looked out the door and saw another mannequin, this one had strange arms that stuck out at odd angles. The captain followed Gideons eyes and said “It’s a magitek training dummy. As you attack, it absorbs the blows and channels the power of your attacks back in spinning strikes with the arms. It can be pretty tricky and very random. So it simulates fighting an unpredictable opponent. For training purposes, nothing is better than a real fight, but it works.”
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Gideon nodded his head at the captains words. “Captain, but why are we here? I thought I was to be punished, or even jailed. I don’t know what, but not this, not going to your home. Whatever this is, it’s not what I expected?”
“Son, what this is is a celebration,” the captain said, a smile on his face. The stress seemed to wash away from the captain’s face in that one sentence. “I knew you would awaken, I could sense the void in you. I never gave up on you. Never doubted. Today is the first day of your life. The world will be different, a new experience. That is what this is Gideon. We need to get your training started. You are way behind and have a very short time before the Academy’s enrollment. We need to have you ready.”
“What!? I’m not attending the academy. I can’t, I mean I don’t. No I can’t go,” Gideon stuttered.
Captain Daniels laughed, “Calm down son, you can and you will, with my help. I’m going to train you and I’m going to sponsor you. Son, I don’t get a lot of success stories down here in the lower districts. You can’t expect me to not go all in and back you? I need this, your fellow scamps need this. They need to know it is possible. Your story will show them a new narrative. One of a scamp rising from obscurity. It’s a story of real hope my boy!””
“But captain, you heard Blake and the others earlier, I am nothing and worth nothing. Even with an awakening I am not their equal. I can’t change where I come from. I’ll always be a nothing to everyone because that is what the System decided, they will remember where I come from. That I was voidless without a path in life.”
“Boy you can’t be voidless, the void has awakened in you and given you a path. The hardships you suffered were necessary. The path the void is going to direct you down required as much. I don’t know what that path is, but I’m going to make sure you’re ready. I’ve heard enough of this nonsense and self doubt, lets get to work.”
Gideon looked into the captains eyes. For a brief moment he saw something, he saw the System. He thought back to the fight with Blake when the system had awakened his path, presented itself to him. “Thank you Captain Daniels, I see your point. I’ll get stronger so my status as an awakened can’t be denied. I’ll show everyone that scamps aren’t less, that we are just different. I’ll do my best to make you proud.” The captain stared for a long moment. The silence was a tension in the air. That tension was broken by a single tear that ran down the captain’s face.
“I told you to call me…Oh forget it. More important than all that son, have fun and live your best life now. Be whatever it is you want to be. Do whatever it is you have dreamed of doing. The only thing I ask in return is that you set a good example for the other boys. They feel there is nothing in this world for them, we are going to show them the truth. Now let’s get to work,” Captain Daniels said with a sigh.