It had been almost two months since they took over an abandoned tower just where the mountainous terrain of Cithroam stopped, just about where the nation of Hasgart ended, as the winter crept in and the landscape slowly begun to turn white Leif asked questions about Hasgart, Bowen was from there and had a lot of stories about his difficult beginnings, Hasgart is a nation covered in snow for almost half the year, a land of warriors and conquerors as he stated.
Bowen: [In Hasgart you dont eat if csnt fight for your food.]
Leif: [Even the women?]
Bowen chuckled at the boy.
Bowen: [Especially the women. What's the point of a woman if shes not strong enough to birth a healthy child?]
The tall blonde man told him of war Hasgart had been waging on Pallaccia for last hundreds of years, no matter how much territory they take, how many warriors they kill or how much food they destroy, the Hasgartians seem to not care, they keep on fighting, and when they cant fight they retreat even deeper into their gelid and mountainous territory, to the point where growing food would be a huge challenge.
The army had build a makeshift fortress around the tower, stacking solid blocks and rocks around and making the rest of the wall out of wood, sadly even when making huts and litting fires the men seemed to stack themselves with pelts and furs to stop the cold, thankfully Leif was allowed to share a hut with Bowen, Brott and Hilt, by the side of the tower in wich the commander stayed in, the tower had two floors, the bigger first floor, where they kept their provisions and other stock, and the smaller top one where the commander lived and where they held their meetings.
This was hard for Leif, he didnt like the winter, the snow made him sick and cold didnt help in the slightest, the location of the castle wasnt the best aswell, most of the times it was almost 20 minutes to reach the closest patch of forest, Leif didnt like stayinf away from the forest, if he didnt sleep next to a tree for more then a week hed start having dreams, dreams about roots and dirt.
The boy woke up, it was dark out still, he got up, putting on his boots as he got up, he took his pelt cover as he walked out of the hut, he liked watching the moon out despite how chilling the night felt as he walked away from the makeshift walls, his boots crunching in the small layer of snow beneath his feet, it was then he felt something, watching him, he looked around, but he saw nothing and heard nothing, closing his eyes he tried to feel for the flow, feeling the energy pour out of everything around him, he felt a great warm and raw force pulse around him through the air coming from the northwest, opening his eyws the boy saw him again.
It had been almost 3 months since he last saw the man, last time was during the beggening of the march towards the abandoned castle, Laymen stood there, bare chest with a red leather vest, big leather trousers and big boots, almost as if he couldn't feel the cold winter air.
Leif: [Long time no see...]
Laymen: [Indeed.]
Leif: [Where have you been?]
Laymen: [Pallaccia, although its bothersome a Warlock has a duty to the Academy.]
Leif: [And why did you come back?]
Laymen: [Dont be like that little Leif, after all im still your teacher.]
Leif: [If you have nothing to tell me then im going back.]
Once Leif turned back Laymen's tone seemed to change.
Laymen: [Something bad is happening Leif.]
Leif turned to him.
Laymen: [Dark forces gather south of here, the rebellion seems to be meddling with blasphemous magic, things seem to be growing dangerous as times goes on.]
Leif: [You... wont be able to teach me for some time then?]
Laymen: [Sadly, Leif your talent is great, and i would much enjoy seeing you grow, but my duties as a Walock lie with the interests of the Academy.]
Leif looked down.
Laymen: [Thats why i came here one last time boy, to ask you a simple question.]
The boy looked up once more with interest.
Laymen: [Tell me, Leif, do you wish to study more?]
Leif didnt even have to think for a second.
Leif: [Yes.]
The man smiled at him.
Laymen: [Then tell me, do you wish to study at the Pallaccian Academy of Runic Studies?]
Leif's mind raced with toughts, the Academy was in Pallaccia right? He would go there? He never tought he would end up being a actual fully realized Warlock, but the idea was too tempting, soecially since he would finally stop needing to fight in the wars.
Leif: [Yes..]
Laymen semmed to be proud of his choice, the man closed his eyes, extending his right arm to the side.
Laymen: [[Sómmus.]]
Energy seemed to gather around his hand, a blue glow brighter then the moons light, materialize slowly into an object, a long, thin and twisted staff, it seemed to be made out of a strange metal, or atleast clothes in it, radiating blue and black with a small shining blue rock on the tip, he held the staff and it gowed with force, magic semmed to flow around, leaving their runes in the air, the man wrote on the air using the tip of his staff, a series of runes floated into the air.
Laymen: [[Tellá Irb Pallaccia, Yhé.]]
The energy seemed to solidify around him, growing thicker and stronger, all until it shot up into the sky, throigh the clouds, flying with extreme speed towards the West.
Leif: [What... what was that rune?]
Laymen: [A message, to Pallaccia.]
Leif: [You told them i accepted?]
Laymen: [Indeed, now, little Leif, you should go rest.]
And so he did, he didnt see where Laymen went, he simply went to his cabin, he was sleepier then he tought he was, in the morning Bowen and Brott where already gone but sitting calmly outside of the hut, chipping away at a piece of woods with a knife was Hilt.
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Hilt: [Mornin..]
Leif: [Hey.]
Hilt: [Leif, tell me, that one tall bald guy is your master am i right?]
Leif: [You know Laymen?]
Hilt: [Well i saw him earlier today, hes a Warlock huh?]
Leif: [Uh... Yeah, what was he doing here earlier?]
Hilt: [I dont know exactly what but he was talking to the commander.]
Leif was a bit confused, what exactly does Laymen has to do with the commander? He never tought the two them had ever really talked.
Hilt: [Hey, Leif, you think i got what it takes to be a Warlock?]
Leif: [Why?]
Hilt: [I dont know, maybe i should find myself a master like you did... I bet in a year or so id be a better Warlock then you.]
Leif chuckled.
Leif: [Not in a century.]
The boys heard a few heavy steps coming towards them.
Brott: [Boy, the commander wants you.]
The two of them looked at eachother and Hilt smiled.
Hilt: [Boy means you dummy.]
Brott follwed the man into the tower, thick walls made out of stone, inside was warm, the first floor filled to the brim with boxes and sacks, the two of them walked throught them to reach the stairs, walking up and knocking on the door.
Geralt: [Brott?]
Brott: [Yes.]
Geralt: [Good, come in.]
When Brott opened the door the commander was sitting, writting something down on his desk.
Geralt: [Leif.]
Leif: [Yeah?]
Geralt: [Youre going to New Pallac.]
Leif: [Huh.. me?]
Geralt: [Indeed you.]
Leif: [Only me? You want me to walk there?]
The commander sighed.
Geralt: [No, you'll be hanving company, they are already on their way, what i want to tell you is... from now on youll not be under my command any longer.]
Leif: [W-why?]
Geralt: [Technically, boy, youre my soldier, a commander has no need for a soldier who is thousands of kilometers away.]
Leif: [But.. what am i gonna do..?]
Geralt: [Relax, youll be under the orders of a different commander, the conpany coming this way are her liutenant and assistant.]
Leif: [A new one?]
Geralt: [Her name is Allera Maelstrom, a strong woman, we fought together in many war across the years, she said she was contacted by the Academy and they asked her to offer you a hand, consider yourself lucky.]
Leif stood there in silence for a second, thinking.
Leif: [And when is this conpany getting here?]
Geralt: [Id say a bit more then a week, specially since Allera herself was already in Cithii.]
Leif: [I see, well great then.]
Geralt: [Good, that was everything soldier, dismissed.]
Leif and Brott turned to leave but just before walking out he stoped.
Leif: [Thank you for everything commander.]
Geralt: [You were a good soldier, Leif, dismissed.]
The boy followed Brott outside of the tower.
Brott: [You did well boy, the commander is proud of you.]
Leif looked up at him.
Leif: [You think so?]
Brott: [The commander had a child before you.]
Brott sat down on the chair Hilt had been sat before.
Brott: [A boy, and a wife, hes a noble man froma good family, but when i met him they where already dead by long, he never talks about them.]
Leif sat by his side, trying to imagine the commanders wife and his son.
Brott: [Hes very proud of you, when your master came around to relay the massage from the Academy he was very exited... in his own way, he thinks youll be a grea man one day, boy.]
Leif spent the next few days around the fort, he eventually came around to helping Hilt with the tasks to keep the fort fixed, despite not needing to, even tho he was a little too confident a times Hilt was good company and a great friend for him, specially since most others around where grown men and Hilt was only a few years older.
One day he woke up, the sun was slowly rising and the snowflakes danced in the morning wind, as Leif waked near the tower to piss he saw something, a few horses and a carriage, slowly coming up, just then the commander walked out of the tower, followed by Bowen and Brott.
Geralt: [Ah, Leif, youre awake.]
Leif: [Are those them?]
Geralt: [Probably, one the guards just told me.]
The four of them got up on their horses and made their way down the hill they where in towards the caravan, the soldiers on the fort came around just to be safe.
Geralt: [Halt! I am General Geralt Perswort, state your purpose.]
The caravan went silent for a second, no one spoke a word, then the door of the carriage was kicked open by someone, oit of it stumbled a young man dressed with a fine green overall, leather pants and fancy leather boots, he had short brown hair, a stubble of beard and looked weirdly like the commander.
Geralt: [For the sake of-]
???: [BROTHER!!!]
The young man screamed out, stumbling around towards the commander.
???: [Oh my dear, dear brother, how have i missed you!]
Geralt jumped off his horse and the man hugged him.
Geralt: [Are you drunk Gregory?]
Gregory: [No! Absolutely not! What...]
The man stumbed away and vomited on the snow.
Gregory: [Preposterous thought brother!]
He said as he wiped his mouth.
???: [I apologize for Sr.Persworth, i shouldnt have allowed him to take his canteen with him for this trip.]
Said a young woman who stepped out of the carriage aswell, she was tall for a girl, about Leif's age, maybe a little older, long, strainght and lucious black hair with thin and sharp shaped blue eyes the likes of wich Leif had never seen before, maybe they looked a bit like Rigge's but he was almost sure Rigge's where actually closed.
Gregory: [Inconceivable lady Katlyn! I am NOT a man that is easily swayed by alcohol!]
He said with vomit still on the corners of his mouth.