Stonework Chapter 1 -Beta-

“What is the one thing that people do that always pisses you off?” Lowering my gloves, I turned to look at my red haired friend, frowning as I take them off, setting them to the side before crossing my arms. “I dunno, Sammy, probably people who ask me stupid questions when I'm trying to get things done.” I snapped. “Come on, Achat,” She said, scowling at me. “You can work on your doll and talk at the same time. It's just so boring watching you work in silence!” “Okay, first off, it's a golem, not a doll.” I said, sighing as I rubbed my eyes as I gestured to the large concrete creature. “Secondly, no one is keeping you here. If you want to leave, then go do something like sharpen your spear or whatever.” “But,” Sammy strolled over to my workbench, poking the side of my head as she whined. “I want to hang out with you!” I sigh in frustration. “Fine.” I resigned as I slapped her hand away. With a twist, I removed the large, dull gemstone in the center of my left handed glove before moving to remove the one on the right. “I don't like people who spit when they say their s’. You give them a tongue twister, and next thing you know you're covered in their gross mouthy liquid.” “Yeah,” Sammy said with a laugh. “That is pretty bad! You're talking about Harper, right?” “Oh god, don't even get me started on that gross mouth breather.” I shook my head as I opened my workbench drawer, taking one of the many shiny emeralds out from within. “What about you?” “Hm.” Sammy tapped a finger against her lip in thought before answering. “I hate people who eat the heel of the bread before the rest of it is gone.” “I do that.” I pointed out as I twisted the emeralds into the gloves before slipping them back onto my hands. “I know and I hate it!” Sammy said, as she leaned against the wall of my workhouse, the cold sheet metal creaking against her weight. “Seriously, save the heels to preserve freshness.” “The bread is going to be gone in a few days anyway.” I said, walking up the small step ladder in front of my golem before stretching my arms out infront of the slumbering stone. With a faint glow of the emeralds, the stone began to shift beneath my hands as I continued to mold the giant. “Only because you eat so much!” Sammy shot back. “Another thing I hate is procrastinating!” “Gee, golly!” I rolled my eyes. “Who in Requiem could you possibly be talking about.” I chuckled to myself as a rock narrowly missed my head, bouncing harmlessly off the golem. “Hey! Careful around the golem! Not all of us are talented with a spear or something! I need this thing intact before we go to the Flat!” The mention of the Flat caused Sammy to frown, her eyes glancing to the side. With a sigh, I once again powered down my gloves, stepping down the ladder to comfort my friend with a pat on her shoulder. “Lose the frown. Yeah, it sucks we got conscripted, but Requiem needs us and every other able bodied person to fight and squash those damn winged Overturans. So buck up!” I gave her my most confident smile before continuing. “We're going to train at the Flat together, and because we enlisted together, we’ll be in the same platoon! With your spear of justice and my awesome golem, we are going to end this war, come home, and have more stupid talks about bread and other such nonsense!” Sammy stared down at me for a good few seconds before breaking into a fit of giggle. “Spear of justice? What are you talking about, you dork!” “I thought it sounded cool!” I grinned. “Yeah, for a twelve year old! You loser! Go back to playing with your doll!” “It's a golem!” --- I spent the next day outside in the field just outside my workshop, testing my golem’s specs. Basic movement was easy enough, my left thumb made it move forward, right thumb backwards. My left pointer finger moved the right leg while my right one controlled its left, and my ring fingers controlled the arms while my pinkies made it turn. Moving my left middle finger made it bend at the waist and my right made it move its head. Clenching my left hand into a fist made it move backwards and the right hand made it run. These were the basic controls I had set up when I crafted this stone behemoth. After testing each of the controls until I was satisfied, I began to test more advanced maneuvers such as controlling both legs to bend with my pointer fingers and making a fist with my left hand to make it bend, before suddenly releasing allowing it to jump into the air. Then I ran it through the motions of fighting, having it punch and kick, as well as practice grappling techniques on a larger rock just atop a grassy knoll. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I nodded with confidence as I powered down the golem. “Hey, Dirt Boy! Heads up!” Turning just in time to see the fist collide into my nose, I fell backwards onto the ground holding my face as I glared up at the dark skinned boy standing over me. “Silver…” I growled as the man put his head back to laugh obnoxiously. Silver Kurtail, same age as me and Sammy, but larger than us both at over six and a half feet. Silver insisted on us being friends since we were younger, though it always seemed that he thought of me as his punching bag. That said he still never intentionally tried to permanently harm me. Little things, I suppose. Unlike Sammy who kept a lean figure, giving her a sense of grace and swiftness in her movements, Silver was bulky and heavy, his muscles showing themselves even beneath his tight, sleeveless shirt. The nickname ‘Dirt Boy’ was a term that Silver coined for me after he tagged along to watch me excavate dirt for the construction of my first ever golem. Apparently getting down and dirty was beneath the ‘Perfect’ Silver. That said, Silver had nicknames for everyone in town. Sammy was Horse Girl, the baker was Bread Dude and so on. Not the smarted “Gotta be faster than that, Dirt Boy,” Silver chuckled, “otherwise you'll get killed by anyone who gets past your doll!” “It's a golem, dammit!” I shout, scrambling off the ground to save some dignity. “What don't you or Scarlet get about that!?” “Calm down, Dirt Boy.” Silver patted my back, nearly knocking me over once more. “I'm only joking. I gotta be honest, the way you control that thing is impressive. Even with how perfect my body is, I don't think I'd have the dexterity to control something like that!” “Wow…” I stare at Silver, genuinely surprised by his praise. Usually, he'd call me a nerd and drag me to do something stupid. “Thank you, Silver.” “What happened to your last one?” Silver asked. “I mean you've had a total of three including this one right?” “Yeah and you broke the first one I ever made because you wanted to wrestle it.” I said with a small chuckle. “Oh, yeah!” Silver cackled. “You had told me that golems are an advanced form of Stonework, but your first one was made of dirt!” “Broke it in an instant.” I said with a solemn nod. “The second one was a clay golem that lasted for a while. Sadly, clay is easily shattered. Sammy got mad at me for something I said and accidentally destroyed the whole thing.” “Ouch.” Silver shook his head before walking over to inspect the stone golem. “This one's the biggest you've ever made right? What is it, eight feet?” “And two inches.” I confirmed, walking next to him to stare up at the golem. “This one is made entirely of stone, with extra reinforcement to keep it steady.” “This one got an emerald core, too?” “Yep. The best I can get around here.” I said, frowning. “I need to time my controls because the emeralds have almost a second of delay and they need to be changed every few days…” “I gotta say, Dirt Boy,” Silver grinned. “You won't be the best fighter at the Flat, but you are definitely the most unique.” “What?” I stared quizzically at Silver. “What is with you? Why are you being so friendly?” With a huff, Silver flopped to the ground, resting his back on the plush grass. “We are going to war, Dirt Boy. Even if I have trained my body to the peak of perfection, there is no guarantee that I won't get shot by an arrow or hit by an artillery cannon, or hit by some weird form of Magika. What I'm trying to say is, I don't want to risk the last thoughts my friends have of me being negative.” I listened in stunned silence. It was rare for Silver to open up to others, so hearing him put a smile on my face as I joined him on the ground to stare at the clouds. “You idiot!” I snickered. “Who said we were friends?” “Very funny, Dirt Boy!” Silver grumbled. “Just see if I protect your sorry ass out there.” We both laugh before spending the next hour staring at the clouds in sobering silence. Silver was right. There was no guarantee that he or I would survive. There were so many things that could go wrong for us, and we'd never really know if our sacrifice for the country would do anything for it. We could only hope for the best that in our last moments that we ended up making some sort of difference. What a bad joke. -- My final week of freedom passed before I knew it and I stood outside the Klenx Train Station, my Golem being carefully loaded aboard the train by a few of the conductors. Admittingly, it felt awkward being away from my stone creation, having nearly spent my entire week perfecting its movements. I was the first of my little group to arrive with Sammy appearing just as my golem disappeared into the freight hold. In one hand, she held a bag more than likely filled with her spare clothing and other such necessities. In her other, she led Mikhailvevo, a large brown horse, behind her, more bags tied to the saddle along with a large bandaged spear. “Achat!” Sammy said, waving with a smile. I waved back only for Mikhailvevo to whine aggressively at me. Sammy slapped the horse with a frown. “Calm down! You know Achat!” The horse simply snorted, leaving me to rub my head nervously. “It's alright. Animals never liked me.” That wasn't even a lie. Cats, dogs, snakes, wyverns and even the nomadic Beastial species hated me. One of the Beastials claimed that it was because of my use of Stonework. “I can see you're all set!” I said as I hoisted my singular bag over my shoulder. “Of course!” Sammy grinned before narrowing her eyes on my bag. “Is… That really all you are taking?” “Well I have a bag of emeralds attached to my golem.” I pointed over to the freight hold to emphasize my words. “I still have my gloves in this bag but I prefer to travel lighter for the most part.” “I'll never get you.” Sammy sighed, shaking her head. “You should really give your golem a name. It kind of gets tiring referring to it as ‘the golem.’” “Like you're one to talk about names. Isn't that right, Mikhailvevo?” The horse only grunted for a reply. “Horse Girl is right, Dirt Boy!” Silver said, sneaking up behind me to slam his large hand atop my head. “You should totally name that thing! Like Jackson or Alfredo.” “You also have a horrible naming sense!” I growled, pushing his hand off. “What about Gunther? Gunther the Golem!” Silver said, chuckling as I shook my head in frustration. Sammy laughed as she lead Mikhailvevo to the animal cart of the train, leaving me alone with Silver. Looking him up and down, I realized he only carried a sheathed blade hung at his hip and a small bag swung over his shoulder. “Is that really all you brought with you?” I asked, pausing for a moment to notice my hypocrisy. Silver laughed, beating his chest with his normal, arrogant smirk. “It's all I need, Dirt Boy! With my perfect body, I don't need any tricks or specialized equipment like you or Horse Girl.” I didn't doubt him, as he defiantly was far stronger than the average person. However, I did not mean my point like that. “How many changes of clothes do you have?” “Huh?” Silver quirked an eyebrow. “All I need's extra underwear, ya dig? After all, whatever I wear is going to get dirty anyway so why waste good clothing.” “You're gross.” I said. “And you two are annoying.” A bored monotone voice said. Turning our heads, we see an older blond man leaning against one of the train station’s support beams. His face was rugged with an untrimmed beard and dirty cloths. “Seriously, a guy can't sleep anywhere anymore.” “And just who are you?” Silver said, crossing his arms. “I'm pretty sure there are laws against vagabonds loitering in public places.” The man let out a gruff chuckle as he grabbed a long, wrapped item next to him using it as leverage to allow him to sit up. I thought it was a spear at first but quickly discarded the notion. The end was far too bulky and short to be a regular polearm. The man stared at Silver, a frown forming beneath his beard. “I'll have you know I'm just waiting for the train to depart soon. Like you, I too was conscripted into this war.” “Really?” Silver laughed in the old man’s face. “A decrepit old man like you is gonna fight? What a joke!” Silver reached out to push the old man. What happened next shocked me. With far more speed and grace than an old man should be capable of, the man slipped under Silver’s arm, using one hand to grab his chest while the other clutched Silver’s extended arm before flipping Silver over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground with a loud thud. Dusting himself off, the old man stepped over Silver and began to walk towards the train. It took me a few seconds to get over my initial shock before running over to check on Silver. “Hey!” I shook him, “Are you okay?” I frowned as I saw Silver staring up at nothing in shock, his voice murmuring random noises in shock. I guess being tossed around like a rag doll was a new experience for him. Sammy soon rejoined us, allowing me to relate the tale of the currently furious Silver, who had moved to sit on a bench to steam. “Haha!” Sammy laughed. “Oh my goodness, that is priceless! Chapter four in Silver’s biography, I can see it now: Perfect Body beaten by old man!” “Shut up!” We spent the next half an hour chatting amongst ourselves, mostly about how much that old man owned Silver. The atmosphere was warm and humerous. You wouldn't have guessed we were on our way to war. I think none of us really wanted to acknowledge it, after all, before the Conscription of King Solim, we all had our own dreams for the future. I had planned on going to school to study under great masters of Stonework and become a Grandmaster upon finishing my studies. Sammy was intent on staying with her family’s farm, while Silver would have taken over his father’s mine. Ultimately we were all conscripted, being able bodied, young and without a career that would assist Requiem during wartime. In other words, we were expendable. The only bright side I saw was that those who entered the military could be trained in any field of warfare they wanted. I marked myself down as a Stonework user, figuring experience on the battlefield would be just as valuable as learning from a classroom. Sammy signed up as a mounted unit, having learned to ride a horse while she was very young. The town guard were more than happy to teach Sammy how to use a spear after she was conscripted, seeing as her father owned the largest of our small towns farm. As for Silver, he couldn't make up his mind and signed up as a ‘soldier.’ He said he'd figure it out later. Turned out the sword he had with him was just a cheap piece of junk he bought so he didn't seem empty handed. “All aboard!” The conductor cried out, tearing our attention from the conversation. “Next stop, the Flat!” Groaning, we rose to our feet, hoisting our carry on bags over our shoulder. Entering the train, we were met with a warm sight. Plush seats, large windows and even doors to small private booths. A handful of people were already in the car. The old man who knocked the piss out of Silver made his way to one of the private booths, closing the door behind him. Another booth was taken up by a rather noble looking man with flowing chestnut hair wearing a colorful tunic. Behind him was a large man wearing full body heavy armor, his head on a swivel as if on the lookout for trouble. Sitting in one of the public seats, two young village girls in cotton clothing chatted away, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. The one with long black hair seemed to glance at us as we entered the train but I thought little of it at the time. “Achat…” Looking over my shoulder, I saw Sammy gesturing her head towards a man who sat alone further up the train. He was a handsome man, long blond hair, blue eyes and delicate features. I was close to accusing Sammy of having a crush until I noticed the feature that caused her to get my attention. On the sides of his head were two pointed ears. Elves. One of the seven sentient species and the only one capable of harnessing the three Magika of Stonework, Bloodwork, and Naturework. They are well known for being arrogant and pompous due to their magical superiority, and are perhaps amongst the most despised species amongst Requ’s like ourselves, at least not including the Overturans. So the main question was what is a pointy ear doing here? I noticed Sammy clenching her fist, leading to me trying to calm her down by putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don't do anything rash, Sammy. For all we know the pointy ear could be a diplomat.” “Or a spy.” Sammy spat under her breath. “If he's a spy,” Silver said as he rested his arm atop my head, much to my annoyance, “He ain't doing a good job at hiding.” Pushing his damned arm off of me once more, I pulled Sammy down to a seat across the aisles from the villager girls. “Silver is right. Just ignore him and if he tries anything we out number him.” At the very least, my words got her to lean back into her seat, though she never removed her glare from the elven man. “Excuse me?” The three of us looked over at the villager girls. The smaller chestnut hair girl had a bright smile on her face. “My friend would like to talk to you.” She gestured to the girl with the long black hair who stared ahead with a bored look on her face. She didn't seem like she wanted to talk to anyone. “Well, well!” Silver said shaking his head with a laugh. “We haven't even left Klenx yet and I already have a fan in awe of my perfect self.” “No, not you.” The girl said, pointing her finger at me. “She wants to talk to you.” “M-me?” I widened my eyes in surprise as Silver seemed to deflate, hanging his shoulders in defeat. I turn my gaze to the black haired girl who remained stairing forward. “You are a Stonework user, correct?” She said suddenly. I narrowed my eyes at her. “It's impolite to ask someone questions when you haven't even introduced yourself.” The girl finally turned her head to me, her gaze piercing through me, sending a cold chill down my back. “My name is Risse Obvelisk.” “I'm Bellemere Lutes!” the other girl exclaimed. “But everyone calls me Belle!” “Achat Robehode.” I said pointing to myself before pointing at my friends. “Silver Kurtail, and she's Sammy.” “No last name?” Bell said. “My last name is Lenodik.” Sammy said with a smile towards the girls. “I just prefer my nickname like you.” “Yeah, cause you're embarrassed by your first name…” Silver muttered before keeling over as Sammy’s fist connected just below his rib cage. “It's a pleasure to meet you all!” Belle said. Nodding to Belle, I turned my attention to Risse. “To answer your question, I do use Stonework. How did you know?” Risse pointed a polished nail at my bag, the ends of my Connection Manipulation gloves hanging loosely out of my bag. “We come from a mining town called Mobgas. Nearly everyone there uses gloves similar to those as Stonework is a far more efficient method of mining.” Jason snorted as I pulled out one of the gloves. “These gloves are more rare than your typical Sculpting type.” I said with pride. “They can sculpt stone faster than normal gloves and can be used for Connection Manipulation.” Risse nodded. I wanted to think she was impressed but her perpetual frown never left her face. Belle, however seemed confused. “Connection-what now?” “I can craft and control golems.” I sighed, giving her the simple answer. “He links his gloves to a sculpted object often shaped like a man and uses gems to form a connection between the gloves and the golem.” Risse explained further. “Oh!” Belle nodded. “That's amazing! I don't think there's anyone in our village that skilled.” “Achat is our village’s prodigy Stonework user.” Sammy said beaming with pride. “Silver and I sadly have no talent whatsoever for such Magika.” Beaming with a bit of pride, I asked them a question in turn. “So I take it you two are Stonework users too then?” “That's right!” Belle clapped her hands together cheerfully. “I use Medical Stonework, which basically mean I use minerals to help aid the injured. Meanwhile, Risse here uses Projectile Stonework.” “Projectile?” I felt Sammy and Silver turn to me with their ignorant, confused faces. “I flick stones over long ranges to hurt people.” Risse said quietly. “Despite being the easiest type of Stonework to pick up after Sculpting, the versatility of Projectile is near endless.” “You should see her use it!” Belle said, an excited smile across her face As we talked, three more passengers boarded the train. Two of them were obviously friends joking and pushing each other around, laughing obnoxiously loud. To be honest the reminded me of Silver. One had large fishlike lips, along with a flabby looking body. The other was shorter and scrawnier but just as dumb looking with his hair pulled back into a rat tail. The two sat in a seat further behind us, yapping about who would get to ‘kill more Overturans.’ The final person onboard wore a dark hood, shielding their face as they continued to look down. They were maybe a few inches taller than me, but their baggy clothing made it difficult to see their body type. Surprisingly, they sat down next to the elf, pulling out a small book from their bag. The elf didn't seem to notice their presence as he continued to sit in silence, as if in a trance. The conductor boarded soon after, tipping his hat as the train door shut behind him. Pulling out a fat cigar, the conductor leaned against the door, lighting it with a match, taking a small puff, he walked towards the front of the car, the elf breaking his concentration as he and the hooded person turned to stare at the conductor. Turning around, the conductor moved his tanned hand to remove his conductor cap, a large smirk appearing on his face as he ran a hand through his shaved head. My blood ran cold as I immediately recognized his face. The tribal stripe tattoo across his face and that chilling toothy smile. There was no doubt it was him. “No way…” I muttered, a stunned look across my face. “You know this guy, Dirt Boy?” Silver whispered, leaning over to me. “Anyone who studies Stonework like I do would know who he is,” I said in awe. “Congratulations, passengers of Train Car Fourteen.” The conductor said, his voice booming loud enough to gather the attention of the private cars. “As of right now, you can consider yourselves soldiers of Requiem!” “Don't play the pronoun game, Achat!” Sammy hissed. “Who is he?” “Darius Davenport…” I said, a giddy excitement bubbling inside of me. “Time is short and we need soldiers to beat back those Overturan scum!” Darius said sticking a finger in the air. “...better known as the ‘Grandmaster of Ash Davenport.” “That is why your training starts now!” Darius stuck his tongue out as he pointed down the car, his voice ringing through our ears. A silence overtook the train, everyone staring forward at the wonderful, awesome person before us. I was stunned. A Grandmaster of Stonework was standing only a few yards away! “Close your mouth.” Sammy elbowed me. “You'll catch flies if you keep staring like that.” “Sir,” Belle stood from her seat lowering her head respectfully. “You said our training begins now, but we haven't even been divided into our squads.” “Correct!” Davenport snapped his fingers at Belle. “That is a great observation, Bellemere Lutes! That is why before we begin, I'd like to gather everyone else. “Seabass Quis and Oscar Loax!” Fish Lips and Rat Tail stood at attention immediately. “Sir!” “Get the three hiding away in those private rooms for me. They should be present.” Davenport waited for the two to gather the noble looking man, his armored friend, and the old man, the three standing in a line as Fish Lips, or rather Seabass, and Oscar returned to their seats. “Good!” Davenport smirked as his eyes went across the train car. “I am Grandmaster Darius Davenport! I expect to be addressed as Grandmaster only. I am happy to welcome you all into Combat Squad Wombat.” “Wombat?” The noble man sneered. His voice held as much nobility as his appearance. “Why on earth would we be named after such a disgusting animal?” “You shut your mouth, princess!” Davenport’s face hardened. “Would anyone like to inform the ignorant pissant of the greatness of the wombat?” “They… Dig tunnels?” Sammy said slowly. Snapping his fingers again, Davenport shouted, “Correct! Extensive tunnels! Systems of them! The wombat is the pinnacle of what our squad should be! As a combat squad, we are going beyond the front lines, digging our ways into enemy territory and striking critical blows to the winged bastards who dared strike us!” “He means dig as a metaphor.” The old man suddenly spoke up, walking down the train aisle, taking a place next to the Davenport before turning to face the rest of the train. “My name is Sergeant Jakob Eckleberry. I will be joining Grandmaster Davenport in training the lot of you.” Glancing over I noticed Silver pale at the revelation that the man he picked a fight with was a Sergeant, much to my amusement. “Now,” Davenport began. “The most important part of of working as a team should be obvious. Any guesses?” “It's teamwork.” Jakob said before anyone had a chance to answer, earning a pouty glare from Davenport. “If you cannot function as a team, you will not flourish as a team. We have approximately ten hours before our arrival at The Flat. Before then, learn at least one fact about each of your companions here on the train. Failure to do so will result in everyone from eating their first night on the Flat.” “A group of wombats is called a wisdom.” Davenport said. “Take that to heart and show some! Dismissed.” With that, our two instructors departed into a different train car, leaving us all alone. “Gotta say…” Sammy said rubbing her head. ”He's much different than what I expected a Grandmaster to look like…” “There are different ways to be a Grandmaster.” I said. “You can be appointed by one when they retire, you can surpass a Grandmaster or you can craft your own form of Stonework. That's what Davenport did with Deconstruction. He discovered a way that you can deconstruct minerals at a molecular level and destroy it. It's a powerful and complex form of Stonework that requires high class gems and a keen understanding of the material you wish to break. Only a handful of people are capable of using it.” Silver burst out laughing, shaking his head. “You are such a nerd!” “Shut up!” I growled at Silver. “Regardless of Achat's excessive nerdy fanboyness, we should probably introduce ourselves to everyone else on the train.” Sammy said. “We have each other covered and we know enough about Belle and Risse, so there's still six others.” “Let's split here and met up when we're done.” I said, turning to head towards the back of the train. “We’ll see you!” Silver said with a wave. I walked down the aisle, passing Belle and Risse who were being chat up by Seabass and Oscar. I soon stood outside the door that the noble looking man retreated to shortly after we were all excused. I rose a fist to knock when the door slid open, the large bodyguard staring down at me. “Can I help you?” The large man asked. “I'm just visiting to introduce myself to you guys.” I said. “Cause, you know, no food otherwise.” “Let him in Cornelius.” The noble said. Cornelius glanced over his shoulder for a moment before nodding, slowly moving out of the way, granting me access into the room. The noble man sat on a soft looking bed, a small gemstone in his hand which he twirled in his fingers. “You are friends with that oaf who attacked our instructor outside of the train earlier, correct? An amusing spectacle to be sure.” “To be fair, Silver didn't know who he was.” I said, shifting uncomfortably past Cornelious who stared at me, his eyes boring into the back of my head. “Indeed.” The noble man nodded. “He knew not who he was, yet still picked a fight. Those kind of actions will surely lead to his death.” I frowned at him. “Right. So, let's change the subject of my friends dying and introduce ourselves, ‘kay? I'm Achat Robehode.” “Ah, yes.” The man stood and gave a small bow toward me, “I am Mao Xing, son of Nia Xing and twelfth in line to the Requiem throne. My guard behind you is Cornelious Diry.” My eyes widened in disbelief. “You're a prince? I'm surprised someone like you would be conscripted.” “I wasn't.” Mao said, stepping over to peer out the train window. “I entered this war of my own volition.” “Really?” I said skeptically as I crossed my arms.“Do you enjoy fighting or were you just bored in your calm little palace life?” Mao frowned as he faced me. “You do not believe me. I suppose it makes sense, considering very few commoners are even aware of Requiem’s politics.” “Lord Xing, you needn't explain yourself to this boy!” Cornelius said. “It's fine.” Mao said, shooting a glare at Cornelius. “Mister Robehode, do you know how many wives my father, the king, has?” “Not particularly.” I said as I slouched, putting a pinky in my ear to dig out gunk, much to the annoyance of Mao. Gotta love messing with nobility. “The answer is fifty.” Okay, I have to admit that perked my interest. “Fifty fit wives, each of whom bears a single child. The first one born is the direct heir to the throne and so forth. This way our kingdom never runs the risk of being out of leadership should the king fall.” “So you're not even a prince. Just some sort of spare.” “Watch your tongue!” Cornelious shouted, slamming a fist against the table. “Lord Xing is one of the fifteen remaining heirs and may very well be your next king one day!” “Fifteen?” I repeated in confusion. “How did you drop from fifty to fifteen?” “Numerous way, actually.” Mao said. “Let me explain something about how this little system works. The number of heirs goes beyond simple replacements. Let us say you were born second of the heirs. In that scenario a simple thrust of the knife can carry you to be the next heir.” “You kill each other?” I said, horrified by how easily he said such things. “That's horrible! You are family!” “Yes, but if the world of politics is a dangerous game. One learns to discard loyalty when your life becomes threatened. Whether someone younger is vying for a higher position, or a paranoid older brethren trying to secure his spot, there is no room for drivel such as familial bonds. “Even someone who wishes to leave the throne behind cannot. Doing so would cast their family into ruins, and they would still be hunted down by their siblings out of fear that they may one day return to kill them and claim the throne.” “But that doesn't answer my question of why you are here.” I said, watching as Mao picked up a small glass of water. Taking a sip, he lowered the glass, swishing the liquid as he smiled somberly. “I suppose you could say I left a war to join a war. At the very least, I can see most enemies coming for my life in front of me rather than worrying of those who lurk in the shadows. After all, why plan an assassination against someone who may simply die in the line of duty. “I don't expect you to understand, Mister Robehode, as I'm sure you do not. I simply ask that you treat me as a fellow warrior in the battlefield and not let my status dictate the way we work together. I intend to survive as long as I can.” Mao then turned from me, facing back to the window, taking a deep breath as he cupped his hands behind his back. Cornelius nodded towards me as he spoke up. “I'm not an actual member of the military, as I'm already a trained Royal Guard. I am only here to carry my duty out of protecting Lord Xing until my final breaths.” “In other words we don't have to interact with each other.” I said. “Got it.” Figuring the conversation was done, I turned and walked out of the private room, eager to push the thoughts of troublesome politics out of my mind. “You're Achat, then?” The moment I stepped out the door and closed it, I was immediately cornered by Seabass and Oscar, the two eagerly breaking my personal space and hitting me with rapid fire questions. “So you do golems then, huh? What's it made out of?” “Have you ever killed someone before?” “Why kind of gem do you use to power it?” “You any good with a sword?” “How often do you need to calibrate your controls?” “Do you like fish?” I blink at the two before slowly answering their questions. “Stone. No. Emeralds. Not particularly. I prefer bear.” Seabass nodded as if he expected such answers from me. “Yeah, I suppose a forested town like Klenx has more than a few bears. Too gamey for my liking.” “Ah, Emeralds?” Oscar nodded. “A common gem and very cost efficient, but the delay between commands leaves you at a disadvantage, yes? “It just means I need to plan ahead.” I responded. Now having the initiative, I asked a question before they slew anymore out. “How did you know I studied Stonework?” Oscar pointed to my bag, a goofy grin spreading across his face as he explained. “I caught a glimpse of your gloves earlier when we boarded, so Stonework was my natural assumption.” “Oscar here is a nerd. He loves learning about things and how they work. Get ready for him to ask you step by step on how you do your strange stone thingy.” Oscar tossed a punch at Seabass who laughed as he ducked under it. “So where are you two from?” I asked, crossing my arms, amused by their interaction. It was like watching a friendlier version of me and Silver. “We come from Quinn,” Oscar said. “It's a small fishing village to the east, just below the borders of Requiem and Overturan. Seeing how our town was the most likely to be destroyed should the Overturans attack, nearly everyone answered to the Conscription leaving the entire town on skeleton shifts.” “Aren't you worried about the village falling apart with so few people?” I asked. Shaking his head, Seabass shot me a confident smirk. “The people of Quinn are strong! Besides we get plenty of assistance from the Lgy Island where we get most of our imports from.” “Lgy? The homeland of the Archan?” Getting a nod of confirmation from the two, I frowned. “You realize those people are the biggest in terms of the slave trade right? They use their Bloodwork to force others into slavery.” “You act as if we aren't aware.” Oscar frowned. “Quinn lives off of its fish market and importing tariffs. Our land isn't suited for farming like Klenx or mining like Mobgas. It's all for the sake of our survival. Besides, it's because of our harbor towns we can regulate that no Requ’s get enslaved, otherwise we'd bar them from setting anchor at our ports.” “So in other words, it's okay so long as it doesn't affect us.” I said with a sigh. “We just do what we can to survive.” Seabass shrugged. A loud crash suddenly turned my attention away from the conversation. Pushing Seabass out of the way, I saw the Elf on the ground, holding his nose, Belle kneeling next to him. Standing over them was Sammy being held back by Silver, the hood person having moved between Sammy and the elf. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Risse had not moved from her seat, her eyes seeming to stare into space. “Don't touch me you pointed eared bastard!” Sammy shouted as she struggled against Silver. “M-my apologies…” The elf murmured. “I meant no offense…” “What's going on?” I said, letting out an annoyed huff as I approached. “Me and Sammy came to introduce ourselves to these two…” Silver began, looking uneasily towards the person in the hood who suddenly spoke up in a Feminine voice. “And when your little spitfire of a friend had her hand shook by Bek, she freaked out and punched him in the face.” So the hooded person is a chick and the elf is named Bek… With a sigh, I point down to an empty private room. “Sammy, go cool off. Silver keep an eye on her.” Sammy broke out of Silver’s grip, shooting daggers at me as she slowly sauntered past. “Don't turn your back to him.” Silver yawned as he passed me, patting my head giving me a small nod. I turn back towards the elf, glancing over to Belle who had on a single Stonework glove, a blue gem inserted into the middle of it as she brushed her hand over his face. “You'll be fine, mister elf. Just a bloody nose.” “Yes, well, so long as it doesn't look broken I'll be happy.” The elf laughed sheepishly before looking up at me. “You are a friend of the red head, yes? Did I do something that offends Requ's?” Rubbing my temple I shook my head. “No. Sammy just never liked elves. It's a vice of hers. Some people smoke or drink. She's racist. Fun times.” “It doesn't feel very fun…” As Belle backed away, having finished her healing, allowing him to stand up. “I should introduce myself. I am Sumit Horzin Pek Santem Ilty Fower Lied Raighto Cluist Mon Triel Dashi Bek, though I suppose most refer to me as Bek.” He extended his hand before cautiously retracting it. “A pleasure, Bek.” I said offering my hand as well, shaking his hand twice before releasing. “I'm Achat Robehode. I must say, it's curious that an elf would enlist in a Requ Army.” “I assure you I have my reasons which I will reveal in time when I am ready. I simply need time to determine the best way without someone punching me across the face.” Bek laughed uneasily. “I'd like to tell you that it'd be a one time thing but it wouldn't be right to make false claims.” Bek shuffled uneasily, slowly inching closer to the hooded girl. “That was a joke.” “Yes. A joke. Of course.” Bek did not seem comforted by my words. Shifting my attention to the hooded girl, I put on my best smile. “And who are you?” “My name is Fu’in Ma’tal. Call me Fuu. My favorite food is steak.” “I see…” I said smiling weakly. “Do you mind if I ask-” “What's your problem, asshat!?” She said crossing her arms. “I told you my name and gave you one fact about me. Why are we still talking?” I felt my eye twitch. I had never met such a foul mouthed brat before. She made Sammy and Jason look like store greeters. “I just thought-” “Well, you thought wrong. Piss off! Your ugly face makes me wanna puke.” “N-now, Fuu…” Bek said uneasily. “I don't think it's wise to be so rude to our comrades…” “Shove it, Bek! You just experienced Requ’s cruelty first hand, so grow a backbone and tell people who are bothering you to go away.” My eye twitched again, and in a moment of what I will admit was childishness, I shot my hand forward and flicked off her hood. She had a youthful face, large amber eyes matching her curly hair. She had… Unique ears, almost like that of a dog sitting on the side of her head. Rather quickly, I put two and two together. “Oh. You're a Beastial.” Shit. She's a Beastial. They may lack the ability to use any form of Magika but their physical prowess far surpasses any of the other races “You've got a lot of nerve, you punk!” Fuu growled, a scowl spreading across her tan skin. “I’m so sorry…” I said weakly backing down the aisle of the train. “Fuu.” Bek spoke up, the Beastial’s head snapping towards him. “Leave him be. I'm sure he didn't mean anything malicious.” “Come on, Bek…” Fuu whined before giving a defeated moan, throwing her good back over her head. “Fine. I'll let you off the hook this time. Just piss off and die.” Not one to misuse a chance to live another day, I quickly sped down the aisle, nodding towards Risse and Belle, before making my way into the private room where Silver and Sammy retreated. The two stared at me, no doubt realizing I was drenched in a nervous sweat. “We have quite the cast of character aboard, eh?” I laughed uneasily. “You shouldn't have sent me away Achat.” Sammy said. “We can't trust elves.” “No, Sam, you can't trust elves.” I said shaking my head, not wanting to get into the same argument we had held countless times. Sammy was my best friend, but sometimes I wanted to beat some sense into her, not that I could, mind you. “Sammy, I get why you don't like them I do, but it was five years ago. You need to let go.” “Quiet.” Sammy spat. “Neither of you know what it is like. Now drop it.” “You're gonna have to work with the guy and trust him to watch your back.” Silver said, leaning against the wall of one of the beds. “I can take care of myself!” Sammy shouted, slamming her fist against the wall. “We're well aware.” I said, setting my bag to the ground. “But not everyone else can. A situation may arise where one of us is in danger and only you two working together can save us.” “You say stupid things, Achat.” Sammy shook her head. “You're idealism gets annoying sometimes…” Biting her thumb, Sammy pushed past me, opening the door. “I'm going to cool off.” Thus, I sat on one of the two beds next to Silver, who had a gripper in his hand which he squeezed every few seconds. “I wonder if we're really going to be okay…” I sighed. “We just have to do all we can to survive.” Silver said, not looking up as he flexed his gripper. “You have no idea how sick I am of hearing that.” We had two village girls from a mining town, two guys from a town that turns a blind eye to slavery, a prince from a horrible political system, a timid elf, a foul mouthed beastial, a man obsessed with perfection, a girl with a chip on her shoulder and of course, yours truly. We were a handful of random people thrown together into group and called a combat squad, set to fight against a race of powerful nature controlling beings. Truly a bad joke.