Chapter 1 - Hopeful Beginnings

  "-up, kid. Oi, WAKE UP!"

  A kick to the makeshift cot and the new recruit jolted up to attention. He still hadn't gotten used to waking up this early.

  "Oi, Ren! It's me, Tujin." Tujin lightly slapped him around to wake him up. "The Capt'n is at camp and he's done briefing the squad leaders. He'll come round to fetch us in a bit. You listenin'?"

  Sitting there with eyes still half closed, Ren could only muster a grunt and a nod as a response to Tujin's introduction. He glanced around the tent and found noone else in there except for him and his assailant.

  "Ev'ryone out 'lready?" Ren managed to murmur out.

  "That's right, bud. You're the last one to get up so get your ass movin' already!" Tujin instructed before kicking the bed again and leaving the tent.

  After getting an earful, Ren gets himself dressed and picks up a few of his belongings before heading out. It was true that he was the last person to get up from his bed. But this was mostly because merely four people, including him, used this particular barracks last night. It was usually a last resort when every other tent was full. The place wasn't exactly pleasant.

  Finally finding his bearings, he went out and saw that it was still a ways to go before first light. He did a few stretches and headed straight to the field camp's canteen to eat his fill. The free food was one of the upsides to staying in camp as opposed to an inn. But he didn't really have the luxury of choosing. All recruits had to stay here to train for a few weeks anyway, or so he's been told.

  "Say, I dont usually see those guys around here at camp." Ren overheard the recruits talking amongst themselves.

  "Haven't you heard? The Captain will be training us personally today. They said he had something to show us or somethin'." Another replied.

  As far as Ren was concerned, today was the same as any other day at camp. He was here to wake up, spar with someone at the training yard, take his turn at guarding, sleep and repeat. It was his second week here now and nothing out of the norm really happened yet. But it's looking like that was about to change. Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of unfamiliar faces around. And the whole camp was certainly busier than usual.

  He was almost finished eating when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Ren turned to see and it was Tujin. A tall, brash, middle aged man he had been friends with for the longest time. He had short brown hair, a goatee, and was built like a tree. He had his sword strapped to his waist and had his studded leather armor on, too.

  "Tujin? What's with the gear?" Ren asked, after swallowing the last of his breakfast. "Finally got a job for us?"

  "Nah." Tujin replied as he sat down on the other side of the table. "I know I told you you'd be making more money here, but you still gotta put the work in so you get noticed, y'know? Capt'n and the others won't be assignin' you to any good contracts if you hadn't shown them nothin' yet. It's why your stuck here in camp."

  "Says the guy who's stuck here with me." Ren said, unconvinced.

  "Oi, don't be forgettin' who brought you here in the first place, you punk." Tujin argued with a glare.

  "I'm kidding. Relax."

  Ren started tidying up the table he'd been using.

  "Besides, I wouldn't have took you up on your offer to come with you here, if I didn't actually believe you." Ren explained. "So, why the sudden career advice?"

  "Because today is a rare opportunity for both of us, my friend." Tujin said with a grin. "I already told you earlier. Capt'n Gildas is here at camp right now. And he'll be holding some sort of special training for anyone willin' to join."

  "You're saying we have to show off our amazing talents today, yeah?" Ren asked with a straight face.

  Tujin clicks his tongue in disapproval, sensing Ren's sarcasm.

  "I know your still takin' this lightly, kid. But these kinds of chances don't come 'round too often. You got somethin' special in you. I just know it." Tujin explained on a more serious note. "Now if your solely plannin' on takin' jobs on the front lines and want to risk your life for coin that way… then I'm tryin' to convince the wrong guy."

  Ren relented and let out a sigh before answering in ernest. "Look, I get it. I know this is your way of looking out for me. But I'm just keeping my expectations close to the ground, is all. You know damn well how these types of things never pan out my way."

  "But it's way different here, Ren. You don't have to risk messin' with the wrong people everytime you try to get food. There's no hidin', no runnin'. I'd hate to see you goin' back there." Tujin said with a somber look on his face.

  Ren took a pause.

  He had a conflicted expression as he was reminded of bitter memories.

  In a snap, most everyone there sprang into action when they heard the summoning horn go off. It was loud enough for the entire field camp to hear. Ren also stood up to leave but looked to Tujin first. He untied a small pouch from his waist and tossed it on the table. Inside it were a few silvers.

  "Hey, Tujin." Ren called out. "If you honestly believe we'll be getting something out of this 'rare opportunity', then hows about we make this more interesting."

  Tujin swiped the pouch from the table and weighed it on his hand. "Im listenin'."

  "I'll be doing my damned hardest out there. And if I get assigned for the next job, you get to keep all that." Ren confidently offered and continued with a sly smirk. "But if I don't… you're gonna be doubling my coin."

  "Ha! Then what, you win either ways by gettin' a job after losin' the bet." Tujin stood up and caught Ren in a headlock. "But screw it you got a deal. Say goodbye to your coin, dumbass."

  "If I do lose and get acknowledge today, just consider the money as my thanks for having so much faith in me all this time."

  Tujin laughed in amusement, still strangling him. Ren tried to break free but could only struggle under the ogre's tree trunk of an arm. They continued on like this for a while as they prepped for what's to come.

  *

  The training yard was at the center of the whole camp. It was a wide open area with rows of wooden dummies lined up on one side and a large enclosed space used for sparring on the other. Racks of different types of training weapons lined the fences that enclosed the sparring area. There was also a wide elevated platform at the very edge of the yard. It functioned as a stage for an occasion such as this where a large crowd would gather.

  Atop the stage were a few people setting up a training dummy. Some of them were hauling and arranging what looked like a bunch of stones on a table. A number of those stones had a slight glow to them. Ren had to wonder what kind of training this could possibly be.

  "Those guys that are messin' with the shiny rocks are the squad leaders." Tujin explained.

  Ren and Tujin, along with a bunch of other curious individuals, were crowding in front of the stage. On estimate, close to three hundred people were gathered there. The crowd was a mix of new recruits and some of the more seasoned members of the company. A few moments ago, everyone present was told to organize themselves in columns and rows. But in the end, all they could manage was a slightly less disorganized mob compared to when they first got there. Some complied, but most didn't budge.

  "Oi, straighten up." Tujin said.

  "Settle down, men!" One of the officers on stage shouted. "The captain has arrived."

  A hush descended over the crowd. Only the clinking of a single man's armor could be heard. He was making his way up the steps of the stage. A buckler and a shortsword hung on his back and a broadsword was strapped to his waist. He had silver hair that framed his scarred face. Along with his beard, his hair resembled the mane of a lion. Everything he wore and the way he moved embodied discipline and efficiciency. He had no embellishments, and yet it made him look more dignified.

  The man briefly viewed the stones behind him and picked one up before facing the crowd. He held the stone up and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

  "Today, I'll be showing you lot what these stones are capable of. I'll be overseeing your training today and by the end it, hopefully, I'd have a select few I'll be taking with me on an important job in the capital." The captain expressed in a commanding tone, capturing everyone's attention.

  He eyed the crowd in front of him before he continued.

  "Before that, let me introduce myself to the newer faces. I am Gildas Cilsworth. Retired guard of the Imperial family. A former knight of the Mytherian Empire. Mercenary captain of the Gildas company of swords." Gildas introduced himself with gravitas that matched his titles.

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  "All of you have your own reasons for joining this humble group of mercenaries. Be it money or fame, I have no qualms with you pursuing your goals. But know that I, your captain, values Honor and Loyalty above all things."

  The crowd remained silent. Most everyone had differing reactions. Mercenaries weren't really known for these virtues. Even Tujin had a complicated look about him. Ren, in particular, was curious. In his life so far, he had never known of honor and loyalty. These concepts were foreign to him.

  "With that out of the way, Let's proceed with the training." Gildas continued. "All who are interested in participating, listen well."

  Once more, he hoisted up the stone he had been holding for everyone to see.

  "This here is not just an ordinary rock. Some of you may be familiar with it but this is called a Sol stone. A peculiar stone that can absorb light and store it inside for a long while." He demonstrated as he gripped the stone tighter. After a second, he held it back up. "Pouring the slightest bit of lux into it causes the light it had stored to come out."

  As he described, the stone now had a stronger glow than before. It was bright enough to be noticable under daylight. He paced around the stage to give the crowd a better view. And the stone eventually dimmed after a while. Gildas nodded at an officer behind him and caught a stone that was thrown forward. Facing the crowd again, he was now holding up two similar but different Sol stones.

  "More than a decade ago, the most brilliant scholar of our time had invented a different means of using spells. She made it possible to evoke spells without the need for extensive knowledge and experience of a mage." Gildas said this with the faintest smile. He had the look of a proud grandfather. "That's right, I speak of Runes. You've most likely seen or heard of them before, a breakthrough by the Sage of Mytheria. The use of runes have slowly been innovated on through the years. Nowadays, it's considered a necessity in some large cities.

  "But these same runes are commonly known to have a major limiting factor. That is, a rune's output can only ever be as much as the weilders lux. And thus, many of us who are not as blessed by the Patrons had dismissed the use of runes as trivial—perhaps useless. I myself was not so lucky in that regard. But, observe…"

  Aiming a stone at the training dummy, he gripped the stone like before. And much to everyone's suprise, the captain was now casting a spell. A spike of ice was rapidly forming in front of the stone and promptly shot forward with deadly speed. The spike impaled itself on the wooden dummy. Shards of its remains went flying about from the impact.

  The whole audience, stunned for but a moment, erupted into applause and cheers of amazement. Others started speculating how it was done. They just witnessed someone who wasn't a mage, cast a full blown attack spell.

  Gildas set down both stones and grabbed two more. He waited for the crowd to settle and continued.

  "In my hands are Runestones, a recent technological advancement made possible by The Sage. She had found a way to make use of a Sol stone's stored light. The complexities of this are beyond me, but a tool this powerful will be in use everywhere before we know it." He speculated.

  The captain aimed another stone at the dummy and easily casted another spell. This time, the runestone generated and pooled a ball of fire in front of it before blazing across the stage, exploding and igniting the wooden dummy. It quickly melted the ice from earlier. Soon after, a strong gust of wind snuffs out the fire before it could spread, yet another spell from a another runestone.

  The spectacle was met with a deafening silence this time round. Everyone was either in awe or in deep contemplation, as it slowly dawned on them how big of a deal this was.

  "As you can all see, these stones will forever change how battles unfold and how wars are fought. Learning how to effectively make use of these will prove to be an invaluable skill in the near future, especially in our line of work." Gildas said, placing the runestones down.

  "Now, I understand you may be eager to have a go at it but bear with me for a while longer. Yes, the stones are powerful and easy to use. But it, too, has limitations. A single stone, depending on its rune, can only be used for a limited number of times before it runs out of its stored energy. And it should take a full day of being bathed in daylight to fully recharge. There aren't many in curculation yet. But as a partial payment for this upcoming job, our employer generously provided us with more than enough runestones for every single person here to try their hand at it."

  After the lengthy demonstration and a brief struggle to get the rowdy bunch in line, the runestone training was about to go in full swing. The attendees were split into groups with an assigned officer each, serving as an instructor. The captain was going to supervise the whole activity, probably eyeing any potential candidates to bring with him on the job.

  "Each group will be given a few minutes to test out a basic selection of runestones. After which, we'll conduct our usual training session. But this time, participants will each be using one runestone of their choice. The stones with potentially lethal and destructive spells are, of course, off-limits." The officer explained. He said his name was Sam, a long time squad leader who had been in the company since its early days.

  Ren was part of this group and he counted close to thirty people with him. They were led to the central area of the yard where all the stones had been gathered. Getting a closer look at them, the runestones were uniform in size and shape. Each stone had one side with complex faintly glowing lines carved unto it, forming a rune. There were five piles on the table assigned to them. The piles were sorted and labeled with which spell it would cast.

  Sam thoroughly explained and demonstrated each one. First was a spell used by the captain, a wind spell that summoned a strong gust of wind, but not strong enough to knock a person down. Next, was a buffing spell that provided the caster with a brief burst of immense strength. Sam demonstrated this by throwing a pebble straight to the ground right after casting the spell, burying the stone deep in the dirt. Understandably, he warned the group not to use this one haphazardly. The next one was also a wind spell. It summoned a thick smoke cloud that obscured vision, large enough to conceal at least two people. The next spell was a bit odd. Sam explained that it covered a wide surface with a grease-like substance that was incredibly slippery. And lastly, a healing spell that mimicked the power of the Luminarian clerics. It was an inferior version that could only heal minor wounds and cleanse weak poisons.

  "The other runestones were too dangerous for testing so these will have to do. Feel free to use them all up. I'll be handing them out per request to make sure everyone gets a turn, rest assured." Sam instructed.

  With that, the group lined up and requested a runestone one by one. Most of them went for the strength buff first. A good few chose the wind spells. And almost nobody went for the grease spell and healing spell.

  Ren also went for the buffing spell to see how effective it was. Ashamed as he is, strength was not one of his strong suits. He grabbed a wooden training sword and headed straight for the target dummies. With runestone in hand, he recalled how to light up a sol stone. 'Feel the lux in your body, and visualize it pouring out.', he immediately felt the spell taking effect.

  He slashed at the dummy and cut deep into its side. The sword almost broke and his hand had slipped off of the hilt. For all the times he'd train here, not once had he managed to cut this deep on a dummy. Tujin once said that the wood used to make these were enchanted to be sturdier than normal.

  Amazed, he tried pulling the sword, still stuck to the side of the dummy. It slid out with ease. The spell hadn't worn out yet, it seemed. To make the most of it, he slashed at the target once more, holding onto the sword tighter this time. Strike after strike, he wailed at the target. Until finally, the sword gave out and had splintered into pieces. What's left of the dummy was but a stump and the rod it was attached to.

  "This is insane." Ren muttered to himself. He checked the runestone he was holding and noticed that the rune's previous glow was gone. He tried activating it again but to no avail. He decided to head back to Sam to request another stone.

  On his walk back, he saw that everyone was still preoccupied with their runestones. He wondered why his stone stopped working after using it once.

  "Done with that one already?" Sam asked preemptively. "You're the first one back here."

  "I think it ran out of juice." Ren said as he handed back the stone.

  "Huh, you're right. All of them was fully charged yesterday. How many times did you use this?"

  "Once." Ren answered. "Oh, and I broke a sword and a target dummy just now. Sorry about that."

  He showed the broken hilt to Sam, hoping he doesn't have to pay for the damages. He was thinking that enchanted wood can't be cheap. Sam eyed him with curiousity and set down the rock he was handed.

  "Pardon me, but what did you say your name was again?" Sam inquired.

  He was in trouble for sure.

  "I-it's Ren."

  If only he decided to stop at the first swing, this wouldn't have happened. His bet with Tujin was still on, as well, so he was short on funds. But he'd be winning the wager at this rate anyway, so maybe he could just use that to pay for this. On the other hand though, surely they couldn't blame him for not knowing the extent of the spell. Scrambling for an excuse to get out of this, he braced for the inevitable.

  "Could you do me a favor, Ren?" Sam asked with a polite smile.

  "Hm? Uhh, yeah sure, anything." Ren said, accepting his fate.

  "Wait here. I need to ask premission from the captain first." Sam said.

  Ren felt a shiver run down his spine. He considered just making a run for it. But did he really want a whole mercenary company coming for his head?

  Sam was back in no time and he had the captain in tow. They both seemed to be looking forward to something. What a sick expression for someone who was about to scold someone. Ren thought to himself.

  But far from what he expected, Sam simply handed him a runestone. He picked up a leaf from the ground and walked a few paces away. He turned to face Ren and held the leaf up high.

  "That stone can cast Gust. I want you to aim it at this leaf and blast it away. You can go whenever." Sam instructed.

  Ren, confused, looked towards the captain. Gildas stood there expectantly, arms crossed. Left with no other choice, Ren bit his lip and aimed the stone as best as he could before activating it. The air around him suddenly shifted and rushed towards Sam at an alarming speed. The leaf was easily blown away. But the gust of wind didn't stop and swept Sam off-balance. He shielded himself with his arms and planted his feet. After quickly finding his footing, he dodged out of the way. Ren was trying his best to steer the spell upwards to avoid harming anyone else. It felt like he was trying to divert the flow of a raging river. The spell continued for a few more seconds then petered out.

  Sam nodded at the captain with a knowing look. Seeing this, Ren panicked even more than before. They couldn't blame him this time, too. He only did as instructed. He was innocent. He didn't break anything important with the wind spell either.

  A small crowd had formed around the commotion. A lot of the onlookers were simply impressed and some were attempting to imitate that strong gust.

  "Carry on, everyone. Nothing to see here." Sam dismissed them as he and Gildas approached Ren.

  "That was extraordinary." Gildas remarked. "Are you perhaps a mage, young man?"

  "I di-?" Ren was about to spew out a random excuse but had stopped himself at the last second.

  "Ahem… No sir. I tested below average on the recent sorting, sir." He managed to explain.

  "Is that right? I've never seen anyone get that much power from a rune before, much less from a runestone." Gildas contemplated. "Ren, was it? Could you hand that over?"

  Ren complied. Gildas examined the stone and compared it with another one in his hand. Both were stones that Ren had used.

  "You see, Ren," Sam interjected. "Both of these stones should've had four more uses before running out. I had my doubts earlier, but what you did back there was something else."

  "Here," Gildas chucked another stone over to Ren. It was a regular sol stone. "Light that one for me."

  Ren did so immediately and the stone glowed. It was a weak and subdued light, barely visible to the eye. The brighter the light, the greater the aptitude and capacity for lux. This was common knowledge.

  "How peculiar. Your talent for runes is clear to see. But a light this dim says otherwise." Sam said.

  Ren was just as confused as him. Ever since he tested for this, he'd dismissed any hopes of ever being a mage or a cleric.

  A different officer was now heading towards them. It seemed he was requesting the captain's attention elsewhere.

  "For now, you've proven to be someone who can get the most out of a single stone." Gildas concluded. "Do well on the sparring later and I can assure you a spot on the job. I'll be looking forward to it."

  "Yes, sir!" Ren said, saluting with a fist on his chest.

  With a nod, Gildas left and moved on to a different group.

  "Well, you heard the man." Sam said with a smile. "Better not let him down."

  "Right."

  Ren couldn't believe he was about to lose the bet with Tujin.