Nero Walker, Book 2 Ch.30 (62) (Patreon)

It was night and the facility's lights were on full blast. The entire grounds were lit up as though the sun was out. People were rushing in and out of the buildings, completing the last minute tasks which needed to be done before the morning. They had less than 15 hours before the recruits started to arrive.

Captain Angelton stood in the middle of the training field and was going over the paperwork in his clipboard. Checking the lists, he looked at the groups of people hustling to finish their preparations. The corners of his mouth almost made a smile as he appreciated the efficiency of every man and woman under his command. Everyone here was part of the army, and each had trained in their respective positions for years. From the cooks to the equipment managers, everyone knew what they were doing.

“Captain! Recruit Averett reporting as ordered,” said a voice from behind him. Nearly jumping, Angelton turned quickly to address whoever had managed to sneak up on him.

There he saw Cathleen Averett standing at attention with her fist to her chest, doing an impersonation of a soldier saluting. ‘How the hell did she sneak up on me? I didn’t feel her psyche at all. But now it’s like she was always there? Maybe some kind of stealth ability? A pillar?” he thought with a frown on his face.

“You’re not a soldier. The salute is unnecessary,” he said. Looking down, he could see a large bag next to her. Apparently, she was here early for training.

Looking back to meet her stare, his eyes narrowed and he asked, “Why are you here? There are no orders demanding your presence. This is a private training facility.” His voice was iron, and his annoyance was clear in his tone.

Instead of being intimidated, she looked up a the giant of a man and matched his glare. Her lips curled into a smile as she said, “I’m here under the orders of Vera Salvatore-Verena, of House Walker. I’m to be Lord Walker’s bodyguard and trainer. I’ve arrived early to prepare lodgings for my lord, and to get the lay of the land. Which building is the bunkhouse?”

Captain Angelton’s eyes widened and he felt his confusion turn to panic. He knew of the Averetts. They were a northern family of nobles. Yet, they didn’t focus on politics, their focus was war. There were many branches of their house and thousands of Averetts were spread across the kingdom. He hadn’t known this Averett was capable of being a bodyguard.

“Don’t you work as a den mother in the Center dorms?” he asked in confusion.

Her smile was all teeth, and she replied in a cheery voice, “I quit. Mrs. Salvatore offered me a chance to help a young warrior on his path. I aim to make him reach his potential. We can’t leave his training up to an army in the south, can we?”

Rather than being insulted, Angelton was reassured. If she really WAS one of those combat obsessed Averetts, than she might work out just fine.

Gesturing off to the building serving as the bunkhouse, he said, “There’s where the recruits are staying. Follow your nose for chow. Lights out at 2800, and reveille is at 0400. Your fellow recruits arrive tomorrow. Any questions soldier?”

Snapping to attention, the smile vanished from her face and she shouted, “Sir, No Sir.”

Angelton couldn’t help but smile at the tiny woman. He never judged a book by its cover, but seeing someone who he was previously introduced to as a dorm-mother acting like a soldier was hilarious. He had a feeling that she was going to be fun to watch. People from the north could fight, and if she was half as dangerous as he thought she might be, he’ll be glad to have her with him in the wilds.

“Dismissed,” he said.

She grabbed her bag and walked off without another word. Captain Angelton watched her leave for a while, then shook his head to put her out of his mind.

Returning to his clipboard, he went back to reviewing the preparations for their training. They had 10 days before their first excursion, and he needed to have the recruits ready by then. Most of the them were already trained for combat, but he didn’t have high hopes for Lords Walker and Salvatore-Verena. 10 days just wasn’t enough time. It will be months before they were able to stand on their own. Then again, they were mages.

‘I’ll just stick them in the middle of the formation and let them hide behind the real soldiers. As long as I give their squad easy missions, they should be fine. Mages have their place, but it’s not the wilds,” he thought to himself in worry.

-----

Nero was looking out the window of the carriage, cataloging the differences between Gate 7 and his temporary new home. Where Gate 7 looked like a fantasy village, Gate 15 looked like it was built for the frontier. It was an appropriate setting for a training camp intended to forge monster hunters.

Nero’s eyes tried to take everything in. It wasn’t easy, as he had to ignore Nick, who was explicating how much time this entire venture was going to waste.

The people walking the streets were all armed, and most of them wore some kind of armor. There was a lot of leather, along with unstrung bows on their backs. Glints of knives and other weapons were everywhere, along with fur linings and cloaks.

The wood buildings had fewer flower boxes, and everything looked much more martial than what he had gotten used to. There were fewer smiles, and the general feel of the area was more dangerous. It wasn’t so much a feeling of danger, but more like he was entering a gym. People here were dangerous, and it was best not to start anything.

Nero felt a kick on his shin, and looked over to see Nick peering out the opposite window.

“That should be the training compound,” Nick said with disdain.

Nero slid over and looked out the window. All he saw were some tall walls surrounding a block that was separated from the rest of the buildings.

Giving Nick a glare, Nero said sarcastically, “Oh yes, obviously that’s the training facility. Thank you for drawing my attention to it.”

Nick just nodded with a grim face. “This is going to be hell Nero. I know you haven’t been listening, but I want you to be prepared. Pay attention to your training, and don’t mess around. These are serious people, and what they do is serious business,” he said without taking his eyes of the wall.

Nero just snorted and went back to looking around.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a large gate, and then stepped down from their carriage. Nero connected to the cab through his link and confirmed the charges. It was nice to be able to pay for things again. The familiarity, and the sense of empowerment was pleasant enough to cause Nero to start smiling.

Nero collected his large duffel bag, along with the magic satchel Jennings had given him. Although Nero had read up on personal space magic, he didn’t feel comfortable trying to create his personal pocket space yet. For now, he’d have to rely on his bags.

Looking around, Nero saw people going in and out of the gate. They were being checked in by some soldiers in chain-mail and blue tabards. It was weird seeing them using clipboards like they were bouncers.

As their carriage drove off, Nero turned to Nick and asked, “Why are they using clipboards? Why don’t they just use their links? In fact, why do people even use paper at all here?”

Nick picked up his bag and started walking toward the gate. While walking, he said, “Nero, people can’t be on their links all day. It would tire them out too quickly. We’ve talked about this before. Now stop asking questions. You need to bottle up that incessant curiosity of yours and focus. People here aren’t going to put up with your asinine observations.”

Nero followed along quietly, but internally he was planning all sorts of unpleasantness to visit upon Nick in the future.

Reaching the gate, Nick announced them like he was addressing the court, “Lords Nicholas Salvatore-Verena and Nero Walker. We were bidden to arrive here and begin our training. Our names should be on your list.”

The guards shared a look with each other. Clearly, they were not impressed. Nero couldn’t help it, and started laughing.

Nick looked over his shoulder, and gave Nero a firm stare down. That only served to make Nero laugh harder.

“Stop it. I can’t stand it. Look at these guys, they don’t care about your fanciness. They are here to get paid and check people in. Don’t talk to people here like that or someone is going to fart on your pillow,” Nero said while trying to catch his breath.

The two soldiers chuckled, and the one on the left said, “He’s right m’lord. After you pass through this gate, your titles mean nothing. Just focus on your training, and you’ll be fine.”

Nick was so obviously out of his element that the soldiers felt the need to reassure him. Nero fought to control another bought of laughter from delaying them any longer. Eventually, they were checked in, and sent off to the bunkhouse.

Looking around, Nero was surprised at how big an area the facility covered. When he had heard there were only about 20 recruits, he didn’t expect to train in a place that took up a city block. The walls served to block out the city, and the feeling of isolation was palpable. It was like the entire world outside was cut off, and the only thing left was the packed dirt under his feet and the three intimidating buildings in the distance.

Walking along the central path, Nero saw the training areas. There were training circles with weapon racks. He saw the massive firing range along the wall. A dirt track for running created a large ring. There were a few trees and shrubs, but as the only greens they didn’t really offset the feeling of ‘purpose’. The essence in the air felt directed. Nero felt like this place only existed to train soldiers. The feeling was intimidating, and Nero’s playful attitude felt stifled.

There weren’t many people around. Mostly moving in two’s and threes, everyone was wearing linen shirts and thick trousers designed for training. Rather than arms and armor like Nero expected, everyone wore colored shirts to designate their rank or purpose. He didn’t know what the colors meant, but it was obvious they meant something.

When they got to the building they would be staying in, Nero saw some young men and women talking in groups and sitting on benches. They were all wearing white shirts, and Nero assumed they were his fellow recruits.

Instead of introducing himself or trying to make a good first impression, Nick strode through the doors and looked around for a room-assignment chart. Finding it quickly, he turned to Nero and shouted.

“Come along Nero, I’ve found our rooms,” he yelled from inside the door.

Nero just smiled and shook his head at Nick’s antics. After looking at the board, Nero and Nick went to the end of the hall and saw their rooms.

All the rooms were identical and it looked like a hotel hallway. Although instead of concrete, everything was stone. Solid wood doors opened to a room not much smaller than Nero’s former dorm room. The only difference being that there was no bathroom.

Noticing the small, wide windows near the ceiling, Nero felt the place looked like a large prison cell. The bed was a single, and the only furniture was a chest of drawers, and a small desk with a chair. Though, at the end of the bed was a small trunk. Nero didn’t see a lock on the door, but that didn’t mean anything with how enchantments here worked. After tossing his gear on his bed, Nero returned to the hallway.

From his door, he could here Nick muttering from the room next to his. Peaking in, he saw Nick furiously unpacking. While shoving his clothes into the drawers, Nero listened to his rant.

“...simple brute. She thinks I’ll just go along with everything. Well, she has another thing coming. I’m my own man. If I want to be a noble, I’ll be a noble. Don’t have to order me like I’m a child. I’m a scientist! A respected leader in my field. People have come to hear me speak on…..” Nick muttered and ranted as his face was twisted in a pout.

Not wanting to interrupt, Nero held his hand over his mouth to stifle his chuckle. Stepping back into the hallway, Nero looked around for the bathroom. He assumed it was like his college dorms back home. It turned out to be just two doors down and at the very end of the hall.

Opening the doors, Nero saw a dozen sinks, along with some lockers. There were some toilets along the walls, and opposite them were some pillars with shower heads. Nero looked blankly for a moment. His mind didn’t seem to want to comprehend the obvious conclusions. All he could think of was, ‘Where is the toilet paper?’