The Roads of Marceris Ch.10 (1/2)

Chapter 10 - Soldier

"Wait, Radi!" Juliana yelled. "Let's go in together!"

Radi sprinted past her with his sword and draft notice in hand. "I've been waiting on you all day, Juliana. I'm going ahead!"

Juliana sighed as Radi dashed across the small stone bridge ahead of her and towards the barracks. Why is he so selfish at the worst possible times? What if Lucian needs help enlisting?

Lucian stepped down from the wagon and stood beside Juliana. "Juliana? Why isn't Dyne coming with us?"

She turned to him, trying to hide her frustration. "It's not far, Lucian. It's just across this short bridge and down the street a little way."

"I know," Lucian said as they proceeded onto the bridge, "but he always parked the wagon just on the opposite side of the street until now. And he’s accompanied you everywhere until now."

He doesn't know about, Grandpa. That's probably for the best. "Um, I'm not sure. But I asked him to mail something for me. He said the mail carrier is that way." She pointed in the opposite direction.

Lucian nodded. "I know, but he was acting odd before that. Since we left the church actually."

"Perhaps he's just tired?" she said shrugging her shoulders. "It must have been hard on him, leading us around all day at his age. Especially guiding the horses through those narrow alleys."

"Maybe that's it.”

Juliana spotted two guards sitting near the gates of the barracks as she and Lucian stepped off the bridge. The men were significantly less armored than those stationed outside the city gates, but they wore the familiar silver and violet colors of all the other soldiers patrolling the streets.

The keep was an impressive structure; with two towers on each side and a steel portcullis hanging above the entrance. However, the gray stone walls of the fortress looked old and worn compared to the housing in the surrounding district. Juliana looked ahead to see Radi flash his draft notice at the guards and enter; practically forcing himself past them with barely a word.

Lucian took a deep breath and stepped ahead of Juliana as they neared the barracks.

“Are you nervous, Lucian?” Juliana asked.

“Not as much as I thought I would be,” Lucian replied as he took a deep breath and stepped ahead of her.“But I wish Radi would've waited for us.”

"And you really are sure about this, Lucian?"

"Yes. I have to become a soldier to earn unrestricted travel rights. It's the only way I'll be able to see Baldren again."

Juliana tugged on the back of his sleeve and stopped him. "But what if Baldren is still in Marceris somewhere? You wouldn't even need to join--"

Lucian turned to her, his eyes looking cross. "If he was still here then he would've come and found me by now. He wouldn't have left my Mother and I in Gelerad for six years. He... he wouldn't have let her die."

"Of course he wouldn't," Juliana said as she followed. "It's just that, what if you--."

"Please, Juliana. I've made my decision." Lucian turned away and continued towards the keep.

Juliana stared at the ground as she followed behind him slowly. Why won’t he even hear me out? He acts like he has no choice, like he'd rather die than never see Baldren again. She shook her head and sighed. But It was his mother's final wish that he find Baldren someday. Perhaps it's not my place to object.

The younger of the two guards stood and held out his hand as Juliana and Lucian arrived at the gates. “State your purpose,” the man grumbled.

Lucian stepped forward and straightened his posture as he spoke to the man with confidence. “Hello, sir. My name is Lucian Hastae. I'm here this evening to enlist as a soldier of Marceris.”

Juliana was surprised by his headstrong tone and demeanor. He really is committed to this. I'll just do whatever I can to help for now. She stood quietly behind him, ready to speak if necessary, but hoping she wouldn't need to.

“Let’s see your paperwork,” the guard said with a yawn.

“I, uh, I’m volunteering for service, sir.”

The soldier’s eyes widened as he stared at Lucian. “You’re? Wait, I beg your pardon? Volunteering?” He glanced towards his comrade, who leaned forward and retrieved a list from underneath his chair.

“Yes, I’m volunteering,” Lucian repeated. “Is something wrong?”

The men stared at each other briefly before looking back at Lucian. “No, not at all,” the guard said shaking his head. “I just wanted to be sure I heard you correctly. We just haven’t had any volunteers for months. None that I’ve seen at least.”

The guard’s comrade scanned the paper and shook his head at his partner. “Lucian you said?”

Lucian nodded and approached the guard. “Yes, sir.”

“We'll add you to the list after you sign up. Hurry inside, the recruitment office is about to close for the day. You’ll find an officer named Janis at the end of the short hallway on the left.”

“Thank you so much, sir.” Lucian bowed his head and glanced back at Juliana before proceeding through the gates.

Juliana briefly smiled in the guards' direction as she avoided eye contact and quickly followed Lucian inside.

They entered into a large chamber with small wooden tables and chairs scattered throughout the room. The inside of the keep was dark, with only two of eight torches lit alongside the right wall. A young servant boy pushed a large cart full of used dishware from table to table as another poured a pail of water on the floor and began to mop.

The barracks interior was built from aged stone and brick, with the walls and ceiling supported by chipped wooden pillars and beams. There were no windows in the main chamber, giving the musty dining hall an isolated feel despite its size. Dusty, unlit lanterns hung by rusted chains from the low ceiling near the entrance.

Juliana accidentally kicked a discarded spoon across the floor as she stepped further inside. She moved to pick it up, but the servant boy quickly retrieved it and humbly returned to the cart without a word. Before she could apologize, Juliana noticed Lucian already walking down the left hallway towards the recruitment office. "Wait, Lucian." Her footsteps echoed throughout the dark hall as she jogged after him.

"What is it?" Lucian asked as he stopped outside the office door.

Juliana caught up to him and lowered her voice. "They are going to ask for your full name."

"That's fine," he whispered back. "Mother changed our surname when we left the valley." He reached back and tightened his headband against his forehead. "They won't find out who I am."

Juliana shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. Well, that's important, but..."

"But what?" Lucian asked with a confused look.

"You'll need to spell out for them."

Lucian paused and stepped away from the door. "Oh I... but I can't-- how will I--"

"You said Hastae right?"

Lucian stared at her and nodded, his confidence replaced by a familiar anxiety.

"Don't worry, Lucian. It's only six letters. Just repeat each sound after me." She spelled out his surname name letter by letter for him as he awkwardly repeated them to her. "That's right. Just remember them in that order."

Lucian held his hands out in front of him, checking off his fingers as he spoke each letter aloud. "H... A... S--"

The door to the recruitment office swung open. "Lucian!" Radi exclaimed. "Hurry and sign up, the placement test is in two days!"

"T-Two days?" Lucian asked in disbelief.

Radi laughed. "I know, I know. We don't have much time. We'll need to train all day tomorrow." He crouched into a mock-dueling stance as he playfully punched near Lucian's chest and slapped his arm. "This is going to be great! Now hurry. I already told Janis you were coming."

A heavy-set, middle-aged soldier appeared behind Radi in the doorway. "Yes, please hurry. I'd like to make it home before supper if you don't mind." The grizzled man turned to Juliana with a surprised looked. "Who is this? Are you with these two, girl?"

"Oh, uh, yes." Juliana said as she stepped away from the door and behind Radi. "Radi is my brother, my name is Juliana." She bowed before the soldier.

"Janis," the large soldier replied. "I'm eager to see what your brother will show us." The officer looked at Radi intently. "The son of a hero, certainly not an easy legacy to live up to."

Radi pushed his chest out and raised his chin as he stared back at Janis. "I'll do much more than that! You'll see for yourself in two days."

Janis chuckled and shook his head before gently pushing Radi out from the doorway. "Boy, if you have even half as much skill as you do pride, then this war is as good as won." He turned to Lucian. "You must be Lucian then?"

Lucian nodded and stepped towards the office. "Yes, sir. I'm ready."

"Well what are we still doing out here then?” Janis put his hand firmly on Lucian's back and guided him into the room. “Hurry in and sit down. I'm not getting any younger."

Juliana stepped towards the door, but Janis quickly turned and raised his hand to block her path.

"This won’t take long, miss. Just wait here with your brother a little while." He stepped into the office and closed the door behind himself before Juliana could enter.

"W-Wait," Juliana put her hand against the door and tried to knock, but Radi grabbed her by the forearm and began to lead her down the hallway. "Stop Radi, let go of me."

"We'll wait for you outside, Lucian!" Radi shouted.

Juliana scowled at Radi as she tried to shake his grip on her arm. "I said let go of me!"

Radi laughed as Juliana tried to push away from him and struggled in vain to free herself. "Alright, alright. Calm down." He released her arm and quickly positioned himself behind her, forcing her to continue towards the entrance. "He doesn't need you to hold his hand. Especially here of all places!" His laughter grew louder. "I'm surprised they even let you in."

Juliana rubbed her arm and reluctantly looked back at the office door. She offered a silent prayer for Lucian as Radi forced her down the hallway.

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Lucian entered the recruitment office and carefully stepped around the various papers and scrolls scattered across the floor. Reaching the center of the small office, he ducked under a dimly lit lantern and looked back as Janis entered and closed the door. I can do this, he thought. It should be fine as long as I don't mention the valley or the inn at Gelerad.

"We'll wait for you outside, Lucian!" Radi shouted from the hall.

Janis walked past Lucian towards a desk in the corner of the room. "Well go on, have a seat." He sat in a large leather-padded chair and began to organize a tall stack of papers on the desk. "Come, sit down."

Lucian obeyed the soldier and sat on the small wooden stool on the opposite side of the table. Despite trying his best to stay calm, he couldn't keep his hands from shaking.

Janis set the papers aside and extended his hand across the desk. "Alright, hand it over."

"I don't have any paperwork, sir." Lucian replied.

"You forgot it? Why didn't you say so out in the hall?" Janis stood quickly from his seat. "You're going to have to come back tomor--"

Lucian looked up at the man. "W-Wait, sir. I'm sorry. I'm volunteering."

Janis folded his arms and stared at Lucian. "Seriously? You weren't drafted?"

Lucian shook his head. "No, sir. Didn't Radi tell you?"

"No, he failed to mention that." The heavy man groaned as he sat once again. "Dammit," he muttered. "So much for supper."

"I'm sorry, sir. I've just arrived in Melliark today and--"

"No, no, it's not your fault, boy." Janis leaned behind the desk and retrieved a blank page and a black writing quill from the bottom drawer. "I promised the wife I'd be back for supper tonight. She’s going to give me an earful.”

Lucian took a deep breath and tightened his headband the moment Janis looked away“I’m very sorry, sir.”

Janis frowned and dipped the quill into an ink vial on the desk. “Bah, forget it. Let’s just finish this quickly so we can both get out of here." He set the quill to the blank page. "What's your father's last name and occupation?"

Lucian pulled the stool closer to the desk and held six fingers over his knee. Juliana said it started with 'H', then it was… what was after that? His hands shook as he glanced down without trying to draw attention to them.

Janis sighed as he tapped his fingers against the desk. "Lucian?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Your last name?"

"It's Hastae,” Lucian mumbled. “Uh, that’s H...A--”

"I know how it's spelled,” Janis said as he wrote quickly. “You're not the first Hastae I've had. I've been doing this a long time."

"Oh, of course." Lucian nodded and smiled nervously as he exhaled and relaxed his hands. "Sorry".

"What’s your father's occupation?"

"Uh, he was a blacksmith."

Janis looked up from the page. "Was you say? Is he retired now?"

Lucian frowned "No, sir. He… he passed away when I was young."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Janis said as he crossed out the previous line. "Can I ask what happened to him?"

The question immediately reminded Lucian of the night he lost his father. The smell of fire and the sound of clashing steel still etched in his mind from when he fled the valley as a child. He looked at the trainer and tried to keep his composure. "He died in battle, sir. I... I'd rather not talk about it." He folded his hands together as he tried to keep his composure.

Janis frowned as he continued to write quickly on the page. "I see. Well, where are you from?"

"Gelerad."

"Geler--," Janis stopped writing and looked up at Lucian with a perplexed expression. He began to shuffle through the stack of papers on his left.

What did I say? Lucian wondered. All I did was answer the question. Why is he suspicious?

Janis pulled a sheet from the middle of the stack and set it next to Lucian's new page. "Gelerad, Gelerad," he mumbled as he ran his finger down the left side of the page. "Here it is. Hmm, strange."

Lucian leaned forward and pretended to read the page. "Uh, what is, sir? Is something wrong?"

Janis set the quill in the ink vial and crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, Lucian, the draft summons went out to Gelerad almost seven months ago. You're sure you didn't receive one?"

"Oh I... um," Lucian looked away from the instructor. Seven months ago? I was still living at the inn in Gelerad then. What should I say?

"Lucian," Janis said in a stern tone. "You didn't discard your draft notice did you? Tell me the truth."

Lucian looked up at Janis, his hands shaking in his lap once again. "I-I am, sir. I would never... I wasn't even living in Gelerad seven months ago."

Janis stared straight into Lucian's eyes. "Is that so? Where did you live before? And where is your father from?"

Does he know? No. He can't. That's impossible. Kelles was the only one who knew and he never told--

"Where was your father was born, Lucian? ...Lucian?"

"I don't know!" Lucian shouted. He covered his mouth, but quickly lowered his hands as he realized his mistake. "I, I’m sorry, sir. It was a long time ago. And I... I wasn't close to my father." Lucian lowered his head and grit his teeth, wondering what his father would say of his pathetic denial. How could I say such a thing?

"Calm yourself, boy," Janis said as he glared at him. "I'm sorry about your father, I won't bring that up again. I only have a few more questions, but another outburst like that and you can forget about joining your friend Radi. Understood?"

Lucian raised his head and cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. I apologize. I'm very sorry."

"Good," Janis said as he nodded. "I'm just going to put down Transient for you because it's a lot less hassle from the higher ranks that way. You came here with Radi I'm guessing?"

Lucian let out a brief sigh of relief. "Yes, sir. I did."

"Then I'll list both Gelerad and the Panelsca region for you as well." He wrote quickly on the page once again. "Now how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Combat experience? None I'm guessing?"

Lucian nodded.

"Any experience or training with a sword? More or less than two years?"

"Less, sir." Lucian straightened his posture and looked ahead, trying his best show a confidence not reflected in his answers.

Janis chuckled as he dipped the quill into the ink vial. "At least you won't have to worry about facing your friend then. Very well, just one last thing." He reached down into to the bottom desk drawer and retrieved a small, clear stone. The marble-sized rock glowed bright white in Janis' hand. "Palms up."

A gemstone? Why does this matter? Lucian did as he was told and received the magic stone from the trainer. The gemstone's light slowly dimmed the moment Janis dropped it into Lucian's hands.

"Kliaten," Janis mumbled as he wrote. "Interesting."

"What is, sir?"

"Nothing." Janis snatched the stone from Lucian and placed it back in the drawer. He quickly looked over the page from top to bottom before setting it down and staring at Lucian across the table. "I'll ask just one last time. Are you absolutely certain that you weren't drafted?"

"Yes, sir. I wasn't drafted. I swear."

"Then may I ask why a young man without any training would willingly sign up for a war he's not required to fight in? Please tell me it's not to impress that girl with you."

"Oh, no it's not. It's for... I need to earn the unrestricted travel rights."

Janis laughed as he leaned back in his chair. "Need, huh? You planning on becoming some kind of adventurer or something?"

Lucian put on a fake smile and shrugged. "Something like that I suppose."

"Well, I'm going to be honest with you, Lucian. If everything you just told me is true, then you should've been drafted months ago. But I'm not going to bother reporting anything since you've come here on your own." He signed his name at the bottom of the page.

Relieved, Lucian nodded and stood from his seat. "Thank you, sir."

Janis looked over the page again as he lifted it into the light. "You are aware that you'll need three full years of service for these traveling privileges you need. And that doesn't include any time spent training here at the barracks or elsewhere.”

“Yes. I understand,” Lucian said. “And I’m aware of the risks.”

Janis extended his hand across the desk and stood. "Then good luck, Lucian. I'll see you and the other recruits bright and early for the combat evaluation in two days. It's held at the old training grounds just north of here. I gave Radi a map of where it is."

Lucian shook the officer's hand firmly and nodded. "I'll be ready, sir. Thank you for your help."

"Of course, now go get some sleep. Sounds like you've had a long day."