Nope… I still don't own Guild Wars. Curse you ArenaNet and NCSoft!
CHAPTER FOUR: "An Assignment"
"Atten-hut" shouted Lieutenant Sahnk as he stood in front of a line of soldiers assigned to his command. "We're ready to receive orders Spearmarshal Kormir!" It had been about six weeks since the incident in the very fields that they were now drilling in.
"Very good, Lieutenant," answered the dignified Spearmarshal. "Sunspears, I have received numerous reports from the Mehtani Keys regarding a disturbing increase in Corsair activity. I realize that the keys are all but inhabited, but the idea of Corsairs posing any sort of threat to the Kodlonu Hamlet is something that I cannot stomach. Therefore, I am ordering your platoon on a mission to rout any potentially dangerous Corsair forces."
"S-sending us… alone, Spearmarshal?" Lieutenant Sahnk quivered at the thought of him and his lone company defending Istan from an entire armada of Corsairs.
"Rest assured, Lieutenant, that that is hardly the case," said Kormir. "In all honesty, the reports I have received are rather recent and only report small numbers of Corsairs ranging from five to eight kilometers outside of Kodlonu. I hardly consider it more than a scouting mission. Also, keep in mind that you are part of the Order of the Sunspears, Lieutenant. You never fight alone. If you require assistance, I shall personally lead your reinforcements.
As to the amount of soldiers under your command, I shall have you link up with three other Sunspear platoons to form a company. I trust that that will be sufficient for your needs. This company shall be put under the charge of a triumvirate comprised of the individual platoon commanders: you, your cadet-school friend the Lieutenant Heran – seeing as you get along with him so well…" Sahnk smiled thinking of his long-time ally in the order, "… and the newly promoted Sergeant Kemah, First-Class. I thought that he could use some actual experience and that you two should be able to provide him ample guidance."
Lieutenant Sahnk nearly choked on his own surprise, "S-S-Sergeant, eh?"
"Yes."
"Ka Kemah?"
"Indeed. He has shown quite the capability for leadership."
"That little bastard's climbing the ranks. Now I'll have to watch out for when he compromises the mission. With a leader like that, it's bound to happen." Sahnk snarled mentally while his face developed into a low-brow stare.
"Are you alright, Lieutenant?" Kormir queried as she tilted her head slightly sidewise to look at her subordinate from another angle.
"Fine, fine, quite fine!" Sahnk snapped to his wits in embarrassment. "Thank you, Spearmarshal. Will that be all?"
"It will be. I shall send you the full details regarding your orders this afternoon."
"Very good, Spearmarshal." And with a salute from each party, the group was dismissed.
_________________________________________
"SERGEANT! Congratulations, Kemah!" Amai could not help but hug her new superior with great joy. Kemah had decided to break the news to his two good friends in his new quarters issued to him by the Order of the Sunspears.
"Yep!" Kemah declared with a slight blush – a combination of pride and being hugged. "And the best part is that I've been put in command of a platoon that has you and Syuushin registered in it. Spearmarshal Kormir asked if I had any good friends that I would like to have join me in the forces put under my command. You guys popped into my head first. There are a few more of those who we fought with too during that training exercise. Ya know, as bad as that was, I almost ought to thank Sahnk for putting us through that." Kemah chuckled, "If not for that whole episode, I probably wouldn't have gotten a promotion or made so many new friends in the ranks."
"Oh, it was so sweet of you to think of us!" Amai said gleefully and followed through with another hug.
"Yay," the Ritualist cheered flatly as he twirls his index finger in the air making a small circle. He was sitting in the chair before the large, empty desk in Kemah's quarters with his mind on other things.
"Aw c'mon Syuushin! You're as lively as a necromancer." pouted Amai.
"I commune with the dead. We're roughly the same thing," the Mesmer in front of him did not seem to deem that a valid excuse. "Alright, alright, hang on." With that, Syuushin rose from his seat and summoned two chained spirits from the mists on either side of him. The Ritualist raised his hand into the air and the two spirits copied his moves through and through. He lowered his head and snapped his fingers three times. Instantly, the three began dancing wildly in synch with each other. Festive music seemed to erupt from nowhere.
"Woohoo!" Amai yelled as she joined the party.
Kemah chuckled at the spectacle, but not for too long as his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. A Sunspear Paragon in full armor interrupted the party with his presence (albeit the "party" being only three people in a rather small office that functioned as a bedroom). "Sergeant Kemah, I presume," the messenger asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Ahem, yes, I am," Kemah did his best to recover some shred of professional composure.
"I have a message for you from Spearmarshal Kormir; orders for your company. Have a good day… sir," the messenger slowly backed away from the door, still not quite sure what he had interrupted.
The door creaked shut and Kemah opened the letter. "What does it say… Sergeant?" Amai snickered until she looked at the paragon's face. "… Is it bad?"
"Well… I suppose it could be," Kemah replied, putting the paper into a pouch tied to his waist. "I have orders to mobilize the platoon and prepare to deploy in the Mehtani Keys in three days. Apparently we're going to be scouting the area for any hostile Corsair forces and destroying any we find. Also, a medical platoon will be assigned to each company."
"Off to war! Wheee!" cried Syuushin, still dancing with his spiritual minions.
"How very appropriate, Private," remarked Kemah.
"Aw, come on, Kemah, cut the sarcasm," Syuushin retorted. "We'll be accompanied by a bunch of monks and about another thousand soldiers. What could we run into that's getting you so worried?"
"I guess you're right," Kemah resigned his argument. "I'm just worried about what could happen… I mean, if we actually do find something dangerous out there. Like what would happen if only us four companies stumbled upon another Corsair invasion of Istan?"
"Dude… no." Syuushin commented flatly.
"Kemah," Amai interjected, "the last invasion was centuries ago, and with the might of the Sunspear Order constantly increasing since those days, I doubt that the Corsairs would be bold enough to put together another armada."
"And if that is the case, you'll finally get to prove your worth to that failure Sanhk," said Syuushin.
Kemah said nothing; rather he merely looked blankly out the window and emitted a soft groan. He did not know what to make of this new experience. However, Amai's words from before found their way into his head, "'Everyone has a purpose. You were put here for a reason.'" Kemah closed his eyes and smiled, "I suppose there is reason behind this too. Who knows? Maybe I am being sent on this mission just so I can prove myself." With this newfound confidence, Kemah opened his eyes and smiled at his friends, who were looking rather strangely at him wondering what he could be thinking.
"Thanks, guys."
"For what?" asked Amai.
"For just being you."
"Aww, ish so shweet," Syuushin mocked despite his inner appreciation while Amai felt her face growing warm as she smiled.
"Well, regardless of what happens," Kemah began again, "I do wish to go and see my mother before we are deployed." His friends looked on questioningly. "… What?"
A/N: Short chapter I know, but I'll get to work on the next one. COLLEGE IS SUCKING MY WILL TO LIIIIVEEEE!!! Well, it's not too terribly bad, but let's just say I'm writing this at 5am… meaning… I-I didn't… sleep at… at all…. *plays world's smallest violin for self* Until next time! Abaiyo tachiko!
Oh, and really quickly, just a little note… super fast… I promise… nothing much… REVIEW PUH-WEEZ! I mean… that is if anyone is actually reading this. LULZKTHXBAI
