A/N: Small changes have been made the chapter prior to this one, enjoy...
Year 838, Eight years Later…
Gelgar: "Hey...hey, Erik."
Said a freshly enrolled cadet, Gelgar. His calls falling on deaf ears, he flicks Erik's forehead.
…
Erik stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
Erik: "W—What…"
He yawned, brushing his head with his fist, bemused.
…
Gelgar: "Dude, commandment wants us up especially early for our first training session. Come on."
He concluded by throwing Erik's cadet jacket at him.
Gelgar: "Don't wanna' get chewed out by the commandment again, do you?"
He sneered before leaving.
…
Letting out a yawn, Erik quickly rose out of his bed, putting on his uniform before heading towards a light, ostensibly from a lantern who appeared to be an impatient Gelgar waiting for him.
Erik: "You waited for me?"
Said a cold Erik, vapours escaping his breath as he held himself to maintain warmth.
…
Gelgar: "Yup!"
He gave a cheerful nod and a thumbs up, also cold, shuddering.
…
Once they arrived, both sat quietly, having light conversations here and there but keeping to themselves until cadets crowded the grounds along with the instructor arriving to begin their training.
…
Instructor Hartman: "Attention!"
Chatter among the cadets ceased as Hartman yelled, his voice reverberating through the dimly lit training grounds.
Instructor Hartman: "You're all going to go on a stroll…"
He smirked.
Instructor Hartman: "Once I call the names of your group members, come here and collect your bergen."
Staring at his clipboard he began mustering names of the cadets.
Marlene: "Stroll my ass. It's seriously hot!"
Complained a blonde cadet. Slouching as she walked.
Marlene: "Do they really expect us to walk all the way to Hasulf District from Shiganshina? Could have at least given us horses, would've made the journey much more bearable."
She huffed.
…
Nanaba: "Not that I don't agree with you, but seriously girl, shut it. We'll work more efficiently if you don't complain."
Nanaba nods over to Erik.
Nanaba: "Strive to be like your Highness over there."
Erik didn't bother to acknowledge them. Marlene scoffed. She didn't feel like arguing, so she remained quiet and resumed walking.
Since his admission, many if not all would shoot dirty glares at Erik, fundamentally because of the fact he resided in Mitras; or at least he used to, and due to many of the cadets among his year, their living circumstances weren't any better than his. A large batch came from the outer districts of Wall Maria. Some, if not many, came from Karanese or further, leaving but one resident coming from Wall Sina.
After a few minutes of silence.
Nanaba: "Hey, Moblit was it?"
He nods.
Nanaba: "Anything on that map that could help us with our journey? Time-wise."
She inquired.
…
Moblit analysed the paper for a few moments before answering.
Moblit: "Well, about a few miles from here…"
He brought the map to her view. He started running his finger along with the page.
Moblit: "Here. If we stray from our path there and cut through the forest, then it should save us about half a day of our journey."
…
Nanaba: "Hmm, then it should take less the needed time to get to our destination."
She sounded determined. Affirming quite the obvious.
…
Moblit: "Correct."
He praised. His sarcasm went unnoticed.
…
Nanaba: "Good work."
A few miles later, the group of four made it to their supposed shortcut.
Marlene: "Oh—come on!"
She groaned, breaking the silence. Marlene turned to Moblit.
Marlene: "Fantastic job. Did you not think to mention the incline. Or the fact that it's pretty darn steep?"
She points.
…
Moblit shrugged.
Moblit: "I didn't know."
…
Marlene: "You didn't know."
She repeated.
Marlene: "Well what now, hmm? We're already a few miles from our proper path..."
Hands on her hips, she turns to Nanaba who has a finger to her chin.
...
There were a few moments of silence, before Nanaba spoke up.
Nanaba: "Beggars can't be choosers. We're here now so I suppose we'll just have to grit our teeth, shut up, and make the effort and climb."
She clapped her hands together, though a sheepish smile etched her face.
...
Erik, much to his keen eye, noticed, and her ill confidence in herself certainly did not abide well with him. That and much to the fact, her lax judgment, should it prove dangerous later in their journey, needed to be dealt with.
Erik: "And you were so confident taking this path would warrant us an easy journey. But despite your exhaustive efforts...squad leader Nanaba, and perhaps for lack of better judgment, we should consider appointing someone else to lead, and honestly…"
His stare was brought to Marlene.
Erik: "I wouldn't skip a beat but delegate her instead. Even if her complaining irks me. But him…"
Their attention on Moblit.
Erik: "Do I really need to explain why…?"
Expecting a rise out of the two. But to his surprise, Marlene was stifling a laugh—covering her mouth as she did. Moblit was somewhat embarrassed by the situation he had brought his group in. Nanaba however...well, she was livid.
…
Nanaba: "So he speaks…"
She hissed quietly to herself.
Nanaba approached Erik. The others watched; Marlene in amusement for the sake of enjoyment and a digression from their current predicament, and Moblit, well he was above all thinking this was his doing, but much to his abhorrence of the case, he watched along with Marlene.
Nanaba: "Who's to say I wasn't confident taking this path?"
…
Erik deadpanned.
Erik: "Your face said otherwise."
Nanaba's brows furrowed.
Erik: "Am I right, Squad Leader?"
He mocked.
…
Nanaba scoffed.
Nanaba: "W—What makes you think you can lead us then?"
…
Erik: "I didn't say that."
…
Nanaba: "You were certainly insinuating the fact—"
…
Moblit: "Guys!"
He shouted, much to everyone's bemusement.
Moblit: "We've already wasted enough time with you two quarrelling like a married couple."
Both Erik and Nanaba let out a scoff. Marlene let out an outburst of laughter, which was promptly silenced by the glare Erik sent her way.
…
Erik: "And who's fault was that?"
He looked at Moblit.
…
Nanaba: "No…"
She sighed.
Nanaba: "He's right."
She referred to a flustered Moblit.
Nanaba: "Look, I don't like this as much as you do, but given our certain predicament…"
She cast a prompt glance at Moblit.
Nanaba: "And seeing as the time we've already wasted arguing, you and I are just gonna have to work together whether we like it or not."
She offered a hand.
Nanaba: "What'd you say, Carew?"
…
Erik: "Since when were we on a last name basis?"
He said with a hint of sarcasm, which seemed to go right over Nanaba's head. She looked rather stoic.
Erik: "You take things way too literal."
He shook his head as he took her hand.
Nanaba winced at the strength of his grip, letting out a yelp.
Erik: "Sorry…"
He smiled sheepishly.
The four, several minutes into their ascent.
Marlene: "You know where they have walking trails…?
No one acknowledged the obvious cynical inquiry.
Marlene: "About a few metres thataway!"
She points, and moans.
…
Moblit: "T—This path does guarantee us a shorter journey."
He said, treading through foliage.
…
Marlene glared at him.
Marlene: "For what—oh! A half a day worth of time spared, I thank you, sir!"
She mocked. Irking Erik, as well as Nanaba.
…
Nanaba: "Will you both stop—!"
She was promptly cut off with a painful yelp, falling to a knee, her hand relaxing over her ankle.
…
The cadets took a moment to register what had happened, before Erik carefully slid down the slope to her.
Digging his heels into the dirt.
Erik: "What happened—?"
He stopped, tracing his eyes to her hand clutching her ankle.
Erik cursed inwardly.
Erik: "Can you move it at all?"
…
Nanaba looked up at him then down at her ankle. Attempting to move her ankle proved painful. Wincing at the pain, she shook her head to Erik.
Marlene: "Whadda' we do now?"
She asked with genuine concern.
…
Erik: "We have to go back down—"
He tried to suggest.
…
Nanaba: "No!"
She yelled suddenly.
…
Erik: "This is not up for debate, look at you...do you seriously think you can continue on with a broken ankle?"
Nanaba hitched a breath. Her gaze landed on the ground.
Erik: "Didn't think so. Let's go—!"
Interrupted, he looked to see Nanaba's hand tightly gripped around the collar of his jacket.
…
Nanaba locked eyes with Erik's with contempt.
Nanaba: "No..."
She hissed quietly, just out of earshot from Moblit and Marlene.
Nanaba: "No! We should reach flat ground soon enough, we just...have to keep pushing forward."
…
Erik sighed.
Erik: "You're not going to budge unless we get you up over this hill?"
She didn't utter as much as a word, her face said it all.
Erik: "We're going to press forward. Any objections."
He yelled. Moblit and Marlene shared a glance at each other, looking to say something, they stopped and reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Erik looked at Nanaba.
Erik: "Alright...though, do enlighten us on how you're exactly going to continue this ascent?"
Nanaba made the attempt to get herself up, but failed terribly.
Erik grew more irritated.
He sighed.
Erik: "Get on my back..."
He said, exasperated.
Nanaba looked at him, but he insisted.
Erik: "We'll leave you here. I'll be sure to send my regards to your family."
He deadpanned.
Nanaba accepted, much to her annoyance. Carefully she climbed to his back, ensuring not to misplace her foot, or apply any force to her ankle to elicit pain.
Erik: "I'll be sure to splint that once we make it out of this mess."
She nodded.
…
Nanaba: "Just don't drop me."
…
Erik: "You are heavy..."