Spirit of the West
Adam II
Adam looked down upon the snowy windswept field before him, his perspective was from a bird's eye view or more appropriately, a 'bee's eye view'. It was an experience he was familiar with. It had the appearance of a battlefield, one which he wasn't specifically familiar with, he had never been anywhere this snowy during a battle. This was strange, wasn't he supposed to have been on the USS Grant? He and his crew were in the middle of the ocean last he remembered. He had a mission as far as he knew. But his mission was what exactly again? He couldn't seem to recall.
He took to looking back down upon the battlefield, he could see two camps spread apart from one another by 10 to 15 miles apart from each other. The two seemed to have been enemies if the constant vigilance between them was any indication. Both of them from his perspective high up, had the makings of a good modern camp, standardised dwellings, equal spacings and even layered defences. Both seemed to have been built in good order, the patrols and guards disciplined adequately.
He made to fly to the more southernly camp. As he approached it and its inhabitants were made clearer, he sensed a familiarity from them.
As he dove down to observe closer, he noticed more familiarities from this particular camp. The blue wool surcoats of men were something he was very familiar with. The soldier's ranks above their heart and their home states herald above their right bosom only confirmed that he was spying upon American soldiers. Where in the world was he? He had spotted Mountaineers to Maritimers, Mottowners to Tuskegeans, Bayfolk to even Yankees. The more he looked, the more it seemed everyone had come from everywhere. He hadn't heard of any campaign to warrant such a diverse draft of soldiers. At least not in recent history.
Not a single person had taken to looking at him. He would have suspected one of the soldiers would have spotted him, anyone. He suspected maybe they wouldn't have given a bee a passing thought, although as he instinctively looked down shock rolled over him in waves. His own feet of flesh and blood were standing on the ground. He didn't appear to have been using his Stand at all. As his curiosity overtook him he attempted to crunch the snow beneath his feet, to no avail. Whatever has happened to him is starting to worry Adam.
He looks around at the men and sure enough, they still ignore his presence. Or maybe it is that they cannot even perceive his existence. He attempts to call out to one, a young engineer lugging logs around.
". . ."
Nothing escapes his throat, not a squeak nor even a gasp for air. His mind attempts again to communicate but his body betrays his intentions. As the implications of his situation settled in, the dread subconsciously seeps in. It seemed too late for him to register that he hadn't felt cold all along, but he shivered anyway. In the corners of his eyes darkness was enveloping his vision, or more like all the camp seemed to hide in smog but nought for one tent.
The lone tent, the commander's tent if he wasn't mistaken, was seemingly calling out to him. Phantom whispers and echoed voices from the shining city on a hill. The tent seemed to run away from him as he walked toward it. Growing frustrated he started sprinting, in response and seeming mockery it started galloping away. The noisome knocks growing more irregular.
"Colonel Adam."
What is it you whoreson?
"Colonel Adam."
I've heard you the first time, vexing imp.
"Colonel Adam!"
The mocking voice, he wished for nought but to snuff it out.
"Colonel Adam! Are you awake Colonel Sir? Mr Gaines sent me to check on you, sir. "
Sir? His eyes open wide with the memory of where he was again. He was still lying in his bed, within his quarters within the USS Grant. It seemed the First Mate thought it appropriate to wake Adam up if he had insisted on sleeping in.
"Umm, I'm a fine sailor. I... I've just had some... troublesome sleep is all.", Adam said, tepidly sitting upright on his bed.
"Oh, Yasir. I understand sir. Will I report that all is well to the First Mate, sir?", the sailor replied.
"Yes my man, do so.", said Adam, still trying to catch his bearings. "Has breakfast already passed?"
"Yasir. Your meal was left on your desk after your absence, but that was some time ago."
"It's just fine. It's fine... You're dismissed sailor, report back to Mr Gaines.", said Adam, now standing with his ear to the door. Upon hearing the seaman close his office door, Adam entered his newly vacated office.
A glance over the room held the sailor's word to be true, his rations of bacon and tack sat cold on his desk. The pig grease cooled into an unappetizing pool of fat. Adam sighed and resigned himself to his rations. Cutting the pig meat and scooping it with some cracker. The rations weren't the most appealing nor nutritious, but the sad fact that he had to eat it cold worsened his mood.
Adam had recently taken to relaxing in his own office during his free time. He maintained a most professional relationship with his crew, keeping a distance between commander and subordinate, despite the lack of need to do so. This wasn't the Army, the Navy or Fathers forbid the Marines, but he still had maintained the image befitting a Colonel or at least he tried to.
Certain sailors attempted to "liven up" the atmosphere and also treated themselves upon Adam as if they were long time buddies, the drunkard Abraham being one such example of a sailor. He allowed for some revelry among the men in the evenings, but thankfully during the few days he spent on land, his crew hadn't forgotten their 'discipline'.
His near completely 'peaceful' morning of report readings and paper-pushing was interrupted by a rapping on his door. 'Speak of the Devil and he shall come, the drunkard himself came to him. Adam in his current mood honestly found the sight of the usually 'overwhelming' man relieving.
"Mr Abraham, I take it that you have an additional report on our guest?", asked Adam.
"Colonel! How fares your morning? I've heard you've had a bad night last night. I'm not one to pry if not to be privy to your thoughts, but regardless I offer what comfort I can give. Would you like to share a tankard of lager with myself and the boys?", the portly boson continued.
Adam shook his head at the noisome man's ramblings and interrupted "Abraham if you will please. Can you get on with your report?"
"Ah yes. The scholar boy, let's see. His choice of target today was the barrelman, Mr Dillon. How he managed to sneak up on him atop his perch baffled everyone, no one saw him at all!", Abraham guffawed. Somehow Adam suspected anyone else apart from Abraham did see the Maester climb to the crow's nest.
For the past few days or so the young man took quickly to his new posting here with Adam. If a seaman so much as stopped to catch their breath, Maester Kiran would be there conversing with them within a drop of a feather.
"I want your written report given to me by the end of the week."
"Oh, I already have it here for you sir!", replied Abraham. Sure enough, he produced a filled out report form from gods knows where. He looked at the piece of paper, then to the sailor before him and then to the paper again. He closed his eyes as he filed away the report, turning a blind eye to the validity or quality of the thing.
"Can you tell me where the scholar was last at?", Adam continued.
"I suppose he would be at the canteen, he's been staking out that area so frequently that the less social ones have taken to eating in their quarters. You ask the young man to cut it out or the men to grow a pair.", answered Abraham.
"I'll go to him for the moment, if he proves to be a disturbance, he can move about for his study during his stay.", replied Adam.
The sailor had waddled out of his office without the verbal prompt of Adam. He much preferred that Adam found. He took his time to compose himself before setting off to find his guest once more.
Abraham like most of his crew wasn't high enough in pay grade to warrant knowledge of Adams mission or even his 'condition'. The nature of stands was carefully woven within society as to not be found out by the common man. As far as any American was concerned, any strange happenings going was because of Mothman, Bigfoot, the Saucermen or even Jehovah. Out of all the men who knew about Stands in this expedition, the only ones apart from him ended up left behind in Westeros.
As Adam entered the ship's cafeteria, he was greeted by its newest potential stand user, Kiran Pyke. The fact that he didn't immediately collapse from a fitting fever was a good sign enough that Kiran had a strong will. Or that the Drowned One or whatever his name was had favoured Kiran. When the boy eventually learns more of the truth, he could accept whatever comforting lie he needed to.
A test was in order, it had been several days and he had yet to observe any drastic changes. It was an unforeseen slip up that Kiran had been drawn to the 「Cognate」 sooner than anticipated. Adam would have preferred to have had been given a more rounded assessment of Kirans personality. It would make his comparative physical, spiritual and personality changes more prominent.
Before even meeting him, the first test had begun. From across the room, with a plethora of filled seats, Adam could sense Kiran. It felt like a feeble little thing, more akin to the tiny tug of water draining down a sink as opposed to the flowing river of the average stand user. No matter how it felt, it was unmistakable that Mr Kiran had his own 「Gravity」. Adam turned a corner to the source and found the Westerosi man with his nose in his papers.
"Mr Kiran Pyke! Good afternoon good Maester.", Adam greeted. Just for a second field test, Adam sent out one of his 「Off to Philidelphia」 to act as a minor nuisance.
"Good afternoon. Oh, 'Gud aftahnun'. Was that passable Colonel?", replied Kiran. He seemingly paid no mind to the bee buzzing about his face as if it was a clover field. With a mild disappointment, Adam retrieved his apparition within himself.
"Ha. That was passable yes. That was Gullah?", asked Adam. He tried to appear as focused as he could muster.
"Uhh. No, that was supposed to be Gothamite.", replied Kiran, now slightly deflated.
"Ah, well, it's been less than a week. You can't expect to have your 'chain' in that span of time. As the saying goes, 'You must learn to walk before you can run. Have the basics of our script been good to you?"
"It's fascinating actually, your 'alphabet' as you call it, is nothing like any script found in the known world. From of course the Common Tongue to Yiti Pictographs, Ghiscari Hieroglyphs or even Dothraki Syllabaries, nothing matches your alphabet. It's almost as if our world were completely separate for the course of human existence."
"Hmm. Can I have a copy of your studies sent to my office? I can't say I have the equivalent qualifications of a Maester, but I did go to college. I have a cursory knowledge of linguistics but I am curious.", said Adam, wearing his placid smile.
"Of course, Colonel it would be my pleasure. You know, my cousin is in a similar situation, he too would be curious about my work. You should meet him, he'd converse much with you gladly."
"I would love to. He's with Lord Paramount Quellon yes? I would have many chances to meet him. I best leave you to it then. Good luck Mr Kiran." It was left unsaid that he'd need it. Having a stand wasn't a pleasant thing to possess and with how delayed Kirans receival of one was taking, the Colonel couldn't bear but pity him. May First Lady Martha watch over him.
The young scholar also had no clue how close he actually was to the truth of the matter. But it would be better for him to find out on his own. It was disappointing how he couldn't even see 「Off to Philidelphia」 but that fact he could feel Kirans 「Gravity」 when the rest of Kirans people were barren, is reason enough alone to keep an eye on him. For more reasons than Kiran could comprehend, 「History」 has its eye on him.
A/N:
Thank you for reading my story, please leave a follow or favourite. If you want to, please share your thoughts with me in a review.
Guest1: Well.
ReinaCS: Thank you. I always look forward to writing more. We'll have to see then about Kiran. I in turn look forward to more feedback.
Guest2: Thank you for saying so.