Chapter 3. A Day At The Barracks

Author's Note/ Disclaimer: As per usual I do not own any of the named characters within the contents of this story nor do I have any affiliation with the company that makes and/or markets Brave Frontier. But aside from that I am very excited to present this chapter as it captures what i mainly want the bulk of this series to be about, the troops just kind of messing around in the barracks with fun little quirks I had thought I'd throw into the mix with the help of my partner, Varthan. I actively encourage positive and constructive criticism and above all enjoy.

It is a new day in the summoner's lab and before the trainees take on the next trial, they are granted a day to relax from training. This is Narza's Sabbath day for which he attends church to praise the good lord Lucius. The church was decorated with a red carpet and golden candlesticks by the pulpit, the pews were full of all totems and Narza sitting in the very front listening to the powerful preachings of the Minister Miracle Totem.

"Let me tell ya sumfin'!" The Totem preached, extending his hands out to the church. "Blasphmy'z a sin! With a capital S, I and N, Can I hear an amen my good church folk?" He called slamming his stone fist on his pulpit.

"Amen!" they all called jovially.

"Amen, let me tell ya! Lord Lucius is so good says I, Even in these times where the gods attack our church, Lucius is still with us says I, can I get an Amen."

"Amen!"

"Hallelujah... " he said wiping his forehead with a rag. "Now my brethren, we have a very special preacher with us here tonight… The good lord Lucius has permitted us to be graced with his word from the mouth of reverend Narza." He said extending his hand toward Narza. The Totems clapped and praised Lucius as Narza rose up to the pulpit. Narza calmed the crowd with the raise of a hand and then took his hand to his long silver locks.

"My good brethren… What a day it is to praise lord Lucius, am I right?" Narza began. "Today the message, as I've been informed, is about blasphemy." He went on standing with perfectly straight posture observing the room. "Well… let me tell you something about, Blasphemy!" Narza shouted sticking his sword directly down into the pulpit. "The gods are not to be taken lightly my friends! Amen." Narza took his nails to the pulpit as he went on. "The gods just sometimes have more… important matters!" He said clawing the pulpit and slamming Lucius' holy book down on the floor.

"Yes brother Narza preach it!" a totem cried from the back row.

"Listen brothers! Lend me your ears! I have direct communication with Lucius himself! Let anyone who does not heed word to this disciple right here…" He said raising his sword skyward. "be dammed!"

"We are listening, brother Narza! Bestow us with your knowledge!" the same back row totem exclaimed. The whole church was roused, speaking to each other about what they may be about to hear or pleading Narza to share his wisdom.

"Silence brethren! The sword, it speaks! Speak, Cassius, bless us with your knowledge!" There was a pause… utter silence. "Nien" And with that the whole church praised Lucius and professed salvation. One elderly dark totem in the front fanned herself trying to stay cool but ultimately succeeded to fainting. "Lucius keep you brethren! Please, take it away sisters!" Narza said pointing to the women's choir standing in the corner as they began to sing. The whole church danced and sang and gave Narza praise as a true man of Lucius.

...

All soldiers had their own personalized cabin from which they could do whatever it is they did, and Rashil's was no exception; walls of blueprints, beakers upon beakers, and on his table, the remains of his horse… He was not in his typical battle armor, he wore thin frame glasses, suspenders and a shirt and tie. His room was rather crowded; a fire hazard waiting to happen, especially with the volatile experiments he conducts. He uncorked a bottle of his healing concoction and poured it into the crystal in his staff. Immediately a banging came at his door. Rashil sighed as he set down his staff and turned to the door. When he turned the knob the door flung open and Signas grabbed his suspenders. She purred at him and slowly backed him further into the room.

"Oh, g-good day Signas… what brings you here?"

"You…" She cooed taking a whiff of air.

"O-oh I see… look Signas I'm sure you're a really nice girl but I-"

"Stop talking human… just come hibernate with me…" She said loosening his tie.

"Um! I would rather request you take me to dinner first." He joked nervously. She backed him even further onto a table knocking some of his work over. "Oh, well, there goes humanity's hope to cure cancer…" Rashil noted staring at the shattered bottle on the floor. Signas relentlessly pursued, disregarding his comments, lying him down against his will. "This is escalating too quickly, I ask that you remain celibate Signas!" Rashil reaching for a needle in his back pocket.

"Mr. Rashil Sir I got you your-" Elimo began,walking in with a latte. "Oh!" She shrieked dropping the mug and covering her eyes. Signas perked her head up and growled.

"Leave!" She scolded. She took three steps toward Elimo before sending her running. She turned around to smile at Rashil but was met with an injection right in her neck. "H-hakuta mat-" She began, eyes drooping, slumping onto Rashil's chest.

"Shhhhhh." Rashil cooed brushing her hair back and pushing her off him. He then proceeded to kiss the side of the needle thanking Lucius for his own genius. "Virgo." He said to a monitor.

"Yes Rashil sir." the computer responded back to him.

"Initiate protocol: hide test subject." He ordered

"Affirmative." She said opening a hatch in the ceiling having a single blanket fall onto Signas' snoring body.

"Perfect." Rashil said returning to his work.

...

The warrior's memorial… a somber, melancholy place where the names of all the greatest warriors in history are inscribed on gravestones, even though they may not even be buried there. This was Edea's first time seeing the place,having only been at the summoner's hall a short while. She strolled through the countless tombstones finding names like Maruideth, Douglas, Zeln… all famous heroes of the past. She came across a hooded figure who bore a scythe in its hands. "Excuse me…" She said tapping him on the back.

"Yeesssss?" He said charmingly, turning his head back towards her… Just his head. Edea flinched a little at his face, while mostly concealed, she saw glowing blue eyes and many jagged teeth protruding from the top of his mouth. "Oh, what were ya expecting Prince Xenon Charming. Cause you'll find him a few rows down ahahahahaaaaa…" He joked turning the rest of his body around. "Oh how hellish of me, allow me to introduce myself. The name is Memetes and…" He covered his face for only a moment and then suddenly peered out to reveal the face of a pupiless, mutilated human child as a deathly scream came from his voice, knocking Edea on her removed his superbly scary mask and laughed jovially."All things creepy are my game, hehe…" He said helping her up with a tentacle that slipped out from under his robe. "So what do you need child? A cup of coffin er- Coffee?" He said stroking her face gently with his skeletal fingers.

"I was just looking for my friends…" She said recoiling back a little, pulling down her faceguard. "Would you happen to know where Lorand, Dean and Loch are buried?"

"Is this one of them?" He said digging his hands into the earth, reaping a skeleton out of his resting place. Edea screamed as she gaped in horror at the warped methods Memetes had of making dark humor. "Relax child, this is most certainly someone else's dead body."He said discarding the bones carelessly. "Hrm. It would be a deathly shame if I used their bones for comedic purposes… hehehe…" he said rubbing his decayed hands together.

"Y-you devilish, unholy brute." She chided, shaking frightfully in her boots.

"Oh don't make me cry now!" He said gouging his eyes out having roaches crawling out from his head. He began to juggle his eyeballs a bit as he waited for more complaints.

"Can you please just escort me to my friend's graves!" She commanded, instantly flinching fearing she had perturbed him.

"Over my dead body… Oh wait, ahahahahaa" He cackled putting his eyes back into his head.

"Enough!" Edea cried slashing Memetes across the chest with her massive sword.

"Ack! I am slain, what irony is this!?" He said instantly decomposing releasing hundreds of flies."I'll need a day to get back from purgatory child, my Hearse has a blown head...casket so i'll have to foot it, come back tomorrow and I'll show ya around." his voice said as the flies departed into the sky."Oh and it also looks like you've made a new friend, his name is Chuck." Edea was very confused, but then noticed a locust chewing on the vines coming from her armor, and she went ballistic trying to get it off.

...

"Diamond earrings, golden trinkets and lovely jewelry sitting in my wake… let me reach into this bag and take take take." Zelnite whispered looting a dufflebag he had 'stumbled upon' in the locker room. "One would wonder why in a place such like a men's locker room, why anyone would store such heirlooms." he went on sticking as much as he could in his infinite pockets.

"Boss, who do you think the pervert is who has a bra hung over his locker?" Zelnite's jewel ghost said pointing towards the lockers, gathering laughter from the green and golden servants to Zelnite. The thief looked over and raised an eyebrow when suddenly the lights flickered on.

"What are you doing in here!?" a woman's voice scolded accompanied with heavy footsteps. Zelnite looked over to see Nemia cracking her knuckles and blowing smoke out of her nose.

"B-boss… I think we funked up." The jewel ghost said cowering behind Zelnite's cape. The servants raised their palm-leaf fans and silver platters in a defensive stance.

"E-er Good lady Nemia, who's boxing is a work of art… I must have stumbled into the wrong locker room while trying to prevent you from stealing my heart!" Zelnite lied taking Nemia's hand as his personal violinist took the cue.

"What?" Nemia said very bemused.

"What he means to say is he has the hots for you and in his lovesickness he stumbled into the wrong locker room." The jewel ghost joined.

"Yes, it is true, my dearest, it is with you I wish to be nearest." He said kissing her hand gently. Nemia blushed a little but still continued to clench her left hand tightly.

"You look mighty ripe… for a good wrecking." She teased, unsure how to feel. "You ought to know I'm a married woman."

"Correction, you are a widow, and to be with you is a goal. I will sing to you while you watch from your window and keep you from lamenting about Zeln's departed soul." He said wrapping his arms around her waist. Nemia wanted so badly to punch Zelnite square in the face but she was captivated by his eyes and beautiful red hair.

"Well… I suppose I am a bit lonely… But even so, that doesn't explain why you were going through my dufflebag." She said, pressing her body against his.

"Oh well you see, It was all a mistake. I thought this belonged to a big hulking brute, and that a woman's jewelry was at stake… But instead it belonged to the world's most delicious forbidden fruit." Zelnite purred tightening his grip around her.

"You classless, thieving bastard… I ought to wreck you right now." She cooed melting in his arms and got lost in his gaze, she leaned in for a kiss and was greeted with a Zelnite-class embrace… and a Rashil-class injection in the neck. "Wh-what?" She said beginning to faint.

"Shhhhhh." Zelnite said pushing her back, removing her golden bracelet as she fell back. "Thank Lucius for Rashil, now let's clear out before anyone could see and squeal. That should clear her memory of all of this by the time she awakens, I will not have my perfect thieving record forsaken." He said, climbing on his servants' backs up to the hatch he made in the ceiling by the lockers. He pulled them up one by one and when they were all in the vents he peered back out the hole momentarily to plunder the bra, of course.