Hey everyone, sorry for the super long wait between updates. But I had a midterm last week and my beta has finals going on.
Thanx again to all who reviewed, alerted, and favorited so far; and thank you Harlequin99 for taking your time with this chapter even though you were really busy.
Chapter 3
Sef and Janco went to Advisor Colonel Hatch's office. On the way, Janco discovered that the advisor used to serve for the royal family but then switched his loyalties soon after the Commander came on the scene. Advisor Hatch had served in the Commander's army for some time, earning his title.
Now, well past the age to fight, he retired and was now a tutor, but he still served as one of the Commander's advisors on military matters.
They reached his office, entering when they were called in. Hatch's office was more elaborate than the Commander's. There were maps of Ixia- both before and after the takeover- and its southern, bordering neighbor Sitia on the wall. Leather-bound books were crammed into bookcases.
There were two large windows cattycornered from one another, letting the sun shine in and illuminate the medals on display. Janco noticed that the office was cluttered with things from the king's reign, and he was surprised that the Commander allowed it.
The advisor himself was a broad-shouldered man. With gray hair and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of spectacles, and he wore a black uniform that was perfectly pressed.
"Thank you, young man. I can take it from here. You're dismissed." He stated, not looking up from his writings.
Sef made a slight bow to the colonel, before Janco turned to him and nodded. Sef returned the nod- the look saying 'good luck'- and promptly left the room. Janco glanced back over to the advisor who was shuffling through papers.
He stood there for a few moments and was starting to get antsy. He didn't want to just stand there in awkward silence, and exhaustion from the journey was starting to wash over him. With his patience wearing thin, he shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the desk, preparing to sit in the opposite chair.
"Stop," Hatch ordered. Janco froze mid way from sitting and looked at Hatch. "I didn't say you could sit there."
Janco straightened up. "It's the only chair in here. Besides, I didn't want to just stand at the door. What do you want me to do?"
Hatch took off his specs and set them down on top of his work. If looks could kill, Janco thought. "You do what I tell you to do. I didn't tell you to leave that spot and I didn't tell you to sit in my chair."
Janco rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be there. In that room. He just wanted the books he needed to read and the assignments he was to do and be on his way. He didn't receive an appropriate breakfast that morning; only given a ration of bread and water from Curly- who was stingy with it- and he was starving. He also wanted to take a good bath and wash the stench of imprisonment off of him.
"Look," the aging advisor began. "I read up on you. I know all about your petty thievery and other juvenile ways. Don't think you are going to get the best of me. I've dealt with punks like you before. And don't think that just because I'm a retired soldier that I have gone soft… and weak."
"So what do you expect from me?" Janco asked.
"For one," he held up one swollen finger. "I want you here. Right after your unit is finished with lunch. Ready to learn…and clean." He added taking in Janco's disheveled appearance. Janco hasn't had a chance to bathe since his arrest.
Well, at least I know what to do when I get out of here.
"You are not sitting in my chair in the state you're in." He added.
"So you're just going to make me stand this whole time?" Janco huffed.
Hatch nodded. "For the time being, yes. But now you know what to do for the next time."
Janco shifted his stance. "You know, it's not like they gave me a chance to change or anything."
"Not my concern." Hatch replied. "Now, we're wasting time. Go to the bookshelf over there and grab History of Ixia, The History of Sitian Magic, The Great Reconstruction, and Military Tactics Throughout the Ages."
Janco retrieved the books in question and returned them to the desk. Hatch gave him to kneel on the floor, so Janco did just that. And in that uncomfortable position he began the first of many lessons he was to have.
xxxxx
Janco left Advisor Hatch with the stack of books in his hands. He couldn't believe he had to relearn so much history, and on top of that learn about the military territories and tactics. He was happy to be out of there though. They spent hours going through the royal bloodline and other boring useless facts that nobody cares about.
It was midday and Janco was deciding whether to find the dining hall to eat or to find the washrooms. Overall his pride got the best of him and won over his growling stomach.
He went back to his new room to drop off the books. He noticed that his roommates haven't come back yet because the room and their belongings were still untouched.
He gathered up his change of clothes and other items and headed for the baths. According to Sef, there were two designated public bath areas. One for all the servants in the castle and one for the soldiers in the barracks. Of course, the Commander and all of his advisors had their own private suites.
Lucky bastards, Janco mused.
He made it to the baths, enveloping in the soothing warm water. When he dressed, he found a shaving kit and trimmed his hair. His brown hair was getting a little long and he hated the look on him. Janco preferred the short crop. Easier to maintain.
After giving himself a trim and a clean shave, Janco winked at the mirror and looked over his reflection. He was wearing the standard wear for all the military personnel. A tan pair of pants and matching top, he was to wear this to all trainings and meals, and a pair of black boots. Except for—he was told—when they had free time and were allowed to go into town.
He got rid of his soiled prison garments and explored the complex. He essentially had the day off and it was only midday. He knew to enjoy it while he had the time.
Janco wanted to observe some of the trainings, just to get an idea of what he was in for. Going towards the training yard, he stopped when someone called out to him.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the new greenie." A voice behind Janco sang. "No. You're not even up in the ranks as a greenie."
Janco turned around and was face to face with Curly. "You're a maggot, below a greenie. You're only here because you didn't want to tough it out in the dungeons."
Janco was getting that uneasy feeling in his gut again, but this time the feeling travelled up to his right ear. He suppressed the urge to rub it- which he did to calm his nerves.
He looked in the cold dark eyes of the man, trying to remember Sef's warning.
He said try to avoid Curly at all cost, but never said what to do when he found me. Except not pissing him off of course. Too bad that was one of the things Janco was very good at.
"Is there something you want, Cur- Ryker." He almost slipped and said his designated nickname for Ryker.
"That's sir to you, maggot. And just so you remember that I think it's best if you do twenty pushups right now?"
Janco scoffed. "You have got to be kidding me?"
Ryker looked amused at Janco's refusal. "Are you disobeying direct orders?" He challenged.
I knew this guy would give me hell. Swallowing his retort with his pride, Janco went down on all fours and started. He did five when he felt Ryker's heavy foot on his back and push him to the ground.
"You know…sir," he grunted. "It's kind of hard to do this when your foot is on my back."
Smirking Ryker replied, "That's exactly the point. Now stop talking and give me twenty."
Janco did as he was told. He struggled to get up after he was finished, but the boot on his back wouldn't budge. "You better get used to the taste of dirt, maggot. You're going to spend a lot of your time in it." Laughing he stalked off towards the castle.
Janco just lay there for a few seconds then got up, brushing the dirt off him. He rubbed his arms which were burning in pain. "Bastard," he swore softly, hoping this run in was the only one, but he knew otherwise. Then the nagging thought of Curly being one of his new roommates sent a wave of nausea through him.
He shook that frightful thought from his mind. Surely, Sef would have warned him if so, wouldn't he?
Walking to the dining hall he saw the soldiers going in different directions. Some were headed to the castle as well, some to their rooms, and some to the training yard. Most were in the same wear as him, but he noticed the others that were dressed similar to Captain Ross. Similar only because the placement of the red diamonds were different. Janco concluded that it was probably to show who outranked whom and knew he needed to learn them.
Maybe I can find something in that one book, he thought momentarily.
After getting food from the dining hall, he went back to the training yard to see them practice. He grinned when he recognized Captain Ross in the midst of about ten men and- to his surprise- one woman. He was thankful not to see Curly in the mix and leaned against the fence.
They were lined up in one row intently listening to Ross' authoritative voice. There was someone next to him- probably a lower ranking sergeant, he thought.
The captain spoke for several minutes then the group was split into two, one going with the captain and the other with the sergeant. They went through different drills.
Janco was impressed with Blondie. Even though she was the only woman, she was able to hold her own rather well.
They came back together again and did a cool down exercise before Captain Ross dismissed them. They dispersed in different directions.
With nothing much to do, he wondered into the training yard when the coast was clear. There were still a couple of units doing their exercises, not paying him any attention.
"Janco," a friendly voice called. This time he didn't flinch because he knew it was from Sef. "Come to check us out, I see." He said once he reached Janco.
"Yeah. I just saw Captain Ross' men. Not bad." He took in Sef's clean appearance and furrowed his brow. "Headed somewhere?"
"A few of us is going to the tavern to play cards and drink. Maybe even catch a show of the traveling performers."
This piqued his interest. With nothing else to do, Janco asked to tag along. Sef was wary about it though.
"I don't know," he began. "I mean you just got here and you shouldn't be out too late with your first full day tomorrow."
"Oh, come on. You're not my guardian."
"No, but if anything were to happen to you, it would be my head."
"Come on. I won't stay long. I don't have any money, so I can't buy anything. Besides, I want to see the town and it would be less suspicious than me going by myself."
Sef thought it over for a moment. He knew he shouldn't, but he really didn't mind Janco's company. He just hoped this wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass.
"Alright," he agreed. "Let's go before I change my mind."
"Ha," Janco sang and did a little step.
They met a couple of guys at the gate and headed for Castletown. The journey wasn't long, and they entered the town in no time. There were people walking about, some with animals, some with children; and some with both. They passed shops and vendor stands. Janco saw that instead of black or red, they were wearing blue.
"I thought the uniform color was red in MD-6?" He asked Sef.
"That's the Commander's colors. All who work for him wear red. Blue is General Hazal's color."
Nodding in understanding, he kept browsing the different merchants. Once at Seroll tavern, they got a table and quickly got into a game of cards, ordering drinks along the way. Jorin, a darker skinned sergeant, lent Janco some saying it was no fun to place bets with nothing.
"You will probably regret that in the end. When I take all of your week's earnings." Janco teased. Janco was quite good at gambling. Besides stealing that's how he got money to travel.
The day grew and so did Janco's pockets. Biem, who hated to lose, kept challenging for a rematch and Janco happily complied, winning in the process. Sef folded early. Not much of a gambler, he didn't want to lose all the money he earned from transferring Janco. So he just sat, drank, and enjoyed the show on stage.
At a certain point, no one knows when, Janco ordered himself a drink and it didn't stop there. Pretty soon, it all went downhill for them.
xxxxx
Janco returned to his room late that evening, after getting lost a few times in the dark. Stumbling into his room, he couldn't wait to dive right in and drift off into sleep. His two roommates were finally back, both sound asleep with their clothes for the next day already laid out.
He recognized the two from earlier. They were in the same unit as him. One, with the short black hair, was in the bed under his. He was snoring lightly with his back turned. The other across the room had blond hair and was sleeping like a man in a coffin with his hands crossed at his chest. Weird, Janco thought while climbing into his bed. His head hit the pillow, falling asleep almost instantly.
He didn't even hear the wakeup call and when he finally headed to the training yard; he was met by the captains gray eyes, blazing with annoyance, and hard stares of his militia.
I told you Ari would be in this chapter. Didn't you see him? Lol. Well, the next chapter will come out quicker since it's half written and it will be in Ari's POV.
So stay tuned and review!