The three hour walk through the forest passed quickly due to Zander's preoccupied mind. Before he knew it, the village of Piscium spread out below him as he emerged from the trees. The smell of sea salt and fish filled his nose as he approached. He could make out the sails of large ships over the rooftops of the buildings. The village traced the sea in the shape of a crescent moon. People bustled about with their everyday business. Vendors selling fruit and various items yelled and competed for customers. Though he had been to Piscium several times, the amount of people and conflicting smells and sounds took his breath away every time.
Being that it was located in the northeastern part of Zander's homeland Patriae, and southwestern part of the land of Terram, Piscium was an important port for many ships. It was also one of the perfect places to gather up volunteers for the Semper Vitae from Patriae and bring them north to the headquarters of the Semper Vitae in Terram. Where exactly this was Zander had no idea, as it was a closely guarded secret. He knew from his father's many stories that even the new recruits would not be told the location. All he knew was that it was located somewhere in the western part of Terram.
Zander wove his way through the crowded streets and found the Town Square. Once there, it was easy to find the group signing up for the Semper Vitae. There was a group of about twenty people at one end of the square all looking nervous and carrying weapons. Zander walked toward the group as they listened to a speaker. He was clad in armor that bore the Semper Vitae symbols. Zander stood at the outside of the group and listened intently. He was saying,
" . . . Be expected to show bravery and loyalty. Each and every one of you will be trained and ready for battle after the training we have to give you. The Vitae have many members and our ranks are growing quickly. But with the recent increase in attacks by Aeternam Vitium we need all of the members we can get. As such, the requirement of acceptance for the Vitae has decreased greatly. So let's load up all you pansies and get you to the training ground where hopefully, we can knock some sense into you and get you battle ready," Zander raised his eyebrows and thought to himself, wow if there all like this then I might not enjoy this as much as I thought.
The crowd of people began shuffling toward the awaiting wagons that would take them to the Vitae training camp. They made their way to the other side of the street where the wagons came into view. They consisted of a simply wood floor with four wheels and a two-foot wall around it to prevent you from falling out; each was being pulled by two horses.
That's great; Zander thought sarcastically, that will make this trip better. After listening to the Vitae leader's speech, he doubted that they would stop and find cover if it rained. He sighed and fell into the single file line along with everyone else. The Vitae leader was writing down people's name, height, and then assigning them to a wagon.
Zander looked around at the people in line around him. Most were dressed as he was in simple tunics and boots. A select few were dressed in finer clothes, marking them as the wealthier recruits.
He was taking all of this in when the person in front of him turned around and tapped his shoulder, "You might want to watch up front," the wiry haired kid told him laughing. "Yeah this is gonna be good!" Zander turned his attention to the front of the line were a lavishly dressed youth that couldn't have been any older than Zander himself seemed to be having a heated but quiet argument with the Vitae leader. Something that Zander himself had already noted never to do.
He watched as the Vitae leader disregarded the quiet nature of the argument and said angrily, "If you have a problem with the transportation than you are more than welcome to walk!"
"I refuse to be treated with such disrespect!" the lavishly dressed youth replied, also raising his voice. "I will not ride in such a lowly way! Transportation like this should be reserved for paupers only! Not the rich and noble like myself!" Zander had already assumed that the lavishly dressed youth was not the brightest, and his opinion of him was steadily dropping even lower..
"Look. If you don't like it, then too bad!" the Vitae leader yelled. "Out on the battlefield no one gives a whoop if you're rich or poor! You either fight or die! So just because I can I'm not going to put you in the same wagon as your rich buddies and you can spend the ride with what you call paupers! Now get the hell out of my sight before I really get mad!" The rich kid stormed away red faced to his appointed wagon where he sat crossed legged scowling.
"Serves him right the rich prick," the wiry haired kid said. Only then did Zander notice the girl that had been in line behind the rich youth. She was dressed neatly in nice clothes and you could tell she was wealthy. Only unlike the lavishly dressed youth who seemed to strive to show his rich status, she looked as though she wished she were anything but rich. She had shoulder length brown hair and was, Zander noted despite his newfound prejudice against the rich, extremely pretty. she looked up and met his eyes. He quickly looked away but couldn't help but notice that her eyes were a light shade of brown. When he looked away he realized that the wiry haired kid had been watching him intently.
"Wouldn't think too much about that," he said. "The rich don't mix with the poor. It's just the way it is. Honestly though, I think I'd even give it a shot for a girl like that." He winked at Zander. "My name is Puganto. I know. Stupid name right? Most people call me Pug for short." Zander blinked in surprise. He had wiry brown hair that fell across his heavily tanned and freckeld face. He had watery blue eyes that sparkled with witty intelligence.
"My name is Zander," he replied.
"Zander huh? Ugh, that name sounds so stiff! Makes it sound like I'm talking to a noble or something. No offense of course," Pug added quickly. "Hmmm what should I call you? . . . Oh I know! Zads!" Zander stared at him in wonder . . . "Okay maybe not Zads. That sounds like a nickname for a sweetheart. Ha, maybe you could get that pretty rich girl to call you that. Hmm . . ." He paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed and his hand rubbing his chin. "Der . . . Zan . . . and . . . no those don't sound right . . . Oh what about Zane? Doesn't really sound like Zander but it least it's not so stuffy sounding. Oh look sharp were up next!" Pug told him.
"Name and height?" the Vitae leader asked Pug.
"Five feet six inches!" Pug replied proudly.
"Name?" he asked bored.
"Puganto Brevis," said Pug.
He snorted loudly. "Name like that you must be from eastern Patriae eh? Not a good name for a fighter that's for sure. Bit scrawny too. If it was up to me, you never would've made that cut. Unfortunately that's not my decision. Wagon two," he said pointing toward a wagon. Pug stuck out his chest and walked defiantly to his wagon. What Pug didn't realize is that with his round face this made him look like a bloated fish. Zander laughed out loud and decided that he didn't mind Pug.
"What are you laughing at boy?" asked the Vitae leader. Zander's laughing ceased instantly at the harsh tone. "Name and height?"
"Za . . ." He was about to say Zander when he remembered his conversation with Pug. From what he had seen so far, he would prefer to distance himself as much as possible from the rich recuits.
"Did you forget your name boy? You know we don't accept mentally ill kids into the army."
"Zane!" He said after a moment's hesitation.
"How do you spell that?"
"Excuse me?" Zane answered taken aback.
"Are you deaf!" the Vitae leader shot at him.
"No sir!" Zane answered. "Z . . . A . . .Uhhh," his mind raced for an answer, "N . . . E?"
"Don't even know how to spell your own name. Typical! With the riffraff their letting in these days it's a wonder the Vitae is even holding out. Last name?" he asked.
"Uhhh," Zane replied thoroughly embarrassed now. "I don't know sir."
"You mean to tell me you don't even know your own last name!" Zane looked at the ground still embarrassed. He must have realized from Zane's expression that he wasn't joking, and he dropped the matter. "Height?" he grunted. Zane was at a loss for words and shame began to well up inside him.
"I don't know that either sir," he said sadly. He was sure the Vitae member was going to yell at him more and comment on how he wasn't cut out to be a soldier. However, knowing your height must have been an uncommon thing since the Vitae member wordlessly reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out a cloth tape measure.
"Five feet eleven inches," he said after measuring Zane. "Not too bad kid. Maybe you'll make a soldier after all. Wagon two." Zane sighed in relief and started in the direction of the Vitae leaders pointing. He studied the people in the wagon as he approached. There was the spoiled rich kid in the corner looking as though he were surrounded by mice, a tall scrawny kid with patched up clothes, a well-built youth with a square jaw, and to his surprise the rich brown eyed girl. As he reached the wagon he rejoiced in his luck as he saw Pug tucked away in the corner opposite the stuck-up rich kid. He climbed into the wagon and sat himself next to Pug across from the brown-haired girl.
"Hey there Zane!" Pug said. "I was hoping that you'd be in the same wagon. It'd be a long ride with no one to talk to." Zane nodded and looked across at the brown-haired girl. With a start he realized that she was watching him. When their eyes met, she smiled at him. He awkwardly returned the smile while averting his eyes. He looked around and found that one other passenger had joined the wagon. A mysterious man wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a big staff sat on the end. He was wondering about the man when Pug nudged his shoulder.
"Looks like old dirt face is driving," he said. Zane looked up and seen that the Vitae leader from the name line was indeed seating himself above them in the small driver's seat. With a lurch they started forward and began moving.
"I wouldn't quite call that driving," Zane said to Pug noticing, to his amusement, that the horses were so well trained that they automatically followed the two wagons in front of them. "Old dirt face" let the reigns hang down and was settling down for a nap. Pug chuckled,
"He has a good idea though," Pug replied. "I think I'm going to catch a little shut eye myself. I suggest you do the same, it's going to be a long trip." Zane heeded his advice and settled himself down in a comfortable position and tried to sleep. Despite his excitement about the days ahead, his sleepless night soon caught up with him and he fell into a deep sleep.