From there things moved fast as they headed out to meet up with the Light Brigade on a coastal town of Estrelia. From which they would find the Brigade stationed on the outskirts.
Near enough to the town for resupplying but far away enough that the whole brigade can get set up. The amount of men and tents is quite a sight, and not necessarily a good one.
Arthur travelled across the sea with what was now his squad. As he stood near the bow of their ship. Gazing out at the surrounding ocean which engulfed his every angle.
Only rolling waves of navy blue ocean returned his Stoney eyes. His life had seemed to have taken a massive turn on that fateful night, which felt so long ago.
Back then he was a small street rat with no future, the only thing he had to look forward to was the noose if he ever got caught. Now though things were different. He had his brothers in arms at his side and was respected, with some level of authority to go with it.
His squad didn't look at him with thinly veiled hatred and disgust. Instead it was with open admiration and awe for all he had achieved in training.
If truth be told he liked it in the army. Though all he had ever heard from the drunk privates who'd had too much to drink was bad, to him the army was great. He had food, water, clothes and now with his promotion he was even in charge of others.
Which he found he took to like the fish he saw now to the water around their ship. Life so far was better and the sergeant treated him like a proper soldier not like some piece of shit thrown from someone's window.
The journey didn't take too long only two or so days as the channel between the Shard and Estrelia wasn't that large. Some say that on a good day you could even see the Estrelian coastline from the cliffs near the shore.
Stepping onto the wooden port, all of the different smells assaulted his nose overwhelming him with its new and inviting world to discover.
For Arthur, who came from the Capitol, this new scent of the fish and sea salt was invigorating. The cool sea breeze which gently caressed his skin seemed to open his very body to explore.
"Alright squad lets move out, we need to make it to camp before dusk." he took command. As much as he'd love to spend some time exploring his new surroundings and learning all of the local culture time waits for no man and the sun was slowly setting by now.
All his squad mates quickly grabbed their packs before a quick thanks to his divine grace for solid ground again, and headed off half a step behind him.
"So where to now boss?" Goliath asked with a sly grin and a few chuckles from the others. Arthur still wasn't used to leadership yet and felt awkward having his friends look up to him.
Taking a heavy sigh, Arthur resigned himself to his squads constant banter. "You know where, ya big dumb oxen now get a move on." he replied grumpily, though he couldn't help a laugh soon after.
"Great going Goliath riling up the boss like that, your taking our punishment for us later for that ." Fox shouted back as Goliath's face sank in horror. He quickly panned round to see an evil little smile on Arthurs face which only sent chills down his spine.
"Oh he won't be alone Foxy, hehe." Arthur let out a low chuckle as the others stopped their goofy smiles, they too went pale now.
They made quick time after that as they started to quick march to the camp. Arthur thought that, as a gesture of goodwill, he would bring some logs and other heavy materials for the camp.
Which his squad 'enthusiastically volunteered' to carry on top of their already heavy packs. Arthur truly thought himself blessed for having such a thoughtful squad like that.
As the sun was fast setting and dusk approached, they pulled up at the camp's border. "Stop!" The soldier on guard duty called out to them. "Who goes there?" he shouted out. "It's Corporal Shard of the Warden squad."
Hearing Arthur the guard quickly straightened his back while moving aside. "The commander is awaiting your arrival sir." He saluted as he told Arthur this.
"Right thank you private. As you were." Arthur said as he started to walk onwards before suddenly stopping. "Ah yes. Private could you tell my squad where the munitions officer is as they have some gifts to drop off."
Arthur grinned as he saw his squad thanking his divine grace for the end to their torture... cough, gracious offer.
Splitting off from his squad, he made his way towards the center of the camp where the nicest and biggest tents where located. Reaching outside the central most tent, Arthur told the guards on duty who he was as they disappeared inside. As they reappeared to allow him entry he took a breath and entered.
"Sir. You wished to see me?" Arthur entered with a straight backed march and saluted the room. There were four people within the tent all around a map. The one in the middle must be the general of the Light Brigade as he held the most prominent seat and had a commanders aura around him.
He was a man in his later middling years, around fifty to sixty years of age, and time had left its mark. A ruddy face sagged with wrinkles and some scars showed a soldiers life of campaigning and his pot belly showed his officer prestige as even now in the middle of a military camp he has clearly eaten, and drank, very well.
He was the first to react as he told Arthur to stand at ease as he debriefed him on which of the two companies he would be in. From there Arthur was introduced to leftenant Colonel Lennox, who will be the commanding officer of his company.
The Colonel was the youngest here by at least two decades in his mid to late twenties. He was tall and thin with a hooked nose and high cheekbones. Steel grey eyes bore into his own with a cold apathy.
He embodied the very stereotype of a noble, bone deep arrogance ingrained into his very fibre. So very used to looking down at others. The type Arthur was all too aware will make his life hell for the sake of it, after all we can't have Nulls thinking better of themselves now can we?
After an awkward introduction, where Arthur introduced himself and Lennox barely and curtly responded back as if talking to him had dirtied him somehow. Arthur left there after and had to take a deep breath as his emotions where a mixture of nerves from the general and anger at Lennox.
Moving on quickly to remove his brewing mood, he met up with his squad at the stores where he had told them to wait for him till he was finished. But, as he arrived he saw that the mood here wasn't really better than his own.
"What's with you lads, normally I can't get you to shut up and now you're all so quiet?" Arthur asked as he couldn't understand what had happened to make his squad so gloomy.
"Nothing much Ward, just a bit of hazing's all nothing we ain't used to before. hehe.." Goliath was the first to respond as the others just gave him weak smiles. Sighing, Arthur could already tell what had happened.
They were the new and young guys coming in here with smiles and naïve expectations. The older, more veteran, soldiers were annoyed seeing that as they thought his squad were treating this as some holiday, so they thought they'd put them in their place.
For now there was nothing he could do though. He could try get the names from his squad but that's gonna be difficult at best. They were all former street rats meaning they had some contact with one gang or another and they knew what happened to a snitch.
So, Arthur decided that he will be there for next time so if he needs to he can remind these old geezers that being young doesn't mean weak.
It was on their way over to their tents that they were stopped by another squad. They older than them, maybe in their mid twenties.
You could see by the way they walked, talked and even looked they were veterans of harsh fighting. Scars lined most of them either on their arms or faces and some walked with visible limps. Hardened and dirtied faces stared down fresh ones.
Arthur stepped forward, making his his strip visible so they knew his rank. In his Divine's army, the punishment for not showing the proper respect to a higher ranking soldier.
5 lashes to the back and 10 if it was an officer. The lashes may not kill you but the infection from the terrible conditions of a military camp would and no one would be willing to test that.
"Move." One word. Just the one was all he needed and should say. He had to show he wasn't some spineless brown nose who licked the sergeants boots for his position but had earnt it.
A pregnant pause enveloped the area as the squad sized Arthur up, but in the end they grumbled and spat and whined liked hunting dogs denied a hunt before moving out of the way.
This type of encounter happened a few times as the former new recruits were now trying their turn out for hazing the 'kids' still green behind the ears. Goliath had helped out a few times, he was a tall lad and musclebound to boot so he cut a threatening figure for some of the less brave who tried their luck.
Soon enough they came to their tents. "Hey look lads! The fresh meats here." They heard a loud voice from the side. Thinking it was another group come to try push them around Arthur and Goliath stepped forward to protect the others.
"Whoa their, easy guys. I guess they already started, huh?" the same voice came again. It was coming from the campfire next to theirs.
"You guess what has already started now?" Goliath asked first seeing as these soldiers at least seemed decent to them. "Ah nothing much. Just some of the older lot decide to take out some of their shit out on the new guys.
Should stop once you've seen battle and survived it, though if you're some coward who doesn't stand with your brothers then it'll only get worse." That same person said as he stood up and stretched out his hand in greeting.
"Corporal Giddings, nice to meet ya boys!" He grinned as he greeted them. "Corporal Shard, call me Warden, and likewise." Arthur took his hand as he gave a grin back. It was nice to have another squad that didn't try anything with them.
"Ahhh damn ,young and already a corporal. Here I was proud I made it at 19 but you already got to this rank at what 15/16?" Giddings asked as he scratched the back of his head whilst laughing a little awkwardly.
"14 actually haha!" Goliath responded with a shit eating grin. He loved to make Warden embarrassed as he normally seemed set in stone for all the emotion he can show.
The other squad just looked at them wide eyed and slack jawed. "14! What the fuck, man! How?" Giddings almost screamed as the others around him vacantly nodded. Those in Arthurs squad just smiled, all they had was pride right now as Arthur was their leader, and Idol by now.
"Ward's a bit shy by his achievements but he was the top of the class in every course and basically taught and lead us even back then" Fox chimed in as he was also enjoying seeing 'Warden the rock' squirm, especially after making them all carry those heavy materials all the way to camp from town.
"Yeah, and don't forget he saved this giants sorry arse!" Butcher shouted as well making sure to get Goliath embarrassed too. For as much the squad respected the two giant warriors, they loved getting them flustered as seeing these two stoic and strong men acting like shy little kids from a compliment or embarrassing story was just too funny.
"Hahaha! I see, you seem to get along great with each other. Hey why don't you all eat with us tonight. Give you a proper welcome and not the shit the others will give ya." Giddings suggested. Taking their offer that night was spent getting to know each other as they laughed and chatted shit about one and another.
Though that all changed in the morning.