A few seconds of tense silence passed. The group of trainees blinked. Some even rubbed their ears to ensure they had heard correctly. However, the vast majority resorted to something more drastic.
Cries of outrage rang out in the clearing, chastising the scarred male. The crowd seethed in silent anger. He had just trampled on their pride.
"Oh, oops. Did I say that aloud?" The Instructor raised his hand and sealed his mouth shut. Nico's brows rose in the air. A look of surprise momentarily flooded his features.
This was not the type of instructor he had expected to be in charge of the Camp.
The scarred man turned in his direction as if reading his thoughts. His lips curved upward in a mocking grin that quickly morphed into one of judgement and scorn.
"Enough!" the man boomed. A cold expression suddenly appeared on his face. "Do not test the limits of my patience. Who are you to chastise me? A bunch of pathetic fools dare do such a thing. I'm afraid you're still too green." William sneered. Nico witnessed a flash of momentary disdain flicker through the man's eyes as his gaze swept through the aspiring trainees.
The contempt increased when the instructor's gaze clashed with Lucas.
The haughty trainee clenched his fist. He gritted his teeth. How dare that puny instructor treat him, the heir of the Stanburg Family like that?
"You weak ants seem to have gotten the wrong idea. First, you will all be addressing me as Sir or Instructor William. Second, my orders are the law here. Failure to comply will just see you suffer an extremely unpleasant plight… and trust me when I say that some would rather die than experience that. Have I made myself CLEAR?!" William's voice rose an octave higher.
A bead of sweat slid down Nico's forehead. He quickly hid the frown that appeared on his face. Looking to his right, the boy found his companions staring forward with unreadable expressions.
A grim air surrounded them. Nobody had expected their instructor to be so domineering.
However, upon deeper thought, Nico soon understood. Their Instructor wasn't here to play. His job was to get them ready for the Awakening Ceremony and coddling them certainly wouldn't help.
It would actually do more harm than good.
That was why the white-haired man had come out and made such a strong first impression. It would set the basis for the trainee's behaviour during their stay in the Camp. The young man nodded in enlightenment.
William shifted his gaze toward Nico once again. He studied the young man's features for a moment. Lean, with an unassuming visage. The white-haired male noticed an aura of suppressed gloom constantly surrounding the boy.
His jagged birthmark was the centre of attention.
The Instructor nodded imperceptibly. An action so brief that Nico questioned if he had seen it at all. Maybe it was just a figment of his own imagination?
After hearing a chorus of 'Yes, Sir!' or "Yes, Instructor William!', the white-haired man showed a satisfied expression. "Alright, with that out of the way, all of you can enter the Camp. I have posted your living arrangements on the board in the centre of the premises. I want all of you to change into your Camp clothes in five minutes sharp and meet me in the Weapon Pavillion. We still have time for a brief lesson before dinner."
With that, the man turned away and walked into the Camp. His shadow lagged in the light of dusk.
***
The crowd of trainees soon regained their wits. They looked to the side and examined the expressions of their peers, and found that it mirrored their own. Shock, surprise and, most of all, fear.
The image of the man's cruel eyes remained vivid in their minds. A nervous shiver spread through their ranks. Under the piercing glare of Instructor William, they had become like meek little lambs.
Nico sighed. At least his time spent in the Training Camp would be eventful, if not entertaining…
He, along with Leon and Henry, were the first people to step forward and enter the metal gates. The ground beneath their feet changed. Before, the earth had a slight softness to it. Now, however, it was firm.
A lone trail led forward.
Rows of trees stood on either side like verdant soldiers at attention.
With his back straight, mirroring the tree's posture, Nico strode forward. Hope bloomed in his chest.
Hope… for a better future.
The path in front of the trio widened. After a certain point, the trees vanished, to be replaced by metal borders. The barbed fence surrounded the perimeter of the Camp encasing it in a rectangle. This place was off-limits to outsiders and the barbed wire made sure of that.
Passing by the wired encampment, the three wooden cabins that Nico saw from above came into view. Up close, they were even more impressive.
The furthermost left building was made out of some sort of polished oak. A metallic statue of a valiant knight stood with the tip of their sword plunged downwards into the earth, in front of the cabin.
Nico shifted his gaze as he stared at the middle cabin. The largest of the three. The material seemed to resemble something akin to sandy birch. A similar statue to the first stood.
The only difference was, instead of a Knight, a mighty warrior held a vicious spear in their hands. The tip of the weapon pointed upward towards the firmament in sheer determination.
Turning his head, Nico gazed at the furthermost right cabin. A type of dark polished wood covered the building's exterior. It appeared especially menacing in the orange glow of twilight.
The effigy of a lone archer stood near its entrance.
The huntress had nocked multiple arrows on the bowstring. She had her sharp gaze trained on the skies above.
Nico took all this in with a sense of awe. He felt these statues radiate an imposing aura that would lift the spirit of the most broken of men. Maybe that was why they had placed the three effigies where they were.
'Probably to instil hope.' Nico mused.
"The three Ancient heroes…" Henry gasped.
Legend had it that back when the Dungeons and Demons appeared, a group of mighty humans resisted the darkness that suddenly descended on their world. Humans had been mostly helpless against their alien counterparts.
The three Ancient heroes, however, were not. Possessing strength above their means, these humans successfully eradicated many Demons and even defeated a Duke-ranked Demon at the cost of their lives.
They were the symbol of humanity's unyielding attitude. No matter the odds, they would prevail.
Damned Demons or not.
Towards the western side of the Camp, placed right up against the fence, stood a Weapon Pavillion. Inside the interior of the canvas, a display of racked weapons greeted them from a small slit in the tent flap.
Swords, spears, and axes were just some weapons the brown-haired boy had briefly glimpsed.
Shifting their gazes to the opposite side of the Camp, the trio found many wooden huts erected on a slight mound. They noted that the brick roofs of the buildings seemed like they could protect them from the unruly elements fairly well. Much to their relief.
Finally, right where instructor William - who had mysteriously disappeared off to who knows where - had said, the two humans and half-dwarf found a large wooden notice board. Plastered on its surface, a sole piece of paper fluttered quietly in the breeze.
Walking up to the sheet, the trio soon found that they would live together in Hut number three, alongside two other roommates. Now that they knew where their accommodations were, Nico and the other two boys hurried toward the entrance of the third hut (which had the number engraved on the door).
Nico, who wanted to be the first to enter, slowly opened the door. Inside what greeted him was a rectangular room with two bunk beds pushed up against the far wall and a single bed in between.
In the middle, a circular wooden table stood. Its old, rickety legs creaked every so often.
'Not too shabby.'
Although Nico would have preferred better living conditions, he had no choice but to live with four other strangers in an extremely cramped space. On each of the bunk beds, he found a set of neatly folded Camp uniforms.
Having one last cursory glance around the room, the boy sighed and went to get dressed.
This would be his home for the next month.