#garleanstalker

[garleanstalker]

Wielding a blade once again...

[winterdeepelegy]

Entry #8: Reprogramming

Prompt #8: Shadows

The room was scarcely decorated, its floor lined with dense matting, striking dummies and other training equipment placed here and there.  At the far end sat a lone figure.  0178 guessed he was middle-aged, perhaps over 50 summers, but it was hard to tell from the scales which lined his jaw and the corners of his eyes which hid any age lines.  He had what the youth supposed were horns, but which reminded him of late spring seed pods ready to burst. A beastman? he wondered. Whoever or whatever he was, the man was dressed in attire which he’d only heard described by soldiers returning from distant Othard.  He supposed this was what a martial arts teacher might wear.  It hardly looked very protective for anyone wishing to explore any form of combat.  0178 was not alone in this visit, either.  Five others were also sent here to be trained, though none of them were selected from among his siblings.  He knew none of them, nor what cohorts they might have come from. “Welcome.”  Their host stood and bowed to greet them all, his blank face never once shifting to show emotion.  He wasn’t here to be their friend, yet he also didn’t regard any of them with open disdain.  His would-be students looked at each other hesitantly but soon bowed in return, albeit garnished with awkwardness. “I am Goro, but you will refer to me as Sensei.”  He looked to each in turn, “You’re all here because you’ve been selected to learn the ways of the Shinobi.  Those who complete my training will go on to be recognized as Imperial Shadows.  Your purpose as such will be revealed when the time comes.  What are your names?” Each student gave their name, except for the Duskwight at the end of the line.  Goro stared at him impatiently and it felt like his gaze was burning through the mask concealing 0178′s eyes. “I asked your name, boy.” “0178, sir.” “Sensei. And that’s not a name.” “Sensei, sorry,” he sputtered anxiously, "We... we don’t have names.” The entirety of the exchange passed with a notable slouch in his shoulders and his eyes turned to the floor, though this couldn’t be seen by the elder Raen in front of him.  “I will have a proper name out of you, boy, or I will send you back to your commanding officer with your limbs tied in a knot.” He flinched all the more at the threat and stammered out the name no one else cared to know, let alone refer to him by.  His mind turned back on all the brow-beating he used to get from his biological sire, the thrown books and other things, any of which he felt would come flying at his head at any second.  “Glace, Sensei...” Goro nodded.  “After this session, you will remain once the others are dismissed.”

As it turned out, Master Goro was not unkind.  He spent no time belittling the boy, and instead tried to pry him out of his shell.  He would keep only the most confident of those sent to him, and sometimes this meant destroying entire walls to reach those he felt would be worth his time. He took time to prepare tea, rice, and fish, and made certain 0178 had a good meal before he was dismissed to return to his routine.  The young man was sure he’d never had better in his life, and it might have been the promise of future offerings like it which kept him eager to return, not simply for the sake of orders.  “So they call you by numbers because you’re supposed to be a weapon.”  Goro scratched at the tuft of scales on his chin and shook his head, “You’re only a weapon in the sense that you’ve been implanted with a few extra parts. You were sent to me because what I can give you is the best form of combat suitable to those things.  You will be a proud Shadow one day, Glace.  Mark my word.”

[garleanstalker]

--- : Continuing on, I lost the match. I have never lost before! In my grief, Nero suggested I play something to get my mind off it. Well. More like demand. This was unexpected of him and... sweet of him, really I felt my heart race. He forced me to play one of those crane games.

[garleanstalker]

Am I dreaming?

[garleanstalker]

Daydreaming

[garleanstalker]

— “…to hells with the Warrior of Light.”

[garleanstalker]

What has Keian been up to lately?

“I am trying…my hand at wielding the axe once again. I have not done so since the Calamity. There is a strange tingling sensation I have not felt in a long time.”

[garleanstalker]

On the road...