As we brought the vehicle to a stop in the clearing, it was interesting to see that there were others in the clearing as well. From the looks of it even, several fire pits had been set up as if to welcome travelers.
It was a place that Thalia said was close and we should drive a bit farther to find. For this reason it was dark as we drove up and came to a stop. Some people glanced over, but others continued to poke at their fires and talk with each other.
As we all stepped out, it was surprising to see that Sir. Braedon's preparations consisted of simply laying his small bag of things on its side as a pillow. Seeing the others working to set up their sleeping bags, and set up our vehicle for the night he seemed worried like he felt he wasn't doing enough.
I walked over, the Accel spearmanship book in hand as I held it out for him to take.
"Ah, Aiden, were you able to acquire the prerequisites?"
He asked glancing over at me and taking the book.
"Only Combo star was for sale, but I think I can learn the others quick if your showing me what to do."
He nodded as he walked with me around three dozen paces from the others before looking around as if checking to make sure nothing was in the way before he turned back to me.
"Tell me, what are the three core foundational skills of accel spearmanship?"
A bit startled by the sudden question I had to take a moment before I said.
"Basic spearmanship, combo star, and accel thought."
He nodded as he gestured for me to sit down. Doing so I looked up a bit surprised as he started to gather rocks and made a small pile of palm sized rocks. He sat down across from me as to my surprise he tossed a rock to me. Without thinking my hand shot up to catch it as I looked in confusion.
"Now toss it back."
Sir. Braedon said as if it was obvious. I did so and he tossed me another rock as the line continued. We sat like that for a few minutes as I asked.
"What exactly are we doing?"
"You're still missing accel thought, correct?"
I nodded as Sir. Braedon started to toss the rocks faster, forcing me to catch with both hands as he stopped and gestured for me to throw them back, continuing at the slower speed, but slowly speeding up.
"Accel thought is a skill that is all about enhancing the body's ability to react, from catching a rock to dodging an attack, it's counted as the same. So, to teach you the goal is to make it so there is at all timed 6 rocks flying, but today I expect to be able to get at least two in the air."
As he spoke, he did so as if it was no effort at all and yet as he kept speeding up, I found my hands seemed to be lagging as the darkness around us only made it worse.
"If the plan was to throw rocks, why at night?"
I asked wincing and inwardly cursing as a rock struck my knuckle and I had to shake out my hand before continuing.
"The dark forces you to work harder on thinking while also making you use more than your eyes, in a fight your ears are just as useful, if not more so than what you can see."
I could hear the wisdom in that, yet my knuckles still stung as they demanded that I argue or something. Nevertheless, he had a point. So, I tried my best to focus, catching and throwing. As I did, I found my mind drifting, and almost like he could sense it Sir. Braedon would pick up the speed, forcing me to concentrate or get hit.
We ended up practicing for around an hour before Sir. Braeden said we should stop. Despite my best efforts, I only managed to get 1 rock to stay in the air at a time.
Returning back to camp Liora and the others were already asleep, a small note sat by the fire written in Selene's scrawled handwriting.
We are going to bed, we can see your training so we won't disturb you.
The camp sent someone over to meet us, apparently if you sleep here, you must select a time slot to take night watch, since you and Sir. Braedon are up we signed up for the earliest one. Head to the middle of camp where the tower is.
"Nice, it seems Selene's practice has improved, maybe the energy potions have been helping her beyond just her condition."
Will said floating around in my head. No, lets not shame the hard work she has put in. This is all here. I thought as I continued to look the note over noticing where she had pushed the pencil too hard or other times too soft.
As I read Sir. Braedon over my shoulder asked.
"What did they write down?"
I turned back from where he had been, and the head of height over me he was would have let him easily read the letter over my shoulder, so I was surprised by the chivalry of avoiding despite the curiosity.
"They said were on night watch for the camp and we should head to the middle. Sorry you got stuck on watch right after training."
"It's better now than waking up in the middle of the night, plus I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious to ask some questions about you and your party."
I was a bit surprised but nodded as we started to make our way through the different groups. Some had pitched tents, others seemed to have vehicles like us, and one group just had a strange door leading down into the ground like it was some bunker despite no other area having that.
The wooden guard tower was simple, a tower standing around 25ft tall with a pair of travelers leaning on the railings and yawning. Beside them a large alert horn sat pinned to a part of the railing.
They glanced down at us as we approached, heading down as we reached the bottom of a small spiraling walkway that seemed to just be a slanted slope without stairs. As they meet us we saw an elven man and a younger human woman, no older than 15. The pair walked over to us and handed us a small piece of paper.
I took the paper as the pair silently gave a small wave and headed back towards what must have been their camp. Walking up we found it to be a simple area, a small roof sat on small wooden beams in the corners as each corner had a horn. Sir Braedon walked over to a horn as if to inspect it as I opened the page to read it over.
Rules of guard duty(3 hour shifts)
1. you keep your partner awake
2. you must have at least one person in the guard tower at all times
3. if you notice anything you blow on the horn the respective amount of times. One is a potential danger, two is a known danger, three is emergency evacuation
Finishing I lingered on the top where 3 hour shifts was written as I placed the page on a chair and turned back to Sir. Braedon
"We're going to be here for a bit, and you said you had questions?"
"Yes, and do know, I mean this in no offense to you, but how did you end up with them?"
I took a moment to stare at him before I sighed and leaned on the railing.
"Well, would you believe the mutt is the one who found me?"
"Jax, the pulgist? He seems rather blusterous from what I have seen so far, and I must say Im surprised you stuck around him."
At that I couldn't help but laugh as I said.
"Yea, I was living on a mountain near Hopestone when Jax got his plate quest with something on the mountain, the others got recruited over the month it took to complete the quest and we became a party."
"I see, is it actually true that fullblood beastkin are always seeking thumbs?"
"Oh yea, one of the first things Jax asked me when we first meet was about a potion for thumbs."
Our conversation continued into our shift as Sir Braedon asked questions, and I answered them. It wasn't anything fancy, just simple idle chatter that made both of us laugh from time to time. Around 3 hours later our replacements arrived, and we went back and went to sleep at our camp.