Rome In The Sky: Daybreak

CH 16: Incoming, Incoming

LUKAS/AVA

Sixty-six inductees stood at attention in formation. The sky was midnight blue, before the sun, the air cold, a biting wind howling across the concrete. They wore solid black uniforms, well fitting, sleek, sublime. They did not speak, or move, rarely blinked. Light poles cast their white light down onto the formation. Lou's heart thumped out of his chest. A chill was walking up his back. He blamed the wind. Ave stood a few rows down, knuckles white, wondering what followed.

Johann, Lute, Greysen, and Naves stood in front of them, facing forward.

The rolling bass of Burgess' voice boomed over the wind:

"Thirty days ago, you stood before me, frail, battered, unsure, afraid. You stood like reeds swaying at the slightest pressure of wind. Your voices were soft, your heads held low. You were lost in an unfamiliar world. And you were surrounded, yet you were alone. Like a hammer to molten metal, we forged you. Through toil, through days without rest and nights without sleep, you learned discipline. You learned combat. You learned weaponry. You learned brotherhood. And now, whatever fight you find yourself in, we will fight together, and we will win. Because such is our nature, our birthright, our code. Even when you stand by yourself, you are not alone, and will never be again. Ad Victoriam."

"Ad Victoriam!" they echoed.

The four instructors walked down the line of students, pinning their names and a rank on their left shoulders. Most received the rank of Fifth Calvary. The quicker students, or stronger students, any that showed exception, were pinned 4th CAL. To their surprise, Lou, Ave, Jet, and a transfer from Claire's city guard were pinned 3rd CAL.

'I guess we made some kind of waves.' Ave thought to herself. 'Cause someone noticed.'

"On behalf of the first Premier of St Nero and Prime Commander of the Jury, welcome to the Calvary Regiment."

Johann walked back to the head of formation, and turned to face it.

"Right, face!"

At the word face, they turned right as one unit.

"Forward, march!"

They marched along the courtyard, past the barracks, the training grounds, and into the city. Hauser led them in the marching song he had taught them in lieu of the ceremony. He would call the one line, and they would finish with the next. His voice carried, his pitch suprinsingly true. As the twins listened to the words, it almost struck them as a warning:

Fleeting

Is our time upon a lone rock

Floating

In the endless dotted vacuum of sky

Swaying

On a pendulum we tick tock

Headlong

Into reset and repeat we all dive

Arise, collapse, revive

Amble in the dark, climb into the light

Expand, implode, collide

Energy of day, cycled into night