Fate Weaver's convergence

C11 A Swordsman

Over the course of the next few hours, Lorn was dragging Hatsumi and me around the city. We went through the merchants' square where nearly any manner of good was up for sale. Through the Farmers Market, where people from the cities outskirts were still off-loading their fresh produce. And along the lines of the shops that were actually located within buildings. The construction felt so exotic compared to what I'd experienced before. It gave off a feeling that the city was far older than it necessarily was, even for fantastical standards. For a frontier city, almost all the roads were paved either with some strange sandstone or bricks. Passing all kinds of building as we walked, we were headed for the city walls.

As we walked, Hatsumi had been pointing out key routes to and from the Adventurers guild, so I'd at least always be able to get home. From there, she pointed out the route to leave the city and enter its outskirts and the forested area just beyond. Where I would be safe, where I was to avoid, and areas we may go to eventually to practice our hunting together. We ended up taking a walk along the length of the walls from atop it, where there were guards every fifty meters or so. Apparently, the Guild master also was a position working along with the cities guard. Lorn was only called up in emergencies, however. She said it was as to make co-operation between adventurers and the guard streamlined and to keep the guard from overstepping its boundary by conscripting adventurers.

Before I had even known, we had come out one of the entrances. The lapses in time seemed so strange. I had felt them a few times throughout the day. To be a kid again, I didn't think hearing about this place, and small things about this world as we went, would have passed the time so quickly. We were never able to get too far into anything, though. Both Hatsumi and Lorn were adamant about not going too in-depth until they could teach me one-on-one; they wanted my full attention to ensure nothing was missed or misunderstood. In Hatsumi's words, "We do not want you to suddenly miss something that could mean the difference between your life and the worst possible outcome." So, we agreed if I'd had questions, I'd do my best to remember them later.

Walking along the side street next to the exit, Lorn explained where we were headed next; To the city blacksmith. We were going to meet Callum rather than waiting for him at the guild since we were nearby. Apparently, it was a building that constantly expanded upon already surveyed set of land. When a new blacksmith came along, or an apprentice had become a blacksmith themselves, they simply expanded. The Building supposedly was entirely for working on the lower floor with storage and temporary quarters above each of the shops for their respective smiths. Growing up, Hatsumi had known him in another place when he was just a smithy's apprentice. However, upon completing his training, he cast it aside. He had found a passion in the sword. So much so that he'd taken up adventurer work specifically so he could have a profession that allowed him to hone it without being bound to orders had he been a guard or a soldier. He often would spend time at one of the vacant smithy's set aside for temporary use, rather than occupying himself with another job. He used the free time to maintain the team's equipment and constantly train on his sword.

How they describe Callum...I can empathize with him. From my time on earth, I had constantly skirted any work that could be reasonably avoided. I chose to spend what time I had from when the war began practicing my marksmanship or committing to drills. Switching to my sidearm, reloading, clearing malfunctions, and firing from nearly every position I could put myself in. I can't count how many rounds that I'd expended-. Haaah, this isn't good; my nerves just started acting up. While it's good to know that this body feels those signals, that it feels ready to move, It's concerning that with those signals, the nervous twitch has followed. Just thinking about that time had me smelling the fresh air mixed with carbon, gun oil, and the faint feeling of humidity early in the morning. Feeling my fingers twitch and my eyes already scanning, that isn't something a kid should be exhibiting, even if it's me in here. It had been six years of training to try and stay alive through it. It feels like a complete waste considering the last thing I remember was getting in my truck. I had made it through, just to die to something I never saw coming. But I can't look back and say I still wouldn't have done it. I probably would have tried harder, even If it wouldn't save me. After all, I was scared. Really scared.