Living in Me (Sequel to Not Gonna Die)

|Chapter 3| Emergency meeting

This chapter was a fighter, I can tell you that much.

          The two guards were stationed at the top of the stone wall that surrounded the base of Team Crafted, overlooking a rather bland plain with a forest starting up a little in the distance. They each held a tall spear in their right hand and wore a light chainmail shirt under a tunic that had the insignia of the Team Crafted alliance; A sword point down that had a small tree growing up around it, almost consuming it and blossoming with fruit.

          They were supposed to be stationed ten metres apart and stand to attention, but they had siddeled a few steps closer together and were talking, filling the rather boring sentry job with conversation. They weren't necessarily good friends but they knew of each other and after the usual pleasantries had passed ("How's the wife", "Crazy weather the other day"), they had moved on to slightly more interesting topics.

          "Did you hear about that village in the north, Trapper?" one asked, shifting his helmet a little so that it kept more of the sun out of his eyes. "Main street blasted to bits, the rumours said."

          "I'd tell you Leonard, if I were any more of a believer in legends, I'd be wetting my pants right now," Trapper said with a small chuckle, perhaps trying to mask the unease in his voice. "Whispering of men with red eyes and green eyes and living skeletons, stuff out of ghost stories I reckon."

          "Not to mention the tales of Herobrine that have started flying around again," Leonard added. "I've heard some new stories, and some of them are downright terrifying."

          Trapper shuddered and made a sign for warding off evil, earning a confused look from Leonard. "I thought you didn't believe in legends."

          "I don't really," Trapper said. "But with all the whispered disappearances, all the unexplained events, and then all these rumours of Herobrine and them suddenly pop up? It's probably just coincidence but I don't know man, it still gives me the creeps."

           "Yeah, I know what you mea- Captain's coming."

           Both of the men instantly took a small step apart from each other, faced forward and snapped to attention, making sure their spears were pointing straight up to the sky. The sound of steel boots clicking on the rough stone came closer as their Captain approached from somewhere behind them and came to a stop. Both men were tense as there was a moment of silence.

          "Trapper, I need you to run a message," the Captain said. Trapper looked over as he was addressed and saw that the Captain was holding out a sealed envelope for him. "Take it straight to General Seto, he should be in the alchemy building."

          "Yes sir," Trapper said, saluting and taking the envelope before running down the wall and taking the first set of stairs he came across down to the ground. Leaving his spear leaning against the wall, he took off through the base.

           As it was every day, the streets were full of citizens and recruits alike going about their business, with the air full of the chatter of the crowds, the ting ting of blacksmith hammers on hot steel, the call of shopkeepers advertising their wares and the smell of hot bread, fruits and vegetables.

          The training grounds were full of recruits armoured up in varying degrees, with wooden weapons in hand which they used to attack padded poles, the yelling voices of the Commanders and Captains becoming a nice backing track to the rhythmic twack of the weapons. Trapper turned to run alongside the grounds, coming into sight of the far corner where the more advanced recruits were training against each other, fully armoured to protect them from the hardwood swords.