No matter how many times I had stared at the night sky, with four moons hovering above, it was always a breath-taking sight. If all the great painters in existence had converged and painted their own interpretations of this unparalleled beauty, we’d have a museum of painting that would charge an exorbitant amount of money just to get in.

“Ruigne, are you there?”

Fully immerse in the atmosphere, I felt that time truly stopped at this moment and everything unravelled themselves in my eyes. The world shines at its best when a man’s tranquillity brings enlightenment upon himself.

“Rugggnnniiee!”

As I continue to ponder on the multitude layers of beauty that this sight possessed, I felt an incessant voice was calling me back to reality.

“Ruigne, if you don’t get down here, I’m telling Vefal you’re being an asshat!”

“She doesn’t know what ‘asshat’ means.”

“… ‘Harhac’ means ‘asshat’ in Herlf, Kiefy taught me that.”

With one of the cursing words in the Elven language from the world where Kiefy and Vefal was from, August was tiredly called me out.

I finally came back from whatever reverie I was into. I was lying on top of a lower roof of the first floor of this particular watchtower surrounded by rainforest. From below, August was calling to me with tiresome expression.

“It’s your turn, I wanna rest now.”

Without waiting for me to answer, August went inside the watchtower to take a rest.

I took a deep breath, got up and jumped down.

It had been three months since I was summoned here. It wasn’t only just me, but twenty three other beings had also been summoned.

It’s an amalgamation of how many fucked up beings you can gather in one place, literally. The terms were that you need to be at your most miserable and that you have some predestined rise to greatness but for various reasons, you can’t or you refuse.

I still don’t quite get the requisitions required.

Anyway, in these three months, I had learned a lot. Much more than the time I learned in University.

I learned much about the history of Eoum and the general workings behind the societies in Athryshiayl.

My physical capabilities had also increased, but not to the point that I can consider myself fit or able to run for more than ten laps… or anything remotely physical like that.

My Eomancy is my main strength in terms of fighting as I had diligently practiced, studied and trained myself in that art.

I see myself as ‘support’ to my group; so I worked the hardest on what my group needs.

In terms of relationships, I had nearly befriended most of the summoned; except a select three or four due to conflicting differences. With Vefal, we have a close relationship, but the problem was that both of us don’t seem to know how to take it to the next level. I guess this is what happens when you take two socially awkward adults trying to connect on a deeper level.

I shouldn’t have read Nietzsche’s: ‘The Gay Science’ or Franz Kafka’s: ‘The Metamorphosis’. Those kinds of book make your view in life become jaded and apathetic.

As of now; I guess I have mostly adjusted to myself in living here.

Wow, only two dots had passed.

As I patrol around, someone came out the entrance of the watchtower.

“I’m here to replace you Ruigne.”

A stern and domineering voice of a woman had said that. It was the red-haired lady knight who wore the same leather armour when she was summoned.

“”Okay, I’ll go inside then, Katarinova.”

I greeted her with a slight smile and she nodded.

Three weeks ago, we have an exchange member program with the other group of summoned people, as part of training, a three-member exchange to be exact.

Right now; August, Kiefy and I were grouped with Katarinova, Vassilanov, the red-haired man, and Krolve from the red-haired and green-haired group. Vefal, Akujin and Erganisu had then also grouped up with their other teammates which were Annastasha, Amitva and Ghozano.

This exchange would last for three months and after that we exchanged members with another group. Supposedly all of the exchanges would last at least a year or so.

Oh, there was an incident where the Communication Spell that was cast on the day of our summoning had expired two months ago. Hilarity ensued when we realized we don’t talk the same language. No wonder in General Education, we were taught the alphabet but in terms of our verbal communication, it seems that if we are exposed long enough to the Communication Spell, it will come naturally to us.

Lastly, I had tried snooping around for any information about various shady things about our benefactors, but that was almost impossible as all of the Natives had nothing but good things to say about the past summoned and the Inheritors. It seems like I will never gain anything in Athryshiayl regarding this.

“Go take some rest.”

Katarinova was looking at me curiously as I stopped suddenly due to me having the internal monologue. Keep forgetting my long-winded introspection effected real time. Realizing that, I quickly nodded and went inside after she said that.

Inside was like the structure of an Fhagec and two figures were taking a rest by slumping with their backs against the wall. One of them was August, snoring loudly as he slept while the other one was Vassilanov or ‘Gigolo’ or ‘Play Boy’ or that ‘Womanizing Bastard’ as I like to call him. He was still awake because we shared the same shift rota.

He turned his sight towards me.

“Eh, Ruigne, seen any maidens in need of rescue?”

“Nope; but I did see a red-haired lady who can rescue said maidens, much better than both of us.”

I took the space next to August’ left side and made myself comfortable.

“Aye, Rino is the best warrior from our world and that’s why she’s the captain of the Royal Guards. She can beat you and me while reciting the great Epic of Monomakh.”

He chuckled. He turned towards me as he was on Augusts’ right side.

“But I’m refuting your claim. If we are talking about who can best rescue a maiden, then that would be me.”

“I don’t know. If we are looking in terms of score, excessive touching with our hands would penalize us heavily.”

“You mean groping? Hey, if a man touches a woman with good intention, it doesn’t count!”

......

This is stupid thinking.

“Whatever; let’s get some rest, we need to head out to the village soon.”

I promptly closed my eyes. I could hear him still talking but it was like a distance had separated us and then-

--

“Ruigne, wake up. Can’t you smell the Shreskav?”

I heard August calling me. Dawn had broken.

I wonder how many hours had passed since yesterday.

As I was still blurry from trying to go fully conscious, I got up. I nearly slumped back down but I managed to hold onto the wall behind. Sleep deprivation is one of the enemies I cannot deceive.

“Whoa, got a hold of yourself, man!”

August came beside and assisted me in standing up properly. I don’t know whether my anaemia was fully cured, but I do get drowsy and tired sometimes, but not often.

We went outside and there stood Katarinova and Vassilanov just in front of the watchtower.

“Ruigne and August, both of you go wash up quickly. Both of you are going to the village with us today.”

Katarinova, with a commanding tone, told us as we huddled towards the bathroom just outside of this watchtower. We nodded affirmatively towards her.

After washing ourselves, I got my shit together and even though I was still sluggish, I had perfect control of my body. Note to self, don’t go stargazing during off-time or rest-time on the night watch.

We reported ourselves and after some preparation we were off. Since we were officially part of the army, all of us had been issued with and wore the standard feathered decorated leather armour, but most of us had some added some personalized touches like Kiefy, with his old cloak or Katarinova with some embroidery from her old armour.

Along the way…

“Hey Rino, Ruigne said that out of the three of us, you’re the best at saving a maiden in distress!”

Vassil gleefully told Katarinova. She snorted lightly.

“Aye, no mistaking that, both of you are too perverted to touch a girl properly.”

“Yeah, that was my main point.”

I quickly agreed with her. August was chuckling to himself as he listened to our conversation.

We banter back and forth to stave out our boredom. After a dot of Ethka had passed, we had arrived at our assigned village. The village, just like our watchtower, was surrounded by verdant rainforest. In fact, the all parts of Athryshiayl I had been, everything was covered by large tract of rainforest.

Each of the group had an assignment of keeping watch on the border village. From what I understand, Athryshiayl has a natural ley-line placement on the border that prevents monsters from the recess from entering, but lesser monsters that has a minor amount of corrupted energy can enter or pass-through.

Although there is a border regiment guarding each village, some of the incursions were heavier, so the summoned had been dispatched to the villages that are suffering from those incursions.

It’s also part of our practical training.

When I first heard of this assignment, I wondered why there are border villages, but I got my answer when I asked Keh Tauzad. It was because there are some important resources that are only obtainable near the border and these villages’ sole existence was because of that.

“It’s been a week, but the last incursion occurred two weeks ago which we participated in, but it was quite a lacklustre experience. I don’t mind the peace and quiet, but there’s nothing much to do here either.”

As we had entered and reached the centre of the village, Katarinova lamented on the state of the situation.

It’s true that nothing had happened and most of us were bored out of our minds, because we only had combat training, books and games to entertain ourselves.

A guard representative from the border regiment was waiting for us at the rest-house.

Most of the villagers and guards here, were to only build easy-to-dissemble shelters; instead of permanent Fhagecs because of the high rate of monster incursions.

There were also few villagers too, as most of them are not permanently living here, but only decided to work for some of the Quilens.

We entered the rest-house.