“Grant! Kenneth! I demand an audience!”

She called to the guards above a gate gritted with spikes and torches.

A silhouette took a torch above the gate and looked us town.

“Sargent, it's the captain. Bloody ell' the old captain is come to visit us!”

“Ex-captain!”

She cringed and crossed her arms.

“Well open the gate then!”

“Thomas! Langley! get yer arses on wheel! The captain's coming! ”

A sound of rushing metallic footsteps soon followed.

“Is this some sort of inspection day?”

Their boots echoed along side their worried tone.

“I hope not, I know O'Brian is on the field today.”

“Then that means.”

“I heard stories from Strauss's veterans about Captain May.”

Either they didn't realized how loud they were or they didn't notice us because it was still too dark.

As the chains were pulled up by the men turning some wheel, the groan of the waking grate like gate opened slowly for us. When we took our first step, two men wearing a coned helmet, one was round, bushy black mustache, and blood shot cheeks, while the other one taller, stoic, well shaven, and had a sharp chin.

“Commanding officer in the fort!”

The stoic tall solider called and the two soldier suddenly joined them and formed up in front us.

They carried torches, salutes, and a welcoming obedience to May.

“I'm not you're captain anymore! Old Brian is! And don't just open the quarter like that! I just demanded you're audience! And I don't want this kind of formalities when I enter, again!”

“Y-yes Ma'am!”

Her voice was clearly loud and soul shattering(Even when not being voiced at I too felt oblige to answer)but was not like the shout she gave when she was drunk.

Either way, after she shook and covered her face with a sigh.

“At ease. Grant.”

“Yes ma'am!”

The round one bellied out shivered his mustache.

“Take a man and get the training weapons on the pell.”

“At once! Langley, with me.”

“Yes sir!”

The two men then scurried off.

“Kenneth is there anyone left in the hall?”

She said whilst taking my hand and walking forwards to a building, all the while the tall, stoic, guy followed close.

“Just us ma'am, Langley, Thomas, and Grant left for guard duty.”

“Stop calling me ma'am for the mercy of the goddess. Either way, I'll be training my son again... I hope not to repeat the past so expect a visit starting from the morrow’ onwards.”

We stopped at a wooden door before she told him to return to his guarding duties as May told me to get inside.

Inside was a wide hall of sorts. Multiple green banners of a lady with flowing hair while holding an orb hang on every corner of the place. East of me was a roaring hearth with a flickering fire starving for wood whom May satisfied by chucking a small fire wood to its mouth before going inside a room.

Just next to it was a long table that could able to accommodate 50 or so people. It was filled with mugs, bowls with bones of poultry and half bitten veggies -- turnips, carrots, garlics, and mushrooms -- then clumps and crumbs of bread and cheese were scattered. If collected, the crumbs could feed and satisfy a flock of hen. But what caught my eye the most in this wide hall was a skull above the hearth. It was clearly human in origin if not for the goat like horn that curled like a conch shell. This conch like horn was above what I consider just above the ears.

When I looked near those black horns they seem to connect properly to the human skull. Then, by accident, I saw that one of it's teeth were a bit sharper on the molar, it was like a dog more than a humans.

“Do you still remember who that is? ”

Her voice echoed.

Strafing to my left, May was coming in with two plates of food. She then brushed off the left over utensils, crumbs and leftover. Caring nothing for the cleanliness. J'm surprised I haven't seen any rats or roaches, yet.

“Come, we need to eat fast.”

“Umm... Thanks for the meal.”

I said when I sat facing her.

“Sit here.”

I mean besides her.

A knife, a bowl, a sausage and a loaf of bread, that was of grayish hue rather than the black that we usually bought and serve.

“You still remember her?”

She said gobbling up half the sausage in one go and pointing the skull above the fire place.

“I... No.”

I replied slowly sawing my loaf in half.

She began to chuckle a bit as she bit the loaf.

“Ah, then I guess you won't able to annoy Old Brain anymore.”

We ate in silence for a few minuets. She was already done, and I still have to finish the half sausage, which was more on herbs than meat.

“Do you still remember how to use a sword?”

She asked while staring at the fire place.

“No...”

At this point any questions she asked like do I know how to guard, parry, or cut, strike, or deflect. All no and I feeling a bit anxious on why she's asking me all this.

“Hm... Right then!”

She then stood up and ordered me to go outside.

“We'll take this from the start then.”

I did what she told, leaving the almost eaten bread and the few inches of sausages left.

The sky has turn blue and the birds were chirping for a hunt. Still, it was dark hence the torches around a tall wooden pole proved me some light to see a tall pole that stood around six or seven feet and maybe thick as a street lamp. It was mired with cuts, slashes, and every kind of hit imaginable. I even saw a punch mark that really made me think that; “Am I going to punch this pole too?” I hope not since when I tried to it was hard. How a punch made that mark made me guess May did this.

That all aside, May complained that she wants the willow bucklers not the standard metal bucklers! Then the swords were too light, fetch him the recruits' sword not the standard.

I now know why that round solider whispered to me ‘Hang in there son’ when he gave me those heavy equipment.