Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Training for a destined weight.

Two weeks had passed, and Ester just boarded a commercial tumbler, taking him to Ogmeir. It was packed with ten other passengers of various races and walks of life. No one on board would have been able to categorize Ester as wealthy. Even with two weeks, he had changed little about his wardrobe, other than the top of the line custom he splurged on. He was being quite sensible with the money and took care of any loans and home repairs of his parents. His uncle helped him invest it properly in the market and in a healthy portion of rare metals. He hadn't worried about buying a home yet, since he wasn't sure where he'd be living in five months. Although he paid rent for those coming months. A man who took the seat next to him drew his attention from looking out to the tarmac. His first glimpse of white fur sprang a short-lived hope that it was a familiar fuustramos. A false hope. The man was shorter and less white, not dirty, but an off white. Ester went back to daydreaming. After the tumbler lifted off and soared just below the clouds, he realized how long it had been since he actually had flown for a significant distance, at all actually. Not since he took to the air to find Snix in the grass. "I hope they show up." He thought.

The flight path of the tumbler headed southwest toward the Axihm gulf (shared by the nations of Kygerstav, Dunsfer, Havishcar, and Axihm) to the Baiu peninsula. Air travel across Myrn was difficult, more so in recent history. Flight became a popular mode of transportation after the liberation from combustion fuels and chemical based energy storage. But its popularity made air space unmanageable and unable to secure. Eventually, most, if not all, governments started manufacturing automated anti-air missile systems. With strict no-fly zones in the core air space of Myrn's inverse-sphere. It's for this reason the tumbler could not fly in a straight line to Baiu Yl Ogmeir on the Ogmeir peninsula but instead took a curved path inside Kygerstav airspace. Something glinting at the end of the peninsula drew Ester's focus. As they flew closer and descended, the single glint separated into various golden glints coming from the polished brass spire tops and pointed domes. The buildings that held them were made of solid, polished speckled stone. So well crafted by the ancient residents of Baiu Yl Ogmeir that the only sign of joining stones is mismatched natural formation. Ester had looked at the city from a virtual map and was not surprised by any of the city as they flew over.

He had pre-arranged to be picked up and taken to the air base on the northern section of the city. He paid no attention to during the drive. Nothing drew his attention except the moment the cab stopped. He got out with his bag slung over his shoulder and for the first time during the trip had his emotions flair. "I really hope they come." Asking around and dropping a few names leads him to a large three story office building. He slowly opens what looks like the front door, and the interior stopped him in his tracks. In every direction, the skeleton of walls soon to be built, wires tangled and dangling, no furniture, no carpet or tiles. A sound came from a far corner, but Ester couldn't tell exactly because of the echoes. "Hello?" His voice carried. A bathroom door to his right creaked open. "Martin?" Martin smiled as his eyes searched for Ester. Once they landed on him, he said, "Hey Ester!" "How long have you been here? Thought I'd be the first one here." "Just been here five or ten minutes." Ester pans around the room, takes a deep breath to say, "This is... not what I expected." "It'd be odd if you did expect it. This place is a mess." "I doubt the general had to pull too hard on those strings to get us access to this place. I mean, where are we supo-" The front door's creek startled Ester. "Hey Martin, Ester. Ho-" Snix stopped mid-sentence after seeing the interior. The most he could force out was a grunt. "Since you're here, does that mean so is-" "He's right behind me but, he may not stick around after seeing this." From the other end of the building, an elevator ding faintly rang out. Every one turned to see the doors open and a portly human male in a tropical floral shirt and tan pants walk out and head toward them. "Hey fellas. Saw ya'll enter from the security camera." Martin and Ester heard Snix groan. The front door creaked as Mac entered and without hesitation, "What is this?!" His voice carried and reverberated off the metal walls of the building.

"It's the air bases center for dynamic modular force on force training." "Is it?" Asked Snix. "You mean it will be, right?" Mac added. It was difficult to tell if the man was forcing a laugh or was an awkward laupher. "Of course it's not finished, but the training facility you'll be using is further along." "How much further?" Mac asked. "If this is all of you, I'll take you down to see it." Mac looked around over Ester and Martin. "Johaun?" "Not yet." Martin replied. "We're waiting on one then." They waited an hour for Johaun until Mac stood up saying, "Alright let's see this place, or what little of it has been slapped together." "It's down a few basement floors, so we'll take the elevator." "Lead the way." Snix didn't mean for his tone to suggest he was fishing for the man's name. He couldn't care less, but still got an answer. "Oh, right. I'm Jeremy Thunston. I already know who you all are, so need to introduce yourselves." The walk to the elevators gave the building more time to remind Mac it's not too late to go home. More reasons kept pilling on as they got closer, but the elevator ride was the sand on the mud pie. The door closed, leaving them in a pitch black darkness.

People already act odd in elevators even with people they know. They talk softer, don't talk at all, talk about anything to avoid the silence. With utter darkness added, the odd escalates. The dedication not to sway, the attempt at recognizing the velocity of the elevator, the urge to ask if the people who entered with you are still there. The elevator ding gave everyone permission to relax and the doors opening, their path out. Jeremy was the first one off to usher them into the vast concrete cavern. This room, at first glance, unlike the office space above, seemed to be in working order. The three arms that arrange the modular walls as specified before the exercises. The dynamic lighting for beacon simulation and internal isolated voice communication. Jeremy handed each of the plastic cards with embedded chips to give them access to the entire building. "I was expecting one more." He waved a final plastic card briefly before Macanaw snatched it. "I'll take it in case he shows up." "That's fine by me. I've got some things to take care of in town, so I'm gonna leave you all here."

"Let's meet here at the start of next week. Give us time to find a place to stay for five months and get everything settled." There was a tension and Macanaw was contributing as much as observing it. He wanted Johaun there as much as the others, but he wasn't, and Macanaw wrote it off as the last temp he trained and left. "About that settling in." Snix said. "We have a bit of a security concern." This got everyone's attention. "Had a few strange events and one scare. Local police aren't going to be much help and since I'll be moving here, there's not much I can do either." "Are you going to tell us what happened?" "Attempted break in, no big deal." Ester blinked while working through what Snix said. "No big deal?" "Yeah, I walked in as they tried getting the window open, so they ran. But my point is that we may want to find some cheap homes next to each other or some apartments. We're gonna want to be close to each other." "I can't imagine that there are neighborhoods just waiting to be bought." Martin cleared his throat before saying, "Ogmeir has been growing for the past year. After the alliance was formed with High Sifyar, port jobs have exploded. I'd expect housing production has matched it." "I guess we go for a drive then?" Macanaw chuckled. It was a rare tradition in his family to do what they called dream shopping. His parents would load all the kids into the car and cruise neighborhoods admiring homes they couldn't afford but dreamed of one day living in. And here Ester, a Swi'k, seemed to at least know about that tradition.

"Nah we can do some searching during lunch. Wanna get us a ride, Ester?" "Sure." Snix pressed the button to call the elevator. On the ground floor, they sat on an assortment of flipped buckets and crates until a taxi arrived. The taxi puled up and not long into the drive, before they even left the base, Macanaw told the driver, "Stop the van for a sec." Before it completely stopped, Mac was out of the taxi and with a strong strut, moved toward what the others now saw was a fuustromos that was looking from his to searching the area. Macanaw was confident be he already planned out an opener in case he was wrong. "What're you looking for, son." Macanaw said to the fuustromos, who he startled, and both made eye contact. Johaun, with a half smile, said. "I'm looking for a human man. He is easily recognizable. A short and stalky, very loud and often craves attention." "Never heard of him. Good thing I came along, would hate to see a good soldier get roped in with the wrong folks." Mac reached up to put his hand on Johaun's shoulder. "It's good you came." "Where is Snix? I was sure he would have come with you. And I was certain Ester was eager to come along as well." "We're all here. Over in that taxi. We're on our way to go get food and house shopping. We'll fill you in." Johuan nodded and walked alongside Mac to the taxi. Inside the van, the others instantly perked up after seeing Johaun. When Mac and Johuan loaded in, the team took turns welcoming Johuan and telling him how much they're glad he showed.

Dinner was at one of the oldest bars in Ogmeir. All the owners throughout its history have done everything to maintain its original atmosphere. One owner, nearly two hundred years ago, made history after winning his court case to allow taverns, bars, pubs, and clubs to be given special legal exemptions that other food services are not allowed for maintaining their authenticity. And it was worth it in this bar. With natural flame lighting, hand crafted tables and chairs blended in with the rough, dark, drink stained wood floor. The smell of burning wood, flame roasted meat, spices and, depending on where you stood, old wood. The Bay Water bar was packed from open to close, so they had to wait for a seat to open up. They were sat in the center of the building and over their meal told Johaun about the facility, the plan for housing and Macanaw brought up what they should expect from not just his plan for training but corporate mercenary life.

 The next five months were filled with rigorous training exercises. Not just for their effectiveness with a gun, tactics, reaction, tools and close quarter combat. But routines to enhance their individual strengths, stamina and speed. Macanaw and Snix were dedicated, but not heartless. Everyone got weekends off and they knew that if they needed to break away for an emergency, they could. The benefits of doing it their way and calling the shots was they could fix all the things they hated about Kygerstav regulations made by someone with their face in charts and statistical analysis. Snix and Macanaw would sit down once a month and go over their perceptions of the progress. "Johaun is definitely our heavy hitter. Martin isn't bad in a firefight, neither is Ester, but I see them getting frustrated that the training isn't utilizing their professional skills." Macanaw paused the video of a recent drill they ran in the course. "But Esters got an outlet. He's been spending time tinkering... or coding... whatever it is he does. I really don't know what Martin does." "Oh, he gets called now and then to tell some of these news commentators how they're wrong." "Ah well, Johuan has to be equally bored. He's an engineer. Not much for him to do either." Macanaw peered at the screen. "I wanted to avoid field testing. Looks like that's what we're going to do. We can't train for everything."

 Baiu Yl Ogmeir was temperate. Its summers were storm free with a slight rise in humidity. The winds pick up in the fall and continue throughout spring. Winter was the rainy season. To Ester and Martin's enjoyment, the beginning of this five-month training was at the end of spring. The team found a cul-de-sac with small but appealing houses. Johaun had his family flown in. His wife, Loreth, got a job off base selling civilian weapons and armor full time for a private businessman named Hothorn Langsmin. Macanaw's wife, Grace, also moved down. This was something she had been doing for years. She lived on bases since she and Macanaw got married and always took it upon herself to be the glue in a social circle of other military wives, no matter how short-lived. Grace had insisted that the team, and Johauns family, frequently gather at their rental to "..be social for the sake of being social." Although Macanaw would never say it out loud, he agreed. He needed to know who was going to be keeping him alive. "Needed to know? Nah." He corrected himself. "Wanted to know." Wanted to want to keep them alive. Wanted to get over the "teach, toss, tomorrow's loss" method he grew into after being offered to- no assigned to a less engaging posting. He knew it was the right call. "Harm I need some help for a minute." "Huh! Oh yeah. Sure babe!" Mac placed his carving tool next to the wood bow he had been carving. His steps stuttered as he considered putting everything away in case he got 're-assigned' to whatever task Grace put him on and wasn't able to come back. A quick glance at his I.P and he turned and left the small gardening shed he was using as a wood shop. He walked into the kitchen from the sliding glass door. "I'm here. Wh-" "The stuff for the salad's over there by the bowl." Grace, human, stood as tall as her husband and although her skin was not as dark as his. It was darker than the more pale colored humans. Her hair was black and she let it naturally frizz and poof until she just couldn't tolerate it intruding on her face every time the wind hit it. She stood tall, but relaxed. Her posture was her attitude. Like water. When it got cold, she would stand straight and stiff. Hot, she boiled, and every part of her body popped. Temperate, she flowed like a river that was going nowhere. But Mac, who stood with a strait posture, most civilians mistake for aggressive. His relaxed was still ready to move, and every movement was intentional. He was purposeful and solid. Even when making a salad, it was about the task at hand, chopping celery, shaking the bowl. To him, it was a task. It didn't create any emotional drive, it couldn't. It was just a salad.

Macanaw looked over to Grace as she was cutting some hard-boiled eggs in half. But she was standing tall and straight, her movements were stiff. She wasn't cutting the eggs like herself. She was doing it, well, like he would have. He set the salad bowl on the counter and walked over to her. "Ok what's up." She didn't answer right away. She subtly moved her mouth while chopping. "I think we should talk about why you took the job. I just feel like you-" "Okay, okay. Let's start here. Don't tell me how you're feeling. Tell me why you feel that way. I can't navigate through feelings, Gracie." She sighed, closing her eyes to bring her thoughts back to the beginning. "You could have just taken the money and stopped." "And then what? We buy a home somewhere near the coast and what I just sit here?" "No, of course not." He put his hand on her shoulder and moved it to her back. "Listen, I could not handle being some security guard or celebrities body guard. The only thing I'm good at is combat. I only have enough drive to keep me goin' for a couple more years and then my body just won't be able to keep up. There's no way I can keep goin' for forty more years." "Alright. But why the corporate military?" "Well to start. We still have to take their test. And we all agreed that IF we pass their test, we walk away if we don't have full control." "Harm it's not the corporation I'm really worried about." "Then what?" "I know you love me. But you also love your job. And I know in the moment when you get an offer to go somewhere that you just can't resist... well you won't even think twice about accepting. You won't realize what you've done until you've put down the phone." Mac looked away. She was right. She was right because he's done that. This entire conversation was because he did that. "That's fair." "I would rather you be at a job you love and you consider me in your risk assessment Sergeant" Macanaw turned her toward him and they held each other. Macanaw wanted to say he'd be better in the future. But he didn't dare lie to her. "Gracie. You're right. But I can't promise you anything. There's something about being out there and doing something I know changes things. It's who I am. All I can do is promise I won't take a job I have doubts that me and the guys can't make it out of." "That's stupid. You know why it's stupid. But you're allowed to be stupid. I guess."

 Johaun and his family arrived first. Macanaw, Johaun and his two kids went outside while Grace and Loreth sat inside while Grace got the final things ready. "Your oldest showing signs of L.R.D yet?" Macanaw was getting the grill going while occasionally making eye contact with Johuan. "Not yet, and it is probably for the better. He has no self discipline." "I'm not familiar with young Nostromos. My dad always talked about how I was just out of control then. Until he did two things. He signed me up for bashek and taught me to shoot." "You think he just needs an outlet or two." Macanaw shrugs. "Who knows? Human kids are always trying to be adults. They just get moody when they don't figure it out. Or stop trying." After getting the grill lit, he stood back and looked at the kitchen window. "Johuan, I had a thought. Maybe you could help me out. It'll be awkward." "I am quite good with awkward." "Gracie's all about communal communication and creating a cohesive environment of friends..like a tribe..." "Ookaaay?" "She's been reading a new book lately." Macanaw and Johaun entered the kitchen and whatever their wives were talking about stopped. "Oh, hey boys." Grace said as she spun around to face them. Macanaw paused for a moment. He really didn't have an entry plan. He should have been thinking about it on the way in, but he was too excited by the idea itself to think of anything else. "I had an idea. I thought we could dive headfirst into that communal bond cultivation you mentioned a few days ago." "Oh, no. Are you two in a cult?" Grace and Macanaw looked at Loreth. Neither of them knew when a Nostromos was joking. Johuan snorted in laughter first, then Grace and Macanaw followed. "I know you're not in a cult. I read the same book a month ago." "Oh good, so you're up to speed on how this works. Good. " Macanaw's eagerness was Grace's first signal he had a scheme.

 "How did you two handle this job offer?" Mac's question hung in the air as Johuan looked at Loreth, but Loreth kept looking at Mac and Grace. "What do you mean, 'How did we handle it?' It's a job. He enjoys it, it pays well." Grace had not only realized what Mac had done, but was on board and ready to dive in. "But you're not worried?" "About what?" "Johaun not coming back." "What they do and what they have done is honorable work. But even so. Several things have to fail before my husband dies. One, he has had to have made a mistake that would get him killed. Then the others would also need to make a few mistakes to let him die. And finally, your husband would need to decide to fallow a course of action that would increase the possibility of all the other things to fail." Grace already had her next question loaded. "And if they fail?" Loreth's open and casual demeanor fell and became a straight stare. "It had better have been for something worthy of the price. Because I will not tell our children he died to enrich an emotionless corporation." Her stare started at Grace and ended at Mac. "You have to understand. We come from a place where two people who are married love each other deeply, like you two do. But..." She paused as she thought about a less insulting way to say it. "We don't kid ourselves our selves about fairy tale endings." "Loreth, that was a bit too blunt, perhaps." "To blunt? Nooo. She's a strong woman. Look at her. She could carry any gun you could. Probably shoot it better too." The door bell ring cut through the laughter and Grace sprang to the door. It was Ester.

 "You're Ester right?" "Uh. Yes." "You can follow me. Johaun's family is already here." They all talked in the kitchen until Martin, then Snix, showed up, which moved them to the table. The conversations didn't die down, even during dinner, until they moved into the living room to watch a movie that just came out. A film adaptation of one of Myrns oldest stories. The myth of Howldar. The story follows Howldar, son of a blacksmith who became king after the royal family was cursed and dethroned. Howldar was puled into a new life and the old was slipping away. His father's family was selected to take the throne after the denizens called on the Djem to council them on what makes someone worthy to lead a people. Howldars father and mother were found to be nearest to what the Djem defined as "honorable and moral". But the people quickly forgot the most crucial advice given. "Remember that power is a living, mindful being. It cares not for the desires of anyone. It will try to consume and enslave all. The men you follow will always be at war with it." As Howldars father learned to wield and cultivate his power, many temptations came to him and few won. Duty came to him and swayed his dedication to his people and lead him to abandon his duty to his family. Passion came to him and took his heart and gave it up to Us Eh Tor, the master of the fallen. Though Greed failed, it paved the way for Indignation, who gave him Malice for the richer kingdoms.

On a fall evening in the Lockstep mountains, Howldar and his hunting party were attacked by a great beast none in that land had ever seen. It slew every one except Howldar whom he drug down into the dark caverns below Myrn. Into the dythlarium. There, he learned much about the beast that brought him there and of the creatures that enchanted his father. Though the Fallen tried to ensnare Howldar in their enchantment, he resisted and escaped the dythlarium. When he told his father, he grew angry with Howldar and accused him of lying and condemned him to be taken and taught by the monks of Baagat Ruum. But they did not teach him. They only tried to break his will and make him submissive. It was during his fifth year he set it in his heart that if he were to remain honorable and moral, he must escape. As the hope he cultivated faded, he acted in desperation and slew every monk of the monastery and fled.

He had an all-encompassing thought that drove his very purpose to stand before his father as a peasant would go before the king. In the tale, he met and befriended many of the families and villages who have been plagued by the king's wrath. When he reaches his father's throne, he no longer saw his father. Only the husk of a Ri'ik subjugated and inhabited by the dark beings he resisted in the dythlarium. And they knew him and their anger was on display, not his fathers. Howldar could say nothing that would ease the wrath of the king but swayed the confidence of the court. It wasn't until many years later he would address the king again. This time, however, he had an entourage of the most honorable men of Oesel. They demanded the king give them an audience. Hours of waiting, they held back the king's guard to search the castle and found nothing. The servants were reluctant but Howldar and his companions, the king, left for the woods weeks prior and they feared if word reached the other kingdoms, they would surely be overtaken.

Howldar, like his father, was asked to take the throne, and he did. Unable to search for his father himself, he allowed any man willing to take on the search. Warriors, knights and princes throughout Howldars' reign sought for the king, or his remains. In three men are said to have returned. But only one was worthy enough to be mentioned by name. Galeoth of Porfemrii, who told a tale that only Howldar could discern the meaning. Because Galeoth had ventured into the dythlarium and knew much, that was unknowable about his father. Howldar spoke to Galeoth in private and neither told the tale of their time in the dythlarium, for it was a time of great pain and evil for either. Howldar gave the throne to his son and sent word to Galeoth to meet him in the Lockstep mountains. He asked, and Galeoth agreed to help him search for a gate into the dythlarium. Galeoth returned alone, and no one asked him of Howldar's fate, because they all knew why he needed to return.