Commander Fisco (1/3)
Once Haalfrin is shown into the Threshold, there are already some guards waiting for him who are ready to show him where he can set his things down.
If the commander hadn't already told Haalfrin about the goddess's message, he'd be seriously creeped out at how prepared these people are for him.
Once he's shown to his small bunk in a secluded section of the fortress, he finds some written orders left on his cot already waiting for him.
He tears open the seal, and it reads:
"Haalfrin, I'm not fond of making exceptions for people, so you'll show up with the rest of the new recruits I'm getting at the end of the month. You'll be given jobs befitting of your usefulness; being a dragon slayer and being a goddess's favorite means nothing to me if you don't make yourself useful to the Threshold.
"Until you're called for, sit quiet and read a book or something. You spent 800 years in the Pit, so you should be used to sitting around doing nothing. You can wait 6 more days.
"Once you're initiated in with the rest of the new recruits, we'll begin the treatment on your leg. It was estimated by the doctors that it'll take about 10-20 years for your leg to grow back.
"Signed: Commander Fisco."
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A few hours into his stay in his cramped room, the spirit stone bottle at his waist starts rattling restlessly. "Oh," Haalfrin stutters, "I'm sorry I forgot about you."
The bottle is uncorked, and a puff of black mist flows out and materializes into the form of a young girl. Frey stomps her feet on the floor and growls, "I'm hungry."
"Sure, sure," he consoles her while reaching into his space bag. "I have some leftover cake from one of Freyya's visits."
"Hmph!" Frey pretends to pout while eyeing the cake, "You talk about that woman all the time. Is she that great?"
"Oooh," Haalfrin teases, "She's wonderful...." He lifts up a box of deliciousness.
"…Is it chocolate?" She peeks into the box, and her eyes start shining. "Fine," she says while gingerly cutting the cake in half, "I'll forgive you for taking gifts from other women… I mean, from other people if you share the cake with me."
Hearing Frey say this, something clicks in his head. He slaps his forehead, and his face goes red with laughter.
"…What's so funny?" Frey frantically spouts, "Was it something I said?" Did Haalfrin think her acting jealous was bad? Is he making fun of her?
In reality, Haalfrin had just come to realize SOMETHING he should've realized earlier about Frey and Freyya.
The details have been laid out so obviously to him before, so the fact that he only just understood the truth now hurts in a silly way.
"It's nothing," he laughs while tussling the top of her messy hair again. "Just focus on your cake. I know you love cake."
Frey narrows her eyes. "Are you sure you'll share it with me all the time? Didn't you always try to limit my sugar consumption back in the Pit?"
Haalfrin shrugs, "I've realized that you're not a kid." He opens another cake box and pushes it toward her. "Have as much cake as you want!"
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Over the next few days, Frey passes the time practicing her Yiir Name by melding into the ambient Death Aura in the Threshold. Like a little kid exploring the woods in her backyard, she enthusiastically runs around 'till she's exhausted, then she comes back to Haalfrin's room to feast on cake.
Despite being told she can have all the cake she wants, Haalfrin gets a little concerned when he sees that this is ALL she's eating – cake and cold milk, that is. Still, he JUST said that he'd try to be accommodating with her chosen diet earlier; he can't just go back on his words, right?
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When the 5th day rolls around (the day before the new recruits show up), Haalfrin gets a sudden knock on his door. He opens it up, and he sees a pair of officers with a large floating metal box behind them.
The officer in front hands a note to Haalfrin and says, "Sir. A gift from the emperor to Haalfrin. Are you Haalfrin?"
"…Yes…? What's this about?"
The other officer reaches behind him and pulls out a paper. "Sign here please."
Haalfrin signs the package off, and the officers take their proof of delivery. Then, they leave the box at his doorstep and disappear.
Curious about what's inside, Haalfrin sees that the box is full of dragon scale armor – definitely from Dakka's hide. "…OH!"
"OH INDEED!" Dakka cries out from his ax. "That's my skin they got there! You're not actually thinking of wearing that, right? That's pretty gross."
"… Yeah. Let's just stuff it in some space bags and forget about it," Haalfrin concedes.
He'd feel embarrassed walking around in Dakka's skin, it would feel inappropriate to not wear the Threshold uniform while staying here, AND it would make him nearly impossible to kill while wearing this stuff while coupled with his Dra Name.
So, he concurs with Dakka in putting this set of armor away.
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Finally, the next day arrives and Haalfrin is shown to the foyer, where the World Gate rests. The place is just as Haalfrin remembers it – barren and unwelcoming.
Haalfrin is directed to a chair and told to wait a few minutes for the others to arrive. Once the Gate starts flaring bright green and people start materializing from the portal, Haalfrin stands up and walks to the back of the line, as the people streaming in are packed too tightly to allow him room.
All the soldiers come through, and they're immediately greeted by the gloomy, unnatural blue light of the spirit stones in the ceiling.
None of the new recruits are wearing their uniform yet, since the commander is rather fussy about nobody being allowed to put on a uniform until they pass the entrance test… Why, might you ask, can't the test be done on the other side of the World Gate?
Haalfrin has a good guess as he looks on at the many recruits growing nauseous the moment they came in contact with the fortress's ambient Death Aura.
You can't be much of a soldier here if you can't handle even this much Aura, right?
While many of the young men are going pale with fright, a few of them are dry heaving, as none of them had breakfast earlier – thus, nothing to throw up. One man even faints and lies undisturbed on the floor.
Seeing this, the officers stamp their feet on the ground, and they start shouting out, "GET IN FORMATION AND WAIT FOR ORDERS!" in various colorful language. The officers walk up and down and arrange them all into neat, block formations.
Once that is done, they only have to wait…
…They don't have to wait long before the double doors open up, and the ominous clicking of boots echo in the room. Haalfrin is one of the tallest people here, so despite being in the back, he can see the newcomer clearly... and his face is VERY familiar.
'What's that shocked expression on your face for?' Dakka thinks to him.
'Eh... It's just that I can't forget that face,' Haalfrin answers. 'That's the mage who wiped out my Kareen clan that day, back before I became a mage.'
'Oh?' Dakka pauses thoughtfully, 'How important is he to you now?'