During the rest of the day more and more units from different fortresses continued to arrive, and when the last one of tired, but proud and excited underage warriors camped for the night, Lee guessed there were close to two thousand of them.
It the future these kids were ant to beco the overwhelming force the scourge displayed when stomping all over the Sunwell's army, although it was hard to believe there will be enough fire and earth sparks to provide for all of them. Obviously, there was no wildlife in this place, and it ant that all the sparks were plundered from the worlds the scourge raided.
The next morning, after the prayer, the actual soldiers of the vanguard arrived. They were followed by groups of nosy and bored spectators who, contrary to the warriors, were mostly dressed in ragged clothing. So proudly wore a piece of armor – breastplate, helt or boots, but to Lee it more seed like a gathering of bums.
From the looks of it they were the citizens of Ashland, and the current event was the only entertainnt available in the region.
After the first session of exercises when the groups from different fortresses were taught to form one large battalion, Lee realized the bums in all worlds were actually the sa.
They ca here for free food!
When first vanguard and then the kids had their lunch, the rest of the food was generously distributed between the spectators. Surprisingly, they ford rows and patiently waited for their turn without a single incident occurring.
"This is the best example of the God's love to all of his children." Roganax said to the nearby trainees, sitting around him and slurping the stew.
Everyone enjoyed the brief mont of rest before the practice started again, but the cyclops walked around and preached nonsense. Normally in the fortress the contents of his speech would be about the actual training and increasing the combat prowess, but the closer to Ashland they got, the preachier he beca.
Lee's guess was that even instructors could climb in their carrier, maybe becoming one of those purple cloaked guys.
"The regular treasure hunters can also have their full even though they don't have to work as hard as you do." Roganax continued, "But they will never experience the respect and the glory the vanguard forces have!"
Everyone looked in the direction of their role models with longing and admiration, but Lee froze with his waterskin bag half raised. He gawked in the other direction, at the so called treasure hunters standing in neat lines, waiting for their bags to be filled with food.
They were probably not further than three hundred yards away, but Lee could swear he saw a human standing in the line and that human was none other than Deen Farcry, minister's of agriculture youngest son! He was thinned, dirty and dressed in ragged clothing, but Lee was positive it was him.
To pinch himself to verify whether he was awake was a redundant action that left a painful mark on Lee's thigh, but for so reason he did it nevertheless.
But Deen was still there.
Next to him, or rather – in front of him, was another human, although Lee couldn't recognize them, and the next was also one. Right, there were five humans, including Deen, and the one in the very front, dressed in full armor, was Victoria, no doubt about it.
Even with how miserable her followers looked, she had hard ti hiding her royal bearing. Judging from the body language, Edward, standing right behind her, was currently trying to explain sothing, but she was theatrically ignoring him.
'Thank you!' Lee looked at the sky, as if Lunax or so other God made his greatest wish co true.
With the relatively intense training in the fortress he sotis forgot the reason he got himself into this ss. But now, seeing her again, he got pissed. Really pissed.
Truth to be said, it was the result of bottling up all the emotions during the past months, but the sudden hate was so intense, even his squad mbers glanced his way.
While it was clear Lee had no opportunity, strength or ans to deal with her at the mont, seeing her neck was reserved for him to cut, made a smile bloom on his face.
"Fenax? Do the treasure hunters follow us through the rift right after we rush through?" Lee asked his squad leader.
"Probably not this ti." Fenax absentmindedly said.
He was still enthralled by Roganax's earlier speech, and Lee was probably the only one who didn't pay attention to what their instructor was saying.
Lee realized his question was out of nowhere, but it didn't matter. While still looking in Victoria's direction, he asked, "How co?"
"Didn't you hear? Roganax just explained – we'll go on a recruitnt conquest! Treasure hunters are allowed only on gathering or special conquests." Fenax said, "Stop daydreaming! Pay attention!"
Lee mumbled few words of apology, but his focus was still on the five humans. They currently finished receiving their al and went to settle down sowhere to eat.
Since he couldn't do anything about them, there was no reason to waste his ntal energy to think too much. But knowing she was still around ward Lee's heart quite a bit.
The next part of the training was extrely annoying. The whole army had to group in a long line with three squads next to each other with their mbers in the arrow formation. And then they had to run. A mile in one direction and then back.
Instructors and the mbers of vanguard were pulling out the young soldiers from the crowd and the whole exercise was ant to teach how to fill the suddenly opened gaps while maintaining formation.
The fun part was that so kids got grabbed by their necks and directly thrown out, so got caught by lassos and pulled out in groups of three or four.
Vanguard mbers clearly used this opportunity to amuse themselves, while the trainees were not really against it – so even thought it was their honor to be noticed.
Lee, of course, realized this was done to simulate an actual battle where people will fall and their spot will have to be instantly filled. And while it was normal for him to not worry about his own life, at least up to a couple of days ago, these kids were brainwashed enough to think it was their honor to die in the na of Lunax.
Technically the principle was great and sowhat resembled the advance of the Roman legion where a whole unit always moved as one, except no one here carried an actual shield – Lee refused to acknowledge the small bucklers as such.
The upside was the higher mobility of the whole army, even though the price they payed was in blood.
On the other hand, these kids will soon get their sparks, one of which will be the earth spark that grants the ability to withstand blows from a normal weapon ... theoretically.
Lee clearly rembered how Valen Sunwell cut through the rows of scourge, but the guy most likely was an exception to the rule.
This exercise continued for the rest of the day and for the first half of the next morning. It quickly beca tedious to all involved parties, but fortunately it ended when a cloaked figure on top of the rift gate drew everyone's attention.
The whole army, including vanguard, instructors and the kids, gathered in front of the person and fell to their knees.
To Lee the hierarchy seed a bit odd, with the kids were kneeling on both knees, the vanguard – on one, but the instructors proudly standing straight. But since he didn't invent this Lunax religion it was not his place to judge.
One thing was amusing though – if he had to kneel, the treasure hunters definitely had to prostrate on the ground.
'She surely has a lot of fun!' Lee though, throwing a glance in the direction he last saw the human group.
He would've payed a lot to see Victoria's current expression.
"Lord's children!" The guy on the gate shouted.
It wasn't Coulax, the one who ca to Lee's fortress. Sohow he sounded more imposing, even more important.
He said, "Lunax has seen your efforts and recognizes your devotion! But this is not the ti to think of ourselves! There are souls in need in Loswon and our duty is to save them! Tomorrow will be the last day of training and when the second moon rises you'll go through the gate to fulfill the Lord's will! Prepare well! Raixoo!!!"
As expected, the crowd, including the treasure hunters at the side, resonated the battle cry, and the whole ground shook with everyone roaring Rrrraaaaiiixxxooooo!!!!, but the only thing Lee wished for was the ability to slap these thousands of people at the sa ti.
No matter how excited they were, it was way too loud!
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