Chapter 40: Enlisted

A minute passed before the leader responded. "I can sense your mana from here, and it is pitifully low for the battles to come. We will enlist you into the army where you can practice your skills and grow your talents. The Animancers were once the pinnacle of strength in the River Acheron. It would be a sight to see that strength shown once more." Charon smiled. ’Well, that’s convenient. I had been planning to sign up regardless for the same reason: gaining power. Having the backing of the High Elders should make it easier for me to rank up.’ He wasn’t sure if nepotism was at play in the Fort, but the way Annie and Darius had spoken about the High Elders made them seem constantly involved in everything going on. Surely they would want to make sure an investment paid out? ’It seems like a serious issue to their leader, at least. If they haven’t seen an Animancer in hundreds of years, they won’t want to waste this opportunity.’ "I understand. What will be expected of me?" "That shall depend on what kind of Animancer you are." Charon’s eyebrows raised, unaware that there were multiple types. "What variations are there?" For the first time, the man didn’t answer. Instead, the woman to his right spoke up. Her voice was weathered and coarse, like gravel. It made Charon’s skin crawl. "In days long gone, the Animancers were said to have three archetypes: the warrior, the healer, and the commander. The warrior was said to have the ability to turn the energies of death into weapons, the healer could bring the dead to life, and the commander could bind powerful souls to himself." She coughed, a disgusting phlegmy cough that made Charon cringe away. "Each served a purpose, all in the hope of advancing the goals of the God of Death." Thinking about how his ability was related to summoning undead souls, Charon instantly knew which category he fell into. "My elements archetype is the commander. I can use souls to summon the undead, and then command them." The leader spoke again while the woman melted into her chair, coughing some more. "Then we will have you work with the officer corps. As you are an unknown quantity to us, you will be under strict watch." He paused, his eyes rolling back before snapping back down. The action was eerie and felt inhuman. "It just so happens that one of the army groups is marching to retake a former farming village. You can join them as your first taste of true combat. I trust they will take good care of you." The leader then stood, the other nine High Elders mimicking him a second later. "I wish you luck, Charon. Should you succeed, you will forever be our debt." He then turned to leave, but Charon had one last request. "What about Emerius? Can he be sent with me? He was also trapped here due to my ritual, it’s only fair that he gets the same opportunities!" The elder looked back, something akin to respect crossing his eyes. "Very well. Your friend may accompany you. It will be good to see what people the realms of the living produce these days." The air began to crackle and pop, sparks of blue lightning shooting across the opening above Charon. A ring burst into existence, filled with a black void and distant stars. A tingle went up Charon’s spine, his hair standing on end as a palpable energy suffused them all. As one, the ten High Elders began to float, drifting into the ring and disappearing, leaving Charon alone in the room. His eyes grew wide before narrowing, a playful smile on his lips. ’Space magic!’ Despite his limited education, he had read enough stories to know that space magic was some of the rarest. Being able to see it in action was a treat no matter the circumstance. In surprisingly good spirits, he sauntered down the tunnel and beamed at the officer and Panoplians who escorted him. "I believe you will be able to direct me towards the army group that will be training me to be a commander?" He deliberately used the word commander, hoping that it would grate on the men more than a simple "officer" position. If he had successfully annoyed the stalwart soldier, he gave no indication, wordlessly stepping to the side and gesturing to the doorway with an open palm. One of the Panoplians moved into the space, giving a one hundred and eighty-degree turn to the door and marching out. ’Does he want me to follow?’ Deciding that it would be embarrassing to ask such a question less than a minute after trying to irritate the man, Charon gave him a nod and took off after the man-sized mech. Like before, they wound through the twisting steel hallways, but this time there were far more people crowding the corridors. The red lights on the ceiling had also changed, now being a solid green. ’Was it cleared out specifically for me?’ It was hard to see why they viewed him as a massive threat, but he also knew that his knowledge was lacking. ’For all I know, the previous Animancers could have destroyed the Fort single-handedly. They saw me as one of them, so they must’ve prepared for the worst.’ It was an entertaining thought to be considered dangerous. ’That’s part of being a hero, to have your enemies tremble at the thought of you coming for them. Once I destroy this Clayton Republic and earn the Fortress of Souls, I’ll return to the Noctis Vrex, complete the academy, and make every Elf alive fear my name.’ Charon had a path now, with clear goals. A plan for him to follow to its conclusion. Eventually, Charon followed the Panoplian to a wide-open hangar. Dozens of vehicles drove to and fro, many of them being the same kind of APCs that had brought him to the base initially. Something else he saw was freight trucks, their truck beds sagging with the weight of massive cannons. Ropes were wrapped around their length, holding them tight as the vehicles bounced and jostled. ’Those are the same kind of guns I saw on the Colossus. There’s no way they removed them so fast, it would take hours!’ The implication hit Charon a second later. ’They have multiple of those things!’ Just the one was enough to leave a lasting imprint on the teenager, let alone multiple. ’If they can field that many Colossus’s, then how is the war not a slaughter? They could just throw half a dozen of these things at them and end it in a day!’ The most likely explanation occurred to him. ’They have the machines too. If the Fort sent all their mechs, their enemies would meet it in kind, both sides destroying each other entirely.’ It was a terrifying thought to imagine the death machines fighting each other. ’Thank the gods that the Empire is the only one with these machines back home. If the Elves had their own...’ He was snapped out of his musings by the Panoplian, who stopped marching next to a group of five more of his kind. With a single glance, one of them approached, his metallic head looking Charon up and down. "You’re the mage being attached to our army group?" Nodding, Charon extended his hand and smiled. "I am. I’m Charon." The Panoplian ignored the gesture, his robotic voice ringing out with derision. "I don’t care. Once your friend gets here, we will set out. Your safety will be your own concern. Do not expect us to save you if you get in trouble." The contempt was unexpected, and Charon flinched before retracting his hand. ’So much for nepotism. Did the High Elders tell him I was dead weight or something!?’ Giving it a second thought, he realized something awful. ’I am dead weight! I can’t fight, and my summon only just unlocked his abilities. If their enemies do have their own Colossus Machines, what the hell am I supposed to do?’ Reconsidering his willingness to join the army and fight for the Fort, he nervously shifted on his feet while Emerius arrived. His friend looked the same as before. His blonde hair was disheveled, but it did little to dampen his natural good looks. The twin shortswords he used were dangling in their sheaths on his hips, linked to the belt wrapping around his black robes. He didn’t speak when he saw Charon, but the look in his eyes made it clear he wanted answers the first chance they got. The Panoplian looked between them and nodded once, the sound of metal grinding with the action. "Good. Both of you, load up in that vehicle. We will regroup with the rest of the battalion and set out for the attack point." With one last glance back the way he came, Charon walked to the back of the APC. He took a deep breath as the ramp lowered. ’Guess this is it. Realm of the living or the dead, I’m being shipped off to war either way.’