The Drache's Love

Chapter 6, Avva

I was awakened by three long blasts of the morning horn before dawn.  I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and began to shuffle toward the privy chamber.  As I passed, I heard several of the creatures mumbling about their need kaffee.  Without thinking, I conjured the strong morning brew for each of them, without saying a word.  The looks of surprise and appreciation on each of their faces was well worth the miniscule effort I had exerted.  I dressed and visited the water closet, then made my way to a fire to begin the process of waking up.  Cormac and I probably should have gone to bed much earlier than we had.  I looked up and noticed that everyone was out of bed, and almost without thinking, waved a hand to make all of the beds.  Watching sixty beds of multiple sizes seemingly make themselves was actually quite comical.  Cormac trudged toward me, from the male end of the barracks.  He had seen me make the beds, and was chuckling.

He sank into the chair next to mine and groaned, voice still laden with sleep, “Where did everybody get kaffee?”

“Oh!” I exclaimed, and conjured us both a cup.  He sank back into his seat and accepted it gratefully.  We sat in companionable silence drinking the steaming brew and waiting to hear four horn blasts, the signal for training to begin.  The stimulant properties of the kaffee began to take effect, thank goodness.

“Made everybody’s bed for ‘em, eh?” Cormac said, amused.

“Gives ‘em a bit more time to wake up,” I replied.  Kaffee or not, it was still too early for complete sentences, and Cormac seemed to share this view.  In our short time acquainting ourselves with each other, he seemed to have at least decided to respect me based on the abilities I had already shown.  I felt like we had a chance of being friends now.  That was more than I could say for yesterday.

A golem, the color of red clay, ambled toward us with a kaffee mug the size of a barrel, the floor shuddering with each step.

“Thank you for the kaffee.  I am Borglum, by the by,” he rumbled.  His voice sounded like his larynx had been replaced with a gear box filled with gravel.  Cormac and I shared a look.  Apparently, he as well as I had believed the myth that golems weren’t exactly...sentient.

“It’s my pleasure.  I am Avva, and this is Cormac,” I answered, as the Drache inclined his head to the golem.

“Well, I’m off to find my goblin.  Perhaps we can speak again later.  Thank you again,” he said, turning to leave.

“I have things to learn about more than just the humans, obviously,” Cormac said, a bit flustered.

“If it helps, I thought trolls only spoke in grunts right up until I met Melkree yesterday,” I commiserated.  

He laughed out loud.  His laugh was booming and full of mirth.  I hoped to hear that sound often.

“It really does,” he said, nodding, and still laughing.  I couldn’t help but laugh with him.

He continued, “I’m familiar with all creatures, except golems.  Grimere is much older than I and he fought in the Creature Wars, as you call them.  He’s told many times how they didn’t even expect the golems to fight, until the first battle, when they just appeared on the front lines.  They’ve never really interacted with the rest of the creature races, even when we fought amongst ourselves.  We knew they existed, but that was pretty much it.”

“I understand.  In that time, my grandfather was King, so he negotiated the peace.  And even now, Da carried out all of the communication to do with this company by messenger.  He said messengers were less likely to be perceived as a threat.  I think Da has some things to learn about the creatures as well.”

With that, four blasts of the horn called us to the training grounds.

“We will first run as a company, to ensure we are awake.  We will then break our fasts.  That will be followed by one on one combat training with your partners.  Then luncheon.  Then combat training as a company.  Then dinner.  Then downtime.  Then sleep.  This will be the routine each and every day.  If you want the monotony to end, learn to work together.  We will become a well oiled machine, or we will fail, and failure is not an option,”  Melkree decreed.

“Now, five times around the grounds.  This is your first lesson in teamwork.  Learn to run together!  This is not a race!  What are you waiting for?  GO,” he boomed.

It. Was. A. Disaster.