The camp was laid out in a simple straight line, with tents on either side of a long dirt road. Leo first led us to the armory to get outfitted. I picked out some heavy armor, a shield, and my favored weapon, a battleaxe. Harriett got her hands on some chainmail sized for her and an almost comedically small mace; I would’ve laughed at it, but I’d seen her in action enough times to know how capable with it she was. Ramazi took nothing; he had no need for armor or weapons, and already had himself a stout wooden staff.
We then were led to where we’d be staying. The three of us would be sharing a tent; it was surprisingly roomy, with separate chambers for each of us blocked off by curtains. As soon as we’d deposited our equipment, we heard a loud horn blare outside. The three of us rushed out of the tent. “What’s going on? Are we under attack?”
A nearby dwarf woman laughed. “Nah, just dinner!” I shrunk back, somewhat embarrassed, but Harriett ran right up to her and introduced us. She had a habit of doing that.
The dwarf’s name was Reem, and she was nice enough to lead us to the mess hall. As it turned out, she was the camp’s blacksmith. “Mighty fine axe you’ve got there, boy. I remember making that one! One of my favorite pieces. Take good care of it, y’hear?”
“I will,” I promised. I liked her; it seemed Leo wasn’t the only one here not blinded by prejudice. We soon arrived at the mess hall, the largest tent in the camp, situated at the far end of the road from the entrance. We walked in, and apparently we were late, because the place was already packed.
I started looking around for a place to sit, but I heard a voice call out, “Casimir! Over here!” Leo was waving us over to sit with him by the head of the table, and the three of us obliged. When we sat down, Leo stood up, and the hall fell silent. “Good evening. This is a special occasion. We have three brand new crusaders with us tonight; Casimir, Harriett, and Ramazi have joined our fine camp. They’re part of our family now, and I expect all of you to treat them all with the respect they deserve.” He glared a moment in Onesimus’s direction as he said it. “Thank you, and enjoy your meal.” He sat back down and started eating as the hall grew noisy again.
I was seated at the corner of the table, with Leo on my right and Ramazi on my left; Harriett was on Leo’s other side, right across from me. “So, Casimir,” said Leo between bites of mutton, “How’s Iris doing?”
“Quite well, thank you. She’s retired from field missions now and is mainly training fresh recruits, like the three of us.”
“Casimir’s mom is the coolest!” chipped in Harriett. “And she’s super badass! She’s slain a thousand demons and was never afraid for a moment!”
“Iris is Harriett’s idol,” said Ramazi. “She was her theology teacher and started her on the clerical path.”
“Fascinating,” replied Leo. “And what about you, Ramazi? We don’t get many arcane casters in the crusade, especially ones so young. How did you get started?
“I’m not from Mendev. My family came here from Ustalav as political refugees shortly after I was born. My father was a mage and he taught me the basics. I joined the crusade in order to make him proud.”
“I see. That’s wonderful; I’m sure he’s very proud of you already.” He looked at the three of us in turn. “Now, I don’t want you to think of me as your commander - at least, until we’re in the field. I want you to think of me as your friend.” It might have been my imagination, but I think he held my gaze as he said it.
The rest of the meal was quite pleasant, as we chatted with Leo about our pasts, about the camp, and about what to expect in the future. We would have another couple weeks of training before going into the Worldwound for the first time on a brief excursion. Ramazi and I were nervous, but Harriett seemed a bit too excited for her own good. At one point during the dinner I was glancing over the crowd, and I happened to lock eyes with Onesimus. I looked away quickly, but not before I saw him sneer and draw a line across his neck with his finger.
After dinner, Leo pulled me aside. “Casimir, can we talk a minute?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“I know what it’s like to be an outcast because of your blood, believe me. I was raised by elves, and being a half-blood among them is often incredibly difficult. But I’m sure it doesn’t compare to what you’ve faced. What I’m trying to say is, if you encounter any trouble with anyone, come to me. I’ll help you out however I can.”
“Thanks, Leo,” I said, “But I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
“Fair enough. But still, the offer stands. Since we’re close to the same age, I expect we’ll be getting along quite nicely. Come to my tent anytime you want to talk, day or night, about anything or nothing. You’re always welcome.”
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That night, in the tent before going to sleep, the three of us were chatting.
“So what do you think of Leo? Pretty great commander to have, right?” began Harriett.
“I don’t know… he’s a bit too laid-back for me,” responded Ramazi. “It’s a bit hard to know I can trust him in the middle of combat with such a chill attitude.”
“Well, I think he’s brilliant!” Harriett shot back. “And he wouldn’t have gotten to be captain of a whole war camp if he wasn’t totally competent. What do you think, Casimir?”
I had barely been paying attention, lost in thought. “Huh? Oh, yes, he seems nice.” I excused myself and went to bed.
The next few months had some of the hardest training we’d gone through in our preparation for the crusade. The three of us trainees had different training to do, so we didn’t see too much of each other except at dinner and in the evenings and mornings in our tent. Fortunately, the camp was big enough that I could steer clear of Onesimus. In lieu of time with Harriett and Ramazi, I started growing closer to Leo; we became fast friends almost immediately, spending all our limited free time together. It was amazing how much we had in common, both loners from childhood because of our race, and both paladins of Iomedae. We were often together late into the night, and I’d get back to my tent early in the morning to catch just a few hours of sleep before sunrise, making sure not to wake Harriett or Ramazi.
Three months after I’d arrived, I finally felt at home in the camp. After a few trips into the Worldwound, I was starting to be accepted. Even Onesimus had stopped his overt threats in favor of simple glares. How much of this was because of my actions versus because of the time I spent with Leo, I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t much care. I was just glad to feel like I belonged.
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Four months after my arrival, Leo stood in front of the gathered crusaders. “This is the most important mission we’ve undergone in months. We’ve had reports of invidiak scouts just a few miles from the border, perhaps gathering information for a massive attack; as such, we’re taking only our most elite soldiers. That’s myself, Lyric, Harriett, Onesimus, Zinon, and Casimir.” I wasn’t sure how exactly Harriett and I ranked among the camp’s “most elite”, but we accepted the duty without question. “We leave at sunset. Be prepared for anything. Remember, this is a reconnaissance mission first and foremost; we can take one or two shadow demons, but any more and we retreat. Is that clear? Onesimus?”
The elf sneered. “Yeah, yeah. What’s clear to me is you’re bringing your little demon boytoy with you for some fun while we do all the work.” The crowd was silent, except for a few gasps and mutters of shock. For once I was glad I had red skin, so nobody could see how deeply I blushed.
Leo, to his credit, remained as calm as could be. “You’re off the mission, and no longer welcome in this camp. Pack your things and leave immediately.”
“Yeah? Or what? I’m the best damn soldier you’ve got; you can’t do without me!”
“I won’t say it again,” Leo said coldly as he unsheathed his greatsword from his back. Everything was silent and still for what seemed like an eternity. Then Onesimus spat on the ground, turned, and walked back to his tent. “Anyone else have a problem with who I choose for missions?” Nobody said a word. “Good. Onesimus will be replaced by Nazzareno. Be ready to leave in two hours.”
He walked over to me as the crowd dispersed. “I’m sorry about that, Casimir.”
“Thanks. But… why are you bringing me along? Harriett and I only just arrived; are you sure we’re ready for a mission like this?”
He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me square in the eye. “If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t be bringing either of you. You’re both incredibly capable, and you’re the right people for this job. I’m confident in that fact. Now go start putting your armor on.”
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