They reappeared outside of the Eleventh. Nick had stored Zen's things from their dorm while he was in the hospital. They needed to get his stuff and take it to his new spot in the Second Division barracks.
They followed Nick through his division; there were still people working; it wasn't a day off for everyone, but Nick and Sun had managed to align theirs. Zen would hopefully be able to do the same for his.
They entered Nick's quarters; it was like the barracks, just smaller, but each tiered officer got their own space. Nick was third tier; his space was in the middle. He had a storage locker at the end of his bed, bedside tables and a dresser with a lamp on it; the bed was larger than what he'd had in the academy dorm. In some ways it was an upgrade from the dorm; in others, not so much.
"Everything's under the bed," Nick said, crouching down and sliding out a couple of boxes and bags. Sun and Nick did most of the lifting and carrying, giving Zen the lightest bag to carry since he was still in pain. He would be on light duties until they cleared him for anything more.
They walked all the way to the Second Division, chatting as they went. It was nice, walking with them, the warm sun on their faces, just laughing and joking around with each other.
They got to the Second Division, passing through the gates only to barely miss being hit by a flying body they had to duck out of the way of. The man crashed into the gates, the sound of cracking wood echoing across the courtyard. The man swayed to his feet, still unsteady on them.
"You must be Zen Farron," a voice called out.
They looked back at where the man had come from to find a woman standing there, one hand on her hip, the other holding a wooden practice sword slung over her shoulder. She must have been in her late twenties, her long dirty blonde hair tied into a loose ponytail, tanned skin littered with small scars here and there. Her hazel eyes were assessing as she stalked towards them, but Sun got the feeling her eyes weren't what most fixated on. Sun had never seen a Revenant uniform altered to be so low-cut. Perdition really was flexible on their uniform.
"Yeah," Zen called back.
"Niya Tills," she introduced as she walked towards them. "One of your second tiers."
"I would let her beat the shit out of me and love every second," Zen quickly whispered to the others, drawing mildly disgusted looks from the pair.
She came to stand before them, eyeing the other two as well.
"The scrapper, the noble bastard, and the prodigy," she stated. "The three of you have been fodder for a fair bit of gossip. Are you really in a three-way relationship?"
"No," they all replied in unison, though Zen was a bit more vehement than the others.
"All right, Scrappy, let's get you settled in," Niya said. "Gilkes! Go and get checked out at the Sixth."
"The Sixth is pretty busy right now, an influx of injured from the North," Nick told her.
"Better go now, Gilkes; you might have a long wait."
The man raised his fist in a thumbs up, staggering from the division grounds.
"Come along, children," she said, leading them inside.
The layout wasn't exactly like the Eighths, but close enough that she could figure out where to go on her own if she had to. There weren't many people inside, but they could hear loud noises from the training yard, shouting, clanging, and jeering. All training she supposed. There were definitely far more here than her own division.
They entered the barracks, and Niya led them over to an empty bunk.
"Here's your space," Niya said, gesturing to the bed and the footlocker for his things. "Come find me when you're done; I'll be out in the training yard."
With that, she practically swaggered out of the room. Nick and Sun helped Zen get his things stowed away.
"I should go meet up with Niya," Zen said. "Thanks, you guys."
"Remember, you're on light duties," Sun reminded him.
"No fighting," Nick pressed.
Zen just rolled his eyes. "I know. I'll be good. I won't strain myself."
They nodded, not entirely believing him but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He saw them out, giving them both a hug at the door. They could tell he was excited to be out of the Sixth's hospital and starting as a Revenant, even if he was on light duties.
As they wandered away from the Second Division, Nick cast her a sidelong glance.
"Think he's already taken up a training sword?"
"Probably," she sighed out.
"So, were you... painting when I came and got you?"
Sun nodded. "It's one of Grandfather's favourite pastimes; he thought I should give it a try. I'm terrible, but it's not a bad time."
"How have things been with your brother gone?"
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Is it strange that I... miss him?"
"I don't think so. It's nice that you've gotten close enough for that."
"It's not... disloyal?"
His brow furrowed. "To who?"
"You and Zen."
"No. You haven't traded us in for him. Caring about someone else doesn't mean you care less for us."
She let out a breath, relieved to hear it. That they would feel she was replacing them had been a fear of hers.
"How long has that been bothering you?" He asked with an amused smirk.
"Since I stopped hating him."
"Bloody Hells, Sunny, that was ages ago. It's not something you have to worry about. Ever. Understand?"
She nodded, giving him a smile and looping her arm through his.
"So, tell me about the other tiered officers of the Eleventh. They're not being wanks to you?"
"A little, nothing I can't handle. Just a bit of hazing, I think."
"Do we need to retaliate?" She asked, keen to sort them out.
Maybe they couldn't take them in a fight, but there were other ways to ruin people's lives.
"No," he laughed. "I've been put straight into an elevated position; no doubt there are people who don't think I deserve it. I just have to prove them wrong."
"What about Commander Tolide?"
"Oh, she's lovely. No worries there."
At least his commander was supportive of him.
"Want to come back to the manor with me? I could use some help sorting stuff out for the slums."
"Absolutely."
Sun had been trying to figure things out on her own when it came to finding the funding, but it wasn't easy. After some debate she had decided against asking her grandfather anything. She didn't want anyone to know she was doing it, and she had no idea how many people had access to the Illusens financial records and accounts.
Nick, being as smart as he was, he'd be able to help. And the sooner they got this up and running, the better.
-
Logan Reeves liked his position as the lieutenant of the Seventh. Growing up poor in a rural town with half a dozen siblings meant there wasn't a lot to go around. His parents tried, did the best they could with what they had, and there was never any question they loved their children. And Logan knew he loved his siblings, and that sentiment was returned, no matter what arguments or disagreements cropped up. They had each other's back when the need arose.
Given his background, he never thought rising to such a prestigious position in the Revenants was even a possibility. He just wanted a different life for himself, one where he didn't have to worry about a roof over his head or food in his belly. His family had begged him not to join the Academy, saying that being a Revenant was dangerous. That was an impossible fact to ignore. But it also came with food, board, one less mouth for his parents to feed, a not unsubstantial payout to his family in the event of his death, and the possibility of advancement. Oh, he'd never be one of the wealthy elite, but he could make a life without the anxiety and uncertainty that poverty created. And he made enough to send back to his parents. They were getting on in years, and it was harder for them to work. His siblings did what they could, but they all had their own lives too.
So becoming a Revenant had seemed like an obvious choice. And so far there hadn't been a day he'd regretted the decision.
Being named lieutenant was still one of the proudest moments of his life. With his predecessor being a drunken slacker, it was a low bar, but it really highlighted how much of an improvement his elevation to the position was.
And he greatly respected Commander Illusen; he'd never met a man more noble in every sense of the word. It was a sentiment shared by their entire squad. He'd even won over those in the Division who had been quite a bit older than him, Revenants who had served under his father and even under his grandfather.
But the man had always been cold, untouchable. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just the way he was.
Logan had been in the Seventh Division his entire Revenant career, eight years now, and a lieutenant for the past five. His commander wasn't much older than he was, but he found great dignity in serving under him.
In all that time, Logan had never seen the man crack a smile, not the barest hint of a smirk, and certainly never heard him laugh. If it weren't for the fact he walked and talked, he would think him a statue.
But every time that raven arrived, the ice melted from his glacial eyes to be replaced with something almost hopeful and warm, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth when he unrolled the small scroll. It was such a minute difference Logan doubted anyone else had noticed, but Logan had spent the last five years watching and learning, trying to glean the smallest tells to better anticipate the man's needs.
The first time it had happened, Logan had seen the name at the end. Sun. The Commander's sister.
He'd met her a few times after that first incident months ago and her subsequent suspension from the academy. She'd spent a bit of time in the office since the Commander wanted to keep an eye on her and have her practice with her power. She was determined and quiet but more emotive than her brother. She always gave him a polite smile and a greeting whenever she saw him.
Most of the times he'd seen her, she'd had a headband on, a blue one with flowers embroidered on it. The same thing he'd seen wrapped around the wrist of his commander, hidden beneath his sleeve.
It was... sweet. Which was a word he never would have attributed to the man, but these were things he never thought he was capable of.
And because he liked and valued his position as lieutenant and was loyal to his commander, he would most certainly keep these observations to himself.
But he did find himself smiling a little as he watched the raven come to perch on Commander Illusens arm, a flash of blue beneath his sleeve.
His smile dropped and his spine stiffened as the other man's gaze met his; a brow quirked in question. There was a challenge to it, though, almost like he was daring Logan to say something about it.
Logan just bowed quickly before turning to business. He wasn't touching that with a ten-foot pole.
"We're ready for the assault on the foundry, Sir."
"Good," he replied. "A moment."
Likely to tend to the bird before they set out.