Awakening Of The New Emperor

POV: Recruit 79

Oswin was interesting. He definitely knew something was up with me, that much was true, but he didn't seem to care.

It felt like everybody that found themselves in other militia run regions would go ape shit over the sight of somebody hailing from another, whether that's out of loyalty or fear that something might happen to them in the event of an opposite reaction.

I was dragged out of my trance to the snapping of Oswin's fingers just in front of my face, the sight of it even giving me a headache.

"Sorry sorry, continue," I spoke calmly.

Oswin examined me once more. "You know, you've lost it about 5 times in the just 20 minutes we've been sitting. You make it quite obvious where you're from."

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned, genuinely curious.

"You're from The New Order, aren't you? One of Zhang's soldiers? You seem pretty anxious to return judging by the way you clamp your wrists around anything," he explained, gesturing to the blood of my hands from digging into the wooden countertop.

I sighed out of acknowledgement. I guess it was that obvious. "Yes, but I'm only a recruit sadly. I—don't know how to get home," I admitted.

"Home, eh?" he thought. "Yeah... we're quite far away from Vareth."

"How far?" I asked, not even wanting to know the answer. Truthfully, I knew.

Oswin scratched the unkept stubble that laid messily on his chin. His brown messy hair definitely complimented it, but still indicated the lack of care he really had. I couldn't blame him, I was the same way. "A few weeks if you've got the money, but you don't. I'd say about a month? Maybe longer to be honest."

The truth hurts sometimes.

"I'll probably die before then. It's not like I can make money to keep myself sustained around here," I reply honestly.

With the slight furrow of his brow, Oswin posed a confused look, which was unknown to me. "Why not just do some hard labor? I'm sure there's quite a few people who could use some muscle in the towns you'll pass," he shot back.

"I don't even think I'm qualified for that," I sighed.

"Tsk."

Oswin downed that last swig that sat alone endlessly in his cup.

"What if I join?" He asked.

I shot my gaze upwards, looking over at him with an untrustworthy expression, attempting to express my confusion.

He seemed to have noticed. "Don't worry about me having some ulterior motive, I just want a cut of the money. As long as I can afford booze, I'll go anywhere!" Oswin exclaimed with heavy joys as he slams the cup back onto the counter. 

'The man's lost a screw,' I thought to myself.

"If you feel that way, I suppose I'd appreciate any help I can get," I hummed, mostly out of the lack of sleep these past few nights finally starting to catch up with me.

"Good, because I was coming anyway!" He yelled loud enough for people around us to take notice of our conversation it seems, many pairs of eyes attracting over this way. Oswin also seemed to pick up on my embarrassment, as he just started chuckling.

"You're just one hell of a social butterfly aren't you," I scoff jokingly, gesturing to the few lookers that still hung on a bit after.

Oswin laughed once more, which was getting a bit repetitive.

"If you want as much money as possible, you're going to be doing a lot of relying on my charisma, so you better start trusting in my social skills," he loosely smiled.

"Fair enough."

***

I swing open the door to the motel room that I was renting out for the night.

The rain didn't let go during the hours I conversed in the bar, as water dripped down and soaked into the floorboards beneath me.

Oswin had agreed to go with me, which was definitely more generous than I had expected anybody to be to someone who's not from around here. It seems the hatred against my liege is pretty strong in these areas.

In truth, who wouldn't be intimated?

I throw the now empty backpack over the unused side bed, as the last of the food storage that I had been hauling dried up.

Going over to the other bed, I slumped down as the weight of the exhausting hours, days, or even weeks sat upon my back without any relief, unable to move.

After a moment of letting myself rest uncomfortably—not by much choice I might add, I finally drag my body upwards, leaning back on the wall of which the bed is nestled gently against. I took a look over at the window just above the thin headboard, admiring the terrifying beauty that emanated from the blood moon.

I wonder...

Will I ever get to see the sun?

The warmth—the radiating but natural heat gently piercing my skin, my eyes of which I can barely keep open due to the astounding light, I've only ever read about it or seen in pieces of art.

Nobody that lives today had ever gotten to see it.

Those who did survive initially seemed to all die off well short of their expected lifespan, brushed off as a tragic side effect of the fall.

Their descendants bear no knowledge of what they once knew.

"Reflecting back to what we don't have is just a means to no end," I groaned as my body slowly drooped before flopping down over onto my warm pillow, a stark contrast to the bitter rainy, endless night that plagued the outside.

"I wish that someday, my imagination might finally be a reality. But in truth, I don't know if I'll ever get to see that sun rise upon this terribly cursed world."

Drifting off, my mind stammered between loose threads of thought.

We're all just pawns in the race for power. While I'll serve my glorious position with pride, I can't help but acknowledge the simple fact that one day, history will forget all about this era. The era of the blood moon will be a figure of the past, old folklore that grandparents will pass down as a bedtime story.

My eyes finally began to close, awaiting the much needed night of sleep that beckoned my immediate arrival.