The Shadows That Lie Behind Us

I. RITE OF PASSAGE (1/4)

Ericht opens his eyes, blinking profusely to let the sleep in his eyes ebb away. He turns to the right of his bed, his head still heavy; the silhouettes of his companions are hunched up on their beds as they slumber without a care in the world, a lingering darkness settling on everything around the room.

Hmpf.

One could think that this were any other day, although, to be fair, their obligations do differ somewhat from his. Only a handful lieutenants sat for the proving, and only a third of those succeeded. And it will be these who will be sharing with him in the honors to be bequeathed later in the day.

He is finally able to sit up, swinging his legs to the side and setting his feet onto the wooden floorboards. His feet recoil upon contact, the cold surface stealing the warmth from his skin. Although he usually wakes up moments earlier than most to say a prayer peacefully, and in order to have free reign of the barracks while he prepares for the day, today he made the extra effort because of the rite.

It takes a while to make the bed in his corner of the room. He proceeds to tidy the area soon after, taking great care to avoid causing a cloud of dust in the air.

He takes longer than usual in the baths before returning to adorn himself in his new attire. He admires the uniform with glassy eyes, a deep blue coat, white shirt and off-white breeches; prepared in advance and cleaner than his usual attire. Soon it will be decked with medals of merit and honor during his exploits in the brighter days to come, or at least he hopes.

The looming prospect of war has everyone, old and young, uneasy as they go about their days. If the addition of six new ships to the rapidly growing fleet is any indication then he need not pray for any opportunity to prove himself.

The last boot fits snuggly onto his remaining foot, the leather strap securing it comfortably around just below his knee cap. He wiggles his toes unwittingly before getting off the edge of his bed, setting out of the room with hushed steps. He spares a second glance to the half-dozen set of peers he is leaving behind, who still lie in wait for the morning watchman to sound his alarm.

Although his hesitation is brief, the thought of this being the last day they will be sharing the room tugs at a few of his heartstrings; the best goodbye he can fathom to give being a neatly-made bed and a clean room. With that concluded he vacates the room, closing the door with a silent thud. His absence probably won't register in their minds anyway.

An icy dew rests along the seams of the cobbled pavement, a harbinger of the approaching winter. The wind bites at the skin of his exposed fingers and face, the joints of his body feeling petrified as he navigates the wide alleys between the barrack hostel flats about him.

The nightly blue of sky begins to peel away, turning pale as the echoes of daylight ripple from beyond the horizon. He determines he has a good hour before first light, hoping to make good time by pacing through the retreating mist towards the river. Though difficult to clearly make out, the admiral's flagship, the Audacity, is docked upon its shallow waters.

The floating castle is rumored to be almost twice as long as the standard merchant vessel, and boasts three gun decks, raising its height for an added two meters above the average line-of-battle-ship. It is a little too early, and Admiral Barrington probably still slumbers in the comfort of his guestroom in the Crane manor, not to be bothered with the tedious preparations for the day.

With the river now to his left and the two-story hostels opposite, he treks his way out of the dockyard grounds towards the small gate, beyond which lies a small settlement where most of the civilian workforce resides, along with a few other townsfolk who make their living catering to their needs. He ignores a pair of lower ranking marines he spots by the edge of one of the storehouse as he exits; people had different reasons to be up this early and he just wasn't as eager to find out.