Fragments Gallery
Reavers: Sellsword
Sellsword sat alone at the table picking at his food. He was tired. The Reaver program had been introduced to them just over a week ago and already the rigorous training was taking its toll on the students. On top of their regular classes they now had additional Reaver classes and training sessions which were taking up more and more of their regular break and rest times.
"Lights are out in ten minutes," mentioned a training officer as she walked by, "You should get back to your quarters."
"Yes Ma'am," he responded, "I will soon."
"Make sure you do," she said stifling a yawn and with that she left the room.
Sellsword remained stationary for another minute before he decided he wasn't going to eat any more. With a sigh he pushed himself away from the table, stood and then took his tray over to the stack of dirty trays. Around him a few other students sat at their tables, sometimes alone and sometimes in pairs or small groups as they finished their meals.
Sellsword looked around at them, their faces were familiar as he'd seen them all before but he knew very few of their names. None of his squad mates were there. Before this last week had started eh would have expected at least a few of his class mates to be at their even at this hour, some of them stayed away from their room until they absolutely had to be back. But not anymore. So much had changed since they started using the Reavers, and he was still unsure of whether or not the changes were good. Maybe it was the growing pains of the new program that made him unsure. Maybe he just didn't like being used as a test subject.
"Hey Sellsword!" called someone called out in a drawling voice.
Sellsword turned around to see another fourth year, Spider, approaching him. Spider had been assigned to the facility the same year as Sellsword but he had been placed in a rival squad. However that didn't mean they wouldn't talk to each other.
"What's going on?" Sellsword responded.
"Stickler caught me walking by in the hall, he ordered me to find you and send you back to your squads meeting room. Lights out has been pushed back a quarter turn for your squad. Apparently the commander wants to debrief."
"Alright, thanks for the message," said Sellsword as he began to walk away.
"Just… one more thing," said Spider and Sellsword turned back to face him, "Why Sellsword?"
"What?"
"Your name… how did you earn it? I'm called spider because I like to know things, and sometimes I can just pick up stuff that is happening around me, just like a spider can sense the tremors of something caught in its web. I've been wondering how you got yours for a while."
"There's not much to tell," Sellsword said with a shrug.
"Tell me anyways."
“Why?”
“I’m just trying to piece something together.”
"Fine. First year someone asked me why I joined the program. I told them I wanted to fight for what I thought was right and that the money was nice too. We all laughed and moved on, but it became a bit of a standing joke for my squad and I. A few weeks later in class one of the training masters asked me what I'd do if I were contacted by the enemy and they wanted me to spy on my company. Because of the joke I automatically asked him how much they'd pay me for it. That bought me the name Sellsword and a week of extra chores. It was a joke at first but then it became part of who I am. Eventually it became me."
"Thanks," said Spider nodding.
Sellsword nodded back and then left the mess hall. He idly wondered why Spider thought his nickname was important but eventually he pushed the thought away. It probably didn’t matter.
The squad meeting rooms were just a couple hallways away so it only took him a couple minutes to reach the door. He took a breath and then entered the room. Freya waved from a spot along one wall and he moved to join her. Only a quarter turn then he could sleep.
Stickler began to speak from the front of the room while the Colonel looked on but Sellsword zoned out his sergeant's voice. Only a quarter turn to go.