The shadow shall pause and break before the path of the righteous, those made animate by rage and faith. And where I walk, there is no evil. The large, Humvee-like vehicle jostled over a dip in the road. Half the inside had been torn apart and turned into a few more seats. Some safety features were removed to make more room for equipment, making it more like a personnel transport. Next to her, a man swayed with the motion, his shoulder bumping into hers accompanied by the characteristic sound of leather whispering across fabric. She did not open her eyes.
Though the trees of deceivers rise above and blot out the sky with their sick, black leaves, I do not falter. There is no path I will not follow if commanded. There is no cave I will not explore, no danger I will not face. There is no time I would not give my life if my superiors command it. The great enemy hides and lies, but where I walk, there is no evil. The breathing of so many people in such a small place fogged up the windows, condensing against the rain-cooled glass. The rumble of the engine overcame the sound with ease.
Duty is my whip. Faith is my shield. Rage is my sword. And where I walk, there is no evil."Scribed Kayha." Her eyes snapped open and focused on the woman sitting in the passenger seat next to the driver. She held a clipboard in her hand. A list of names meandered down the page, names of academies crouching near them. "We have nearly arrived at your destination." The mage crossed Kayha's name off the list. Earlier in the journey, the vehicle held nine people. Seven crammed in the back, and the two in the front. By this point, only the one-eyed Flesh-Scribed and two people remained. Soon, it would be the two. Even though seats emptied up and the space increased, each of the three steadfastly remained in the seat they'd been assigned.
On her right, Jorin signed
"This is it." She nodded slightly in response.
"If all goes well, we might see each other again in a few years." Possibly. Unlikely, but possibly. Kayha almost nodded again, but Benjamin on her left reached across her chest and gripped Jorin's hands, effectively muzzling the blond-haired, sentimental guy. After a few moments, he let go and leaned back in his seat, eyes closed. Though there was no spoken rule about keeping quiet during this final ride as a cadre, they hadn't spoken to... lessen the impact. More likely than not, these few who grew up together, trained together, excelled together, and watched their friends die together, would never see each other again after that day. It was how The Inquisition liked it. It was, by extension, how the Flesh-Scribed liked it.
The vehicle slid to a stop. It was time. Smoothly rising from her seat, Kayha climbed over one of the seats and crouched in the back, grabbing her things. Though she only had a small bag for personal effects - little more than clothes, a package of Altoids, and some polish for her false eye, her 'suitcase' held much more interesting items. Her gun, built and engraved by The Inquisition's magician gunsmiths. Though it was not enchanted, the weapon could be loaded with varying kinds of ammunition deadly to the horrific side of the world. Her armour, in pieces, also rested within the case. As she strapped her two greatswords to her back for easy transport, the Flesh-Scribed had the strangest feeling that she wouldn't be using it often. Popping the back open, she hopped out and dragged her two bags out with her. Shouldering the one full of clothes, she dragged the wheeled suitcase full of everything else behind her. In the drizzle, her jet-and-aquamarine eye shined brilliantly. The aquamarine's hard facets refracted the diffuse light, while the smooth jet almost glowed white where the light glanced off it.
Already a few people stood outside. Teachers, most likely, and some students. Pulling up short behind one who had a hat of some kind, Kayha's stance turned stone-solid and cold, her face equally as uninviting. All her training dictated that she wait to be addressed by an authority before doing anything, but some of her cadre's pack mentality remained, making her feel less uncomfortable when standing near others.
Behind her, the Inquisition vehicle drove off in a spray of water.
