2283 Ebbing Tide (Part 1)

While Lith had chosen his words carefully to avoid mentioning his Awakening without lying, Morok was honest. Back during his boot camp, he was still a regular human.

His Tyrant half had given him no edge over the competition and he had Awakened years later.

The recruits would have loved to turn around and discuss the matter among themselves but discipline and the Drill Sergeants glaring at them demanded they remained still and silent.

"I'm Staff Sergeant Vipli from Senma and I'm going to be the drill instructor for a few of you." Vipli stepped in front of the two Rangers. "I was a bunkmate of Magus Verhen and I can assure you that he was obnoxious but human.

"He ate as much as we did, sweated like we did, and bled like we did. I have no idea if he already had special powers but if he did, don't think that he just used them to show off. He was the one the Sergeant was the strictest to.

"He was the one who took the blame every time the unit failed or underperformed. He was the one who stayed behind against a tribe of orcs to allow the rest of us to get out alive." Vipli projected footage of how hard fighting an orc was.

"Even if you had his magical powers, do you think you could do the same? Because I know I wouldn't. If I had Major Verhen's talent, I would have chosen to stay home and get rich instead of putting my life on the line in one of the hardest jobs of the Kingdom.

"That could be said of all Rangers. Do you think you are Ranger material? Do you?" Vipli's question received no answer.

Very few among the cadets had decent magical powers and none of them would be there if it had been enough to enroll in one of the six great academies.

"I know that I'm supposed to give a speech, but as you probably know, I'm no leader." Lith said. "You think that I have no idea of your struggles because as you said, I'm a monster. Everything I say would sound like hot air to you."

"That's why I'll do what only people in power can afford to do. I'll delegate to someone better than me. Allow me to introduce you my brother, Sergeant First Class Trion Verhen."

A flick of Lith's hand made his shadow grow in size, giving Trion a body to inhabit. Light Mastery gave him the appearance he had in life and the pocket dimension his uniform.

The cadets gasped seeing a person coming out of thin air. They broke the line to assume a defensive stance.

"Ten-hut!" Berion said, making them snap out of their fear and stand back at attention.

"In life, my brother was a Drill Sergeant as well. He spent his career in the army and was as human as you are. Now, he has chosen to follow me as one of my Demons. He is one of my generals and second in command."

Elina's eyes turned watery seeing her two boys standing side by side despite their past grudges. Lith's words sounded like nothing much to the others, but to her, sharing his family name was the highest praise that Lith could give Trion.

"It's true." Trion looked at the muddy ground, the clear sky, and the recruits scared shitless, feeling back in his natural element. "I was just like you. A magicless boy just turned into a man with a chip on his shoulder.

"I hated my brother's guts just like you do. I wasn't as tall, strong, or fast as him and I was such a powerful mage that I could prepare two full cups of tea before needing a nap." The cadets could relate to his words and many smiled at the joke.

"I abandoned my home to escape from his shadow and gave it my all in the army to prove to the Kingdom that I was special as well. Too bad that my instructors didn't agree with my ego and gave me a B rank." Trion sighed.

"I was furious and felt insulted. All things that I took care of saying in the face of my Sergeant before leaving the camp, thinking I had no reason to be afraid of him anymore. Boy if I was wrong.

"He told me that he considered me an A-rank soldier, but that as long as I didn't take my rage out of my ass and channeled it into something more than being a whiny bitch, I was destined for mediocrity.

"I would like to tell you that I was mature enough to thank him for his words and learn my lesson, but I was just a boy. Most of the good decisions I made back then were out of pure luck. It took me months and lots of demerits to understand what the sergeant meant.

"And it wouldn't have been enough if not for my brothers in arms. Talking with those who had success, I discovered that they weren't luckier or more talented than me. They just used their energy to be better instead of whining about their misfortune.

"After understanding that, I rose through the army ranks, made friends, and found a new family for me. Yet I was still an idiot with a chip on his shoulder. I refused the Verhen family name and bought one for myself.

"I was Trion 'Proudstar'. Gods, if it sounds embarrassing." Trion laughed at himself and the cadets had to bite their lips to not do the same. "I believed to have cut all ties with my past, yet the slightest mention of my brother was enough to drive me insane.

"I put my career at risk several times just to settle a score only I kept and prove to Mogar how good I was. I spent my life hiding my identity from my friends and running away from my family, no matter how much they loved me." Trion pointed at Elina and Raaz.

"I disowned my parents and my newborn little brother grew up without knowing me. The army creates camaraderie and friendship, but there's only so much it can do when you keep people at an arm's length to protect your stupid secrets.

"So, when Night came, I was alone. I ditched my army buddies to drown in self-pity as usual and rejected the Verhen name that would have saved my life. I died like an idiot and when Night staged my suicide, everyone bought her act.

"I wore my heart on my sleeve, everyone knew how bitter I was and how I took every one of my brother's successes as a personal offense. After I returned as a Demon, I discovered how stupid I had been.

"I carried my brother's same blood, something that even scum like Meln managed to tap into. If only I had worked harder, if only I didn't waste my time cursing at my brother just because he existed, I might have awakened the same power you envy.

"What I'm trying to say is that today you are presented with a choice. You can follow my footsteps and whine about how unfair life is until the bitter end, or you can do like those two men." Trion pointed at Lith and Morok.