Ebott Chronicles

Twice in a lifetime opportunity

It wasn't long after the fight had concluded and we had recovered enough that we returned to the den, by this time there was already lots of people packed in the den. Obviously there was the hundred or so of the Raguels, but also from what I could estimate two hundred others of Varying soul signatures. As soon as they noticed it there was a bunch of commotion of congratulating me for the win. I had to push through the crowd to get to a spot where I could be seen, I planned on getting the word out of group while the excitement was still high. Though by how people were acting now it seems this would be talked about for a while. I brought Bray and Helix with me, Zak having came out with us from the crowd somewhere.

I made my way up to where Zak had made the original announcement about the fight, to make my own statement. I sat down on the table, quickly everyone became quiet as I motioned that I was about to speak. "Thank you to all of you to showing up to that fight on such short notice, and for all the congratulations. Though there was a very important reason that I wanted to bring all of you together. Something that I first had Zakary on board with then now I've brought Bray into. I'm building a military force like none have ever seen before, and I want every one of you to be a part of this. When I came in here I was told one day I'd return and I presume the rest of you were told something similar. Correct?" There was a little talking amongst people but as a general consensus was a yes. "Well when that day comes I do plan on being ready, and in being ready I need people. Quality soldiers who I can depend on at a moments notice. I died in combat shortly after accomplishing my mission, I'm sure many of you had similar circumstances. So that's why I'm offering another shot, one more war. For all of us. Anyone with any level of combat experience I want signed up, it doesn't matter whether you lived twenty years ago or two thousand years ago if you've got the drive to fight then you're allowed to fight for me. Each one of you will be given the training from the best that the modern battlefield can offer, and if it needs it will be given modern weapons to be trained on and take into battle." I gave them a few seconds to think about it while I planned on what I was going to tell them.

"If you want to be a part of this we will all be meeting in three days, 6am. The light should take you right where you need to go, so if you think you're up for another fight show up. Many of you are veterans, and in every war there are people who don't make it to the end. I didn't make it either. But like me I'm sure many of them want another try, so do them the service and tell everyone you can, and together no matter what we may face down when we return they will stand no chance in wake of our combined prowess." I looked off to my left to find Zak holding a drink out to me, which I took and held up. "...but for now, to victory!"

As I held up the drink there was a collection of cheers, before I jumped down off of the table taking a sip of the very clearly high proof alcohol. The only thing on my mind being 'this sure wasn't what I was told about in Sunday school' As I began finding a different spot to sit I saw Zak starting to toss people more of what he was brought, Helix taking one and coming with me. I sat down at a table with Helix, kicking my feet up deciding to just relax for a while. I didn't drink much anymore but one day couldn't hurt, it was a celebration after all. "I guess we'll just have to see whether they truly are who they claim to be." I nodded and she kicked her feet up as well, soon enough we were joined by a third person. It was the one I'd seen the first day in the after life with a rocket launcher.

He came and leaned against the table I was sitting with me feet on, drinking the Alcohol. "Good work out there newbie, I'm almost impressed. Though after watching you take down that ship I can't say I didn't have high hopes. I do have a question about this military group though."

I simply shrugged. "Shoot"

"Will I be able to keep this pickup here?"

I laughed a little bit while taking another sip but nodded. "There's always room for more Grenadiers and anti tank units." He held up a fist which I quickly hit before he stood up, giving a short salute.

"Roger that, I'll see you in a few days then." I saluted him back as Zak came back over to us, sitting down adjacent to us at the same table. I looked over to him as he pulled something out of his pocket, followed by a lighter. Lighting what I was quickly able to identify as 'oregano'.

He didn't look over as he took a long breathe from it, it was a few seconds before I said anything. "Zak, where is your common decency? Were you raised in a damn horse trough?" He was quick to put his feet down and look over to me.

"Oh come on, I know I'm not old enough but we're both dead does it really matter?" I laughed a bit at his quick defensiveness before shaking my head.

"I don't care about that, I meant pass it down here. It's common courtesy." His eyes widened a bit but he quickly relaxed, putting his feet back up before holding the roll out towards me. I took it off his hands taking a hit from it myself, even if I wasn't a regular to partake in I had tried it a few times. From what I could tell though this was very smooth. I held it out towards Helix, where she refocused on what was going on right now. She looked at it for a second before taking a hit herself where I passed it back to Zak. "There you go, we'll make a decent person out of you one way or another. Remember, it's puff puff pass, not puff puff puff puff and never fucken pass."

Eventually three more people came to join the table, Nicholas and Bray eventually finding their way out of the crowd to join and smoke with us. Lastly was actually one of my soldiers who didn't survive the war and found the party by accident. Currently though we were too high to really think about it and soon enough he was as well, sitting around the table swapping stories throughout our lives. Of course I was always able to overshadow them but I kept my mouth shut until they specifically tried to call me out.

After a few hours the party truly got out of hand, and once the shot glasses came out I remembered very little after that. though there was one distinct memory of me and Helix doing a tag team rendition of the song 'we don't' in front of nearly three hundred hyped up soldiers. Standing up on top of tables and having the entire den acting generally like mad people. Instead of people eventually going home, more people actually ended up showing up.

By the end of the night, at least what I remembered as the end of the night there was an additional two hundred people inside the crammed den. More of my soldiers having found their way into the party, and instead of wallowing in the sadness of having just died they joined in with the partying. This was at the very least going to be a very memorable night for the After Guard original members, as throughout the night many had told about joining. This being a way better advertisement than I had even originally intended with the fight.