Part 36: Up the Mountain

"That did not feel like ten minutes." I heard one of the recruits quietly grumble."I heard from a friend that they did the same thing to him and his group last year." Someone said to her."Why are we not flying up the mountain and just summoning our familiars when we need them?" Von‑Pac complained."The battlefield is a dangerous place," Jake said, "and it's easy to see any enemy flying through the sky. That's why they want us to train close to the ground, so we can get used to traveling this way; it conceals our movements and protects our group." Honestly, I had not thought of it like that, I had just assumed it was training in working with our familiars."If someone is foolish enough to get themselves and their team captured by the enemy, then they deserve what they get." Von-Pac scoffed."This guy is really getting on my nerves." Jake said over our private connection."We need to start our climb." Six said. "We don't want to be left behind." At first, every recruit and team took the same trail, but as more paths presented themselves, each team took advantage of the ones that suited their familiars best. Some went up the rock mountain sides, others took to the trees and leapt from branch to branch, while our team was better suited to walking up the dirt for as long as we could."We could have been there by now if we could fly." Von-Pac complained. He then gave his familiar several pecks on the head, "Can you not go any faster, stupid beast?" The creature did not seem to notice much though. Jake stayed quiet but stared intensely at Von-Pac. I also noticed him clenching his fist hard enough that blood started to drip from his fingers. Without saying a word, I healed his hand, but he did not stop glaring at the annoying noble."You shouldn't treat your familiars like that." Six scolded Von-Pac."The way I treat my familiar is of no concern to a low-born like you." Von-Pac shot back. I could almost see Jake's thought written on his face, he wanted to make Von-Pac stop, but he knew if he did a fight might break out. For now, it was better to put up with him. However, I did not expect him to do what he did next."Six… would you like a name?" Jake asked with a sadistic grin on his face."I… well of course, what Neame wouldn't want a name. Why do you ask?" She wondered confused."If you had a name, what do you imagine it would be like?" He asked."I imagine having a name would be wonderful." She told him."No sorry, I meant, what do you imagine the name would be like?" Jake clarified."The name itself?" She thought for a moment, "I don't know really. I would want it to be something that sounds nice, and maybe easy to say, but I would also want it to sound regal and proud if I could.""Like the name Von-Pac." Von-Pac boasted proudly, but we all ignored him."These days, I have been thinking about names, what they mean, how they affect our sense of self." Jake said. "So, you say you want a name that sound nice, but is also proud, do you have any ideas on what it might sound like?""This is a foolish conversation, we should be focused on climbing the mountain, not discussing a low-born like her getting a name." Von-Pac huffed. The group fell silent. I looked down at Jake's hand expecting to have to heal it again, but instead I saw Jake... smiling. It was a knowing smile, a planning smile; it almost frightened me."Jake, we will go to jail if you kill him." I warned him privately."Killing him would be a waste, and a crime. No, I have a better idea." Jake said."You cannot just go around naming everyone you meet you now." I told him after realizing his plan. He lost his smile and looked up at me."Why not?""Because… because… um." I said unsure. I honestly could not think of a good reason. Jake had the mana reserves for it, and the stamina. He had already named me and Ceil with no issues. "Jake, naming one Neame will not make a difference. Nobles will still act like this even if you named every commoner alive. That is simply how things are.""Maybe not… but I can severely annoy this particular noble." Jake chuckling. He then began speaking aloud again, "How does the name Vindicta sound?""For what?" Von-Pac asked sounding irritated and tired of talking."I was talking to Six." He stated flatly. "How does it sound as a name?""It sounds like a fine name, any Neame would be lucky to have it." She said."Great!" Jake announced proudly. "Then it's yours." Jake was now smiling almost from ear to ear. As soon as he said that, all of us, familiars included, came to a halt."…What?" Six asked confused, or perhaps she did not think he was serious."Vindicta, I'll give it to you as a name if you want it." Jake explained, still smiling. Von-Pac looked horrified."NO! NO, I forbid it! A familiar cannot name a low-born like her!" Von-Pac protested."Well, it's a good thing it's not up to you huh?" Jake said beaming."You... what?" Six said in disbelief."Do you accept the name Vindicta, or do you prefer another name? Feel free to answer honestly. I will give you a name, but if you would prefer another, I could think of one. You're the one who has to use it after all, so you should like it." Jake offered."Are you serious?" Six asked."Yes." Jake said. While this was happening, Von-Pac was fuming in quiet rage. He seemed to almost be overflowing with anger. He even began to lose control of his mana for a moment and began the first stages of "displaying"."I… I accept." The newly christened Vindicta answered.------------------------------------------------------------------------Jake's POVI couldn't help but smile as our group marched along. Von-Pac was fuming quietly on the back of his hound, and Vindicta was beaming atop her feline steed. "At least he is silent." Suma said to me over our mental connection. I nodded my head to her in agreement. We continued on our journey for as long as the path would take us, until finally it came to an abrupt end. In front of us was the sheer cliff-face of the mountain."I could fly up and look for another path?" Vindicta offered."No, we should treat this like a real-world scenario and stay low when possible." I said looking up the cliff and placing a hand on the rocks. "We could climb, but that might be dangerous." I thought aloud."Do not be ridiculous," Von-Pac snapped, "Paxus is not suited for climbing. He cannot go up that." His voice was full of irritation, whether due to my naming Vindicta or by not being able to go up on his familiar, I couldn't tell, but I could guess."I could climb up it, but it would take a while." I said, then I had a thought. "Hey, what about your familiar? She's a cat, and they're pretty good at climbing.""Argosa might be able to," She said hesitantly, "but I don't know. It is a steep climb after all, and she is no jadoo.""Hmm, it's probably safer to just go around." I concluded. "So, left or right?"------------------------------------------------------------------------The POV of Lauric Isbala, son of Count Thecoma Isbala"Wait up Lauric!" One of the two nameless Neame on my team called out to me. I slowed my familiar's pace, so as not to leave them behind and to give them a chance to catch up. My familiar was a Black Serpent named Loyalty. "Ah, thank you sir." The Neame said upon catching up with me."You do not need to call me sir, just call me Lauric." I told him. I glanced down to his familiar, it was some kind of four-legged mammal, with horns on its head and fangs hanging from its mouth. It seemed tired, huffing and puffing heavily, so we all decided to come to a stop and rest for a while. "Your familiar does not seem to have much stamina." I noted."No, I'm afraid not," The Neame said, "but he can hit quite hard with his horns, and his fangs make great weapons as well.""Our familiars are not as wondrous as yours Lauric." My other teammate, also nameless, said. He was not wrong, my familiar was of exceptionally high quality, but that should not matter."No, they are not, but no matter how strong a familiar, it is useless without a competent master. It would not matter how strong Loyalty is if I were a fool." I told them. "Tell me, are you two fools?" They seemed taken aback by the question, perhaps even offended, but answered nonetheless."No, I don't believe so.""Hopefully not.""Then you have nothing to worry about." I said. "Your familiars are yours, nobody else's. Treat them well and they will die for you, with or without the Rite of Dominance. That is why I named mine Loyalty." After a little while longer we started our travels up the mountain once more. Eventually, we came to a large cliffside, but for our familiars it was of no consequence. My Black Serpent was able to slither between the cracks in the rocks and slowly make its way up with me perched on the saddle on its head. The others were faring better actually. One's familiar was able to scale the cliff by walking up it and keeping its body close to the rocks; it almost seemed impossible. The other's familiar had large claws and tremendous legs, which it used to leap repeatedly from one protruding rock to the next. I was the last one to make it up the cliff, almost two minutes after the others. As soon as we were all up, we were on our way.------------------------------------------------------------------------Vindicta' POVWe, that being my team and I, walked along the cliffside looking for a path to take up the mountain. I sat on my familiar, Argosa, thinking about my new name… "Vindicta". I was so excited I almost couldn't focus on our task. It was unbelievable! Me, a named Neame! I was absolutely giddy thinking about what my little sister would say when I told her. "Oh, wow Sada, you're so cool!" Sada was the nickname she gave me since I didn't have a name before. My nickname for her was bobo; because of how often she hurt herself growing up. She is the only family I have left, and because of that we are very close. Our parents became sick and died two years ago, and I have been raising her ever since then. She is staying with a friend of mine while I am doing my tour in the army.I have to repay this kindness to Sentinel, or uh, Jake. I thought to myself."Up there," Von-Pac announced and drew attention to a small portion of the cliffside that was broken, and the opening fell below the tree line. "We can fly up there then resummon our familiars and continue our trek.""That's a good idea," I said looking up at the hole in the mountain."I know it is, and I do not need a nameless Neame like you to tell me so." He exclaimed."I have a name now, or weren't you paying attention?" I declared proudly."A familiar cannot give names, whether or not the Grand Duke says so. I refuse to recognize it." He stated and flew up to the crack in the mountain. I admit, what he said hurt. Not because I care about his opinion but because I knew that most nobles would share it. I would likely face trouble back home because of my new name, I could face trouble back at camp even."I like your name," Suma said leaving her perch on Jake's saddle and landing beside me on Argosa's saddle. "Come on, we need to fly up there.""I'll see you in a sec." Jake said, and we flew up the side of the cliff. Suma and I landed at the top of the cliff and saw Von-Pac already beginning to summon his familiar."I summon you, Paxus!" He shouted. I summoned Argosa and Suma summoned Jake. Once he arrived, he looked at the path up ahead and got a grim look on his face."What is wrong?" Suma asked noticing his expression."Nothing… I just don't like caves is all." He said gesturing to the entrance of the trail.