Chapter 436: The first day after everyone arrived on the front lines
Everyone got to the front line safely. No one was hurt, no attack happened, it just went...smoothly.
Brent checked in via Sergei’s set up with Rhys when he got in, and Hill also happened to be there. Kellen himself was in a class so he wasn’t able to speak to them but Rhys told Kellen later that day that everything seemed normal, no hiccups, and everyone was excited to be there for the first time, and in the Field Guides’ case, be back.
Rhys had smiled at him warmly as he had said that, happy to be able to soothe some of Kellen’s worry. Kellen was grateful that he was there, looking out for him. Kellen was also grateful that he took the step and let him know about what was eating him alive. Rhys hadn’t freaked out like he had worried, and instead had been very accepting of what he’d said.
He also hadn’t brushed him off, which he didn’t think he would, but it was nice to know that Rhys had his back in everything. This was still a slightly foreign concept to him in practise, even if he understood what it was when it was on paper.
He didn’t hate it though, and despite everything else going on, Kellen was rolling out the new training program for the Field Guide teachers the same day that others left for the front lines. The regular, now committed to becoming Field Guides were getting put through a simulation style training, working in groups with headsets on as if they were going through a gate up in the training rooms at the A Class gym. Casper had suggested that as his next move so that they didn’t feel like they were missing out on anything, and Kellen thought it was a great idea.
That left very little for Kellen to do during their class but monitor them to make sure nothing was going wrong. He could then send everything to the printers, have a lovely regular Guide help him organise, staple and label all of the teacher booklets that he and Brent had finalised before Brent left, and hand them out during his afternoon class dedicated to those who wanted to teach.
Lunch was a quiet affair. He had it with Charlie, his Dad and his Mom. They came down and ate with him after Kellen had asked them to join him for lunch. Charlie was doing good. He’d asked for one of the teacher booklets, just to leaf through, and Kellen had no problem giving it to him. He was curious, and catching on to the fact that no one was letting him guide.
He had apparently finally asked Casper and Kellen’s Dad about it recently, and after having everything explained to him, and why they had delayed doing so, he’d grown a bit more quiet. More contemplative. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that they didn’t want to use him for his powers.
Casper was doing his best, as the head of the Guiding Division could, but Charlie was a bit of a special case. Everyone was pretty sure he came from a bad background, and that he had been being abused, so everyone was walking on eggshells around him. There were a few who weren’t, and Kellen was glad for it. He also acknowledged the fact that he had been one of the people treating him like he was delicate.