Tuliyollal rose above the tree line like a brightly-colored beacon. Xochitl's ears lofted forward as she heard the distant thrum of the capital of Tural echoing across the waters as the punitiy-hauled barge neared the docking area along the city shoreline. Hefting her rucksack over her shoulder, her silver eyes took in the city with new eyes. She'd been here many times in her life on various trade and barter trips with her mother, but this was the first time she was arriving here as a Landsguard recruit. Now, she looked upon this place as not only the beginning of the next chapter of her life, but as a place she would soon be sworn to protect and defend. Not just the stones and the streets either, but the myriad people that walked the thoroughfares and lounged along its beaches. There was more to her coming here than just a visit for coin or pleasure. There was duty here now.

"Recruit Canek!" A tall, swarthy tonawawta waved a hand at her, beckoning her over. He had sandy brown hair and a close-cropped beard; his eyes were somewhere between red and brown, not quite either one, like a warm mahogany. He wore the colorful trappings of a true Landsguard with the bright Hanuhanu plumage accenting his pauldrons and the hem of his jacket. 

Her ears swiveled toward him and she angled her steps his direction, weaving through the crowd with all the adroit agility that a sixteen-year old could manage. She was tall for a xbr'aal woman, but this man was taller than her still. As she neared him, his face broke out into a broad, affable smile. "Welcome to Tuliyollal, Recruit Canek. I'm Staff Sergeant Tenoch Temoxtle, I'll be your trainer for your first year, then I'll hand you off to your first squadron. If you'll walk with me, I'll explain some of what we do here in the city as we make our way to Brightbloom Post so we can finish your registration."

Xochitl nodded silently as she fell into step alongside Tenoch, her eyes and ears went everywhere as they made their way up to the main boulevard that spanned across the beachy shore of the city.  As they passed Aunt Tii's Taco Stand the kindly mamool ja woman waved at them. 

"See you for lunch, Staff Sergeant!" She called out. Tenoch merely laughed and waved to the lizard woman in return. 

The young xbr'aal woman looked up at the taller tonawawtan. "You certainly seem well-liked around here." She observed as they continued to walk down the avenue and the soldier was repeatedly greeted by various townsfolk. 

Tenoch laughed, gesturing with one gauntleted hand to the passers-by as they walked. "The Landsguard are the defenders of the people, but you aren't much of a defender if you don't know the people you're protecting, now are you? You have to learn what they value, what makes or breaks them as a people. Like the Hanuhanu are peaceful people..." He said, gesturing to a nearby large, feathered being resembling a brightly colored owl. "But what they value are their traditions and their crops, because it is through both of those that they connect to the rest of Tural. So, if a Hanuhanu comes to us asking us for aid with their crops or some creature damaging those crops, we know to prioritize that request, because that's important to them."

Xochitl nodded as she listened, avidly taking in everything the Staff Sergeant had to share with her. As they walked, he explained to her about the Pelupelu, the shetona, the moblins, as many of the people of Tural as they crossed paths with on their way to Brightbloom Post. She learned much about her people in that short time, and how dedicated Tenoch was to them. It began to register within her just how vital the Landsguard were to the land and its people, they truly lived up to their name. The weighty mantle of duty loomed large over her shoulders.

As they rounded the corner into the Post proper, Xochitl took in the myriad buildings that made up the compound. Several different squadrons were on the grounds, practicing with each other or with various archery butts and training dummies. This would be where she'd spend the next year, here and on patrol around the city as she came to learn all the rules and regulations that came with being a Landsguard. 

Tenoch put a hand on her shoulder, nudging her toward a nearby table where a very bored looking Landsguard bearing the insignia of a low-ranking corporal was greeting the new recruits, checking them in on a registrar in front of him, and issuing them their novitiate uniforms. Xochitl stepped into the line and the corporal, a bland-faced shetona with blonde hair and violet eyes stared at her with an equally bland expression.

"Name?" He bleated at her with little to no inflection.

"Canek." She supplied. "Xochitl Canek." 

He picked up the book, flipping through it to find her name. "Canek. Right, here you are." Reaching into a crate beside the table, he took out a Landsguard uniform and plopped it on the table in front of her. "You're to report to Staff Sergeant Tenoch at the fifth bell of the morning for introductory calisthenics. After that, you go to Sergeant Major Pāinalli for weapons practice; it says that you're skilled with spear and shield, yes? She'll take that into consideration, but be open-minded to learning whatever melee weapons she insists you learn, she has her reasons.  Then you get your one bell lunch period, which is your own time. After that, you're on clean-up duty with the kitchen for the next sennight. Once you're done there, you report back to Staff Sergeant Tenoch for your evening assignments. Clear?  Good. NEXT!" The shetona bellowed, waving her to step aside as he leaned over to peer at the person behind her in line. 

Blinking at the overflow of information, Xochitl numbly gathered her uniform into her arms and sidled out of the way. She stood there looking around the crowded courtyard for a moment, gathering her wits. Staff Sergeant Tenoch was nowhere to be seen, so likely gone about his own duties fo the time being. There were no familiar faces here, no friends she could latch on to.  That never stopped the confident xbr'aal before, so it wouldn't now. Tucking her uniforms under one arm, she approached the nearest cluster of recruits, easily identified by their similarly-held uniforms and bewildered expressions.

"Well..." She murmured to herself, ears lofting confidently. "Time to make some new friends!"