Was he still a beta without the Anubis?
Nox followed Harvey to a bare spot beyond the horse trailer.
“You do this often?” Nox stuck the two shovels into the ground and kept the pickax in hand.
Harvey left the posts and post hammer a few feet away. “We cook most of our food outside. The ovens and stoves in the motorhomes are too small.” He took one shovel. “It’s easier to use this area to build a fire.”
“Rocks?” Harvey nodded at the pickax in Nox’s hand. “Or dirt?” Harvey did the same with the two shovels.
“Rocks.” Nox hoisted the pickax to his shoulder.
“Good. I fucking hate busting up rock.”
Harvey took a shovel and pushed it into the ground, and it instantly clanked. “Looks like you’re up.”
Nox swung the pickax, and the pointed end punched through the stone.
“Nice.” Harvey dug out the pieces. “So, where did you get all your hole digging experience?”
“Military, mostly.”
“What branch?” Harvey hit another rock.
It took two swings to bust it up. “Army.”
They repeated the process.
“How long did you serve?” Harvey pulled off his hat and jacket and went back to shoveling.
“Till I died.” Nox left his coat and hat on the ground next to Harvey’s.
Harvey stopped with his foot on the ledge of the shovel scoop. “Oh. Sorry.”
“It is what it is.” Nox nodded at the ground. Harvey removed several scoops of dirt before hitting another rock.
“What about you?” Nox said. “Where’d you get your hole digging skills?”
“Burying family and friends.”
Nox froze.
Harvey shrugged. “Like you said, it is what it is.”
“Seems that way with a lot in life.”
Harvey laughed. “You got that right, my brother.”
They dug the hole.
“So what was before the army?” Harvey said.
“About the same as any teenage boy, I guess.”
Harvey shook his head.
“I mean—” Nox waved a hand at him. “—anyone growing up in the last twenty years.”
“Eh.” Harvey added more dirt to the growing pile and herded the rocks off to the side with his foot. “You’d be surprised how little it’s changed. Getting into trouble, chasing tail, pushing your parents to see what you could get away with… sword fighting. The usual.”