the divine art of bullish*t

Chapter 9

A/n- Not edited

the rest of the year went by fast and graduation came quickly, and soon i found that the academy was sending us all home to have our 1 last final goodbye before we are reinstated back in the war a month later.

The carriage i was in was awkwardly silent, some recruits excitement so obviously leaking through their pores, you could tell as they bounced their legs up and down or when they repressed their smiles. but for me, i could feel the tension  already from here, our last words were said in anger and i clutched the small egg shaped music box so hard i could have broken the intricate details on the rounded top .

The carriage halts to a stop and i grab onto my seat so i don't fly open. The guard riding the horse  gets off his horse to open the latch to the carriage door, students excitedly run out while i stand up slowly, as if this would stall the time i would have to see my family again. The students run to their familes who had enough time to wait for them and pick them up from our dropoff point.

time flies unfortunately quickly and suddenly im standing in front the door to my house. if i look at them, i know it will be my last. im not making it back to the Alvedean academy next year, so im as  good as dead to them. my fist has been floating in the air for a while now, waiting to meet the weathered down door.

it opens right before it meets the wood and my mothers mouth hangs open. she hugs me excitedly and rushes for me to come in.

As I stepped into the familiar confines of her home, the air seemed heavy with anticipation and unresolved tension. Her mother's eager embrace contrasted sharply with the brooding figure of my father seated at the dinner table. For a moment, silence hung thick in the air, broken only by the distant sounds of the bustling household. My gaze flickered towards her father, a knot forming in her stomach as she prepared herself for the impending confrontation. "Father," I began tentatively, my voice barely above a whisper, 

"I... I'm sorry for what happened before I left. I didn't mean—" my words were cut off abruptly as her father's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing into icy daggers. 

"Sorry?" he spat, his voice laced with bitterness. "Sorry doesn't fix anything, Rena. You think a few empty words can erase the disgrace you've brought upon this family?"

 I recoiled, her heart sinking at the venom in her father's tone.

 "I was only trying to do what I thought was right," i protested weakly, 

"Right?" my father scoffed incredulously, rising from his seat with an ominous creak of wood against wood. "You've brought shame upon us, girl. Abandoning your reputation, your heritage... all for what? Some foolish money?"

 Anger flared within me, her own frustration bubbling to the surface. "It's not foolish! we needed it." i retorted, my voice trembling through gritted teeth with pent-up emotion.

 "I won't stand by and watch ourselves suffer while we others sit idly by, pretending everything is fine!" Her father's features twisted with rage, his fists clenching at his sides. "You dare to lecture me, girl? " Our voices rose in a crescendo of anger and hurt, each word a painful reminder of the growing chasm between us. And as the argument reached its fever pitch, I felt something inside her snap. 

"I can't do this anymore," I whispered, my voice breaking as tears welled in my eyes. "I can't stay here and pretend to be someone I'm not. "  this argument should've ended when i left, but clearly not to him. With those words hanging heavy in the air, I turned on her heel and fled from the stifling confines of her home, leaving behind the shattered remnants of a bond strained to its breaking point. i need to see Anika. i need to tell her everything.

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Ironically, im the calm one, Anni on the other hand is muttering curse words and pacing around her brightly coloured room.

As I sit in the armchair in front of my best friend's desk, I can't help but feel grateful for having such a wonderful person in my life. We've been through everything together, from childhood sleepovers to the present day. Suddenly, she gasps and takes my hand, sensing my unease.

"I'll join the war with you then," she offers, and my heart swells with love for her. I take a deep breath, feeling a sense of comfort and safety in her presence.

"No," I reply, but she looks at me with concern. "Yes," she counters, pulling out a piece of paper and starting to write a letter to the general.As I watch her write, I am filled with a mix of emotions - fear, sadness, and gratitude for having such a loyal friend.

"I don't want to lose you," I say, my voice trembling."I won't leave you," she replies with a reassuring smile. "We're in this together, always."

I feel a sense of warmth and love for my friend, knowing that she has my back no matter what."promise?"she holds her pinky out at me and i take it 

"Thank you," I say, feeling tears well up in my eyes. Anni finishes writing her letter to the general and sends it off with her carrier dove. 

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We spend our next and last week training, i teach her how to disarm me of my sword and she walks with me to reminisce our childhood around town. it will be our last time. this is cruel, she'll be sent to war and i'll be sent to the province we are at war with. something inside me begs me to tell her where im really going and that she shouldnt go but i cant. Gods now what type of trouble id get in if word got out i was going to Dradevows illegally.

Suddenly a week flies by, and not once do i think about my parents. we walk to the turret on a large mountain and the people around me are vary in size and height. As I stand in the line, waiting to board the carriage, I feel a sense of foreboding wash over me. Anni's hand is tightly gripping mine from behind, and when I turn to look, I see the fear in her eyes as she stares at the other line. The convicts who were forced into joining the war are glaring at us, their eyes filled with hatred and loathing, and some with looks trying to tell us to make us run for it while we still can.My heart is racing with fear and anticipation, and I can feel the tension in the air as we wait for our turn to board the carriage. I tighten the straps of my rucksack on my back, trying to prepare myself for what lies ahead.As we finally board the carriage, I feel a wave of dread wash over me. The carriage is packed with 30 or more people, all crammed inside with no room to move. I can't help but wonder what horrors await us on this journey, and if we will ever make it out alive.

Me and Anni stick out like sore thumbs in the carriage, our worn out leather armour heavily contrasting to the new and polished versions of leather of the rich kid volunteers around us. The ride was long and cold, and all we were left with was a map of all outposts and war fields to study and the codex of were we will train.

the ride becomes chaotic and the smooth path is replaced by bumpy and wet terrain, mutters and questions start spilling out of peoples mouths but i stay quiet. we ride for what seems like days but i know its only been a couple of hours, i hear a stomach growl and i suddenly envy the people who were smart enough to bring food. i hear yelling from outside our windowless carriage and put my ear against the wood. i hear the clashing of swords and our carriage stops before starting again, the people inside riot, banging on the walls to be let out.

I notice a small crack in the wood and peek through, i notice that the guard on the horse leading our carriage was now replaced with a different guard, he must've fought with the other one to be swapped or something.

The carriage swerves and Anni and I get flung to the front of the carriage. i run my fingers on the edge of the wooden panels and feel for one that is loose, i pull it and pull it until its free and look at the guard if front of us, his armour has intricate details and carvings, but the carvings did not belong to our kingdom. The carriage speeds up to the walls of the province's academy but turn swiftly, the other carriages behind following closely . i gasp and pull Anni pash the overcrowded carriage to the doors at the back.

we're being abducted.