-time skip 1 month-
I sat in the carriage hauling new soldiers to the city. Each rock in the road made the whole cart shudder and jump wildly, swerving from side to side and shoving passengers into each other.
"Where're you from," the cute brown haired girl beside me asked casually.
"Nimfyre, a merchant town on the northern border, though I hardly knew the place, I was trained to be a soldier since young. What of you? What's your story?" I prompted the girl.
"I'm ashamed to say that I have none, I've lived a quiet, normal life in the small farming village of Ashic and joined the army to help save the innocent," she shrugged me off, but I persisted.
"Everyone has a story, yours may just be at its beginning, what's your name?" I asked.
"I'm Issy; Issy Dismalo," she introduced herself to me, flashing a bright smile.
"Well than Issy, are you ready?" I asked, looking past the carriage driver to see the city straight ahead of us.
Bustling crowds parted to allow us entry and stationed guards rushed to open the heavy iron gates.
"Are you kidding?! How could I be ready?!" Issy panicked slightly but I looked back at her and gave her an understanding smile.
"Progress waits for no man Issy, it's time," I assured her resting my hand on her shoulder to calm her.
She swallowed thickly and nodded as our whole carriage was submerged in a teeming ocean of diverse culture and military types. We were it in the capital, but it felt more like we were in a war zone. I watched the masses with eyes masking disappointment, "So this is the capital."
Suddenly, the cart jolted, hitting a dead stop from a fast trot in moments and shoving everyone forward.
"All off!" ordered a general from below, and following his command, each of us sidled of of the carriage one by one.
"The barracks is due south from town, we continue on foot from here soldiers," he talked over the crowd, leading us left from our standing point.
"Why is the base so far out from the city, sir?" the girl was of a stout, strong build and she had a mace strapped to her side.
"So that if the enemy invades, they won't find our defence base easily," the general explained, nodding to another gate sentry, who hurried to follow his silent instruction.
A crash and a scrape resounded in the air as the gate opened outward, making all in the vicinity wince but the general, who continued walking at a brisk pace.
The eerie silence of the trees enveloped us all as we followed the well worn path into the forest and away from civilisation.
-time skip 30 minutes-
After a long hike through the woods, light broke through the tree cover. After being shrouded in darkness for so long, the sunlight was almost blinding.
After my eyes became accustomed to the brightness that surrounded me and the floating black dots dissipated it became clear that we were all in over our heads.
The building before us looked like a prison, with walls that towered above us, extending further than we could see in any direction.
There was no sound, in fact, the silence was almost deafening.
"Everyone, get inside; it's time for the real training to begin," the general sneered, pushing past us and striding confidently in through a heavily barred door to the side of the main entrance.
Shuffling along behind him, our small crowd entered the building. What we were greeted with horrified us all.
We stood in a small courtyard, completely void of life. Even the grass carpeting the small space had withered into twigs long ago.
In front of us, a yard filled with graves. But the cemetery was not complete; it was missing the bodies. They were graves dug for the living. Before us, graves were carved out with names and causes, but no one lay within.
"G-graves?" the small stout girl from before gulped.
"They're for the soldiers; we dig them in advance, and shove the bodies there when they die in battle," the general brushed off, as if the prospect did not unnerve him.
I stood, frozen in terror. The army was cruel and unforgiving; I had expected as much. But what I did not expect, to be regarded with this little humanity, to be treated as inanimate garbage. I felt crushed. I felt torn. I wanted to run while I still could, but I couldn't bring myself to.
I looked around, desperate to find anything that could comfort me. Issy gave me a sorry smile and sighed, "Come on, our story's just beginning, we can't quit now, right?"
Her words eased my fearful heart. She was right after all. I could not give up yet.
