Curse - Septiplier

29: Breaking Information

Mark's POV

Every part of my body was in pain, and sore. I felt exhaustion wearing me down, and I was ready to collapse at the next moment that I didn't focus on standing up. I had been through rigorous training exercises before, and endured being awake much longer before, but it had been some time since I had been faced with this challenge, and the General wasn't going easy on me today. His glare pointed at me as I wiped sweat from my brow, and stared up at the setting sun across the horizon. Its orange rays kissed the clouds and turned them pink, and for a moment I was able to disappear from training and marvel as how beautiful nature could be.

"Don't even think about it, Mark. You're mine for the next few hours, just like everyone else." The General snapped at me, and there was a large groan that erupted from the soldiers. I was more exhausted than the rest of them, but they were just as worn out and beaten down by the sudden rigorous training we were undergoing. Without mentioning me directly, the General made it pretty clear that one of us soldiers was responsible for this, and my silence allowed the blame to pass over me. "Quit your petty whining and get moving. I want at least three more laps around the castle, double time! And if I see a single one of you out of line or slowing, you'll run twice as much, and I'll just keep stacking until you do it right!"

I took up the lead of the group, jogging around the castle with the other soldiers in three rows behind me, marching in line. I glanced back at them, unsure of how to feel about them being pressured into running. Many of them were sweating profusely, and I slowed as one individual leaned over and his dinner reappeared from earlier that night, exhaustion turning all of us into mush. I stopped as another soldier collapsed to the ground, and the other soldiers stopped as well. They looked concerned as the General stormed over to us, and I snapped my fingers and pointed to the puking soldier and the collapsed one. Three men instantly walked over, helping them to their feet as the General began to yell.

"What did I just say to you? Are you all dense? Or is there cotton in your ears? What's the matter with you?" he demanded, and his screaming was directly faced towards one of the younger and newer recruits of the group, who hadn't seen or known the General's kindness and wisdom before the stress of the war and implications behind Jack and I's relationship. He looked as though he might cry, and that's when my own anger spiked. I could deal with the General's scolding, but not when it was aimed towards people who didn't deserve it.

"That's enough." I said, stepping forward and watching as the group went silent, all eyes trained on me as I stepped in front of the General and who he was yelling at, squaring up to him. The General opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "My soldiers are tired, and hungry. You haven't trained us like this before and you know damn well that we can't handle it. They will be going home for the night, and should you try to stop them, you will have to spar with me, and I won't go easy on you." The General's mouth closed, and his eyes narrowed as the soldiers stood, frozen, waiting to see if he would really take me up on my challenge. Despite my exhaustion and lack of motivation to do anything other than return home, these soldiers were also close friends that I had grown up with, and I wasn't going to let them be bullied for no reason. I reached for my sword as it hung from my side, a necessary requirement of training so that we are always accustomed to the weight of it. The General glared, but he turned away from me.

"Have it your way then, training is dismissed." The General turned and walked away, leaving the soldiers cheering and watching his back as he left us. Many clapped me on the back, and thanked me for letting them head home or back to the soldier dormitories. I, however, stood there in confusion for a few moments longer. The General knew that I had been out all night with Jack, and that I was less than capable of engaging in combat, yet he had turned and walked away. My eyes narrowed in thought, and I turned and began heading home after gathering my jacket and shirt that I had removed earlier.