An Early Piece of the Puzzle

Chapter 1 - P2 : Surprises of War

Alo

I was shoulder to shoulder with nearly a thousand other soldiers. Making our miserable way slowly on horseback down the long, beaten, and entirely unfamiliar path through the forest. I'd seen it on a map and had studied a little of the area, but it seemed to be next to useless once we were actually out on the trail. I knew our cartographers were bad, but I didn't think they'd be off by about a hundred or so miles.

I looked around, the matching metal armor, chain mail, and helmets we wore, all colored a messy dark green, made me feel as though I were just another faceless amalgam conjured for the sole purpose of war. I'm sure everyone else riding next to me felt similarly. Back at the camps I could at least pretend it was a fake war, teaching others to fight and dodge and look for openings in an enemies armor like it was a game instead of a means for protection. I shuddered thinking about how many I taught to kill, then sent off to their deaths. And now here I was, marching in the same direction as they had, and with barely any rationale or courage to stay.

I held my staff, a half-wand/half-spear like weapon I'd carved myself, tightly in my shaking hands. The cold rain running down my back was easing in an unsettling chill. And I couldn't help but quietly curse whatever god was available. I'd always hoped the war would stop long before I would need to put my fighting skills to actual use, but I knew that was a fools dream. And yet, even as we strode on, I held a small glimmer of hope in my heart. Maybe we'd all get really lucky and the fighting would be over by the time we get there. They'd tell everyone to go home and we'd be able to head back to our lives.

And then again, even as I entertained that thought, I was slowly gearing myself up to do as my king and country asked of me, and fight the good fight for my people. It was a fools thought anyway to think that war would end so easily.

My sense of duty was only somewhat helping to null the dull pang of guilt I felt. Fighting was never something I'd ever hoped to do with the intent to harm or kill. I was only just barely convinced enough to stay mounted on my steed. The beast would continue on regardless of what I thought and kept a patient stride onward to battle. I couldn't help but wonder how much longer I'd be convinced to stay here.

Slowly our parade of metal men trod on through the forest. The trees chattering with the light patter of raindrops and birds. It was slowly growing darker and closer to night and the birds were slowly being overtaken by the loud croaks of toads and crickets. I looked up and over the line of skilled fighters marching to what may very well be their deaths. And I really didn't need to look back to know the rest of the group were following, begrudgingly, behind me. At least I had been deemed important enough to get a horse, more than half of those behind me were on foot, forced to walk on in the heavy and wet metal armor. Then I looked at the darkening sky, no stars yet, but shades of purple and red mingled in the dark trees as a few stray birds tried to find home before dark crept fully in.

I want to be like them. I want to fly home. To leave this march I never wanted to come to in the first place. The day I was drafted I knew I should have left town, but the pride in my towns face when I was chosen kept me there. It even made me hopeful that I'd be a war hero like they wanted me to be. But to me it was like I had been called to my death. The soldier delivering the news may as well of been The Reaper himself. And to be fighting against the one country I'd never hoped to fight...

I watched passively as lights went up so we could continue on in the darkness; some were old fashioned torches but others were glowing crystals embedded into staffs similar to mine, emitting a powerful glow to light the way. I rose my staff as well, giving it my command and igniting a small sphere at the top. But as the road illuminated well enough to continue, all I wanted to do was break out of the line and simply run away, taking the horse with me and never to be seen in this place ever again.