Scarlet Rose

Chapter 8

The long bumpy track took us across vast deserts I had never seen before. Slowly the pale desert sand began to short dry grass. Soon the sand disappeared pushed out by the long hairs of the plain grass.

The sun was beginning to set as the cart pulled up to a large concrete building. It was much larger than any buildings in the city but it was not quite as big as the palace. The five of us got out of the cart and followed the large Rottweiler to the front gates.

"My name Officer Diesel," he barked. He was one of the officers from the graduation. "I am the head officer here. That means that I am the boss got the pups!"

"Yes, sir!" We all barked in obedience.

"There are about 50 dogs that are training here! Half of them are in their second year of training and will graduate at the end of this year. The other half are you greenies. It is best to stay out of the older dogs way. You will have time to find your bunks and get settled then it is lights out. Tomorrow you will be assigned your regiments and officer leaders. Go get some rest, orientation is at 0500," he barked his final orders before turning and marching into the building.

I hesitantly followed along with the twenty-five other 'greenies'. We were ushered into a single-file line as we walked into the large building. I felt like we were going to prison. The second I stepped inside the feeling vanished. The walls were a bright tan color with brown trim. Pictures of past officers hung on every wall.

The line brought us one by one to a wooden desk. I was towards the back of the time but eventually, I made my way up to the front.

"Next!" barked the small King Charles Spaniel that sat at the desk. She had small glasses that sat at the end of her brown and white snout.

"Name..." she said in a monotone voice. Her eyes glazed over with boredom.

"Scarlet, Scarlet Rose," I replied as I stepped up to the desk.

"All bunks are on the second and third floor. You are in room number 218. Orientation is at 0500 in the arena. The arena is on this floor, the left hallway, two doors down on the right. The stairs are at the end of the hall and its lights out at 12. Good luck." the secretary said with a slight roll of her eyes.

I walked with the rest of the dogs to the stairwell and climbed up it. We all stepped off the stairs on the second floor. I guessed all the new dogs stayed on the second floor. The stairs led to a small hall that leads to an even longer one. It stretched far to the right and the left and each side were covered with doors. I walked along the hall until I came to room 218. I stood staring at the door. A shiver ran across my spine as I took a deep breath and opened the door.

The dogs in the room froze as the door opened. We all stared in awkward silence for a good minute.

"How are you?" yipped wiry tan and brown dog. His eye and head twitched slightly as he spoke.

"Leave her be Bones!" A dog barked from an upper bunk. Three dogs gathered around as the door swung shut behind me. I slunk back until my back hit the door. I let out a low threatening growl as they stalked closer towards me. They all twitched like the first dog. I was sure they had rabies or something like that.

"Where you gonna go now dog!" the twitchy little dog asked with a laugh of insanity. I snapped a warning as the came closer. Then there was a loud thud from behind the group.

"What did I say!" the tall dog behind them bark deeply. The three dogs instantly whimpered their apologies.

"I told you numb skulls not to mess with anyone else!" he growled.

"Sorry, Atlas... We just wanted to have a little fun." One of the dogs whimpered.

"Well have fun another way!" The dog barked.

"Yes sir," they all murmured before scattering to the three bottom bunks.

"I'm Atlas if you didn't already get that. Sorry about them. They just met and decided it would be a good idea to prank the next dog to walk in," the dog said.

"Oh is that why they were all twitching like that," I said with a laugh.

"Yeah. Except for bones. He has done that since he walked in here," Atlas chuckled.

"If there is anything you need let me know." He said with a wink. I smiled, Atlas was a tall black and tan Doberman. His cropped ears stood tall on his head and his docked tail wagged slightly as he entered the room. I could see his taut muscles ripple with every move.

"You can have any of the top bunks. Unless you can't jump that high then I can make one of the others go up there." Atlas said as he laid down on his bed on one of the top bunks.

"I'll be fine," I replied as I left up with ease.

"Impressive," he said with a not. "Why don't we have some introductions! Guys get off your lazy butts and come introduce yourself to our new bunkmate."

The three dogs that cornered me dealer hopped off their beds and into the open part of the room.

"I'm Saige," a dark red and white female husky said. "That's Champ," she said gesturing to a large grey pit bull. "and that little wiry rat is Bones," she said nodding to the small twitching tan and brown.

"Who you calling rat," Bones growled before lunging at Saige. Suddenly a full out fight broke out between them. They growled and lunged at each other's throats.

"Are you not going to stop them!" I yelp at Atlas.

"Nah. It is better to let them get it out of their system."

"Okay," I said surprised.

Finally, Saige pinned Bones with one large paw.

"Yield!" She growled in Bones' face.

"Never!" He barked in his hoarse and scratchy voice.

Saige glared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and letting him up. Bones hopped up and hunkered down to pounce again when Champ jump out of nowhere and joined the fight. We all froze and stared at the door in awkward silence.

"So Atlas, where are you from that it took you so long to get here?" I asked as everyone settled into bed.

"I'm from the Kyston Province. It's a slightly under a full days travel."

"Hmm. Strange, I thought we learned all the provinces in school but I have never heard of that one," I chimed in.

"Yeah, it is not very well known. It is fairly small and very new," Atlas replied.

"Where are all of y'all from?" he asked.

We are all from the Jieleer Province," Siage said speaking for the others on the bottom bunks.

"What about you scarlet? Where are you from." Atlas asked from the bed to my left. The room was pretty small but not too bad. It as in the shape of a square with one bunk-bed on each wall except for the one with the door. My bed was directly across from the door and Atlas's was on the left.

"I'm from the Askana Province," I replied. I knew that they would have heard of my province because it was the most well known of all the provinces. It was by far the oldest and it was where the king lived. The other provinces had governors that were in charge of them but all governors reported to the king.

Atlas and I talked for the rest of the night. Soon a loud bell went off, informing us it was lights out. We turned off the lights and went to bed. Tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of our lives.