Cassiopeia

Best friends until death (which may or may not be next week)

I've been herded to a room with my bags, and it's empty. There are three beds crammed into the space for two and nothing else. No other people definitely. I sit down on the right most bed and drop my things. There's not much even if it is almost everything own. There didn't seem much point in bringing books and board games to the army. It's only clothes and a pack of biscuits my mum made me take last minute.

I lie down on the bed and my mind feels empty. What is there to think. What point is there in worrying when I have only months or weeks to live. Before i get murdered by a witch. Fighting magicks isn't like fighting other normal people. It's not just blocking strikes or parrying a blade. Sure some of them carry staffs, for casting because it makes it easier to carry the lunalium they need to spell but they dont exactly stab you with them.

Its a lot easier to dodge a punch than a spell. You have to get the first hit or it's all over. At least that's what everyone says. It makes sense though. I've read it in the news, in books, heard it from people. Magicks cast spells and unless you impair them or take them away from the lunalium before they can hit you then you're sunk.

I probably have a bit of an advantage as an archer i suppose but for people with only Skill for swordfighting or even hand to hand it's a lot more difficult.

The door slams open and i bolt upright. It's a girl with dark brown hair tied back out of her face in bunches. She looks Central, she's more tan than most I've ever seen. She's clearly older than me, i can tell just from her face, but she's taller than me too. It's not the only thing i can tell from her face. There's a long scar stretching across her face next to her left eye.

"I'm Ava. I'm going to ignore you and then we can be fine," she says flatly.

She drops the cardboard box she was carrying on the floor with a thump. I look curiously at her trying to figure her out. Why does she have a box not a bag for starters, and the scar is a whole other question.

"Hey there princess can i help you, or do you just have a staring problem?"

"Sorry," i say, " i was just," i stop and wonder if i should ask.

She scowls," oh the scar huh? Yeah people do tend to just wonder about that, do you wanna know where it's from?"

I bite my lip, knowing I've gone too far.

"Did you know," she says slowly, " there's a war on, little princess?"

The door swings open as she says it and i jump, on edge because of the visible anger on her face.

"Oh um. Am i interrupting something?" a voice says quietly.

The third to our trio. Another girl and a good job too, i havent seen a boy in nearly a year but i still remember how annoying they are. They're probably keeping us separate for now. Girls division and boys division I'd guess.

She's about my height but looks like she could easily be younger. Her hair is cropped just below her chin and her blue eyes are wide and innocent. Too innocent for the army. Too innocent for a war. But that's life now. Everyone is too innocent for this.

Ava looks her up and down. "No. You weren't. Me and princess were finished."

She pushes past the blondie and closes the door behind her.

"Hi," blondie says.

Ive met too many new people for the day i learn I'm dying soon.

"I'm Lula."

"Ruth," she smiles too brightly for the day she learns she's dying soon. And she claims the bed in the middle and nobody says another word.