The Question of the Hour is this.
How to conscript soldiers willing to die for a King they would never see and for men they would never talk to?
Simple.
Money.
And the centuries of being the continents bread basket have given them more than deep enough pockets to take from, especially for a Border Baron tasked with defending the border against brigands and Barbarians.
The State had their best interests that the border remains defended.
"Hm? How strange..."
The Recruiter hummed, his voice low as he thought of something while staring at the man in front of him.
Raising a hand at the guard nearby, the guard looked shocked for a moment before nodding his head and disappearing someplace else.
"What did you just do milord?" The man said, shifting nervously in place
"Nothing much" The Glasses wearing Recruiter leaned back in his chair as a Knight followed the Guard who had just disappeared.
Clad in steel head to toe, the Recruiter continued calmly.
"Just killing a spy."
Instantly, Blood as dark as night exploded from his mouth, a look of confusion on his face as a blade pierced through his neck.
That look of confusion was swiftly replaced with one of rabid menace
*SKREEEE!!!
Twisting amongst the sword stuck in its neck, five black arms, one cut in half, burst out of the now dead man's chest, the arms connected to a maw of teeth screeching loudly
Hands clawing at the air wildly, the sword swiftly cut it apart, the barest remnants of a starfish turned nightmare being turned into minced meat.
"Withdraw Men, it's dead."
Calm voice echoing through the chaotic crowd still shocked at the sudden appearance of a monster. The Knight saluted to the man sitting below the tent flap and disappeared, a servant appearing to clean up the Mass of Nightmarish Flesh.
Acknowledging the Knight's nod with a nod of his own, the recruiter adjusted his glasses before gesturing for the ashen haired teen previously hidden by the Knight to step forwards.
"Come forth, we don't have all day to spend."
Awkwardly nodding at the man's words, the guard standing besides the man flipped over a small mirror that had previously revealed the monstrous starfish inhabiting a once dead man.
With grey hair, the teen sported the rarely seen blue eyes, with a pallid skin tone, the teen appeared shorter than his peers with a skinny body with little muscle on his bones.
Observing the teen and confirming that nothing was wrong save for the lack of meat on his bones which could be solved later, he began to rapidly fire off questions.
"Name"
"Ren sir"
"Is sir your last name?"
"No sir"
"Then drop it until you become a recruit, age?"
"Fourteen"
"..." Pausing their movements the man looked at Ren before penning it down.
"To confirm, do you truly want to do this?"
"Yes sir"
"I told you to-" The recruiter paused, sighed and continued. "Nevermind, do you know what the Europatan Principality is promising?"
"Yes sir"
"Will your relatives personally retrieve the money or will we have to send it personally? Remember that a cut will be taken by the courier."
"They will personally retrieve it sir"
The man placed down his pen and stared into Ren's blue eyes, brown eyes seemingly staring into his soul as he locked his fingers together.
"...Do they know that you are here Ren?" He whispered, already dreading the answer he was going to receive.
"...No"
"Greats above it all..." The man murmured to himself as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before penning a few things down onto the sheet of paper albeit reluctantly
"Now to reiterate, you are aware what you are getting into?"
"Reiterate...?"
"...Are you aware of what you are getting into?"
"Yes sir."
"...Abyss's sake kid, you have a future ahead of you, are you sure you want to do this?" Locking his fingers together, the man glared at Ren as if he was a piece of trash.
"If I don't do this, I won't have a future to look forward to."
Falling silent at the surprisingly sharp rebuttal the man grabbed a sheet of paper off a large stack and shoved it forward.
"Sign here if you're aware of the fact that by signing this piece of paper, there's a near 100% chance that you'll never see your family again."
He tapped the page. "Think carefully kid, this piece of paper will decide the type of future you will have to look forwards to."
"I'm sorry sir, but I already made my mind up long ago when the Messenger came bearing the King's decree."
Shifting the paper around, the man handed Ren a pen which he took gratefully and shakily scrawled his name in bold letters.
"...Go now and join the others." Pointing to the growing number of people being funneled in from other recruiting tents, Ren gratefully bowed to the man who took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Staying like that for a few moments more until the guard wielding a spear coughed into the palm of his hand, the recruiter sighed before adjusting his glasses and shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Next!"
---
Hearing his voice shout out behind him, Ren joined the crowd of waiting conscripts fully knowing that in a battle of beasts, their lives weren't even guaranteed.
But for the well being of his father, sister and brother Ren was fully prepared to not see them grow in the future.
He had known at the bottom of his heart that he would probably die if he went on with his plan, but it wasn't until he saw the five handed monster being sliced apart right in front of him that he finally realized.
He could die.
In the coming months when they would be deployed to the frontlines, Ren could die and never meet his family for the rest of his short life.
He might be ripped apart by giant tigers or puppeted by five handed star fish, but the end result is the same
'I could die'
Sitting down on an unoccupied portion of the fountain that had run dry as of late, Ren's hands tightened into fists.
'But... Even if I can turn back time... I don't think I'll change my decision.'
Ren's family wasn't a well off one as evidenced by the lack of a last name.
His Mother was a seamstress before she passed after contracting Bone's Rot and giving birth to his two little siblings Rylee and Roe.
It was a nasty disease that one. Turning a once able bodied mother into a Bag of Blood and Organs that died from their own weight.
His Father, on the other hand, was a candlemaker like his mother and father before him, a profession that had as of late fallen on harder times with the appearance of gas lamps.
He made it work of course. The man always had a way with words, allowing Ren and his two siblings to get on by.
But then he contracted sun spots and the debtors came sniffing around with their hounds.
As it turns out, a candlemaker's salary. Especially one that had fallen on hard times wasn't enough to sustain the three bellies of growing children aching to learn more about the world.
So the man had turned to a loan for a chance to send all three of his children to school that was now biting him in the arse now that he contracted Sun Spots and couldn't even cover the interest.
And coincidentally, the Principality was handing out enough of a sum to solve all of their current problems and then some if they removed one child from the equation.
'Happy Father?' Ren glanced at the midday sun being slowly consumed by the white clouds in the sky. 'I might be skipping school to be here, but I learnt math like you told me to.'
"Pay attention because I'm only going to say this once!" A loud voice echoed through the subtle heat, attracting even more eyes from the few already looking at him in wonder of the clothes he wore
A Mage
Wearing Warm colored Robes denoting his affiliation to the Summer Tower, the Mage sat atop a brown horse with a wand strapped to his wrist.
'I've never seen a Summer Mage… so that's what he… what???'
Observing the robes adorned on his body, Ren blinked once he noticed the face placed upon those shoulders.
It was the same man who had finalized Ren's acceptance into the army
"I am Captain Harken and you shall refer me as so from now on! Not Mage Harken or Lord Harken, Captain Harken got it!? Now any questions!?"
Growling menacingly, The Mage-Captain trotted his horse all round the city centre arrogantly, striking a glare at everyone that dared try to speak up.
Watching them clam up and get cold feet at his glare, Captain Harken's gaze grew even colder as his voice bellowed across the square, magic spreading it so that it could be heard even by those farthest from him.
"Now! All of you know what you're getting into so I don't want any complaints from any of you! And if you have some you come straight to me alright!?"
Sharp glare scanning the group of people, Captain Harken, the Mage-Captain grunted and reared his horse towards the direction of the Town's gates.
"Now the first test for you idiots is to march to our destination on foot! And if you can't do this then you don't have what it takes to be a soldier for the King's army!"
Arrogant gaze reminiscent of every mage Ren had the chance of seeing, strangely enough, he felt a strange emotion underneath that gaze.
'What… was that?'
But just as quickly as it came, the man's gaze disappeared, not bothering to linger on the cocktail of emotion he had left in his wake.
Digesting the disgusting mix of fear, hope, annoyance, joy among other things, Captain Harken. Not bothering to see if they could sense his sentiment shouted loudly and kicked the flank of his horse.
"Now! Get into Four Lines behind the Knights and prepare to march!"
The Mage flicked his hand now holding a black wand, sending a flare of yellow into the blue sky.
"It'll be the last time you'll see this place before you enter your new home for the month after all" He whispered quietly, his voice being caught only by Ren who was at the very front of the pack.
Hurriedly rearranging themselves chaotically into the four designated places, after lots of pushing and shoving later, four messed up lines formed underneath Captain Harken's cold gaze.
Ren shrieked under its harshness.
"Is that the best you can do!? Even my Grannie six steps into the grave could've done this better than you pathetic lot!"
Feeling the rage and annoyance in the air spike sharply, Ren watched with widening eyes as the Captain's wand slipped out of its place on his wrist and into his hand before it formed a flaming ball of fire above it, shutting down the rising emotions in an instant.
"Are you feeling angry right now!? What are you going to do about it!?"
"Huh? What are you going to do!"
"Scared about a little fire!?"
"Hey! Tell me you cowards!"
Emotions being rekindled by the Captain's goading words, Ren felt the emotions in the air spike as a man one row to his right shouted angrily.
"What do you want us to do damnit!?"
"What do I want you to do?" Snapping his head to the man who had just shouted, a cold smile covered his face as he brought his horse nearer to the man.
Trotting nearer, despite not being close to the man, Ren could feel the dense fear radiating off of the man as the Captain leaned in towards the man and spoke quietly.
But despite how quiet his voice was, it seemed to course through the crowd as if he was right besides them, whispering into their ears.
"Prove me wrong."
"Huh?"
Feeling the confusion coursing through the air, Captain Harken dismissed the flames in his hands as he spoke quietly, his voice carrying a weight behind it.
"Prove me wrong by proving that you're better than an old woman six foots into the grave."
Scanning the crowd, he shouted suddenly
"Shout and prove me wrong you spineless worms!"
Ren gulped down his saliva as the Captain's sudden demand stunned everyone including Ren.
"…"
"I. Said. Shout!"
"Waaaahhhhhhh!!!"
"Shout like you mean it! Even a dying lion can do better than you pathetic lot!"
"WAAAAAAHHHHHH"
"Better!"
Feeling as if his lungs were burning from the exertion of suddenly going from a 5 to a 10 on the sound scale, Captain Harken bore a satisfied smile on his otherwise harsh face.
Rearing his horse suddenly and pointing his wand at the gate flanked by four knights in shining armor. He roared
"Now we march! Take a gooood long look around you recruits! This is the place you started! But it sure as hell won't be the place where you end!"
Cold grin covering his face, the Captain's eyes scanned the crowd before he struck the horses flank.
"Now March!"
——
Marching in lieu with his fellow recruits who just had their emotions played with a mage who was more Warrior than Scholar. Ren's eyes stayed locked onto the man's back, a deep admiration for the man welling up in his chest as they started their march through the city.
'That was… awesome'
The emotion behind the speech made by Captain Harken was deep enough that Ren felt his heart beat rapidly.
It was almost enough for Ren to want to forget anything and pledge himself to the King and Country as a loyal soldier.
That was until he was faced with a bitter reminder of why he was doing this in the first place.
Marching past the Old Hunter's Corner and entering the School district, Ren caught sight of dozens upon dozens of people stopping to watch the march of nearly a half a thousand People.
That number alone accounted for roughly a third of the Town's able bodied men.
At the thought of that, his heart swelled with pride of being a part of something more.
Scanning the crowd that seemed as if they were staring at him and him alone, from the corner of his eyes, Ren saw something which he prayed was nothing more than a trick of the mind.
It was as real as could be.
'W-Why are they here? Shouldn't they be at school?'
Ren's eyes widened as his heartbeat swiftly shifted from one of excitement to one of fear as he caught sight of his younger brother and sister watching the procession slack jawed, their small forms huddled atop the rooftops as the procession carried itself out of the city.
Ignoring the fact that Ren himself had skipped school to be here, he glanced back to confirm that they were indeed his siblings Rylee and Roe
Similarly grey haired forms peeking out from over Miss Hillary's Baker shop, their piercing blue eyes seemed to pierce into his very Soul.
Adjusting his position somewhat so that he could be hidden in the crowd Ren didn't look back to check if they saw him or not as they finally left the City Gates.
Heart beating, Ren felt angry at the fact that they skipped out of the school their father went into debt for only to remember he did the exact same thing to pay for their dad's debts.
It was probably selfish of him to think that...
'But who cares? Because of what I'm doing, my brother and sister can continue going to school with their friends.'
Clutching another thing he was selfish about, a winged dove peaked out of its place in his hands as he closed his eyes.
In a bedtime story that his mother had whispered to him before he slept, this little dove was at first handed to his Great Great Grandmother by his Great Great Grandmother and was seemingly nothing more than a token of their affection.
But soon after he had gained it, three misfortunes had suddenly struck their family without warning.
First, his wife had fallen ill with a difficult to treat illness.
Second, a natural disaster that affected everything and everyone in its immediate surroundings plunged his friends and livelihood into danger
Third, in that natural disaster that no mere mortal could stop, the devourer of doves, a Tiger had appeared and began to eat his left arm and left leg.
At this point even Ren at his young age wondered why such a malicious object was considered a family heirloom.
But then his Mother whispered about the dove's magic that completed at the holy number 4.
"Fourth, the cry of doves rang out from the charm that your great great grandpa kept close to his chest despite the disaster that would soon come."
"But why did he do that mama? Is he stupid?"
"No hahaha" A woman with blue eyes laughed joyfully in his memory. "He was just in love"
The woman briefly disappeared in the timespan of a blink before reappearing.
"Love is stupid, I'm smart, I won't fall in love"
"Hahaha… I wonder how you'll react when you're all grown up and find a girl?"
"Bleh, girls are stupid"
"Even me?"
"No? You're mama."
"Hahaha. Yes yes, I'm your mama"
"But what happened next?"
"Next? Well…"
When the dove cry came ringing out of the charm, a warm white light covered his Great Great Grandfather as his wife suddenly reappeared behind him like an angel.
Kissing him, REN's great great grandfather suddenly found himself with one new arm and leg and with the strength to murder the tiger that had ate his arm and leg in the first place.
After that, following the 3 misfortunes, 4 fortunes struck the man, but sadly at that point, Ren had already fallen asleep, so besides the fortune of life, Ren knew nothing else.
Not that it mattered since its magic had long since faded.
Nowadays it was just kept as a family heirloom to remind the Candlemakers that even if they were struck by hard times, good times would soon follow.
Ren hoped that it would help him just as much as it did his Great Great Grandfather.
'I'll probably lose it though...' Feeling a subtle twinge of guilt for taking the Family Heirloom with him, Ren tucked the dove away into his shirt as he stared at the back of the captain leading them to his new home for the next two months
'I'm sorry about this Father... but I never was worthy of your love.'
——
Guard's Log: Night Watch
- Event 31: Glowing Man bleeding from his mouth came to the Gate with two kids holdings bags of coin. Apparent Parent of one of the Recruits sent to train for the Barons army.
Request to leave the Town Denied: Reason: Inflicted with Sun Spots
Later escorted to the Summer Tower for treatment.
- Event 32: Guard Halsey tried to take coin from kids during escort. Familiarity with subject indicates habit.
Suggested Punishment: Burning Hands—
+++
In an end of the world scenario, in the off chance we don't have the power to deal with a situation, I am nearly a hundred percent certain we would just throw people into the meat grinder and hope it clogs from the overflow.
Surely a couple Billion deaths would do something.
Tree