It started as a whisper of unease.
A tiny, faint crackle that skirted the edge of my hearing like background noise, slowly growing louder as I made my way to Officer Skelter's building, taking the longest possible route I could to get there.
Tension grew, until, for no apparent reason, it became almost suffocating.
The crackle grew into a frenzied hum, and as if mirroring it, the wind began to pick up speed. Becoming more erratic and violent.
Soldier's broke out of their hurried walk, falling into a flat run, their expressions fixed into a grim, resolute look.
They all ignored me.
That's how I knew something was happening.
They never spat at me, or barged me.
Not even stopping to laugh at me.
What was happening, for me to be ignored? The most hated soldier this side of the Thoracen Empire.
When I reached Officer Skelter's barracks, I felt an odd sense of anticipation.
There he was, fully armed. With the rest of his unit, their battle armour glistened softly in the dull light of a sun smothered sky.
He locked eyes with me, and for a moment he froze in shock. Then a light of recognition appeared in his eye .
"CADET!!!" He roared, his voice slicing through the rising panic.
My heart began to hammer, each beat becoming increasingly frantic as if my body realised what was happening before my mind had a chance to catch up.
The sky above began broiling, the clouds turning into charcoal fury. The wind began screaming, becoming sharp and furious, like a bereaved banshee.
I faltered under Officer Skelter's gaze. "O-officer Mar-"
"YOU IDIOT!!" Skelter roared over me, his voice filled with a commanding fury. "WE'RE ABOUT TO BE UNDER ATTACK!!! RETURN TO YOUR UNIT NOW!!!"
I blinked, stunned.
'Huh? Attack? Mobilised?'
His words seemed to sap the strength out of my body to the extent I was almost worried that it would break under the force of my own heartbeat.
'How are we under attack?'
I struggled to comprehend it for a moment. I just stood there, staring dumbly at Skelter's gleaming armour, the sigil of the Thoracen Empire, a roaring lion emblazoned on his chest.
"GO NOWW!!!" Skelter roared.
Those words got through, shattering past my momentary daze.
Immediately, I turned. And ran, joining the chaos of the soldiers with a resolute grimness on my face. Around me, soldiers shouted at each other.
Weapons were being distributed.
Boots pounded against the ground like a war drum.
Lightning and thunder danced above, in a violent cacophony above, as if mirroring the chaos below.
The base was filled with a pungent odour of metal and sweat, mingling with fear and anticipation. It was an almost familiar scent to me.
But there was one ingredient missing.
Blood.
The war was here.
I'd trained religiously for it. Enduring the isolation, the gruelling drills and training.
This wasn't training. There were no second chances, or do over. A mistake here would mean death.
The war was here.
And I wasn't ready.
Sprinting, my mind a battleground of worry and grim anticipation, I made my way to my base.
Unbidden, images of my old life flashed through my mind. Splintered memories of carnage. I couldn't stop myself from seeing them.
The mangled corpses, their putrid stench. The gurgling cries of dying men, as they suddenly realised they no longer could see the sky.
The thunder of bullets, killing indiscriminately, taking down dozens as easily as cutting hay. I remembered it so clearly.
The fear, as you fought, praying that you weren't next. Most back then didn't believe in a god. But that didn't matter.
As soon as anyone stepped in battle. They always prayed.
When I reached my building, the rest of the squad was already being assembled, standard-issue swords gleaming despite the dark stormy day.
Officer Mara's voice sliced through the roar, "GET ARMED ARTHUR, HURRY."
I didn't hesitate, bolting inside, my body seemingly moving independently of my mind.
The armour station loomed ahead. I dove in. There were two options. Heavy metal armour, or lighter leather armour that was reinforced slightly.
I chose the lighter armour, not wanting to weigh myself down.
I was too small to weigh full battle-armour.
The leather was reinforced slightly with Aresium. Not pure Aresium, however it was still valuable nevertheless. It was designed to absorb and dissipate impacts. The final piece was the helmet, I fastened it, wiping away the hair that plastered against my eyes.
Grabbing a sword, I swiftly joined the other outside, taking my place next to Noah as we practised.
It was easy to see that barely restrained panic in his eyes. The slight tremor in his hands, the way his breathing came in shallow bursts.
Unlike me, Noah had truly never fought in battle before. Despite this being unlike any battle I'd ever seen before, I at least had felt that type of pressure before.
"Just take deep breaths" I whispered to him. "Bad breathing will get you more tired, you don't want that disadvantage let me tell you."
He eyed me, not saying a word, but I could hear his breathing becoming more steady and controlled.
We made our way outside the city, merging with other units.
"….also…if you need to piss yourself do it before you fight…" I added hastily. "You don't want that surprise while fighting let me tell you."
I heard a soft snort from beside me, making me smile despite the situation.
We were in the third line of the formation, preventing us from being able to see what was ahead of us properly.
Our army was 10,000 strong, an ocean of steel and resolve. MageKnights were dotted through the formations, fully trained soldiers who had a formal education in utilising magic.
I could see the commander.. I had never seen him before, but instinctively, I knew he was the commander.
His armour wasn't standard issue. It was made of a dark metal that clung to his form, adorned with serpents that glowed a soft gold.
In his hand was a spear. The most beautiful spear I had ever seen. But before I was able to admire it, my attention was drawn away as he began speaking.
"SOLDIERS!!!" He roared, his voice deep and commanding.
"TODAY THE ENEMY LAUNCHED A FULL-SCALE ATTACK ON OUR BASE. THEY WANT TO BEAT US. KILL US. THEY WANT TO TAKE THE PEACE, THE ORDER, THE JOY OF THE EMPIRE WE HAVE HAD THE HONOUR OF DEFENDING OUR ENTIRE LIVES.
TODAY WE WILL SHOW THEM. TODAY THEY WILL FAIL. FOR THEY ARE MEN FIGHTING FOR THEMSELVES, AND WE ARE MEN FIGHTING FOR MANY!!!"
The soldiers around me roared valiantly, raising the spears or swords in pride.
All except me, Noah, and a few others. Unlike the other soldiers, we were painfully aware of the brands on our foreheads.
We weren't fighting for many, or even ourselves. We were fighting because we had no choice.
I couldn't see the enemy. But I could hear them.
The marching and rising dust heralded their approach.
And I could tell easily, their numbers outstripped our own. Even from here, the unmistakable thrum of power from the rebel MageKnight's was unmistakable.
I stood rigid in my formation as the march began, heart hammering.
My sword felt heavier than usual, it's hilt slick against my sweating palm. I couldn't see the enemy ahead as we marched, leaving me trapped in my own imagination.
Were they close?
Was the enemy seconds away?
Pounding boots roared in my ear, drowning out the thunder and wind.
Had the fighting already begun?
Then ahead of me, the line broke open like a dam being burst, and I didn't have to wonder any more.