The smell of blood, ash and Biomatter is in the air. It's unsurprising, since anyone who still has eyes, can see plenty of all of these things. The otherwise dark night is aluminated by fire. Someon is screaming in the distantce. You try to make out their words, but you can't.
It's like a river of emotions is flowing through you uncontrollably. It pulls and takes away any clear thought you might have had. The rivers water is a mixture of fear, anger and melancholy. And in front of you stands the reasen for it all.
It looks like a man, but it isn't. It's ears are pointy, like those of an elf from a fantasy novel. There is no white in its eyes and its orange irises are sparkling in the light of the flames. The thing looks at you and smiles. The teeth -or rather fangs- of the monster are like those of a cat or other mammalian predator.
Its mouth is covered in blood. Below it are lying multiple lifeless, limp bodies. You feel an inconceivable amount of hate, when looking at the thing and an equal amount of sadness, when looking at the bodies. You can't help but stare into the eyes of the beast. You want, you have to do something, but you are frozen in place. It's impossible to tell, if it's because of the dream, or out of fear.
You still can't understand what the voice in the background is screaming about.
Suddenly Erich is pulled back into the real world. It was a dream or more so a memory. His body is still stiff from sleeping on such a hard surface. To make it worse, there are loud noises everywere. Some carage drivers are arguing about who caused the accident. The stall keepers agressively advertise there products. A recruiter is loudly explaining the cause of the Defenders Legion.
"If you are strong enough to fight, the fight! Don't let the human race hanging! Fight the Humavores!"
Erich thinks to himself "Right thats why I'm here" and stands up from the bench, he was sleeping on. The sword on his waist is rattling in its sheeth. He is a tall man with brown hair and eyes. His shoulders are wide. In generell he is pretty muscular. Not like a bodybuilder, but enough to be considered athletic.
The marked he finds himself in, is big and loud. Many wooden stalls selling vegetables, dried meat and other foods are lined up. In the middle of the market stands the Recruiter.
He walks up to the recruiter and asks for the papers. The recruiter gives them to him, before he begins signing them. A Minute later he gives them back to the man. The person takes a quick look over the contract, mumbles something about an orphan and nodes. Erich gets the cotract, that is now signed by the man as well, back. With a quick smile and hand sign, he leaves.
His destination is the place outlined in the contract. Apparently you can take the recruitment-test at anytime. It's no wonder. The Defence Legion is always starved for new members. The frequent deaths are not a secret. No one can do anything against that though. If there is ever a time where nobody is perishing for the cause, than that is either after the extinction of humans or Humavores.
He walks along a long, dirt road. Most cities in the countryside -that aren't near the capital- are connected via these paths. Soon he can see the 5 meter stone wall, protecting the town. The uneven walkway leads to an open field, with several obstacles build on it. It is possitioned very close to the wall.
When he arives at the test side, there are five other people there. One of them is doing the test already, while the others stand and watch. Looking at the obstacles he is glad that he got that sleep earlier. If he hadn't slept, he would have been unable to do the test, because of fatigue. He had been traveling to this town all night and morning, after all. The one that seemes to be the supervisor, takes a look at him.
"Are you here for the test?"
"Yes, I just signed the contract."
"Good. Once everyone before you is done, do the obstacle course as well."
The almost-recruit answers with an energetic "Yes, Sir!", to which the officer only roles his eyes. The people on the field show a wide range of emotions. The tall skiny guy to the left of Erich looks very calm. He is wearing a gentle smile. The guy next to him on the over hand, can't seem to contain his nervousness. Fighting a despread yet futile fight against it. Somewhat away from the other candidates a black haired guy looks of into the distance, as if he isn't noticing anything around him.
By the time Erich finished watching the others, the guy who was doing the course finished the final obstacle. The relaxed looking man goes next. This seemingly inhances the distress of the person next to him. He starts nervously fiddling with his glasses. After the man finishes the obstacle course, with a bit of struggling, the glasses-dude is next. Surprisingly he finishes, despite of his small frame. This gives Erich some comfidence. Not that he was laking any. The black haired person awakes from his day dream and finishes the obstacle course with eass.
Finally after some firty minutes it's Erich's turn.
The course starts by climbing a wall, made out of wooden logs. Thanks to his hight Erich barely struggles at all. After leveling it, one must jump from platform to platform across a mud pit. This was a lot more challenging for him. Keeping his balance on the platforms was a hard task. He almost fell twice, before making it safely to the opposite side. Behind the mud pit is a path lined with moving obstacles. Some are swinging from side to side, others rotated in place, the sticks attached to them, hitting anyone who wasn't carefull. Finally he had to crawl through a sort of tunnel, filled with spikes and other sharp objects, that were only barely avoidable.
A few tiring minutes later he finds him self at the end of the course. There, waiting for him, stand the other now-actually-recruits and the supervisor. The sun is already setting. It took him longer than expected. The supervisor starts speaking.
"So you've all finished the obstacle course. Well done. However there is no reasen to celebrate yet. All you've done is, having proven, that you have potential. Now it's my, Officer Sharlach's, Job and pleasure, to bring this potential out. And the first thing you will have to go through to do that, is fighting me."
Having said that, he stands silently in the golden sunlight of the sunset.