Outcast - Short Story (Part 10)

No one from my unit knew where we were headed for sure. Everyone in unit was young and did not travel a lot in life so that all this was new to them as well as me. The commanders of the army imposed light march on us, and we were not so physically exhausted as during our trip to the Capital city. Even military exercises, maneuvers all worked much more regularly than when we traveled as an independent unit. Which was completely expected, because our army counted several tens of thousands of soldiers. Many were veterans of some old and long ended wars, they were seen by their somber faces and the simplicity of the movement. In a slight lack of understanding of their equipment. All of this was the opposite of the feelings of those new ones, newcomers soldiers as I was. We looked at them and learned on their example.

The news spread rapidly as we marsh. The Heir of throne of our Empire, in his diplomatic mission in the neighboring Kingdom, was killed in a plot. Everything indicated that that plot was done by the same people they were trying to bring to peace, and now Emperor wanted a revenge. Every single soldier in this march now wanted that same revenge. Ten thousand soldiers with the most capable military commander have been sent as a precursor to provide us with a safe road to the border, as well as to start some border dikes with them. The older soldiers said that this has always been a way of warfare in our homeland. A smaller military force would begin a conflict, deterring the notice of the main attack. And the main attack was on us to deliver and with that a victory.

The days passed, they were shifting one after the other, and nothing changed except for the leaves that became greener. The days were getting warmer by indicating the arrival of the summer. Although our young minds gave birth to the desire to fight after so many arms training, we realized slowly that military life is mostly a march from one place to another. I would occasionally see the vigilant detachments, military surgeons, and carefully follow every step of their way whenever I have time. Their skill was astounding, but I noticed that their elixirs were not as effective as mine. I still hoped that I would have the chance to do anything, to work with them, at least after this war. I could learn a lot from them, and share many secrets with them.

A month passed and then we could sometimes see the traces of our predecessor army passing. The remains of military equipment, arrows, swords, even some of the unfortunate soldier's bodies were scattered across the fields. As we continued the path, we were increasingly meeting such scenes. The army that was sent before us left behind a trail of death. Two days after we came to the scene of the first conflict, a small squad of our soldiers waited for us to report that the great battle was started, lasting two days now, and that our units would not endure unless they were given help. We were running right after that news, thousands of soldiers uniformly moving towards the salvation of their comrades. Blade of revenge.

The battle was not far from here and we saw from a distance that our army was numerically overcome. It was a slaughter and it was not clear how they managed to take out two days in such a cruel battle. We entered the battle, the spearman units in the first ranks. Fear, the true fear was present in me then. I will never forget these first moments before the first blow. And after that a serenity. The tranquility in my soul, and I knew far in my mind that I awoke in myself something that I did not know even existed. I was cold-blooded and efficient. The austerity of the war, and then and later, they formed my soul. I'm still wearing scars. Scars that will never heal. Nightmares that will never stop. The blood of too many enemies now, after all these years, is still on my hands. But the battlefield was my home from that moment to this day. My home after all these periods when I was outcast.

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