The officer's voice lingered in the air at the moment when the initial protests began. A woman moved forward, holding a small pouch containing coins in her hand. She said "My boy is all I have left. Take the money instead." Another man raised his hands and spoke, saying "My son’s fever has not broken for three days. He can barely stand." From the edge of the square, a rougher voice shouted "We need him for the harvest. Without him the fields die."The officer kept his calm tone and did not raise his voice. He lowered the parchment he held and looked at each protestor in turn. He stated "There are few legal exemptions. Illness must be certified by a royal physician. Payment is not accepted. Farm work does not count as grounds for refusal. One man must come from every eligible household. That is the order."Edrin’s mother stepped forward before he could stop her. She moved into the space between the soldiers and the people and stated "My husband already served." Her voice was steady whi

Training began before the sun had fully risen over the hills. The first command issued was to run. Around the camp in a continuous loop. Edrin’s legs were accustomed to long hours spent in the fields, but this running required a different kind of endurance that he was still getting used to. The pace did not slow down. Instructors yelled at any recruit who fell out of rhythm. A recruit from the western villages collapsed during the second lap, and they just left him there on the ground until everyone else finished.Then they moved on to wooden weapons that were heavy and unbalanced. The edges were rough, and some parts had splinters. Edrin’s hands, which were already rough due to working with a hoe and rope, quickly started to develop blisters within an hour. The drills required repetitive motions like raising, striking, and recovering. Instructors walked along the lines with thin rods. If anyone made a mistake in angle, there would be a sharp crack on the shoulders. Several men knelt

The recruits went into the long stone hall and found their places in rows.The walls were old, and they were rough and worn in some places. Narrow windows high above let in thin strips of daylight which was not bright enough to illuminate much. At the far end, the Authority Stone was on a raised platform, It was dark and smooth and taller than any man in the hall.Officers were lined up along both walls, their uniforms were clean and their insignias were clear. They only spoke when it was necessary. Mostly they stood watching.Some recruits looked eager while others shifted their weight or rubbed their palms against their trousers.Names were called one after another.Each man stepped forward and placed both hands against the stone and waited.It usually took just a few seconds.Light would gather and a Mark would form in the air for everyone present to see. Then that image would fade and the Mark itself would settle into the skin.Most of the recruits did not receive anything special

The news reached the camp without warningPanic coursed through the tents before the sun had completely risen above the hills. Men who had recently learned to maintain a line exchanged wide-eyed glances filled with surprise. Some of them had never held an actual weapon before. Others flinched at the sound of an instructor's shout. The unexpected command to march north threw them into a chaotic search for their equipment which did not feel familiar to them.Officers moved through the confusion speaking in flat tones.“You are not being sent to fight.”“Dravaran forces have moved back from the border.”“Your job is only to escort. Supplies. Arms. Replacement gear for Fort Varos.”These words eased the tension for most of the recruits.Shoulders relaxed. Breaths slowed. A few of them even laughed nervously, short bursts of laughter as if the news had been a poorly timed joke at their expense.Vaeron remained unshaken.Edrin watched from the edge of the formation. The commander stood over

The first arrow struck a man through the shoulder, a gruesome sight that marked the beginning of chaos.After that, the sky filled with arrows.They came in sheets, arcing through the night like dark phantoms against the flickering torchlight. The noise when they hit wood and flesh was wet and final, a grim sound underscoring the horrors of war. Recruits dropped where they were, eyes wide with terror, disbelief visible on their faces. Some screamed, their voices cutting through the night, while most simply fell, abruptly silenced, their lives ended in the turmoil.Edrin saw the man who had been in the tent with him three nights before go down with an arrow through his face. He remembered their brief jest about home, the warmth of shared laughter over rations, now replaced by the cold certainty of death. The body fell backward, life gone in an instant, and did not move again. There was no time to look back; no time to feel anything clear, no moments of reflection or grief in the midst