I slowly open my eyes to see that I am somewhere unfamiliar that is moving. Looking around I see that I am in a carriage. Next to me on either side are Lilith and Aila.

“Lady Erika you're awake.”(Aila)

“Hello Aila where are we.”(Erika)

“We are in a carriage heading for Haertly castle where you and your group of outlaws will be given equipment and basic training before going to the front.”(Lilith)

“So we are getting training and not just being used as cannon fodder. This is unexpected.”(Erica)

“I say training its mostly quick weapons training and how to march. We won't send you out without weapons or training. Not like we care about you it’s so that you can be a more useful asset in war.”(Lilith)

“Whatever you say.”(Erika)

“Who will be in charge of our training?”(Aila)

“It will be done by sergeant Vy who will be your superior officer when you have finished training. She is a ghoul and a hero from past wars.”(Lilith)

“I look forward to meeting her.”(Erika)

For the next week, we travel to the castle in the carriage stopping at night. I, Lilith and Aila are travelling in our carriage, and I have become probably almost friends with Lilith I can’t tell she doesn’t like to show her true emotions and pretends she doesn’t like us. At the end of the week, we come into view of the castle. It looks like a mix of old and new at the centre is a traditional four walls and four-tower castle but around it is a newer four-layered star fort.

As we get closer the bigger and more impressive the castle gets. Approaching the gate I can see that there are two guards outside with a weapon I haven’t seen before. Instead of spears, they have weapons that look like metal tubes on a wood shaft with some sort of mechanism near the bottom.
Lilith gets out and goes to talk to the guards. A few minutes later the gate opens, and the carriage starts moving in. After Lilith got back in we continue through towards the centre of the castle.

“We are heading towards the barrack you will stay there for the night and then begin training tomorrow.”(Lilith)

“Alright.”(Erika)

“You're going with this surprisingly easy.”(Lilith)

“I lost our duel and I promised to go with you. It also gets me out of the slums I might be going to the front lines but at least it's somewhere different.”(Erika)

“you might be the leader of a group of outlaws but you are honourable.”(Lilith)

“I’m not honourable at all. Also thank you for at least pretending to care about us.”(Erika)

Lilith looks to the side.

“I’m not doing this for you it's for the kingdom.”(Lilith)

“Whatever you say.”(Erika)

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Not long later we arrived at the barrack it is a large brick building surrounded by brick and iron fence walls. It is built in a simple but formal style with large arched windows and decorative brickwork. We get off the carriage and follow Lilith to the front door being followed by the other gang members.

“You will go in and be given your uniform by the staff sergeant and his team then go to the room you will be assigned.”(Lilith)

Lilith opens the door and then I walk in followed by Aila. The room we go into is a large well-decorated hall laid out with tables covered in uniforms. Standing in front of the tables is I assume the staff sergeant a strict-looking man in a dark red officer’s uniform. Behind the tables is I assume his team who will be issuing us our uniforms.

I am the first to collect my uniform. It takes a while to modify the uniform for my height and eventually we settle with cutting the trousers into short shorts and cutting the tunic in half, so it shows my abs eventually we found a pair of boots in my size. The uniform for conscripts is different than the one for normal soldiers instead of the red woollen uniform which is the pride of the army conscripts are given khaki tunics and trousers with black knee-length boots.

After receiving my uniform, I and Aila are escorted to our room we will be sharing. As we enter some of the corridors I must start ducking as the ceilings get lower. We eventually reach our room entering I find that it is fairly large with two beds two desks’ chairs and wardrobes. As it is getting late we decide to get to sleep, we put the two beds together on their own they are too small for me. I lay down on the bed with Aila next to me and go to sleep on the best bed I have ever slept on.

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The next day we are woken up by a bugle and someone knocking on the door.

“conscript sergeant Erika and conscript corporal Aila you are to eat breakfast and then report to the training grounds immediately.”(Messenger)

“Let's get ready Aila”(Erika)

“Hmm five more minutes my lady.”(Aila)

“We are in the army now Aila you have to get up.”(Erika)

“Fine my lady.”(Aila)

After we both got dressed and had breakfast, we went to the training grounds which is a large open space at the back of the barracks with obstacle courses and shooting ranges. I went to the front of the already vaguely lined up and organised members of my gang. I tried to teach them basic discipline, but it never worked maybe the army can do a better job. We wait for a few minutes until someone who I assume is sergeant Vy arrives.

She is a tall woman with grey hair and eyes with deathly pale skin. She is wearing the standard dark red uniform for officers. Dark red tunic with silver frogging and buttons, silver with a silver and dark blue cord. White breeches with knee-high black boots. The most noticeable feature about her is the hole in the right side of her mouth that goes out the back of her head.

She walks over to the area in front of us and stops with a click of her boots. She takes a few seconds to look over the rag-tag bunch of conscripts.

“AAAAAATTTTEEEENNNTIOON.”(Vy)

The sudden shouting causes everyone except me and Aila to jump stop slouching and pay attention.

“LISTEN UP MAGGOTS I AM SERGEANT VY I WILL BE YOUR INSTRUCTOR AND COMMANDING OFFICER. I WILL TRANSFORM YOU PATHETIC BUNCH OF SLUM RATS INTO THE FINEST SOLDIERS I CAN AND MAYBE ONE DAY YOU WILL BE WORTHY OF WEARING THE RED UNIFORM THAT REPRESENTS OUR MARVELLOUS KINGDOM. AS YOU ARE NOW YOU ARE ALL WORTHLESS MAGGOTS YOU MIGHT THINK YOU CAN FIGHT AND DEFEND YOURSELVES FORGET ALL THAT WHATEVER FORM OF FIGHTING YOU LEARNT IN THE SLUMS IS USELESS ON AN ACTUAL BATTLEFIELD AT THE MOMENT ANYTHING IS MORE USEFUL THAN YOU ON THE BATTLEFIELD. AN ANT HAS A HIGHER CHANCE OF SURVIVING AND BEING MORE USEFUL THAN YOU ARE CURRENTLY ALL LOWER THAN INSECTS. YOU MIGHT THINK YOU HAVE SKILL BUT YOU DON’T.”(Vy)

At this harsh speech many start to look disheartened and on the verge of tears but she continues.

“HOWEVER, I WILL WHIP YOU MAGGOTS INTO SHAPE AS QUICKLY AS I CAN. BE PREPARED BECAUSE IT WON'T BE EASY. WE WILL BEGIN WITH ISSUING YOU YOUR EQUIPMENT AND THEN WE WILL WITH PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND MARCHING. EACH OF YOU MAGGOTS WILL FOLLOW THE LANCE CORPORAL HERE A ROW AT A TIME TO THE ARMOURY TO RECEIVE YOUR EQUIPMENT. THE FIRST ROW OF MAGGOTS WILL LEAVE NOW.”(Vy)

She’s a kind and inspirational one, isn’t she? We then leave to receive our equipment.