28th day in the frontline, 21 days in trenches;

Vicka slowly crawled toward the barbwire to change position. They used the wires to form a maze-like pattern in front of their trenches to slow the enemy's advance and they would change the pattern daily.

The mud spluttered to his face every time he landed his elbow to move forward.

Since that day Dickson fell, the rain had been heavily poured on them like the sky was weeping for him.

It flooded the trenches as if those were made as a very efficient drainage system for Bangoli Plain. Some dugouts which were placed in lower places became impossible to sleep in. Food and ammunition had to be replaced somewhere high. Commander bunkers had to be remade in places with less water. It had been busy days for everyone; especially for soldiers at the supply line.

The worst part was the latrines. Unforeseen the circumstances, they were built in the lowest places and now they became the first places to be flooded. The dirty bio-waste floated around the trenches. The stench made the life inside trenches unbearable. It was as if they were sleeping, walking and eating inside the sewer, literally. They had to urgently build a high step at the entrance of latrines to prevent more waste from coming out.

"Gosh, it was hell in the supply line," talked Sgt.Hammond to his squad dreadfully. "Those sh...things floated around and one of them hit my boot. I...I swear it was the most disgusting thing I have ever experienced."

"You didn't experience the same in earlier deployment?" A soldier asked him curiously.

"Hell no. There wasn't much rain this year until now. This is bad. We didn't prepare for this. And the worst part is, we are switching to the supply line tomorrow. I have never wished to be in the front line more so than now." Hammond said dejectedly as he threw the supplies in a relatively dry place.

Vicka looked at Clooney who seemed to be stepping in pain. He asked if he was alright. Clooney gave him an 'okay', and said that the medic believed inflammation was due to wearing unfit boots. Vicka offered to change with his but Clooney declined.

"Yours is smaller. I changed with Dickson's."

After that, their conversation paused for a moment. It had been three days since their best friend had gone from this forsaken world. The body had been sent back to Camp Victoria. From there, it would be sent back to the village.

They could not believe their friend who had been with them throughout their lives was no longer with them. They still felt surreal.

Vicka took a sip of rum right out of the bottle. It was their ration. Vicka had been drinking and smoking for days. Not because he was sad. He needed them to warm his body from the cold rain.

"How's Berry?" Vicka asked Clooney about Berry who had been sent to camp to treat. The mental state of Berry had turned worse when he experienced another tragedy.

"He is getting better now that there are fewer artillery fires because of rain. But he would scream by a thunder."

"He mistook it as artillery?"

"Yes."

Vicka shook his head after hearing about his friend's condition. He took another sip and handed it over to Clooney. Clooney gulped to ease his pain in the foot, then took another gulp to forget how miserable their lives had become.

Just in the morning when he went to the supply line to get their daily rations, he found out that they were losing their rations fast. The cigars were soaked, rum dry from big consumption, bandages were wet, and medicines were running out due to diarrhoea spreading across the trenches.

The worst part was no new shipments of supplies would be coming sooner. The officers said their route was blocked by a landslide.

It was a lie. In reality, it was the mismanagement by the generals and prime minister Balling. They thought they could easily beat the Goli and ended the war soon with their superior planes and tanks. But Goli took the battle to trenches and it became a headache for the Davian government.

As the war dragged on, there were fewer youths tending the fields in villages. The nitrates used in fertilizers were instead used on explosives. Industries were run to replenish war materials while the production of commercial products was neglected. Soon Davia found itself moving toward a financial crisis.

A war is a battle of endurance. The fights in the war were not exclusive only to the frontline, it expanded to the very heart of the nation; the industries and farmlands. One must beat its opponent in both warfare and logistics. Failure in one area would result in defeat.

Eight months after the war, Davia could no longer afford to supply all frontlines. So at the start of June, Prime Minister Balling designated a priority_ the oil field and all surrounding areas must be defended at all costs. The black gold was the only way to cover the cost of war.

Back at the front line, Vicka's squad had successfully served 28 days and was called back to the camp.

"Seargent Hammond and his squad reporting duty to command. We have served a month in the frontline for the country, sir," reported Hammond and Clooney to Officer Lupin who was in the bunker at the supply line.

Lupin stared them back. Vicka could sense animosity from his gaze. Lupin threw the pistol he was cleaning onto the table and stood up angrily.

As if asking for a mandatory break from service was a big crime they had committed, Lupin yelled at them, "Must be good to be a soldier. You can ask for leave after a month while we officers had to sleep in this shithole for how many fricking months. ...You dipshits want to go home and sleep on your warm bed while your fellow soldiers sleep in a shithole and protect the country? The enemy is hot on our asses! Get the hell out of my bunker and go back to your posts. None of you are going back."

Meanwhile, outside, Vicka made the list he had to do while he would be back at Greenly. Although it was only a month, he had a lot to do. He was relieved that he got to send the last farewell to his best friend Dickson himself. Then he must send Clooney to the hospital. Then he must visit Berry's village or drink with Sgt Hammond at a pub in Palm Town. Hammond told them that there was a good gentleman club in Palm Town. He was excited_ until he heard Lupin.

As if he was possessed by a devil, Vicka went into the room and punched Officer Lupin right in the face. It broke the nose and Lupin's petty moustache was stained red in blood. Thankfully, Clooney and Hammond were there to stop the two from killing each other.

Vicka was arrested immediately after the incident. He was indicted with assaulting an officer and deserting order which amounted to immediate execution by a pistol. Yet Mckanthy; he was not a hot-headed bull; came to meet Vicka himself. Because he knew Vicka might be the first but would not be the last. It was too early to execute a soldier in this month-old frontline.

Mckanthy asked why so Vicka explained that he wanted to send his best friend's body back home by himself. Also, it was their right to take a leave after a month. It was not him breaking the law but Officer Lupin was.

After hearing Vicka out, Mckanthy closed his eyes and took a puff out of his pipe as he was in deep thought. Then he put the pipe aside and carried the chair close to the cell.

In the close distance, Vicka noticed how clean and neat Mckanthy's uniform was compared to everyone inside the trenches. He also smelled like expensive tobacco too.

"Listen, boy. Vicka, right? Listen. I understand how you feel. Back in my days, I sent off many friends and comrades without me at their funerals. It pains my heart but what can I do? I am a soldier and I must serve when the nation calls me to the frontline. It is our duty. Our destiny. We may be sleeping in the mud and eating shit. But because we are here, our brothers, sisters, our parents can be sleeping in a warm bed. Be proud of yourself because I am proud of you son. I won't be executing a brave soldier who had served his nation because he punched an officer. Okay?"

Mckanthy raised his eyebrows to confirm if Vicka understood him. Vicka nodded back to show his affirmation. Mckanthy gave a meaningful smile as he left the room.

"One more week. Then you will be in your bed with pride. I promise."

Mckanthy gave another promise that he might not keep. Vicka was sceptical about it.