A squad to belong

Aaron and Azrael walked into the war front base, passing by some soldiers as they headed towards the commander's tent. Inside the tent, Commander Richards was poring over maps on his desk.

"Good day, Commander Richards," Aaron greeted him.

"Ah, Sir Aaron, how are you?" Richards stood up to shake Aaron's hand.

"I'm well, thank you. Actually, I came to discuss the new recruit we talked about," Aaron replied, as he gestured towards Azrael.

"The one from Ryzel?" Richards looked at Azrael.

"Yes," Aaron confirmed, placing a hand on Azrael's back.

"I see. What's your name, boy?" Richards asked Azrael.

"My name is Azrael, sir," Azrael replied.

"Alright, Azrael. I'm sure you've had a long journey. I'll have someone show you where you can settle in," Richards said.

"Soldier!" Richards called, and a soldier entered the tent.

"Yes, Commander?" the soldier asked.

"Take Azrael to his tent," Richards ordered, gesturing towards Azrael. The soldier nodded and motioned for Azrael to follow him out of the tent.

The soldier led Azrael through the camp, passing by various groups of soldiers who were either training or on their break. They walked for a few minutes until they reached a series of tents located towards the back of the camp.

"Here we are," the soldier said, gesturing towards one of the tents. "This is where you'll be staying for the time being. I'll leave you to settle in, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Azrael replied, nodding his head in gratitude.

"Sure" the soldier said before walking away, leaving Azrael to his own devices.

Meanwhile, back at the commander's tent

"So, why did you recruit him?" Richards asked Aaron.

"The same reason any warrior is recruited, to fight for the empire," Aaron responded.

"I understand, but no one has ever been recruited from there. So, why him?" Richards sighed and continued, "I heard a rumor that--"

"It's best not to listen to rumors," Aaron said, cutting Richards off. "If a special recruitment for him was ordered, then I'm sure there were special circumstances around it. It's never good to meddle in the higher-ups' business," Aaron said.

"I understand," Richards replied.

"Alright then, I'll be on my way. You'll soon receive instructions concerning Azrael," Aaron said.

"Alright, have a safe trip, Sir Aaron," Richards said.

"Thank you," Aaron responded as he exited the tent.

Azrael stepped inside and surveyed the tent. It was furnished with six cots, each with a thin mattress and a small pillow. A lantern hung from the center pole, casting a warm, flickering light over the space. The walls were made of heavy canvas, and there were a few wooden trunks stacked neatly in one corner.

Azrael walked over to the cot closest to the entrance and set his bag down. He began to unpack his belongings, carefully placing them in the trunk. As he worked, he could hear the sounds of other soldiers outside the tent, their voices drifting in and out on the wind.

After Azrael finished unpacking, he lay down on his mattress in the tent. The tent was modestly sized and could accommodate up to six people. The space was shared with five other soldiers who were currently out, leaving Azrael alone in the tent. As he lay there, his mind drifted to the nightmare he had the previous night.

He didn't feel any regret or sadness, nor was he angry about his current situation. All he felt was fear. The nightmare had been terrifying, and it felt like much more than a coincidence. He had never been able to remember his dreams upon waking, yet the vividness of this one had stayed with him.

He couldn't shake the fear of death he had felt in the dream. Just remembering it sent shivers down his spine. Azrael was lost in thought, but his exhaustion eventually overtook him, and he fell asleep.

Azrael was abruptly awakened by a loud shout, "Wake up you lazy bastards!" As he opened his eyes, he quickly scanned the room and saw a man in his mid-30s in armor standing in the middle of the tent. Five other soldiers were also in the tent, all woken up from the shout.

"You all must think this is your home. This is the battlefield. From tomorrow, I want you all awake by the first light of day," the man said sternly.

"Now let me introduce myself. I am Vazid, your new squad captain. That's all you need to know for now. Get ready and meet up with the others at the main training grounds in ten minutes," Vazid said before leaving the tent.

Azrael quickly got up, shaking off the sleepiness. He realised he had slept a whole night without the nightmare.

As squad captain vazid left the tent, the soldiers inside sighed in disappointment.

"What happened to your rumor of us getting a nice captain this time?" Herald asked Veno.

"I guess this is the only time I'll ever be wrong," Veno responded.

"Just shut up," Herald said, clearly annoyed.

"Aside from Veno and me, it seems you're all new recruits, so let's introduce ourselves," Herald said, trying to break the tension.

"My name is Herald, and this is Veno. We were both escort mercenaries from the Verman Kingdom before we were given a mandatory recruitment about a month ago," Herald explained.

"My name is Mortiz. I was recommended to the army by the warrior training institute I attended in Belchfort and got recruited," a seemingly 19-year-old boy said.

"Good to meet you all," Dan said, extending a hand for each person to shake. He was a tall man with broad shoulders. "I'm Dan, and I come from Belchfort, just like Mortiz here. I joined the army because I want to serve and protect our people."

Vergil, on the other hand, didn't say anything about where he came from. He was a muscular man with a rugged appearance, sporting a short beard and scars on his face. He looked like he had seen his fair share of battles, and his quiet demeanor only added to his mysterious persona.

"I'm Vergil," he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence.

As the other soldiers finished introducing themselves, it was Azrael's turn to speak.

"Hello, my name is Azrael. I'm from Rivers Crossing and was a student at Ryzel Academy before I got recruited and joined the army," Azrael said confidently.

The other soldiers other than herald and veno were left in shock, their eyes widening at the mention of Ryzel Academy.

"Wait, as in THE Ryzel Academy?" Mortiz asked incredulously.

Azrael nodded, confirming their suspicions.

"What family are you from, or are you a Prince or something?" Dan asked curiously.

Azrael shook his head, "No, I'm just a regular citizen from Rivers Crossing."

The other soldiers were still amazed, "Then how did you become a student at that academy?" Mortiz asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Azrael hesitated for a moment before answering, "It's a long story, and we don't have much of the ten minutes left."

Suddenly, they heard Herald's voice who had remembered the captain's instruction shouting, "Oh crap! Everyone, move to the main training grounds now!" He ran out of the tent, followed closely by the other soldiers.