2 Conscription

"Bailey!"

Beneath an oak tree, a boy with golden hair and ocean blue eyes sat reading his book, "History of the Elipse Continent."

He tactfully kept his head down, recognising the voice the instant it had called his name – a groan escaped his lips as he began to hope she'd simply called to another Bailey although he knew that was impossible.

"Bailey, don't ignore me!" She shouted again, he looked up to see his childhood friend running towards him – her fiery red hair complemented by the sword she wore at her waist. "What do you want today Bella?" He said with a sigh, was it too hard to leave him alone for a day?

Yesterday she'd tried to drag him to the training ground, the day before that the smithy and the day before that the guards' post. To anyone else she was a dazzling beauty but to him? A nightmare in human form.

"Hmph, why do you assume I want something just because I came to see you? I could have many reasons for visiting my best friend in fact-"But before she could continue Bailey cut in, "What do you want."

"The beast tide is in about a week, aren't you going to join the army?" She looked at him with expectant eyes, her eyes could charm any man and yet at this moment Bailey felt like he was being stared at by a hungry wolf.

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he looked at her, hesitant to reply. If he said no she surely wouldn't leave him alone until he changed his mind and if he said yes? It was the same as signing his life away.

"Bella, look at me? Is this the body of someone who could wield a sword? Kill a beast? If I was going to join the army wouldn't I have done it two years ago when I was sixteen, why would it be any different two years later?"

He sighed looking at the sad expression on his best friends face, it'd been her dream since they were young to fight a beast wave her sadness could only be imagined when her best friend declined to go into the danger with her.

"You're such an ass!" She said, stamping on his leg before stomping off, he could've sworn the earth started to shake and he could hear the plants crying because he had angered such a beauty.

He looked at her figure as she walked back to the village in the distance, his face completely void of emotion. "Why would I risk my life for such an endeavour when there are hundreds of people my age much stronger than myself? Even you Bella, a single punch and I'd be on the ground…"

He sighed before turning his attention back to his book, trying to forget the short encounter that'd just occurred.

He sat there as the seconds turned to minutes and the minutes turned to hours, the sun was setting by the time he flipped to the final page of the book, the page contained a single line.

"As a race, our greatest weakness is our innate lack of power, but from this powerlessness the most powerful people are born."

Silently Bailey closed the book and looked at the rising moon, scholars had likened it to an angel looking over the world yet Bailey thought of it more as an eye. A watchful eye on the worlds' inhabitants to ensure they knew their place in the world – there were powers above them that even they couldn't comprehend.

Looking back in the direction of his village he saw the faint torches of a group entering the village. He thought back to what Bella had said about joining to fight the beasts earlier and assumed they were there to guide any potential conscripts back to the capital in the meantime, or towards the camp on the frontlines.

"Mum is probably worrying about me…" Bailey decided to ignore the Militia's entrance to the village and mumbled to himself as he began to walk back home.

…

The Morning After

"By decree of the Emperor, all able-bodied men over the age of sixteen and under the age of forty are hereby conscripted to join the defence against the beast wave. Any young women who wish to do the same may choose between staying and leaving. Be gathered here by twelve-o'clock, anyone who defies this decree will be branded a traitor to the human race. Say your goodbyes!"

Bailey stood, mouth agape, in the crowd of people who had gathered. Many young men, like him, had their face pale the moment the decree was announced – he looked around in panic only to see Bella grinning at him from the corner of a building, she started to laugh when she saw the shock in his eyes.

"How… How can this be?!" A young boy who had coincidentally turned sixteen just the day before paled in shock, Bailey could only feel sorry for the boy thinking how rotten his luck had to not have been a few days later.

The crowd slowly started to disperse, the boy who had cried out before sat crying in the streets with his mother who held him tightly.

"Do you see what the think you've longed for does to people?" Bailey said, a hint of anger in his voice as he spoke to the person behind him. Of course, that person was Bella who still stood there with a grin on her face.

"He'll be fine! So will you, I'll protect you for sure!" She said grinning, failing to notice the rage in his eyes as he looked at her. Of course he knew it wasn't her fault but what else could he feel at this moment? His death was practically a given if he was put to the front lines like the others and even deserting wasn't an option.

"Now we can fight together, it'll be great! Just like the first Emperor when he-"

"Shut up." Bailey cut her off again, "Just shut up." He didn't bother to turn around and simply walked off in the direction of his home, he knew it wasn't her fault and yet he wanted to blame someone. He needed to blame someone.

"Shit…" As he walked away it felt like a cold bucket of water had been poured over him as he realised when he'd just done, "Why am I such an asshole?!" He mumbled to himself but he still didn't turn around to face Bella because he simply didn't dare to…

The day passed quickly and before long it was the appointed time, the leader of the group silently counted the number of men and women and referred back to what looked like a list of numbers, most likely to do with the villages' population.

Seemingly satisfied with the numbers he nodded, "Let's set off!" He shouted and the group, including the new additions, started to march, it was only a day walk to the capital from the village but no doubt this would be a hellish trip for some.

Spotting Bella in the crowd of people Bailey made his way over, "Bella I wanted to apologise, I'm sorry for being such an ass…" He looked down at the ground as he was speaking, he waited for a response and yet it never came.

Bella had already moved away from him without him noticing, Bailey sighed knowing he'd truly screwed up this time… "Time to accept my fate I guess."