Eiran

"Halt!" shouted one of the soldiers guarding the gigantic gate of Myrindor. "Identify yourself!" he added. "We are from a little town called Arkham, here to honor the king's request," our guardian immediately answered.The soldiers wore chainmail hauberks and held crossbows, standing atop the kingdom walls. At least seventy of them patrolled the walls. With a heavy, struggling sound, the gate slowly opened, revealing the majestic city of Myrindor. It was big and beautiful; we quickly rushed in, and the gate was shut. We were instantly surrounded by soldiers pointing sharp silver spears at us. Stunned, we didn't move an inch. Then, an old man broke the circle and examined us all to see if we were mutants. After the scenario, we were led to the palace to see the king. In a grand hall with other young teenagers waiting for the king, he walked in with his elite soldiers. I was amazed when I first saw him; he was clothed in luxury. There was this feeling of authority even without a word being spoken. He sat on his golden throne, and everyone in the room bowed before him. He stood up, lifted his two hands, and gave a speech. "Brave and honorable young men, you have answered the call to serve humanity, a call that echoes with the spirit of valor and dedication. Your decision to join our noble cause is one that shall be remembered and cherished for generations to come. As you embark on this journey, remember that you carry not just your own hopes and dreams but the hopes and dreams of your families, your villages, and your sovereign realm. May your hearts remain steadfast and your swords ever sharp. With your unwavering loyalty, we shall overcome any challenge that dares to stand in our way. Go forth, my young warriors, and make your king and your homeland proud."Everyone clapped heavily, chanting "Long live the king, long live the king of Myrindor." The king sat and smiled as he sat down on his throne; he clapped twice, and soon his servants came into the hall distributing food in trays. We were served with bread, raspberry soup, and water. I got to see the diversity among people in the room people dressed according to their ethnicity, people with different skin colors, all united in a big hall. A loud trumpet was blown, signaling everyone to be quiet. "Each and every tribe will be rewarded as according to promise; each day more people are coming. Myrindor is capable of hosting more people. You will be relocated to a special room, and by tomorrow, you will be taken to the barrack for your training. You will be properly fed and taken care of; you are now an official citizen of my kingdom." The king concluded his speech and then exited the hall. We were taken to the special room, which was really small. I was so tired and slept like a log. The next day, our guardian took the reward and was ready to depart for Arkham. He gathered us together, gave us advice, and some words of encouragement. He made us promise him that we would always have each other's backs. "Tell my mom I love her, and I am doing great in Myrindor," I said, trying not to sound somber. He nodded and rode out the gate of Myrindor. The barrack wasn't what I expected; it was like a camp and a small training ground. We were told that it was a Squire barrack, and we were Squires the lowest rank in the military. We were each given a black simple padded tunic as our armor. Squires were not allowed to own real weapons but wooden swords. The next rank was Man-at-Arms, clothed in chainmail hauberk, equipped with a long sword and round shield. Next is the Knight, clothed in full plate armor, equipped with a lance and a long sword. The Knight-Errant dressed in decorated plate armor with intricate engravings, armed with a battle-axe and a shield. The Knight-Commander, clothed in ornate plate armor with gold accents, armed with a broadsword and a large kite shield. The Lord Commander, clothed in elaborate plate armor with intricate detailing, armed with a ceremonial mace and a reinforced heater shield. Finally, the Royal Champion, clothed in exquisite gilded plate armor with precious gems, armed with a ceremonial two-handed sword and a regal shield emblazoned with the royal crest. The first week wasn't what I expected; we were doing a lot of farm and domestic chores instead of training. We cleared fields, planted crops like wheat, carrots, and potatoes. It was fun because I got to do things I had never done in Arkham. Griffin was angry all the time, extremely humiliated he fancied himself as a warrior and not a farmer. I tried my best to stay out of his way, not wanting to be his punching bag. Food was served in the morning and at night, the quantity was beyond moderate, affecting me greatly. Lyra and I always stuck together; we were the inseparable duo. The squire barrack was crowded after two weeks, with people coming every day. Due to the squire population, teenagers were relocated to another barrack. Nothing really changed; we were still handling our agricultural tasks. Lyra and I were fetching water from the well to water the plants. "Do you really want to be a warrior?" Lyra asked, looking straight into my face. I paused for a while, not wanting to deceive myself with a wrong answer. "To be honest, Lyra, I really don't know," I answered. She looked at me, nodded, and we walked to the farm with our buckets of water. Reaching there, we got information that there would be a serious meeting at night before dinner. That night we were visited by Master Alistair, our soon-to-be training master. He told us that our squire training would start tomorrow, and everyone needed to belong to a group containing three people. He also told us that every group would take part in the upcoming squire tournament. The next day, we all gathered on the training ground dressed in our full squire uniforms. We did some basic random exercises, which later advanced to be more difficult. After our morning exercise, we were given an hour to form a group of three. My group was almost complete, Lyra and I needed another person to complete the group someone who was physically fit. After searching for a long period of time, no one agreed to join our team. Lyra wasn't the problem; I was the one with the issue. In military training, who in their right senses would want to be paired with a weak-looking kid like me? Every time I asked Lyra to join another team, she would hit me hard and ask me if I was high; we were teammates for life, and nothing could separate us. I guess that's the meaning of a best friend. We ran out of time, and people without a group were randomly placed in one. Tobi was placed in our group. Tobi was the perfect opposite of me; he was the fattest boy in our barrack. Due to his size, he wasn't accepted by any group. Eating is what we had in common, but I wasn't as fat as him I was the skinniest boy in the barrack. Tobi came close, gave Lyra and me a hug so tight that I almost suffocated. He smiled and introduced himself. One thing I admired about him was his confidence and how he loved and accepted his physical looks. "Sweetheart, I want you to know that you are truly special and unique. Embrace your strengths, and remember that you are worthy of love and success. You have so much to offer, and the world is a better place with you in it." These were Mum's words to me whenever she sensed my lack of self-esteem. At this point, I wanted the earth to swallow me. Seeing the boastful and annoying Griffin walking towards me with his teammate, I was drained in shame that I couldn't move my limbs. "What's this? A team?" he asked in sarcasm, and then he and his teammate burst into laughter. "What's funny?" Tobi asked, feeling confused. The question made them laugh even more until Griffin fell down and continued laughing. Immediately, we all heard the sound of the drum, indicating all gather. We quickly left Griffin and his team; it was the perfect chance we had to escape the bully. Everyone sat on the floor and listened to Master Alistair as he taught us battle strategy. I really loved the lesson because it had to do with intelligence and not just strength. According to the words of the bandit leader, true strength often comes from the mind, not just the body. I still worried if he ever made it alive; he was a good man, and I will never forget him. Lyra and Tobi held my hands tight. "We are perfect the way we are. Together we create something extraordinary. Don't be too hard on yourself, and remember, we are a team; we got each other's backs through thick and thin," Tobi said while we all held hands together.