A cry for help

After regaining control of my emotions, I decided to rest for a bit. I didn't have the energy to explore or find out more about where I was. I just wanted to close my eyes for a while.

I found a nice tree between two tents and leaned my back against it. I inhaled deeply, held it in for a few seconds, and then exhaled slowly. I always did this before a match or when I was nervous. It helped calm my nerves and clear my head. As I repeated this for a while, I started thinking about my mom. She was the one who taught me this technique, saying that stress and nervousness cloud our judgment.

A tear approached again as I remembered my father and how he taught me to stay strong in difficult situations and always look for the best in things. I wiped my eyes and closed them, resting my head against the tree. My headache was gone, leaving only the sounds of nature and the camp around me.

"Hey, new guy, wake up. It's time for dinner," someone shouted, waking me from my sleep. I didn't know how long I had been out, but the smell of freshly cooked food stirred me awake, and I was up in seconds. My stomach growled with hunger as I made my way to the table where the cook was serving portions.

With a bowl of food in hand, I joined a circle of guys sitting and eating while chatting. I sat next to one who smiled gently before stuffing his food into his mouth.

We had no utensils, so we ate with our hands.

"So, how come you came back with Gareth after their trip to get us some food?" one of them asked me.

"What?" I replied, still chewing my food. I didn't quite understand the question.

"I asked, how come you are this far out of the city and came back with Gareth after the hunt?" he repeated, looking at me and taking another bite of meat.

"Oh, I... I think I got lost. I don't really remember what happened, but I was traveling with some friends, and the next thing I know, I was lying in this clearing. I got lucky because after some time, the boar we are eating came by, and Gareth and the others killed it," I responded.

"Hahaha, friends, you say. I think you went out looking for some fun with a city girl just to get ambushed by her 'friends' and left for dead," one of the other guys shouted, eliciting a big laugh from the others.

'Ha, I wish!' I thought. "So, are you coming with us to the duke's military training camp?" the guy next to me asked.

"What? Military camp? No, they said they would leave me at the entrance of the city and take you guys there," I said. I didn't really get why they wanted to join the military. No one I knew ever did. It seemed like just a way for the less fortunate to make a living, and if they were lucky, rise through the ranks.

"Why do you guys want to join the army?" I asked. "Isn't there anything better than getting yourselves killed out there in some trench?"

"You could die any minute anywhere if you think about it. The cities have walls to protect us from beasts, but that just means we are trapped inside as well. For me, I want to see the world and become strong enough to live a long and happy life," the guy next to me said.

'So, walls around cities? Shit, who am I kidding, I'm not on planet Earth anymore,' I thought, but it didn't scare me as much. The panic from before was just my initial reaction to the whole experience.

"Right... and why do you need the army for that?" I asked.

"Are you joking? You must have really lost your memory then," the loud one from before said, laughing his ass off. I didn't like these guys.

"You know that the army is the only place to get proper Spiritual Energy training, right? I mean, for us it is. Schools are too expensive, and there is no way those snobby little fucks with money would ever try to teach the likes of us anything," he replied, now a bit annoyed.

"Yeah, true, I forgot," I said. What the fuck is Spiritual Energy, I thought.

The circle of guys started talking about their desires and dreams in the army—what they wanted to accomplish. Some wanted to provide their families with a better life, others sought renown, and a few enjoyed the thrill of battle.

Before long, everyone headed back to their tents for the night. Gareth came by, saying we would leave at sunrise, so everyone wanted to get a good night's sleep.

I went back to my tree, which was very comfortable for a tree. I realized I was between the tents of the soon-to-be trainees and those of Gareth and some of the other soldiers. They were probably army members escorting these people to start their training.

I was still tired and could fall asleep any minute. It didn't take long before I was deep in sleep, dreaming about home.

In the middle of my sleep, I felt a chill in the air. My dream vision was all dark, and I couldn't see anything. I tried shouting, but no sound came from my mouth. I looked around but saw nothing. I took a step to the side and searched for some answers.

The second I took the step, I could feel it. The darkness transformed into a forest, and behind me was my sleeping form against the tree. In front of me was the camp, and to the side of the tree, behind the tents, were two dark, yellow eyes watching me. Those eyes emanated a feeling of danger I had never felt before. I felt like I could die just from looking at them for too long.

I woke up in a scare and looked where I had seen those eyes in my dream, hoping they weren't there, but I was mistaken.

The feeling of seeing them for real paralyzed me, and the only thing I could do was let out a loud shout and cry for help. I collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness, thinking at that moment that I was dead.