The first day

A tall, hooded figure stood atop an enormous tower of pitch black brick, raising his arm holding a long sword high, its blade dripping with golden blood. Leon looked down to see a bright blue crystal hanging from his neck, glowing sapphire. He felt the itch of flesh healing, and saw gold in the wound before it closed. Just then, there was a flash of light, blinding the young man.

He woke suddenly from his deep sleep, startled by the vision. Why had it come? What did it mean? He didn't know the answers. Absentmindedly, he dragged himself out of bed and stood up quickly. This day would become one of the most important in his lifetime, this was his first day as a recruit of King Talenmare's army. He fumbled into his clothing, putting on black pants and pulling on a v- neck shirt over his bare skin. Yawning, he walked to the corner of his bedroom and grabbed his knee-high boots and put them on, binding the straps. Leon walked out into his family's dining room. The table his father had made before his disappearance stood in the middle of the room, bare and rough. His family was already preparing breakfast. While his mother stood over the wood stove, his bright eyed little sister, Aria, was teasing her dog with a scrap of meat, her laugh full of innocence. As his mother turned, full pan in hand, the girl tossed the meat and the dog eagerly chased after it. His mother piled a mix of meat and potatoes onto Aria’s plate, and smiled at Leon as she placed a loaf of hard bread on the table.

"Good morning, my soldier." she said gladly. "I still don't think you are ready for such a step yet. You're barely sixteen. I think you should wait till next year."

"And I think he is stronger than he lets on." His sister said, thirteen in years, but not in mind. "He's made of tougher stuff than most boys his age." She smiled at him. She was a smart child, just becoming a woman, in fact her first bleeding had come not three months before. She'd been so proud. "Thanks kiddo." Leo said. Turning to his mother he said," She's right mother, I'll be fine. Let's eat."

They sat at the table quietly, and without a word, ate quickly. When they finished and the dog was given the remaining scraps, they said their goodbyes. Leon’s mother handed him something small and cold. It was a small chunk of metallic blue crystal, wrapped elegantly in silver on a thin silver chain. As Leon put it on his mother explained why she had given it to him.

"It belonged to your father and his before him. It gave them hope and courage when it was needed most. Don't lose it!" she said, on the verge of tears.

"I won't mother, thank you." He embraced his mother and sister. Both were crying.

"You'd better hurry or you'll be late." his sister said, mother too hysterical to speak. He nodded and walked out of the door into the sunlight. He breathed in deeply. The day was perfect.

____________________________________________________________

Leon stood at the end of a line of fifty other young men in one of the many clearings miles outside of Celembele, the larger neighboring village. A very muscular man in heavy chain mail was yelling to him and the others. The sunlight bounced off his bald head and cast a shadow over his face with the help of his thick brow.

"Alright boys, you all know why you are here. Together we shall stand against the foul forces of Saegis!" Leon and the young men cheered loudly as one. "Today as well as every other that follows in the next eight months, you will have a training partner and spar as one of your most useful exercises. This will reveal and improve your skill with and without a weapon!" The man continued. Each pair was separated and given nothing but their fists. Leon was paired with a boy named Michael. He was seventeen, with a tall lean frame, messy black hair, and a handsome smile.

The armored man yelled “Begin!" and Michael came forward wildly, launching his fist viciously. Leon barely dodged and caught Michael’s forearm. Not giving himself time for praise he instinctively pushed Michael away by the chest and began his own attack. Leon did his damnedest to find a weak point in Michael, but it was as if there wasn’t any. The other boy, however, found many on Leon and more than once had him gasping for breath. Over ten minutes the fight continued, leaving plenty of bruises on Leon and only a few lucky ones on Michael. Then he found the weak point in Michael’s stance and put all he had into exploiting it. He feigned a strike to the jaw, which of course Michael guarded. As he attempted to block the strike, Leon grasped the other’s wrist, twisted behind him and pressed his foot against the back of Michael’s knee, forcing him to the ground. Finally, Leon pulled upward on Michael’s arm, almost dislocating it and forced his head down with his knee.

Leon hadn’t realized that the rest of the soldiers-in-training had finished minutes ago and were gaping at the display of ferocity he had just shown. Noticing he was still on top of Michael, he released the young man and pulled him upright carefully. The armored man came over to him and Michael. His loud bellowing laugh echoed through the clearing. “Now that was a fight!” he said to all.
The man clapped both of them on the shoulder before announcing the day’s next training exercises.

After the recruits were allowed a small lunch and a brief rest, the man in chain mail, now allowed to be referred to as Jackson, then started them on the next exercises: archery, weapon skills, survival, knowledge and discipline. At sundown, training halted and the recruits were required to set up camp using the supplies set in the corner of the field. There all fifty got their supper and went to beds. Leon and Michael shared a tent, like the other paired recruits. They sat quietly and spoke of their fight and the days training, eating their moderate supply of meat and bread. They also traded stories of family back home. Leon learned that Michael from a village further than his and much smaller. Michael are his family were woodsmen and farmers. After talking for nearly an hour they agreed that the next day would be tiring and that they both needed their rest. Leon put out the candle lighting the tent and turned over into his dreams.

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