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(WARNING; contains, foul language, violence, and some sexual jokes)

The March to War.

It was a cool, crisp morning; the wind blew in Johns face, ruffling his hair. John shivered; today is the day we leave. The platoon stood at attention in the village square, (which is in the centre of the town), with six small wooden houses on each side. John could see his breath in the air, making him feel like he was smoking. He was in full battle dress, (armour and every thing). Rhett shivered visibly beside John, making his two scimitars on his back clang together.
John whispered to Rhett, "What happened last night?" John shivers, his armour was getting cold, even though he had his leather uniform on just like everyone else, it could not keep him from feeling the cold.

Rhett looks away. "Forget about it." He growls.

"No man, tell me! Did you get in shit?"

"I'll tell you later." Rhett replies coldly, and then sees Captain Smith walking out of his cabin and heading towards the village square. Rhett straightens himself and takes in a deep breath. "Steady up!" he yells. The platoon straightens up, arms straight down there side, and feet spread out.
"Platoon, Attention!" He yells, and in step, we all bring our left leg up 90, feet pointing down at the ground and in one loud thump put the left foot down again, so that our feet are together. That took 2 seconds to bring our feet up and down again. Our arms are straight down at our sides, and eyes looking strait at the horizon.
The Captain stops in front of the platoon and says, "Troops of the NCP 27, we are here today, because our king, King Veron, has asked that all NCP proceed to the Capital Castle, and receive there numbers." He shouts just loud enough to be heard. "It is a four day journey to the Capital at a steady pace. While we march we will join up with other platoons who are also on there way to the Capital and to war. These other platoons will accompany us to the capital." Continues the Captain, he starts to pace back and fourth. "You are all strong of body, and strong of mind, and I believe you are ready for war." He sighs, his voice losing some of its hardness. "Now pack up and be ready for departure in two hours." With that he heads off towards his cabin biding Rhett to follow.
Rhett commands, "Platoon dismissed!" and without a second word, Rhett runs after the captain.
John exhales, taking in the cool morning air, but is distracted when Alex walks by. He notices that she no longer has a cut lip. She walks by John without saying a word. John quickly asked her what happened last night. Alex spins to face John, her two short swords at her side swinging around like a dress. She looks around to see if anyone is in ear shot, then with her metal encased finger, motions him to follow her, then walks away. John speed walks to catch up with her, his armour slowing him down. When they level out, he smells a sweet perfume on her that makes his nose run from its power. She looks over and inspects him, like she was sizing him up, seeing if he was worth telling.
Apparently he was, for she abruptly stopped and looked John in the eyes before, putting her arms on her hips and exhaling. "What I'm going to tell you...you have to swear not breath another word of to the Platoon, `specially the captain", She sighs looking at him again, and slowly says, "When every one want to bed, the captain first yelled at me and than at Rhett. "He yelled at Rhett because he had not rationed the beer, then got hammered too, then for not stopping me and Jink after he tackled me, and then for allowing it to go on. He yelled at me for..." She paused, taking a breath calming her self down. "For taking that fight so personally, but enough of that. He wanted to talk to us in his cabin for something else too, he tol-"
"Hey!" Alex head wipes in the direction of the voice, John looks too, it was Rhett, and he was walking towards them. And oh, he looked really mad.
Rhett walks up to Alex and growls "Get to your cabin before I report you to the captain."
Alex grimaness' and slowly starts to circle Rhett. "Why would you report me? From what I heard you were going to tell him when we left." She counters.
"Wha-, what are you talking about?" Rhett stutters, losing his composure for a second, but then regains control. Rhett turns around, facing Alex. They were close now, a foot from each other. Rhett was glaring angrily.
"Come on just because I wasn't beside you does not mean I could not hear you..." she says innocently.
Rhett seemed to have forgotten John, who was listening carefully drinking in their words.
"Yah, but I was not going to add that bit of information." Rhett mutters in a low and annoyed tone. She stares at him intently, not reacting in the slightest. Suddenly Rhett yells in a hard voice, "Now go to your cabin and get packed!"
Alex stairs deep into Rhett's eyes with a look of pure annoyance, then steps back and mutters in a sarcastic voice. "Yes sir." She then turns on her heels smartly, and walks away, ever so calmly.
Rhett stares into her back as she walks away, he turns around suddenly, facing John, his face red. "Ok, if you say anything about what you hear I will personally, see you court marshalled." He says getting into Johns face.
"You would not." John sneers back. He was mad that Rhett was hiding information from him.
Rhett suddenly grabs John's collar, and lifts him into the air, his metal hands, grinding against his shirt mail. "I will, believe me."
An idea snaps into John's head, hanging there he says to Rhett, "Why Rhett, you only get physical with your friends when you are, mad, or when you are scared."
"I'm not scared." Rhett replies bluntly.
"Well I see that you're mad Rhett, but what does the Captain want us to do that you can't tell anyone?"
Rhett put John down and starts to walk away, his armour grinding together as he walks. Then he turns around and shouts at John, "You will find out soon enough". Rhett disappears from view as he turns a corner.
John stands there alone, he sighs muttering some words to him self before walking towards his cabin, John shivers and looks up to the sky, it was a light grey and went on for as far as the eye could see. He continues to head for the cabin, John looks in the window and sees his five cabin mates rushing to get things packed. John walks in and accidentally slams the door into someone behind it, John walks in and peers around the door and is surprised to see Jink pick him self off the floor. John closes the door and faces Jink, who to Johns astonishment, Jink only has a black eye and some bruises from his fight with Alex, John says "sorry there Jink did not see y-" John did not even have a chance to finish what he was going to say, because Jink grabbed Johns collar and through him into the wall. John grunts as his back hits the wall his armour plates digging into his back... Jink says meaningfully, "Oh I think you did" John kicked out with left leg and scores a hit on his knee cap. But the kick was deflected by his armour, Jink grinds and brings his fist back for a face shot. Alex grabs his fist, while Nate grabs the arm that was holding John, and in unison they heaved Jink into the opposite wall. John fell to the floor and picked him self up. Jink got up as well and they stared at each other like starved dogs seeing who would strike first. The door slammed open and for a second time Jink was sent to the floor. Rhett walked in like he owned the place. And was surprised to see every one looking at him and Jink. Rhett just stood there for a minute listing to the silence, Then Jink pointed at John and yelled
"He-" Rhett yelled at Jink before he finished "I don't give a shit, now why the hell is everyone just standing around we are leaving in 45mins now pack up." The room was silent before Jink broke it by muttering "Is its some ones special time". He snickered, Rhett took it in and sighed before responding, "No Jink, only you and Alex have periods, and thank you for volunteering to pack the horses." Jink screamed in rage and charged at Rhett, when Jink was close, Rhett moved out of the way and stuck his foot out. Jink tried to stop but was too late, his foot got tangled with Rhett and Jink was sent flying out of the cabin and hit the ground hard, landing in a heap of metal with a loud thump. Rhett closed the door when he saw Jink hit the ground and turned to face the other four giggling soldiers, "Well what are you staring at guys, we need to pack up NOW." He yelled, and then walked toward his bunk, that was beside Johns, and started to pack his stuff. No one wasted anytime, they all started to pack, and the room was filled with the clanking of metal and the ruffling of cloth. John grabbed his dark green rucksack from under the bed, his rucksack was a like a big school bag, but with tied up flaps at the top instead of a zipper, it has two main pockets in the middle of the bag, the biggest one at the back and one half the size in front. The bag then has three loops along the side of the sack, with a forth one making a net at the bottom. John put his clothing and in his sleeping bag into the big pocket. He put his eating equipment and his personal stuff into the smaller pocket. He then grabbed his tent from under the bed and stuffed it in the three loops.
(The tent is made like a triangular prism, with strong, collapsible metal poles as the frame. The tent has one 1in thick pole three metres long that can collapse to the size of 1ft, and then has four, two metre long poles that clasp onto the main pole, they also collapse to 1ft. And lastly a thick canvas cloth that will go over the tent and keep the wind and other elements off the troops.)

Lastly John grabbed his canteen and his biscuits. And slipping them into a small pocket at the other side of the bag. There was only two items left, his shield and his parka, John heard a grunt and glanced at Rhett, who had just finished packing and walked out the door with his rucksack on his back, and parka and shield in each hand. John followed suit, and hefted his rucksack and moved his shoulders until it was in a comfortable position on his back. He adjusted the straps so they would not get cut or caught on his armour, John then grabbed his shield in his left hand and picked up his parka in the other hand. And marched out the door with Alex and Cody behind him. John was startled to see Alex, caring a pack two times the size of his and she carried it with ease. John looks away and lets Alex take the lead, with Cody silently following behind him. They walk to the centre of the town the sun was half way across the clear sky, the grass waved in the wind. They marched pass small wood houses most of them vacant. John stared at the pack in front of him, as it bobbed up and down. The town centre finally came into view, and 7 figures could be seen standing in a line 3 thick, their shields and rucksacks on the ground in front of them, John took his place beside Rhett in the front row dropping his pack on the ground and glanced at Rhett who look at his pack and muttered "put the parka in the bag. John shrugged and did so, then calmly looked around to see who was here so far, Rhett is here, so is Alex, Cody, Clark, Jink just arrived with two horse and a wagon, the Captain is here, Fawlan, is here, Clark, Robinson, Darwin are all here. "Who is not here?" asked the Captain looking at John, John replied "Nate, Tendell, and Frank sir". "Okay we will start once the get here" said the Captain. John looked around and noticed that some of the villagers were gathering around at the edge of the town centre. John looked him self over making sure he had every thing, shoulder pads, yup, bracers, yup, elbow pads, yup. "Helmet" yells Rhett smacking John on the top of the head making a solid ding, as his metal fist hit the helmet, making John ears ring, but didn't feel the blow because of its padding. "Yup" Rhett stats, John gives Rhett an icy stare but Rhett just smiles back, John looks away and scans the crowed of villages feeling the wind blow his hair into the air.
Rhett mutters "terrible organization" He then commands "Platoon grab you gear" John quickly grabs his pack and shield, so does every one else, the sound of metal rubbing on metal was heard for a minute before dying down. Rhett took a deep breath before continuing" Platoon, stand in rank facing front, move". And with that, the platoon organized it self so that the ones with the higher ranks were on the right and the lower ones were on the left. Rhett moved to the right and John followed, pressing though the mass of moving bodies. It was like organised chaos, Alex went behind Rhett, John went behind Alex, just then Frank arrived with Tendell, and Nate in toe, Beside Rhett went Frank and in row went Jink and Nate then beside them went the three Archers, and then the three spear men. "Platoon, gear down" Rhett yelled, John dropped his pack and placed his shield over top. Now that the whole platoon is here, the Captain walk in front of the platoon, Rhett yelled, "Platoon, Attention", in unison there legs went up and down with a resounding thud. The captain turned to face the crowed of villagers and said with meaning "citizens as most of you know war has been brought onto us, with out just cause the Empire has declared war", they stood still, eyes wide, staring at the captain, "We do not know why they have called war on us, or why the dragons have made a pack with them, that is why we are leaving, to find the answers and defend the domain." The captain started to pace now never losing eye contact with the spectators, John listened too, know that the captain meant this speech for them to, "I suggest that you leave to, for safety from the dragons, like the one that attacked us before." murmurs were heard from the crowd. "I say you pack your things and move towards the Capital or other fortified cities, and that all fit for recruitment do so quickly before man and beast attack this domain." With that he turned and yelled "Platoon, prepare for march." As one we bent down, slid the pack onto our backs and picked up our shields, and any other equipment, John left arm was heaver then he wanted, it had been to long since he used his shield. "Platoon, left by right march, March"

And so we marched, left foot then right foot, in perfect step, right arm swing at our sides. We have a four day march ahead of us, but John was eager to get to the Capital. The consent thud of 13 heavy boots was soothing in a weird way, no-one spoke as they kept there eyes to the front.
We marched all day through light hills and flat plains, there would not be another village for some time. It was getting dark before we reached the Boreal Forest; this forest was second biggest, next to the Tailaga Forest. The Boreal Forest was a dence forest of coniferous trees with only a few well kept roads though it. "Platoon, halt", yelled the Captain, the platoon came to an immediate stop, the Captain walked in front of the platoon and said, "Men this is our camp for tonight, we are along the western edge of the forest I want every one to bunk up tonight ok, for those that don't know", said the captain looking at Clark, "bunking up means that you join your tent together, by grabbing one more main pole and clipping the two ends of each tent together and then binding your canvas lining together, this allows more space and comfort". The Captain nods his head at Rhett and he smartly marches off. "Platoon, dismissed and make camp" "Yes sir", John yells in unison with the rest of the platoon. The Platoon scatters, finding a partner and running off to find the best spot, John and Rhett join up and the set up their tent by the tree line, and started to unpack their sleeping bags. After organizing there tent, John and Rhett walked out side.

The wind was still and for some reason, and the camp went dark. A shadow fell over the area. It was big, and it was flying. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at it, unable to make out the dark silhouette. John squinted and murmured "what is that?" his neck hair stood on end and his muscles tensed, Thud, thud, thud, It flared its wings blocking out the entire sun giving them a better view of what blocked it. "Dragon!"