The War for Gurbadin

Chapter 1: Getting Ready

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----------------------------- (character switches)

Not one hour ago, the children frolicked in the fields. But now the war toads were being loaded with supplies and inexperienced soldiers. Karamaki was with her brother, saying goodbye to their mother.

"Garvan, remember to look after Karamaki," Sameragia told Karamaki's brother.

"I know mother, but we might be in different troops," Garvan replied. Garvan had a bulky build after training for about four years."We would be lucky if we ended up together."

"I understand, but please try your best," Sameragia pushed.

"I can take care of myself, ma," Karamaki reassured her mother. She reckoned that her mom just wanted to protect her, but she was twenty and perfectly capable of looking after herself.

"You are still a child, Karamaki. I only mean to keep you safe," Sameragia stated. Someone called for Karamaki and Garvan. They seemed to be loading the last stragglers.

"Mother, we have to go now. And I will take care of Karamaki," Garvan promised. He started to walk away, but Sameragia grabbed his hand and pulled him and his sister into a hug. When Sameragia pulled away, she had a single black tear trailing down her cheek.

"Now go," Sameragia ordered them. The man who had been ushering people onto the toads was now coming their way. "Make your father and I proud! And remember to look after each other."

"It is time to leave. The last vehicle is waiting for you," the man announced. "Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to leave."

Sameragia stepped back and sorrowfully watched her precious children be led away. Hoping they would come back alive. They had better watch over each other. I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of them after their father...

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The cart jolted as the toad's back legs thumped to the ground. Karamaki scribbled away in her notebook. The quill shot across the page, ruining the carefully drawn illustration. Great, now I have to start over. Karamaki thought as she crossed out the sketch and flipped the page. She had been drawing the scene of the inside of the cart and everyone in it to savor the memory.

"So, what are you drawing in that book?" Garvan whispered to Karamaki, catching her off guard.

"It is only a scene, not that important," she replied, Karamaki had noticed that her brother had sounded tired, as he should be. He had snuck out last night to visit his lover for the last time before the war. "Now go to sleep."

"Yeah yeah," Garvan said absent-mindedly. "Wait, how did you know I didn't get enough sleep last night?" He sounded skeptical.

"You have to pass my window just to get out of the house, Garvan," Karamaki pointed out.

"What are you doing staying up late?" Garvan questioned.

"Reading. What else do you think I'd be doing?" Karamaki countered. "Now go to sleep, it's not good that you snuck off to Eldwyn's house and didn't get any sleep. We still have a few hours till we get to the camp grounds, I'll wake you when we get there."

"Okay, but after this ride I'm supposed to look after you; not vice versa," he argued. And with that he fell asleep.

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It had been almost five hours and they had encountered many bumps, yet somehow Garvan was still sleeping like a corpse. Plenty of people in Karamaki's cart had inquired if Gavan was in need of a healer, only to get the answer that he was sleeping and shouldn't be bothered. Karamaki had finished her sketch when a voice sounded from above.

"We are pulling into the station. Please grab your few carry-on items and head out to the dock. You will be sorted into your groups there. We'll handle the rest of your belongings. You should have them by the time you get to your tents."

"Garvan, wake up. We are almost to the station," Karamaki whispered, shaking her brother awake.

"I'm busy. What do you want?" Garvan inquired, sleepily only just waking up.

"We're almost to the station. So we have to gather our belongings," Karamaki explained quickly. "I'll explain the rest later." She grabbed her things after probing her brother to get up for a few minutes. He hadn't brought anything other than a book on the history of the tribes. Karamaki didn't know why he read it over and over.

"We are currently arriving at the station. Stay in your seats till the toad has come to a complete stop," the voice from the speaker announced.

"I really hope we get sorted into the same troop," Karamaki prayed. She had explained the situation to Garvan only minutes before the announcement.

"That would definitely make it easier to watch over you," Garvan muttered.

"What'd you say?" Karamaki questioned even though she had heard him perfectly fine.

"Nothing," Garvan replied quickly.

"I'm not a child, Garvan," Karamaki argued. The toad came to a complete stop. The doors opened and light flooded in blinding all in it. They stepped out of the cart onto the dry dirt road.

A young individual with a cleft cap ushered them towards a clearing. About four feet apart there were numbers on the ground. If they looked far enough they could see large cabins with the same numbers on them.

"My name is Commander Sanvergal," the commander introduced himself. He was from the tribe of Redcap. "If you haven't noticed the numbers yet, look down by your feet now." Everyone who hadn't seen the numbers previously looked where the commander told them to. When the five tribes had finished looking towards their feet they watched Commander Sanvergal. Someone had walked up to the commander and held out a scroll to him. They murmured a few words to each other then the messenger ran off.

"When you hear your name, step forward and head to the troop number you were given," the commander explained, as he unfurled the scroll. "Before I start everyone step back so you are a foot away from the numbers."

All tribes stepped back a few paces. As Commander Sanvergal read the first name off the list, "Tavago troop 57, Darga troop 38, Shitako and Airako troop 23," the list went on and on until finally Commander Sanvergal got to Garvan. "Garvan troop 62, Karamaki troop 63,"

Garvan and Karamaki walked on the same path until it branched out into four sections. The supervisor of camps 60 through 64 guided them to their lieutenants.

Garvan and Karamaki parted ways when she reached the squad and lieutenant of troop 63. There before her were nineteen other mushrooms. Fresh faced and ignorant, they were a perfect example of their nation's unpreparedness.

The other ineligible soldiers and their lieutenant welcomed Karamaki to the squad. Karamaki smiled politely, but the smile felt empty and plastic. As much as she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was nothing more than a nameless casualty; fodder for war's inferno.

The lieutenant led Karamaki to her bunk.

"You can leave your bag on your bed," The lieutenant ordered. "Try not to fall off."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Well, that was comforting, Karamaki thought. She glanced over her shoulder at the other soldiers. Some were reading, and some were tacking photos of their loved ones to the walls. No one seemed quite aware of the gravity of the situation.

The lieutenant shouted from the camp's center. "Meet at the firepit, and receive your weapons!"

A chill went down Karamaki's spine. They really were attacking tonight. There had been no time for planning, no time for training, and certainly no time to consider the value of a life.