The Sun shone in the sky, heralded by the chirp of the various birds that populated the surrounding forest at the mountain.
It didn't take long after the first rays invaded the stone-carved city for it's citizens to take their step and once again fill the roads with bustling business and daily activities.
This routine was no different for Madam Chai or me.
I woke up invigorated, still processing the events of yesterday, but thankful for one of my best nights of sleep in many days. Before I could even pick myself up, a sweet and well-known voice resounded from another room
"Get yourself together boy! You already are two whole days late for your conscription, aren't you?"
Only then did I remember the conscription order, and the memory had hit me like an infuriated ox
"My sweet Moirai! I am so screwed!"
"Well boy, I know I used to be quite the sight, but nothing to compare to the goddess herself"
Her half-joking and half-serious tone caught me off guard, and I must really have let it show, as Madam Chai was quick to openly laugh at me
"Madam Chai! I need to rush!"
I quickly bowed in front of her
"I thank you sincerely for your guidance!"
Her hand rested on my shoulder, small, gentle and calloused from years of earnest work
"We are far from done, boy. There is much to do and much to learn"
I could barely contain my feelings of respect and admiration that grew more and more
"I am eager to learn everything you are willing to impart me with!"
She streched her arms and pointed at the table, where rested my leather bag and a satchel.
"Leave your cart here, I reckon you won't be using it so soon. Also, I had some things for spare that I placed on your bag, some dried food and clothes"
She slapped my back with a repreensive tone along
"You were surprisingly unprepared, boy"
I could feel myself shrinking under her evaluation
"Was I? I lack words to express my gratitude, but there is still one point lingering... Why did you have spare male clothes with you, Madam Chai?"
Her eyes lost their luster for a brief second, lost in memories and past times, before being brought back forcefully
"They belonged to my son some time ago"
Madam Chai turned her back to me, her silver hair flowing,
"Now eat something and go! I have some business to attend"
I felt as if I had stepped on a bear trap, with a stinging sensation on both my skin and heart. Nonetheless I swear I heard Madam Chai whisper "don't you forget to come back"
Guess now I have no other options other than make her proud!
After gulping down some bread and tea, I marched outside, headed to the central plaza, where the conscription order directed us.
I squeezed myself amidst the waking city, traversing the current of people that came and went through the wide roads, in a mix of sounds and scents, where footsteps, cartwheels, tamed beasts and marketing shouts interwined with the smell of freshly baked bread, flowers in blossom, ripe fruits, mineral oil and the cinders from the forges. The city was alive once again.
I managed to reach the central plaza not too long after getting out from Madam Chai's residence. The central plaza had the shape of a rectangle and extended itself for hundreds of meters, marked at its corners by large towers and it's sides were outlined by a diversity of trees and a sidewalk, whereas the main area was pure and plain rock for pavement.
There already were people gathering, some donning standard military suit and joining in formations, while others formed long lines on the sides in front of a large table, and sported a variety of suits, from the humbler pelt and cotton to extravagant and silk and satin.
At the long table sat 6 officers, fully armored in colours of red and white, their helmets closed with no more than thin streaks for the eyes. Their mechanical and encompassed movements made them more like dolls than people. Each officer attended to one person, thus accelerating the line's speed.
Around me were mostly young people, but there were a few around their thirties and forties eventually dotting the crowd. Chances are they were seeking to join the training or even the army itself in hopes for guidance or their cultivation or achieving a more stable life.
A stable cultivation was the guarantee of a stable life, after all.
As the line advanced, the people that filled the plaza were organized in squared formations, presenting themselves as training units, meanwhile a sargeant inspected their form and suitability to the role, and soon the sound of rithmic marching and shouts began to echo to the heavens, as the troops were warming up for the training.
Meanwhile punches and kicks flew into the air, I soon stood in front of one of the officers, who received me with a deep and strict voice after quickly running through my body with his eyes
"Your conscription order and reason for your delay" - he said in a solid tone
I swiftly handed down the dragon medal and pointed to the various bruises that dotted my skin
"I am a merchant and I have suffered an ambush during my climb"
He didn't show a change in neither his face nor his tone "You expect me to believe you survived the ambush alone? And you better call me SIR"
"I wasn't alone, there were two people along with me"
His eyes became two slits, as tension slightly built upon his shoulders
"...Sir"
The tension immediately dissipated from the evaluator
"Good, you can follow orders"
He started do write and check a pile of names on a roll of parchment, before raising his head to look at me and proclaiming
"You have been assigned to the 50th platoon, under Sargeant Menan, good luck".
I felt a tinge of pity and comedy on the last line, as if my situation was a laughing matter. Nonetheless, I walked upright, passing through the squared formations of the platoons before finally reaching the fiftieth banner with the symbol of the Emperor on its front, and the drawing of a shovel and pickaxe crossed on its rear.
Under the banner stood a tall woman, probably around her thirties, with wide shoulders, tightly fitted under a studded leather armor, her hair hidden under her helmet. A serene face and haughty stare overflowed nobility.
However, those behind her had a..... much less presentable situation, the people behind the banner had little to no armor, some slouching while others were clearly in bad condition, either from malnutrition or plain agression
Those were clearly the leftovers!