Celcila arrived at the training hall for the town's soldiers. The place was empty except or a tall muscular man with an untamed grey beard and skin like leather. He stood in the corner of the hall - swinging a sword up and down repeatedly through the air. 

"Yo! Instructure." Celcila shouts as she approaches the man.

"Yo! Cilly. You're here early. Eager are we?" He asks as he lowers his blade and wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his free hand. 

"Of course! This is my rite of passage. Once I ace this I can finally become a proud solider of Helena, like my mother." 

"Well it's good to see you so enthusiastic, but don't get too excited, wouldn't want you doing something stupid when you're in the Wild Lands." 

"Don't worry Instructure. I will be fine. I've left the city plenty of times." 

"Not like this you haven't. You're not truly in the Wild Lands until you can no longer see the stone walls that protect ya." 

"I know, I know, so... When do we start?" 

"Not long now, the team should be 'ere in twenty minutes. Until then, you should warm up." 

"Yes Instructure!" Yelled Celcila with an overly enthusiastic/ slightly mocking salute. 

 * * * * * 

Celcila stood awkwardly as she watches the scary looking men and women arm themselves. They all wore chain-mail with boiled cow leather padding strapped over the mail. Then they chose from the selection of weapons holstered across the walls. Everyone picked the combination of spear, light shield, one-handed axe, and a light crossbow with a quiver, which were slung across their backs. This was considered the default gear for soldiers due to the weapons low manufacture cost and deadly effectiveness.  

Not wishing to make her self stand out in anyway, Celcila chooses the exact same gear as the rest of her team. 

As she was almost done, draping herself in a wool cloak, her team captain, Brett, approaches her.  

"You ready kid?" 

"Yes captain!" She saluted without any hint of fear in her voice. 

Brett looks her up and down - giving a nod of approval. "Good. Well be heading off now. Don't want to waste a single drop of Sunlight. Squad, we're heading out!"" 

"Yes captain!" The men and women shouted in union. 

And with that, the team of seven men and five women headed out, to the unforgiving Wild Lands... 

* * * * * 

It has been a little over an hour until Celcila could no longer see the large stone walls that surrounded her entire life.  

So far she has seen no other life forms other than her team. Her goal today was to find a Mutton and simply kill it. She has never seen a live Mutton before, only saw a dead one once. She was thirteen when she did, she cried and had nightmares for weeks. 

Even now, Celcila must admit to herself that she was still slightly scared. How could she not be? The Oomens are essential prey to the Muttons. Even the smallest Muttons, no bigger than a child, is still stronger than a grown man.  

Celcila thinks that the scariest thing about them is the fact that they need to be killed twice. When a Mutton dies, it will reanimate shortly after. Sure they're slower, more clumsy and even stupider but there's something about the idea of a being capable of living even when dead, that terrifies Cecila to her very core. 

* * * * * 

Three hours had passed until they encountered their first Mutton. 

Approximately three-hundred feet from where Cecila stood was a creature with the shape of an Oomen, but was most certainly not one. 

"Alright! Spread out and approach slowly. Spears up." Declared Brett. 

They were very lucky that they found a lone one since Cecila could fight it without fear of being attacked by something else. 

However as they got closer, it became obvious that this was just the shell of what once was a fierce Mutton.

"Shit. It's a dead one. Doesn't count if she kills it. Guess we're going to have to keep looking." Sighed Brett. 

"Might as well have her kill it anyway. It will make it easier when she kills a live one." Said one of the women - sporting an eyepatch. 

"Yeah, I guess. Cecila! Do it." 

"Yes Captain!" She replied without hesitation.  

She cautiously approaches the Mutton, even dead it could still easily kill her if she wasn't careful. 

Her eye's took in the abomination in front of her. About six feet tall, though it was so heavily hunched over it was most likely much bigger. Pale, wrinkly green skin. Long cracked nails. So skinny she wondered how it could possible still be 'alive'. 

She was now less than ten feet away from the monster, her spear aimed at its brain. It lazily raised its head - now staring right back at Cecila, with small bloodshot sockets and bleached pupils. 

It started to stagger towards her, groaning and slowly gaining momentum. 

Cecila gulps and sighs at the same time. It is her duty as a Oomen to slay all Muttons. She swiftly plunges her spear into its rotted brain. Flesh parted effortlessly, as decay has turned its once thick hide into wet parchment. 

She twisted her spear like a key and then pulled it quickly out of the Mutton. The creature immediately flopped to the ground - not even making a sound, or a face that suggested it even knew what happened. 

"… Let's keep moving." Ordered Brett as he watched the scene end, never batting an eyelid. 

*WHACK* 

Everyone immediately turned towards the source of the sudden loud noise, their weapons' raised. 

Their eye's bore witness to one of their comrades body lain upon the ground. What was once their head was now just a lump of red goo. 

A monster of over seven feet, with wild red eyes, foaming at the mouth as its lips curled up into a grin. It loomed over their team-mates corpse with a red-stained wooden club and snarled. 

Brett was the first to react, firing an iron-tipped bolt at the Mutton. It found purchase in the monsters' shoulder, but if it caused it any pain, it did not show it. In fact it looked like it didn't even notice it was wounded. The Mutton charged. 

Four more arrows were let loose into the Mutton. Two in the chest, one in the throat and one in the forehead... And yet it continued to charge.  

The beast finally went limp when three spears plunged into its stomach and vigorously gouged out its innards. 

'My Gods! What a monster!' Cecila thought as she stood frozen throughout the whole ordeal.  

Unfortunately this was just the beginning. They all could hear the sound of thunderous footsteps growing in sound and intensity. Four more Muttons were running towards them in the formation of the four points of a compass.  

"FIRE!" Brett roared. 

All of those who hadn't fired their crossbows knelt down onto one knee, aimed and let loose, the ones who didn't were hastily reloading. 

"CECILA! FIRE!" 

Suddenly awoken from her dazed state. She grabs hold of her crossbow and lets loose an arrow at one of the Muttons. However due to her shaky hands, she missed her target by a mile. 

Cecila fumbled through her quiver and attempts to load up another bolt. 

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A strong hand clasps her shoulder, making her jump.

"No time." Brett said surprisingly calmly.  

"SHIEDS UP!" He yelled, returning to his previous volume. 

The team, including Cecila, formed a circle premature, their shields raised and spears held straight. 

Seconds later the massive Mutton bodies collide with their defence. The Muttons willingly let themselves be impaled by the spears if it means they could have a taste of Oomen flesh. 

A man called Liam  immediately had his jugular ripped out by the teeth of a particularly exited Mutton. Fortunately, that Mutton was quickly silenced by a barraged of puncturing metal points.  

Cecila collapses to the ground, no longer able to bear the weight of a Mutton on her shield. The Mutton falls with her.

 She weakly holds the snapping head away from her own. Her eyes closed but they still continue to leak warm liquid salt. 

The monster on top of her suddenly goes limp. She peaks through her eyelids and sees a metal point peeking back at her, through the mouth of her fallen assailant. 

"Get up soldier!" Ordered the captain. 

That's right... I'm out here because I'm a solider... I need to start acting like it! 

Cecila did not reply with words but instead just got up and met her captain's stare. Brett nodded in approval and turned around to join the fray. 

Cecila scans her surroundings and is horrified to find that there are now even more Muttons.  

Her seven remaining comrades are locked in battle with the five Muttons that remain. 

She sprints towards the closest Mutton and drives her spear into the back of its' neck. Her comrade, Shell, of whom was engaged in combat with the monster (and losing), took advantage of this and plunged her axe into the Mutton's skull.  

The Mutton face planted the ground. The two could now see each other standing in place. They gave each other an ever-so-slight nod of respect and rushed off to join their team-mates in the fight. 

 …....

Five more Muttons would join the fray and three more comrades would fall before the battle ended. 

* * * * * 

Cecila lays upon the ground, her legs tucked in and her hands clasping at her abdomen. The mix of bile and blood hardens on her lips. Her current appearance was the result of being punched repeatedly in the stomach by a very berserk Mutton.  

"You alright down there champ?" Asked Brett as he crouches down next to her head. 

"I... I'm fine... J-just, need a... Minute..." She wheezes in response. 

"Okay, but you've only got one. We need to more as soon as possible." 

Cecila slowly stands up, hunched and still holding her stomach. She is dismayed to see that only three other people were still alive. 

Everyone has blood leaking out of their armour. Their faces covered in dirt, cuts and bruises. Brett has teeth marks covering his shoulders, luckily it seemed him armour was able to prevent them from puncturing his flesh.  

The worst of the lot of a man named Mick whom was in the process of wrapping bandages around his forearm, where a Mutton has deeply bitten him.  

Some Oomens believe that getting bit by a Mutton would make you come back to life like they do, this of course was false. However, many do die from a bite because of the amount of bacteria that's in the saliva of a Mutton. 

Celcila assumes that Mick has already drenched his arm in alcohol before he wrapped the wound up.  

"This was bad man; bad. I've had people die plenty of times, but never this many to so little Muttons." Mumbled Brett to no one in particular. 

Everyone was sat on down on the sandy floor with dejected expressions. 

If they had known what was coming next, they would have returned home, instead of moping next to their fallen comrade's... 

The earth once again shook to the rhythm of hundreds upon hundreds foot steps slamming upon the ground. 

"No... No dammit no! Why are there more?!" Cries Shell. 

"I don't understand... When are there so many Muttons working together? Normally they kill each other as much they kill us..." Asks Brett. 

Celcila begins to weep at the sight of at least twenty Muttons charging towards her. 

"We'll never out run them in our state... Guess we've got no choice but to fight. It's been real guys... To be honest, I kind of wanted to go out like this... Feels right ya know..." Stated Brett. 

Celcila watched in confusion as her three remaining team-mates stood side by side, their weapons boldly raised, content smiles on their faces.  

Celcila does not share her elders' sentiment. The Muttons, now moments away from stampeding the remaining Oomens. Celcila cracks. Her desire to survive overshadows her duty to stay and die with her fellow Oomens. 

She throws her weapons to the ground and runs. Her stomach, still causing her excruciating pain, barely even tickles Cecila's senses as adrenaline pumps through her veins. 

The cries of her former comrades screaming her name in rage and betrayal hurt her far more than any physical pain she has, or will ever endure.  

Celcila knew she couldn't out-run the Muttons. They're faster than Oomens and seem to never tire. As much as it pains her to think it, her only hope was for the others to distract them long enough for her to find somewhere to hide. 

* * * * * 

Celcila could hear the sound of running behind her, quickly gaining in volume. She needs to find somewhere to hide immediately, or her betrayal would be for nothing.   

In the corner of her eye, Celcila saw the remains of an Old Ones' buildings. She sprints towards it and practically jumps over the rubble walls.  

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Celcila darts towards the lightless corner, curls up and waits... 

One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. Ten minutes... 

Celcila counts each precious second as her ragged breath echoes throughout the stone walls. 

* * * * * 

About an hour has passed since Celcila found sanctuary in dark, dusty rubble. She finally allows her self to relax a little, she raises her arms and stretches.  

Searing hot pain suddenly roars in her left arm. She turns her head and finds that her arm was no longer there. Instead, a Oomen forged axe was wedged into the stone next to her. 

Celcila was too shaken to scream. In front of her stood a Mutton, with a triumphant look on its' vile face. 

Celcila barely saw the monster pounce as the combination of shock and blood loss was making her eyelids as heavy as lead.  

Before she completely lost consciousness, she saw the Mutton suddenly lie still, and a hooded figure looms over her corpse...