Demon continent Alsace in the year 0 in the 9 month Lilithum on the 3 days after the beginning of the unification wars.

The next two days the capital was immersed in a celebration for all the people and it was enjoyed by all, especially by the soldiers and academy students as they had these two days to prepare for their departure.

So everyone enjoyed the feast which would continue for another four days only that after today some people would be missing. Everyone tried to put their affairs in order because none of them knew when they would return home. So marriages were still made, some lost their virginity, and all in all, they tried to enjoy these last days.

Minerva and her troop had been no different than the other students of the academy. They too had moved from tavern to tavern, with the small difference that they were accompanied by the palace guards. Since she must be protected as an heiress accordingly.

But today they would go out with the army, still under the supervision of teachers, but still, they went to war. The teachers obviously wanted the recruits to gain real combat experience as early as possible. That was at least one of Minerva's theories. Another was whether they wanted to test the readiness of their recruits. Whether they were willing to kill or lead soldiers to their death. Probably also to see which recruits could follow orders and were loyal to the new demon kingdom. After all, it could well be that if you killed loyal nobles of the old king, you killed your own parents or that you met one of your relatives on the other side as an enemy.

"What do you think? Is it really just for the battle experience or is our loyalty being tested here?" Asked Rezac, who had been a bit more reserved than usual since the speech in the dining hall and had also been walking around with a thoughtful expression on her face for the whole three days. Whereas the others had approached her with excitement and some concern, Rezac had taken her time. It was obvious that she was not the only one who had been thinking about the upcoming mission. She had wondered the same thing herself, knowing the situation the nation was in, but still. Could the commanders and her parents be sure that they had caught all the loyalists?

She briefly considered how best to answer Rezac, then decided it was best to share her thoughts with her; two heads are better than one, after all. And she didn't want her or her squad to be on the wrong side of the conflict, not that she would really go against her parents or the gods. "Didn't you tell me that you grew up with Sappho the chancellor's daughter? -" After an affirmative nod from Rezac she continued- "I met her the other day she had been talking to my aunt about an upcoming trial and asked my aunt if this war was that one. As proclaimed by the gods in the temple. And I think that she could be right, I think that a lot speaks for it. But you had also said that Sappho had told you this since you were little."

After she could see Rezac thinking about what she said, she starts packing her bag again. They should travel with as little luggage as possible. And even for them who were officer candidates, no exception would be made. Everyone would have to carry his own pack and there would be no help from others. Food and water would be provided by the army, so they would not have to worry about that. So her mind was already on other things when Rezac spoke again.

"I can see what you mean and yes I have known Sappho all my life. Also, the elders of our family have explained to us how we Cirkati helped the revolution. Also, the situation has improved for us Cirkati now that we are no longer persecuted by the believers of Meinoume and the general public knows about our deeds and about the old customs. Thus I see what you mean but for what do the gods test us?" At her last words, she looked her in the eye. "What is it that war brings, it brings death and ruin and turns former cities into ruins, so what are we tested for by war? And that's where I keep coming back to more war, or what do you think?"

What Rezac said was not to be dismissed out of hand and somewhere deep inside she had already asked herself that, but to ask such questions in the momentary situation is a bit risky. All it took was for the wrong person to hear and you were in military prison. So she looked around the room and cast a spell she had learned from Rezac. Here it showed how useful it was to be a mage and a body artist. A rare talent that materialized only a few years ago. After she was sure that no one could overhear her, she spoke again. "I had the same thoughts as you, but I also heard about the incident with a student of the academy who asked the same questions as you and who disappeared the next day. So I think we should be careful with what we say. You understand?" Only a short nod, then Rezac started to pack her own bag.

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Only a few minutes later, they closed the door to their shared room and set out for the parade ground. Where the others were already waiting for them and some of the other groups of prospective officers. Today they would be distributed to the army, which was leaving from the capital. In front of them, the teachers who would accompany them and continue to teach them in the field were lined up. Even if she wondered how long this could be maintained since the teachers would have to fight and act as officers within the army.

There was still time, but already almost the whole place was filled with groups of five to eight men. One of the teachers had made notes on a piece of paper every time a new group joined. She assumed that he was writing down the groups as well as the time. After the last groups ran into the square and lined up, they were ready to leave.

First, they were told how to behave and that no late arrival would be tolerated, that they should lead the way as role models for their soldiers. And that they would follow us and trust us blindly.

Silently she thought about what she had overheard, that the army, which would start from the capital, consisted only of fresh recruits, who had been in training for a month, the same could be said about the officer candidate groups. It would be seen how effective they would all be on the battlefield. So she had to say, their chances did not look as rosy as her parents and nobles wanted to sell it to the population.

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Demon continent Alsace in the year 237 in the 7 month Yasum on the 6 days after the crushing of the empire

To his great surprise, Lerna had caught up with him after only a few weeks. This morning when he climbed from his tree, she had been waiting for him. With a, as he found reproachful look, however, a snake brought this about. She was also somehow more colorful than in the camp and seemed to be a bit bigger. Which was why he checked her core with his sense and it had grown quite a bit since he had last seen her.

The same could be said about him, he had been able to accumulate quite a bit of arcane energy and surpass his progress of the last few years in just these few months. And he could already feel a sense of confinement around him, how his own body seemed too small. This was a feeling he was surprised to have missed and which inspired him to invest even more time in accumulating.

But he was a little conflicted, wondering if it would help him to accumulate at a later time when he was further inland, where the arcane energy was stronger. There seemed to be something to his theory that the further inland he went, the stronger the arcane energy became.

For the moment, however, he concentrated on finding something fresh to eat, with which he could supplement his rations of dried meat. Since he could not stand the sight of this anymore and wanted to eat something fresh that was not a fruit or a fresh vegetable. With his senses and his mental map, he searched his immediate surroundings. He looked to see if he could find any traces of animals or demons. But all he found for most of the day were older tracks that had not been used by any animal for a long time. Slowly a strange picture emerged of the part of the forest he was in. For there were only insects or small animals similar to squirrels and rabbits. He could still hear the chirping of birds and now and then the voice of a person.

What he learned a month ago was a bird that spoke after him when he thought aloud or talked to himself.

Until he found this out, however, he had been running from the voices like a hounded man, thinking that at any moment a squad of soldiers would track him down to bring him back to Sappho so that he could produce children for the demons. He doubted that this would work, he did not know how he could take his blood heritage with him into his next life, but he was sure that it had only worked with the consent of the great mother and she would prevent any further attempt. As with his father and his new wife, their children also did not have the blood of the Basilisk.

But the birds and small animals became fewer and quieter, and even the insects became quieter until he finally walked through a forest that seemed to swallow all sound. He could not even hear his own footsteps. Only the blood in his ears could he hear, and the coming of his feet to the ground through his own body.

He could not detect any change in the arcane energy and even so, he could not detect any differences between this part of the forest and the ones he had walked through before, except for the obvious things like the absence of animals. Also, the traces of animals had completely disappeared, replaced by drag marks. Which he looked at more closely, it looked to him as if a predator had dragged a large prey through the forest. Well, he was not a hunter and this was not his actual home continent, which he knew better than this one. But even an amateur could see what had happened here. Also, the traces of fur and blood were clear indications. So the only question was what might be waiting for him or what inhabited this part of the forest that made the world stop making noise.

He glanced at Lerna who just tilted her head and seemed to ask, "So what now?" He just shrugged his shoulders, thinking he'd better not make any noise until he could tell what the threat was. So he examined some more drag marks, which all went in a certain direction, and out of curiosity, he followed them.

The beginning of gray would have possibly escaped him, as it would have escaped anyone. Slowly the world around him became grayer and grayer and it was not due to the fading light of the sun. In front of him, for the first time in a long time, a sound rang out, which immediately made him stop and listen. But he could not make out any other sounds, nor could he see anything. So he continued to walk towards the source of the noise, which was also the source of more and more dragging tracks.

From the cover of a tree, he observed the entrance to a cave from which now sounded more and more noises.