Sasha

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[Spire trial requirements fulfilled]

[Trial initiating]

Within a blink, the blank white room is replaced by a bustling camp. Tents fill the camp, with shoddily constructed wooden watchtowers interspersed around the war camp. At the edges, lines of spiked fortification I recognize as cheval-de-frise prevent cavalry from storming this military fortification.

Knights and soldiers decked in heavy armor mill about doing their due diligence. I slump as I realize I am also wearing armor. And how heavy it is. And hot. Way too hot. I stumble for a second, before adjusting myself to the weight and straightening up.

So this is the first trial, then? I finally completed the tests and can now begin the challenges. If this is a war camp, then there must be a war. But which war is it?

“Oy, Mal!”

I stumble as someone slaps me over the head, or rather helmet, which results in me almost collapsing due to the weight of the armor. I look up to see a short, stocky man in ornate armor with a slatted helmet. A knight of nobility.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“What d’ya min? Am yer pal, Mal,” the odd knight insists with a peculiar accent.

“I-” I don’t know him, but if this is a spire trial, and I am taking on some sort of role in a seeming war, then maybe he knows me, in this scenario, even if he doesn’t know who I really am. “Um, ok, pal. What exactly is going on?”

“Woke up on the wron’ side of yer bed, or somefin? Mallory, we been ‘ere fightin’ this’ere war fer ever, jus’ how d’ya forget that?”

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“Stop it, Grem. This war’s been going on for no more than a few months,” a tall woman steps into the conversation. Most likely part of this seeming friend group I’ve been placed into. “But it is unlike you, Mallory, to forget something like that.”

Grem turns to the newcomer, “ya, es bin ever a month, jus feels like fer ever, Lara.”

So Grem, and Lara are the friends (?) of this Mallory I am supposed to be in this trial.

“Sorry, must’ve brain farted,” I respond.

“Well? Wut’re ya waitin fer? It’s time ta go t’war!” Grem points over to a crowd of soldiers lining up in front of a podium. A heavily armored man stands on top of the raised platform, appearing to prepare for a speech.

Grem practically drags me over to the crowd. A war speech. Maybe now I’ll get some proper context.

The man up at the podium readies himself, and begins speaking.

“Knights and levies! Today I, viscount Sherrwin Esserty, will lead you into battle! Upon this day, we face a great foe. The Saline kingdom is daring to resist our rightful claim over their domain! We, the empire of Ebestrine, shall not back down from the Saline savages! We will march down to the plains and demand they yield their lands to our righteous cause! Should they refuse to bow beneath our empire, we will slaughter them all!

Today will be a great day! Today will mark a turning point in this war as we will annihilate the forces of Saline and take what is destined to be Ebestrine! For the emperor! For Ebestrine!”

As the knight ends his speech, the army begins to march out of the camp and down the hill to the plains below. I look around to see countless other crowds of soldiers marching from their own commanders’ speeches.

A several minute walk takes us down to the field, where the army lines up. Preparing for battle, I look forward to see the enemy army with banners of blue, contrasting the red flags of the Ebestrinian armies, waving in the air. We just sit, and wait as negotiations play out.

A small group of horseback commanders from both sides meet in the center. A minute later, they return to their respective armies.

After a moment of waiting, the commanders of each division raise their hands in a signal.

I whisper to Grem, “what does that mean?”

Lara, however, beats Grem to the punch as she smirks, “it means, the peace negotiations failed.”

“So off to war?”

“Yes. Hope you’re ready for battle.”