CHAPTER 6 - THE MILITARY CAMP
----------------------------------------
The carriage came to a stop. The journey, in the end, hadn’t lasted long at all.
Natirra reacted to the sudden halt, which was announced by the entrance of one of the soldiers into the carriage, exclaiming the news.
She felt an immediate tight knot in her throat, just like the one she had felt when she first entered that gloomy carriage. She would have preferred to stay there forever rather than stepping out.
Everyone turned around, and in order to stand up, only a few remained seated, but eventually, everyone stood: Natirra was the last, convinced by Monomia.
Yawning and cracking his knuckles, he got up quickly. «"Wow, that was a long trip!"» Then, he turned to Natirra, who still couldn’t quite manage to get up.
With overwhelming force, he lifted her up, forcing her to her feet.
«"Come on, what are you sitting for? You'll get scolded!"»
The soldier holding the door open ignored these odd exchanges. Even he couldn’t help but throw a puzzled glance at Monomia, as he walked out, practically dragging a gloomy-faced Natirra along, who looked so strained as if she had just come back from the expedition, not even having gone on it yet.
Natirra was quickly hit by the force of the sun. She hadn’t been in that carriage for more than an hour, yet it felt like she had completely lost the habit of being outdoors. Then, as her sight cleared, the situation in front of her became more evident.
An uncountable number of soldiers, hundreds upon hundreds, of various ages, were neatly arranged in single file, having just exited the carriages like her. The whole scene was managed by armed soldiers.
They had arrived at the far edge of the island, in a much more isolated area, where the military camps were located. Before Natirra could say anything, the soldiers who had led them out ordered her and her platoon to walk in an orderly single file. After a brief moment of hesitation, they complied; one soldier positioned himself at the front, the other at the rear, guiding that snake of Narwhals marching in the center.
Despite the strange situation, Monomia didn't shy away from starting up conversations. The sun beat down on everyone’s heads, and the lack of wind, due to the strange stillness of the sea, made it impossible to enjoy even the slightest cool breeze. Natirra usually couldn’t stand such weather, but her mind was occupied with other concerns. She glanced around. It was clearly meant to be a forested area, but for the purpose she knew all too well, it had been completely altered. The trees had been cleared, and the ground left bare. Walking with sandals on what was essentially bare earth, full of little rocks that made the journey unpleasant and uncertain, was not the best experience.
A bad step could easily kick up a cloud of dust that would assault the lungs of poor Narwhal girl.
The clear sky, devoid of clouds, kissed everyone’s heads. Natirra was surprised to see lines of young people like her marching in single file as well, all headed to a common destination. Apparently, the road to reach the military camp was still a long one.
Monomia, as already mentioned, couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
«"I wonder what food’s like there. What do you think?"»
Even though Natirra wasn’t keen on hearing anything, being directly addressed forced her to respond.
«"I suppose nothing good."» He treated her like they’d been friends for years, while she could barely tolerate him. Not exactly a good formula for a friendship.
«"You're such a pessimist, smile more!"»
«"You're weird."»
«"Huh?! That's not really a nice thing to say..."»
Natirra lowered her head, continuing to walk. She and Monomia trudged along, though they were the last in line, engaged in a conversation that, truthfully, was more one-sided than mutual. Sometimes it felt like a monologue.
Monomia chuckled a bit. «"Friends don’t say stuff like that."»
«"You're strange, and besides, how are we friends? We barely know each other."»
«"Hey, I thought we were friends."» He made a slightly offended face, and Natirra regretted what she’d said. Sure, he was an oddball to have around, but having a friend wouldn’t be the worst thing. She quickly apologized, and Monomia laughed again. Part of Natirra regretted apologizing.
«"You all look so scared."»
«"Huh? Look who's talking."» said Natirra, slightly offended, though she couldn’t deny that she was scared, just as Monomia had claimed.
«"I know where I’m headed."»
«"You do?"»
«"Exactly."» And with a gesture, he clenched his fist and flashed a fiery smile. «"My family is full of sailors! But every sailor needs a bit of training. It’s my first time, but my whole family’s been through this."»
That last statement piqued Natirra's interest. She tried to extract as much reassurance from it as possible.
«"So... you know what it's like?"»
«"Nope. But it’s not as bad as they make it seem in the stories."» He smiled again, like the child Natirra now saw him as. «"In fact, I’m super excited!"»
Natirra tried to calm herself, but she failed. Still, for once, she was happy to be having a conversation with him.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
«"My family’s well-known!"»
"Perfect... Maybe I can get some favors if I stay friendly with him."
From that point on, she decided that the best strategy would be to act more amicable.
However, it was undeniable that certain things about him still bothered her, especially his foolishness and exaggerated calmness. But out of some embarrassment, she couldn't bring herself to point it out. Yet, deep down, she was glad to be distracted.
That brief happiness immediately vanished when, after what seemed like endless walking, she finally saw the first glimpse of the military camps in the distance.
Ahead of her, after a few more steps, it became clear: a large structure, protected by high walls made of sturdy material and a massive gate.
Behind it, various buildings were visible, some connected to one another, some imposing. But everything was still unclear, and she had to get closer.
Monomia, seeing them, grinned.
«"Wow, there’s a lot going on here. I’m excited!"»
Natirra wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she was somewhat impressed; they were the largest structures she had ever seen, and she hadn’t even seen them fully yet, just behind the wall.
Not even in the center of the village could she see buildings as massive as these.
Finally, her small platoon reached the gate, and alongside them, several other young people gathered, all looking around like Natirra. At least in that, she wasn’t unique.
Then, after an order was given to a sentinel by the guard, the gate finally opened slowly, revealing the site where Natirra, Monomia, and many others would be living for the next month before embarking on the expedition.
The small platoon, now merged with all the other small platoons, entered slowly, crossing the gate, and once everyone was inside, it closed permanently.
Watching it close, Natirra felt a wave of fear; those gates wouldn’t be opening again for a long time, after all.
But she was quickly distracted by her surroundings. Her view was somewhat obstructed by the crowd of young people around her, right in the middle.
In front of her stood several large structures, the same ones she had seen from the outside.
They had different appearances: Some looked like warehouses, others like offices, and others like training grounds. There were more that Natirra couldn’t figure out the purpose of, and she gave up trying to understand. There were also large tents, which most likely served as resting areas for the soldiers. This was easy to guess, as from the outside, you could see small cots inside.
Natirra was grateful there was at least a place to rest. Then she continued analyzing the surroundings: there were several modest cabins, the purpose of which she couldn’t figure out either, and paths that connected everything. They were different from the rough, dry, barren ground, stripped of even a hint of grass, as they were proper paths made of pebbles.
Finally, she spotted the open training grounds in the distance, already occupied by senior soldiers who had been there originally.
Natirra was intrigued by her observations. She seemed to have calmed down when a new surprise shook her.
A familiar voice called out to her.
«"Natirra!"»
She could recognize it, but it felt like she was dreaming. She turned several times, trying to spot the source of that call, and then she saw her—Riaca.
With admirable speed and determination, Riaca waded through the crowd of young people, reaching Natirra.
«"Look who it is."»
It took Natirra a moment to process the situation.
«"R... Riaca?!"»
«"Yup, exactly her!"»
«"I... I thought you had escaped."»
Riaca, hearing those words, stared at the ground.
«"I almost did."»
«”What?! Then why are you here?”» Then, she turned towards Natirra, smiling confidently, though her body language took on a more serious tone, contrasting with her playful gaze.
«”I figured you probably wouldn’t make it out. And I didn’t want to leave my best friend alone in this awful place. I’ll probably regret it, but at least I found my friend. It’s still better than being a fugitive, I would’ve been at risk anyway, out at sea.”»
Natirra smiled.
She wanted to scold her for not doing what was best for herself, but she was grateful. Before the two could share a hug or even a simple handshake, Monomia appeared out of the crowd.
Natirra widened her eyes. She had completely forgotten about him, and now that Riaca was there, she couldn’t imagine how they’d react.
Monomia turned towards Riaca, raising his fist.
«”Hey! Watch out, you're bothering my friend!”»
«”Huh?! Who the hell are you?!”» From the very first words, there was a furious tension between the two. Monomia and Riaca glared at each other. Monomia quickly responded. «”I'm her best friend! So back off!”»
«”What?! Take those words back! I’m her best friend!”»
«”Yeah, right. It’s like me and her have known each other for a lifetime!”»
«”And I have known her for a lifetime, you dimwit!”»
«”Hey! I’m not a dimwit!'»
«'True, you're even worse, fish-face!”»
«”What did you just call me?!”» Natirra realized the situation was escalating, and this time she moved between them.
«”Oi, Natirra, who’s this guy?! I’m ready to knock him out!”»
«”Hey! Natirra! Defend your friend!”» Natirra mustered all her strength to try and stop it. «”Guys... C-calm down! Can’t we all be friends?”»
«”Mmph! Not until you tell me where you dredged up an empty head like that.”»
«”I don’t even know myself…”» Natirra answered. Monomia, however, gave a different introduction.
«”Me and her hit it off instantly. Like brother and sister. We shared stories upon stories in the wagon!”»
«”I... don’t remember it going that way.”»
«”Grr…”» Riaca crossed her arms. «”Fine, I won’t say anything about your friends. It’s rare enough for you to even make any, Natirra.”»
«”Hey! Now I’m offended.”»
«”What did you say about my best friend?!”»
«”We’re not best friends, I’ve known you for less than a day!”»
«”Less than a day?! How dare you defend a stranger over your number-one friend!”»
«”I am her number-one friend!”»
«”Enough!”» Both of them finally calmed down. Natirra took a deep breath.
«”Let’s make peace.”»
«”Mmph. He should go first. I’m not lifting a finger.”» Riaca said with her usual grudge-bearing tone.
«”I won’t apologize.”»
«”Please, Monomia, at least you, apologize…”» Natirra said, with a pleading tone. At that moment, Monomia’s expression changed, and he smiled.
«”If my dearest friend asks me, I’m in!”» At that point, he extended his arm for a handshake. Riaca was taken aback for a moment.
«”You give in that easily? You’re really strange.”»
«”Don’t tell me…”» Natirra muttered. But after observing Monomia’s playful smile for a while, even Riaca began to calm down.
«”Geez, what a cheery type for a military camp.”» Once again, Natirra muttered,
«”Yeah, he’s a weirdo…”», but deep down she felt a bit happier that they had calmed down. Still, it was strange for her to think that she had so casually gained another friend now, but maybe things would be a little less miserable with someone like him. Who knows?
She didn’t have time for theories though, as a group of soldiers arrived at the crowd, ordering them to move. Everyone, including Natirra, Monomia, and Riaca, began to march, following the armed guards.