Once the places are closed and most people are asleep, it was the standard procedure that all guards which were previously on patrol should go to the outskirts of the town.

This was one of the reasons why I hated the night shift.

They give you a rusty sword and some scraps of metal to wear as armor and expect you to fight off any danger that may come during the night.

All I had to worry about during my shifts was not stepping on any mud with my new pair of boots and keep my patrols under a place that could cover me from the sun in order not to sweat too much, as no one in their right mind would attack the enemy in the day.

As such, if an army really wanted to take over this place and planned to strike in the dark, what the hell could I do about it?

Make them give up out of pity for my sorry state?

Besides, our town was a small one, and word would be spread quickly around here.

It was a well-known rumor that the forest around us kept many secrets away and plenty were the scary crazy stories that supposedly happened there.

Maybe in the lack of something better to use his brain for, even the Lord started to believe such stories and wanted someone to guard the city in case of an ancient evil crawled from the bushes or a demon fell from the branches of one of the trees.

While on my way to the town's gate, I heard my name being shouted.

- Brum? Is that you? - Someone called.

- Who is there? - I tried to see but ultimately failed. The sky was in a pitch-black color and the few torches that were supposed to light up the streets were already dimming out because of the wind.

- Can't you recall a good friend? - Said a slim blond figure coming my way.

- Aiven! Good to see you here. - I finally got to see the man.

Aiven was a dangerous fellow if you were to give him a bow and an arrow, or even a dagger. In fact, if this man had something in his hands that he could throw, you would wish not to be his target.

He arrived in the town a year ago, coming from somewhere he never bothered to speak of, nor did I care to ask about. He became a soldier a few days later when I told him that the Lord was recruiting.

That's right, I was the one who put him in this job. I feel guilty to this day.

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- I can say the same, Brum. Didn't you use to work in the day's shift? - He questioned.

- I still work there man, just covering for Vernick today. - I replied.

- I didn't know you could get somebody to cover your shift to play poker. - He joked.

- Ah, you saw that fool too? Well, I gave the bastard a strong hook as a gift. Hope that will keep him on the line for a while. - I told him while I was waking.

- Have you ever considered going after his fingers with a dull dagger? Considering that he won't lose the member if you don't apply too much strength, the wound on the flesh would be quite expressive. A good way to teach a lesson amongst friends. - Aiven suggested with a straight face.

He was a guy who could take a man's life with his right hand while his left one prepared the family dinner. This always gave me goosebumps.

Once we met up with the other guards at the gate, there wasn't much to be done.

Aside from me and Aiven, there were five other soldiers there, none from which I knew.

For the next few hours, the men just talked.

Fighting, women, ghosts, intestine disorders. Nothing ran away from their tongues.

Until I finally heard something that caught my interest.

- ...from what I heard, this year is going to be Acacia, Balta, Caycee, and us. - Said the tallest of the soldiers to the others around him.

- I heard that Balta has gotten a mage for themselves. - Replied one of them.

- A mage? Can you even hear yourself speaking right now? Don't be so stupid when you are by my side, people will start to associate this with me. - Mocked the other soldier.

- Balta is probably making up some shit to scare fools like you. I don't care if they get a mage, a dragon, a God, or even my bloody woman to fight for them. There's no way I'll be left out of the top ten this year. - The tall one said.

The South Cities' Tournament is where some other towns like ours would gather their best soldiers and send them to fight in an arena.

With problems like hunger, unemployment, and the spread of new diseases, you would think that the Lords would be too worried to even consider fighting amongst each other.

Well, you would be wrong.

All they cared about at this time of the year was putting up a show to some rich folks who would pay to watch poor men stab and punch themselves to almost death.

The fights there were always brutal to the point of turning my stomach. I've always chosen not to be a part of it, but this year things have been tough.

I turned to look at Aiven, who had been quiet for all the time until this point.

Since the trees didn't look like they would move any time soon and enemy forces are yet to be seen, I took the chance to stretch my legs for a little.

- Hey, are you going to participate in the tournament this year? - I asked him.

- Oh, I wouldn't miss it. You're going too, Brum? - He returned the question to me.

Aiven didn't know how to smile. Some people would even say that every time that he tried to laugh, a child would cry not too far from there, so one could imagine the cold shivers I felt when I saw a clumsy smirk being formed on his face.

- Uh... I'm still thinking.. - I told him the truth.

After we finished exchanging a few more words, I walked back to my place and stayed there until the sun showed itself once again.

So many hours wearing this stupid heavy armor and guarding a gate that nobody cared to enter even if it was wide open, I was tired. So tired that I was having problems keeping my eyes open and my legs from not crumbling to the ground.

But the sunrise marked the end of my expedient.

I headed back home, slowly walking as the sole of my two feet ached at every step of the way. Anyone seeing this could think that the rumors were true and zombies started to invade.

But it was merely me going back home, as finally another day ended.