After the announcement of suddenly being transferred to a new place, I looked around to try and discern the faces of my fellow knights-in-training. What I saw was a mixture of horror, joy, and confusion. Then I looked to the group I was with: Scorn, Company, Duty, Cast and myself. Duty was like me, and didn't seem to know what it was; Scorn narrowed his eyes and I saw some sweat fall down his neck; Cast and Company looked as though they were ready to tackle anything that came their way. Truly, they inspired confidence.

Captain looked around the room before he locked eyes with me - and I felt a chill run down my spine and my legs almost buckled. There was something off about the way he looked at people, as if they were simply there as tools to be used and discarded. I never counted myself amongst those who had a good judge of character, I was quite terrible at it in fact, but his eyes told me everything I needed to know. None of us were anything to him but a tool.

And then he left back up those spiral stone stairs, with hundreds of eyes on his back. The room was silent for several long seconds before there were several clatters of metal, and I flinched, only to look around and see several people dropped to their knees.

"Boveshäar... Tekhala..." "Hell... impossible..." In that room, I saw several grown men and women crying, while fewer cheered mutedly. I wondered what kind of place it was - obviously it was either some training area in another place, or maybe we were actually going to hell. With how my life was flipped upside down, I don't doubt either one.

Not much happened after that other than me following Scorn around and trying to get any information I could from the other trainees. Knowledge is power, after all - and I was lacking it. No, correction, I never had any to start with, so I was equivalent to a baby with two straps of metal clasped to her arms.

I eventually learned that "Stone Hell" is a place to the western area, or what I assumed to be west by where the sun set, was a huge fortress between two mountain ranges. It was also a point of contention, because of course this world had to have a war going on. So, according to the others, we would be placed into situations where we would sink or swim. It was obviously something I was going to have to get used to, all these turns in my life.

But in all honesty, I don't think I ever will. The moment something begins to settle down, something comes along and fucks it up. If I could, I would just take a bit to relax. I want to go back to that little village already, or better yet: home.

With that mental ramble out of the way, I looked forward. I still didn't know what country I was in, what we were fighting over, for how long - things I should know before I fight for this place. But I'd ask those later.

After gathering a bit more information with the assistance of Cast and Duty, as well as some more passive information from Scorn and Company, I found out that the place was called “Stone Hell” because it was an absolute nightmare. The seniors who had brought people here - like the Captain, apparently seemed to all have terrible memories of the place. I didn’t know what he thought about it, but it seems that everyone we spoke to about it often said similar things.

“Ifos Memtavolvoi!” "It's a nightmare!"

"Polabishi omäçeji-lahk... iqiiuy waäivuy asuv..." “The training is horrible, I thought I would die.”

And other such things. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that I would be able to get through it easily. I knew how harsh some of the training soldiers went through could be from Earth. I tried going through military training once, after all. But that’s a story for another time.

I looked to the rag-tag group I’d wriggled my way into with Scorn, and I smiled a bit. I would like to try and become friends with these people at some point, but I knew that we were likely to be split up after training. Although I didn’t understand how exactly this knight-army worked, it seemed only trainees were here, and we were all of different ages and groups.

Thinking about that, I looked around a bit more, trying to get a look at who I would be training with in the future. There was a man with grey hair, a woman who looked straight out of a painting, a man who, like Cast, seemed far too effeminate that I had to catch myself before walking over, and then there was someone who looked like he would run a butcher shop. There were far fewer women here than men, and at a glance, it seemed like they outnumbered us six to one. But oh well, that was to be expected.

I was only knocked out of my people-watching when Scorn tapped my shoulder.

“Polasi?” "Practice?" He asked, and I nodded with a happy face. He was nice and knew what he wanted. But I guess… it was our entire reason for coming back down here. Scorn and I knocked a few rounds out, and I only managed to get close to winning once. I hadn’t ever gotten into a fight where I was in control of myself, except against the leader of those bandits at that village. Perhaps that was just how it was going to be from now on, though.

Scorn and I were drenched in sweat by the time he and I had finished our sixth round, and then we switched partners to different people, we were getting into stalemates too often. After all, we’d been down there for what had to be at least three hours. And while our initial duels were very short, eventually he and I got too into reading one another's moves, so we just did what we could to prevent ourselves from getting hit. Which I guess I was doing pretty good at considering my leather only had a couple of scratches on it.

And then something unexpected happened: D’rte came down, fully armoured with mostly metal. He scanned the room for a bit before seeing me and walked over, and I waved at him with a wide smile.

“D’rte!” I called, and a soft smile spread on his face. He looked to me, then to the group I was with: Cast, Scorn, Company, and Duty.

"Shoräk? Omäçeji-voi." “Companions? Not bad." He said, before looking me in the eyes. Oh god, those eyes are too pretty. That’s not fair, don’t look at me with such pretty eyes - I can’t take it!

“Lam,” "Yes." I told him, turning to the group halfway and lifting a hand, and I introduced them all one by one. "Oç gyq, D'rte gi ytre." “You three, this is D’rte.” He nodded his head and the others did as well. It was a casual greeting. This is nice. And then D’rte spoke to me.

"Dmäuy-voi loh, oiöshö aiewamäa dyoäyiji" “Can’t say many, always you be safe at Stone Hell.” So that confirmed he wasn’t coming with me to that place, but that was something I could deal with… probably. I nodded and hugged him tightly, thankfully he reciprocated, only to hear Scorn’s confused voice speak up.

"Calrock Ymudete?“ "A senior knight?” D’rte, after hesitating for a moment, nodded, instantly making Scorn salute him like before. "Ymudete!" “Knight!” He called out, much to my surprise. It seemed to cause a ripple effect throughout the entire room, similar to when my Captain entered, everyone went silent as they saluted him, and as I was about to do the same, D’rte raised a hand and the saluting stopped and everyone let out a breath. Note to self, see a man in metal here? Salute. Also, remember how to salute.

I wish it was as simple as it was on Earth, but different customs, different civilizations, and different cultures mean different salutes. “So, you have a bit of power… okay, add that to the benefit list of ‘awesome things about you’. Got it.” I said to both myself and him, not that he understood me.

"Zeri Boveshäar... omäçeji-lahk, Kiera. Dip auji." “Stone Hell is… very bad, Kiera. Remain strong.” Then he pet my head and… oh… oh that was nice. By the time I realized I was in my own little world, it was too late for me to give him a hug before he left. It took me a few moments to recover from that, but when I fully took in what just happened, I thought that I had been missing out. It only took me getting forcefully dragged to another world, killing a couple of bandits, and becoming a soldier to get a proper relationship. That… was depressing.

Turning to the little party I made, I smiled awkwardly. "Chepetepa? Defe tögyeu deomäpa." “We rest? Tomorrow for we moving.”

We all agreed that it was about time that we retire for the night, day, whatever it was. My sense of time here was off considering the excruciating pain I went through earlier today, D’rte and I’s little tryst, and then the training as well as me not fully grasping the time of this new world. It was most definitely not running on a twenty-four hour clock. It was daytime when we got here, but what time was it now? I never thought I’d miss having a clock so much.

Scorn, Duty, Compay, Cast and I all walked up the stairs, down the hallway, and spoke amongst ourselves. A lot of other trainees were returning to their room as well, whether exhausted, coming from outside and finding their room, or something else, but we eventually all split up. Company and Duty shared a room, similar to me and Scorn, while Cast had a man no one in our group knew. I worried for Cast’s chastity.

When Scorn and I returned to our room, it smelled much different than before. It no longer smelt of sweat and… promiscuous encounters, but rather of a sweet smell I couldn’t quite describe. Like a pleasant mixture between lavender and roses, but also something more. Me and Scorn shared the moment by each taking in a deep breath. And, looking at my bed I noticed there were two sets of clothes. One seemed to be meant for wearing under my current outfit - the leather armour that I was given after being almost forced into a trainee, and then… a dress…

Oh no. I looked at the outfit before me and realized that I was far too caught up in training and D’rte said he and I would go out to eat! Granted I already ate, but that wasn’t the point! He likely suspected we had at least a day left before we had to go, but still. I’d like to at least get to eat out with him once I got back. I promised myself to apologise when I came back.

Wait... but it wasn't my fault? We had made plans, but it seems that the moment all teams had gathered, that we would be sent to "Stone Hell". Oh well, I'm sure D'rte understood, considering he didn't even mention it.

But before I went to sleep, I set my shields against the wall and took off my leathers. I think one of the worst things about getting that marking on my back was the fact it burnt through both my original shirt I was given, as well as my bra. And that was a horrible thing for me because I obviously had a need for one…

Shut up…

Lying down on the bed again, I noticed that the smell of D’rte was also gone, and I was only slightly disappointed in that fact. The bed wasn’t the comfiest thing by any means and was in fact borderline uncomfortable, but it was enough knowing I wasn’t even going to be using this for a while. I got as comfy as I could, and I shut my eyes.

One… Two… Three…

A box popped up, asking if I wanted to go to sleep.

I decided that, yes, I would sleep.

And so I slept, my mind shut down for a split second, and my world was entirely gone from my ears. I heard nothing, felt nothing, and I was in an endless void of white. I thought it was a bit strange that I was still “thinking” while asleep, but I decided to try something out while I was here. If I was lucid dreaming - if that was something the Frontier System could induce - then I wanted to make my rest as comfortable as possible.

I closed my “eyes” and tried to remember what my flat's living room looked like.

Light brown wooden flooring, white walls and ceiling, a black rug in the middle of the bottom right of the room, surrounded by two couches and a chair, a little table, a large cupboard that our TV stood on… everything came to me as naturally as I breathed, and yet when I opened my eyes, nothing changed.

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There was nothing I could do but try and remember my home, my friends, and my life before. I wanted to cry. I felt like everything was going to be okay, as long as I could at least dream of home, of how things could have been fine and normal. Choking back silent sobs, I held my hands over my heart.

It hurts… I want to go home… I want to feel happy again.

I never stopped thinking in that white void, until I lost the sensation of sadness.

My depressed state of mind was interrupted when I finally saw the big blue tablet in front of my vision, telling me everything I needed to know that this wasn't just one big nightmare.

Name: Kiera Macguire Title: Fools Blood Age: 27 Traits: - Shieldmaiden Sex: Female - None (Gained at Lvl 10) Class: Shielder Level: 1 Primary [Shield Vapour] Milestone: Cross-Species Intercourse (First) Off-Hand [Shield Vapour] Quest: None Skill List below

SKILL LIST Shield Dance

[C]

Your entire body works in tandem to move along with your mind as you dance across the floor, shields defending and striking together.

Duration: As long as you dance.

Cooldown: Until you dance once more.

Drawback: Varies

Shield Strike

[D] When you stab, slice, or otherwise strike a target, there is an incremental force behind each hit,

Cooldown: None

Drawback: Chance of activating skill Not Over Until Its Over. Fight Defensively

[D] Whilst in combat, you can choose to fight defensively, attacking less and focusing on parrying, deflecting, and attempting to sustain as little damage as possible. Forgotten Ones Eyes

[E]

As the one that the Dreaming God despises, there is more you must do. Fight the fights that need be fought, and grow stronger, Shielder. For a path of blood and hate awaits.

Passive:

Your eyes determine what areas require the most direct attention.

Black means there is no chance, run to fight another day.

Red is immediate danger, blood is shed and life is at risk.

Yellow is possible danger. There is pain and there is a chance for escalation to red.

Green is safe. No danger, or your attention is not needed.

Immunities: You are now immune to the suns natural light from affecting your vision.

Drawback: Has a small chance to activate or unlock Judgement skills.

Desensitize

[C]

Passive:

You have learned to blot out the pain of killing the guilty. As Judge, Jury, and Executioner, there is no room for emotion. Those who harm the innocent are not people, but rabid dogs that need to be put down.

Effect:

>You feel less stress due to murders and killings you have commit.

>You feel sadness less.

Judge

[F+]

To judge those who have commit crimes. To sentence the killers and thieves, the abusers and the corrupt, all to their doom. This is your duty.

Gain insight and Judge one enemy guilty of any crime they have commit and deal increased damage based on its severity.

This skill is part of a set.

Judge: 1.25x - 2.5x

— : —

— : —

Cooldown: 1 Day

Duration: 30 Minutes Maximum

Max Targets: 2 People

Drawback: Every strike causes a rush of dopamine - risk of addiction.

Aggravate

[D]

This Skill was Created

Your voice carries the weight of your accusation. Your taunt sends your hatred and your will towards your foe.

You yell, hit your shield, or do something to grab your enemy's attention, directing most, if not all, attention towards you.

Cooldown: 5 Minutes

Duration: Instant

Max Targets: 5 Beings

Shield Charge

[F+]

This Skill was Created You charge forward like a mother protecting its child, shields pointed forward like a battering ram as you collide into your target. When charging, your shields rebound any physical damage in the direction of your designated enemy.

Cooldown: 2 Minutes Not Over Until Its Over

[F]

This Skill was Created When you're in combat and you reach out to save the innocents, you: Enter a trance; No longer run out of stamina; Have a dulled sense of pain; And fight until you fall, or until your enemies are dead.

Just save one more!

Cooldown: 1 Sleep

Duration: Until combat ends

Drawbacks: Exhaustion Combat Sense

[F]

This Skill was Created You're somewhat used to the battlefield and can tell what some people will do during combat.

Cooldown: 5 Seconds.

Max Targets: 2 Beings Throw

[C]

This Skill was Created You've adapted to throwing your shield as a weapon or a defensive measure. Connected to a string bound to your soul, only those who can sense the faintest traces of mana can see it. You control this string as if it was another limb, allowing you to use your shield at range, as well as pull it towards you.

Duration: Until recalled, or 2 Minutes pass.

Drawbacks: Overuse causes Nausea Become The Wall

[F]

This Skill was Created To take hits for the innocent is what you do - it is your purpose, your reason for living. Upon taking a dangerous, possibly deadly hit, for someone, your power and determination shine through. Become the wall, become immovable. Unity

[F]

This Skill was Created A Shielder is one who becomes a shield for the people - who sacrifices themselves for others - their shield is their weapon, their defence, and their partner. As they become one, their purpose changes, morphs to fit one goal: Survival, or Protection. Tip: You've got quite a few skills! The next time you open your skill list, they will be further organized

Right off the bat, I noticed that I had two new skills, and that some other ones changed. My level was the same, and I had a new title, and new Milestone - as well as that I would get another trait at my tenth level. The most disturbing change, however, was the fact that my "Guardian Eyes" skill had changed to "Forgotten Ones Eyes". It's new description put me off, and I knew it had to do with that.... thing.

And... apparently I had sex with something that wasn't a human? Excuse me? The only person I had sex with was D'rte. And he looked human, sounded human, felt human; the only thing that wasn't human about him was how awesome he was to me. Taking that into consideration, it seems that D'rte isn't human, or at least he's human-adjacent. I've had a feeling since the first bandit attack, but their biology seemed to place their ribs in a weird way. Did it have to do with that?

Desensitize leveled up as well, and it made me sick to my stomach reading the new addition. I didn't like it. I wanted that skill gone.

I clenched the blue rectangle in both of my hands, before punching the skill, over and over and over again, hoping I could get rid of it. And then a calmness washed over me. What's the point? I thought It's a skill.. intangible and untouchable. But it felt wrong, those thoughts. They weren't mine. I wouldn't just accept that. I'll get rid of it... some day.

And then I sat there, in that infinite void, for a time I almost couldn't count. I breathed... in, and out. In, and out. I felt my shields nearby, even as I slept. They were comforting. It was a warm sensation. But I couldn't stay here forever, so I decided to wake up.

....

Unfortunately for me, I woke up somewhere that was not my bed. After adjusting to the seemingly dark area I was in, as well as the rocking sensation of being thrashed around, I began to panic. But as my eyes adjusted, I noticed that in the area with me were at least fifteen other people, including Scorn, Cast, Company and Duty, as well as other people I didn't know. Upon noticing me finally wake up, Scorn looked at me, but only sighed and shook his head before placing a finger to his lips.

Okay then... no talking... got it.

Sitting down silently, I could feel my shields off to my side, resting on my right arm one over the other as if they were a plastic lunchbox. We were being moved, it seemed. Of course we were, but the size of what we were in wasn't that big, really. I'd presume it was a large cart being pulled by a large animal, and by how uncomfortable it was moving around, it was truly a wonder I wasn't forced awake. But there was little I could do unless I wished to risk leaving the cart, and knowing how the military worked on Earth in a similar time period, desertion could likely lead to death. But then again, magic could have changed things.

I sighed, closed my eyes, and looked over everything again, scanning every little detail of my sheets while I felt people around me shifting. People moved around, shuffled in their seats, and swapped places - I could tell even with my eyes closed due to the shifting wood beneath me. Opening my eyes after I believed I was sufficiently in tune with my sheet, I acclimated to the dark once more, and looked to see Company next to me, staring at my face with a grin on her lips, before they spread and mouthed the words for "I love you" again. Even I blushed a bit, but I don't think she saw that.

I turned and rest my head against the side of the cart, and I waited. If I couldn't talk, then it was all I could do. I took a deep breath and waited, before thinking back to the training I did with everyone.

When I fought with Scorn, I noticed that I was far too impatient. I rushed forward too much, and when I hesitated I obviously showed it. It was difficult for me to hide that. After all, I'd never gotten into fights back on Earth. If I had, I likely wouldn't have difficulty hiding this. I'd have to force it out of me. When I moved my shields to strike, I was too slow, and when I moved to defend myself, I was too fast and my arm moved past my face. Sometimes I would miss a step, I would stumble over my boots, and I would get distracted easily. Scorn took advantage of these and won until I started being able to read him.

Hours passed, it seemed, as I stared into the distance, unknowing of how long it took me to finally go over everything. Even then I was only knocked out of it when I felt the piercing stare of Company in the side of my face. I turned my head only a little and she was practically leaning over me.

Oh... so this is why people like tall women...

I turned around again, much to the palpable disappointment I felt on my back.

More time passed until, finally, the cart stopped. My ass began to ache from the constant stress of sitting on this rickety wagon. There were muffled conversations between two people outside the cart, and the quiet sounds of doors opening one by one. Looking between the group, there was mixed reactions. Cast, Duty, and Scorn, as well as two other people, looked ambivalent. Three others looked excited, not including Company, who was focused on me, and the rest looked nervous.

The doors opening got closer and closer, until they got to ours, and the heavy material creaked as if it was trying to resist any force against it. As it was opened, there was a dark night sky, and in the distance a thick forest with tall trees, but there was the distinct smell of blood, iron, and burning wood.

"YMUDETE -- " "KNIGHTS --" Called out a heavy voice, like two boulders crashing together. "BHAMA!" The moment that word was uttered I felt myself freeze, and it seemed Scorn and everyone else in our wagon felt it as well. But I knew, instinctively, that if I didn't move I would die. It felt like the grim reaper himself was telling me to walk the boundary from life to death if I didn't move. Hyperventilating, I bit my lip until it bled, and forced myself outside of the cart with a crash, before I gasped for air as if I was punched in the gut.

"Key-hra mac-cour. Vipta." I was dragged a few feet away from the cart the moment it creaked again, and I turned to see Scorn scramble out, sweat pouring down his features as he also fell. They nodded at him, before announcing something to someone further ahead that I didn't understand. I watched the cart, waiting. People scrambled out, looking like they'd seen death, until all that was left was Cast, Company, and two other people I didn't know. I had a bad feeling.

Looking into Cast and Company's eyes, I nodded once, and they seemed to pull themselves out of it, and fell out, but not without difficulty. "Yza-" One of the others began, before they fell down outside, leaving him and one other, who was still frozen in place. Two people in armour walked up and towards the wagon. Before they reached it, though, screams rang through the night, and I knew why this place was called "Stone Hell". The screams never stopped. And then they got louder, as they killed the people remaining in the wagons.

I looked around the wagons and saw people, in an orderly line, covered in full plate armour, and wielding longswords of metal, walk out two at a time from every wagon ahead of us.

The screams... oh the screams...

Would they have ki- no, of course they would, I just saw it happen. My breathing sped up, my heart raced, and my eyes shook as I looked onward. Why was I here? Why was I brought to this world?

And what the fuck was going to happen?