The uncomfortable ride was a quiet one. One reason was the constant clatter coming from the cart's wobbly frame, one was Loileh's aversion to chit-chat. When they were finally on the top of the hill Ottaine rushed to her room to take a bath.

'Get down in three quarters, you and Eluik. We have hired two Donors for you', Loileh shouted behind her on the staircase.

After she refreshed herself, exchanged warm welcomes with Eluik, and met with the donors, they sat down with Shove and Loileh in the lounge.

'The continental war is far from being over. I would dare say it hasn't properly started yet. Our government has been talking with Landhapis for the last year, king Tharhes and their king, Pulgek, met on two occasions. You know serious things are to be expected when kings meet face to face. His Majesty regards the continental affair as very important and he personally pressed the ministers to join the conflict. It is not just the matter of the Treaty that, if our country was not to take action, would cause the end of trade across the sea and leave us in the economic impasse, causing an immediate food crisis. No, it's not just that. What Skey-Er is trying to do would affect our Island directly, sooner or later. Some of the information is strictly confidential and unknown to me. However, was Skey-Er to succeed - our world would fall into slavery.'

'What do you mean!?' exclaimed Eluik leaning forward.

'All I know is that very dangerous people with a high-advantage weapon are approached by the Skeyr-Er officials. It's more than a matter of getting military power, it's beyond that. For the sake of not just our friends in Landhapis, but ours too, and every innocent person living on the Skey-Er's land, we must stop those madmen.'

'We are going to war,' Ottaine said with a dreadful feeling.

'Yes. By now we have sent some of our experienced soldiers to investigate the situation and help with war tactics that are much more efficient than the Landhapis' chaotic guerilla impulses. Verlar Greghom is one of our best, he served in the two previous continental conflicts as a commander. Of course, you can hardly compare the situation now, however, he knows the land and its people. That's why his service was needed. I was supposed to go to the Southern Military Academy in his absence but there is one more recruit coming to the Domicile in two weeks. Tomorrow we expect a gathering of Special Forces and we will discuss it. We will decide who goes and who stays. Do both of you understand the meaning of it?'

'Landhapis asks for most of us?', asked Eluik.

'That's right.'

'Yes, I think we understand,' he said, exchanging looks with Ottaine. 'We might be sent to do the thing we enrolled in a few years ago. Become real soldiers and fight the real battles, with real weapons, against real army.' Ottaine nodded in agreement but didn't make any comment. They were both thinking: what we wanted to be we can become very soon.

Stolen novel; please report.

At this very moment, nothing about it was exciting. Nothing at all.

The next day the Domicile was filled with people. Essudi young and old, from all over the country filled the empty rooms and corridors. Ottaine and Eluik counted roughly a hundred people but didn't have a chance to meet everyone, it was so busy. Although Ota heard a fragment of conversation in the Basement Hall. The door was left ajar when she went down meaning to borrow some gym equipment. She heard Shove's voice:

'I don't want to do that. They are just kids.'

'Shove, they are adults in their twenties. We all knew what we were doing when we decided to graduate from the Military Academy. I understand, but we must think with our heads now,' was another male voice she didn't recognise but for some reason, he sounded elvish.

'We don't have the numbers. Rekhim will stay in the Central, he's near his retirement', Ottaine recognised the name of Central Military Academy's Special Forces resident.

'Do you think the woman could replace Verlar in the Southern?'

'Don't be ridiculous. You need a lot of experience to do this job. No, somebody else will have to go. I do consider, however, sending two of them... but...' started Shove and then paused.

'We don't have the numbers' finished a low, female voice. Ottaine felt a chill on her skin. The voice was so rich, deep, and filled with something she could only describe as ‘sexy’.

'How about boy is joining Verlar in this camp here,' said another male voice and Ottaine heard a tap on the desk, 'while you, Yr, take your people to the northern troops? This Ottaine would join you.'

'Why don't we try and spare them as long as we can.' said that nice female voice. 'Shove, how about one of them goes with the main ship, as our representative, and the other we send to the capital with other informers?'

After a short moment of quiet whispers Shove's announced:

'I hear you. We will try it. I would suggest the boy, Eluik, for the capital.'

'Good choice. He's more suitable for that task,' Loileh agreed.

Ottaine heard the chairs rattling and quickly ran upstairs. She stood by the kitchen's door watching the people leaving, conversations going on. Most of them were heading straight back to where they came from, or to the new destinations across the sea. She saw an elf with brown hair, he must have been the one she heard talking. She wondered which of the women was the owner of this beautiful voice that made her shiver. Four of them were talking in a group. She couldn't see their faces, hidden behind somebody's head or turned away from the viewer, or obscured by a shadow. One of them seemed to have a very dark complexion but was it really her skin or the darkness of the sunless corner?

'Ottaine, come with me!' Shove appeared next to her like from nowhere,

'Let us talk.'

She said goodbye to everybody the very next day. Eluik was travelling with the diplomats to Landhapis’ main port city and then to the capital. He was to observe, learn, and send messages to the Special Forces' seniors. That was the plan but in the end, after one month, he was sent to deal with the actual Landhapis and Skey-Er 'border turmoil', was shot in the arm, returned to his hometown for a short time, and later he witnessed the Firewheel Field horrors.

Right now nobody was expecting what the future will bring. Last year graduates' training was moved from Domicile and other forces' centres into the deep waters of practice that was too real.