"This land, hidden by the clouds, shelters a small kingdom with a city embedded in the slopes of Mount Dru'ira. For centuries, it remained untouched by the rays of the sun or the shadows of the night.
"Ircem, how are you today?" Raczata says with a calm tone. Raczata looks down to see the city of Zaderut, its city lights resembling a starry night sky, something rare to see in that land. Raczata's voice carries a thunderous sound until it reaches Ircem's ears, who seems somewhat disturbed by something unusual. He has always been calm, and if something worries him, it's a bad sign. He looks around, taking a deep breath from the mountaintop.
"I don't know, Raczata, everything is changing rapidly. There's something that concerns me," his gaze remains heavy, but he knew that something was about to change. His gaze shifts to see the sunrise beginning to appear. The sunlight starts to flood the city and the surrounding fields. "Soon, the peace we cherish so much will come to an end. I wonder what will happen to this land."
The sunlight begins to enter through the window of Uviz's house, hitting him right in the eyes and waking him from his sleep. 'The night passes by so quickly. I'm still tired,' Uviz thinks. 'But it's already morning. Time flies.' He gets up slowly, letting out a big yawn from his bed. His calm demeanor fades as a sign of tiredness from a long night. 'Hmm, today is the day the enlistment for the guard begins,' he thinks after getting up. He heads to the wardrobe and starts searching for something, but his wardrobe is in a state of disorder that not even the gods would tolerate. Amidst the mess, he pulls out a worn leather armor, almost in tatters, which looks like a hodgepodge of patched pieces, but it still offers some protection.
He takes his ragged armor and wears it with pride. His pride is that of a noble warrior, but his appearance seems more like that of a beggar. Leaving his room and heading towards the kitchen with a walk of great pride, he starts looking for something to eat. Although he doesn't have much, he does his best to prepare a legendary egg with bread. The sound of the city starts to reach Uviz's ears. 'I better leave now to avoid being late.' With a quick and agile bite, he finishes his breakfast and goes out into the streets in search of the guard tower.
As Uviz was walking down the street that led to the square near his house, he noticed that some shops were already starting to have a slight movement of customers. Uviz noticed a group of children playing near the water fountain. Uviz gets lost in his thoughts, watching the children play. 'I remember when I used to play with my friends here. I miss those times.' He shakes his head slightly from side to side to snap back to reality. 'I have to go to the guard tower. Focus.' He starts running to avoid being late for the guard enlistment.
As Uviz approached the guard tower, the sound of military drums became more audible. The recruitment was about to begin, and anxiety took hold of the candidates. When he finally arrived at the square in front of the tower, he saw dozens of men and women dressed in armor, all awaiting the call.
The captains of arms stood in front of the crowd, closely observing each candidate. The captain of the guard, with his imposing armor and adorned helmet, raised his voice to announce the start of the selection process.
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"Welcome to the guard enlistment! I am Captain Eraniz Lovento. Today, you will have the opportunity to prove your worth and swear loyalty to the city of Zaderut. For many generations, we have been under the protection of the great dragoness who covered our lands with a barrier that prevented outsiders from entering our realm, but we cannot lower our guard because even in times of peace, we must be ready to defend our way of life."
While the speech continued, Uviz observed the other candidates. Some were visibly nervous, while others displayed confidence and determination. He wondered which category he would be assigned to: a simple soldier or perhaps even part of the Pratemoon division.
A young man caught Uviz's attention, standing next to him. He trembled with worry and whispered to himself in a low voice: "I have to succeed; I can't fail." Hearing the young man's concern next to him, Uviz spoke without losing his composure: "Hey, don't worry; you'll make it." The young man next to him stopped whispering and looked at Uviz's face, which had a slight smile. "Thank you for the motivation," the young man said in a more optimistic tone. "I'm Teraz. What's your name?" The young man, looking at Uviz, replied: "I'm Uviz," with a gleam in his eye and spoke with great enthusiasm: "Hello, Teraz! I know you'll make it. All you need to do is have confidence in yourself." Uviz saw Teraz's expressions lighten up; he was calmer and a bit more confident. In the background, the captain of the guard shouted that the tests were about to begin.
Uviz was among the candidates preparing for the strength test. The sun was high in the sky, and the arena was filled with anticipation and tension. Captain Eraniz Lovento explained the rules of the test: each candidate would have to face an opponent in a test of strength. Uviz took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
His opponent was a burly soldier with well-defined muscles and a determined look. He seemed confident and experienced. The captain announced the start of the duel, and Uviz and his opponent positioned themselves face to face.
The soldier charged with a powerful blow, but Uviz managed to dodge skillfully. He realized that he couldn't compete in brute strength, so he used his agility. He moved quickly around the soldier, looking for an opening.
The soldier continued to strike with powerful blows, but Uviz managed to avoid them all. He knew he needed to tire his opponent out. After a few minutes of dodging and swift counterattacks, the soldier began to show signs of fatigue.
That's when Uviz saw his chance. He closed in on the soldier with a nimble move and, using the soldier's own strength against him, managed to knock him to the ground. The soldier was exhausted and couldn't get up in time.
After Uviz faced his opponent in the strength test, Teraz was about to face his own. He observed his opponent, a tall and muscular soldier with a serious expression. Teraz knew he couldn't win against the soldier in a direct contest of strength.
Captain Eraniz Lovento announced the start of the duel, and Teraz and his opponent prepared themselves. The soldier advanced confidently, delivering a powerful blow. Teraz managed to narrowly avoid it but felt the force of the blow.
He knew he had to be creative. Instead of directly confronting the soldier's brute strength, Teraz focused on his cunning. He moved carefully, dodging the soldier's strikes and keeping him at bay.
The soldier was becoming frustrated as his blows failed to connect. Teraz waited for the right moment, and when the soldier left an opening, he closed in and used a disarming technique he had learned from observing his father. He managed to take the soldier's weapon and then disarm him.
The soldier, recognizing the technique used, gave a smile acknowledging Teraz's skill, and he surrendered. Teraz had won the combat test not through physical strength but through intelligence and agility."