The guards went back to the camp, took some horse carriages, and started going around the forest collecting the bodies scattered around the forest, one after another they got collected like wood for a fire, when the guards were done, they went to report to the chief
"Ther is a single body and 2 heads messing, we think one of the slaves took the body parts and left the forest" said one of the guards
"Let him be, they've always done the same, burying dear family with their hands, a single escapee never affected us, and never will" replied the chief with certain eyes and calm voice
Behind them 2 black haired boys wish one of them was the owner of the weird tattoo were watching have been watching
"My guess is that it's the frightened boy is who escaped" said the one with the tattoo
"Well henry, if you say so I can't disagree with you" replayed the other so what do you think our trial will be this time" continued saying
From the once called stable shouted a girl black haired at them "John and henry come here"
As they walked towards her John said" it doesn't seem like you need much help carrying stuff"
"No but I would like some help taking care of the twins" she said as she lifted a box
"What you mean Isabel and Thomas" said John as he looked at them one throwing axes and the other using a shield to deflect them" They won't hurt each other they are experienced enough"
"No, they won't, but William whose drowning in his books will be the one getting hurt" as she pointed at a grey-haired boy reading his book behind her
"Wait you still haven't finished your fantasy book yet?" said John talking to William
"So, what is this book about William?" said Henry coming closer towards him
"Well, you see this books wish is not a fantasy" said William "is about the history of the dead lands, but it is full of lies"
"What do you mean lies, then why are you reading it" asked John
"I'm trying to find if anything at all is actually true in it" replied William" For example do you really believe a giant the size of a continent dropped from the sky and spit the plague onto the earth?"
"What so wrong about that you were not there were you" said Thomas as he leaned his shin on top of his sword
"You think a giant of that size could marry a human girl and drop us Vikings, the same ones we slaughtered yesterday" said William as everybody went silent remembering what they were ordered to do
"We did nothing wrong; we have it just as hard as they do" said Thomas clinching his teeth's trying to prove a point he himself doesn't believe in
"Thomas!" said Sara the black-haired girl
"What I did not say something wrong" said Thomas as he looked at her with sharp eyes "none of us asked to be burn this way, we weren't the ones to make the choice, we were born into this battlefield the same way they were born Vikings"
They went silent for a moment for no answer could deny the truth "At least they got to live the illusion of freedom for some time" said Thomas before picking a box and leaving towards the stable
"He has a point" said John before Sara shouted at him "What you agree with murdering children and women alike?"
"No that's not what I meant, I too think we are doing the wrong thing, but we have no choice either, many of our comrades died already in battles against the Vikings, everyone is just trying their best to survive," said John
"Well, if you don't try your best, you might be executed for blasphemy against his highness" said Isabel "he is the one who hates the Vikings for him to do this cleaning across different camps once in a while"
"I don't think it's out of hate" Said henry as they looked at his confused, he picked up a box and said "I think he is afraid of what they could do or become, he already has enough tension with the Kazar kingdom and their supporting families, adding Vikings is just an overkill"
"Best we can do right now is obey orders, who knows we might get to meet the king and ask him ourselves one day" said Henry with a fake smile trying to cheer the group up as they walked to the stable to get some rest
The So-called stable is now a fully built and ready house, but not for them, as they sat on the dinner table, ready to eat their food, Henry spoke
"I wonder why they built this camp, we won't be staying here for long anyway, The masked man"
"You mean the commander" cut him William saying so
"Whatever, it's not like his here to hear me" replied Henry as he ate his food
"Saying the commander is better than losing a limb" said William with a tone showing that it is something that is the happens allot
"Anyway, the commander told us we will be traveling towards the capital of Varish kingdom in less than a week," said Henry
"It's better be worth it, I was only hearing about it for the last 14 years, I want to see the Brocken tower peaking on the weeping forest, I want to prove that a magical barrier stooping invaders is a lie we refuse to question," said William with determent eyes
"I'm sure it is, the dragon skulls upon the doors of it are going to look so magnificent," said Sara
"William is not going to like you talking about fake history he's going to start reading you books to death" said Thomas making fun of it
"That's an absurd lie" said William with an annoyed look "dragons are already proven to have existed"
"You can never be certain about that, the same way we can't be certain about fantasy books actually reflecting a reality we are yet to see," said John
"For me I only care about the castles and the great gardens covering the capital," said Isabel
"What use is the capital's beauty if its not safe, I want to know more about the Ballistae and the weird weaponry we heard rumours about when we were in the Northern-west Forest," said henry
"Yes, I heard about those, I also heard that the king was the one to invent them, he seems like a smart person," said William
"I wonder what he wants from us," said Thomas before Isabel cut him saying "Here he goes again"
"No, I mean it, like why rais us from birth if not for a greater cause, we all were borne into war tents, unlike Henry who was found in a Human slave Trading carnival," said Thomas
"Yes, I wonder why the commander almost pocked your eye out checking the weird tattoo under it" John trying to change the conversation said
"Yes, he bought you at that instant, you haven't remembered your name or identity yet did you?" said Sara joining on the new conversation
"You can't guys just ignore me like this" said Thomas in disbelief of how they left him like that
"Oh yes I wonder where you learnt those throwing skills as well Henry," said Isabel
"Ok I see how it is" said Thomas facing how they just left him stranded there
"Well, I still don't remember anything if you wish for any excitement, "replied Henry
"Wait what It's Already been 4years since then and your still fresh out of the womb?!" said Isabel
"Talking about it is not going to help it" said Henry as the commander entered on them opening the sturdy and big door of the stable, everybody saluted him
"At ease" said the commander "Now you need to get ready we will be moving tomorrow morning"
"If we are going so soon then why get the Vikings to reconstruct the stable "asked John
"I needed a destruction for their strength to fade, lowering their numbers alone wouldn't have made a difference" said the commander before he sat down and continued "And this camp will be used as a shield by the Guards of the Kingdom"
"A shield? But from whom?" said Henry
The commander looked at him for a second as if expecting him to answer himself then said "the Vikings are making a silent resistance from the western forests, we are yet to have control over their but they know the plans better than we do"
As the commander started leaving, he said "Stay in shape, we don't know what we might see on the way" leaving them in confusion
"Do you think he prepared another test for us on the way? Like some bandit's attack or a fake death of one of us?" Said Thomas in a tone showing that this fact has been done multiple times to them
"No matter what, we should do as he said, what choice do we have anyway" said Henry as he left
Soon the others followed one by one leaving the room empty