When the morning came, it moved slowly, the sun lagging behind the gray haze that covered the sky. But things around them were already bustling. When Kris finally opened his eyes after being awakened by the loud yelling and clash of metal on metal, he found himself staring in amazement of the sheer expanse of the camp. He pulled the damp blanket around his shoulders and sat up, taking in the tent-covered landscape buzzing furiously with men in armor. A small sound and some rustling beside him indicated that Devis had also been awoken from the brief moment of rest they’d indulged in.
“Good to see you’re up. Better hurry, though. We’re movin’ out in two hour’s time,” Said Sutebenu, dousing the glowing embers with a bucket of water. The dying fire hissed angrily before spitting clouds of dark smoke into the air, and finally dying away.
“But we were supposed to have a week!” cried Kris, throwing off the blanket in disbelief. He jumped to his feet and swayed dangerously a few times before catching his balance.
“More troops have been completely wiped out, I’ve heard. Though it’s hard to say for sure, since they also say not a single person escaped, not even the runner. But in any case somethin’s happened and we’re being called out early. We march north to cut through Serba. Here,” he said, and tossed a pouch from his side to the noble. “You two were dead asleep when I got back. It’s not much, but it looks like you’ll need what you can get.”
Kris pulled open the flap, confronted with three pieces of stale bread and a couple slices of meat that smelled not too appetizing. He thanked the man anyways.

“What is going on?” Devis asked as he rubbed his eyes, still disoriented and groggy. Kris seated himself beside his servant on the ground, offering him the food. Catching a sniff of the meat, he settled for gnawing at the hard crust of the bread. Kris did the same.
“We march today.”
“But it’s too soon,” said Devis in a concerned tone. “Surely this is only half the people that are supposed to fight. Many will not be here for another week.”
“The choice is not ours,” Kris replied, staring into the gray ash. In the silence that followed, the tall redhead returned, his sword in hand, clad in thin sheets of metal that would hardly qualify as armor. He grinned sheepishly.
“Weren’t too happy that I didn’t have my own,” he laughed. “But what do they expect? They make soldiers here buy their own. Poor people can’t afford such costly equipment.”
“Nor can they afford to abandon their crops for battle,” Kris countered, rising to his feet. “But if this is your choice, I know that there is little that can stop you,” he added with a small sideways smile.

The march towards Serba was slow and disorganized. The royal guard and knights took to the front mounted on horseback in clean rows. The rest were expected to fall in behind. Kris walked with Sutebenu in hops of avoiding another conflict, but found it difficult to keep pace with the man’s long strides. Devis was having the worst of it though, the supplies they’d brought stuffed into the makeshift sack he carried on his back. Any thoughts of aiding him flew out the window in a heartbeat. Surrounded by other nobles and their servants, any act of charity to a person of such a low status was utterly unacceptable. They were the ones born to serve, and they were only carrying out their duties. Kris could only watch from the corner of his eye as Devis trudged along beside him.

“We may actually have a good chance of winning this,” Sutebenu whispered to Kris. The silence had begun to weigh on all their hearts.
“How do you come to that conclusion when we are being sent out far ahead of schedule to assess a problem we do not know the details about?” Kris asked in a hushed voice.
“They’re trying to hide it,” the taller man began, resting one hand on the top of his sword, “but they’re crumbling from the inside. All the money is invested in the troops. The people are starving and refuse to fight. I’ve hear whispers of riots, that even the king hasn’t shown his face for many a fortnight. For every soldier we defeat, there is none left to take his place.”
“And even if we lose, we still have the reinforcements that had not yet arrived-”
“And they have none,” finished Sutebenu. “Remember that and keep hope close, even at death’s door.”
“Please don’t talk about death,” pleaded Devis from outside the conversation. His face was pale and he appeared shaken. “I want to talk about winning and going home. The glory of dying in battle doesn’t sound so glorious anymore.” He gulped, averting his eyes from the two.
“I know it’s hard for you, Devis,” Kris said reassuringly, “but I am a soldier now. Death is a reality we must all face at some time, and I can think of no better way to face it than with steel in my hand and the blood of the wicked on my armor.” Without looking up Devis nodded, muttering an apology he only half meant.

Days passed, and the stops for rest and food were few and brief, allowing almost enough time to sit and get comfortable before having to stand back up and continue. Their longest reprieves came at night, when they were allowed a full four hour’s rest. Their only true relief was the thick foggy haze that still polluted the sky, keeping the temperature comfortable. But as they moved on, Kris could notice a drastic change in the climate. The ground became harder and an enormous dust cloud billowed behind them. The air became dryer too, and he found himself swallowing more and more often to wet his burning throat. Sutebenu hadn’t been exaggerating about the drought, the only reason Ceapal had neglected to occupy the land themselves.
Sutebenu glanced down at the boys as they walked. Days without shower, minimal rest, and clad in heavy armor while moving at a fast pace had taken its toll on the kids, unaccustomed to the wilderness. But he was glad to note that they were still keeping pace and had withheld from the useless complaints that even other soldiers had begun to blather about. Though some were rightly concerned about their ever waning water supply, cursing the knights and their horses that consumed so much of it every day. Everyone was getting anxious.

As dusk grew closer, the troops emptied into what was once a large field, but was now nothing more than a landscape of dust. Tension was high. Why had they stopped so early, some wondered. Others mocked the generals saying they got lost outside their comfortable homes. But most were silent.
The clothes and books landed heavily on the ground as they slid off Devis’ back, the servant quickly following suit. Kris leaned down close to his face, gently laying a hand on one shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
“Just tired… and a bit sore,” Devis replied weakly, managing to force a smile. Kris frowned.
“And you speak the truth?”
“No. I made a promise to you. I would not to back on my word so easily.” Appeased, Kris leaned away, plopping himself down as he shed his body of the heavy armor.
“It’s too dry here,” Kris remarked. “Why is there not an irrigation system?”
“There’s no money to make one, and no one willing to work for free,” Sutebenu replied, stripping himself of his own flimsy armor. “It’s a miracle this land is still populated at all.”
“There aren’t riots?” Kris asked, and expressed his surprise with widened eyes when Sutebenu shook his head.
“We’re naturally non-confrontational. Most people simply packed their belongings and moved to Oceanica to get a start in the trade business.”
“Then why do we not help them instead of chasing them from their lands into ours?” Kris asked bitterly, already knowing the answer. Greed. More taxpayers, more money. Despite the appearance of a paradise, it was rotting in filth.
“Tell you two what, I’ll give Devis a break and carry your pack tomorrow. Not like I’ve got anythin’ of my own. Say he stumbled and hurt his leg. Can’t be harassed about another commoner carryin’ your bags, can ya?” he asked with a wink. An objection sat on the tip of Kris’ tongue until he looked down at the exhausted boy. Stick thin legs stuck out from the crudely made shorts, his face resting in the dirt, fast asleep.
“I suppose… thank you very much. I will certainly repay you when I can.”
“Don’t be worryin’ about me,” Sutebenu laughed, flexing a large, toned bicep. “Worry about keeping yourself and your friend there fit. You’ve got an entire life ahead of ya.” He stretched and peeled the dirty shirt from his sweaty skin, throwing it carelessly on the ground. “I used to hunt around this area, and I know of a small stream a few miles off. Let me have your canteens and I’ll fill ‘em up for ya.”
“I can help,” offered Kris, rising to his feet, but a strong hand on the top of his head held him down.
“Like I said, worry about yourselves. You’re a good kid, so I don’t mind doin’ some favors for ya.”
Gathering up their empty canteens, Sutebenu slung them over his shoulder and headed off. Kris was beyond thankful to the generous man, but also knew that he would use many a situation as an excuse for some privacy, for which Kris couldn’t blame him. Shaking Devis awake, he coaxed him to lay on the blanket he’d lay out on the ground.
“I just want to get this over with,” Devis mumbled as he stretched out on his stomach. Kris, laying beside him with his hands under his head, gave a nod of agreement. “I don’t like this at all. We have not been able to talk or… or anything.”
“I’m sorry,” Kris replied genuinely. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but this is war. But I promise,” he added quietly, rolling onto his side to face his friend, “if we get back, things will go back to normal, if not better. I will tell my father to stop mistreating you. I may be able to move away from it all, and you can come with me, if that is your choice.” At this Devis smiled sadly.
“You say ‘if’. You should say ‘when’. And I would want nothing more than to remain in your service, Sir Kael, even if you treat me too well.”
“Don’t talk such nonsense,” Kris said, running his fingertips over the servant’s face. “People work best when they are in favorable conditions. And besides that, you are a valuable friend. It was only a cruel twist of fate that you were not born into a wealthy family. Had that been the case we truly could be close friends without all the limitations of formalities.”
Devis smiled, his cheeks growing hot under the gentle touch of his master. The pads of his fingers were soft despite the calluses on his hands from training with the weapons, and left a tingling sensation where they touched. The feeling of peace, the lightheaded elation overwhelmed Devis’ sore and weary body, and as his eyes drooped shut of their own accord, the last thing he saw was the gentle, sympathetic smile on his master’s face, and his anxieties, for the moment, faded into nothingness.