Memories of a soldier
From FiranMUX
I'm just a soldier. A fighter. A warrior. I've never had much scroll learning or much patience for it unless it tied in with something I had to do. I'm an old one, the kids I see them year after year coming to war along side me and they seem so very young. Maybe it is just that I'm getting old. I'm getting ahead of myself though. I really should start in the beginning.
My name is Rezzana and I am a Griffon born in the free city of Ellish. I was only a toddler during the Great War and don't remember any of it, but that likely is a good thing. I do know I ended up an orphan because of the war. I don't know if my parents died or if they lived the rest of their lives as slaves in Ellish. I don't know if I have any brothers or sisters, nieces or nephews. That's why I fight. Its why I learned to fight - so that one day I could go back and free them and all the slaves and maybe, hopefully find my family again.
And so year after year from the time I was able I ventured as close as we could get to Ellish and fought. I fought hard, as hard as any other soldier and maybe harder than a few others. My blood, sweat and tears muddied the trodden fields that led to the city I hail from. When it wasn't time for warring I served my clan and the Corinala family. I trained as a gladiator so I could become even better at fighting since it was all I knew and took those skills with me to war each summer.
Year after year there was defeat. We'd do a macabre dance with the Shamibelians, two steps forward one fort back and return home with our dead on their shields. But never did I give up. Never did I despair that we would not succeed. When the clarion call to arms came in 42 AU to follow Lord High General Donos to war I heeded it. I made my peace and said my good byes and ventured off after offering what few stenis I had.
Forward we pushed and they pushed back. Forward we marched and they pushed back. Forward we won and they roared with anger. They tried to force us to fight against our own people. Have you ever cried silent hot tears while fighting? I have. I have had to raise my staff and my whip against those with hair as golden as mine, with eyes as blue, with skin so fair. It was worse this year. They sent those slaves out to fight us knowing we would find it difficult - but it was difficult because we have souls.
For longer than I can remember, for forty years, I have dreamed of standing inside Ellish. Of feeling its dirt beneath my boots and breathing its air. My staff beat down my enemies, but my dream carried me forward. It helped me through the strange sickness from cleaning Fort Zayes, it helped me when my friends fell to enemy weapons, and it helped me through those final battles.
Most of the army has gone home now with the dead, but here I sit. This is my home. This is my city. This is the dream I have fought long and hard for. Somewhere over that rise inside those walls are my kin. Maybe they won't know it is me, but maybe they will and that's enough to keep me here.
