Voice log two. I've just finished my two weeks of training. Within those two weeks, I've held a gun for the first time, shot for the first time, got punished for the first, and not last, time, and many other firsts. I think the best thing was... I think the best time in this camp of torment was Zueq. He's probably the only reason I've kept my sanity. He can always make light of a situation, always tries to smile, always thinks of others, and always takes the blame. Although I'll take it myself instead of him if I can help it. Being under command is a very… different? Unique?...Uhh… Unsettling? I'll stick with different, it's easier. But it definitely is a very different experience than from at home. Sure, you follow orders for work, but I mostly keep to myself. I've never been under direct command before… Knowing that someone's judging your every move, your every action, is a very unsettling experience. Having someone watch you, and then punish you accordingly is also different than I know. Having… it's weird, that's what I'm saying.

The food here is horrendous, but at least it keeps us full. That is, if we don't spill it back out first. The conditions are awful too, but that was only training. Soon it'll be the battlefield. We're being transported to the lines as we speak... I… it's either me or them… I could kill... but I could die as well. I can die. What if that was the last time I would see them? What if I never returned? What would happen? Would I be yet just another unburied body on the battlefield, lost in the memory of others? Forgotten… alone… I should probably stop talking now, try to gather my thoughts. These voice logs… they do help me calm down. They… they're a nice way to let go of my feelings… On another note, Zueq and me have a lot in common. He also has a family, and is more of a country fellow like myself. He has three kids, they're pretty cute, he showed me a picture. And he never stops talking about them, and his mate. I think it's interesting how different the two are, yet love each other the same. That is, if what he says is true… He's sleeping right now, trying to catch some rest on the train. That's a big difference between us. While he can sleep whenever he wants, it's almost impossible for me to settle down. It's like he can just make himself fall asleep. How does he do that? It takes me like twenty minutes to go to bed…

I can hear the battlefield from here… The rattle of gunfire, the explosion of shells going off, and the various activities from both sides. I'm almost there. Goodbye.

The dull clouds billowed across the grey sky, water yet to sprout from the lumps of dark fluff. No beams of light broke through the ceiling of clouds and mist, just the faint glow that snuck through to the surface. The ground was completely torn up, ripped apart from the horrors of war. On one side of the battlefield was a series of bunkers and holes, mixed in with various areas dominated by artillery. On the other side, trenches were gouged into earth, and tents were propped up a safe distance behind everything. Smaller, more mobile, artillery was set up in any place there was room. Each side would let out a series of shots, and then that battlefield would go quiet for a few minutes before continuing. Boom. The sound of a shell being launched into the air hit Uili's ears. He winced, still getting used to the constant gunfire. Boom. Another shot from the artillery. Uili was stuck in the trenches, like all the rest, listening to the sound of rounds being released from guns all day. He had only been there for half a week, so he hadn't yet gone to the front line. He was lucky though, Zueq was in the same squadron as he was. How they could win a war by sitting in a muddy hole, Uili had no clue. He only know that soon they wouldn't have to stay in the hole. Boom. He and Zueq had heard rumors, only whispers, that the Eastern Alliance was planning a move on their foes. When Pyrrhia was split in two, it was a battle between two side. Now that it was between three factions, all out chaos ensured. Every side had to watch there back, as they could all be attacked from behind. The days seemed to go by so fast, but so slow at the same time. At the beginning the days sped past with various activities filling his waking hours. Now it seemed to go by slower than a lecture. The only thing occupying his mind was the thought that at any moment, his life could be snatched away from a stray bullet, or utterly disintegrated by the hail of artillery. There was about two-hundred or so common infantry in his platoon, the Eastern Alliance 21st Assault Squadron. When the day came for the big push into the territory, his and five other squadrons would be the ones expected to push in. Apart from Zueq, I've made friends with two other people. Atal, a Seawing who seems to be always pissed, and Amber, one of the smartest Rainwings I've ever met. The four of us all together never do anything alone. Look at me, now I'm even thinking like I'm recording. Uili smiled at the thought, then looked to his left. Zueq was reading a scroll, Atal was eating his limited rations, and Amber was nowhere to be seen. Uili shuffled over to where Zueq was and asked, "Whatcha readin'?"

Zueq looked up from his story and shrugged. "It's a story about this dragon that could see souls. The beginning was pretty bad, but it doesn't look like the author was professional or anything. She claims it's a true story. Of course, I doubt it."

"Well, maybe she was just trying to get you to buy it." He pointed out. "You know, like a marketing technique."

Zueq shrugged again, and continued reading. There was a pause, and then Atal said, "I heard we were being moved up to the front line either today or tomorrow."

"What?!" The cry came in unison from both of them.

Atal turned his attention from his food to them. "Yeah. It could happen at any moment. I just thought I'd warn you."

Uili shook his head in shock. "I honestly didn't think they'd send us. I thought that we'd make the advancement before they pushed us up to the front…" He looked up at the sky. "The world has gone mad…"

"Oi, whadda I miss?" Amber was standing there, a packet of food in his hand. He was looking down at the two, curiosity in his eyes. Uili beckoned him over, and he sat down next to them. Atal repeated his earlier conversation to Amber. Unlike the other two, he was completely silent. The only thing he said after the end was, "I hope you like the smell of gunpowder in the morning, because that's what we'll be smelling for the next week or two." Amber took the packet and ripped a jagged hole into the plastic-like material, trying to get into the meal inside. Whatever could be considered a meal at least.

Trying to get his mind away, Uili turned his head to Zueq and asked, "What chapter are you on?"

Zueq, not looking up, said, "Chapter six. About halfway through. A ton of crazy stuff has happened. At this point it sounds like pure fantasy."

Uili nodded. "What did you expect? It's a story. It's false. Did you really think otherwise?"

Zueq didn't say anything, and tried to hide his embarrassment in his scroll. Uili smiled, and then looked at his voice recorder. It was already dusty, and hung from his sash. The small thing had been his way to escape from reality, and to vent his emotions. He was certain that it saved him many times from drifting into insanity. Uili debated on whether or not he should record one right then. He decided against it, and tried to start a conversation. "How's the gen for front line?"

Atal shrugged. "Some say he's crazy, some say he's the best out there. He seems alright, and a good leader. Just don't get on his bad side." While not really called slang, there was many abbreviations and shortened words the soldiers used. "Gen" was an easy one. It was simply short for "General."

Uili yawned, tired from the labors of the day, and then nodded his head in approval. "I can deal with good, short-tempered ones. They're the most common ones."

Zueq laughed. "They most definitely are. I have never had a gen that was as sweet as my mother. Tough as nails they are, but most mean well."

Uili smiled. "Besides, it's what we've been trained to deal with since we were in basics. Speak only when spoken to, always follow orders, and never take initiative. It's what they drilled into our heads."

Amber grinned. "They always love to squash any ingenuity or creativity from us. Discipline and all that jazz."

Zueq shook his head. "Military's a tough thing. They don't care about you. The government don't care, they just want to win."

Uili grinned. "Welcome to hell. You've only seen the entrance of it."

Laughter came from that quote, surprisingly from Atal. "That's the truest thing I've ever heard. Why just yesterday when-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

Suddenly a coarse shout. "Get down!" The group of friends immediately dove to the ground, just like they were taught. A sharp whistling sound pierced through the air. Thunk. The sound of metal embedding into the ground rippled out, moments before the roar of an explosion. There was no fireball. The blast shook outwards, decimating the trench and sending shrapnel everywhere. As the group was hitting the ground, the shockwave tore through them, causing them to grimace. Pain shot into Uili's ears, and then left a dull ringing that seemed to have no intention on leaving. Uili groaned and looked up. On the ground was Zueq and Amber, covering their heads with their wings, but seemingly unharmed. Then there was Atal. He was clutching at his arm, a large fragment of the shell driven into it. The metal, his claws, and the ground, were all drenched in bright-red blood. Atal's mouth was opened in a soundness howl, the ringing still blocking Uili's hearing. His heart skipped a beat. Not that far away, another artillery strike found it's target. As soon as he could comprehend what was going on, all he could think was, How in the three moons are the strikes hitting the back lines, and what happened? He looked over to where the explosion hit. A crater in the ground, loose dirt everywhere, and pieces of the shell littered the earth. One dragon didn't make it out if of the blast, and his disembodied corpse was sprinkled in the blast. Uili dragged himself over to the side of the trench. The ringing in his ears had dissipated, allowing him to hear everything. It was then he remembered Atal. He grabbed hold of one arm, and dragged him to the side with a huff. Atal let out a cry of pain at the sudden movement, but Uili wanted to get him as far away from danger as possible. Both Zueq and Amber followed suit, crawling over to the two dragons at the edge. Uili's heart was racing, and terror was etched into him. He never thought he'd be in danger at the back, and the attacks were completely unheard of. The artillery wasn't even supposed to be able to go that far. Even then, returning fire was shot back towards the other side as quickly as possible. Uili turned his head to the two unharmed ones. "What the hell just happened?!" He shouted, just in case they were still affected by the strike.

Zueq was breathing heavily, and shook his head. "I… I don't know…"

"Medic! We need a medic over here!" Amber's yell reverberated through the trenches. He waited a minute, then repeated his call. Most of the medically trained soldiers were up in the front, where they were needed the most. Only a handful of them stayed in the back. Another minute passed, and then another, both accompanied with Amber's call. It hit them that there was no medics in the area. They were alone. Amber shook his head. "They're not going to come, they're not here. I'm going to find one, stay right here." He stood up and started running down the trenches, averting his eyes from the carnage. Uili started to call him back, but Amber had already disappeared.

Atal let out a groan. "It hurts… stop… it… please..." His breath was fitful, trying to ease the pain.

It was then that Uili remembered something. A hint of hesitation, and then he made up his mind. He raised his claws to his vest, hastily ripped open a pocket, and pulled out a tube of something. Uili tore off the cap, revealing a needle, took a breath, and plunged it into Atal's leg, opposite of the wound. He clenched his hand, emptying the contents into Atal's bloodstream. "T-there… that should help." He said shakily. Uili pulled out the tube, and threw it to the ground.

Zueq was against the wall of the trench, muttering something under his breath. "You… you gave him Apresant?..." Uili nodded. Apresant was a powerful drug, designed to stop pain and to calm the patient. It might have been wasteful to use it on a simple fragmentation wound, but Uili didn't care. He watched as it took effect, and Atal started taking deep breaths. If Atal was lucky, he might get pulled out for the wound, and wouldn't have to fight the war.

"Move out of the way!" A dragon wearing a red cross across his arm pushed past them, carrying a bag. Amber was right behind the dragon, looking grim. The dragon opened the bag and then looked at the two friends. "What the hell are you doing over here?! The gen made clear that he wants you to get your ass and get the fuck to the front!"

Both Uili and Zueq looked at Amber, who nodded in approval. "What about Atal?" Zueq asked.

"He'll be fine! I've seen worse. Now move!"

Amber beckoned them over, and they all started running through the maze of trenches. Amber guided them to the armory. The house of death. Uili thought darkly. He pushed through the door, and grabbed the nearest weapon he had been trained in. The weapon closely resembled the infamous M1 Garand, the difference being the barrel length, a little bit longer, and the clip size. The gun held twelve bullets, capable of murdering a dragon, and obliterating any lesser creature. In the armory, there was different variants, some with shorter barrels for shorter conflicts, some with simple scopes, and other various modifications to suit the user's need. Uili pulled a belt with ammo, and slung it over his shoulder. He looked over, and saw the other two doing the same, choosing their weapon of choice. Uili grabbed the charging handle and pulled it back, where it locked in place, exposing a empty slot as the slide was opened. He pulled out a magazine, and pushed it into the slot until he heard it click. Uili pulled to handle back further, to unlock it from its hitch, then let go. It snapped back into its original position, giving off a sound that would have been satisfying under normal circumstances. War doesn't bring satisfaction. Uili hurried back outside, keeping the safety on so as to not cause any accidental damage. He was closely followed by Amber and Zueq. Uili broke into a run, snarling.

A artillery shot into the grey sky.

Gunshots rang in the air.

Somewhere a cry of pain rang out.

Welcome to hell. You've only seen the entrance of it.