Blooded

The two stared at eachother for a few seconds before Albert sat up. "They would attack us with our breeches down," Albert said getting a nervous laugh from some of the other recruits. Quinn quickly put her journal into her knapsack, and looked frantically for Valor. She found him sitting on her bunk, claws digging into the straw mattress. Valor looks at her fear clearly gripping onto him. Quinn eases him when she gently brushes his feathers with her fingertips. She puts on her recruit coat so Valor can rest on her arm. His eyes brighten as he jumps onto her right arm.

Quinn turns away from her bunk to see the other recruits wearing their own coats. The recruits look at Quinn waiting for her to show them what to do next. She frowns slightly as she understands that she must lead. Where's the sergeant when you need him. A few seconds go by before she finds her voice, "We'll wait here until we're called upon,". Many of the recruits nod in agreement, but a few voice protest. "Even if we went out there we have nothing to defend ourselves with. The sergeant should be here soon," Quinn said causing the protesting recruits to become mute.

Quinn listened to the shouts of the camp with the other recruits. Noxian war drums attempted to quell the voices. She wondered how close the Noxians were, and if they sent any forward fighters. She was answered with screams of fighting as the fighting began. The recruits became unsettled at the proximity the fighting was taking place. You talk of dieing for your nation, but you cower when the gods give you a chance. Your brethren die while you sit, and wait. Your world crumbles while you take inaction. She rubs her temple attempting to get the thoughts out of her mind. I need to trust in my decisions if I want to make it out of this.

The door to the barracks flings open as McHenricks appears before them. Copper stains his sword and his coat as he looks over the recruits. He sheaths his sword as he prepares to speak with the recruits. "Attention recruits," McHenricks yells across the barracks causing the few that were still sitting to approach the man. "I ask much of you this day, but it is needed for you to serve your nation another day. Noxus claws at our doors. They haven't had the gall to attack this deep in decades, but here they stand. All recruits have been ordered to fall back, and head west," McHenricks says looking among the recruits.

"I am of the personal opinion that you all can handle yourselves in combat. If you wish to volunteer to fight I won't deny you that right. Just know we'll be forced to hold back the Noxian force until the camp is cleared. Do I have any volunteers?" the sounds of the fighting grows as he looks among the recruits yet again. Albert is the first to step forward. He merely salutes the sergeant as he takes a step forward. Quinn follows close behind. A few more step forward, but the majority put their heads earthward in shame. "This is nothing to be shameful of. Living to fight another day is something you should focus on. No matter what Demacia tries to tell you, your life is connected with Demacia."

McHenricks pulls one of the recruits that wish to flee aside. Quinn approaches another and asks them to watch over Valor. "If I don't make it back see to it he lands in the right hands," Quinn says getting a nod from the recruit. Valor resists the exchange, but the recruits grip is firm, and Valor still weak. She hears Albert approach from behind and she turns to face him. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" She asks him.

He scowls at the question, "As ready as you are. I'll cover your back if you cover mine. Play this right and we may see another day. If we don't it's been an honor knowing you. If we don't it'll have been a death well served," Albert says putting out his hand.

Quinn shakes it, "Don't worry a few Noxians won't be able to stop us. McHenricks can take a few hundred by himself. He will just need us to take out the underlings," she said as McHenricks finished addressing the recruit. The recruits that didn't volunteer left the barracks and headed for the west, the direction of Jarvan's gathering. McHenricks turned towards the five recruits that stood before him.

"Demacia should be proud to have recruits with half of your courage. If you paid attention to my teachings, and those of our swordmaster you should make it out of this," he cleared his throat. "What you're going to see out here will likely change you. Becoming blooded makes some men mad, but you lot should make it out just fine." The screams of battle grow louder as McHenricks leads them out of the barracks. He directs them towards a weapons rack in which everyone, but Quinn picks up a sword and shield. McHenricks shakes his head slightly as he sees her pick up just a simple shortsword, "That girl will waste her life with that technique," he mumbled.

The group turns the corner to be met with butchered bodies of Noxians and Demacians. Quinn finds herself shaking in fear as she looks at the brutality. The Demacians were cleaved in half while the Noxians had their throats slit. Albert lays his hand on Quinn's shoulder, she gives him a reassuring smile, and begins to stop some of her shaking. The fear does not leave her. Blood provides the nutrients for the ground the group steps on. They continue towards the sounds of battle.

Closing in on the sounds of battle they come across the medic, her blond hair covering the wounds of a fallen soldier. McHenricks approaches her and they share a few words. Quinn sees him anger as the conversation reaches an end. The medic glares at the sergeant as he leaves her side. All he has to say is "Stubborn women," as they continue towards the sound of battle.

They reach the main portion of the battle, and McHenricks divides them into pairs with the fifth recruit to cover his back. The lieutenant sees the sergeant and motions for him to join in on the battle. McHenricks unsheathes his longsword and raises it in the air, "For the king!" Quinn stands still as the others wash over. Watching the battle being pulled away yet again from both fear of failure, and fear of harm. Albert turns around to see Quinn not advancing he quickly runs back.

"Why aren't you following? You volunteered for this."

"I dont' know if I can do this…"

"It's your life or the lives of all the recruits that fled. We need you here Quinn."

Quinn finds herself stepping forward with his words leading her on. She begins to think out loud, "I don't fight for myself. I fight for all those that may one day be lost, or have already been lost. I fight for those I've failed, and those I've helped. I fight for those that one day will follow in my footsteps. I fight for those who one day will lead this nation. I give myself to Demacia so that it may shield itself from the Noxian axe. If the shield needs to be chipped than it must be chipped, but that chip will forever be known."

She finds herself in the middle of the battle with Albert by her side babbling on like a mad woman as crimson flows around her. She pulls herself away from the blood, and focuses on the battle itself. Her father talked about the great dances real battle had, but she hadn't realized how capturing it was until she took the first step. Noxian blades flew at her, but they seemed amateur as she easily danced around them. The Noxians cursed as blood drew from their veins. Many backed away before she could land the killing blow.

Blades flew at Albert, but she blocked for him just like she knew he was doing for her. They worked as one being, one sword, one shield. Even with their efforts the shield wavered. She heard the lieutenant cursing close by, "Mother of god this isn't even their main force. Did they march their whole damn army across the marshes?" The Noxians answered as the war drums and trumpets signaled a charge. How did our scouts not catch this...

The Noxians raised their swords as they rushed the Demacian line. Quinn quickly looked over the forces to see they looked to already be outnumbered 100-1. They only held due to the Noxians wish to plow through them instead of flanking. The Noxians yelled "For the General!" as they rushed the Demacian line. Quinn was pushed back as shields took her spot in the line. The Noxians attempted to break through, but the shield held.

Quinn felt useless as she sat back watching the battle take place in front of her. She looked for a way to help. Her eyes scanned the dead Demacians until she found a repeating crossbow. She checked to find it still had most of its bolts. She couldn't recall the last time she used a ranged weapon, but it seemed ages ago. She perched herself on top of a barracks building allowing her to see the entirety of the battle.

The center of the Demacian lines was slowly caving in, threatening to collapse the whole line. She focused her fire on the center bringing down a few Noxians before she found herself running low on bolts. This mattered little to Quinn as soon as she saw a black light dance around in the back lines of the Noxian forces.

She had heard of the Noxian mages in legends, but wasn't prepared for what a single one could bring upon a battlefield. The dark light danced more intensely until it disappeared entirely. The disappearance of the light was met with a lighting strike obliterating the demacian center. The bodies of both Demacian and Noxian origin exploded from the energy of the blast. More lights appeared among the Noxian ranks, and the Noxians began to flank behind the remainder of the line.

The lieutenant pulled himself on top of a barrel as the Demacian line began to waver. "Stand your ground men! Every life we lose here is ten we save. Demacia is counting on you yet again volunteers. Hold the shield! For the Ki-." The dark lights disappeared yet again. Leaving the lieutenants speech and life cut short as lighting rippled through the battle.

McHenricks looked around him. He saw total loss and called for full retreat. He looked up at Quinn and a few of the other volunteers perched on the barracks. "Archers! Cover our retreat." Quinn looks to find only forty Demacians still standing. It is my duty to make sure forty escape. She saw Albert among them and let out a sigh of relief.

She focused her sights on the Noxians that proved threats to the retreating men. She made every bolt count until she found herself out. She saw Albert calling for her from below the barracks so she slid herself off of it. "Quite a marksman you are," he said looking at the mass of dead bodies behind him. Quinn nodded and the two found themselves running from the marching Noxian army.

Their steps lead them into the forest. The volunteers had split, but Albert stuck by her side. She stops moving to catch her breath. "You fought well, not many will be able to boast of surviving the front lines of that battle. Are you okay?" She turned her eyes to where he was looking. "No… This is how the gods repay us…" She said looking upon piles of dead recruits. The smell reaches her and she quickly losses the supper she had been digesting. Albert doesn't move and only stares at the bodies. Oh god! Where's Valor.

She made herself approach the piles of dead bodies. "Valor! Valor!" tears soak her vision as she walks among the dead. Her throat becomes raw as bile rises yet again. "Valor! Valor to me!" She hears her name being called, but continues through the dead. She stops among the dead and falls on her knees defeated. What good is a shield if it fails to protect. What good is a shield if both it and its user become useless and defeated. A hand comes to rest on her shoulder. She feels it shake causing it to cause even more tears.

She felt the hand become limp causing Quinn to quickly look behind her. Crimson fell onto her as she turned to face her limp friend. A blade wound sat on his neck. He grabbed at it before he fell over. He looked at Quinn before telling her to run. She couldn't even keep herself kneeling as she fell over. "End my life Noxian. I have failed." She waited for the feel of the blade, but it never came. "End it Noxian! I wish to Die!"

She heard his footsteps leave as she lay on the ground tears mixing with the blood. She cradled the head of Albert in her arms. How many must I fail. How many must die because of me. She lay on the ground for what seemed like hours before she heard the sounds of soldiers. She found herself kneeling the head of her friend in her lap. "Sir! We've found one. One's still alive. Thank the gods, they bless us this day." Quinn stared into Albert's motionless eyes. What gods would do this...