text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, war]
  
  You're not sure if the formal military life is for you. If you joined up you wouldn't be able to readily leave. You figure if you don't like life as a mercenary or it isn't working out for you, you can leave freely.
  
  You explain your decision to join up with the mercenary company that's currently passing through. Your revelation comes as a shock. Your smaller brothers and sisters don't want you to go, your brother Mallack really doesn't want you to leave since he'll be next in line to take the brunt of the manual labor!
  
  Your mother is a little apprehensive about your decision. You half expect her to say no, but she understands that you're doing this for the good of the family. She gives her blessing.
  
  Before you leave the next day with your packed belongings, your whole family comes to say goodbye to you. You almost hesitate to leave, wondering if it would actually be better for you to stay. Your mother approaches you.
  
  "You don't have to do this you know. We're doing just fine."
  "Yeah, but things would be easier if this family had more money."
  "Hah. Things are always easier with more money son, but you don't need to go and get yourself killed for it."
  "Yeah, I know, but I've thought it through."
  "Very well, you're old enough to make your own decisions and live your own life, though I'm glad to see that you still want to help the family as opposed to just leaving in the middle of the night."
  "I'll visit and return with whatever my pay is whenever I can."
  "I know...okay, you best get going. I think the mercenary company was leaving today."
  
  You make you way to the local tavern and catch them just as they're getting ready leave. A lot of them look hung over.
  
  "Hey wait up..." you say in a slightly loud tone, causing one mean looking mercenary to snarl at you.
  "Shut the fuck up yokel! Shit, I got a splitting headache and it hurts like a sonofabitch."
  "Sorry. Are you the leader of this company?"
  "Leader of these dickheads? Naw. The Boss is actually visiting his family in the Zalan capital. We're going to meet up with him now and I suggest you get the fuck outta our way and not waste anymore of our time!"
  "But I want to join you guys."
  
  The mercenary you were speaking to looks at you then looks at a few of his buddies and begins to laugh louder than your voice which previously annoyed him.
  
  "HAHAHA HAHAHA! Y'hear that fellas? This yokel wants to join us! Thanks a lot, I needed a good laugh, now go fuck your pigs or whatever it is you farm types do."
  "But I'm serious..."
  "Serious? Farmboy, this is a man's job and not for the fuckin' weak. You ever even use a damn weapon?"
  "Yeah! I got this bow and this sword! I'm a really good shot!"
  
  The mercenary still looks unimpressed.
  
  "Uh huh, yeah well you ever kill anyone, hell you ever kill ANYTHING? And I'm not talkin' about any of your livestock you might've slaughtered. I mean something sentient."
  "Well yeah, I've killed Kobolds that were trying to steal chickens from the..."
  
  The mercenaries begin to laugh again.
  
  "Oh shit, you are priceless boy! My sister can kill fuckin' Kobolds and her only talent is whoring."
  "Haha got that one right, Dimitri." Another one of the mercenaries agrees.
  
  Suddenly the laughing stops.
  
  "What the fuck did you just say Fermeli?"
  "Uh, I was just agreeing with you...c'mon don't take it like that! I mean you said..."
  "Ain't about what I said, it's about what YOU said! You called my fucking sister a whore! You ain't getting' away with that shit."
  
  Dimitri draws his sword and stomps over to Fermeli who is trying to get one of his buddies to help him, but everyone else is backing away from the fight. Dimitri takes advantage of Fermeli's state of panic and slashes him good with his sword.
  
  Fermeli cries out in pain and begs for forgiveness. Dimitri looks like he's going to finish him off, but then turns to you.
  
  "You want to join hayseed? Kill this piece of shit then."
  "Huh? I mean..." you utter in confusion.
  "Did I stutter pig farmer? Kill this... AARGH FUCK!"
  
  Fermeli has now taken advantage of Dimitri by shoving a dagger into his leg and scrambling to get up
  
  "Yeah! Take that! How's that feel?" Fermeli taunts and draws his own sword in an attempt to kill Dimitri
  
  At this point you unwisely step into the middle of this fight.
  
  "Hey hold on, the pair of you are even now..."
  "Fuck off pig farmer! You want some of this now? Yeah, let's see how much of a killer you are!" Fermeli says who doesn't look frightened of you at all and heads in your direction.
  
  "Hey wait I don't wanna..."
  
  You barely dodge his sword swipe to your head. You roll out of the way and quickly grab an arrow and shoot it at Fermeli with your bow, hitting him square in the neck. Some blood spurts out and a surprised look on his face is displayed and then he falls dead. You've killed him. You've never killed anything before that wasn't a Kobold or livestock. You feel weird.
  
  In the meantime Dimitri gets up and pulls the dagger out of his leg and looks over at Formeli's body.
  
  "Heh, maybe you are a killer after all pig farmer. Well it seems we got an opening now. Take whatever he had as your own. You killed him, you earned it. Welcome to the Chimera Mercenary Company!"
  
  While you MAY be in, you're not necessarily sure if you want in. This may be a bit too much for you.
  
  > go back home
  If this how it was on your first day, you'd hate to think about if you had to deal with this on a regular basis.
  
  "Uh...no, maybe I was wrong. Bye." You say and quickly take off.
  "Heh, pig farmer don't have no stomach for it...Dibs on Foremeli's shit!" you hear Dimitri yell.
  
  When you get back home, your family and mom in particular ask what happened, you explain it and say you don't want any part of that life. You apologize that you couldn't go through with it, but your mom looks more relieved than anything.
  
  "Well son, I'm just as glad you didn't join up with that lot anyway. You'll be helping us out plenty just by working on the farm like always."
  
  You're glad to hear that. Over the next couple days you fall back into routine again. You still wonder about the future though and you briefly consider the army plan again, but given your short lived experience with mercenary "life" you don't think you're cut out with battle on a regular basis. Plus the Zalan Empire is currently having really bad border skirmish with the Tulan Kingdom right now.
  
  You resign yourself to the farm life. You play your lute to yourself (and family) when you have the time to do so. It's a simple life.
  
  A year passes and a terrible incident occurs at a far away city known as Nuro. A group of rogue wizards summoned an army of the dead to take it over. They also summoned a lot of demons that have broken free and running rampant now in the Tulan Kingdom. It's all far away from you, but something like this is pretty serious. Necromancy and Demon summoning is strictly forbidden throughout the land.
  
  Meanwhile life on the farm is going the same as it ever did. Hard sometimes, but manageable.
  
  Another two years pass and things have gotten worse. The Necromancer Lord (as he's become to be known) has expanded, even to the point of taking over the Brot Kingdom. The Tulan Kingdom has been totally conquered by a demon army. A Grand Alliance of nations has been formed, but so far they don't seem to be making much progress.
  
  Meanwhile life on the farm is a little harder. Your youngest sister Makana becomes gravely ill during the winter months, but there's not enough money to pay for a healer and most of the clerics have been summoned to battle with the undead or demon hordes. Sadly she dies making the overall mood of the farm a little more depressing. You don't even play anymore, your enthusiasm for music died along with the grim realities setting in.
  
  Another three years pass and things are down right miserable. War is everywhere. The Demons have been taken care of, but the undead are stronger than ever. Reports even speak of the Necromancer Lord becoming The Great Lich Lord "reborn". You remember hearing tales by your father of such a being that existed centuries ago. They scared the hell out of you then and the fact that you're living in a time where he's returned makes you feel doomed.
  
  To make things worse, the Zalan Empire has been becoming increasingly tyrannical. In order to help with the war effort they've started bringing back the draft and the talk of ceasing private property to be used for the good of the government. While they say owners will be able to live and still work on their lands and businesses, it will be owned by the Empire.
  
  You know it's only a matter of time when you get a knock on the door by Zalan army troops coming to take you and your brother Mallack away to the army and your family's farm.
  
  Another two year pass...
  
  You're on the eve of battle in a land known as the Garwold Confederacy although it's steadily becoming a giant graveyard now. The undead hordes have been sweeping relentlessly across the entire landscape. Your own company has had to fall back several times. Morale is low. Not that yours was high to begin with. You don't even know how you've survived this long. You didn't even have that much military training when they threw you into you first battle a year ago. It was a terrifying experience and you still have nightmares about it. The undead...you'll never get used to fighting such emotionless creatures that are the embodiment of death and all that's unnatural.
  
  You briefly wonder if your brother Mallack is alright where he's stationed, but it hardly matters at this point.
  
  Battle comes as it always does and you are not so lucky this time. Horrible and powerful creatures known as Blood Specters and Death Knights utterly destroy your side.
  
  You fall to undead blades and chilling touches only rise up and join them in their goal of global genocide.