Free Dark Age by Felix O. Hartmann Page B

said. “But even more so will the ward. She sends you the warmest farewell and wishes you the best of luck on your ventures outside the gate. Please stay safe.”
    I thanked Anthony and turned toward the mansion that loomed over the city from the South. A faint smile crossed my lips and I waved into the empty air. I knew that she was watching.
    Eric came next, followed by my mother who wept as if she had just seen my face on a cart. She would not let go, until the guards told me to move on.
    At last it was Katrina’s turn. I gazed into her hazel eyes for what felt like a lifetime and more. Then I closed my eyes and gave her what might have been my last kiss. She tried to fight them, but the tears kept returning. I knelt down at the city wall and plucked a purple flower out of the ground, “Remember me,” I said as our foreheads brushed against another.
    My father handed me my bundle, “Stay strong son, whatever happens.”
    “Forged in fire,” I said, giving him a final embrace.
    The house-high gate doors opened slowly. I threw a last glance behind me, catching the eyes of the loved ones that were so close to me. The gates were almost fully ajar. Firmly I faced ahead, striding into the unknown.

II
    The Grey Guard
    Blame, what fallible weakness.
    Too often I have used you unwise,
    Unknowing of the truth among the lies,
    Unknowing that black and white
    Bear grey in spite.

Chapter 9
    T he creaking gate doors fell shut, leaving me in a new kind of silence I had never experienced before. No shouts from the homes, no chatter from the market, no sounding of steel disrupted the utter tranquility of nature, as the soft wind brushed over the grass and my skin. The sweaty and hot stench from the Industrial District was gone and I inhaled a cool breeze of fresh air.
    The view was what took that same breath away again. Large golden fields that had been harvested not long ago expanded towards the West. Far in the Northwest I spotted big farms, with livestock moving about the lucid grass. The new light of the rising November sun gently stroked their fur, announcing the new day. Just a little ahead of me rushed a vivid river from the mountains in the West, through the fields, to the East. Much of my view, however, had been cut off. The outer wall, a fortified palisade in the shape of a new moon, stretched from fields in the West to the far East of the valley. The palisade appeared to be the last line of defense. Under its protection lay a settlement of a few houses.
    I walked down the only trail that led away from the city gate. Soon, I faced a fork in the road. ‘Farms and Fields’ pointed to the left, ‘Forest’ led north-east, and ‘Mines’ directed south-east to the right of the city. ‘Training - New Recruits’ pointed straight ahead towards the North. I shouldered my bundle and followed the path. A wooden bridge with a slight arch covered the river, allowing me to cross. The settlement came closer and I found various buildings sprinkled over the plain at the foot of the palisade. By now I had counted at least ten wooden watchtowers spread throughout the valley, rising two houses high above the ground.
    Approaching the training complex an arched entrance stood before me. At the top, bold letters read: ‘Welcome New Recruits – May your Arms be Strong, and your Spirits be Stronger’ .
    “Look who it is!” yelled a familiar voice. “Happy eighteenth birthday!”
    In the shade of the closest building stood Peter. His appearance had changed unbelievably over the past three months. His boyish features had been replaced by strong arms and a sharper face.
    “I’m so glad to see you,” I said throwing my arm around him. “You look good. What did they feed you here to make a soldier out of a scrawny boy like you?”
    “It’s good to see you too,” he said with a big smile. “The food can hardly be called food here. The training is rougher and more painful than anything I have ever done, but once I get back the