"Was he the one who killed his childhood friend?"
"Himself"
"Not just any monster can do something like that".
"Monster?", asked a confused young man.
"That's the perfect title for him".
"I don't get it… Isn't he one of the strongest guardians?", the newbie asked once again.
"You young people will never understand", laughed one of the soldiers, as if he had heard the funniest joke of his life.
"True,… you haven't entered the battlefield yet".
"But what does that have to do with him?"
Everyone started laughing at the situation. The complete innocence of the new recruit. Very similar to a child, exposing himself to new things.
"Stop messing with the child!!!", shouted a burly man, as he hit the boy on the back, almost knocking him down.
The man, who looked more like a giant with muscles, looked around. Everywhere he looked were men, carrying equipment and directing young people.
"If I see you scaring a new recruit again, you'll lose your teeth," said the giant, with a psychopathic smile.
"And what are we saying wrong?!", asked one of the men, challenging the giant.
"And you want to die so badly?!", asked the giant, punching his hand, and continued, "I can help you with that!!!"
The man stood up, holding the scabbard of his sword, ready to face his companion. Everyone then heard a deep and dark voice.
"The first one to draw his sword will die."
Everyone turned in the direction the voice was coming from. The monster everyone was talking about came out of one of the supply tents.
The man was not particularly corpulent and not as tall as the giant. Even so, he had a strong presence. It was not his profile image, but his posture that conveyed a terror, capable of frightening even the strongest of men.
The general did not look at any of the men, he just stood still like a wolf. Waiting for the enemy to make a move, or were they just prey?
The apprentice, previously curious about the generals' stories, began to tremble at the scene before him. It wasn't as if he were facing holy knights, but beasts about to attack each other. That was enough for the young man to take a false step back and let several swords fall at once.
The prince of the kingdom, who was visiting the camp, watched the scene cynically. Not even the sound of the swords falling was enough to calm the men.
When the gossiper held his sword tightly, the prince, who didn't like to make reports at all, gave his own dog a strong kick in the butt. The animal ran away in despair, running towards the general.
Just like a bear, the brown dog hugged the general, whimpering and hiding his face. The general sighed and held the dog in his lap, as if holding an eight-year-old child. Then he looked at the giant.
"Did you finish what I asked you to do?"
The giant man laughed, scratching his head.
"Not yet, actually," he replied, his laughter growing even louder.
The giant didn't wait for the general's answer. He just ran away.
In just an instant, the prince also disappeared. The general looked in the direction the prince was standing and then walked away. And the whole situation ended in the most unusual way possible.
The poor new recruit was surprised. He never thought that things like this could happen in the holy army. Especially in the middle of a war.