My eyes struggle to open up, my body stiff and in pain, the back of my head pounding the back of my skull as if it wants to split my head open. I cough and groan as I try to get myself off the cold, dirty ground. I’m in some sort of cell… it seems familiar. I’m in the cells of Fort Watch.

  The smell of wet Dog permeates my nostrils. I want to feel angry that I am captured by them. But I am too exhausted to care, I’m even struggling to keep myself upright. The fucking bastards stripped me of my uniform! A half-naked man in a cell with nothing more but his underwear and his boots, but at least I am alive, even if it might mean I lost the battle. Though strategically, this place is useless to them and they should’ve lost far more men than I. For a full on assault, this is a failure to them. Now that I can have pride for.

  A Dog approaches my cell, and it scans me with a disgusted gaze. ‘Yeah, he is awake,’ they shout from across the hall.

  ‘Good, get him ready.’ A voice responds from the other end. The Dog unlocks the cell, dragging me out and from across the hall after socking me in the jaw. My feet and toes bleed as the skin peels off while they scrape across the stone floor. They throw me in a room with other soldiers, survivors of the battle, all of them in their underwear as well.

  ‘Kaval!’ One of my soldiers rushes up to me to see if I am okay, checking the back of my head to see if I am bleeding from there. Hell, it sure feels like it. I think I know him. Private Uldina is their name. He was one of the archers on the walls.

  ‘We thought you were dead, you okay?’ He continues, sounding worried while also surprised that I am alive.

  I moan in response. ‘I’m living the dream. Where is everyone, and how long was I out?’

  ‘This is what’s left of us, sir. We’ve been here for two days now.’

  Fuck! Oh Gods, fuck! Almost four hundred soldiers are dead under my command, and now we are all here imprisoned by the Dogs. Hundreds more escaped, and there is a part of me that should rejoice in that. But I can’t remove that sour taste in my mouth with the knowledge that some are dead because of me.

  A Dog, their face flat and sunken into their skull, their cheeks hanging about with spit hanging out of them. They are fat and huge, their fur being a light brown. It grins as it laughs to itself.

  ‘My, my. Such a shame to see you all here like this.’ It sniffs the room, enjoying the aroma like a fucking freak. ‘Even more of a shame that we can only have one of you alive.’

  They walk over to one of the male captives and examine them, but stop as their king grabs their attention. ‘Can they fight?’

  It’s him! The fucker that knocked me down with his shield, the half blind mut. He still wears his armour stained with the blood of my people, but his crown is latched to his belt. The Dog King!

  The Bulldog nods, ‘they can, though I’m not sure why we can’t have them all. Surely they will be useful to us.’

  Their ruler looks down at me before he gives an answer. ‘My army needs some entertainment, and I only require one Vern for this war.’

  What does he mean? Entertainment? What sort of sick game are they planning for us?

  The other Dog chuckles, ‘Well, Marak. I can agree to that.’ They grab me by the shoulder and drag me out of the room without warning. ‘Someone grab one of the soldiers! Our people will want some fun!’

  They take me outside and drag me to the yard. The Dogs look down from the wall, chanting and cheering. They throw me to the ground at one end of the arena. On the other end, they force one soldier down on their knees by a Dog with black fur. The androgynous figure looks petrified and furious at the same time, hyperventilating as the Dog forcefully tilts their head to expose their neck.

  ‘Are you meant to be a man or a woman?’ The Dog snidely asks.

  They spit on the Dog’s face when they got close enough. ‘I’m neither, you ignorant…’

  They violently cough and gasp as the Dog punches them in the stomach for their hostile response.

  Marak heads to the top of the wall, overlooking the arena, as he sits on a throne of rubble. He raises a hand, silencing the Dogs. ‘This will be easy to understand. Here, only one of you will survive. Refuse to fight, and I’ll kill you both. Whoever survives will serve as my Vern. I hope you are both capable of understanding simple instructions.’ He clicks his fingers, signalling the Dogs to throw two swords into the middle of the arena.

  ‘Begin!’

  My back aches while I struggle to stand. Their name slips my mind; they are one of the ballista teams. I just need to remember their name. I have to remember them.

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  I know the stories of the Verns, how they are forced to talk and give important information to the Dogs. Compared to everyone here, I know how Volas fights and what his plans are. Even how to misdirect Marak and his bloody mutts. I can’t say the same for my soldiers… I just can’t.

  My opponent rushes to the middle to grab a sword, but I step on the sword to punch them away. While they get onto their feet, before they can react, I drive my sword through their heart. I hold onto them to stop them from falling to the ground. They look at me in shock and betrayal. Their Commander swore to protect and look after their fellow soldiers. Killed them without hesitation.

  Pose, their name is Private Pose Cayne. They died here, by my hand. In a few days, they would turn 20, but I took that away from them. I’m sorry. I didn’t have a choice. I rest them on the ground before pulling the sword out of their chest. They deserve some respect after what I have done. I just hope they understand when they look down and judge me from the heavens.

  The Dogs cheer, laughing at how fast the conflict ended. Such barbarians! Finding amusement in our suffering, in our conflict. I see why we put them in chains, for they are savages. Unable to see mercy or kindness other than the destruction of my Empire and home.

  Marak signals the Dogs to bring another soldier into the ring. Oh Gods, it’s Uldina. They pass him an already bloodied sword; it seems he is also forced to kill somewhere else. The Dogs must be in a hurry.

  ‘I don’t want to do this, Commander.’ Uldina declares while they aim their sword at me.

  ‘I don’t want to as well, kid.’ I reply, regretful of what I will need to do. All I can promise is that I can make this quick. It is the least I can do for him.

  ‘Begin.’

  I approach Uldina as soon as Marak announces the fight. He’s scared. A soldier who is willing to face death, but is scared of me. We are comrades in arms, or were comrades. He never feared the Dogs, never worried about going into battle. Yet he quivers before me, his own Commander.

  He lunges towards me, his attack lazy and uncoordinated as if to scare me away. But I intend to keep my promise, it is for the better good. With the swift slice to his neck, I severed his head from his body. The fight is easy; the man didn’t put up any resistance. But in reality, it is far harder than I can ever imagine. None of them deserves this.

  The Dog signals the next combatant, and soon they throw in the youngest soldier under my command. My stomach turns, my throat tasting foul as I lock my eyes on them. That’s Cadet Tracy Jones; she only came here to be sent off to Fort Sinda next week for specialist training. She’s only fifteen, an innocent child. How is she even here? Why didn’t she escape?

  Marak leans back, relaxing as he watches the fight. ‘Begin.’

  Tracy and I stare at each other, her hands shaking as she aims her sword towards me. She’s only a child! She wasn’t even properly trained to wield that weapon. I can’t even raise mine, how can I even raise it?

  I killed my soldiers, people who are too young to be taken from this world. Yet she hasn’t lived a life. My soldiers knew the risk; they knew that they were expected to die for their country, but I can’t justify this. No one can.

  Refusing to participate, I throw my sword down. I’ve committed a grave sin today; I refuse to make another. No, I won’t let those Dogs make me do anything. I refuse to continue!

  I tap my chest, where my heart is. ‘Stab me here,’ I calmly say to her. She deserves to live, yes, she will live through hell, but she gets to live.

  Tracy holds back her tears, trying not to cry. I can’t blame her. Maybe she won’t forgive herself at the moment, but in the future, I hope she finds peace and understanding after taking my life.

  Before she takes a step forward, a bolt pierces through her stomach.

  ‘No!’ I scream as I run towards her. Before I can reach her, Dogs grab my shoulders and pin me to the ground.

  Tracy gargles, her body twitches as blood pools out of her body. I try to look away, but those bastards, those fucking cunts force me to watch her final moments.

  My face turns red, my voice burns with anger. I shout at them all, I want them to hear me. If there is anything I can do, it is make the cunts' ears bleed. ‘Fuck you! Fuck you all! Go fuck yourself…’

  They shut me up as a foot crashes against my face, turning my world dark once more.