It was a form of escape, looking to the military. Away from the crime families in Osuna, away from the rustic house he was stuck with after his mother's passing. He wished he could stay, but it would've only twisted him into something unrecognisable. He always said he wanted to help people, or create things, items, weapons, God knows what. Living like that wouldn't have ever allowed him to reach his dreams, whatever those might be.
Up in the Naiad Coast, that is where his journey led him as he signed himself up to the military, practically selling his soul to his country, but whatever they'd make him do would be hell of a lot better than whatever the Isalia crime family had in store for him.
The Naiad Coast was contained in the northernmost quadrant of Haflastus, sat beside a sprawling sea that dipped into a massive abyss. It was a few miles off, but even from there, you could see the horizon line sink unnaturally against the sun.
It was a bustling town housing a variety of races, and others from the surrounding countries looking for trade. The most surprising amongst them that the young red-headed man had spotted was those of the Naiad themselves. The Coast may have been named after the aquatic race, but they were rare, almost secluded in their oceanic palaces, and the young man could scarcely spot them here, which was enough of a surprise on its own.
They watched the slender, regal figure speaking to what looked to be a collection of nobles. They had black bulbous eyes and gills running along their neck; sparsely clothed to allow them more breathing room whilst out on the surface.
The young man thought that he'd be able to eventually encounter a Higher Lykanthrope at this rate before he made his way deeper into the town, heading toward an inn set near the harbor.
The young man sported a decent head of hair, right side braided, draped around the ear, bangs covering his amber gaze. A light tan was set into his skin, generally holding an impassive look, looking as if he carried no interest in the sights that surrounded him. He wore a loose white shirt tucked into a pair of leather pants, tightly bound at the waist with a thick belt, cloak thrown over their shoulders to keep themselves protected from the cold ocean winds.
"Name, date of birth." The Recruiter's eyes widened at the young man's red hair, blinking momentarily before continuing. "Where are you from?"
"Diego Nathia Drivas, 25th of Pijotero, 1665."
The recruiter had a thought as he scanned the young red-haired man before him. "Didn't pass that long ago then, huh?" They nodded to themselves as they jotted down Diego's name. After a brief pause, they lifted their hand. "Alright, you'll be put into a small platoon. We'll be heading out tomorrow for a mission."
Diego glanced at the paper in front of the recruiter, a puzzled expression on his face. "So soon?"
"Well... you already did the paperwork to transfer over, and you participated in the test, no? And you're signed in here. You have formal training?"
"N-No, not necessarily."
The man scoffed. "You're Carmesi, you'll be fine. See you tomorrow... soldier." They smirked, waving off the young man for someone else in the line to get registered.
Diego distanced himself from the recruitment tent, watching from afar, wearing a disgruntled expression. Diego wasn't unfamiliar with combat, but he wasn't a soldier. Being thrown into battle so soon made a bad taste in his mouth, and he couldn't help but be nervous. This was the equivalent of being signed off for a death sentence.
Diego sighed, entering a nearby inn, crossing to the front counter. His thoughts were interrupted by a brash, gruff voice that pierced his ears. "No Demons here."
Diego blinked. "What?"
"No Demons allowed. Simple as that, turn the other way, Red-Head."
"Yeah... but you accept soldiers, no?"
The tone of the barkeep changed significantly, wiping a thumb across his nose and giving a smirk. "In that case, you're welcome to buy whatever ya need. I'm not one to turn away those trusted by the military."
That's all it takes, huh? Diego thought to himself as he sat down. That bad taste from earlier is only getting stronger, and it's bitter.
Diego was handed some bread along with a beef stew haphazardly poured into a wooden bowl. Diego took off pieces of the bread, scooping up bits of the stew, chewing on each piece with satisfaction. Even though the dish looked archaic, it tasted amazing, melting in Diego's mouth with each bite.
With the last bits of bread, it scraped off the remnants of the stew that remained on the bowl itself until it was practically wiped clean. Diego let out a satisfied sigh after he finished, leaving the barkeep in awe.
After he finished his meal, along with a drink that the barkeep had given him halfway through his feast, he ordered himself a room before leaving the inn itself, looking for some way to pass the time. He wandered around the town, keeping his gear strapped close to his back, eventually, his gaze landing on what looked to be a Cockfighting Ring.
Diego crossed over to the commotion as the men yelled at the Roosters with a violent fervor, both animals going at each other with a deep palpable violence to meet the extreme emotions that had them surrounded.
Diego spotted money being held tightly in their hands-- if they weren't inanimate objects, he'd have called it some type of abuse by how constricting their fingers were, wrapped around their pouches of cash.
Diego looked to the roosters as well. From where he stood, it looked to him that the rooster with deep blue feathers was winning against the one with white feathers, mounting the other as if they were in a desperate bout for survival amidst a war-torn battlefield.
Animals aren't too different from men. Diego thought to himself, sharing an absent-minded blink at what looked to be a smiling ear-to-ear merchant holding out a massive hat for everyone's bets as the fight persisted.
They eventually stopped at the young man who purposely took a step back, avoiding the touch of others. The man spoke up. "Are ya gonna bet, or are ya just gonna watch?"
Diego looked at the white rooster and took out a few dozen argento coins, placing them into the man's hat. "Thirty-seven monero on the white one."
"Oh~? Alright, but..." They glanced at the losing rooster. "It ain't lookin' good." They snickered, passing along to the roaring, fervent crowd that remained.
Diego mimicked the man's snicker as he slipped some of that monero from the cap into his coin pouch, stolen from the existing pile within the hat. Diego took a step back, closer to the wall of the alley they had all holed themselves in, keeping himself away from the crowd, observing.
The crowd screamed even louder as the fight grew more intense, blood now had spilled across the dirt, painting it in a deep maroon, except the blood had not come from the rooster in white, who had been losing previously, but instead the rooster in blue. The crowd cried in dismay in response to the upset.
Eventually, the man from before came back to Diego, giving him back double of his earnings-- or rather, more like triple his earnings due to his sleight of hand, and the man who was hosting the event was none the wiser.
Diego absconded from the group, making his way back to the inn after enough time had passed.
Making his way into the inn, he accidentally bumped into one of the tavern goers who seemed more than enthusiastic about their day. Diego jumped away, rubbing his shoulder as the barely lucid man laughed. "Sorry! Sorry!" Apologising before letting out an exaggerated guffaw.
"No problem, I wasn't looking."
"Hey! Yo... I... I think I've seen you before..." The man coughed. "You're that infamous redhead from Osuna, right?"
Diego sighed. "I'm infamous?"
"In our business, yeah? Bet you're here cause you got picked up by some recruiter, yeah?"
Diego responded with a nod.
"Me too... wanted to ex-uh... escape that shithole of a duchy, y'know? Bet you're here cause of that, huh? Do any training?"
"Barely, just enough to get accepted before heading out."
"Ah! The test, yeah... yeah that. I passed that to. So you're heading out with... uh... the... heading out to sea, and stuff?"
Diego subtly held a hand over his nose due to the smell of alcohol permeating the man. "Yeah, part of an independent platoon. Dunno what the plan is though."
"Lucky~! Me, I got--" They cut themselves off and motioned for a seat as he stumbled down onto the wood. "Sit, come on~!"
Diego sighed, sitting right across from them.
"Y-What was I saying?"
Diego shrugged.
"Ah! Yeah... I came here with some drunk ass of a friend, right? Like... I drink a lot sometimes, but this guy is a whole other deal. We both promised we'd leave our shit behind in Osuna to go to better places and shit and... well... becoming a soldier was as good a chance as any, y'know?"
Diego's eyes searched for an escape from this conversation.
"Yeah, yeah... wanna know the first thing this dude decides to do when he gets here on the Coast?"
A beat.
"Dude?"
"What? What did he do?"
"He went straight to the fuckin' cockfighting ring to gamble~! Honestly, wanted to leave those habits behind-- look, by the way, I ain't like him, I'm just celebrating at my new opportunity for freedom, y'know!? Finally, serving a purpose! Plus, the benefits are awesome once I retire."
"You said your friend was at the cockfighting ring?"
"Yeah, probably drunk off his ass spending all of his money away~!"
"What did he look like?"
"Uh... like... decently tall, short black hair and stuff."
"Name?"
"Uh... Lucas. Why are you asking?"
"No, no, I'm just shocked," Diego kept a hand over his mouth and chin to obscure his upturned lips. "O-Oh, sorry. Was just wondering since I believe I met someone like that at the ring earlier."
"Oh? You're a gambler? And you met that drunk asshole? What'd he say?"
"N-No, I was surprised cause he's dead. Y-Yeah, his wrist, he grabbed one of the Roosters and well..."
"W-What?"
"Yeah... He grabbed it by the neck and one leg flung up across the arm and... uh... it didn't end well, I'm sorry." Diego tried to look as downtrodden as possible at this news.
"I-N-I-I," The man paused for a moment, attempting to read Diego's expression.
"Yeah, you should go see him, I dunno if he's still there, but..."
The man immediately rocketed out of his seat and ran for the door, running as fast as he could to where he believed his dead friend to be. Diego let out a short sigh and gave a big stretch that created a small cracking noise to reverberate out from his back. He spun out of his seat, heading up the stairs to the inn and right to his room.
Once morning came, various recruits were ushered to the docks, provided with various bits of gear to keep themselves alive. Diego had already been familiarized with leather armor, so for him, putting on the gear they had provided the various soldiers that lined the dock was a simple task.
Along with that, Diego had already brought his weapons, leaving most others with simpler blades, like a bastard sword, or shields-- maybe a few spears here and there.
Diego was possibly one of the more ideal recruits one would have. It'd explain why he was a part of the more independent platoons, away from the wider clamor commanded by a Captain wearing a chained helm, peaking out from the gaps with an intimidating glare.
Diego's group was an assortment of misfits, at least from his perspective. Their leader was a young nobleman with a black cowlick, sharing too much confidence in his expression as he wielded a spear and shield, leather armor clinging to his body, looking almost as if it were squeezing him. Probably his first time putting on armor in that case. They were inexperienced, probably only got their position through lineage alone.
Beside him appeared to be a blond girl, not quite someone you'd see from the rival nation of Salvantis, due to the yellow hue that they'd sport rather than the more iconic platinum blond signifying their Imperial heritage. No, she appeared to have been someone who resided much farther away than just Salvantis or Osuna. No, it seemed as if she had come from the Northeastern end of Haflastus, known as Sajungdr. A town that bordered the Jarldom of Nade.
Her expression was sheepish, while her back was straightened with a contradicting confidence. At the very least, she appeared more capable than their leader, who at most had probably skimmed various strategic textbooks during their time in the Academy.
Diego shared a bit of envy against the man. When he was younger, he had wished that he would be accepted into such a place as well. Maybe get a doctorate or become a blacksmith of sorts. Goes to say, his dream couldn't be fulfilled, forced to join the military to escape the oppressive rule of the crime family he had found himself involved in due to his mother's debts before she had passed.
Diego's hopes were lifted when his gaze landed upon a man who held a rifle close to his hip. His hair was much longer, but his gaze was kind. Hopefully, when push came to shove, they wouldn't hesitate.
Then, the last two. A woman, older than Diego, with blond hair as well, dirtied by an auburn color that blended into the shining yellow. She most likely resided near the High Palace as she held herself to some higher standard. She seemed much more competent than her other noble brethren, but that could be due in part to the fact that her family was of a higher standing.
Families like that are comparable to the Cirillos, another noble duchy that existed in Haflastus, notorious for their brutality and strength in combat.
Lastly was what looked to be a young woman with dark frizzy hair that was pulled back into a ponytail so as not to obscure her vision. Her dark skin and star-like pupils gave away that she was from Sitaarnujum. She wasn't a Djinni, or Kalpit, from what Diego could tell off a glance, but she was most definitely a native, or at the very least heralded from their culture.
Diego couldn't help but be curious, directing his words toward the woman. "You have a name?"
She raised her eyebrows, slightly surprised that the young man had finally spoken up. Her eyes trailed back to his hair before she spoke. "Kamila."
Diego noticed the Haflan accent. "Were you born here?"
"Raised."
Diego nodded. "Wh-"
The leader, the pretentious nobleman, stepped up, noticing that the group had finally begun speaking to one another. "Oh! Perfect! This is a great opportunity, whilst we're waiting." He cleared his throat. "We should introduce ourselves to one another. It's good that some of you started without me." He gave a pointed look to his crimson-haired compatriot.
The party spread out from the leader so they could get a better look at one another.
"I'm Kaescan Tsimeriean. You all can refer to me as Kae. I'll be acting as your platoon leader for the duration of this battle-- maybe even after if we're good enough and don't get disbanded after our first mission out." He chuckled, and no one laughed with him. "Anyhow, it'll be good to know each other's names," He pointed to Diego, "You..." He paused, "Go first, since you spoke up first, after all."
Diego sighed, sensing some sort of hidden intent in their tone, like Kae was looking down on him. He took a deep breath before he spoke, scanning the group. "Diego... Diego Nathia Drivas."
Those of a common birth within the party looked at him with curiosity, while the nobles among them looked at him with caution.
Kamila noticed the tension in the air and broke the silence. "I am Kamila S'rashan, my family came from Sitaarnujum, moving with the Nomadic Colonies of the Djinni."
Kae's attention is brought to the young woman before him. "Ah... it'd explain why your eyes shine so brightly." He commented, following it up with a cordial smile.
"Thank you, sir."
"Who is next?"
The other noble amongst the party raised her hand. She brandished a thicker piece of armor, specifically, it was half-plate. Mostly leather with shifting pieces of a duller kind of metal. Some sort of bronze to blend in. "Aspasia Kannerick."
Kae didn't give any vocal recognition, just looking at her with a knowing nod before moving on to the next person, gaze landing onto the other blonde at the party.
"Maria Kanyliopi... u-uh... I was a farmer... worked on special imports from Nade."
"You have quite a build. Is it a physically taxing job?"
"N-No... I... I work with beasts sometimes, so you have to have a bit of strength to wrestle around with 'em, y'know?"
"Impressive."
The gunman of the party sighed, glancing at the lot of them before introducing himself. "Nikolas Amarli. Uh... I was a hunter before this." He paused, "Wait, are we supposed to do the small fact thing or...?"
Kae chuckled. "It's welcome."
Before they could continue their introductions, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a man clad in full plate mail, riding atop a horse, observing the people below as if they were peons compared to the larger man.
The recruits cleared a path, and various other high-ranking soldiers moved out around them, clearing out a pathway for what looked to be a General of the Haflastus army.
What were they doing out here? Diego questioned in his mind, hands behind his back.
"Everyone!" They shouted, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity. "Traitors of the High Palace have been spotted off the coast of Haflastus, escaping onto a small island loosely attached to the mainland of Haflastus, not too far off from the Coast. We are to eliminate these fools! Onto the boat!"
Without a moment of reprieve, experienced and inexperienced alike, soldiers were funneled onto a massive galleon.
Diego couldn't help by find himself becoming more and more concerned. A general, four captains, and an innumerable number of soldiers that easily reached the triple-digits in numbers. He could only prepare for the worst.