The Spoils of War

Author's note: This is my first attempt at a sci-fi type of drama story. It's a slow building love story between two women who are from opposite sides of a war. Please keep that in mind and stay patient with me as we go on this journey together. Most importantly, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Chapter 1

An image appeared... There was a child; a young girl, surrounded by soldiers in a dark and hazy room... and they were kicking her; torturing her. This child, she did not scream or cry. Instead, she just gritted her teeth, as she lay on the floor, taking her beating.

"Get up and fight!" they screamed as they stomped on the defenseless child. "Fight, goddamn it!"

***

Reyna suddenly opened her eyes and realized she had just awakened from a bad dream. Normally, she didn't sleep much, and when she did, she always woke up fully aware of her surroundings. That's the way she was trained. That's all she knew.

Her auburn hair was already done; pulled back into a high ponytail, except for the few strands that hung over her green bandana, which matched her eyes. And aside from her small jacket and boots, she was in her uniform; a white long-sleeved button up with black pants.

There wasn't much to her room; just a desk, a chair, a closet for her clothes, and a window to look out of. There wasn't even a bed; she was used to sleeping on the floor.

Outside the window, something caught her attention. A butterfly landed on one of the safety bars. Before making her way out, she decided to approach it.

"How beautiful..." Reyna whispered, as she slowly approached. Then, taking another step towards the window, she spoke softly to the butterfly. "Go away... You're not safe around here... Something as precious as you, deserves to be safe... Go... far... far away..."

Suddenly, her concentration was interrupted by a knock at her door. "Captain!" a voice called out from the other side. "Line up and briefing is starting soon!"

Quickly, the young woman tapped on the glass, forcing the innocent bug to fly off. She then put on her small jacket and announced, "I'm on my way, right now."

Once Reyna arrived at the briefing room, she lined up in the front with the other captains and generals. Everyone else lined up in rows, facing them.

Once they all settled into position, an older woman, General Yvette, stepped forward to make her announcement. "As you all know, we are soon ending our hiatus on exploring Nova. The time has come, and we will be sending our first squad to the island in one week's time.

"Lieutenant Mara's squad will be the first to venture back into Nova. You will be led by Captain Reyna Fire. It's a dangerous mission, but with her heading the operation, I want you all to push forward and survey what you can before making your return."

"Here are the details of what you can expect..."

***

After the meeting, several of the soldiers got together to complain about the mission. However, it wasn't the dangers of Nova that had them upset; it was Reyna.

"I just don't understand why they keep choosing her to lead all these missions," one of them grunted. "Is she related to the general or something?"

"I don't even know where Captain Fire came from," another one added, looking equally annoyed. "She's much too young for her rank, and she's completely unproven."

"Supposedly, she's some kind of prodigy, but I just don't see it. That woman hardly even talks to anyone. How is she supposed to lead us?"

"Hopefully, Lieutenant Mara can keep her in check. We trust her, at least."

***

Meanwhile, Reyna and Lieutenant Victoria Mara were having their own separate meeting with General Yvette and the other officers.

"Do you understand the assignment? The island has been untapped for years. And with Ishla still out of the picture, there should be plenty of resources we can gain access to."

While the lieutenant nodded her head, Reyna stared blankly, before finally speaking up. "I understand the assignment, but if you don't anticipate Ishla soldiers being there, why rush the exploration of Nova? Shouldn't we wait until we're capable of moving more equipment onto the island?"

"Don't worry, Captain. That will come in due time. We're just scouting the area for now, seeing what precious metals are available. You just push forward into the forests and report what you find and we'll send a bigger team later."

"Yes, General. But at the first sign of danger, we'll turn back. There's no need to risk lives at this point. The others don't understand the dangers of Nova."

As Reyna tried to exit, General Yvette followed her to the door. "Captain!" she called out, stopping the woman in her tracks.

Reyna turned and faced the woman. "Yes, General?"

"I understand your concern, but we can't avoid danger forever. When that danger comes, I want you to remember one thing... Remember who you are, because the past doesn't forget."

Reyna stared at the general for a few moments, furrowing her eyebrows as the words rang in her head. She then turned and walked out of the room, pacing quickly as the serious look never left her face.

Turning back towards Victoria Mara, General Yvette continued her instructions. "I trust that you'll keep a close eye on her, Lieutenant."

With a smile, Mara nodded her head and replied, "You can count on me, General."

***

It was a long walk, but Reyna eventually made her way to a small house right outside the military barracks. After knocking, she was let in by a woman with short blonde hair and bangs who walked with a cane.

"What brings you here?"

"I just came to tell you the missions to Nova have officially been reinstated. I've been ordered to go."

The woman stared at Reyna for a moment with a blank face before finally addressing her concerns. "When are you going to stop playing these games? This is way too dangerous."

"I'll be safe. We're just doing a quick scan so we can report what we find."

"That's what they always say but it never goes that smoothly. How many times have we ended up fighting for our lives while we were there?"

"I'm sorry, but I have no other choice," Reyna argued before biting her tongue. "I have to... I'm just going to do it..."

"They gave us the option to quit a long time ago," the blonde woman replied, looking unamused. "I don't understand why you're still pulling off this charade."

"I know you just care about my safety, but I'm going. When I get back, I'll make arrangements to see you immediately."

Reyna left without exchanging another word. However, as she walked back to her barracks, she continued the thought in her head that she couldn't say out loud.

I'm sorry... but I really don't have a choice in this... I have nothing else to live for.

The mysterious blonde woman eventually finished her own thoughts a week later, as she watched the small boat leaving from afar.

I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but eventually... you'll just end up like the others if you stay in this too long.

***

In this world, the men were outnumbered by the women ten-to-one. Since all nations were in danger of population collapse, men were coveted, and used only for infrastructure and the advancement of society. Thus, only women served in the military, since it was too risky to place men in such a dangerous job.

Even though some men took multiple wives, there were still women who ended up without a match. Some decided to seek other women for affection. Many just stayed alone.

The world was also full of islands, each serving as its own Nation. Most were small but the two largest and most powerful were Yeveland, the country which Reyna resided in, and Ishla. With all the countries being on islands, materials weren't plentiful for everyone. Each country had their own strategy on where to focus their resources.

Yeveland, which was much smaller than Ishla, chose to focus on their military, thus giving them the strongest one in the world. They were much stronger and more competent than any other country, including Ishla, who was much bigger than them. Most projects regarding science and development were geared towards benefiting their military.

This was the importance of exploring Nova. The large island was unoccupied by any society. And though the mysterious land was subject to harsh conditions, it was filled with resources that had the potential of advancing the society of any country that was able to get a strong foothold in it.

Unfortunately, the harsh conditions were not the only tribulations the unoccupied land presented. There were hurdles, some known and some superstition, that also made the other nations hesitant about taking a position on its land.

With what little experience Ishla had on the island, they had always been hesitant, due to the unexplainable stories. The expeditions of the past were wildly unsuccessful, leading to entire crews not returning. However, this wasn't the reason it had been so long since they ventured towards Nova.

Unlike the other countries, Ishla, was long governed by a monarchy. Its rulership was passed down from generation to generation, and only the royal family had ultimate say over what the nation decided to do.

With it being the largest country of them all, the royal family decided to focus their resources on the overall structure of society. They had the most people to take care of, so they saw it fit that the population was priority, not the military.

One would think this would go over well with the people of Ishla, but over time, they started to grow uneasy after hearing stories of Yeveland's military advancements. Unhappiness with the royal family grew to an all-time high, especially with the monarchy system being so out of date, compared to the governments of the other nations. Opposition mobs eventually started to form, making promises to empower the people that supported their leadership. The royal family could see that they were losing support and would eventually lose power.

In a surprising move, the queen agreed to allow the mobs to take control of the military, in hopes that they could not only catch up with Yeveland, but could also set the groundwork for peaceful negotiations. Instead, the government just became split, and was almost in a cold war within itself.

With the royal family losing more control every single day, it was inevitable that they would eventually be a thing of the past. The symbols of hope, the royal members, were suddenly no longer having the effect they once did.

The queen became quieter and quieter, and those of royal blood started to distance themselves from the government. They knew that eventually, once the mobs gained too much power, blood members of the monarchy would either be trafficked or killed entirely.

This dissent was the main reason the military failed to advance for several years. However, with the mobs now in control, there was suddenly an influx of people joining, hoping to help their nation become the strongest of them all.

***

With the resurgence in the military efforts, the new leadership of Ishla watched as the younger soldiers performed physical testing. Standing from atop a nearby building in the barracks, they looked down and observed as the soldiers took part in a run. Eventually, their eyes locked on to a smaller blonde who was in the back of the group.

"I wonder what motivates her?" one of the captains asked.

Staring at the blonde soldier struggling to keep up with the group, another captain asked, "Are you speaking of the one in the back, Private Celine Violet? I don't know what motivates her. She doesn't really talk to anyone."

"Supposedly, she joined right before the big influx of soldiers. You would think she'd be further along by now with the extra training."

"Private Violet is performing better than before, at least," another pointed out. "She used to be way behind the pack. Now, she somewhat keeps up."

"Yes, I'll give her credit for that. She's still a bit of a weakling, though."

"I wonder why she joined the military. She doesn't seem to enjoy any part of this. She works hard, but I've never seen her smile, not even once!"

Finally, their leader stepped in and let the others know her own hypothesis about the strange blonde soldier. "I believe Miss Violet is just like most of the others. She became a soldier for money, but unlike the others, I don't think she cares for the glory that comes with being in the military."

"That makes a lot of sense. I can't find much of a background on her, so she might not come from much. The young woman is probably just a soldier as a last resort."

Once the soldiers finished the run, the higher members of the military noticed Celine crossing the finish line right behind the others. However, as soon as she finished, she collapsed onto the ground where she would lie, breathing heavily for almost a minute.

When a few soldiers attempted to help her up, the blonde woman just shook her head before struggling up to her feet without any help. Then, without a single word, she just walked off and headed towards her next task.

"Did you see that?" one of the captains asked as the group chuckled at the woman. "I like that feistiness, but she definitely doesn't have any team spirit."

Stepping back into the conversation, the General prompted, "Speaking of Private Violet, do you all think she would be a good candidate for the Nova expedition?"

"Hardly," one of the captains responded, shaking her head. "I bet she'd do her best if she were forced to go, but I just don't see her wanting to take on a dangerous mission like that."

The group fully agreed and acknowledged that, though Celine worked extremely hard on her exercises and studies, volunteering for any assignments wasn't something they ever expected from her.

***

With all the new members of the Ishla military around, there was hardly anyone with experience to make the trip back to Nova. The veteran members of the military either resigned or stayed silent on the matters of what happened.

As if the stories of entire squads not returning from Nova weren't concerning enough, it was the folklore of what possibly happened that really caused the country to tremble in fear.

There were rumors that once the soldiers got past the perimeter of Nova and got into the forest, they were greeted by a lone woman who attacked and killed several military members. Even stranger, this unknown being supposedly did so with no weapons.

Due to the evil mystique of this mysterious woman in the woods, this possible creature would gain quite a reputation amongst the intruders of Nova. There were even stories that the Ishla military was able to kill her by bombarding her with explosives. However, even though soldiers had witnessed her die with their own eyes, she still made an appearance the next time they returned to Nova.

No one, besides those who had actually experienced Nova, knew whether she was real or just a folktale. However, this creature eventually became known as "The Sorceress."

The Ishla military did what they could to shut down these rumors. However, with the missions back to Nova reinstated, concerns about the harsh conditions, as well as rumors of "The Sorceress" were bound to resurface.

***

After the physical exams were over, the newer soldiers lined up in front of the hierarchy of the Ishla military. It was time for their briefing of the upcoming mission.

"I'm very pleased with the results of today," said the General. "You all will make fine soldiers in the new and proud Ishla military.

"As you all know, we make our first voyage to Nova, after ten years, next week. It's a dangerous mission, but I feel a sense of confidence in this group.

"We will be scouting the area. We won't go too deep, due to the dangerous conditions and uncertainty of the unknown land. This is just step one into regaining our dominance as a nation. We will be making several trips in the future.

"Some of you have already been selected for this mission based on your merit. However, we are still looking for a few brave young women to join the quest. Are there any volunteers, or shall we start selecting?"

The soldiers remained quiet, looking back at each other to see who would volunteer. Unfortunately, everyone was much too apprehensive to step forward. Most of the soldiers were left shaking in their boots, hoping not to be selected.

Suddenly, there was complete silence as everyone noticed a small hand raise in the air. As the other soldiers looked over to see who dared to volunteer for such a dangerous mission, they were shocked to find it was the quiet and emotionless woman who was always in the back.

The general stared at Celine for a moment before addressing her. "Private Violet... you raised your hand..."

"Yes, ma'am," the woman answered without wavering. "I will go to Nova."

"Well, private, we certainly weren't expecting this from you. Why did you decide to volunteer?"

Placing her fist over her heart, which was more common in the previous regime of the military and had been replaced by a salute, Celine simply answered, "Because I'm not afraid."

The others whispered to each other, staggered by the normally quiet woman's move. A voice in the crowd could be heard saying, "But what if you die?"

Maintaining her stance, Celine explained herself. "Let me make myself clear... I am not afraid...

...of death."

***

Why did I raise my hand, anyway? Was it because I'm truly not afraid of death? Probably not!

The truth is... in some ways, I don't fear death at all, but in other ways, I'm terrified of it. The Ishla military isn't what it once was. Though our nation used to have fewer soldiers, those who served were of the highest honor.

Now, things are different. The mobs have started taking over and they've tricked these fools into joining. The others think they're gaining honor, but all they're doing is patting themselves on their own backs!

When I raised my hand, I could feel their souls leaving their bodies as they witnessed me displaying more courage than all of them combined. In that moment, before any of them were compelled to volunteer, just because I did it, their true colors finally showed.

Maybe that's why I raised my hand; to separate the strong from the weak, the honorable from the shameful, and the warriors from the impostors. Yes, I may be one of the weaker ones, and could hardly beat any of them in a fight, but I'm the only one with heart.

I am scared, but it's only because of them. This military, which is now controlled by the mobs, might be the reason I lose my life. And in that, there is no honor.

I don't blame the soldiers around me. I blame the mobs who are so desperate to catch up to Yeveland. They failed to see the danger they're putting us in. The only thing I blame the people for is raising these mobs up, like this will fix all our problems.

The monarchy wasn't a perfect system, but at least they created honor from within. These mobs pretend they are everything a monarchy isn't, but eventually, when one wins out and becomes the most powerful, they will be everything the people hate in our current government.

I no longer wish to live in a society like this. If I do perish, I only hope it is with honor. I'd rather die at the hands of a true soldier from Yeveland than my own country's incompetence. Better yet, I'd find it even more honorable, if I were to lose my life discovering this sorceress who has already claimed so many of our soldiers.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to get any concrete information on this sorceress. I've done as much research as I possibly could. I even talked to the members of the brass about it when they discussed our mission in further detail. Still, all I learned was that some people believe it, and some don't.