The girl sat in a moving carriage. Its wooden hull creaked and loosened its metal nails as the occupants of its cramped interior moaned in distaste. Is it going to come undone? Are we about to have an accident? Why can’t this man beside me keep his hands to himself? One can’t help but worry about such things when boredom strikes, and boredom shall strike even an idle mind on a five-day journey. And precisely to avoid such thoughts and the damp, sweat-infused air, the girl opened a window beside her.

And suddenly, cold unblemished air assaulted her nostrils. It was the earthy smell of an old leaves. The grey almost black clumps of clouds on the horizon emitted an almost freezing quality of air. One carriage, also cramped, ran along beside this one, and both of them is following behind a more luxurious carriage. A total of three carriages, though if bandits attack it would be the one in front that is prioritized.

“Shut the damn hole” An old woman who wore thick clothing and mutiple headscarf shouted. She had two kids; one about the girl’s age at second birthday, and another looked freshly baptized. Those kids inherited the old woman’s looks; curly brown hair and green eyes curated with thick eyebrows and short eyelashes. Their skins freckled with occasional dots of pimples.

With the girl eyeing her, the old woman clicked her tongue, but the girl gave no heed and continued eyeing her even as clouds clapped a thunder far off in the distance. The girl felt that the air took a waterfall-like quality as water particles imbued its wind. The girl stared outside. She replied “I need air”

The old woman hissed “Water is what you’ll get” And hugged the younger of her sons tighter. Miscolored blotch of purple dotted his pale skin; Mycolern: an uncontagious disease. From the look of it; give him two more months and he won’t have any chance of attending any magic education. The old woman loosened her jacket and wrapped his already thickly laid body with it.

The girl took a deep breath and quickly muttered “Just droplets won’t make him worse than he already is” This carriage is riddled with the disseased. The old woman sighed, evidently not wanting to argue with children.

Another voice pitched in. “Keep it down both of you” he is a lanky man with little meat on his bones. His skeleton like face and concave eyes warily glared at the old woman, then turned his gaze at the girl; “You kid, try not being selfish”

The girl repeated what she said before: “I need air” and looked back outside at the spinning wooden wheel of the other carriage; a woman beside the neighbor’s driver saw her and smiled with narrowed eyes. The girl averted her eyes towards the wind-streaked endless grassy field with nothing but occasional black rocks (some are dotted with white, probably fungus; and some are covered in moss) marking the terrain; the capital city is still so far away.

She reviewed the contents of the parchment; during the days of her solitude she had read and reread the parchment enough to memorize every kink and creases of its letters (although she is not alone, being separated from the village where she lives is still the most solitary period of her live up to this point)

Although the carriage beside them is also cramped, she wondered if it was also disseased. The circumstances of her being here is very unlucky. She can’t wait to get off this carriage; she imagined that the first thing to do is to look for lodgings, altough she didn’t mind if she end up sleeping on the street (she didn’t know how much higher is the price on the capital city). Then if the carriage is on time she would have to take the entrance exam immediately, if she’s late then she will try to force herself into the academy.

The girl took another lungfulls. The fat man beside her keeps nudging her shouler. He moves in his sleep and muttered “Mother! oh mother, please i will be a good kind” He whispered with modulating voice, and on his eyes are tears.

“Not the bad kind, not the kind that stole and proud, nor one that is wicked and ashamed” he sobbed and the girl only listened.

“I will be the stupid kind! yes, the stupid one with simpleminded surity; active and accomplished without consciousness of my wickedness!” and the man fell into snore once more.

The occupants are used to him, and the girl as his neighbour is getting sick of him. Though she will never say it out loud, she’s a kind and loving girl. That is how he views her, and that’s what she shall be. The girl sat back down, with wind grazing her golden hair she leaned towards the fat man. At the very least, she thought, he made for a good pillow.

It was raining when she woke up and beside her; the fat man wore an intense look: his eyes darted out towards the door and between considerable gaps of a slightly opened window, and crease formed between his brows. Torrential deludge battered the outer woods, and from the cracks of the carriage; leaked streams of cold water with varrying intervals. And it wasn’t just him, even the old woman looked scared. Every occupants of the room seemed to beside themselves with worry. Just when she opened her mouth to voice her question, the door was forcefully opened.

Splatters of mud dirtied the already dirty interior and its occupants clamored back; shying away from the thundering light of the door.

“Well well, little ladies” the man covered in black shilloette seemed to say (the thunderclap was so loud that it is hard to hear), though when the light from cloud’s formidable branch has faded the man seemed to change his mind.

“Old women and fatsies, children of young ages, lanky man of forties with receeding hair and depressing countenance” After he finishes counting; the man of shilloette, which are now visible, showed off the point his swords towards each occupant with sparkling eyes and wide smile (12 person if you’re wondering).

The very first thing that our protagonist noticed was his gigantic nose, followed by what seemed to be a caved in eyes, his lips are chipped; a wound of the olden days it seemed, and his left eyes are covered in foggy cataracts, as for his hair; it was caked in what seemed to be sweats from weeks of not bathing. And from the intense stare of the girl, this hooked nosed man replied in full.

“Ah, so there is one little lady after all!” He licked his lips, the old wound seemed bothering him, as he licked that spot more often. “Though a bit young for my liking”

The man stepped closer prompting her fat neighbour to intercede with his figure. The hooked nosed man clicked his tongue and backed away. The girl wanted to see man’s uniform and was annoyed by the guy in front of her; she kept silent, as she disliked confrontation.

The hook nosed man - let us call him HNM from now on - HNM walked towards the door and turned to look at each occupants and muttered. “I’ll let the boss sort it out for now” And walked out, the door was left ajar and she saw that there are guards, two at both sides of the door outside of this carriage.

The fat man: lets call him Alexei since that is his name, Alexei rounded to look at the girl and smiled, his eyes also became narrow; different from the fox-like woman the girl saw, she realized that Alexei has an eyesmile.

Alexei said to her as he returned to his original position: “I’ll keep the wicked away, so go back to sleep if you want” The carriage shook as Alexei sat, his eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened in surprise and he pulled his mouth down as if it will somehow shut the creaking nails.

“I’m not a kid” the girl sulked and turned towards the window. She peeked from the gaps of the window covers and saw two carriages, the scenery is still the same; according to the map: not more than 4 hours had passed since she fell asleep. Around our neighbour is a crowd of 5 people wearing the same blue and white uniformal militaristic dress, there are two normal civilian: both of them man with their hand behind their necks. They kneeled in front of what seemed to be the leader of this raiding group. HNM is speaking in delight with him as the leader just stared in silence at the pair man while sometimes nodding.

Our protagonist glanced at Alexei and whispered: “Enlighten me” To which the fat man readily nodded with a stupid look on his face.

“Well child, what you’ve laid your eyes on is the only logical conclusion of our expedition outside of starvation, illness, and, the least likely of all: arrival” He whispered his answer; it was nearly drowned within the streaming rainwater and worried glances of childrens.

The leader apparently have had enough of HNM’s muttering that he raised his right hand; in response HNM looked dissapointed and warily walked away. “... exactly how do we came to that conclusion?”

“Ah! but that explanation would bore even someone as attentive as you- ah but perhaps it is because of your attentiveness that it bores you so!- it isn’t exactly the most thrilling stories you see-” The man was cut off by the protagonist’s own answer:

“I think I would be very thrilled to see it unfold in my [Records] then”

Alexei froze and with downcast face replied “It really isn’t fun; there isn’t more information to know than what is outside the window” He sighed and relaxed, his hand strayed to the girl’s shoulder. He continued: “I myself have resigned to review my wicked deeds on my [Records]” The girl glared at him and he realized his errors and he looked regretful as he retracted his hand “But don’t worry! I shall make sure your last page isn’t here!”

Alexei kept talking, the girl guesses that it was to ease his own nervousness. But as the rain fell and filled the cavity of the grounds evermore, as the grasses sings its grateful exultations, the girl find herself unable to notice the difference of sound; For with one falling motion of the leader’s hand:

They executed the two man.

They dragged everyone out, by the collars, by their necks, and by their upper hands, as for the girl: they dragged her by her hair. She winced as her hands tried to get the uniformed man off of her, she clawed but the man persisted. They arranged them in a row, tied their hands, and blindfolded each and every one of them. As they blocked her eyes; her cheek brushed with the rough linen of their white gloved hands. They traced her jaw and pinched her pale white cheek.

The man infront of her said: “Hey, doesn’t this one look familiar?” She couldn’t see his face; but his breath smelled like rotten fish.

He brushed her lips and she flattened it, but the man forced her lips apart and said: “Show your tongue” The girl persisted, while the man kept shaking her head. And then:

The familiar sound of her neighbor resounded, he seemed to be yelling something.

The girl felt a sharp jolt of pain and the world spun around her; the man has struck her. First she felt half her body cold and imprinted its shape on the maleable ground, then she realized that water had invaded her nostrils and with it clumps of clay, and finally she realized that sounds has melted into one humming, the kind one hears when submerged underwater.

Again, she felt another sharp pain, this time from her hair as the man sat her back up. She waves of undifferentiated noise rushed her senses as her left ear rises out of the mudpit and she heard a commotion, rushing of feet and murmurings in the distance. The man once again commanded her: “Show your tongue” and she hesitantly obeys.

“... marked” The girl couldn’t discern his tone, but his wavering voice seemed to carry nervousness. “Hey!” he seemed to have turned away as she could now breath rain soaked air once more (idea for second draft, describe rain better here so as to make it more dramatic) “This girl! This one is marked!-” *Thunk* a sound of a blunt item hitting a skull, and then something fell into the mud.

Her blindfold were opened and she saw a scene of carnage. Alexei crouched down infront of her and held her face, he inspected it but stopped as he saw her right cheek, he furrowed his brows then continued his inspection. The he softens in relief, he stood back up and untied her.

“Untie the rest” He said and picks up a bat “i’ll keep them away” The rain beats heavily on his figure. She followed his order and untied and removes the blindfolds of every single person in that row, she ask the able to aid Alexei and the less able to help her untie others. At the end of her row she met the older one of the two sons, and as she removed his blindfold and stared at his green eyes. The man stared back, her pale blue eyes captivated him, but as the girl left he looked around.

“Where’s my mother?” he asked her

The girl turned her back at him and walked away. She answered him as she walked away: “Somewhere here is alll i know”

The girl walked back to the carriage, but on her way she met the lanky man, bounded, blindfolded. Laying in the mud, he looked like he’s having trouble breathing. She must’ve looked like this before, she untied him and opened his blindfold. The man looked fearfully and his narrowed eyes filtered light as he get used to it. And finally after seeing the girl he said his thanks, and ran away.

She entered the carriage and the temprature immediately changed. She hurried to her place before she was dragged and as she crouched she heard a sound. She froze, took a lungful and turned towards it, there is something moving beneath the fabric. She inched closer, and closer. The beating of her heart was amplified by the commotion outside.

It was the younger of the sons. He looked horified, the girl put her finger on her lips and briskly went back to her place. She took her supplies and walked out. She looked around and find one direction with fewer amount of forces and promptly ran there.

Her feet draged the ankle height mud, and deludges of water rain down upon her. She was trying to focus and frequently wiped her face of the water that kept covering her eyes when she stumbled upon something.

She fell and her bag was scattered around her. She looked at the thing making her fall and saw a dead man. Describe it here.

She crawled towards the man to ascertain his face but before she made it, a loud footsteps rose from beneath the rain curtain. She dodged just in time and saw mud sliced clean in front of her. She hurriedly rushed to the sword embedded into the body of the corpse and took it out. The girl looked around for the culprit of her panic and saw the man with a hooked nose.

The girl faced HNM and the blood on her feet melted together with muds. They faced each other and the girl tried to regulate her breathing, this is too much for her. HNM stared chiefly at her, his eyes seemed sad, and his lips trembled. Two of them stood; their hands gripped their longswords. And then from far away a throatful scream was heard.

They jumped at each other. A raindrop fell in a straight line; The girl blitzed through the battleground. HNM held guarded his vitals with sword and the girl strike his. Splatters of rain dispersed as rain dissects its bowels and washed away her oozing wound. The force of her sword blew her backwards and reversed the inertia of her upper body, she moved her left feet back to compensate but mistakes were made. She knew deep in her heart; she had already lost.

The man repeatedly struck and she felt her hands going numb. He pushes forwards and each time, she retreated. This man is a martial artist, she tought, the way he moved reminded her of her father back home. It is only an irony laced regret that she felt as she recalled how she had never taken his lesson seriously.

Finally, the girl saw a chance. She feinted and the man fell for it, his sword grazed her golden hair and in one stroke, she reversed the situation. She swung, over and over. With all her weight she sliced at him him, and each time, the man matched her swords. For every repulsion she used the resulting dance to accumulate weight and speed. But then; the man dodged, and with the massive amount of force she swung, she fell forward. The man strike with the hilt of his sword and knocked her down, muds splattered everywhere. And without wasting his chance, he swung his sword at her neck.

Blood streaked mud, a blooming rose in the battlefield. A fat filled hand flew across the ground, eliciting a guttural scream from its former host: Alexei.

“GuahHHAAAAAAAHH!!” HNM froze from this sudden interruption, and as his shell shocked eyes adjusted to the current of times; Alexei pushed him down. At the ground he punched him. The man’s nose bent, his eyes sunk even deeper, his old wound reopened. The man tried hard to get Alexei off him but can only widen his eyee, furrow his eyebrows and, and pop his capilaries out. He grit his red streaked teeth as he put his all on moving his longsword.

*Splat splat splat splat* Is all she heard. She staggeredly stood, she didn’t feel any pain other than nausea and bouts of confusion (draft 2 note: describe how(e.g. world is spinning make it confusing)), but strangely she cannot seem to stand up straight, or even hear what is being said. She could only see Alexei’s mouth moving. She rounded around, turning here and there with a detached look on her face, and saw that there are many corpses around, dozens of civilian corpse, dead horse, and the noble’s cart set up in flame. There are no more men in uniform breathing, she didn’t bother counting but the number of dead was less than she remembered. The battle is over.

As the ringing fade, she could hear Alexei clearly now: “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!” he yelled, the girl thought that he could bleed his throat from the way he scream “RUN!” The girl turned to see him;

And only now could she see a pike running through his stomatch.