Lich

  - Yomi -

  Graaah, I hate my life!

  What a stench!

  Surrounded by death and decay, and worse components that I don't even want to think about!

  "Yomi, did you prepare the hides?"

  Damn, I need to breathe if I'm supposed to answer.

  "I'm right at it!" (Y)

  Uhhg, it's in my nose!

  Can't a girl be spared from this?

  Just why does my father insist on me getting used to processing leather?

  Doing the threadwork is already difficult enough, but now Dad wants me to do the tanning as well.

  "Good. Don't forget, you need to shave off every last bit of flesh from the inner side before you place them in the basin."

  Just because my parents are leatherworkers, and my father, Tomin, is fairly well known for his craft, doesn't mean I want to take it up fully.

  Whenever he suggests it, I always tell him that this is far too messy for me.

  Urgh, and tanning is the worst.

  All the rotten fleshy bits that get stuck to my hands.

  .

  .

  .

  "Yomi, are you done yet?" (T)

  As I take notice of the slight urgency in his voice, he steps into the workshop.

  And there he is.

  From him, I inherited my black hair, which he wears short, while I keep it at a little less than shoulder-length.

  Can't have stuff getting stuck in there, after all.

  Yet different from mine, his eyes are green.

  Due to the nature of our craft, Dad has quite strong arms.

  Something I couldn't ever really compete with.

  Neither do I have any other remarkable merits to speak of.

  Yet this at least seems to run in the rest of my family as well.

  Though his strength would be rather helpful to me in treating the hides.

  "I said, I'm at it." (Y)

  "Sigh. Let me take over. You take the cart and go to the gate. We're expecting a delivery and you and your mother need to receive it." (T)

  "Urgh, fine. I'll go." (Y)

  While it's a bit of an issue for me that I didn't get to finish my job, I'd do quite a lot to escape the stench in this room.

  Also, I get to go to the gate, which promises a bit of excitement.

  However, the fact that I'm not going to finish the job I started doesn't sit right with me.

  One should finish one's assignments.

  However, the clear air outside helps me a lot to come to terms with this.

  "Ah, Yomi. Can you help me with this?"

  And there's my mother, Jena, preparing the cart.

  From her, I got my dark brown eyes.

  She mentioned to me in the past that this part of my heritage stems from somewhere far in the west.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Unfortunately, this seems to also include me being only a bit below one and a half meter.

  Yep, okay, I'm small and weak.

  At least, I got a somewhat decent constitution and am quite nimble.

  We quickly load the rest and start moving it towards the gate.

  Conveniently, the main street is quite wide and well-paved, accommodating the busy traffic on it.

  After all, they have to supply a whole army.

  You see, this is Akaras.

  The great fortress city of the country of Rakis that wards against the creatures of the Barrens to the east.

  This town doesn't stand to prosper and flourish, but to stand against all odds, as the pillar of civilization.

  Yet despite all odds, Akaras grows on and on.

  It's said, it all started as one big military headquarters that was built up, higher and stronger over time.

  Around this base, with its many, many soldiers, a town established itself.

  Naturally, one with very big walls.

  For this reason, nearly the entire economy of this place is directed toward supplying soldiers, providing many jobs with a stable income for those who dare to come here.

  Such as my parents, who have a workshop and prepare leatherworks for the army.

  From reinforcements for the uniforms, to bags, and weapon sheaths, it's a family business.

  This means a lot of work, but also a decent livelihood.

  All in all, the streets are lively and the people are content.

  We drag the cart further along, until the outer wall rises in front of us.

  It's truly massive, built by the best masons in the world.

  Not only does it span around a town of forty thousand, half of them being military, it's also so tall and wide that it's basically impossible to get through there.

  Certainly, this applies to a monster that doesn't know anything about a siege.

  Those stupid orcs would simply bash their heads against the stone until it splashes.

  Not that the archers would even let them get that close.

  There's a lot of business at the gate, the guards processing whoever enters and leaves the town.

  Also, it's time for the recruits to be drafted from all over the country.

  During this time, the army starts a large recruiting campaign to fill the ranks.

  While many apparently find the life of an adventurer to be more glamorous, the military offers great conditions.

  Bed and food for free, mostly routine tasks, very advanced training, and a stable income.

  There's even a good chance to rise up the ranks and become an officer.

  All of this while they can serve in the most professional force in the world.

  It's even so good that there's only rarely any need to ask for conscripts.

  The men and women who come here to Akaras to start their training usually serve of their own free will.

  As we drive closer to the people, the guards soon enough become aware of us as mother offers a wave.

  "Heyo! Rodrick! We need to be granted passage for a bit!" (J)

  Hah, the gateguard.

  Just look at that uniform.

  Shiny metal, beneath royal blue fabric.

  "Oh, Jena, and Yomi, I see. Sure can do. But be careful out there. Folks aren't quite as orderly as in here." (Rodrick)

  As we are residents and well-known to the guards, it's not that much of an issue to get past them.

  We pass through the exit for vehicles and proceed to leave the city's premises.

  There, the outside world reveals itself.

  In all its non-existent vibrancy.

  Yeah, the Barrens are called that for a reason.

  And that is because there's nothing around here!

  Truly, around this city, there's not a single tree, bush, or field to be found.

  It gets gradually better the farther west you get, but overall, there's little in terms of vegetation going.

  This land is, for all intents and purposes, barren!

  Apart from mines of all the basic varieties, there is nothing that would support the development of any form of society around this area.

  Well, aside from one.

  This calls back to what Akaras protects us all from, which can be summarized in one single word.

  Orcs.

  Orcs are bulky pests, with too many muscles and far too much time and energy to spend.

  They essentially chop down anything they encounter.

  Yet, unfortunately, not often enough each other.

  Monsters are a common phenomenon in this world, yet orcs are one of the very few kinds that actively gather together and form primitive tribes.

  And now, please guess where these choleric troublemakers live.

  Yeah, right here in these wastelands.

  So, here stands Akaras, as a barrier, in case the tribes again decide to join together and build a horde to overrun our, in comparison to theirs, surely more appealing country, again.

  I'm emphasizing "again" here because it's said to have happened some hundreds of years ago and almost wiped this entire country off the map.

  Finally, in a grand effort, humans were able to drive them back.

  Yet they still had a wasteland filled with more of said monsters, who certainly wouldn't want to stay voluntarily in such a barren place.

  Hell, it's not for no reason called The Barrens.

  Hence, someone had the idea to put a fortress in their way.

  Yet of course, it has to be maintained.

  Therefore, all of Rakis works in supporting this cause.

  While we continue, a small patrol walks past us.

  Given how uncoordinated they move, everyone, excepting the officer who leads them on, can only be fresh recruits.

  Well, that laxness is sure to get beaten out of them in due time.

  Hey, isn't that Marcus with the recruits?

  He looks good in this uniform.

  I don’t recall the last time I saw him.

  But I suppress the urge to wave at him, as that might cause him trouble.

  Yet one can already see the good foundations.

  I always loved the discipline and style of the army.

  Nothing goes over marching formations.

  Being a soldier and actually contributing something to the protection of the whole country, as part of this great organization.

  Sigh, if only I could be one of them...

  After the initial burst of chapters, I plan for one chapter every two weeks on Sunday. I hope that's fine with everyone.

  by Kolben

  https://t.co/XkSCYHbAtn

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