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The restless soldiers all stood in perfect formation, waiting for their signal to go. I stood, again next to the General, now in the camp and prepared to give the orders. I kept glancing back towards him to make sure that I didn’t miss my cue. I didn’t want to make that mistake again. The General winked out of his right eye, closest to me, and then looked away to face his army.

“Soldiers!” I shouted with a demanding voice to all seven hundred soldiers in front of me. Several soldiers straightened their stance to become level with every one else. “Tonight! Tonight will be the night that will change your lives! The King has made new orders! And you are all to follow them without question or mercy! We are going to invade London and take complete control. Anyone in your way shall not be killed. Instead of killing like the old ways, the King has made orders for the Fire Clan to capture anyone they find. Then you are to escort your prisoners to our camp.”?
I stood tall and looked around me with my arms crossed behind my back, just as the General. I kept my young face straight and had my brown eyes locked on the first row of soldiers. “You there! Soldier!” I tried my best to sound angry and strict.

The little lad, too young to be a soldier in my opinion, stepped forward trying his best not to show his overwhelming fear. He had the same face as my wife back home. Young and curious. I wish I was with her. I wish I could hear her precious laugh and see her rosy cheeks against her pale skin that covered her thin bones. I quickly snapped out of it and drew my attention to the frightened soldier.

“Y-yes Leader?” Answered the soldier in a shaky way. He tried to stare straight, but his green eyes shook around wildly.

I stared hard into his eyes. “What is your name soldier?”

“Johnny Benson...” He stammered. “But my friends back home call me Bennie. So you can call me that if you want”

“Bennie... Hmm... What an interesting nickname for a soldier.” I asked pretending to have an interest. “Now would you be kind to tell me why you did not address me?!”

Bennie started to shake as if he had just fallen in a frozen lake and struggled his way out. “I- I am sorry... Leader. I guess I was just in another world. In a better world.”

There were several gasps from the crowd. I tried to ignore the comment and out of the corner of my eye, I could see the General sigh and grumble.

“Now what is it we are going to accomplish this evening soldier?” I asked in a sarcastic way. “Obviously you are looking for some attention.”

“Um... W-we are g-going to-” The young soldier stopped and looked around in a frantic way, hoping that somebody would be nice enough to give him a clue. He had obviously been tuning me out. What a little terd. “We are going to capture anybody we come across and escort them here at the camp, Leader.”

“And?” I asked trying to give him a hard time.

“And...” He looked around to the other soldiers behind him and met his gaze with a friend. They both smiled and Bennie turned around to face me again. “And we are going to get our land and win this war!” He screamed with growing confidence.

The other soldiers behind him all cheered.