Restart:Untalented Man



High atop the city wall, the Barlia-Inverloch soldiers cast their contemplative gazes down upon the enemy. As the flames engulfed the captured food supplies, it is safe to say that they were embroiled in tremulous emotions. 

Their eyes locked onto the spectacle with sadness and heavy silence, as the tantalizing aroma of burning provisions reached their nostrils, intensifying their hunger.

Although they had grown accustomed to meagre rations and empty stomachs, witnessing the wanton destruction of food stirred a deep ache from within. It felt like a blade tearing at their hearts.

"They're wasting it all," murmured one soldier, his voice heavy with longing.

"We could have used that," another one said, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"I can't even remember the last time I had a decent meal," the third soldier lamented as his gaze fixed on the burning stockpile.

The fourth soldier's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he muttered, "I can almost taste it... the flavour, the satisfaction. It's been too long."

Dreams of sumptuous feasts and hearty meals filled their minds. Their thoughts became consumed by images of succulent meats, fragrant herbs, and the comforting taste of warm bread.

The injustice of it all weighed heavily on their hearts, deepening the divide between their wearied bodies and their resilient spirits. The hunger pangs gnawed at their morale, testing their endurance and chipping away at their resolve.

In the depths of their minds, the insidious whispers of doubt grew louder. Thoughts of surrender or resignation infiltrated their consciousness.

....

Under the moonlit sky, the same soldiers convened, clutching plates, while they were served grilled horse meat—a tasteless offering that left their palates longing for flavour.

"Urgh, until when do we have to suffer like this?" one soldier lamented. 

A seasoned comrade shook his head before responding, "It's the life that every soldier must go through. We must bear with it."

"But, the enemy's soldiers have such good food to eat every single time," he keeps complaining. "Don't you smell it too?"

The conversation lingered as time passed by. This is when the four soldiers from earlier exchanged stories of what they had witnessed.

One soldier, his voice filled with bitterness, began, "I couldn't believe my eyes. They were burning food while we struggle with each meagre ration."

"And the worst part," another soldier interjected, his voice cracking with emotion, "Their commander occasionally cast a glance at us as they keep burning the food that was meant for us."

As their stories unfolded, the melancholic atmosphere within the camp grew even darker. Whispers of discontent swirled around them, as frustration and despair mingled in the air.

Amidst the whispers of discontent, one soldier, his face etched with weariness and defeat, dared to bring up the idea of surrender. 

"What if we surrender?" he suggested, his voice laden with exhaustion. "It would be the end of this never-ending torment. We could go home, back to our families, and escape this misery."

The suggestion hung heavy in the air, met with mixed reactions from his comrades. Concerned voices rose in response.

"What if they take us as slaves?" one soldier questioned, worry etched across his face. His mouth keeps munching the meat.

"They don't practise slavery here, so we will be fine in that regard," another soldier interjected, attempting to assuage the fear.

"But, what if they decide to kill us? We are, after all, at their mercy."

The soldier who proposed surrender offered a glimmer of hope, countering, "Think about it. There are tens of thousands of us. Would they truly waste their time and resources killing all of us? It's unlikely."

The area fell into a contemplative silence. The weight of their options hung heavily over them. However, as the idea of surrender lingered in the air, it was met with fierce resistance from the seasoned soldiers who had captured snippets of the conversation.

They viewed it as nothing short of a betrayal to the prince and the principality.

"Surrender is not an option!" One of the seasoned soldiers said loudly, reprimanding the soldiers' entertaining thoughts of surrender. "Have you forgotten the duty we have for our country? What a weak generation, can't even face challenges head-on," he said in disappointment, shaking his head disapprovingly. 

The murmurs of discontent grew louder as the soldier retaliate in response with his voice full of bitterness. "Then until when do we have to deal with this shit? How much longer can we endure this hunger, this despair?"

The atmosphere within the perimeter crackled with tension and the air was heavy in the camp. 

The argument that had divided the soldiers into two factions, those in favour of surrender and those determined to keep fighting, escalated into an intense and heated exchange of words.

Tempers flared as frustrations reached their boiling point. Voices grew louder, accusations were hurled, and the once-unified army found itself engulfed in a chaotic turmoil of dissent.

But words alone were not enough to express their anger and desperation.

Fists flew, and soldiers clashed in physical combat as the boundaries between friends and comrades blurred amidst the chaos. What had once been a fairly united army against the enemy now became a battlefield within their own ranks.

The echoes of the fight reverberated through the night. The once orderly city devolved into a chaotic battleground, with soldiers grappling with each other. 

The fight goes on and the original source of dispute that had sparked the conflict seemed distant and forgotten.

The quarrel had taken on a life of its own, fueled by the collective frustrations and pent-up emotions of the besieged soldiers.

Amidst this chaos, the pitiful inhabitants of the city found themselves caught in the crossfire.

Fear and confusion gripped the innocent citizens as the clashes between the opposing factions spilled over to their streets and homes.

Families huddled together, seeking solace and safety in whatever corners they could find. The cries of children that suddenly awaken from their sleep mingled with the sounds of shattering glass and shouts.