It looks like this “Art-ober” thing made by @Not_a_Knife has well and truly kicked off.
I would like to say that I don’t draw (I literally can’t). So for this Art-ober, I’m going to write a story series.
It’s not going to be a story series regarding the Arcane Universe at all, but rather a war story.
So uh. I’ll do my best to create some story pieces, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
“The Beginning”
My hands trembled as I stood in front of the door. I inhaled deeply. This is it. The moment everything would change.
I glanced back up at the sign. There was no mistaking it—ADF Careers.
The moment I open that door would a moment where I opened a gateway into a new world.
And I wouldn’t be going back.
The butterflies in my stomach stirred again, more insistent this time. I pushed open the door, stepping into a world I barely understood but desperately wanted to be part of.
“Hello,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
The receptionist, hunched behind his monitors, didn’t bother to look up right away. His khaki uniform was wrinkled, his collar crooked. A half-empty cup of coffee sat next to him, its steam long faded. He finally glanced up, his eyes weary, as if they’d seen too many eager faces like mine.
“Oh, g’day,” he said, his tone flat. “What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to join the Army.” I paused, my throat tightening. “Please.”
His eyes locked with mine, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. Sadness? Pity? He sighed, leaning back in his chair as if weighed down by my words.
“You sure about that? You look like you just started university. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Plenty of time to think about something like this.”
I swallowed the knot in my throat. Doubt gnawed at me, but I forced it down.
“Yes, sir. I’m sure. I want to fight. To serve my country. I want to be part of something bigger than myself. Adventure, action, brotherhood. I can’t sit back whilst knowing that other valiant Aussies are willing to die for me.”
His gaze lingered on me for a moment, the silence between us heavy with unspoken truths. It was clear that he had seen others like me before. Young, eager, and full of conviction. He saw many walk through that door, asking for the same request. Finally, he sighed again, a long, tired sound.
“Well, if that’s what you really want, I won’t stop you. But I’ll be honest with you, kid. It’s not easy. Not even close.”
“Stat Build”
“Alright, kid. If you’re dead set on joining, you’ll need to pick a role.”
I blinked, caught off guard. I hadn’t planned this far.
“R-Roles? Sir?”
“Yeah, roles. What, you thought the whole Army was just one kind of soldier?” He raised an eyebrow. “Think again. We’ve got combat roles, engineering, intelligence, you name it. Heck, we even need plumbers and carpenters.”
He spun the computer screen toward me, and I was immediately overwhelmed. Role after role, title after title, they all blurred together. 97 options, to be exact. My head spun.
I sighed, finally giving in to the decision I’d known deep down from the start.
“Infantry soldier,” I said, the words forcing their way out of my mouth before I had time to reconsider. “I’ll be an infantry soldier.”
The administrator nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes.
“Solid choice. Infantry. Backbone of the Army. Reliable. Always reliable indeed.”
He leaned back in his chair, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
“Name?”
“Armstrong. Harold Armstrong.”
He typed swiftly, the clacking of keys echoing in the quiet room.
“You’ll start recruit training in a month.” He glanced up, offering a thin, but evidently forced smile.
“Welcome to the Australian Army, Armstrong. You’re one of us now.”
Author’s notes: There are indeed 97 roles in the Australian Army, just to let you know.
Dude I was writing that piece PRAYING that somebody doesn’t come up with that, but it was sadly inevitable.
I picked the surname “Armstrong” for specific reasons and besides, it’s a relatively common surname in the English world!
So please don’t go ruining it for me, I’m begging you.
Holy shoot I missed almost 3 days. I’ll catch up I swear
