In the Army.

[Xyrael]

Necalli had been holding the flier in his hand for well over an hour, glancing at it now and then. 'Serve the State and the State will serve you.' On the paper was a soldier who's arm was shooting into the air in a Roman salute. The Republican Army was being reformed, Mekkal had deemed it too corrupt and ineffective. Instead, the new State Military had replaced it. Necalli looked over the voluntary application form with eager eyes, to serve the new countries military at its founding would be something else. He was already on his way home to tell his girlfriend. She'll be so impressed, he thought.

He walked up the set of stairs into the housing complex, regular houses were uncommon in Xyrael, the crowded forest caused cities to build upwards not outwards. Coza was waiting for him on the couch, dressed in a loose shirt and skirt, a devious smile flashing at him. For a moment he lost track of his thoughts as his mind wandered elsewhere, and he sat down on the couch where her hand had patted.

"Hey, um..." Necalli muttered while Coza stroked his leg. He began to shake and decided he'd tell her after she got what she wanted.

~

Several hours later Necalli was feeling rather sore. Coza lay curled against him under the sheets of their bed, her azure eyes radiating affection and satisfaction.

Necalli, not being the brightest man alive, decided to bring up his idea. When Coza heard it, she didn't give him the reaction he had expected. Within moments Necalli was trying to coax her out of the chair on the far side of the room, "Come back to bed, let's talk about this," he said.

"Damnit Necalli, why can't you just stay here with me? State Military Volunteer?! I'd never see you!"

"Yeah you would, it's not like I serve forever."

"Necalli," she pleaded, "the State Military requires 6 years of service! 6 YEARS!! That's a long time!"

"They let me have leave, I can see you once in a while!"

Necalli's stubbornness did not combine well with the reactionary attitude women throughout the world often shared. Selfish and jealous, Coza decided to stop talking.

"Why can't I do what I want? It'll help me get a job when I get home. We can have kids and I can give them money for college, State service looks so good on your record."

Coza was silent.

"Coza, talk to me darling."

"Do what you want, I'll try to wait. If I can't, it's your own fault."

"Try?" Necalli was puzzled.

"Necalli, I'll be twenty-six by the time you're done with the military. We'll have been apart longer than we'll have been together, and I'm not sure I can handle that."

Necalli frowned, "Darlin', you know I love you. You know I'll come back, I just want to do this for our future."

"I told you, do what you want. I'm not going to control you."

Necalli knew he wouldn't win this fight as Coza came back to bed and pushed him off. "You're not sleeping in this bed tonight, though." Defeated, Necalli moved to the living room and crashed on the small sofa, turning the television set on. He sighed, it was an advertisement for the State Military. Since the new economic policies of the government slowly introduced the country to the free market, commercials became legal. The men on the television looked so proud, so handsome and brave in their uniforms. He slipped away into a dreamland filled with thoughts of bravery, camaraderie, and explosions.

[Xyrael]

Necalli woke up early as the national anthem played across all stations on the television. Snapping awake, he watched the the new flag of Xyrael flapping in the wind as images of mass production factories, battalions of soldiers marching, straight-arm salutes, mighty naval vessels crashing through waves, and other images of patriotism faded and appeared beside the beating flag.

A smile crossed his face as he found his hand had clenched into a fist, pressed against his heart. He peaked into the bedroom, Coza was still sleeping soundly. He walked over to her, she looked so peaceful sleeping. He kissed her softly so as not to wake her, then moved to the closet and grabbed a new shirt and ran his fingers through his hair.

Within moments he was shutting the door quietly and jogging down the street. There was an Academy only a few blocks away, he'd be there in only ten minutes.

A thousand thoughts had raced through his head before he saw the words he had been waiting for. 'STATE WAR ACADEMY'.

A well built, clean shaven man with light blue eyes greeted him with a quick Roman salute as he entered. "Welcome, sir," he greeted Necalli.

"Hey," Necalli replied, the soldier ignoring the informality. Necalli looked over a few pamphlets before turning to the man. "How's State service?"

The serviceman smiled as if he knew the question was coming. "It's fantastic. The State provides you with everything, an education, proper training, discipline. If you prove your worth to the State, it will treat you right for the rest of your life."

Necalli pondered for a moment, the serviceman biding his time instead of forcing the idea. "So, what can I do in the State Military?" Necalli asked.

"Well, the State sees what kind of skills you have. How fast you move, how smart you are, a lot of things. What're you considering? Navy, or Army?"

"Army, for sure. I don't feel like sinking."

The serviceman chuckles heavily. "That's a good reason to not get on a boat. In the Army you can either serve in the Air Corps, Armoured Corps, or Infantry Corps. Air Corps is mostly fighters, but you can fly helicopters as well. Armoured Corps is tanks, and Infantry is obvious."

"Oh, Infantry for sure. I'd rather be shooting a rifle."

"Well, if it's a rifle you want you're going to be looking at infantrymen. Truest way to serve the State, made me who I am today. Thinking of enlisting?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

The serviceman smiled widely as he handed Necalli an application form. "Just fill this out, and sign at the bottom." Necalli filled out his information without a second thought, handing the form back to the soldier. "Great to have you with us, comrade. Two weeks, be back here for to get sworn in. Don't show up, well, that's not a good thing trust me."

"Oh, I'll be here. I'm ready to serve!"

[Xyrael]

Necalli had a rough time explaining his applying to the military without telling Coza. She was far from excited or supportive, and in a flurry of tears kicked him from his house. He called his uncle Xolotl and found a place to stay for two weeks. His uncle wasn't exactly supportive either, he knew that Necalli could have attended a 6 year university and avoided the 2 year compulsive service, and wondered why Necalli wanted the full 6 years instead of the 2 years compulsive.

"Xolotl I can't change my mind now, I already filled out the form!"

"But why 6 years? Coza is right, that is a long time. You'll be lucky to have her when you get back."

"Volunteer service looks much better than compulsory," Necalli persisted.

"Service is service!"

"And serving the State is one of the best things I can do in my life," Necalli snapped back. Xolotl stopped trying to convince Necalli that what he was doing was wrong. Coza occasionally called him, begging him to come back, but two weeks passed and Necalli stood in a large room with tens of other people.

The Xyraeli flag was poised above them, beautiful and imposing, the pride of the country. Within the center of the flag, the traditional symbol which represented "East" also stood for Social Nationalism, the S and the N combining in a swastika like shape. A man in a sharp, grey uniform marched in front of the group of men, his arm thudded against his chest before shooting out to the flag in a straight-arm salute.

The officer rested his hand at his side, and proceeded to inform the men of the obligations that, as future State Servicemen, they would have. He then asked the men to salute the flag in the same manner he had, and swear their complete and unwavering loyalty to the State.

"I, soldier of the State Infantry, hereby swear my faithful allegiance to the State of Xyrael. I swear to defend her independence and citizens, to uphold the greatness of Easteros, to guard the honour of the Xyraeli soldier, to defend my military banner, to spare not, for my Fatherland in need, my own blood nor my life. This I swear." Necalli's hand pointed proudly to the State flag, his palm open and facing the ground. He had sworn himself to serve the State without question, but in the back of his mind lingered a single thought. Coza...