[hider=Letter - August 25th 1915]

Amber, how are you?

	Have you read the other letters? Have you kept up with what I’ve sent you? Well, if you’re reading this then it means you have. It looks like its finally war for me. I figured it would be nice to let you know. I may never come back, you know.

	I’ll be honest, without you I don’t know what I’ll do. The letters I left before were just so you could know how life was going for me and as we both know my blood means I’m the target of a lot of hate, but it doesn’t bother me too much. I’m still human, just like you. As long as you’re doing just fine then what else does it matter in life? Maybe one day I can walk the streets without being spit on for being an Imperial Darscen. What can I say though? I’m proud of who I am. Still, I’d rather keep most of who I am buried away. Maybe then my allies won’t bury me.

	I wish I could have found you before I found myself here, but it’s needless to say that I didn’t. This letter is scrambled with my thoughts and I’m repeating myself a little bit but… My biggest regret is that I didn’t leave home sooner. I know you would have helped me escape, but I was too afraid and broken. It took a little longer to get too upset to stay home, but if I had just trusted my gut to start with maybe I would be with you. Maybe I wouldn’t be here in this war. All I know is that because of my decisions I am here now and in spirit I will be with you always. There is never a day that passes that I don’t think about you… Who knows, maybe one day I’ll stand outside and get one of those home made meals again.

	Yet, there is darkness in me. Remember when I told you about my feelings? How it was getting worse and then better when I thought I had a lead? Yeah… I… I gave up. Now that I’m in the military and this has all come to pass I don’t think there is much of a chance that I’ll see you again. I’ve heard a lot of awful things about this war and I’ve traveled to so many places calling so many numbers and shipping out letter after letter just to get the response from business after business that they’ve never heard of you. I even came to the city you said you were moving to. Two years of this and I can’t say It has been fruitful in the least. I just hope Markus finds you. I still can’t believe that after two years he’s done nothing but help me. Darscens have to stay together, right?

	Take care of yourself, Amber. As long as I’m still breathing I’ll keep writing. So I hope, for your sakes, that I write until this war is over. But if I don’t then promise you’ll do something for me, Amber. Remember me.

Yours truly, Franz Blau.

[/hider]

He thought about the letter in silence. He thought about her face and he thought about the past he left behind. He thought of the training he endured and he thought of the officer who spoke aloud with words that penetrated little. Still, he got the basics. Call the man lieutenant, be back in two hours for the lethal theatrics, gamble your life away. Easy enough.

At the very least the temperature was colder than he expected. Even as a child he loved the feel of winter and rain. Maybe it was just his blood, but nothing was better than laying down on a cold rainy day. Well, assuming he wasn’t told to work the house anyway.

After the crowd dispersed Franz marched his way to the side, not particularly focused on making friends at the moment as he thought of what to make today. A flower? Maybe a dog? Amber? A mental sigh seemed appropriate. He didn’t want to snub the platoon but his spirits were low and as it was it was gradually being improved by the rain. He watched the rain pour, taking in every small splash and every bit of mud spread by boots marching by. Boots marched by without any regard of what they were stepping on. Sure, it was just rain in the mud, but the boundaries of that comparison to life being thrown away with people moving on made him wonder just how many lives would be forgotten. The propaganda was already in. The loser would surely be ill remembered if at all, but that was the nature of end war conditions. Even such a thought like that made him think of his dark hair and feel that something about that Darscen story was wrong.

He took his mind off such things for now, simply smiling at the other soldiers as he watched them in silence, wondering just how he could help make their lives a bit better during the- show as the lieutenant put it.