The Soldier

The soldiers heart is held by a bond, some call it bravery, but the soldier does not feel brave, he is simply bound.

The sound heard above all else is the drumbeat. The soldier does not miss a step, does not waver from the march to his own injury or death. He does not think himself brave or obedient. The soldier simply does not know of another path, but to keep step with the drumbeat.

The soldier is fueled by a deep, foundational, love of his cause. It is a part of him, the basis of his very creation. He is also driven by hate, a raw, incurable hatred for the enemy that would drive the soldier willingly to his own death to hinder the enemy's cause.

Victory is recognized by the soldier. The thought of it may motivate the soldier, or he may simply understand that it exists, seeing it as distant and non applicable to the duty at hand.
Retreat is something he has heard of but knows it "will never happen to me". Surrender, is not even acknowledged within his mind.

Glory is a happy and uplifting thought to the soldier. But he is not concerned whether his life end in eternal glory, or eternal pain and emptiness. He is willing to march, fight, and die all the same. His heart is bound, by the love and the hate. He will do his duty, for he can do no other.