This will be the last full chap I will be posting. I will post only parts of the rest(teasers in other words
)
Another rank, another set of training. Sabono groaned quietly. It's been about a half moon since he had been promoted, and he now was a part of the patrol squad. Patroling he didn't mind, it was a chance to get away from the camp and the instructors. Plus the other males in the patrol group he was in didn't badger him, instead they told stories and jokes, basically getting to know each other. He and the others would patrol for half the day, then spend the rest of the day learning the basics of smithing in the mountain. He hated that, it was always too hot in the caves and the smell of sulfar made him gag. Not to mention he sweated in places he didn't know he had.
"How can anyone stand to work in here?" he whispered to Teran, one of his patroling buddies.
"You ask that every time we come in here and I've told you you just get used to it." he whispered back, somewhat annoyed.
"Still I don't see how, I mean I'm roasting here."
Teran chuckled softly and motioned to pay attention to the instructor, who was going over how to purify the iron ore. He seemed a bit aggitiated, he kept pacing, like he was waiting for something.
I wonder what gotten into him? Sabono wondered when the wooden door behind the instructor opened.
In the door was a large wooden cart filled with raw ore. Behind it was female, the first Sabono had ever seen. She didn't look to well either, her skin was sagging barely staying on her bones. She was sickly thin and had numerous scars. Her red eyes were dull with no spirit in them. And she was starting to get gray on her brow, nose, and chin. She was straining against the cart, desperate to get it into the room fully. Sabono noticed behind her, was a small child, no more then 5 cycles old and fairly healthy looking, closely following and holding on to her tail. Sabono's stomach felt like it tied itself into a knot.
After what seemed like forever, the female had finally pushed the cart up to a bin near the center of the room. The whole time the instructor was watching her, scowling.
"This shipment was supposed to be in this mourning." he growled at her. She cringed at his glare as she started to unload the cart, her heavely calused hands trembling. Suddenly she fell against the cart, barely hanging on to it, her hand clunching her chest.
"Did anyone tell you you could rest!" the instructor screamed, grabbing a whip.
The female struggled to get up, but couldn't. Sabono could she the pain and fear in her eyes as the instructor loomed over her and started to stike her with his whip. The child, frightened, ran back though the doorway where they came from.
Sabono was in shock, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He started to step toward the scene but Teran held him back.
"Obviously this is the first time you've seen this." he said, "It's suppost to be like this. The females know their place and if they screw up they get punished."
Sabono looked back at his 'friend' who only had an indifferent look on his face. He glanced at the others in the group, hoping someone else felt the same way he did, but all he saw was more indifferent looks, with one even laughing at the scene. He started to feel sick.
All this time the instructor had continued to whip the fallen female, until finally the female lay still, the life gone from her eyes. It took a moment for the instructor to realized she was dead.
"Crap." he mumbled, with an annoyed look on his face. he grabbed her body by a leg dragged it to the door, and unceramonisly threw it outside. "Other one dead!" he called out. Then he went back to the group and continued where he left off, as if nothing had happened.
Chiatsa and Shinik walked along the path just outside the forest. They were getting low on supplies so they were heading to the nearest Serian village to stock up.
"Its been too slow lately. We haven't killed any Alpakians since those five at the waterfall." Chiatsa said, somewhat annoyed.
"I know, I wonder what their up too?" Shinik said.
"What do u mean?"
"Well in my experence, whenever its been hard to find Alpakians, it usually means they are about to do something big."
"Like what?"
"Can never tell, usually its either they mount an attack on an outpost or raid some villages."
"Can't we report when it's been slow for us so they can prepare?"
"We thought of that, but the thing is by the time we really notice it and get word to the outposts the Alpakians have already done what they were planning to do."
"That sucks."
"I know."
"How much further to the village?"
"It should be just over this...hill, oh no."
Chiatsa and Shinik stood shocked at what they saw. The village had been attacked and it didnt look like there was a living soul around. They both dropped into stealth mode and causiously entered the remains of the village. Most of the huts were burned down, the bodies of males, females, and children where everywhere. Chiatsa had to fight to keep from gaging at the way they were slain. They searched the village in vain, hoping for survivors, but there was none.
"Hey Shinik." Chiatsa called.
"Yes?" he answered.
"I just noticed something, all the females here are either very old or very young. Whats up with that?"
"Crap they took prisoners."
"I didn't think they took prisoners."
"They do, mostly young females. To turn them into combubines from what I heard."
Chiatsa shuddered. To her, and to many other females, that was a fate worse then death. It was one reason why not many females joined the warrior guild. "It doesn't look like well be getting any supplies here." she said, her voice trembling.
"No, we won't but before we leave we should send a message to the nearest outpost about this, do you have the whistle?"
"Yes" she dug into her pack and pulled out a small whistle and handed it to him. He blew the whistle and within moments a mindcaller came. Chiatsa had seen many of the small dragon like creatures in her life and they come in many colors, this one was blue. She invited it to sit on her arm. It accepted and chirped happyly as she scratched it under its chin while Shinik wrote the message for it to carry. It looks more like a wyvern then an actual dragon and it stood only a foot tall. Its blue leathery skin shimmered in the sunlight as it waited patently.
"Take this the ranking male in the nearest outpost please." Shinik finally said rolling up the message and handed it to the mindcaller. It took the message in its mouth and flew off. "Now lets get out of here."
"Shouldn't we attend to the dead?" Chiatsa asked.
"They'll send some folk out to do that, its not our place to do so." Shinik answered as he started to walk out of the village.
Chiatsa with a heavy sigh, followed him.
Sabono layed in his tent, unable to forget what he saw that day.
How can my own people be so cruel? he thought when there was a knock at his tent.
"Who is it?" he called out.
"Yo Sabono you're missing the party!" he heard Xaner answer.
"What party?"
"You didn't know? Well its in celebration of our lastest victory." Xaner said as he came in.
"I didn't know there was a battle."
"Nope no battle, just a raid on a village."
Sabono's mouth suddenly went dry. "A village?"
"Yep got some good quality future pleasure females for the high rankers, too."
"You mean there weren't any warriors in the village?"
"Nope, I told ya it was just a raid."
Sabono layed back down again, feeling very sick.
"Yo you ok there?"
"No."
"Huh why? Was it something you ate?"
"No its just that this whole business of killing non-combatents and...and the way our own females are treated is just to much for me to stomach."
Xaner stared at him for a moment, not believing what he just heard.
"Just what is wrong with you huh? Did they leave you with your mother too long or what? Whats with this...this dispicable behavor of yours!?"
"I..I don't know." Sabono said, cringing at Xaner's words.
"Well you better stamp those feelings out quick 'cause if Hasik, or any other high ranker for that matter, finds out what you just said, you WILL be culled for weakness!" with that Xaner stormed out of his tent, leaving Sabono shaking with fear.
Why? Why AM I so different from the others? Why?