Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
SLAVIC
She sits before me, her small body swallowed up by the immenseness of the lounger I placed her in earlier. Gazing at me with those huge brown eyes, I wonder what she makes of my honesty. She has not taken her small hand off my face as of yet and hopefully that means she doesn’t see me as disfigured and disgusting. A flash behind us catches her attention, and she looks away.
“ How did you and your brothers become who you are now? If that question is too personal you don’t have to answer. Kallen was trying to fill me in on a few things earlier, but it just made for more questions in my mind.”
“ Do you mind if I lay down? That is a long one to answer, and I am fatigued this rising.”
Of all the questions she could have asked, it would be this one. But if she is going to tie herself to me, then she needs to know what she is getting into.
“ We can do this another time if you’re tired Slavic . It isn’t like I’m going anywhere.”
“ We never know what the next rising might bring. After all, I never saw you coming.”
“ True .”
“ You will be more comfortable down here with me. This sleeping platform is the only thing I have ever spent any credits on for myself. I give you my word that I will not behave in any way unfavorable toward you.”
I look away from her as she contemplates the words I just said. As much as I would love to pull her into my arms and explore everything that makes her different from me, I know that some things need time to develop. Even though it feels like forever, I am pleased when she seeks me out on her own.
Slowly she crawls over my legs, settling on the other side of me closest to the viewer. Crossing her legs, I watch as she pulls part of the blanket over them before looking at me seriously.
“ I do not know where to start, and I am sure I will miss things that you need to know. Nevertheless , you are welcome to stop me anytime. If I was in your place, I would be curious to learn about this new world around me as well.
I am the oldest of the six sons my life givers created. I am also the only one not born on Viri 9. My parental units, along with several other families left our home planet of Uzrul in the search for a better life. On Viri 9, what they found was a prison instead.
Maybe I should back up a little here, so that you will know why they left Uzrul in the first place. There is a race of Scientists called Aynar that infiltrated our home world under false pretenses. They held rallies and grand parties, promising all that followed a better life for them and their younglings, if they would uproot their lives and go to work for them. We found out later that they targeted our race specifically because of our known strengths and the high birth rates of our females. Remember that specific detail as we go forward.
My life giver, sire, and several in the community were tired of the struggles on Uzrul and fell for the Aynar’s false words. I was just a youngling, but I can remember us packing up our few belongings and the smiles on both of their faces as they looked forward to the things to come. Mam was already expecting again with Ruarc , we just didn’t know it at the time.
Anyway , they were true to their word in the beginning. We were given a nice dwelling and sire was put in charge of the mining operation just like they promised. We were there for several risings before things started to change. Sire started coming home later and later saying he was having to jump in and help because the Aynar were upping production temporarily. What he didn’t know was that it was only a test to see what my race could actually produce if pushed.
I was put in guard training soon after we arrived, as were all the others my age, much to my Mam’s displeasure. I excelled quickly and moved up the ranks in a short amount of time, even for a youngling. When mam started having complications with carrying Ruarc , my Sire put mam’s care in my hands, but I was so wrapped up in making a name for myself that I almost missed her sudden weakness. One rising I found her on the floor, grasping her stomach and I remember being in a panic when I rushed her to the infirmary. If I had only known that I was playing right into their hands with that choice.
She was suffering from separation sickness, but as a youngling, I did not understand the link of a heartbond between mates. My Sire loved my Mam more than his next breath, but this new job kept them separated for long lengths of time. Unfortunately , it was playing havoc with mam’s health.
A Scientist took her from me saying that they would give her something to strengthen her and the baby. I believed him and like an idiot, gave full permission to proceed. What I didn’t realize was that they were experimenting on all the younglings before they were born. Gene splicing their essence, trying to create workers for the mines that would never tire nor be easily damaged. Every lunar rotation they would have me bring her back, saying they needed to monitor her and the baby’s health. Foolishly , I never questioned their word as mam did seem stronger.
Life become a blur after Ruarc was born. They would allow sire to come home just long enough for mam to become bred again. Neither of them realizing at the time that it was all being done on purpose. The moment they realized she was expecting again, sire’s schedule would double. Each youngling born to my parental units after that was different from the one before. By the time Murgul was born, all our similarities to each other were fully gone. But they were my brothers, and I did all I could to protect them. Being the oldest, I was around the Aynar the most and subjected to their instant disapproval and punished the harshest when I refused to bend to their will.
One rising I was in the middle of training when my coach demanded that I take a lesser fighter’s life. When I disobeyed, he threatened to send me to the mines. I did not believe he would and refused. That was the rising I saw them for what they truly were; monsters cloaked in pretty and deceiving colors.
Some called them fairies, because most all saw were delicate, fragile, beautiful creatures. What I saw instead of gossamer wings and bright colors were leathery wings, eyes black as night, and layers of razor-sharp teeth. The guard I originally ignored threw me out of the way like I weighed nothing using hands smaller than your own. Then he ripped out the youngling’s throat with his own teeth.
I did not even react, or try to help, just lay there in shock, convinced my eyes were lying to me. By the time my mind cleared, it was too late for the youngling, but that event was the beginning of major change and unrest in the community.
The Aynar stopped hiding their true forms after that, and we were all quickly subjected to their cruel nature. The worst part was the younglings that had been tampered with in the womb. These could be controlled by their powerful mages. A mere thought in their direction would have them helplessly writhing in pain. They used those powers to gain and keep our cooperation. Every time one of us pushed back or didn’t meet our quota, they would focus upon our loved ones.
Once the truth about the Aynar was revealed, I was immediately removed from training and placed in the mines alongside my Sire . Ruarc , being the oldest still at home was put in place as overseer for our mam and life continued. The mines were nothing like sire had said and once there, I realized why he had lied to us. He did not want us to know the circumstances he was subjected to every rotation, as he blamed himself for why we were there in the first place.
Being his son, I was pushed harder and given a larger quota to meet. In the beginning, my anger pushed me through the hard risings. After a while, I realized I was never going to see the sun again as they kept moving us further down and deeper into the mountainside. I slept, ate, and worked so far under the ground that after a while my skin started taking on the darkened hue of the onyx dust. I am not sure what pushed me from that point on, that is until one rising when they were bringing in new recruits and I found myself paired up with Ruarc .
The only positive was occasionally sire was allowed to return to mam on the surface and he would come back with stories of my brothers and things happening top side. Unfortunately , that would not last long either, as both life givers were gaining in age. Mam’s reproductive ability declined after the birth of Murgul and when the Aynar realized this, sire was no longer allowed to go to her. This is also when I was subjected to the true horrors of my Sire’s position and how they held each one of his sons over his head to get what they wanted from him.
I had not seen any of my other brothers nor my Mam in so long that I did not recognize Einar the next time we met in the infirmary. Cave -ins were simply part of the job and had become an issue every rotation. The Aynar were greedy and cared little for our safety. Barely escaping one when I placed myself between the ceiling and Ruarc , sire was able to get me sent to the infirmary to be stitched up. I know not who was more shocked, Einar or myself when we saw each other. Not only had all my hair fallen out, but my skin was now dark; the minerals having permanently stained any part of my exposed body.
Once Einar realized who I was, he did his best to explain to me how our sire had used the last of his personal favors to have each of his sons put in different facilities. Einar was in medical, Bikar communications, Falon engineering, and our youngest was excelling in weapons design. Through deception, they had taken our Mam to their main laboratory and no one knew where she was.”
“ Slavic , you mentioned that they could somehow control your brothers?”
Turning away from her curious gaze, I look out the viewer while unconsciously rubbing the scar on my chest. “ The mines were not only a place where they worked you until you died, but also where there was little sustenance. Orcs are massive and we require a lot of food in order to maintain these forms. Not to mention the amount of energy it took to mine the onyx and transport it up the many shafts to the loading docks.”
“ Ruarc had fallen behind due to a shoulder injury, and when one of the others tried to steal his rations, I stepped in between them. I honestly cannot remember how it got so out of control. But in the end, I found myself standing over one of the other workers, a machete imbedded in my chest and his crushed head in my hands.
My mind was still in a rage when the guards attacked. Ruarc tried to block them from me, and even though I still do not truly understand how, with simply a look, he was flailing on the floor, crying out in agony. Distracted by him, the Pyrkyne guards were able to capture me. Then they decided to use me as a reminder of what happens if you act out.
I was hung up, and each member in the crew had to take a turn whipping me, unless they wanted to be strung up alongside me. Being the willful male that I am, I refused to scream or even react to the pain I was sustaining. Even when the Pyrkyne guards started using their knives to carve out souvenirs of my flesh, I would not acknowledge the pain. I can remember the look on my Sire’s face when the whip was handed to him.
When he hesitated, I shook my head no. The moment that whip crossed my skin I watched my Sire change. I had never seen such rage in his eyes before, even when they told him he could never see our Mam again. He simply powered through the pain of their heartbond to focus on Ruarc and myself. They left me there for a few risings for all to see, as a reminder of what happens if you go against them.”
“ Slavic , how did you escape?”
“ There had been whispers of unrest upon the surface, but without any real contact, that is all it was, rumors. What I did not know was sire’s plan on how he was going to get his family away from the Aynar . I mentioned before that we had to transfer the onyx up to a loading bay. Normally , that area was empty besides loading containers that were to be put on the transports. They made sure that there were never ships in those hangers at the same time we were, even to the point of having auto bots load the shuttles.
Ruarc and I were seldom ever tasked with heaving the massive rocks up the shafts, but this rising, my Sire assigned us to this task himself. We were almost to the top with the final load, when a massive explosion behind us collapsed the main mine shaft.
Ruarc and I both took off running, trying to escape the cave-in headed our way, only to find a massive ship sitting in the hangar. My Sire was yelling something, but the explosion had been so loud I could not make out his words. But his intentions were clear when he motioned for us to get on the ship. I was almost to the ramp when I saw Ruarc fall, his body twisting in agony.
With strength I did not know existed, I picked up his massive frame and headed up the ramp, when suddenly my Sire’s angry voice stopped me. Laying Ruarc down just inside the ship, I ran back down the ramp only to find my Sire in hand-to-hand combat with several of the Pyrkyne guards.
Charging the closest one, I grabbed him, throwing him effortlessly away when I hear a scream behind us. Somehow , I knew who it was before I ever turned, and I still remember it like it is all happening in slow motion. One of the main Aynar mages must have figured out my Sire’s plans for escape, because he held my Mam in his arms with a smirk on his evil face.
My Sire and I both stopped in our tracks when we saw the knife being held against her throat. My brothers come running back down the ramp, but with a single look from the mage, they all lay convulsing in pain. Their bodies controlled by the monster holding my Mam .
Everything happened so fast after that, it’s still a blur in my mind. I remember mam looking at my Sire with so much love in her eyes and somehow, I knew they were going to sacrifice themselves to get us free. My Sire’s words burned their way into my mind that rising when he yelled. ‘ Slavic , save your brothers, get to the ship now, and do not make our sacrifice be in vain, Son .’
Many times, since, I have wondered what I could have done differently. He had raised me to follow every order he whispered, and I did just that. I ran toward the ship, somehow gathering up each of my fallen brothers in the process. The moment I had them all inside, I turned to face the mage holding my life giver. ‘ Carry my love with you always my child .’ That’s what she said to me a tick before my Sire was able to fight his way toward her. He had a plasma pistol raised that he had stolen from one of the guards and was aiming it at the mage. Then the mage started laughing as he cut her throat open right in front of us.
Because sire hesitated, this gave the other Pyrkyne guards time to retaliate. He was dead before my Mam’s body even hit the ground. I am not sure what happened after that, but the ramp shut. in my face and my brothers were free of the Aynar’s powers. I fought against the many hands holding me back. I found myself thrown to the floor, still yelling their names as we launched into space. From my understanding, Einar had to give me a sedative when I started fighting all of them, trying to claw my way back down the ramp.”
As the memories overwhelm me, a tiny finger wipes the lone tear off my cheek. Blinking , I find Ruby lying beside me on her side, so close I can feel the heat coming off her small form. “ I’m so sorry, Slavic . When I asked that question, I don’t know what I expected, but that wasn’t it. I know we all have our own personal hells, but damn. I’m impressed you all survived that.”
She traces the hunks missing out of my shoulder and now I brace for her disgust as she knows how I came to be this damaged. “ I understand little one, if my form is appalling to you.”
“ Your form says a lot of things Slavic , but appalling, horrific or disgusting are not any of them. What I see under your skin is strength, honor, love, sacrifice, leadership, but most of all, a boy who tried his best to save and take care of his family. If I’d been in your spot, I would’ve questioned my parents’ choices. Instead , you took their sacrifice and did exactly what they asked of you, ‘ take care of your brothers.’ I’m sure if there’s an afterlife out here, they are both watching you from above, proud of the man you’ve become.”
“ Being a thief is not something to be proud of, little Ruby .”
“ I disagree, because how else would you have found me? I may not understand why things happen the way they do, but I’m not stupid enough not to realize who saved me and my sister from what would’ve been a living hell. You could’ve walked away, and most would’ve. Seldom do others entangle themselves in problems that don’t directly involve them, but your morals and your standards wouldn’t let you.”
“ I could never have left you.”
“ You believe that because of this mate thing, but what if that hadn’t been the case? You had no ties to the other females, and yet you still saved them, or at least your brothers did. Are you telling me that you’d walk away? Because I’m calling bullshit. You still would’ve bent down and lifted me out of that nest!”
I do not answer, but I can tell by the smirk on her face she knows the truth. Taking her hand in mine, I kiss the ends of her fingers before pulling her close. When she does not fight me, I tuck her into my side and close my eyes. My mind and body exhausted from reliving the memories.