Chapter 6 #2
Ghan barked a command for us to begin the foot drill.
It was easy enough and a good warm up that would lead to the fun stuff.
During the march, drill sergeants handed us staves that we took without slowing down.
We held them parallel to our bodies with strict discipline until we returned to our initial formations.
It took every ounce of my willpower not to look at Nolar.
Despite my earlier speech about not shaming us as a species and a clan, I genuinely wanted each of my companions to perform flawlessly for their own sakes.
For all his shortcomings, he was a great warrior and had worked hard to earn his place.
But his fate was in his own hands. I could only focus on my own and wish him the best.
A thrill coursed through me as the weapons drill began.
I loved the sense of power I derived from combat and manipulating lethal weapons.
The staff felt like an extension of myself.
In no time, I got in the zone, the world vanishing around me as I went through the motions, thrusting, slashing, and stabbing in a deadly dance.
My Berserker powers shouted for me to unleash them, but I reined them in. There would be time for that later.
Seeing Khel descend from the dais where Venya, Amalia, Lhor, and Admiral Lee were watching us caused a flutter in my stomach.
It flattered my ego that their collective gazes seemed focused on me.
But it was the way Amalia beamed at me with pride that hit the hardest. Although I only had the honor of speaking to her that one time, I freaking loved her. It made me miss my mother even more.
Khel continued his approach, his gait slowing down ever so slightly as he walked past my unit. The glimmer of respect and approval in his purple eyes devoid of pupils made me perform even harder.
Wait until the combat drill begins, General. I will rock that crihnin right off your forehead!
And I definitely would. I simply had to remember not to let my bloodlust lead me to dismember my enemies. I wanted to impress them, not horrify them with an excess of blood and gore.
Refocusing on the task at hand, I shouted in tandem with my companions as I swiped my staff before lunging forward towards an invisible enemy.
Mid thrust, I suddenly faltered. A bright light flashed before my eyes, and a powerful buzzing sound exploded in my ears.
My knees nearly buckled, and I stabbed my staff onto the ground, heavily leaning on it for support as I shook my head.
The rest of my unit continued to shout and perform their attack all around me, their movements a blur as a wave of pain and nausea coursed through me.
For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, every voice and person faded.
My body ran hot then cold before the unsettling sensations vanished as quickly as they had crashed over me.
“ALDRISS!” Ghan’s voice shouted, snapping me out of my daze.
I blinked before refocusing on him.
“Aldriss. What’s the matter? Are you unwell? Ghan asked.
“Zhara,” I breathed out in half a whisper, my blood turning to ice.
It was his turn to blink, confusion settling over his face.
“What?!” he asked.
“I have to go to Zhara,” I said more forcefully.
“What the fuck?!” Ghan said, recoiling in shock. “This is a drill!”
I couldn’t recall ever hearing Uncle Ghan use that expletive. Under different circumstances, the distress and sadness in his eyes would have crushed me. But something terrible was about to happen to my soulmate.
“Zhara is in danger!” I exclaimed. “They all are. I must go to them now!”
“What are you talking about?” Ghan demanded.
But I ignored him. By now, everyone else had stopped the drill and were staring at the scene unfolding before their eyes with the same baffled expressions.
“Vintor, Curok, with me!” I ordered before turning towards the exit.
“STAY!” Khel ordered while approaching with an angry expression. “You do not give orders here and do not leave without permission.”
“My mate is about to die!” I shouted as if it was self-evident.
“Zhara is on a mission,” he countered, visibly starting to wonder if I was having some sort of mental breakdown.
“Contact them!” I shouted.
Khel took a menacing step towards me, which I assumed was to potentially physically restrain me if it came to that.
“You do not—”
“Khel! We’ve lost contact with Sohr!” Ghan exclaimed.
I realized then that he had attempted to message Sohr after Khel stepped in.
“Exactly! We must go at once!” I shouted.
This time, an air of worry flitted over the General’s face, quickly replaced by a stubborn expression.
“You stay,” he ordered me.
“NO! She needs me,” I snapped. “I have to go. I feel it in my bones.”
“You are an untrained recruit. You will stay,” he snarled.
“No,” I replied while turning away to leave.
“Leave and be expelled!” Khel ordered in a hard tone.
I snorted and gave him a disbelieving look before ripping off my recruit insignia and throwing it onto the ground.
“Braxians, MOVE!” I yelled.
“GAVIN!” Khel shouted.
“Sorry, General,” Curok intervened apologetically. “Gavin’s instincts are never wrong. Forgive us, but we must follow.”
Without waiting to hear further, I started running towards the exit. Behind me, I could hear my companions cursing under their breaths before the loud sound of their footsteps followed behind me.
“General! Let him go!” Venya shouted. “Something terrible is about to happen. Except for one path, the others lead to the deaths of most of the children on this mission, including yours. Gavin is the key. Help him and pray that he makes the correct choices.”
I barely made out the last few words she spoke as her voice faded in the distance. But what I heard whipped my blood into a frenzy, and I ran even harder towards my ship.