Equals, she thought, as she made her way to the training grounds for the lessons. She felt comfort wash over her. It had been difficult being an outcast, and even more difficult not knowing why she was born this way. Yara wished the Photaks could simply accept that her physical appearance meant nothing. She could dance in the rays of Sunstar just like any other Photak, something a Skotad could never do. To her, it was the only determining factor that mattered as it proved she was not a Skotad, even more than not having the Skotads’ silver-white hair and pale-skinned features. She may not have markings and the Photaks’ red hair, but she felt within herself that she was definitely a Photak.
Just an ugly Photak with defects that caused my cowardly parents to discard me as a baby in the Greens, she thought bitterly.
Over the years, she had tried not to think about her possible origins and horrific birth parents. It filled her with too much rage. She didn’t care who they were or where they were from. She just wanted to know why they couldn’t love her in the way her Tribe parents did. Her Tribe parents had been willing to risk their lives and future to keep her because they loved her at first sight, no matter how she looked.
As she entered the training grounds, she looked around her at the beauty of the rich flora and took a deep breath. Feathered trees surrounded the boulders that encrusted red glass shards, a material that the Photaks often fashioned for weapons. Mira was a beautiful planet, at least on the side that faced Sunstar. Not many had ever journeyed to Mira’s dark side as nothing grew there. Thus, neither Photak nor Skotad could survive. There were rumors of majestic structures left in ruins from the Great War of the Planets, but many millennia had passed since then.
Yara walked past the Elders, nodding respectfully, and headed towards the main keep where the warriors-in-training had gathered. The other trainees gave her labored looks of acknowledgment, and a little way off, Chief Lamad smiled as he chatted with Pekone, the Photak weapons’ creator and head instructor.
Yara couldn’t wait to finally be allowed to step foot into the shadowed Greens, and to see and fight a Skotad, both for the first time. Despite this, she couldn’t deny the value of the years of instruction that preceded warrior induction. In that period, she had also grown particularly fond of Pekone. He was a gruff old man with a long fiery beard. He didn’t seem to like anyone, and it made her feel that he saw her just like he saw anyone else. While he wasn’t an Elder, he was still seen as a mentor to all warriors and was one of the most respected Photaks in the Tribe.
Pekone had the combined markings of a warrior and a creator, making his bloodline the only ones gifted in the art of light-wielding for weaponry. He had recently upgraded the Guiding Threads. They were unbreakable strings with a light aura that helped new warriors find their way in and out of the shadowed Greens until their eyes adjusted to the Blurry.
The Blurry was the word Photaks used to describe their inability to see clearly in shadows and darkness. If they stayed too long in the Blurry, the consequences would be devastating. Some Photaks, according to their birthline, were naturally better than others in adjusting their eyes in and out of the shadowy Greens. Among all Photaks, Pekone’s tribal line was the most adept.
As Yara found a place to settle for the day, she thought about what it would be like to have a real tribal line. She threw her things down to the ground in annoyance at herself. She usually tried to ignore those types of thoughts, but today she felt a bit on edge. She felt even more annoyed as she turned to see Kristos arriving, greeting his father and Pekone.
“Stupid Kristos!” she muttered to herself.
She realized his questioning a few days ago had probably been the reason her origins were on her mind. Kristos turned and smiled brightly when he saw her. She forced a happy smile and waved in return as she sat to adjust her trainee garb. As she saw him leave his father and come towards her, she mentally reprimanded herself for even allowing the topic to fester.
A soft wind began to blow, refreshingly cooling the training grounds. Then, suddenly, it was there with her. Right beneath the gentle breeze that brushed her blue locks off her face. Softly. But right… there.
“YaraStar… do you know who you are?”
Yara jolted uncontrollably by the eerie whisper and its unknown tongue just as Kristos jogged up to meet her. Her face lost all color, and her body involuntarily trembled. That voice belonged in her dream world, not here. She felt like she must be losing her mind.
“Yara, are you okay?” Kristos stooped down, concern rippling from his deep-brown eyes into hers.
“Yes…” she said uncomfortably, “I just thought I heard… it’s nothing.”
Yara mentally scolded herself, and forced another smile to her face. She gave Kristos a quick shove.
“The inner fight is at the end of today, you know,” she said smugly. “And the Elders and the Chief will witness it. I’m going to be chosen as the one who defends the Photak Tribe.”
Kristos laughed heartily at her enthusiasm though his face still showed echoes of concern. He knew she was changing the topic, but he didn’t want to force anything out of her. Yara was generally private, and she was way too much of a rebel. Insistent prying was always met with strong resistance.
“You don’t know that you’ll be chosen yet!” he teased. “And because I am the Chief's son, it can’t be me! You’re still in second place, Yara, and if you’re giving too much trouble, they’ll send me in after you!”
Yara felt a surge of hope sweep over her. The warrior-in-training who won the inner fight would be seen as having answered the Call and would become the first inducted warrior. Given all she had been through to finally reach this day, there was nothing she desired more.
Before the inner fight could take place, the Photak lessons would be imparted. In them, the history of the Tribes and of Mira, their unmoving planet, would be recounted. It was crucial that the Photak warriors knew why they fought and what was at stake, so that in the darkest of times they could anchor to the power of that truth.
The trainees and warriors all took their place upon the boulders and looked towards the elevated stone structure. Chief Lamad took his place at the head of the stones with the Elders surrounding him equally, four on either side. As the Elders solemnly sat in unison, Chief Lamad’s lessons began:
“Thousands of years have passed since our Mira’s rotations were halted. We were attacked by a powerful weapon of a people from a shadow planet beyond our own. Their weapon targeted the deepwater core of Mira where all its power and lifeforce resided. It was meant to annihilate all who dwelled on our planet, and to completely destroy it. It is said that with its final amount of lifeforce, Sunstar allowed the core to send out a pulse to all living things upon the surface. It was just enough to allow us to continue to live but not for Mira to keep rotating. We were left only with the guidance of the sacred symbols. These markings connect us to Mira’s spirit and Sunstar’s will. They tell the stories of our past, to keep our birthlines alive and to chart the way to our future without the core. These sacred markings are Sunstar’s blessings to all living things… even to the evil Skotads.”
Yara shifted uncomfortably as some of the trainees sent smug looks in her direction. A few of the Elders glanced coldly toward where she sat. She heard Kristos whisper a few reassuring words, but it didn’t change how she felt. Now more than ever, her perfectly clear skin stood out. Only when the Chief looked over and gave her a small, almost apologetic, smile did she feel herself breathe again. He continued his lesson.
“There was once a time before the planet’s attack when there were both days and nights. Skotads have never been blessed to be able to withstand the rays of our Sunstar, so they stayed in their mountains and tunnels during the day. Still, they had no reason back then to fear Sunstar as they could roam unrestricted and gather food at night.
“The evil Skotads knew that at night the Photaks’ vision would be blurry at best. They would wreak havoc on our villages, killing many and taking our Phota
k children into their mountain caves and tunnels, never to be seen again. Our warriors they would keep for three days before releasing them, as the Skotads knew the grave repercussions of not staying in Sunstar’s light. The warriors’ blurry eyesight would become as clear as a Skotad’s to enable sight in their darkness. However, the consequence of this was irreversible: for now, in Sunstar’s light, the Photaks’ ability to see would be gone. Their eyesight would degrade to complete Light Blindness. When our warriors were released, this Light Blindness would cause unstoppable, incurable pain upon exposure to Sunstar. Such a Blinded Photak would essentially become akin to a Skotad and would never be able to live in the rays of Sunstar again.”
Although she already knew the danger of the Greens, Yara shuddered at the thought of being unable to see or dwell in the warming rays of Sunstar. What scared her was not just how much she loved the light, but that it was her only connection to the Photak Tribe. Her ability to dwell in the rays of Sunstar had been the reason her mother was able to carry her to the village after she found her in the Greens. It was also the only reason the Elders had even considered allowing her to stay.
The Chief’s voice grew dark.
“Sunstar grew angry. The Skotads did not respect us as the light dwellers. Their jealousy of Sunstar’s blessings upon the Photaks resulted in nothing short of hateful, gruesome acts of increasing violence. While we will always mourn the damage to our Mira’s core, we know that Sunstar allowed the shadow planet to win. Sunstar did this so that there would be an end to the Skotad violence.
“With Mira no longer rotating on its axis, only one side of the planet has faced Sunstar’s rays ever since. As all living things need the light of Sunstar to survive, the dark side of our planet became a barren wasteland. Many of the Skotads died of starvation because they could no longer leave their tunnels to gather food in the now ever-present light. We know this was Sunstar’s wrath against the Skotads, for there was only day and no more night.”
As the Chief drew near to the end of his lesson of truth, the warriors present shouted occasional war cries in support.
“Then the greenery that was once in balance with nature became thick and overgrown from Sunstar’s continuous energy. Soon, the shadowed Greens crept up upon the hills, to the mountains and their tunnels. The last few surviving Skotads were finally able to sustain themselves by going into the dark Greens. They began to build back their numbers as the centuries passed. While it was thought then that maybe they had learned their lesson and would finally acknowledge the Photaks as Sunstar’s chosen people, they instead decided to retaliate. Now… the never-ending war continues.
“Warriors-in-training, this is not just their fight against you… it is their defiance of Sunstar’s clear instruction and blessing upon the Photaks. When you are sent into the Greens to protect our people and our village, you will also be defending the will of Sunstar. Every fight you win, every Skotad you defeat… it is the highest honor that you can show to Sunstar, and to us as your leaders. Because we… WE, the chosen, are the ones who walk in light!”
“WE, THE CHOSEN, ARE THE ONES WHO WALK IN LIGHT!”
All those present, including Yara, repeated the Tribal words in fierce solidarity. She may have heard versions of this lesson of Truth before, but today, it meant so much more to her. It was the one thing no one could take away from her—she too was a chosen, enough to at least be able to walk in light. Perhaps, Sunstar would favor her desire to be a warrior and to dedicate her life to protecting the Photaks, finally granting her a place of belonging.
As each Elder said their words of wisdom to the trainees, the time drew closer for the inner fight defender to be announced. The Guiding Threads were finally being gifted to each of the trainees. This meant that the announcement of the defender would follow. One by one, the trainees went up to the Chief as he called their names. Pekone stood with the Chief, handing the Guiding Thread to each warrior-in-training personally and saying something quietly to each of them.
As Yara’s name was called, she walked up somewhat awkwardly to the stones. The Chief gave her a soft smile, and then she faced Pekone with her arm outstretched. Pekone placed the Guiding Thread in her open hand and stared with deadly focus into Yara’s iridescent eyes. Seconds passed, and Pekone said nothing. He also did not remove his hand from the instrument of light. Eventually, he spoke.
“For you… Yara…”
It was all he said. Then he released her hand and looked away. Yara walked back to the boulder she was sharing with Kristos.
“What did he tell you?” Kristos asked with humored intrigue. “I’ve never seen Pekone stare at someone like that before.”
Yara quoted what he said, and Kristos’ expression seemed to change from amused to confused. She immediately questioned him back, but he hesitated to answer. Yara insisted.
“He said, ‘for you, chosen of Sunstar,’” Kristos said softly.
Yara turned away and gritted her teeth. She felt embarrassed, and a bit peeved. It was her first indication that Pekone didn’t consider her to be like the rest of the warriors-in-training. She didn’t like how it felt. The more she replayed it in her mind, the more the rage she had been trying to control surfaced into her consciousness.
Focus, Yara, don’t spiral, she thought angrily.
It was already too late. She was angry. She had done so much to prove herself for years. She just needed one thing now… one thing to show them what she was really made of and to finally put an end to their doubts. She needed to be the chosen defender of the inner fight.
The Chief and Elders sat with Pekone and went into a hushed discussion on the stones. All the Guiding Threads had been issued so there could only be one thing left for that day. A few of the Elders glanced towards her.
Yara’s heartstar leapt. She felt nervousness creep in, cooling the edge off of her rage. She found herself saying a subconscious prayer to Sunstar. If they chose her, it would mean that Sunstar had finally heard her prayers after sixteen years. In fact, it would be nothing short of a sign to her that she finally had a place in this world… perhaps even a sign that she was somewhat special to Sunstar.
The Chief stood up. It was time.
Chapter Three
“As you all know, the inner fight honors the warrior-in-training who has shown the most advancement over the past eight years. While Kristos has long been known to be that person, he, as my son, cannot take the place of the defender. The Elders and I have deliberated on this, and we have found that there is no trainee more deserving of this honor… than Yara…”
Yara could barely hear the gasps and loud, grumbling objections of those present over the pounding of her heartstar. She sat frozen for a second, wondering if she was in a dream and sleeping back in her swaddling. It was Kristos’ voice that brought her back to reality.
“Well done, Yara!” he exclaimed, grabbing her. “There is none more deserving than you, and I know that firsthand!”
Yara shot up and gave a quick, formal acknowledgment of her acceptance and sat back down, still in a haze. As Chief Lamad dismissed the trainees for a short recess, Yara wished her parents could be there to witness this. Only warriors were allowed in these final sessions, but she knew they would still get the news before it was even over. She could imagine the looks on their faces, a mixture of shock, awe, and pride with so much love. She sighed at the thought and turned to look at Kristos who still hadn’t yet taken his eyes off of her. She appreciated his patience, sitting there with her, allowing her to take it all in. He seemed to always know when to leave her to her thoughts and when to speak.
“Does it feel like you thought it would?” he asked as her hazy expression melted into gleaming joy.
“It’s better…” she whispered with an unusual amount of humility. “I can’t believe it’s even happening…”
“Modesty?” Kristos teased. “Another first already?”
Yara punched him in the arm and flashed him a sweet smile. She didn’t even care to fire ba
ck with her usual feistiness. All she knew was that she felt something she was sure she had never felt before, and as the haze cleared, Yara instinctively knew what it was. It was happiness. Not happiness in spite of, or happiness for the sake of… just pure, true happiness.
Kristos stared at Yara with pride. He couldn’t wait for everyone to see what she could really do. Her deadly dance style that only he had seen was sure to impress even the most disagreeable Elder, perhaps even Elder Malek.
Pekone was responsible for umpiring the inner fight. Soon, he walked up to them and sat, giving a small, courteous smile with a hint of warmth. He held the Sleeper in his hand, and he studied it for a moment to ensure the dosage was correct. Yara would be drugged slightly with it. While the Sleeper was a weapon used to capture and interrogate Skotads, it was also used in the inner fight to weaken the defender. The intention was to mimic the strength level of a Photak who had been almost three days in the Greens. Under the Sleeper, the inner fight challenge would be to fight off a select group of warriors-in-training one by one, so that the fight could simulate escaping the Greens against all the odds.
“The Sleeper is designed and dosed to make you weak, but you won’t be knocked out,” Pekone explained, “and I should tell you… there is an elusive component in it that will make everything feel much worse.”
Pekone paused and seemed to be taking his time to find the right words to explain and instruct.
“Try to anchor to something within you, like a memory or a moment that you know is real and meaningful. When things feel a bit crazy, it is your only way back to reality and back to the fight. Do everything in your power to concentrate on the trainees being sent in to attack you. I know you have trained for many things, but you have never fought under these circumstances. The Sleeper gets stronger before it subsides, so whatever you feel at first will only get worse. Remember, if you win, you will be the first named at the Calling, and your place as a warrior will be secure. But if you lose, it does not mean you won’t still be Called… You will instead have to be considered by the Chief and Elders alongside all your peers… So just do your very best.”
The Unmarked Girl (The YaraStar Trilogy Book 1) Page 2