Godling (Kairenz Jistora Book 1)

by Dusks, Rydre

  “What the hell was that?” I hissed once the last inmate had exited.

  She looked genuinely puzzled, but her look quickly changed defensive. “I don’t appreciate that tone, inmate.”

  I was fed up with her sour attitude toward me. “You knew damn well all of us could have been shot by that guard, and you just let him in!”

  Her teeth clamped down on her lower lip, and her eyes misted up. For a moment I stalled, confused at the reaction.

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you,” she finally managed, whirling around on her heel and stalking off into the cold night air.

  Baffled, I turned to say goodnight to Rook and was pegged in the face with a hard dinner roll. “Ow! What the hell, Rook?”

  He walked up the aisle, glaring at me. “Ya don’t have to be such an ass to her, you know. She was trying to help.”

  “How is letting in a guard to shoot us all helping?”

  “She let in one of the robotic guards. Not a human. So you could demonstrate what you were teachin’ everyone.”

  Oh… My stomach sank a little. Rook noticed the change in my expression and eased off. “Look, it’d make your life a lot easier if you just trusted Blank. She’s just as much a prisoner here as the rest of us.”

  I sighed in defeat, walking slowly back to my tent behind the others. However, that night we all slept in peace, knowing that the guard walking down our rows of tents was no longer a threat. I snuck out some time later, uncomfortable in my cot, to go to the restrooms and have some time to myself. Rook wasn't in his cot, but I didn't think much of it. He hadn’t followed me back, and frequently spent nights in the theater anyway.

  I stopped outside the restrooms and paused, as a scuffle could be heard on the inside. Guards weren't regularly stationed outside the bathrooms. Taking it upon myself to investigate, I opened the door and stepped in.

  An inmate had someone pinned in one of the stalls. I couldn't see exactly what was going on, but I thought I recognized the pair of street shoes weakly kicking at the attacker. Filled with an overwhelming drive to save Rook, I stormed forward and seized the bigger inmate by the hair, yanking him back so that I was able to hook my arm around him and throw him to the floor. I didn't get a chance to look at my tent mate. I turned on the man. He had recovered by propping his elbows underneath him to get up. I dropped down on him as my fist met his cheekbone with a crack. I slammed another down on him, burning with rage.

  "You think it's cute to take advantage of people?" I shouted as the other man yelped from my strikes. "You like being the bigger guy, do you?"

  "Hey, hey, hey!"

  A guard seized a hold of me and tore me away from the other prisoner, obviously having heard my ferocious assault. Rook sat on the floor in the stall catching his breath from surprise. He was disheveled and pale, and there were fresh bruises around his throat. Another couple guards stormed in to tend to the beaten inmate, and the one holding me dragged me out and pushed me back toward the tents.

  "Get back to bed!" he shouted.

  I lingered, inhaling deeply to calm my snapping nerves, but another threatening look from the guard sent me back to my cot. Rook came in not long later and dropped into his own spot. He curled up on his side away from me, but his voice was still audible.

  "Thanks."

  I was wide awake, still rolling through the scene that had just happened. "Yeah," I replied. "Rook, why didn't you tell me?"

  "...Because."

  I let out some breath and turned my gaze up toward the roofing of the tent. "I don't think any less of you after finding you in that situation, Rook. I'm just glad I was able to stop it."

  "You know why that guy's been after me?" Rook suddenly spoke up while turning his gaze to the same spot that mine was centered. He waited for me to answer him. When I didn't, he went on. "Exactly. Me neither. It's that weird kind of shit that seems to happen to people from time to time here. I'm a veteran here and people still try to hurt me."

  I felt bad for him. It wasn't the only time that Rook had been a target due to his youth and stature. The cafeteria was often riddled with jeers from other inmates toward Rook. He was something of a legend for surviving so many executions, but it hadn't gained him any respect. Men still saw Rook as a child, despite how brave he had proven to be since I'd arrived.

  "And you didn't tell Blank about this guy?" I pressed after a long pause.

  "No. It just started happening this week. And it's not really something I'm fond of casually chatting about, you know?"

  "But it's serious, Rook. He could have killed you."

  Rook snorted and moved his head back to the side of the tent. "Yeah, I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

  It was typical for him to have this kind of confidence in cheating death after so many failed executions, but the threat was still there. I questioned how to act around him, while at the same time I sizzled with the desire to remain by his side like a bodyguard from now on.

  He'll be fine, I tried telling myself. He may come out looking like shit, but he'll be fine.

  A year had passed since I'd entered the camp. In that span of time I'd managed to band together a group of power-hungry inmates to overtake the guards and turn them on our side. I still spent days getting whipped in Stone's office, gritting my teeth at the sight of the slothful, lusty man before being dragged back to my tent, but my hushed reign as Roavo's new, rising king had spread to every side of the camp and had given me hope. Inmates peeked into my tent for advice, for company, for assistance, and just for belief. Some were stunned that a single Strejc, and a lower-class minority at that, had stirred things up so easily in just one year. The news had not reached Stone yet, but I knew someday that it would. But I hoped the day would not come until it was my time to leave.

  Rook was back to his usual self after a short while. The contact with his attacker had shaken him, but soon he laughed and cracked jokes like everything was normal again. I took some time after the incident to head to Blank’s tent. I was reluctant to go to her and apologize about how I’d been acting, but knew it would be best if I got it off my chest. I rapped on the side of tent and waited.

  When it opened, I kept my gaze away from Blank’s eyes. "Look, I'm sorry for coming off so rude to you," I started. “I think we really got off on the wrong foot. Both of us.”

  Blank was quiet, but she’d folded her arms to listen.

  "Maybe you're not as bad as I originally thought," I continued. Her eyes were cool and steady as she inspected me. "You’re just doing your job most of the time, and you’re doing it a hell of a lot better than any of the guards or the warden here. Just..."

  Blank lifted her chin, her gaze cool. "Listen, I won't be horrible to you if you're not horrible to me. If there's an agreement there, I think I'm safe to assume we'll be in good standing with each other."

  I viewed her for a moment before nodding. "Right."

  A couple of days later a figment from my dreams visited my mind in a terribly tangible manner, jarring me back into realizing that there was a world I had left behind. I sat on the edge of the theater stage with Rook--a secondary place to eat when the cafeteria became too much to handle.

  Crow.

  Sylvain's voice met me right after I'd taken a bite, and I tried to keep my mannerisms subtle so that Rook didn't shoot me any funny looks.

  I wasn't going to say anything, but I felt the need to tell you. Dentrin had made plans to come get you, so I pushed him out of GreyCross to do so. But he was called at the last minute to stay within the city for official business. Era's request. I tried to persuade him again, but Era got in the way.

  My heart hollowed from the words. Why didn't you tell me this before? Were you trying to make it some kind of surprise?

  You are still wanting out, yes?

  Why can't the Strejca do something about my captivation?

  The Strejca had to go into hiding some time ago. Era has nearly erased them from the city with his laws.

  I cursed unde
r my breath, and Rook glanced my way curiously. I should have known that things would go to hell after the stunt Oraia had pulled.

  "You okay, blackie?"

  One of the doors to the theater opened, and a head of blue hair entered. Blank saw the two of us and slowly made her way down the rows of seats.

  "Hey, can I talk to you two for a minute?" she requested.

  Rook pulled off bits of his sandwich and began to toss them at Blank. "Watch out, Blank! It's raining food! The kitchen misses its best cook!"

  Blank batted away the pieces. "I don't know if I should laugh or slap you for that comment, Rook. Stop it and listen--this is important."

  Rook slowed the rain of bread and meat after seeing the look on her face.

  "Crow. That's your name, right?" Blank asked me.

  I nodded.

  "My father's recently lost one of his best guards. They up and quit on him. And because of that he's been getting much more violent. You're marked down on his execution list for tomorrow evening. I came to tell the two of you because I think you deserve to know."

  I paused in utter shock for a moment. Stone wants me dead? I had grown so used to eventually getting what I wanted that the talk of my actual killing was rather obscene. "I hate to sound rude, Miss Stone, but I've got this place wrapped around my finger. What's the worst thing that your father could do? Try and have me shot or hanged?"

  Rook didn't sport the same courage in his face I did. He was large-eyed and open-mouthed. "Blank, can't you convince him not to? Crow's a good guy! You recall how he saved me. Can't you do something?"

  Blank seemed bothered by the situation, but it was difficult to read her face.

  "I could talk my father's ear off about how much I don't want him to kill prisoners, Rook, but you know what's happened in the past. I have very little say in the matter. I'm upset that he plans to kill your friend, and yes." She glanced at me, "I do think that Crow is somewhat of a good guy. But that's never stopped my father before. He gets away with murder constantly."

  My meal no longer tasted pleasant enough to finish. I set down my sandwich. "What a coward," I uttered. "I'm not dying, dammit."

  "Crow, what you do now is up to you. I'll turn a blind eye if you decide to take the night off or go get yourself a drink," Blank commented. Her eyes looked sympathetic but resolute, which told me she was use to these kinds of talks.

  I flicked my eyes to Rook, whose shocked face had begun to grow ever more frustrated with every passing second.

  "Rook, pass me some of your luck, would you?" I joked darkly. "I think I'm gonna need it here."

  He kept quiet and took a fierce bite of what was left of his sandwich, chewing aggressively with a prickly pensiveness in his eyes. He was in the process of thinking, so I left him alone to turn my gaze back to Blank's resigned expression.

  "I'm not interested in celebrating my impending death," I responded to her. "I'm interested in stopping it completely."

  Blank's azure brow knitted. "I'm sorry, Crow, but there's not much I can do here. Like I said I can do my best to prevent it, but my father rarely lets me have my way. The only time I can accomplish anything is by going behind his back. I have more riding on my shoulders than just you, you know. I can't risk it."

  Rook made a noise. I wasn't sure what it was, exactly, but his huff and scowl were enough to catch Blank's attention and compel her to speak again. "Fine," she sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm only doing this because I hate seeing Rook take things so hard." She looked back at me. "I have zero compassion for most inmates--I'm telling you that right now."

  Rook and I watched her take her leave and step back through the auditorium doors. Rook looked about ready to do something brash, so I placed a calm hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Rook. I'm not dying. I'm going to fix this."

  That night I planned. It was a reckless and stupid plan, but if I were going to die anyway it didn't matter if I end up caught. Rook demanded he help me out, although I only asked that he be my watch in case a guard came into the warden's cabin. I didn't tell Blank about my stunt, too worried of causing more of a stir than necessary.

  It was an ugly evening. Clouds hung over the sky, blotting out any sparkle of stars that were normally visible. In fact, the only thing visible was Denzeron, the black asteroid that had decided to float into Kairenz's orbit in a perpetual dance, becoming the planet's most dominant moon. I took the bleak night to mean only impending doom.

  Rook had distracted two of the guards from around the back of the cabin with squawking bird noises and hurled profanities, giving me a chance to sneak in through a partly open window in Stone's bedroom. I kept low to the floor as I moved across the room, listening closely to hear any movement. I heard an unusual voice... Blank's. It resonated from a couple of rooms over. I had to tell myself that I wasn't in the cabin to spy on Blank, but I couldn't help but listen anyway.

  "You only want him dead because he's Anli! I know how racist you are!"

  "Blank, you know well by now that it doesn't make a difference. My guards have seen him up to mischief more often than I would like."

  "So you're going to kill him instead of just castigating him like the others?" Blank shouted. "Father, he has friends and family outside of this prison!"

  "That isn't the only reason for his execution," Stone continued. "There have been suspicions rising about him and several other prisoners plotting against security."

  I pressed myself against the door frame, holding my breath.

  "And has there been any proof?" Blank demanded. I could just picture her now, folding her arms and biting her lower lip in disgust. Having been at the receiving end of that look more than once, I knew how intimidating it could be.

  There was a long pause. "No, there hasn't, but we can't be too careful."

  "Father!"

  "Blank, this is final. He's caused enough problems since entering the camp. He's long overdue."

  I didn't wait to hear more. If Blank couldn't talk her father out of it, I would prevent the execution another way.

  I skirted down a short hallway and found myself between two more doors. One was a bathroom, which I discovered only by peering in, and the other was most likely a closet. I turned the handle, but cursed silently when discovering it was locked. No matter--I'd come prepared. I reached to the hem of my prisoner pants, as they didn't carry pockets, and withdrew my weapons of choice--two hair pins I'd stolen from Blank's tent. I bent them slightly and slipped them into the keyhole, sucking on the inside of my lip and praying the lock picking trick Rook had taught me some time ago would work tonight. It was not as easy as my purple-haired friend made it out to be. As I carefully twisted the pins the lock eventually clicked. The handle slackened, and I opened the door quietly.

  There they were. My hunting coat was hung up with a few other unfamiliar coats, and the rest of my things, including my phone and Stelliot's handmade charm, rested on a shelf just above my head.

  Stone had a lot of prisoner outfits thrown out, but Rook had assured me that the warden kept the more unusual items in a personal stash. Overcome with the thought of home, I ducked my head and pressed my nose against the arm of my coat, inhaling the scent of GreyCross. It smelled like smoke, but mostly... oh gods... It smelled like Toanwar's house. Even after a year, it still carried that familiar scent.

  What am I even still doing in Roavo? Why haven't I gotten out yet? I stunned myself as I stood there, feeling locked in one position. The realization had mentally staggered me. I had the strength to leave Roavo any time. I didn't know how, but I knew I could do it. So why hadn't I? Was it because of Blank? Or Rook? I missed Toanwar, Zlade, Click... I missed Va'th, Insidd... even Phazer. But most of all, I missed Stelliot. Roavo was not my home. GreyCross was where I lived. Despite the terrible President Era or even Allan Dentrin, GreyCross was where my life had changed for the better. It was where I'd become a proud Strejc and had left my wretched life in the Gasaidiatt behind me for good.

  I heard a rustle from one of the
other rooms, and it snapped me back to attention. I seized my things, threw them into the pockets of my coat, and took it off the hanger, rushing back to where I'd first entered the cabin. I didn't run into anyone on the way out, and this time didn't stop to listen if Blank were still in the warden's office.

  I met up with Rook a few yards away from the cabin. He smiled when he saw my coat.

  "Gonna go prove your life is worth it, Strejc?" he asked.

  "I've got a phone call to make first," I stated. "You have any outlets in that theater of yours?"

  "To charge your phone? Of course. And adapters too. Thanks to the moron guards adding power to the north corner of the casino, I got electricity in my hideout."

  I looked at him oddly. "You have phone adapters?"

  He returned the expression. "I'm a seasoned thief, Crow. Do I really need to remind you?"

  Rook had a point. I had a very short span of time to make my plan work, and if I were going to do it right, I needed to utilize what Rook had and contact my hackerbot.

  The signal was bad in Roavo. Stone's cabin had a phone, proving there was connection here, but I wasn't about to risk getting caught tonight. I tried various parts of the theater to call Toanwar's personal phone, and finally had to walk to an upper left corner of the audience area to get enough reach. Toanwar's tone of voice surprised me when he answered. He was in bed--I could tell because his words were slightly slurred from grogginess. I wasn't aware of how early in the morning it probably was by now, but my godfather did not sound shocked at all.

  "Crow... It's a rather random time for you to be calling. You still have your Strejc work schedule, I see."

  "Toanwar, oh gods... I didn't think I'd be able to reach you."

  "I knew you would." Toanwar's voice carried an impish hint. "Sooner or later, I would hear from you again. I'm surprised you haven't blown up Roavo yet."

  "...You weren't concerned for me at all?"

  "Well of course I've been concerned for you. When you were taken, I was distraught. But you forget I've seen you tough out life-threatening injuries and situations. And Zlade and I have been receiving routine updates on your well-being since you left. I believe the authorities there haven't told you any of that."