Guardians (Æthyrium Rising - Guardians Book 1)

by Zachariah Dracoulis

  “He scratched his bloody nose,” Eira growled, “why did you think that was an option? We were meant to make dad proud and instead you go ahead and make an arse of yourself on the first day.”

  She seemed quite angry for something that really wasn’t that bad, based on the timing alone they’d only been held back an extra minute or two. Then it hit me. “Space fatigue?”

  She nodded between mouthfuls of egg, “Space fatigue. I absolutely hate it. I had that dream where all my teeth fell out, but normally when it’d stop I had to watch my nails fall off, my skin, my eyes, my-”

  “Eating.” Tyr said firmly.

  “Eat shit and die.” Eira snapped back.

  I think it was at that moment that both Mouse and I decided we’d like to have a silent breakfast.

  The day had other plans for us though.

  That’s when I heard a nasally laugh coming toward us, typical of the inbred planet of Vierces. I’m exaggerating, the whole planet isn’t filled with inbreds.

  There had to be tourists there sometimes.

  “Oh look chaps, Kaltjarnans. How quaint.”

  I gave an exasperated breath, but said nothing.

  “Well, it would seem you’re sitting in our spot. So…”

  “I’m not going to do it.” I said, answering Tyr before he could speak.

  He gave me a stern look, “But really, don’t.”

  I nodded, “Promise. As long as he goes away, I promise.”

  “What’s that?” the Vierces asked. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Annoying. Wait, you did ask what you were, right?”

  He gasped, or whistled, it was hard to tell with his, I assumed, malformed mouth hole, “What makes you think you can talk to me like that?”

  “I wanted to say inbred, I really wanted to say inbred. But I stopped myself.”

  “She’s not worth the time,” another said, “come on Makthar.”

  The one identified as Makthar scoffed, “You’re right. Just some Kaltjarnan whore, come on lads, let’s find somewhere else.”

  I bit my lip and waited until they were gone before opening my mouth again, “See? Told you.”

  Tyr was fuming, but it was obvious that he didn’t want to be the one to pick a fight when I’d gone to all the effort to not. “Good on you.” he said, shovelling food into his mouth like an angry excavator.

  We finished our meal and a sort of dishwasher rack came up from the table with these cups every few rows for cutlery. After giving the plate a final lick, I placed it in the tray and the cutlery in the cup nearest me before getting up and going to walk out the doors, Makthar and his lackeys barging past me in the process. I fought off the urge to grab him and beat him into the ground right then and there, and instead went with the route of peace.

  I figured that’d be the last I’d have to deal with Makthar and his lackeys, but, you know, I’m a bit of a presumptuous idiot.

  Pain

  After breakfast it was pretty much nonstop drills in the RAC until lunch, which is when fuck-face-McGee decided that he wasn’t done trying to piss me and my siblings off.

  It started off with him just being generally racist about Kaltjarnans, nothing we hadn’t heard before, but then he started going after us personally, commenting on Eira and I’s breasts, saying Mouse was clearly a boy, stuff like that.

  However, it wasn’t until Eira got up to leave that Makthar decided to do something really stupid. He slapped her on the arse, and that’s when things… escalated.

  I was the one who threw the first punch, collecting the bastard right in the eye. His buddies were there to protect him though, one of them grabbing me by the arm and pulling me away from Makthar, but not before I kicked him in the back, knocking him onto the table where Tyr was able to grab a hold of him and drag him across.

  While Tyr handled Makthar, I decided it was time to free myself. I tripped my grappler, but caught the hand that was holding me as he fell, giving me the perfect amount of leverage to pop the unlucky twit’s arm right out of its socket.

  From there it’s a bit of a blur, I remember getting grabbed by soldiers and getting a horrendous tickling. I was assured afterward that I had been electrocuted, but to me it all seemed to be the same.

  Suddenly I was standing with Tyr in front of Captain Vyard in his private office just off the bridge. “Care to explain what in the Hells you were thinking?”

  “The little cun- Makthar sexually assaulted my sister, sir.”

  “So far the only three who are telling me that side of the story are you and your sisters, all of which had an argument with Makthar this morning. Besides that fact you nearly beat the boy to death, he’s only up and about because our medical staff got to him before there was any serious brain damage. Do you understand how strong you are, Pledge?”

  The Captain sighed and rubbed his head, “At least you had the decency to stop and accept when you were detained. You on the other hand, Pledge Nokri, dislocated a fellow Pledge’s shoulder, and followed that up with breaking a guard’s nose and fracturing another’s rib.”

  I couldn’t believe what I’d done, I was so ashamed, “I didn’t mean to, I swear, I just thought it was another of Makthar’s friends trying to atta-”

  “Save it. I don’t need your excuses, I’ve already heard what happened. The fact is that you cannot assault my crew, which includes the pledges. Tyr, you’re confined to quarters until we can get this all straightened out, Freyja…I’m sorry, but the laws are there for a reason. Fifteen lashes in the RAC. I can have a guard escort you, or you can make your way there of your own volition, your choice.”

  I felt like I was going to pass out, Tyr’s cries for mercy ringing hollow in my ears as I nodded, saying “Escort.” but not hearing it, before waiting there as two sets of guards came into the office, one grabbing Tyr and the other gently guiding me to the door as Vyard got up and made the announcement.

  I knew it wasn’t for some spectacle or display of power, it was an example.

  I was an example.

  The point wasn’t for me to accept it though, the point was to make sure everyone understood exactly what happened to those who broke Vyard’s laws.

  The guards and I reached the RAC with a great deal of stares along the way, but it was nothing compared to what was waiting in the room itself. Every single one of the pledges and cadets on the ship had been called in and had formed up on one side of the room while a single section of wall had been raised on the other.

  I was guided over to the wall and asked to take off my shirt and bra, which I did, followed by putting my wrists up on the wall where magnetic restraints were put over them by the soldiers who then walked off to the side.

  It was about then that Vyard’s voice began to pervade my hearing, replacing the constant intelligible whisperings from the crowd behind me. “…For the crime of assault on a fellow pledge, Pledge Nokri of Urbetes will take fifteen lashes as punishment. After she has served her punishment her transgression will not be used against her, she will continue her training and will not be belittled for her mistake. Am I understood?”

  “Yes sir!”

  “Good. Sergeant, carry out the sentence.”

  After that I heard the sounds of the whip hitting the ground as it was unwound, followed by an ear-piercing crack and a searing pain that burned so deep in my back that I could feel it in my chest. I got through that first one without making a sound, believing gullibly that it would get easier.

  It didn’t.

  Each lash was worse than the last, and by the time the Sergeant got to fifteen I’d lost the ability to scream, my legs refused to work, and I could feel the warm wetness of blood seeping down my back, soaking up in the waist of my pants.

  “Get her to the infirmary, now.” I heard Vyard say before returning to his address for the ‘audience’.

  I got taken to the infirmary by two soldiers, one holding up from under the arms and the other by my ankles. Once there, a female medic went to work on fixing me
up, first cutting off my pants and underwear as I laid face down on a white bed, then going to work on cleaning the blood off, “Someone get her some clothes from her room. Soft ones.” she said calmly to the soldiers before turning back to me, “Are you alright? Are you awake?”

  I tried to say yes but could only barely manage a nod.

  “Good, good. Now this won’t hurt at all while I’m doing it, I promise, but once you’re back in your room you may want to make sure you don’t wear anything that touches your back for the night. After a night’s rest you should be fine though, not even a scar.”

  I nodded again. I was so weak at that point I couldn’t even cry, I was just stuck in my own personal prison of pain.

  She wasn’t lying about it not hurting though, if anything it kind of tickled as what I guessed was some kind of medical cradle lowered over me and went to work putting me back together. The whole process was over in a few minutes, and after that I was actually able to sit up and accept the pair of pyjamas from the soldier who, out of respect, was making sure to avert his eyes as best as he could.

  “In a few minutes you’ll probably feel some discomfort,” the medic said from out of view as I pulled on my clothes, “so I suggest returning to your room and getting into bed before that happens.”

  “Thank you.” I croaked out before leaving the infirmary behind.

  As much as it sucked, I can tell you one thing, I was sure I wouldn’t get into another fight any time soon.

  Revenge

  Almost as soon as I curled up on my bunk in the pitch-black room I stopped holding back, pulled off my shirt, and let the tears stream across my cheeks. My back hurt, burned really, but that wasn’t why I found myself bawling.

  I was crying because I felt like a disappointment.

  Before The Call I’d never even been so much as scolded by anyone other than my mum and dad, and I never felt like I needed to be. But on Captain Vyard’s ship? I was under a new set of rules and I knew I deserved what I got.

  I was ashamed of myself, a mess of a soldier who not only got lashed, but was now crying about it like a child. Years of bruises and broken bones without a peep, now I was gasping for breath past sobs and trembling over a whipping.

  Pathetic.

  The door flashed open while I continued to face the wall, three sets of boots stomped in, and then the door slid shut. I assumed it was some kind of support group or something and ignored them.

  “Aw, is the Kaltjarnan slut cold?” said a familiar, but significantly more nasally voice.

  I rolled over in time to see the arsehole’s face staring at my bare chest as two of his cronies pinned my wrists and ankles to the mattress, “Guess we’ll just have to warm you up then.” he sneered.

  I struggled against the hands on my wrists, “Get the fuck off me you cree-!”

  Makthar silenced me with a hand on my mouth and a blade to my throat as he climbed on top of me, “Shh shh shh. Wouldn’t want any unwanted attention,” he said while dragging the tip of the knife down my chest and to my waist, “would we?”

  The tears had disappeared from my eyes and, as he pulled away his hand, a scowl took their place.

  “Good girl. Let’s get started.” he said as he cut away my elasticated waistband and worked at his pants.

  I wanted to scream, to struggle and cry out, but I knew that they’d kill me the second I did, and then I’d never take him out.

  I closed my eyes in preparation, but right before they could get started I heard a heavy crunch and a thud at my ankles, the grip on them loosening shortly after. I saw a glint and shifted just in time to avoid Makthar’s knife, and decided I wasn’t waiting for whatever happened next. I wrapped my legs around him and monkey-gripped the one that had my wrists and, in one move, pulled them together.

  The one who had my wrists lost his grip and I used the opportunity to toss him off me while still holding Makthar with my thighs. He looked into my eyes with fear before I head-butted him and rolled us both onto the ground, me landing on top of him with my knees on either side of him.

  I grabbed blindly on the bed before finding and pulling out the knife, immediately attempting to drive it into Makthar’s skull, but his friend, who was lying in an odd heap next to us, caught my arm before I could bring it down. He was clearly still dazed and apparently lacked the ability to stand, but that didn’t stop his arms from working. In his insistence on saving his boss though, he’d pulled the knife over his own head.

  Before he realised what he’d done I released the knife, letting it drop into the moron’s open eye. He screamed and, while trying to grab at the source of pain, allowed me to slam my palm into the hilt and silence him.

  Makthar kicked me over his head, but instead of landing in a useless pile, I followed the momentum. I rolled over the body, ripping the blade from its eye socket in the process, splattering Makthar’s face with thick chunks of red. He was struggling to his feet as I turned to face him. I grabbed his ear and pulled him up, eliciting a girlish scream from him, before putting his knife to his throat.

  “Hel-!” he managed to cry out before I pushed the blade hard against his bare neck.

  “Sh-sh-shh. Wouldn’t want any unwanted attention, would we?” I snarled while he trembled.

  I was just about to slice, but then the door flashed open and a single shadowed figure stood in awe of what he saw.

  The light from the hall bathing the two bodies and blood pools, as well as revealing Mouse, who was standing in the corner, clutching something to her chest, and staring at me.

  “What in the Hells is going on here!?” the figure bellowed while looking from me to the sobbing boy I had a knife to.

  I was honestly considering whether or not I should just slice his throat and take my chances with the Corporal at the door, but honour, duty, and more than a little bit of sass took over, “Nothing sir.” I said as I snapped to attention and dropped the knife, “Just messing around.”

  Punishment

  “Two murders, and an attempt at a third…” Vyard didn’t seem angry as he rubbed his head and sat in his chair across from me, just tired. “Why?”

  I tugged on my loose-fitting shirt that I’d been forced to put on, “I’ve told you, sir, they tried to-”

  “Not asking you Pledge, I just can’t believe what’s come about my crew. Not two full days of training and I’m already having to write letters home.” he said, turning his attention to me. “You did the right thing.”

  I was completely lost for words, clearly he’d misspoken, “I… I…”

  The Captain stood up and walked to his office door, “Come with me, I’ll explain on the way.”

  Again, I was still lost, but I did as I was told and started following the Captain through the ship. In my pyjamas. Barefoot.

  “So, the boy made an attempt on you, yes? As did the others?”

  I nodded, “Yes sir. It was just inst-”

  “Don’t give me that. You wanted to kill them, it wasn’t instinct or anything else. You wanted them all dead, and the only reason that Makthar boy is breathing is because the Corporal found you.”

  I went to defend my words, but decided that the man clearly knew me better than I thought, “Yes sir.”

  “Good. Now that we’ve gotten past that, let’s talk about what is going to happen. Your sister, Mouse, is going to go to a trauma counsellor, she said she didn’t need it but I pressed, and you’re going as well. I’ve been around far too many ‘I’m fine’s and seen the aftermath to allow you to slip away. ”

  “Yes sir.” I said, successfully hiding my bitterness. I didn’t much like talking about my feelings, but I understood the protocol surrounding it. “What about Makthar?”

  “That’s what we’re going to see now. After a meeting with the Lieutenants, I’ve come to the conclusion that your brother be released from his room.”

  It seemed a bit odd to bring him up, until I realised where we were. One of many airlocks scattered around the ship used for standard disposal o
f rubbish and whatnot. A shield and a hard-glass door that could withstand tank rounds were placed at both the entrance to the airlock and the exit into space.

  What was in the room you might ask? None other than the wheezing and sobbing Pledge Makthar, his face significantly puffier than when I’d last seen him in the light of the mess hall.

  “Sir, are we going to space him?” I asked almost gleefully.

  “Not before I get a chance at him.” I heard Tyr say as he walked over from the opposite end of the hall that the Captain and I had come down, an armed escort behind him.

  “Tyr!” I shouted before running over and hugging him, which he briefly reciprocated before gently pushing me away.

  “You know I love a hug, but there’s something I’ve got to do first.” he said, pointing with his head to the airlock.

  That’s when all the pieces fell into place, “You’re going to kill him.”

  “That’s what the Captain said. A means of reparations, right sir?”

  I turned to the Captain who gave a nod, “Right. Let him in.” he said to the guards behind Tyr.

  I could only watch and follow as the three of them walked past me, letting Tyr in and gesturing for me to wait where I was.

  “No… No. No! Please no!” Makthar screamed as Tyr cracked his knuckles and got to work.

  I, to this day, have never seen my brother that mad before. Word’s alone cannot describe what he did to Makthar, beating him over and over again, it was brutal.

  By the time Tyr was done, Makthar was nothing but a bleeding pile, occasionally twitching and wheezing as my brother stepped out, covered in blood and breathing heavily, “I believe I need a shower.” he said to his hands.

  “Of course,” Vyard said with no small amount of discomfort, “you’re free to go.”

  Tyr smiled and nodded, “Thank you, sir. I’d hug you Frey, but, you know, messy.”

  “Yeah, yeah, course.” I said without taking my eyes off Makthar.