by L G Nauck
Alena sighed, looking down at her lap as she felt uncertainty rush through her.
“I don’t know. You know how difficult it is to be accepted, especially for humans. I’ll probably just get my ass kicked. And that’s the more optimistic option.”
Kaleck turned to her, his eyebrows drawn down in a fierce expression.
“Don’t say that! You know you have more skill than most of those people in the military! And just because they have claws and super speed doesn’t mean they are better than you. If anything, that is an unfair advantage. You worked hard for what you have while they were born with theirs. That shows how much better you are.”
She laughed half-heartedly but gave him a small smile in appreciation.
“Thanks. I’m going to try my best… But what about you? Why aren’t you trying out? We could both be accepted and get to live the high-life together.”
He shrugged, appearing unconcerned, “You know I am nowhere near as good as you are. You may get your ass kicked but mine would be mutilated. I would be dead, and then where would we be? How would you survive without me?”
She nudged him again, laughing together with Kaleck, “You know that’s not true! We are about equal in capability. And we might as well get our ass kicked together. Then we can share the same icepack and it would cut back on waste. Think of the environment.”
Alena gave him a fake meaningful look and he played along by nodding and folding his arms across his chest.
“That is true. I never thought of the poor planet in all this…”
“Exactly! That is why you must also try out. It is only right.”
“I’ll think about it.”
She knew that was all the answer she would get for now. She felt confident that she could eventually wear him down. But, did she really want him to try out if he was that terrified?
The train slowed as it drew closer to its’ destination. She turned to watch as the train pulled into the station. The station’s appearance was evidence of the area it was in. Even the station had soot covering the few benches and gates that inhabited the large room. That was partly the fault of half of the station being outdoors and the other half was the result of poor upkeep.
Once the train came to a complete stop, her and Kaleck got out of their seats and exited. Now that she wasn’t focused on training, her hunger was demanding her full attention.
“If we don’t get to the restaurant soon I’m afraid I’m going to have to start eating you. I’m sorry Kaleck, but one of us must survive.”
“Why are you the one who automatically gets to live by eating the other one? I feel like there should be a vote or something. Or at least a discussion about who would taste better.”
“Well I am mostly muscle, so I think you win that round.” Alena poked his side, grinning as she gave him a playful look.
“Hey, just because I took a break from working out doesn’t mean I’ve gotten that soft! I still have these beauties.” He flashed her a grin as he raised his bicep to flex it.
Alena shrugged, “I don’t know why you’re raising your arm right now. I’d put those noodles down before they blow away.”
Kaleck glared at her playfully but lowered his arm, “You don’t need to be jealous.”
She winked at him, but her smile grew when she noticed they had finally reached their destination. She didn’t feel guilty at all as she rushed to the counter so she could order first, Kaleck mumbling behind her about manners and common courtesy. She gave him a look over her shoulder before ordering another large bowl for him and paying for both.
“You didn’t have to do that!” He protested once she turned around to face him again.
She shrugged, “It’s no big deal. I worked a little extra this week at the pub, and after I get accepted in the military I’ll have all the money I could ever want.” She winked, turning to accept the bowl handed to her by the shopkeeper and began to move towards an empty table. Kaleck sat adjacent to her, smiling as he inhaled the delicious aroma.
“Well thank you. I will get the next one! You know I don’t like you paying for me from your money earned at that pub. I’m just grateful you won’t be working there much longer.”
Alena didn’t say anything, but she understood his hostility well. She had gotten a job at a small pub in the South district about two years ago. And even though the job brought in good money, she had to deal with constant sexual harassment. And her top harasser was the owner. Alena remained silent for the most part because she wanted to keep her job but she narrowly escaped prying hands more times than she could count. And unfortunately, she couldn’t always get away. Although it infuriated her to no end, she knew there weren’t many other options. She needed money and working in one of the factories would deteriorate her health to the point she would never get out. So, for the time being, she kept her mouth shut and forced herself to smile.
Kaleck hated it and offered many times to go to the pub and teach everyone a lesson. He knew she didn’t need saving. He also knew she had her reasons for putting up with the behavior. But he also cared about her. She was lucky to have such a great friend.
She smiled at him as she enthusiastically slurped down a noodle.
“That’s the encouragement I need! And all the more reason for you to also enter the competition and join me as we adventure the world together!”
She paused when she noticed his expression droop. She internally sighed, feeling suddenly guilty. Even though she would love if he also tried out with her, she couldn’t force him. She knew he had a lot of fear about competing and that wasn’t something she wanted to push.
“Hey, even if you don’t join then at least we can still hang out, right? And once I get a house, you will be the first one I call for a roommate.”
Kaleck chuckled, “Thanks, but you and I both know you will probably be in some kind of shared housing situation. Get ready for those images. I bet you’ll see underwear stains everywhere.”
She shivered at the image, “I think viewing yours was enough to last me a life time.”
She laughed out loud when Kaleck glared at her over his bowl.
“You know I am a model of cleanliness!”
That was one statement she knew to be one hundred percent true. Kaleck was often the one who cleaned up after her. When they had first met as children, he had been horrified by her dirty habits. She couldn’t even leave a sock on the floor without him freaking out. Which was quite a weird thing for an orphan child to obsess over, especially considering they didn’t even technically have a house to clean.
“I guess this would be a bad time to tell you that you’ve had dirt smudged across your forehead for the past couple hours huh?”
She could barely contain her grin as she watched him frantically wipe at his forehead with his forearm.
“Did I get it?” He asked, moving his arm.
She nodded, “Yep. The world’s safe once again.”
He glared, “You let me go that long without telling me?”
“Yep, and it was really hard too with all the stares you were getting. I almost felt embarrassed for you.”
She put another bite of noodle into her mouth, half-listening to Kaleck ramble on about the friend code.
She wouldn’t say she was cruel. If anything, she was all about building character.
“Have you looked into other jobs?” She asked, interrupting Kaleck’s chastising tirade.
He stopped mid-sentence and shrugged, “I was considering trying to go into leather work, but you know how hard it is to get into the field without being related to someone. They’re not kind to outsiders.”
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. You never know, someone may have no children or, even better, may dislike their kids and be looking for a perfect someone like you to come along.”
“Aw shucks, thanks for the confidence in me. It’s just a thought right now, but I was going to try to ask around.”
“I think that sounds like a great idea. I’ll do t
he same! I think I know someone who does leatherwork who comes into the pub…”
“That’s the type of person I wouldn’t want to work for.”
She nodded, “Understandable, but not everyone who comes into the pub is that bad. I’ll keep a look out for you. You’ve always been so helpful to me, I feel like it is only right that I return the favor.”
Kaleck nodded at Alena before they both turned their attention to finishing their meals so they could head back to the group house to get refreshed. Alena had to go to her job tonight and she knew Kaleck would probably immerse himself in another book or two. Her friend was quite the scholar and enjoyed expanding his knowledge in random areas. He had learned the art of rope tying, apothecary, and knew about three different languages. All from self-learning. Alena envied that ability. Her friend had an incredible mind. If only he had been born into different circumstances. He probably would have been the head of a business instead of living in a group house filled with about thirty children.
Yes, life could be unfair at times, but they worked with what they had.
As Alena slurped the last of her soup, she sent a silent prayer to whatever Gods were out there, asking for the strength to make it through the competition. It was her opportunity to become more. To get out of the hole.
It was the moment she had been waiting for and she couldn’t afford to fail.
Chapter Two
In the year 1025, the world was ruled by the Dayuki. Blessed with the power of the Gods, they had the extraordinary ability to heal any ailment. Sick and dying would be brought from all around the world to be touched by a Dayuki. Many were desperate for the miracle power that dwelled within their hands.
But this was not all the power they had. The Dayuki also had the ability to summon Great Spirit beasts to live amongst them. These Beasts made from fire, wind, ice, and earth were called upon to defend and help the Dayuki, protecting and serving them. For many years the Dayuki lived in peace, sharing their power with others.
Many years later, a plague swept through the population, eliminating almost everyone. For five years, the Dayuki were unable to fight against the mysterious sickness that had befallen their people. Although they had been blessed with the power of the Gods, they were not immune from the disaster that plagued their population. Even though most perished, it is rumored that a few were able to survive. Those that survived disappeared to various lands, never to reveal their power again.
Tane threw down the history book and let it slide across the table to stop in front of one of his advisers. A few glanced around nervously as they felt the weight of their king’s gaze on them.
Tane was not just powerful. He was the epitome of power. His every movement exuded an aura that warned others not to question him. His harsh features were accentuated by his long black hair that fell to below his shoulders and his striking silver eyes that had a tendency to turn red when he was angry.
Because he was born of the Dryken clan, Tane had a powerful wolf spirit inside of him. This also gave him a pair of deadly fangs and claws which could easily wrench a head off a body. The fact that the species were known for their strong bloodlust added to the intimidation factor. This all cumulated in the useful effect of making everyone he was around nervous.
As they should be.
For centuries, the Dryken clan had been the most greatly respected and feared of the Meticians.
And he was an alpha.
That was also why he was the current ruler.
He raised an eyebrow in challenge at the other man who was currently staring back at him with an equally serious expression.
“Are you telling me there is a prophecy of one of these Dayuki reappearing?”
“That is exactly what I am saying”
“And how exactly is that supposed to help me in any way? If there is some powerful person with God-like power that means I have a problem.”
“That would be a problem if the individual knew of their power and had full control over it. However, there has been no word of the species surviving, so there would be no way for the selected person to know of their origin, much less be able to realize and control such vast power. How would they learn without a community? I also have my own theories about the individual in question and I believe it may be more helpful to you than harmful.”
That had his attention.
“What do you suggest?”
“I did my research and learned of a birthmark that is a sign of the Dayuki. A teardrop. I viewed this very birthmark on the shoulder of a woman. A woman who is currently training to become a member of the army.”
That certainly was interesting news.
Tane leant forward in his chair, his interest piqued.
“Is she human? What of her powers?”
The adviser smirked, clearly pleased with the fact he had captured the king’s interest. That and the knowledge that he would be rewarded for his astute observation.
“She appears to have no idea about her powers or origin. From an investigation of her background, I found out she is an orphan who lives within the South district. She hopes to become a part of the military to boost her status. She also appears to have quite a large amount of combat skill. However, she showed no obvious signs of Dayuki qualities. This does not mean she is not of the species though. I plan to observe her, particularly during the competition, to see if there are any signs that will tell us for sure.”
Tane nodded, his fangs flashing in satisfaction before his piercing silver eyes moved around the room to make the other advisers squirm in discomfort.
He loved to make others uncomfortable. It meant they were aware of his status.
“What do you propose we do with her?”
The adviser flashed a grin in response, the twinkle in his eye giving Tane all the answer he needed.
“If I may, your highness, to have a weapon such as her could be beneficial to the kingdom and you in many ways.”
The message was clear. He could take the woman and mate her. Once mated to him, she would be bound to him and her powers could be used for his benefit. Not only would she fight alongside him and ensure security for the kingdom, but she could provide him powerful offspring. With offspring that possessed both wolf and Dayuki qualities, no one would ever question their position. Their power would be extraordinary.
And it just so happened that Tane was unmated. A fact that had not bothered him before since he had no interest in marital alliances. In the Metician world, mating was meant to increase the power of both members. Currently there was no one to increase his power. But this prospect… Well, this changed things.
To be the king mated to the last of an extinct group of powerful summoners.
Well, that would be quite an esteem-booster.
Tane nodded, “The competition is approaching fast. I want to have a seat that gives me a full visual of the arena. I also want all guards to be on full alert. Just in case, I want protective measures put into action in case she tries to use her powers against anyone.” A fang flashed as he grinned, “I may have a mate soon.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alena sat on a fallen tree, sharpening a knife. Even though to an outsider perspective it would seem she was distracted, she always kept her senses on full alert, listening intently for any changes in the environment. She knew at any time something could go wrong and she would have to act. In addition, she currently had no idea where Kaleck was and knew she might have to go save him from another ant hill or bush.
Alena smiled, remembering when she had to pull Kaleck out of a thorn grove. That incident involved pulling the thistles out of his skin and trying to help him limp back to the house. Clearly it had not been the most pleasant of experiences. Especially when her softie of a friend had whined the entire time. She would have thought he had lost an arm with the amount of crying he did.
Once she was satisfied with the sharpness of the blade, Alena deposited it in a strap on her hip and hid the stone she used underneath the tree. This
area had been the camp chosen by her and Kaleck. Whenever they would get separated, they both knew where to meet. There were also trinkets hidden throughout the foliage. Such as the rock she used to sharpen weapons. Weapons she had either crafted or managed to steal away.
Alena breathed in deeply, stretching her arms above her head to feel the muscles move and pop. She almost moaned with the feeling of her body being stretched after sitting in a bent over position for so long. She was accustomed to being active and hated sitting still for long periods of time.
When they had come to the Forest of the Mystique, they had originally planned to catch some squirrels and practice shooting arrows. However, the plan had developed into her and Kaleck getting separated. This of course resulted in her searching for him until she got frustrated and decided he could find her instead. Alena glanced at the bag that was filled with fresh meat. Their house mother would be ecstatic tonight. Although their house mother was nice enough to provide shelter and food for the dozens of orphaned children living in her house, she had a lot of stressors and a major one was finding the resources to care for all the children. Now that her and Kaleck had gotten older, she had begun to look at them as adults who were taking too long to find their place in society.