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starr-fall-knight-rise · 5 years

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Humans Are Space Orcs, “Becoming.”

Sorry this is little late guys, but I had class at nine, and things were crazy, so here you go, and hope you like it :)

I stand in the center of the Drev temple; every tribe has one -- every tribe that stays in one place that is. The most famous temple is the one where sunny grew up “the temple of the four warriors”, of course, after Sunny’s tribe left to join my ship, it was taken over by another tribe, and those that remained were either driven out or absorbed into other clans. Sometimes I feel bad about that, and then I remember how they treated sunny, and my pity for them marginally decreases.

The surrounding temple is called the temple of the rising sun, and while it is rather small, it is pretty impressive. Its impressive because, instead of being made out of volcanic glass, some nifty Drev found himself some blue veined marble. The outside, of course, is line din dark stone like one would expect, but walking inside you are immediately blinded by the glowing white of the stone illuminated by shafts of golden light filtering in from the high-vaulted ceiling.

It’s a pretty beautiful piece of work, especially from a group of people who tend to be more interested in killing each other than anything else.

However, today things are a little bit different.

Today I am joining another tribe.

Yeah, I get it, this is like my second or third tribe, what can I say, I am a tribe slut.

It’s not like I was planning on missing out on this.

Technically this is my coming of age day. I never got to do something like this with Sunny’s Clan so, its more than a little exciting.

Today I am becoming a man.

Took me long enough.

I Turn my head towards the far wall watching as the rest of the clan slowly trickles inward. A familiar face locks eyes with e from the back of the crowd. I am pleased to see Hijan up and walking. I was worried than her injuries taken during battle were doing to be serious, which was as bad as a death sentences in a traditional Drev clan, but she looked fine, and even waves at me from the back row.

I taught her how to do that.

I wave back before turning my eyes forward, the magnate and the sentinel have taken their places on the stand.

Together with seven other young Drev warriors, I stand at the center of the center of the temple bathed in the warm honey glow of descending sunlight. The seven of us managed to distinguish ourselves n the last battle generally by preforming our first kill, and that is what sets us out for the rest of our comrades.

A few sullen looking Drev teenagers stand to the side of the room not having managed to do what we had done, and so, therefore, stuck as children still.

The magnate begins to speak, he talks about duty and honor, and being a presence on the battlefield. He praises us for his work, and once or twice he throws in some snarky ass comment about me being here, but I don’t mind. He is just jealous that a human managed to distinguish himself in as little amount of time as I did.

The magnate doesn’t like me much, but he can suck dick since the Sentinel has grown surprisingly fond of me.

I am forever grateful that their coming of age ceremony is nothing like the ceremony in Sunny’s tribe, where they use crude tools to carve slots into the carapace where the armor is then cut.

Of course these guys have that, but they put less emphasis on the armor, and a little more on the weapon. Together, the group of us kneel on the ground as the temple workers make their slow way forward. Each weapon is supposed to be crafted by a member of the family, and since Hijan made my armor, I have a sneaking suspicion I know where mine is coming from.

“Anirana ee kalal s tsana gahas.” Blood and steel with you forever

Metal slams against stone, and we bow our heads.

“Tahajeeneesh tsanak jahad dal.” Hod your hand up.

We do as ordered.

I close my eyes as cold steel meets the palm of my hand. Warm blood gushes from the wound and down my arm.

I shiver.

Cold steel is pressed against my wound. I close my eyes as hot blood trickles down the shaft of the spear. When I finally open them, I look up at the weapon. It is beautiful about eight feet of light weight but strong steel alloy with a wickedly barbed spearhead and glittering metal point. ON it’s bottom edge there is a small pole spike which can be used in the opposite directions.

A series of delicate carvings run up the shaft, and I can feel them adding extra grip to my blood-slicked hand

Nothing without a purpose.

“Nizeesh ee tadeesh ka s tach.” Stand and be one with the clan.

We stand and all together the surrounding room breaks out into a symphony of war cries that rise up towards the ceiling breaking in great waves over the stone only to trickle outward into daylight. A stream of golden light surrounds me, and a hundred voices chant together to carry me upwards.

***

I sit on the edge of the stone outcrop staring out over the darkened landscape. The volcanoes are more active tonight, and I can see their fiery red glow brimming along the horizon.

I tap the edge of y new spear against the stone before lying back in the moss and staring up at the stars.

A bright white star catches y eye in the southern sky Eedacheel. I smile.

“Good evening Polaris.”

The star doesn't talk back obviously, but it makes me feel good to see her. Crazy how two different species can share the same guiding star. The coincidences would have to be astronomical for that to happen, but there she is.

I glanced down at my wrist, at the implant and the tracking beacon I had activated after the ceremony.

I sigh and lean back.

The dark season is coming, and I know I have to leave before then, I have to get back to my work and back to serving the galaxy, back to being a leader… someone everyone relies on.

I have to face the crippling self-doubt and lingering memories of failure that had driven me to Anum in the first place.

Something rustles in the moss behind me, but I don’t turn

A dark shape sits next to me in the darkness resting one hand on my arm.

“Hijan nakt.” beautiful night

“Yid.” yes I whisper

“Tsa najish.” You’re leaving. Her voice sounds sad and that kills me, makes my insides twist with pain and hurt. I Imagine Hijan left all along here on the planet with no one to dote on like she deserves.

Makes me feel sick.

I turn to look at her mouth open in a forming apology, but when I do I find her eyes to be smiling despite her voice.

“Zhe sesani…. Zhe-zhe zhegingi daeenat… j.” Im sorry i-i want to stay…. But

She held up a hand silencing me before placing a palm gently against my cheek, “Jee.” no, she shook her head, “tsa nehzhegingish daeen daeenat. Tsa zhegingish tsak tach jastat.” you do not want to stay here, you want to see your clan again.”

I want to ask her to come with me, but I know she won’t. Hijan is too loyal to leave like that.

“Zhe tageeni’ik.” I will return

“Zhe rekazi.” I know

And then I am enveloped in a four arm hug.

I taught her how to do that too.

We sit together for a while under the light of Polaris, and for once it seems quiet...

Until the screaming begins.

Both of us leap to our feet and turn towards the village.

Dark shapes are swarming up from all directions.

“DALEEST!” Ambush! I yell scrambling over the rocks with Hijan limping at my heels. Neither of us are wearing armor. We only have our spears. The village is alive with the screaming sounds of confusion.

I try to cover Hijan as best I can as we limp towards her cottage.

Warriors scream.

Children cry out in fear. We aren’t ready for this.

We have almost made it when three dark shapes rise up in our vision. I leap in front of hijan as the first spear plunges towards us. I knock it away, but only barely, i feel warm blood running down my knuckles, but the pain is gone.

I am being overwhelmed, knocked backwards. Hijan fights for her life at my back.

Turning my head, I watch a small light appear in the distance.

I have to ignore it a moment alter as another spear comes sailing towards my head. I duck under it and thrust upwards into my opponent’s gut. The spear head slides in like butter, but I have to pull hard to get it out as the barbed point rips from the creature’s chest.

The rocks around us are bathed in light.

The Drev before me squints and holds up an arm to cover his eyes.

The sound of an engine.

And before I realize what is happening a figure sails out of the darkness highlight by the high beams of a hover craft.

The shape slams into the three Drev bowling them backwards with a thundering war cry I would recognize anywhere.

“Chalan!”

The shape turns spinning a spear through her two upper hands bright blue carapace glittering in the headlights.

She turns to look at me golden eyes flashing before turning away and motioning her opponents closer. I run up spear held tight to cover her back, the two of us circling hijan in the middle protecting her from further harm.

It was like I had never left.

And together we fall into a familiar rhythm of complete and total domination of the battlefield.

Spears whirl and twist. We trade spots yelling commands and movements until somewhere the line is broken, and I am left panting on the rocks as Sunny races after them spear in one hand.

“Come back you bastards!” She yells, “Come back and fight.”

The rest of the clan is limping awkwardly to their feet.

The surprise attack was a serious one, but only one of our number died, and no one was seriously wounded.

I feel a grin splitting y face as I watch sunny pull to a stop in the moss spear raised yelling challenges towards the retreating Drev battalion.

I nearly leap out of my skin with hijan sanding next to me, “Na tsak?” she wonders motioning towards Sunny.

“Yid.” I nodded grinning. It feels good to see her, like way good, better than I could have expected.

Damn I had missed her. I didn’ even realize how much until she turned back and walked towards us her regal head held high, her gore covered spear thrown over one shoulder, and her long even stride eating up the ground confidently between us.

I tried to look at Hijan, and found that she was looking sunny up and down with a critical eye. For a moment I worried she would say something disparaging about her height, but hijan simply turned her head to look at me her eyes crinkled a bit, “Na hijan jee?”

I was glad it was dark because the heat rushing into my face would have been hilariously obvious.

“Hijan.” I hissed

She rumbled low in her chest with great amusement at my discomfort as sunny made her way up the incline to stop before me.

She looked down at me, and I up at her.

She then picks me up in a four arm hug that nearly snaps my spine. I Pat her side with what little arm reach I have in the crushing hug wheezing as she sets me down.

I awkwardly cleared my throat, “Took you long enough.”

She ignored me, “Chalan, huh…. You’ve never called me that before.”

“It’s your name isn’t it.”

She cocked her head at me.

I stumbled awkwardly, “Er unless you don’t want me to….”

She laughed to, “Stop being so weird, besides…. I kind of like it. Your pronunciation is adorably awkward.”

I sighed, “Thanks for that…… Anyway.” I quietly turn the conversation. “Oh uh, Sunny, there is someone I’d like you to meet.” I motion towards hijan, “This is Hijan, she has been showing me the ropes.”

Sunny lowers er head in deferential greeting to the older Drev, “Leave it to you to Immediately get adopted.

“Leave it to me to be charming enough to be immediately adopted.”

“Nee ts tsak tach?” He is in your clan?

“Yid nee jyak Lodgeeda.” He is our clan leader

I am not sure if I should be insulted or amused at how surprised hijan looks.

“Nee!” him!

Sunny is laughing as I have my arms crossed.

“Nee...jee, nee da’an dzhalka.” him no, he is only a baby.

Sunny cant breath and I honestly hope she chokes on her spit, “yid nee yaheen dzhalzheen.” Yes he is a great warrior

I feel a little better, that is until hijan snorts and waves a hand. She seems to think this is all some kind of funny joke.

“Yid zhe graneen tach ts kazna geeldani.” Yes I lead the biggest clan in the galaxy

That only seems to make her laugh harder, and I sit with my arms crossed as she laughs and then her and sunny exchange some quick fire conversation that I have difficulty understanding.

The last thing I hear as the two of them walk away chatting like housewives is a single sentence, “zhe tatazan nee tsa zhalich. Nee gahan lana nee tehich gingich. “ I am glad he has you, he needs all the help he can get.

I strain to hear further, but all I hear is.

“Yid ee zhe nee gingi jej.”

Then again I am pretty sure I might just be hearing things.

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