Empyrean Iris Story Collection

In Your Place

"FASTER SOLDIERS, FASTER. NO FEAR, YOU ARE ALLOWED NONE HERE!" Feed pounded across the ground in a cacophony of rhythmic thudding, "YOUR HONOR LIVES OR DIES HERE!" The bodies threw themselves to the ground crawling through the dirt, and over jagged stone. Small cries of pain and whimpering broke from small mouths as orange blood dripped onto the rocks. "FEEL THE WAR IN YOUR BONES YOUNG SOLDIERS!" a staff thudded and cracked against carapace with a sharp crack drawing from it the wailing of an injured creature, "SOLDIERS DON'T WEEEP!" Another loud crack, but there was no noise this time.

The mud gave way to a field of sharp stone, a small figure braced the carapace of her forearms against the stone and began struggling with vigor over the sharp rocks. She made no noise as the stone cut into the grey of her skin spilling the orange of her blood across the rocks. Her eyes were set forward past the stone and towards the finishing spot. She scuttled on all six limbs with her belly to the ground biting back the pain as it rolled up in waves from her abused skin. The light flexibility of her forearm carapace had not yet set, leaving the armor pliable enough to feel the sharp rocks underneath.

She was going quickly, or at least she thought she was, until one of the other younglings outstripped her by a good pace or two scuttling across the stone with his long legs and arms. He was much taller than Sunny, but in her eyes, he was cheating. He wasn't using the proper technique avoiding the rocks that dug into his skin.

No one saw.

She kept her head down, that was fine, as long as she finished second, and did it right, she could feel good about herself. Something tugged at her leg from behind, pulling her onto her stomach atop the hard stone. She bit back a grunt and a whimper. Something scuttled past her, as a shadow loomed over her pressing down on her back and using her for leverage as it moved forward. This time, she cried out in pain as the sharp volcanic stone cut against her. They didn't even move back as the bigger Drev children pushed past her.

She lay on the stone seething and hurting as she watched them go. Someday, when she was bigger....

Just then, she was eclipsed by another massive shadow looking up through her pain to find the tall shape standing over her. Gold eyes, not unlike her own, flashed against the volcanic sky.... General.... Her mother.

Sunny quickly scrambled to the correct position bracing to be yelled at, but the mass, regal form turned away from her in dismissal, "LOWER DOWN SOLIDER" She scolded towards the back of the group. Sunny felt her heart drop, what she would have given to be yelled at instead of simply ignored.

She vowed to try harder, pushing towards the front scraping and cutting herself against stone, dripping blood onto the rocks before limping to her feet at the end of the course, her entire front was slick with little lines of blood. She ran to her place in line and stood straight as the others pushed themselves over the line. They were less bloody than she was, but she could take the pain, she had finished fourth after all.

The general was here again, walking up the line with the purple metal of her carapace glittering in the light of their sun breaking through the ashy ceiling. She eyed them passing over Sunny and then stopping. She said nothing. Pointing towards a group of younglings at the back, "Moderately acceptable work you three." She lifted her noble head adorned by the decorative and ceremonial armor, "the rest of you.... PATHETIC!"

She stormed about the grounds yelling insults at the young recruits, as Sunny felt her heart sink, but she had tried so hard, so much pain, but she kept quietly to attention her head up and her eyes staring straight forward. The general made her way down the line pausing by Sunny for a long moment. She didn't make eye contact with her, she stared straight ahead.

"Next time, just focus on your form, and stay at the back. You're an absolute mess." She walked away just then fading into the ranks of Drev as the sky's ash thickened, and Sunny was thrown into darkness.