Star Rising: Heartless (4 page)

Mud and grime fell from the man’s boots as he tapped them against each other. The clean carpet was now full of dark patches of dirt. “Don’t stop now.”

“The people from the markets say that the Deargs are being controlled by Yashvir. They say he was a great man who—”

Reave’s eyes widened. “Great you say? That
great
man you speak of nearly eradicated all human life in the universe. There
was
nothing great, about that monster.” He put special emphasis on the past tense word,
was
. “Besides, Yashvir was destroyed. He’s not coming back.” Reave spoke with such conviction, that Xalen found himself nodding in agreement. “It is far more likely that the Black Sanction is behind this.”

“The Black Sanction?”

“Think of them as the total opposite of the Bastion. While the Bastion strives to maintain peace between the races of the universe, Black Sanction’s goal is to cause strife between them. In their skewed opinion, the races should not mix. Humans should live, befriend, love, marry, and socialize only with humans, Oblisks with Oblisks, Milthos with Milthos, Gerts with Gerts, and, well you get the point. They also believe that only the human race is worth saving, and they will gladly eradicate an entire species if it means saving one human life.” As Reave spoke, the ship shook over so slightly. A second later the darkness of space came into full view through the window. Countless stars near and far shined brightly. The mass of purple that was Vintra’s moon hung silently, its inner violet and white colors swirling in a violent vortex. Xalen stood, drawn to the window. His mouth had gone dry, his jaw hung open in awe.

“I never thought I would be this close the stars,” he said. All previous doubts were erased. He was born to do this.

“I had the similar reaction the first time I saw it. Even now, after all these star cycles, it takes my breath away.” Reave was looking out the window, at nothing in particular. He zoned out, speaking more to himself than to the boy before him. “This universe does not belong to one species. It’s home to all of us. It is an Alioth’s job to defend it.” The Alioth looked down at him, and Xalen had to make a conscious effort to not let his gaze focus on the terrible scar mutilating part of his face. “Of course, you don’t have to be an Alioth if you don’t want to. There are plenty of jobs at the Bastion.”

“No!” Xalen exclaimed, more forcefully than he’d intended. “This is my dream.” He felt an explosion of pride for the Alioths organization, an organization he knew so very little about, but one that already stirred a sense of belonging. “I want to do all I can to help those in need.”

The veteran Alioth smiled. “I knew you would say that. You have the same fire in your eyes that stirs within me.”

The boy tried not to grin too widely as he spoke. “There’s something I still don’t get. If the Black Sanction are behind the Dearg attacks, why not simply go to their headquarters and take them out?”

“There lies the problem. We don’t know where their headquarters are. If we did, we would be able to anticipate the next Dearg attack. As it stands now, the Dearg holes appear in random planets, but always close to a town or city, and attack. By the time the Alioths arrive at the planet, the damage has been done.”

“So we have to find the headquarters as soon as possible.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling the Bastion since the Dearg attack began ten star cycles ago. Those politicians, however, think that our resources are better spent in anticipation.”

“They’re trying to figure out a pattern so that they can predict where the next Dearg attack will be.” There was a layer of disgust in Reave’s voice. “So while lives are being lost, the Bastion continues to pour credits into this preventive program, when what they ought to do is eliminate the problem at the root. Destroy the Black Sanction.” Reave took a breath. “Anyhow. How about you rest for a while. It’s going to be a long trip to Chas.”

“Chas?”

“It’s a small moon close to the Bastion. I’ll tell you more when we get there. For now, let’s get some rest.” Reave laid down. Xalen could tell that even if he pressed him for more information, he would not produce more. A moment later, the ship was filled with Reave’s loud snores.

Xalen shut his eyes, letting the excitement wash over him. He still couldn’t believe how ridiculous it sounded in his head.
He was going to become a member of an elite group of space defenders: The Alioths.
After a childhood of misery, life was finally going his way. Or at least that’s what he thought.

ΩΩΩ

“What do you mean I’m going to stay there?” asked Xalen, at a loss over what he was hearing. He had been woken minutes ago by Reave. The ship was now hovering over a blue marble that hung in space. Had it not been for what the man had just told him, he would have been admiring the cloudy ring around the moon that made it impossible to see past it.

“It’s no trick statement,” said Reave. “I mean exactly what I said. You’re going to stay here in Chas.”

“But … I thought I was going to travel with you. Aren’t you going to train me to become an Alioth?”

“Me? Train someone?” The man got a good long chuckle at his own question, which made Xalen’s skin crawl with anger. “Trust me. I’m not cut out to teach anyone anything.”

Xalen’s mind froze. “So how am I supposed to learn how to become an Alioth? On my own?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Reave. He pointed down at the moon, which, with the ship moving closer, was growing larger by the second. “You’ll be studying at the Zizor Dojo. Of the three Alioth academies, it is the best by far. It is headed by Sensei Kayos, one of the most legendary Alioth warriors in the history of our order.”

Xalen took short, shallow breaths as he realized what he was going to have to do. He was going to spend his days locked up in a building with hundreds of people his own age. What would he say? What would he do? Besides Rund, he had only dealt with the children on a daily basis.

“I know what you’re thinking,” said Reave. “You’re very behind in your training and you don’t think you’ll ever be able to catch up to the other students.”

“That’s not what I was thinking,” admitted Xalen. He’d always been a hard worker, and being behind did not bother him. It only gave him further incentive to work harder to catch up to the students who promised to be light years ahead of him. “I’m not the same as all those other people.” He lifted his shirt, revealing the dark metal circle that could be seen under the skin. “I don’t even have a heart.” As the words flowed from his mouth, he vividly recalled that cold morning many star cycles ago.

He was but child, hardly seven cycles old. Vintra was known for its harsh winters, but this particular winter had been particularly severe. Agnes had told him to not waste his time at the window, through the thick storm, it would be impossible to see any arriving visitors. Nonetheless, in his excitement, he looked out the window, eager to see the rich family that had scheduled the visit. It wasn’t long before he was rewarded with the sight of a dark blob moving over the snowy plains. As the blob moved closer, it revealed six wheels aligned in rows of three, and a large metal, square body.

“They’re here!” yelled Xalen. He knew for a fact this particular family was looking for a boy around his age. This was the day. The day that he might actually be adopted.

“You better not embarrass me, boy!” hissed Agnes.

“No. No. I won’t”

A knock on the door.

The boy’s skin tingled with excitement.

When Agnes opened the door, a man and a woman trudged in, noses held high. Their extravagant, multicolored silk clothing was but a small testament to their wealth. The pencil-mustached man wore a long blue robe. The woman had a fine red dress draped over her large body. She wore an oversized gold ring on each finger, and three sparkling silver necklaces hung from her neck.

The man’s eyes took in his surroundings with a quick glance. Then, in a tone that made it clear he didn’t think much of the dull orphanage, he said, “I still don’t see why we had to come to this place, dear. There are plenty of orphanages in the Bastion. Coming so far out to the outskirts is such a waste of our valuable time.”

The woman did not look entirely convinced. “Those Bastion boys have spent their entire lives running from the law. I want a good boy to love. One who does not have a rebellious heart.”

Xalen took this as his cue. He casually strode in front of the couple. He did not look their way, feigning that he was headed into the kitchen.

The woman took the bait. “And who might this charming young man be?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with something that, in his naive mind, Xalen thought could only be love.

“He’s a nobody,” said Agnes before Xalen could answer. She stepped in front of the boy. “His only purpose here is to clean.”

The man ran his finger over a countertop. His pale finger grew dark with dust. “He’s not really good at his job, is he?”

Sensing that he was losing the family, Xalen stepped out from behind Agnes. “I’m actually an orphan here, sir.”

“Ahhhh,” cried the woman. “He’s so cute and adorable. What is your name, boy?”

“Xalen.” He tried to remain calm, even though his insides felt as if they were going to explode.

“This boy is not up for adoption,” said Agnes, her face growing white. She was in danger of losing her hardest working servant. “He’s a freak who doesn’t listen to reason.”

“Nonsense,” countered the rich woman. “He’s nothing but a sweetheart.” She crouched down, so that she and Xalen were face to face. An overwhelming scent of jasmine perfume flowed from her and into Xalen’s nostrils. He tried not to sneeze. “Would you like to come with me? There is a large garden back home where you could play with your sisters and brothers. We’ll attend plays every week, and enjoy only the sweetest foods and treats from across the universe.”

Xalen swallowed hard with excitement. “I would have brothers and sisters?”

“Oh, yes. They were orphans just like you. But not anymore.”

Xalen’s skin tingled. “Yes. Y...es. I would love that very much.”

What happened next occurred so quick, that Xalen barely had enough time to register the events. Agnes came behind him, took hold of his old shirt and pulled it over his head. By the time Xalen had tugged his shirt back down, the damage had already been done.

“What was that?” shrieked the woman. The compassionate face she’d had before had given way to one of pure terror.

“I tried to tell you,” said Agnes, grinning with satisfaction. “He’s a freak. The boy doesn’t even have a heart.”

In an exaggerated, almost rehearsed manner, the woman wobbled on her feet. Only the intervention of the man, who caught her, saved her from crashing into the floor.

“A boy with no heart?” squealed the woman. “I want a boy who is capable of loving. A…” She inhaled deeply. “A monster with no heart could never be capable of such feelings.”

The man felt the need to add his own opinion to the mix. “I suggest you throw that kid out to the wolves. Though I doubt even a wild creature would want to feast on such tainted flesh.”

“I would,” agreed Agnes. “But I love my children too much to do such a thing. Even if they are mistakes of nature.” She waved over at the hallway that led to the other rooms. “Please follow me. I have plenty of other regular children that I'm sure you’ll find to your liking.”

The couple followed, not bothering to look down at the boy.

Sobbing, Xalen opened the door, running out into the storm. He wanted to die. He wanted to stop feeling this pain that raged within him, a pain that told him he would never belong. How could he? As Agnes had so eloquently put it, he was nothing but a ‘mistake of nature.’

But the boy’s wish did not come. He walked and walked, delving deeper into the wild. His skin shivered as hail and rain bombarded him from every angle. He fell to his knees, surrounded by only trees and a howling wind, and awaited the end. His energy was all but drained, but suddenly, his body swelled with an intense wave of energy. The metal piece in his chest glowed a bright white, almost as if the power of the ice itself had been absorbed by it.

Lost and confused, the boy sobbed into his arms for what seemed an eternity. When he finally got back to the orphanage, the rover was gone. Agnes was pacing the entrance hall, her heavy footsteps thumping loudly.

“Good. You’re not dead,” she said as way of greeting. “Warm my water and get my clothes ready. I just sold a boy and will be eating out with my friends tonight.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Xalen kept his head down as he headed to the clothing room. Never again did he put himself before any of the potential parents that came to the orphanage.

To his surprise, Reave did not express the slightest sign of shock or repulsion. “It may be made of a different substance than mine, but it’s a heart nonetheless. Embrace your difference. It is what makes you who you are.”

Xalen wanted to scream at him. How could he embrace something that had caused him so much misery throughout his life? He wanted to tell Reave that he knew nothing of his pain. That he knew nothing of how it felt going around, with a physical scar showcasing to the world just how much of a freak you were. But as he readied his rant, he caught sight of the terrible burn mark on Reave’s face. He gulped, swallowing down the speech he had so eloquently written in his mind.