Chris
Jamal had so much as moved into our home. He still had his own place. Keeping it for when he needed female companionship… I didn't care about spooning a guy anymore. It was too cold. He didn't care because he grew up there. I was wondering if I could cheat on Juliet with a guy. Would that get me out of it? Maybe I could convince her to take Jamal in after… I got home. I chuckled as I pulled him closer. Both of us in our Riphath manifestations. It was warmer that way. Didn't wolves sleep like that in the wild?
It was the first day we had to report for duty as Protectors. The training we had gone through was rigorous. It took us more than a year to complete, and we only got to entry-level hunter. Our days were divided into drills, manifesting in and out in different situations. In water as well, making it more difficult. Teleporting and wielding our weapon and learning about all the beasts we would encounter.
Our gear was a little challenging to get used to in the winter. They assured us that the summer uniform would be better for maneuvering. We were in our Riphath form at all times. And with that, the armor we wore covered most of our bodies. Elbow guards. Strong leathered breastplates, almost impenetrable. We wore hoods for the sun and a scarf wrapped around our mouth and nose, like masks. The continual dust blown up by the soft wind was worse in the winter. An icy sting to it.
There were no weapons. No guns. No laser blasters like the movies. The only thing we carried was a staff with a carved-out gem attached, like a spear. I couldn't figure out what it was made of, but it wasn't rock or metal.
Our eyes were not black like Juliet's, with soft white irises that spiraled around their pupils. Or dark red eyes like the werewolves with black cat-like irises and pupils all in one... Our eyes were more of a menacing white with grey and a dark circle around our irises with a dark grey pupil. We painted a formidable picture with our gear on. When Silvanus was wearing his full uniform, even his horns were protected.
I was already a little ahead of all the other Riphath trainees. Seemed like Earth had more of an effect on us than they thought. I was growing up faster than the rest of the men my age. I was also bigger and stronger.
Silvanus came in to wake us up in the mornings. Caleb came running in and jumped on the bed. I picked him up, playing with him. He was clever and sweet, like his mom. Time was going by too slowly. I still had three years before I could even start fighting to go back to Earth. Wondered if Juliet knew about the time? Did any of them know? Jamal and I had formed a good bond. He thought the same as me. Felt the same way.
In looks, we were completely opposite. His blond hair went into his eyebrows. Into all his body hair. Thin lips and a strong jaw. His eyes were almost identical to Juliet's. Blue… very, very blue. But behind his eyes, there was still that constant sadness. He was practically the only thing I would regret leaving behind.
We got up and dressed. I gave Caleb to Maya. She had also decided to stay after Jamal joined the household. I was glad. It gave me an excuse to be gone the whole day of training. She slept in the same bed as Caleb. When it was freezing, we would all four huddle up. Caleb between us… He loved those nights.
He waved at me as we headed out of the city, and they left the house to go play with the other kids.
Jamal and I would always be together. Stationed together out there. At the beginning of training, you had to choose who you wanted in your group. You needed to trust your partner.
We were on rounds and walked the length of the assigned space. It wasn't so bad… I actually got out of the house and out of the city, helping in some way.
"Do you think we will ever see any wild beasts in this lifetime?" Jamal commented.
"It's our first day… what did you expect… Fighting a new monster in an arena was obviously more exciting than working… But life sucks, and then you die."
"You say the strangest things, Chris."
His words weren't cold, or we heard them stampeding in the distance.
"You just had to jinx us."
"Jinx?" Jamal asked as we circled ourselves, scanning every direction. "Where is the cloud of dust… these things are supposed to blow up."
"It depends on what's coming," I said, low and quiet.
We used our teleporting, fanning out in a big circle from where we started. There was nothing. "I don't see anything… maybe they went another way," I said when we regrouped in the way we were trained. I took a guess and looked up. I pointed. "Blow the alarm!"
Jamal swore loudly as his eyes followed mine upward… "Chris, they are headed for the City."
I was already teleporting, hearing the explosion in the air behind me. Jamal had used a giant slingshot to get the leathery pouch to explode in the sky. A second later, the watchtower bell rang, followed by the alarm that rang throughout the city.
"Caleb." I pushed myself to move faster.
I reached the gate. There was already one Ouyui swooping down into the streets. I teleported immediately up to the roof of a tall building and right onto the flying beast's back. All I had to do was extend and retract my claws through its face. It was my favorite way to finish an attack. The brains and blood splattered all over my face. I didn't mind, I kinda liked Ouyui. I maneuvered the bird to have a starting point to teleport to the ground. The thing was falling down towards me. All I had to do was grapple it and make it fall where it didn't hurt anyone. I picked up my weapon and checked the sky… There was a flock of Ouyui flying hard and fast for the city. The one I had killed was the scout. I traveled to the city center to make sure it was empty. All the children were safely in their homes. I rushed to our house to make sure Maya and Caleb were there.
"Maya?!"
"Daddy!" Caleb came running towards me. Maya soon followed into my arms. I grabbed her upper arms and pushed her off before she could even touch me.
"Where is Ira?"
"He is checking on the elders."
"I have to go. The flock is still coming. Stay hidden, and don't come out. Listen to Maya." Caleb nodded, and I was out the door again.
There were two Ouyui in the air, scouring the ground for prey. I saw Silvanus coming towards me out of the corner of my eye. We worked well together. He signaled me into our next attack. One would be the prey… that was me… And the other would launch the fatal blow as they swooped down. The Ouyui spotted us… One dove right for me. Silvanus rolled from the side and gutted it. It dropped dead next to him. He was fast with his teleporting. In and out. Not even a speck of blood on him. There were still at least twelve to contend with. It didn't last long. We killed a few more, and the rest saw they were defeated and circled back to where they had come from. The city alarm rang, and most people slowly ventured outside. Everyone was instantly busy cleaning and picking up the dead bodies… There would be feasts that night, usually at the bars. Even if we were big and robust, not all Riphaths were fighters. Those who didn't had other ways of contributing and knew how to work the meat, skin beasts, and salvage everything else.
I went back to the house to make sure Caleb was okay. They were on his bed. "Is Jamal not back yet?" She shook her head.
"Wait here, and don't come out until Ira or Silvanus is back."
I had to make my way out to where I last left Jamal. I saw him sitting in the sand, covered in blood. "What happened to you?" He pointed into the distance. It was the body of another beast. I was manifesting in and out next to it. Unable to control myself.
"Try fighting that thing when that happens." I laughed, imagining him having to get the better of a delicacy. The thing lying dead was made for the desert. They were loners and so thin their ribs protruded visibly as with their faces that were almost just skeletons. Light bodied that sloped upwards with the help of short legs behind and long legs in the front. It had a big chest where all the meat was, and also our golden ticket. "Well, you and I won't have to pay for drinks ever again."
"You don't pay for drinks anyway… It was following the Ouyui and crept up on me while trying to get that stupid bag in the air."
"I feel you. On earth, it's as easy as pulling a trigger, and it would have saved time."
"I can't wait till you are King and make changes to this place."
"Oh please… You love it here. The whoring."
"Yeah, but I could do that on Earth… couldn't I."
I chuckled. "You would be very popular."
***
Months Later
"How did your day go?" Maya asked when we stepped through the door.
"Fine." I took Caleb from her. "You can go… I have him for the rest of the night."
"I don't have anywhere to be. Can't really work on my swatches at night."
She was being weird again. As if she thought I would budge and sleep with her eventually. Acting stranger and stranger. Jamal always stared at us when she tried talking to me. I wasn't a complete imbecile when it came to women. Over the last two years, I had to wave off many… And there really wasn't anything special about Maya. Jamal, of course, did go there. He even asked me just before to keep the peace and all. He still didn't understand my celibacy. Maya also reciprocated his attention. That put me off immediately. One harem was enough for me to handle. The planet had helped me not cheat. If I didn't find anyone I had a connection with, it would probably never happen.
Marcus's training had put me leagues above the other men on Zoreah. I was quickly climbing the ranks. Working closely with Silvanus and Jamal on the new recruits. Jamal had also asked me to train him, and it felt good. Silvanus and I had a better relationship than Ira and me. So when Ira came and stood at my door, I didn't even lift my eyes. "You have to come with me to a council meeting tomorrow, Chris."
I nodded. I was playing with Caleb. I tried to spend time with him at night. We all just stayed awake until we were tired. I had become accustomed to the boredom. The conversations were also limited. It wasn't like something new had happened or that there had been gossip or a scandal from a politician. I didn't think Liam took into account that our planet gave me so many minutes that sometimes it made me want to scream. And sometimes I did… travel out as far as I could and threw a proper tantrum.
***
The following day, I had to forsake my exercise and meditation to follow Ira. It would be a long day if I didn't have at least something to keep myself busy with. A way to get all the energy I had out of my system.
A few men and women were sitting on the ground. Ira sat on a small stage in front of everyone. He gestured for me to take a seat next to him.
"Is there anything anyone wants to bring to light?"
Some men talked about farming issues. They put ideas together to solve it.
When all the agricultural issues were over, they talked about housing. There were still many women that have not given birth. The pool for suiters that have not had a kid had also diminished. That meant that more people could not care for kids and needed something to do and a place to stay. The population was declining. All eyes were on me… "Don't look at me. I had my kid."
"But not with a Riphath woman." One lady commented.
"So what, Caleb isn't in line for the throne because his mother is a vampire? Then I'm walking back right now and going Earth, giving myself to them."
"Why are you so dramatic about everything." Ira scolded.
"I'm not sleeping with twenty women just to see if I could maybe still have a kid with one of them. Ask Jamal… He hasn't had a kid. He's from good stock."
There was a strange silence over the room. It felt eerie. "What if we drug you." My head snapped up at the woman on the ground.
"Why are you so bent up… on me taking a Riphath woman?"
"For starters, Juliet is a vampire, and the chances that you could produce one offspring here with a Riphath woman is good. You are different because you were on Earth. We take notice and have seen you climb the ranks much faster."
"Secondly, we do not know where your loyalties lie, Chris." The woman spoke softly. "If you have another child with a Riphath woman, you will think twice about giving our planet to some vamp…." My brow furrowed. It all seemed logical. But would I really be able to have another kid? "And it would show us that you care what happens to us. The future."
I adverted my gaze, nowhere near embracing them as my people. They were right. My loyalties were with Juliet.
They left the subject there and went on to talk about housing. Expanding the city would be a big enterprise, especially in Yaroon, where there was little water. The last time they had traded with Palmyra. The queen had only one request of the mighty Riphaths. She wanted to conquer another planet or species or something…. I kept yawning. I didn't really know why I was there. It was a tiresome exercise… "If we could only trade with Earth. They have so much water. We wouldn't have all these issues…." I whispered.
Ira and the others stared at me. "Don't tell me there is not one other planet with a lot of water. What do we have to trade anyway? Except whoring out our bodies."
"Silvanus has never lost one man in his battles."
"How does that even work? We only fight in the summer months." Ira shook his head. I took a deep breath… knowing I would hear something I wasn't expecting.
"The vampires have a teleporter that can usher out a million entities for war. That one works in a specific location on Zoreah. The location is remote, but it's not that cold."
I sat up suddenly awake.
"The most we have lent them was…." Ira looked at the one woman in the front... She was beautiful. Brunette. Long hair. Much older than me, though. Ira's age.
"We gave them five hundred thousand." She said.
My interest was even more piqued.
"Who will fight? Will you let me fight?"
Ira was disappointed. "This is the army administrator and general Chris… General Sung." I had never seen her before. My eyes fell on the older lady… Lately, Ira and I had drifted apart. It seemed that his idea of me was not what I was. Too much like my mother, Silvanus said.
"I will send someone back south to do the communications. We will send the five hundred thousand soldiers east to the site." Ira and the woman were talking. She nodded in agreement.
"I think we could do with a reprieve on the water for the next three years." Another member said.
"You are sending someone to the teleporter. And you will not send me with?"
"I'm sending someone used to the cold. Able to survive in extreme conditions. Teleport for great distances. He will make the trip we took, which was three months walking… in a week… Can you do that, Chris?"
Inside, I was fuming. Thwarted at every turn by a freaking man that didn't want me to be happy. I felt like screaming, challenging him… Like Liam smirking at me for not choosing Juliet. He knew I couldn't. I had two years to practice, but not once did he give me the training. How was I supposed to know we could cover greater distances with our teleportation. "I will take the chance!" I spat out.
"You have a choice. Go fight with the army that will be gone for months. That means when you come back, it would have been years here. Or you go to the teleporter and go visit your Juliet… And remember, Caleb stays with me either way…."
"F-!" I screamed, getting up and storming out.
Ira stood up, "Let's see if you would choose years away from your son… Or confusing Juliet even more…. Or will you choose like I had to live this life!"