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As the day of my departure dawned, I stood at the entrance to our stronghold, my squad of warriors gathered around me. They were my brothers in arms, the ones who fought alongside me in countless battles. A mix of pride and concern etched their faces, their eyes reflecting the uncertainty that gnawed at my heart.
“Kuzar.” Gazul stepped forward, his hand gripping mine. “Be strong.You are not alone in this.” His voice was thick with emotion.
I nodded, my throat constricting with emotion. “Thank you, my brother,” I replied. “I will make you all proud.”
With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away, my footsteps echoing through the silent canyons. I would face whatever challenges lay ahead with courage and determination.
The journey to the Marriage Temple took me above the treacherous mountains and dense forests, over raging rivers and desolate plains. I traveled alone, my only companions the thoughts that swirled incessantly in my mind. I pondered the life I left behind, the family and friends I might never see again. I wondered about the human I would meet, the stranger who would become my life partner.
Along the way, as I stopped for nourishment and rest, I encountered both kindness and hostility. Some humans welcomed me with open arms, offering me food and shelter. Others recoiled in fear or disgust at the sight of me, their faces contorted in a mixture of horror and revulsion. I learned to ignore their ignorance, and to focus on the task at hand.
Finally, after days of arduous travel both on foot and flight, I reached the outskirts of Iunctura, the walled city where the nearest Marriage Temple stood. My heart pounded in my chest as I approached the massive gates, my mind a maelstrom of anticipation and anxiety. This was it. The moment of truth arrived.
CHAPTER TWO
Evie
In the humid, suffocating swamps of southeast Alia Terra, I knew nothing besides survival. This was the grim reality for many of us living in the human compound. The compound, a collection of makeshift shacks and hovels, was our only shelter from the dangers lurking in the unforgiving wilderness.
Each morning, I joined other desperate souls, mostly young people with life etched with hardship into their faces, to hunt small animals like squirrels and rabbits. We scoured the dense undergrowth, our eyes sharp, hoping for a glimpse of movement that could mean food. The relentless sun beat down on us, sapping our strength and any glimmer of hope we held.
Our hunting tools were simple and primitive, a testament to our destitute state. We relied on makeshift bows and arrows, crafted from whatever scraps we could salvage. Being resourceful by using the bones of animals we killed as arrowheads, sharpening them to a deadly point was key to our success. Our arrows, fletched with bird feathers, were instruments of survival, born from the desperation of our situation.
The hunt was a constant battle, a relentless struggle against starvation. We often returned empty-handed, the day’s effort yielding nothing but more misery and despair. But we couldn’t give up. We kept searching, kept fighting for the next meal, for the next day.
On the days when we were fortunate enough to find something, our success was a bitter victory. We gathered around a small fire, cooking the meager catch over hot embers. The smell of roasted meat filled the air, a tantalizing aroma that mingled with the stench of the swamps. We devoured the food hungrily, each bite a temporary respite from the gnawing emptiness that constantly plagued us.
But food was just one part of our daily struggle. The swamps were a treacherous place, filled with monstrous creatures that preyed on the weak and vulnerable. We had to be constantly vigilant against being the next victim. Every night, we huddled together in our crude shelters, fear gnawing at our hearts, listening intently to every sound, terrified of what might lurk outside.
Life in the swamps of southeast Alia Terra was a perpetual cycle of fear, hunger, and desperation. We lived in a perpetual cycle of fear, hunger, and desperation, struggling every day just to survive. For most of us, dreaming of a better life was like a futile exercise in futility. But deep down, I couldn’t help but harbor a tiny flicker of hope. A dream that one day, I would find a way out of this nightmare. That somehow, I would break free from the chains of survival and find a place where life was more than just a desperate fight for existence.
My parents sat across from me at the rickety wooden table. Their mood was a combination of worry and desperation. The flickering candlelight cast long, dancing shadows across the cramped room, making them look like strangers.
“Evie, darling.” My mother's voice trembled slightly. “We need to talk about your future.”
I lowered my eyes to my lap, picking at a loose thread on my worn dress. I already knew what was coming. The talk. The pressure to submit to the DNA test at the Marriage Temple.
“You’re our only child,” my father said, his voice gruff yet laced with a hint of tenderness. “We want what’s best for you.”
I nodded, my heart heavy. I knew they did. But what they thought was best for me was a life I didn’t want.
“The treaty with the monsters is our only hope for survival. If you marry one of them, we’ll be safe. We’ll have food, shelter, protection.” My mother sighed as she moved a strand of hair from my eyes.
I couldn’t bear to meet their eyes, filled with hope and desperation. How could I tell them I didn’t want to be their bargaining chip, their sacrifice to the monsters?
“But I don’t want to marry a monster,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I don’t want to leave you.”
My mother gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. My father’s face darkened, his jaw clenching.
“How can you say that?” he thundered. “They’re our only chance at a better life. You’re being selfish, Evie.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back furiously. I couldn’t let them see me cry.
“I’m not being selfish,” I protested, my voice rising. “I just want to stay here with you. I want to help you.”
“Help us how?” my father challenged. “By starving to death? By being eaten by those creatures outside? Is that how you want to help us?”
His words cut me like a knife. I knew he didn’t mean them, that he was just scared and desperate. But it still hurt.
