Shepherds of Wraith: Book One

by Nyssa Renay

  Out of the corner of my eye, Shepherd Graldo calmly hobbled across the back of the room and disappeared into the shadows.

  “You’re an asshole,” I said through the pooling blood in my throat, trying to distract Vantaru for as long as I could. “Dad was right about you.”

  “Nice try, Vigil, but I know you’re lying. You know as well as I do that he never even mentioned me. You told me so when you first came to the academy, remember?”

  “I was…I was lying. I…I just didn’t like you,” I struggled to say as I reached down to coax the jagged piece of metal out of my stomach. “He said…” I trailed off as my body slumped forward.

  Vantaru angrily grabbed a fistful of hair on the back of my head and jerked my face up to meet his. “Not yet, Vigil. Come on, tell me,” he taunted, squeezing my arm as hard as he could and painfully yanking my head backward. “Tell me what my bastard of a brother said about me.”

  “He said…” I trailed off as my body went limp, forcing him struggle with my full weight.

  “Tell me!” Vantaru howled.

  Suddenly, I heard a loud pop and a gurgling scream as Graldo took out the final enemy shepherd who’d arrived with my uncle.

  With every last bit of my energy, I thrust the jagged metal spike up through Vantaru’s jaw and into his head. “My father said he always hated you,” I snarled into my uncle’s ear as I pulled his body with all my might and tossed him down the shaft onto the pile of raw fire crystals below. His body burst into flames, exploding a wave of energy up the shaft and knocking me onto my back.

  I did it. Vantaru was dead and Eeliyah was safe. At that moment, I felt like I could die happy. I’d kept her from a life of hell with him. My vision blurred and the world around me slowly faded to black.

  It seemed like an eternity as I laid there in the stillness, waiting for whomever Necra had chosen to help me pass on to arrive, but no one came. Suddenly, a blaze of electricity spread through my body, startling me awake.

  “What the…” I gasped as I sat up, my head swimming with confusion. My eyes darted around as I tried to figure out where I was. I was alive, but had no idea how I’d survived. I groped at my stomach and found it completely healed. Not only that, but all my pain was gone. I was in shock. I looked around in a panic. Finally, my gaze locked onto an old man with a scrunched-up face standing behind me. Shepherd Graldo.

  “Welcome back, Vigil,” he offered, hobbling over to help me stand.

  “What about the girls?” I blurted out, scanning around, but they were gone.

  “They’ll be fine.” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Shepherd Machoji and the twins just left for the medical ward.”

  “What about the—” I looked up to see the Curabitor already installed in the mechanism built into the shaft.

  “Telshakra’s fine. Stop yer worrying,” Graldo insisted. “The idiot got that damn contraption workin’ before he collapsed again. Nearly had to kill everyone to make it work, but what do I know, right?”

  “Thank you,” I offered, knowing that without him, everything would have been lost.

  He stared at me for a few awkward moments before speaking again. “Had to see fer myself what the hubbub about you was all about. Now I know.” He let out a small sigh of relief. “You did okay, kid,” he nodded. “Not great, but okay.”

  “Just okay?” I said, stunned, hoping for a little bit more praise for what I’d done.

  “Yep,” he replied flatly.

  “You know I just fought off and killed a fully trained shepherd…on my own…”

  He stared blankly at me.

  “I pulled a piece of metal out of my own stomach and stabbed my uncle through the head. What more could I have done?”

  “I would’ve shoved it up his ass instead,” Graldo said bluntly and walked away.

  -60-

  The grandstands were packed when I arrived at the coliseum. Shepherd Machoji was already in the center of the arena floor, explaining the new state of affairs.

  “Potentials, I know this can’t be easy for any of you,” Machoji acknowledged, trying to appease the crowd. “Telshakra has been attacked before, and it’ll probably be attacked again. But our people have always banned together and survived. This time will be no different! We were chosen to uphold and preserve the will of Ein and His children, and that’s exactly what you all will continue to do. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir!” the crowd said in one voice, unwittingly buying into his false rhetoric.

  “Now, then. King Lexani has issued a declaration of war against these aggressors and imposed a state of martial enforcement. Everyone on Telshakra has been given strict instructions about a mandatory curfew set in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. And as the good people of Telshakra are making sacrifices to help with the war effort, so shall we! Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir!” the crowd replied firmly.

  “Since we’ve deemed it prudent to allow all potentials to know the truth about why you’re here and what the future holds, I expect each and every one of you to take full advantage of your time here and train as hard as you can. You’ve all been chosen by Ein Himself! Remember that! Return the blessing by concentrating on the new training regimen that will be implemented effective immediately. To begin with, all students in Tiers II and III will now participate in accelerated combat and physical training programs starting tomorrow. Next, at the compliance of His Majesty’s wishes, all potentials will graduate one year earlier than in the past and will then be immediately given active-duty orders upon leaving the academy. To comply with this new directive, all of you will be advanced one year forward as of right now.”

  The crowd erupted into nervous chatter. Some potentials looked eager; some looked terrified, and I could tell they were all unsettled with the sudden change in an otherwise steadfast regimen. The volume of the chatter quickly escalated, causing Machoji to slam the butt of his staff onto the arena floor.

  “I trust this will not be a problem for any of you!”

  In the awkward quiet of the coliseum, a few small voices squeaked out, “No, sir.” I knew that in order for him to maintain the present sense of order and obedience at the academy, he needed to drive the point home and leave no option for potentials to give in to negative or rebellious thoughts in this chaotic moment.

  “I can’t hear you!” His face was bright red from the force of his scream.

  “No, sir!” came the reply from everyone except me. I knew what he was doing; even why he was doing it, but I couldn’t decide whether it was right or not.

  “Ein be praised!” Machoji howled.

  “Praise be to Ein!” the room humbly replied.

  “Dismissed!” he snapped aggressively, scowling in pain as he hobbled across the arena floor toward the small door in the back.

  As the rest of the potentials headed back to their dorms, I just sat there, stewing in my own thoughts. I’d always thought Shepherd Machoji was looking out for my best interests. But after watching another one of his motivational, yet brainwashing speeches to those who trusted him with their very lives, just as he’d done with me throughout my entire life. I wasn’t so sure I could trust him anymore.

  Shepherd Machoji had no choice but to deliver the news about the war the way he did. It was the only way to convince everyone to maintain belief in the status quo of the academy. The administration’s unyielding rules and regulations kept hundreds of potentials from getting out of line or rebelling against the very shepherds who watched over them. Even though Machoji’s persuasive speech would keep everyone following orders as usual at the academy for a little while, I knew it wouldn’t be long before some of the more experienced potentials like Ownie realized they were being used to fight in a war that their supposed mentors knew they would never survive.

  I was disgusted and impressed at the same time. Shepherd Machoji truly believed in the notion of needing to know only when one was ready. It was
a philosophy I was quickly beginning to understand. I knew too much, and it was affecting my faith in Ein, the Church, and myself. The existence of the war had become public knowledge, but the twins and I were the only potentials who knew the truth about what we were facing. This presented me with an added concern. Even though I felt angry for being manipulated and purposefully kept in the dark about the war, I fully understood why they were doing it; even felt it was the right thing to do. But there was no way to know for sure whether announcing the war and our role in it would turn out to be a good thing or not for the rest of the potentials at the academy. Only time would tell.

  As I left the coliseum, I was met by Shepherd Diabelle, who swiftly pulled me aside and waited until everyone was out of earshot.

  “I hear you did quite well,” she forced a smile.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m told both Eeliyah and Abellie will make a full recovery, thanks to you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Her behavior was strange to me, as I’d always known her to be assertive and self-assured.

  “Permission to speak freely, ma’am,” I asked, wondering what could possibly be the cause of her behavior toward me.

  “Granted,” she said, skeptically, but didn’t allow me to say another word. “Look, I know you’re fully aware of what we’re up against now…and that you’ve been instructed by Shepherd Phlogis and the administration about your strict adherence to the decree of non-disclosure about what you and the girls observed earlier today. However, I want you to know that if you should need to talk about what happened, come to me. I know it couldn’t have been easy…to be forced to kill your own uncle, no matter how horrible he was.”

  I nodded, accepting her rather odd condolences.

  “I know you put a lot of faith in me to guide you and make sure you’d be ready when you left here, even though you had no idea what you were supposed to be ready for. I lied to you, and I’m truly sorry, Vigil. Now then, say what you have to say.”

  A small smile spread across my face. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

  Her expression turned to one of confusion.

  “I’ve made many, many mistakes since I first came here,” I admitted. “Some were my fault…some weren’t…but through everything, you’ve stuck by me. You had enough faith in me to help me get back on my feet and become the potential I am today. Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did. For that, I’m truly grateful,” I offered, snapping to attention. “Will there be anything else, ma’am? I don’t want to be late for kitchen duty.”

  “Dismissed,” Shepherd Diabelle said proudly.

  That night, I lay in bed, wide awake. The events of the day had finally caught up with me, and a plethora of thoughts and emotions racked my mind. I couldn’t imagine how I’d fall asleep after everything I’d seen and done that day. My mind raced with so many questions. How long had they been hiding this war from everyone? Would it all be over by the time I graduated from the academy? Would I be fully prepared to fight if and when my time came, or would I die as quickly, as Ownie had?

  In the blink of an eye, everything I was working toward had changed. Gone were the standard lessons leading toward a promising career as a shepherd, replaced by the manic rush to learn as much as I possibly could over the next three and a half years before I was sent off to war against my will.

  Somehow, replacing a retired Shepherd Scullery was no longer such a bad idea.

  -61-

  Over the next two years, the war continued. Little by little, stories about its impact began to leak from the medical ward, quickly spreading among the potentials at the academy.

  It was apparent the people of Telshakra were furious about the State of Martial Enforcement and not being informed about the war until it was too late. Many of them went as far as traveling to my hometown of Quelstren to hold protests against the Church and the Crown, demanding the mandatory curfew be lifted. At first, these protests were nothing more than an annoyance for the king as he completely ignored the public’s cries for change. But when the crowds gathered at the base of the Divine Mountain became hostile, Lexani doubled down on his original tactic of control. He enacted an even stricter curfew, imposing penalty taxes on entire families should one of their members be caught outside after curfew. As an added means of ruling by fear, the king stationed groups of shepherds throughout every major city on the planet to keep the people of Telshakra in line.

  It was a volatile situation unlike anything the planet had ever known, and I had a hard time believing the peaceful society I knew as a child was capable of such hostility and insurrection. This resentment toward the Church and the Crown wasn’t restricted to just the people of Telshakra. Over the last year or so, the academy had shown signs of widespread defiance against the establishment that governed us.

  While nearly every potential was frustrated to be forced into doubled training sessions, increased combat preparations, and graduating one year earlier than anticipated, there were some who were vehemently opposed to training for a war they knew they’d never survive. These potentials were labeled as defiants, and the Shepherd Academy was having a hell of a time keeping them in line.

  The defiants refused to follow the orders from any laureate or shepherd. It would have been much easier just to send them back to their homes on Telshakra and be rid of them, but that was impossible. Leaving, quitting, or being expelled from the academy was never an option. Any reduction in the number of fully-trained potentials graduating from the academy would only weaken our already struggling shepherd forces.

  In an attempt to control these defiants, the academy took to extreme forms of punishment to try to break them of their disobedience. At first, they were sent to work for Shepherd Graldo, but it didn’t take long for the Sanctified Mines to overflow with excess laborers. Instead, the academy resorted to extensive physical intimidation to break the defiants of their resolve. That didn’t last long either, as the defiants could quickly be healed by their sympathizers and suffer even more for their cause.

  With their efforts getting nowhere, the powers-that-be were compelled to restrict food from those suspected of being part of the defiant movement. This tactic proved to be the most effective, as there are no words in Wraith to cure starvation. After several weeks without food, those potentials suffering from extreme hunger were forced to go to the medical ward to endure a long and draining recovery process while intravenous drips kept them alive.

  As more time passed, the starvation tactic became strong enough to suppress the insurgents, keeping the defiant movement from growing out of control at the academy. But that still didn’t curb my annoyance with the constant fighting among the potentials. There were two distinct factions; those who were in favor of the war, and those who weren’t. Fights quickly broke out whenever there was even the slightest difference of opinion about the war. It seemed the majority of potentials were more focused on choosing a side rather than concentrating on the dangers we’d face when we left the academy.

  Through all that conflict, I still didn’t know which point of view I agreed with or how I felt about my role in the war. All I could do was plunge myself into my training and try to avoid the drama going on around me, but it was harder and harder to avoid it with each passing day.

  I’m so sick of this shit! I thought as I plunged my rag into the bucket of warm, soapy water before scrubbing the tabletop as hard as I could to try to get the bloodstains out.

  It was the third major brawl that week. Only this time, someone had resorted to stabbing a suspected defiant in the leg with a dinner knife. The boy bled like a river before his friends could pull him away from the fight to try to heal his wound. I wasn’t sure if it was the oppressive early summer heat or the exhaustion setting in from their overly demanding workload, but the potentials were being pushed beyond their limits, and I was stuck cleaning it all up.

  I dropped my ra
g into the bucket again, rinsing the blood before continuing to scrub at the table. My hands and elbows burned, and I was so distracted that I didn’t see Shepherd Scullery approach me.

  “Just get through it as best you can, Vigil. After tonight, you won’t have to deal with this for a little while,” he grumbled.

  “Why not, sir?”

  “You’ll be helping Shepherd Machoji in the coliseum instead of coming here.”

  “What does he want?” I grimaced.

  “No idea.” He shrugged. “I was only told that you’re to go there tomorrow night instead of coming here.”

  “What about these brawls? We can’t have Tier I kids out here dealing with this shit. They’re traumatized by all this infighting. It’s already hard enough to get them to focus on serving as it is.”

  “I know,” Scullery replied somberly, taking the rag he always carried draped across his shoulder and plunging it into the soapy bucket. He rang out the excess water, and then started helping me. I was a little shocked at first, but then I realized why.

  Ever since the defiant movement had begun, I’d noticed how passionately Shepherd Scullery seemed to hate the defiants. He purposefully steered every conversation we had into talking about the defiant issue, forcing me to listen to his never-ending frustrations and unwavering opinions on the subject. This time would be no different.

  “Ungrateful little bastards…” he grumbled. “They have everything…everything handed to them; food, shelter, education, and then they whine and complain when it comes time to pay the bill and pitch in! It’s sad, really. Don’t you think?”