Darkin 2 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Summoned

"Yes sir, I understand." Darkin keptisch, Paulichetiple, nodded toward the communicator screen and felt ker dominant growl in ker mind.

They will try to embarrass you. The dominant, Ter, allowed his keptisch to continue ker odd human herding, though he never considered it a real profession, nor did he believe it would ever gain attention from the empire at large. Twenty years and suddenly darkin were coming from every angle.

Why would they care enough to embarrass me? Pau spoke through their mental connection and felt their ishtera sigh as she unwillingly joined the conversation.

Because they feel embarrassed by your sucess. Despite her own irritation, she spoke with her normal, kind tone. You challenged their authority. You had the audacity to suggest that humans could be as effective as the empire's military in countering terrorism and evil. They have their honor to maintain.

Pau sighed. They cannot fault me for being correct. With my training, my little human militia has accomplished amazing things.

Ter growled again. Amazing is not the question. The problem is that it mocks the foundation of our society. Humans are useful, no one questions that, but creating a military unit out of them seems dangerous at best. How can you assure the empire of their loyalty? You hand them weapons and teach them to fight us. You cannot be surprised that they wish to prove you a fraud.

As Pau caught the tenor of ker dominant's thoughts, the kep’s shifted to surprise. You think this is a test of my militia's loyalty?

Of course. Ple’s soft words interceded again. If your men run for freedom, the empire will laugh and no one else will try such herding.

That's ridiculous. It's a farm world, and a small one at that. Between the hand trackers and the limitations of the world itself, where would they hide? My men are not stupid.

True as that may be, the empire does not trust humans, therefore, by extension, they do not trust you. If even one of your men tries to run, it will prove their theory.

I'm a probe! Pau let ker irritation show, Is the government idiotic enough to believe me a fool? I check them regularly, as you well know.

Pau turned ker attention back to the Darkin on the other side of the screen. Their internal conversation, made possible by the dominant's special microorganisms, allowed the sharing of thought in an instant; hardly noticeable to anyone outside of the conversation. "My men and I will head for the Delcius farming planet today. We should reach it in two days and will rendezvous with the rest of those assigned to accomplish the collections."

The man on the other side of the screen sneered slightly. Darkin emotions, though more controlled than those of their human servants, were still varied, and often prone toward the negative. "There will be no one else involved in the collections. Due to current difficulties, the emperor was too busy to assign additional support. Beyond the receiving ship, you are on your own.”

“Difficulties?” The keptisch caught the word quickly, “I hadn’t heard of any difficulties that would require the entire empire’s military.” Pau hardened ker tone, slipping easily back into ker old role as one of the leading Probes on contract for the empire.

The Darkin on the other side of the screen seemed to quail at the change in Pau’s tone, but ke covered it well. “I’ll let them know that you’re on your way, sir. The count is supposed to be ten thousand, although if you can find a reason to take more, the prime minister of farming suggested that double that would be welcome.”

“I was under the impression that they are running out of resources due to our harvesting out of season. Does the empire wish me to take what I can and leave enough for a new seed crop? It seems easier than limiting the harvest when the demand is high enough to sustain a higher yield.”

Again the man’s face twisted to a sneer. Ke obviously thought ke was the only one who could understand the farming process and Pau’s questions seemed to put him back in control of the situation. “No, I believe you should follow the prime minister’s requests as they have been outlined.”

Pau’s expression hardened again. In ker head, Ter grumbled about disrespect which only served to feed ker own annoyed emotions. “I know prime minister Junj personally. Ask him to give me a call in the next few days so we can discuss this. If I receive no call, I will assume he never received my message and act accordingly.” Pau watched just long enough to observe the green of the keptisch’s skin paling before ke cut the connection. Ke couldn’t help the satisfied smile as ke closed the distance to ker office.

Between Pau’s office and the sanctum where ke kept ker herd, several men sat at desks, hunkered over their projects. Pau motioned as ke passed, not bothering to verify that they followed. Sitting easily in ker chair ke waited for Kyle and Raymond to join ker.

“You received your orders?” Kyle, commander of the human forces, and the one in charge of making sure the missions never failed, crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall next to the door. He’d been Pau’s personal toy when Pau was born and had matured much faster than his Darkin counterpart. By the time Pau entered ker molting stage and shed into adulthood, Kyle had already turned thirty. Soon after, the two hatched their schemes planned during Pau’s childhood.

Pau entered the Probe training dragging Kyle along with him as a personal servant. In every spare moment when the Darkin wasn’t training, ke worked with Kyle on strategy, fighting prowess, strength, and anything else that might help their plans. Pau became a contract Probe, earning ker enough drake a month to afford several more servants and the ability to be picky on who ke purchased. Raymond was the result.

Between the time ke gained Raymond and when ke was claimed by Ter and Rei, another ten years past. Ter already had a union with Reitrculerin, but the two longed for a family and the completion of their trio. When they found ker, the three wasted no time in forming their union and beginning their new life. Although Pau was significantly younger than the other two, none minded. Their relationship was strong despite the age gap and after twenty years together Pau couldn’t imagine a life with any others. Ter and Rei were both amenable to Pau’s ‘hobby,’ especially after Ter saw how much effort Pau put into probing the men to ensure loyalty. Any human who joined Pau’s militia was 100% guaranteed to remain loyal. The surety of this was doubled because of Pau’s treatment of them.

In addition to Raymond, Pau had purchased nearly half a dozen others. Among them was a female, Sally, who soon became one of Pau’s best. Not surprisingly, Kyle fell in love with her and Pau obligingly gave her to him. She wasn’t necessarily thrilled with the match at first, but over the course of time the two fell in love and eventually approached Pau with the desire to breed. At first, ke balked, but after marrying Rei, she softened him toward the idea. Servants had been allowed to have families in her household and she thought it somewhat cruel to deny their request.

Pau had not expected the burst of change associated with that small decision, but looking back on the last eighteen years ke did not mind the difference. Kyle’s first two sons had grown in their father’s footsteps. His oldest, Riley, was intelligent and level headed. At twelve, he began training under his mother’s tutelage, soon joined by several successive siblings. Pau was interested to see what the second generation of militia would be like, and ke had a suspicion that bred militia servants would be more capable than trained adults, although ke would know within the next few years.

Kyle’s second son was just as physically capable as his brother, though a few years behind, but thinking of him did not give Pau the same warm feeling. Patrick was ruled by his emotions. Rei gently reminded him that the boy was only a teenager, and that human teenagers were often given to such things, but Pau didn’t buy it. Not after watching Riley go through the same phases with much more capability and finesse.

Still, there was no denying that both boys would become capable members of Pau’s militia, and so far, Pau’s probing had shown them both to be just as loyal as their father.

Pau looked up at ker commander and subcommander with a smile. “Our orders are more of a test of loyalty than anything else. We are to harvest Delcius.”

“Harvest?” Both men shifted slightly but this was the only show of their discomfort with the idea. Pau couldn’t blame them. Loyalty did not equate an enthusiasm for sharing their fate with others.

Pau thought quickly. Neither man was from Delcius, but there were probably one or two in his group that were, originally. Maybe ke should take ker dominant’s concerns to heart. “We believe this will be the final harvest for a few generations, but the farming minister will let us know as we travel.”

Both humans remained slightly stiff, but their expressions shifted immediately to planning. This was the loyalty aspect. Despite their displeasure with the task, neither balked. “How many are we talking about? What’s the setup at Delcius?”

Pau waved a hand. “Take the subcommanders and three others. That should be plenty. We’ve had no issues with this planet in any of the reports. They are well trained in providing the required number and go with little fight. It should be a simple task.”

Kyle began to nod and then stopped himself. “You said it was a test of loyalty?”

“My test, not really anything you need to worry about.” Pau waved an elongated hand in dismissal before turning toward the papers on ker desk. “We need to leave in a few clicks so make whatever adjustments you need. I anticipate a few weeks at the outside.” Pau’s voice dropped lower, “I hope they do not expect an escort all the way to market.”

Kyle nodded, and Raymond pushed away from the wall to follow the commander from the room. When they were gone, Pau sat into ker chair and sighed again. The inconvenience in timing couldn’t be coincidental. There was a reason the empire had chosen ker busiest season to require this service. Although taking turns was a natural part of Darkin society, Pau knew that some Darkin seemed to be selected more often than others. Ter chided ker for the traitorous thoughts.

* * *

Junith started awake as the wood covering their cave moved to the side. Her brother, Cameron, slipped in and moved the cover back over the entrance closing off the crystal white light of the planet’s moon. He was moving with an energy that suggested something positive. Junith felt her smile lift into place as she sat up.

“Sorry.” Her brother’s quiet voice crossed the short distance. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Not a problem. Did you find someone who needed work?”

When he spoke, Junith could almost see the glow of his wide smile. “I did.” He scooted forward, hands outstretched and his fingers slid down her arm to her hand. When he moved back, he had left something behind.

Junith could feel the warmth and the smell of fresh bread overwhelmed her senses, waking her empty belly like a sleeping mountain. Junith moaning. “Fresh food!”

“That’s just for you. I already ate my share on the way home.”

The pair survived fine on what they could find but fresh, cooked food was a treat they didn’t have often. Delcius carried a lush assortment of etable food. Hunger was unknown by its inhabitants, at least in three quarters of a full revolution. There were other luxuries that were not so readily available, and most of these had to do with the rank into which a person was born. Junith and her brother were born into the Branded. They just missed the last Darkin harvest, although their parents had been taken to fulfill the quota. Junith and her brother spent her first seven years among the villiage children, sheltered by the magistrates. At seven, Cameron was charged with their survival and they were asked to leave. Seven and ten were old enough to fend for themselves, and the scarred tattoo across half their faces gave them an unmistakable distinction. By the age of eight, Junith was well-versed in what it meant to be Branded. Like the rest, the pair took up residence in the plethora of caves outside of town. They sought the company of others of their kind only during the winter months. Other than that, society was unnecessary and could be dangerous. Aside from the day-to-day, Junith always shrugged her shoulders. “What good would come of bonds when her purpose was to fulfill the quotas?”

During the winter, however, body heat became a precious commodity. Many Branded traded cooking or other menial services for a chance to be in the Southern Caves. The deeper depth brought them closer to the lava flows and reduced the chance of losing limbs to the sub-freezing temperatures.

Junith and her brother were in the Northern Caves, the ones farthest away from the planet’s natural sources of warmth. This was mostly due to their refusal to accept their situation in life. Junith was seventeen, her brother was twenty. She trusted him when he told her that things would get better. She trusted him when he said that he would find a way to make their lives less miserable. It had been an empty trust until a few years ago, but the man had worked hard to prove himself worthwhile in the eyes of the city’s community and eventually it began to pay off. Just recently, they had begun receiving offers for temporary work, and although this gave them no guarantee for the future, it was a strong omen for change.

Junith chomped happily into her luke-warm meal. “Where did you get the food?”

“Rancher Handy. But that’s not all they gave us.”

“Not all?” Junith finished her mouth full of food and swallowed regretfully, “What else?”

“They’ve offered us a place in their barn this winter if I promise to help with the herd every single day from now until then, and if you promise to take over his wife’s chores.”

Junith felt her heart leap in her chest. “Surely he was joking.”

Her brother chuckled. “No. I couldn’t believe it myself, but his wife is pregnant with their second child and she’s having a dificult time. He worries about what the winter will do, so he’s willing to teach you all of her chores now and have you take them over until the baby is born.”

“That’s more than five months of work!” Junith’s eye widened. “He’s promising us five months of work and shelter?”

Unable to contain himself, the young man moved forward and grabbed her up into a giant hug. “I promised you I would change our fate. At least until it comes time for our harvest, I swear you’ll never sleep on the floor of this cave again.”

Junith felt tears of surprise and hope drip from her eyes. The promise of shelter through the winter was not trivial. Last winter eighteen of the Branded had gone to sleep and never reawakened. Even in the deepest part of the caves there was no guarantee that one of the winter nights wouldn’t freeze them in place. Junith had lost several toes last year herself and the thought of the coming cold had her feet aching already. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Junith could hardly imagine sleeping, her excitement was so strong, but as they lay in the darkness, she felt herself drift. The next morning dawned chilly and clear reminding them both of their newfound goal. With wide smiles, they swept the cave clean of anything important and made their way into the city. The Branded were not despised or hated. If anything, they were pitied, but that lent itself well to most people simply ignoring their presence altogether. It was easier to ignore them than acknowledge their doomed natures.

Despite the habit, Junith and Cameron’s hard-earned attention also gained them genuine smiles from those they passed. Both brother and sister acknowledged these few with their own smiles and a kind word or promise that they would come back by if time permitted to help chop wood or complete whatever other inane chores people could find for them to do.

Rancher Handy waited for them as they came to a stop at the edge of his property. “I wondered if you two would ever show up.” He kindly chided them for their tardiness. “From now on you’ll be getting up a lot earlier, I assure you. Our chores need to be done twice a day and there’s not enough hours to sleep through half the day and still get it all finished.”

Junith bobbed her head in embarrassed acknowledgement. “Yes sir, we’ll improve.”

Rancher Handy grinned again and slapped her brother hard across the shoulders. Both men carried their lean bulk in their shoulders, so the solid thump had no effect on Cameron. Junith would have flown in his place. Handy spoke to Cameron as they walked, and Junith trailed behind, taking in the sight of their temporary home. Though she’d heard plenty of stories about Rancher Handy, the girl had never visited the place herself. She gawked at the sheer size of the outbuildings. The barn spanned at least a quarter mile, and though she couldn’t see its depth, she had a feeling it was at least as long again. To the side of the massive barn, a silo stretched into the sky giving the impression of endless height. Beyond these two, other massive buildings stretched up and away. She couldn’t imagine the use for such space until she entered the barn’s wide doors.

The place appeared empty at first glance. The smell assaulted her first, dromedaries and cattle with a hint of fowl and lizard. Following her nose, Junith passed through a human sized door and into yet another large room. Farmer Handy’s wife, Lilith, knelt by the side of a long fence and picked up round objects that littered the floor. As Junith entered, she looked up and smiled in relief. “Oh thank the gods you’ve arrived. I don’t know as I can bend down much longer without simply passing out.” With effort, the woman pushed herself back up and Junith felt the need to rush forward and help.

Taking the padded basket from her hands, Junith began where her benefactor had left off. After the lizard eggs, Junith handled the milking, cleaning, and binding of the she-mutts and then the household chores. Lilith demanded a level of perfection Junith didn’t understand, but she was also patient in explaining how and why.

By the time Junith dropped heavily into the loft of the massive barn that night, she knew they would be earning their keep for the next five months. Rather than exhaust her, the thought was exciting. Stability; cooked, warm food; a place to call home that didn’t drop to eighty degrees below freezing on an average winter night. The euphoria was enough to send her drifting into a peaceful sleep in minutes.

The next day was more of the same, but they started much earlier, and Junith had at least an idea of what she needed to do. She moved with more confidence down the row of egg laying lizards and from there on to the other chores. Lillith left her part of the way through the morning, satisfied, and Junith found her a few hours later kneading the dough for a thick pasty bread that was the basis for most upper-class meals. Lilith turned when she entered and gestured for her to come near.

“Have you ever kneaded dough?”

Junith shook her head.

“A good time to start learning then. Go wash your hands all the way up to the elbows and change your shirt.”

Junith did as she was bid and took her place before the counter.

 Lilith pantomimed the movements, showing her how to roll it forward and then fold it over. Junith broke the dough twice. And Lilith took over the job, explaining as she did, the gentle movements necessary for it to rise.

Two weeks later, she still kept away from the kitchens, but she’d mastered every other chore. Junith ran out of outside chores in late afternoon, and then puttered around the house until the meal finished. She tried twice more to help in the cooking, but they both agreed that it was better left in Lillith’s hands.

Junith gained an instant fondness for the Handy family. They were easy going and more than willing to do their own part. They weren’t looking for replacements for anything they could do themselves, instead they were giving opportunities to a pair of scruffy orphans who appreciated the help.

At the beginning of the third week with the Handys, Junith found herself happily jogging down the city’s main thoroughfare working her way toward the first of three stops. She had about forty pounds of trade goods and would be carrying at least that much back with her, but the weight felt light. The bluster of cold wind whipped at her hair reminding her yet again of how lucky they were to sleep in warmth every night. In addition to all of the other kindness, both Handy’s had also parted with an old set of winter clothes, providing Junith and Cameron something warm to work in.

She reached her first stop, Marthil’s thread shop, as an alarm pierced the air, carrying at least ten miles beyond the city in every direction. Junith’s smile dropped. Although she never doubted it would come eventually, this was the first time she’d questioned her requirement to be there. The alarm promised the arrival of the Darkin harvesters; a signal to the Branded to gather in the city’s center.