Young Writers Society

Dharius

The Arkylian sits at the only table there, and noticing we aren't paying attention, he slams the piece of wood. "Now that I have everyone's attention, time for the proposal," he says. I tilt down closer to him, paying the best attention I can. "So, as you may already know, our King has serious problems with your people," he proceeds, "your filthy planet has stole the Ead Box. But calm down, we don't look to negotiate about that. Time's over for that. I think we, Arkylians, must take it by force."

"No, wait!" Ava shouts. "There must be other way!".

"Oh, sorry sweetie, but you won't achieve anything with your words. It has been decided by the Government of Arkyle. Stealing is paid by death," the man respondes. "But to do that, we need help from one of you, a human. It can be any, but the more collaborate, the better we are."

"And why should we do that?" Damon says.

"Well, we will keep you alive if you help," the Arkylian answers. "Otherwise, you'll die, just as the rest of your planet. Anyway! Who wants to help? We'll just need some information, and done."

Everyone is quiet. My heart beats fast as hell. The opportunity has come. And this was easier than I thought: I won't have to convince the Arkylian Lord to start a war, because he will fight anyway. Adrenaline runs through my body, and a grin is drawn on my face. Finally.

"I'll help you," I say, happy like I have never been in my whole life.

Damon stands up, almost kicking Stanley's cage. Ava and Ree shout at me, but I don't hear them... I'm way to excited to pay attention to stupid stuff.

"Great! Any other volunteer?" the man seems satisfied. "No? Alright, then, you little kid come with me," he points at me, "everyone else, I hope your death is slow and painful." After that, he takes out some kind of weird device and says something I can't listen. Many people enter the room, taking all of the Chosen out of it. Then, the Arkylian and me disappear from the cold place, and the last thing I hear before vanishing -or teleporting?- is Ava's voice. Did she call me?

Spoiler

Oooh, this is going to be good.

Ree

The others were starting to fully wake up now. Dharius was the first to rise, glaring at me in hatred. I just watched him wearily. He lifted his foot, and I waited for the blow, knowing it was coming and knowing I deserved it. His foot lashed out into my face and welcome pain exploded on my face. I fell, then sat back up again, not even moving away. He was staring at me.

Why had he stopped there? "Keep going," I told him hoarsely - my voice didn't want to work. "I deserve it."

He kicked me again, and my nose felt like it was about to fall off under the hammering blow. I pushed myself off the ground, sitting up so he could kick me again. He pulled back his foot.

"Dharius... don't." We both turned slowly and saw Ava - I'd missed her somehow when I'd woken up - watching, her eyes so full of sadness that Dharius stopped. "They were controlling him," she whispered. Her voice was so soft; had I really hurt her that badly? "He... he couldn't stop it."

But I should have! I wanted to yell. I should have found a way!

Dharius turned to look at me, but I just watched tiredly. I wouldn't protest whatever happened.

"Dharius, please... don't..." Ava stood there, her quiet, injured voice pleading with him. Looking at that beautiful face so damaged, defending me, I felt a strange feeling rising up in me. I realized, with vague surprise, that it was love. It saddened me - surely she'd never accept me, not now.

"I'm sorry," Dharius said finally, turning away from me. I stared; he was apologizing? Ava nodded, her eyes closing for a moment. She tried to rise, but she fell, still weak. I stood instead, wanting to take her hurt for her. "I have to heal you," Dharius said, searching the room as if something would magically appear that would let him transfer his blood.

"No, no... I'll be okay. We should find a way to escape. Not only that... we must leave this planet. It seems the only way, or we'll be killed."

Dharius seemed to think for a moment; then he spoke. "We have to negotiate with our captors," he declared. I stared at him. "We can't escape by force, nor speed, nor anything else; they're far superior from us. It's the only way." I just stared more. Dharius was suggesting a non-violent solution?

There was a growling moan from a far corner, and I turned to see three cages holding a wolf, a fox and a cat - Leo, Stanley and Arcadia. Leo glared at Dharius, growling again.

Apparently, as Ava translated, Leo thought it was a coward's idea. The human man, who had finally woken up, agreed, but to my shock, Dharius still argued for negotiation. Finally, they were cut off as a voice rang out from some sort of hidden speaker.

"It seems you're awake." Great observation there. "Well, we have a proposal for you. I will open a door that will lead to a room where we can talk. I trust that you won't do anything stupid; you already saw what happens if you resist. I'll wait here."

Silence rang out for a moment as the voice cut off. I recognized it - it was the man with that awful light. Suddenly, though, our silence was broken by a loud scraping noise at the wall; we turned and saw a gap yawning at us. For another moment, everyone stared; nobody wanted to be the first through that door.

"That must be the door," the man finally said lamely. Dharius, appearing to make up his mind, looked at us for a moment.

"Really. It's the only way; how else do you want to escape? That man would defeat us in no time. Maybe he'll let us out of Arkyle..." I just stared skeptically. Right, and maybe the government back home would be honest with us when we got home. "Come on, we can do it. Lower Leo, Stanley and Arcadia's cages and let's go." With that, he turned and strode towards the gap.

Ava watched him go, her eyes playing a host of emotions I couldn't stand to see on her. My eyes went to her neck, where those bruises still stained her skin. I'd done that to her. She turned, saw me looking, and put her hands over her neck.

Dharius turned back around to help Ava; I should have done that. Maybe she didn't want me near her, though. I wouldn't blame her. We went through the 'door', where a table say waiting with the horribly familiar face of the light man watching us come in. Everyone sat; I chose a spot far away from Ava, afraid that she'd try to avoid me if I approached her.

Ava looked at me for a moment, a sort of irritation flashing in her eyes. Ree, her voice sounded in my head, do not avoid me. I am not mad at you. It is not your fault what happened - please do not avoid me. Her voice didn't sound angry anymore. I... she ducked her head. I am falling in love with you.

I stared for a moment, my mouth falling open. She loved me? She loved me! After all that, she loved me! As I watched her sitting there, her head tilted shyly down, bruised and wounded but still somehow deciding to love me, I knew that I loved her back, that her words should have been mine. I started trying to find a way to get my throat to work again, words failing me; what could I do to express what I suddenly felt rushing through me, bringing me back to life?

I nearly leaped out of my skin as a fist slammed loudly on the table. The Arkylian looked around at us coldly. "Now that I have everyone's attention, time for the proposal." My breath caught. What did they want with us? With Ava? What was going to happen to her? "So, as you may already know, our King has serious problems with your people." His voice took on a note of disdain and anger. "Your filthy planet has stolen the Ead Box. But calm down, we don't look to negotiate about that." I started to breathe a sight of relief, just as his voice hardened. "Time's over for that - I think we, Arkylians, must take it by force."

I started to stand up, but Ava beat me to it. "No, wait!" she cried, her voice hoarse. "There must be another way!"

"Oh, sorry sweetie," the man said acidly, "but you won't achieve anything with your words." I bristled - how dare he speak to her like that? "It has been decided by the Government of Arkyle - stealing is paid by death. But to do that," he added, looking at each one of us, "we need help from one of you, a human. It can be any, but the more collaborate, the better we are."

I stared, disgusted. How could he possibly expect us to betray our homeland for no reason? I didn't even understand.

"And why should we do that?" the human man demanded hotly.

"Well, we will keep you alive if you help; otherwise, you'll die just as the rest of your planet," the Arkylian said simply. "Anyway!" He clapped his hands together, looking around the table as if this was some sort of business meeting. "Who wants to help?" he asked sprightly. "We'll just need some information, and done."

There was stony silence; except for at one end of the table. Dharius suddenly grinned, a sick, disgusting grin I'd never seen before. "I'll help you," he said. He sounded pleased with himself.

I leaped to my feet, the chair crashing to the ground as I knocked it over. "Traitor!" I screamed, hardly even aware that others were shouting as well. "What kind of creature are you, you - you-" I ran out of words, stammering inarticulately in helpless rage.

"Great!" the Arkylian man said, clapping once. "Any other volunteer?" Stony, cold silence filled the room like a poison gas as every loyal human glared with all their fury. "No? Alright, then, you little kid come with me. Everyone else, I hope your death is slow and painful," he said cheerfully, and with that he grabbed Dharius, pulled out a strange device, and spoke into it. I didn't care what he said into it - I nearly overturned the table trying to get to him, to Dharius, overwhelmed by the urge to kill them both. How could they sentence us to death? How could they do this to us - to Ava? Oh, God, Ava... what was going to happen to her? She was going to die!

I staggered to a stop as the thought stuck me like a hammer blow. I couldn't let them kill her. I couldn't.

A pair of rough hands grabbed me, pulling me back. I let them drag me back, too absorbed in my resolution and my anger to cooperate or resist. I just stared fire at the Arkylian and the traitor as they pulled me out. The wall pulled shut behind us, sealing us once again into our cell, and they threw the spies back into their cages. The guards were holding down the man, and one of them shoved Ava as she shouted something.

I didn't even think about what I did next. I remembered the light bulb, hanging above us, and at my unthinking will the glass melted off, sharpening into a point.

The guard screamed as it stabbed into him; I dispatched him, and another one. A guard slammed me into a wall and punched me, trying to make me stop; I stabbed him next. The man was fighting off another guard, and I took care of the last one. Ava started to fall; I rushed over and caught her. Then, on a complete impulse, I leaned down and kissed her.

"I love you too," I whispered, and then I turned around as the door slammed open, preparing to flee, fight or negotiate.

Spoiler

O.O Sweet mother of long posts! I am so sorry... But anyways, time to save the world. Yay for glass missiles! \^.^/

Ava

They grab me out of the chair and begin to pull me into the other room. “No.” I scream. “Dharius how could you?” I demand. “How could you do this to the people on you side?” I invade his head. “Please don't do this. We are going to die because of you. How can you not even care?”

The name arms have a good grip around my arms. Squeezing them hard behind my back. All of a sudden the mans grip on me releases on me and he falls on the ground. I begin to fall to the ground, but Ree's arms protect me. He leans in and kisses me. “I love you too.” he says.

I smile, but I am soon scooped up by Ree and he runs out the door. “We have to get out of here.” Damon says. “No one knows where the house it and we will be safe here until we can get off of this planet.” The spies run ahead of us and lead the way.

Dharius

I appear in front of the biggest house I've ever seen. I don't think it's a house, it is more like a palace. Maybe it's bigger than a palace... Whatever it is, the thing is huge, and it's surrounded by lots of towers, great houses, and a city.

The palace is on top of a hill and has security everywhere. On the sky, at its sides, maybe even inside the hill. The man who took me here tells me to go inside with him. After he talks with someone, the door opens and we're lead in.

Inside it's even better. Jewels, gold, people dressed in luxurious clothes; this is getting even more incredible each second. But of course, this is the King's house. He's not only the king of just one country, he's the lord of a whole planet.

My heart pounds on my chest like a drumstick hitting a tom constantly. I can't believe it. After leaving my whole life as a miserable due to mankind's stupidity, they'll pay for their acts. And it seems we're aproaching the King's room, since security increases with each step we take.

We get inside an elevator and descend. Are we going inside the hill? The place, instead of getting colder, gets warmer it's time... and even more luxurious. Now security roams everywhere and I even get scared a bit by just imagining what they could do.

Then we arrive to a magnificent door, covered in the strangest things I've ever seen. The Arkylian talks again with some security guards -there are lots of them guarding the entrance- and after talking through some kind of device, we're allowed to enter the room.

It's the King's room.

On the throne, there's an Arkylian with a staff, which has a pretty big jewel on top of it. Again, I don't know what it is for. Whatever it does, he waves it and suddenly an amazing chair comes levitating out of nowhere.

"Sit, human. We have to talk," he says, his voice full of authority and cruelty.

can i have a spot as a female defender(:

Hey we are like 3/4 of the way through this. I do not think you would want to join now.

oh okay thanks anyways

DON'T LET THIS DIE!!!

=( Come on... we're almost done!

I think we need to restart this as a book 2 two in a new SB. Maybe 'Chosen: The Second Rule of Survival'
Post a reply or give this reply a like if you are interested. If there's enough, I'll start up the sb for book 2.
If we do start a book 2, I'll most likely let on new people to fill in the rest of the 12 slots.

I would love to do another

YES YES DEFINITELY YES. This time I won't get pulled away by the start of marching season!

Okay, I've posted the new SB. http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=95605&p=1083938#p1083938

If you see anyone who you know actively participated here or who is interested online, please do give them a buzz. I've posted on everyone's wall, but I know that not everyone checks there.