out of the cave. He had a target to capture, a target that would prove to the man that he was a worthy successor. I won’t fail you. I promise, Father.
ΩΩΩ
“Get back down, Beatrix,” said her mother. “The guards will see you.”
“I don’t care,” said the blue-eyed girl, she ran her hand through her brown hair and hopped atop a large rock. From there she had a clear view of the entire tribe, from old lady Magnes to her childhood friend Lista. They, along with the other members of her small tribe, were spread across the green field, packing the last of their belongings in the dark cases the Bastion had provided.
“People of Palek!” she screamed. “My entire life I’ve heard of the great deeds we’ve accomplished. It was our people who first colonized this planet when it was deemed uninhabitable. It was our ancestors who defended it against the ravenous storms and turned the land into one that is prosperous. It was our men who went to war against the destroyer of world’s and fought bravely for the Bastion, taking out more of Yashvir’s creatures than any other battalion our size.” A few people stopped what they were doing to give her a quick glance, but most continued with their task. I have to get through to them . “Are we now simply supposed to stand aside while our land is stolen by the Bastion? People of Palek,” she raised her fist into the air, “join me. We must fight for our land!”
Beatrix breathed heavily, waiting for her people to rally behind her and fight against the injustice that was being committed against them. But instead, they gazed at the ground as they continued to fill the leather cases with the few possessions they could carry.
“Get down, Beatrix!” hissed her mother through her teeth. “The guards will—”
“What do we have here?” asked a Bastion guard in a loud snort. He walked with long strides, stopping to look at the girl. He pulled on his long mustache with one hand, and rubbed his oversized belly with the other. “Another Palek insurgent looking to stir up trouble?”
Beatrix’s mother, a short, slim woman with a myriad of wrinkles across her tired face stepped in front of the guard. “She’s not looking to start any trouble, sir.”
“What nonsense is she spewing? From where I was standing it sounded as if she was trying to start an uprising.”
“What if I was? Don’t—” began Beatrix.
The older lady pulled her daughter behind her. “She means nothing by it. She has a big mouth, but she means well.”
“I’ll be merciful just this once. But you best keep her under control.” He glanced hungrily down Beatrix’s low-cut blouse and licked his cracked lips. “I wouldn’t want to come back to pay your luscious daughter a personal visit.”
“I will.” The woman spoke rapidly. It was the way her voice always got when she was nervous.
The guard turned, leaving behind a red-faced Beatrix. “Why did you stop me, Mom? Someone has to put an end to this.”
“Shhhhh …” the woman brought her finger to her lips. “Don’t you love me?”
Beatrix’s features softened. “Of course I do. Why would you ask something like that?”
“Because you know I’ve lost everything. Your father and my brother both died trying to keep our land from the Bastion. In fact…” She motioned to the people around them folding their tents into neat, thick rectangles. “There is no one from our tribe who has not lost someone. All our men have been killed, and now you would have me lose you as well?”
Beatrix stiffened. Why did her mother always have to make her feel guilty? “I love you, just like I love our people. That is why I’m trying to fix this injustice!”
The woman shook her head. “So headstrong.” The way she said it made it sound as if it was a negative attribute. “Your father and uncle were the same way. It did them no good, did it?”
Scowling, Beatrix said, “At least they didn’t stand by while our land was being
ΩΩΩ
“Get back down, Beatrix,” said her mother. “The guards will see you.”
“I don’t care,” said the blue-eyed girl, she ran her hand through her brown hair and hopped atop a large rock. From there she had a clear view of the entire tribe, from old lady Magnes to her childhood friend Lista. They, along with the other members of her small tribe, were spread across the green field, packing the last of their belongings in the dark cases the Bastion had provided.
“People of Palek!” she screamed. “My entire life I’ve heard of the great deeds we’ve accomplished. It was our people who first colonized this planet when it was deemed uninhabitable. It was our ancestors who defended it against the ravenous storms and turned the land into one that is prosperous. It was our men who went to war against the destroyer of world’s and fought bravely for the Bastion, taking out more of Yashvir’s creatures than any other battalion our size.” A few people stopped what they were doing to give her a quick glance, but most continued with their task. I have to get through to them . “Are we now simply supposed to stand aside while our land is stolen by the Bastion? People of Palek,” she raised her fist into the air, “join me. We must fight for our land!”
Beatrix breathed heavily, waiting for her people to rally behind her and fight against the injustice that was being committed against them. But instead, they gazed at the ground as they continued to fill the leather cases with the few possessions they could carry.
“Get down, Beatrix!” hissed her mother through her teeth. “The guards will—”
“What do we have here?” asked a Bastion guard in a loud snort. He walked with long strides, stopping to look at the girl. He pulled on his long mustache with one hand, and rubbed his oversized belly with the other. “Another Palek insurgent looking to stir up trouble?”
Beatrix’s mother, a short, slim woman with a myriad of wrinkles across her tired face stepped in front of the guard. “She’s not looking to start any trouble, sir.”
“What nonsense is she spewing? From where I was standing it sounded as if she was trying to start an uprising.”
“What if I was? Don’t—” began Beatrix.
The older lady pulled her daughter behind her. “She means nothing by it. She has a big mouth, but she means well.”
“I’ll be merciful just this once. But you best keep her under control.” He glanced hungrily down Beatrix’s low-cut blouse and licked his cracked lips. “I wouldn’t want to come back to pay your luscious daughter a personal visit.”
“I will.” The woman spoke rapidly. It was the way her voice always got when she was nervous.
The guard turned, leaving behind a red-faced Beatrix. “Why did you stop me, Mom? Someone has to put an end to this.”
“Shhhhh …” the woman brought her finger to her lips. “Don’t you love me?”
Beatrix’s features softened. “Of course I do. Why would you ask something like that?”
“Because you know I’ve lost everything. Your father and my brother both died trying to keep our land from the Bastion. In fact…” She motioned to the people around them folding their tents into neat, thick rectangles. “There is no one from our tribe who has not lost someone. All our men have been killed, and now you would have me lose you as well?”
Beatrix stiffened. Why did her mother always have to make her feel guilty? “I love you, just like I love our people. That is why I’m trying to fix this injustice!”
The woman shook her head. “So headstrong.” The way she said it made it sound as if it was a negative attribute. “Your father and uncle were the same way. It did them no good, did it?”
Scowling, Beatrix said, “At least they didn’t stand by while our land was being
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