| Hush child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep.
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words: 1782 | tags: everyone | notes: WEE shadeh template
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Val's eyes dilated as his breath caught in his throat, cold sweat pouring off his forehead as his hands visibly shacked. His eyes stared at the ceiling above him, locked dead center. But what they where so intently focused on wasn't the ceiling, or something above it, simply the past his dreams recalled. Where was he this time? The ruins of Bosnia? Saint Petersburg? Moscow? London? Images filtered through his mind as he tried to remember which hell hole it was this time.
It was Bosnia.. Gods he fucking hated Bosnia. A low sigh escaped his lips as he brought his hand to his head, placing it above his eyes as he started to breath in and out slowly, calming his body. None of the pills helped. For as advanced as the Lantiens seemed to be, they apparently where just as bad at getting him sleep aids as Earth doctors. "Hehe.. Fuckers.." He said as he coughed into his hand, before pulling himself out of bed. His entire upper abdomen glistened with sweat in the dull sunlight that broke through his apartment. He was fairly light skinned, and all across his body where multiple scars. Gunshot wounds, claw wounds, punctures, shrapnel. In truth his body was fairly banged up after the wars, but he was still in fighting shape, even if it hurt once in a while when he moved.
His hands ran through the long mop of hair he had, which reached well down to his mid back. Closing his eyes he shook his head, pushing the memories to the darkest recesses of his mind as he pushed himself off the bed, grounding himself in this world as he brushed his feet against the wooden floor. His eyes peered over the small apartment which had been his home for the last month. It wasn't much to look at, a small little shack in the slums of Root Town. It was a single room apartment, with one light, a bed, and a half dozen borrowed books sitting on his nightstand. He wasn't going to be here for long they kept saying, he was going to be bonded for sure this time. The thought of it sickened him, he was signing his fate to be a puppet in someone else's war. But like he had been told before, he didn't have a choice in the matter..
His mind flashed back to the first time he had been drug before the hatchery, straight out of stasis. He didn't bond, hell he didn't want to bond back then. All it was, was him waking up very angry. He let out another sigh as he lifted his pillow, grabbing the sheath to his Ninjato. At least they had the courtesy to hold onto one of his weapons while he slept, though he had a fuzzy recollection of telling whoever put him under he would find and gut them if they lost his sword.
Lazily he walked towards the small area which had constituted his kitchen and dinning area, grabbing some of the pills off the counter as he downed his morning dose of stimulants and vitamins, amongst various other drugs. It was all designed to help him cope with his sleep apnea without any negative long term effects on his body, and let him operate at 100%. Though if he was honest, the stimulants kept him a step above 100%. Off in the distance he could hear the bells and the clamoring of Atlantis's citizens. They would be coming for him soon, he'd have to leave before then.
It took him hardly any time to get dressed and exit out of the back window. Rounding the street past his apartment he could hear the calls for his name against his door, as a slight grin touched his lips. Fucking Lantiens. Like hell he was going to walk hand and hand with them as the forcefully escorted him to be labeled and packaged as a soldier in their war. If he was going to go find his "bond mate" he was going to do it on his own terms. Besides, it wasn't like he really needed an escort to get around, he had made it his mission to memorize the layout of the city.
He had to admit it, the city was beautiful, it was uniquely calm. Something he hadn't experienced in nearly a dozen years since his childhood before the great war. It unnerved him. How anyone was able to live in peace.. He could never know. To live in peace was akin to ignorance. Ignorant of what had happened to Earth, to so many worlds, and what was happening to the Lantien world as well. The Skur was out there, or the Veradas-Neda as the Lantien's called it, and it was going to destroy this world as well.. Well, unless the humans managed to stop it.
And that was what it was all about wasn't it? Fresh troops for their "bond-mating". It was never about saving humanity, or Earth, or any other bullshit they spewed out of their lying cunt of a mouth piece, it was about saving their own ass. And hell, he'd respect em a bit more if they had the damn balls to admit that instead of taking a broken and nearly dead people and coming out from the depths as their "saviors" so humans could go off and die to defend them. God damn arrogant bastards. Using humanity as a pawn in their war.. And the worst part? He had to play ball.. Because for as much as he might distrust, or dislike the Lantiens, on the other side of the board was the Skur, and he couldn't let them win.
He hated it. He wished he had died back on Earth and could just rest in peace. Now he had to move to another battlefield and fight for a people he didn't know, care about, or trust. But here he was. Stuck in another god damn fight. Another god damn war. Would the Gods not let him find peace until every inch of his humanity was eroded by the tides of blood he created? Until every inch of him dripped with the blood of those he had damned to death? Even now.. He could practically feel the dead, hollowed eyes of the souls he had killed staring at him, waiting to grasp his soul and drag him to hell the moment he died.
He paused in his thoughts as Lantien guardsman passed him by. Damn.. He was already getting close to the Hatchery.. He took a second, looking around to get his bearings. His feet having taken him through the city on virtually auto pilot. From here on he it was going to be tougher to move around without an escort, but he would make it through.
Like he had thought, it had taken a good fifteen minutes to make it through what should of taken half that time with an escort as he avoided patrols and guardsmen until he finally made it to the base of the outer forest. He wouldn't of approached so carefree had he heard the guard descending, but with the clamor of the area, the footsteps where to muffled, and so as he rounded the corner and started down the path he found himself eye to eye with the guardsman.
"You aren't suppose to be here. Only the unbound cadets may pass."
Typical.. Unobservant line spewer. Seems the Lantiens where about as dumb as humans. He sighed running his fingers through his hair as he locked eyes with the male. "Do you see a drak flying by me eh? Get the fuck out of the way so I can get on with this pair bonding shit."
The guard was taken back as he thrust the halberd forward. Lantiens.. Never really seemed to agree with him. Maybe it was the way he spoke? Nah.. They where all just fucks anyway. "How dare you insult the bonding process.."
A slight grin touched Val's lips as his hand brushed against his low back, resting it upon the hilt of his folded blade. If this guy took the first swing he would finally get to see just what these guys where made of, and call it self defense. Maybe this day wasn't going to be so bad after all. His eyes went cold as he focused on the man in front of him, showing he was deathly serious, causing the Lantien to hesitate for a bit, before steeling himself for the battle.
But just before the fun began a voice called out from a ways away. "Valakin Korvak. We where beginning to expect you wouldn't show.. You can leave us young man, I will escort him to the others." The sage said, causing the Lantien to glare at Val, though he only got a slight smirk in response which only seemed to agitate the Lantien even more as he saluted the sage and turned away. "This way. He spoke as he pointed with his staff, leading onwards in silence.
Damn.. Some other time then.. Val thought to himself as he followed the Lantien in silence. By the time they arrived it had seemed almost everyone else had hatched their eggs, and where busy being enthralled with their new "bond-mates." Was he the only one who had trouble accepting the horse shit these people kept spoon feeding humans? From the looks of it.. It seemed that way. He shook his head as he walked past them all in silence, not caring to strike up a conversation as he approached the Crystal tree as he tried to remember what they had told him the last time he had tried this.
Closing eyes and feeling the connection right? Right.. Some stupid inner peace kinda crap. He closed his eyes... Nothing.. Yep.. Stupid inner peace crap.. Hell.. Maybe they had been wrong...
He paused as he felt it. A soft wave echoing across his mind, silencing all the harsh thoughts that ran through him, replaced by a warm, steady beat. Bump.. Bump.. It was like a heart beat that was not his own filled his ears, as washes of warm pink and red splashed against his closed eyes, and a warmth beckoning him closer.
He fumbled slightly as he walked forward, eyes close as he slowly started to extend his hand towards the warmth he felt in his mind. The sixth egg. He placed his hand upon it, as his heart started to beat heavier, and louder, and with a quicker pace, as the one his head started to slow, as both heart beats started to slowly come into sync.