Zinc 01 - Altors, page 1
part #1 of Zinc Series
Altors
by Nastasia Peters
For A. M. I.
Edited by Amber Godfrey
Copyright 2013 Nastasia Peters
Smashwords Edition
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The characters herein belong to the author. Any resemblance to real or fictional people is strictly part of your imagination.
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* * * * Notes the end of a scene
~~~~~~~~ Notes a flashback
Altors = Guardians
Regius = Royals
Palliums = Cloaked Ones
Narrator
“If there is no question, why dig for an answer?”
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Zinc was a world shaped out of three islands; a small one, a medium one, and a large one. The sea, called Zinc Sea, surrounding these three islands was so vast, it led the population to believe Zinc was a world of its own, not questioning what lay beyond the horizon as those who had left, never came back. They were assumed to have lost their lives in the dangers that lived under the surface of the turquoise colored waters. Although Zinc was definitely not impressive in size, its problems were. This world had issues so grand, three of the four types of people felt the need to keep the other clueless.
It all began when the people now known as the Regius, were granted the gift of blue blood. It is said they lied to those who created Zinc in order to obtain this power. Now, stronger than all others that resided in this world, they conquered Zinc's regions and overthrew its peacefulness. As their blood was now blue, it poisoned their compassion and many aspects of their humanity. Cruelty was what the Civilians living under the Regius' rule had to face. Had the Regius not lied to obtain the gift of strength, maybe it would not have come to stab them in their backs. And it was not how their inner systems had changed that was considered to be the punishment, but instead it was the new species that came into being. Children, part Regius and part Civilian, were born. Although not as strong as the Blue Bloods themselves, these hybrids had not lost their compassion or humanity, thus gaining the respect and love of those weaker.
The hybrids sought one another out, creating a rebellion to remove the Regius leader, the King of Zinc, from his throne. They wished to restore this world to its former glory, regaining peace, and installing a lifestyle where the Civilians would not have to fear bringing new children into the world. Did the war between the Regius and the hybrids start because the rebellion tried to remove the Blue Blood ruler from his throne, pushing out the cruelty that he harbored within even further? Or did the war between the two clans begin because the Regius King lied in the first place, creating the rebellion by accident as a consequence to his bad deed? While the second, of course, seemed more likely, another question needed to be asked. Who or what had dangled such great power before the eyes of a man, who's greed for more was so overwhelming, it compelled him to lie and obtain said strength?
Maybe the entity who'd enticed the people now known as Regius was the one to blame. Of course, those three questions weren't asked among the people of Zinc any longer. The war's origin had fallen into the category of 'unknown' throughout history. It did not matter who had started it and why; what was of importance now, was who was going to win.
While the Regius wished to keep their reign over the regions of this world, the rebellion never relented in trying to keep all those living under the Blue Bloods safe, and hopefully one day, free from the cruel crown. Although the war had not been won, victory still unclaimed, both parties realized that as they fought one another, the collateral damage that was done to the Civilians became far too important. So many lives were lost, that the Regius realized if they kept attacking the rebellion, not caring about who was in their way, they may keep their throne, but they would lose the subjects to rule over. As for the rebellion, retaliating so violently so as not to give the Blue Bloods the upper hand, they came to realize that they nearly lost their way.
Protecting the weaker is why they picked up their swords and gave their lives. When they found out that more Civilian lives were lost than any other, both Regius and rebellion came to an understanding. While neither wished to bow down to the other, they agreed that they could no longer fight their battles whilst involving the Civilians. The war was moved underground, out of sight, not to be spoken off when a Civilian was present.
As the years went by, the veil they had fashioned to keep the Civilians safe, turned into a proper lie as the weaker believed the war to be over. While you could still find people walking down the streets with physical traits that told you they descended from those with Blue Blood or the rebellion, the civilians were taught to believe that both parties had lost, the war having died out on its own centuries ago. Although the facade created by the Regius and rebellion for the rest of Zinc's population might not be without loopholes, why worry when it is strong enough to keep people from digging where they shouldn't? If the questions are never posed, than nobody will feel compelled to find the answer.
The Map of Zinc. You could find Lithium village in the far north and the Meadows of Serenium in the far south. Connecting these two were Corium Desert, Cobalt City, Iron Island and Copper Town, in that order. Placed in parallel to these regions were the Wastelands of Xenon. The only city within these wastelands was called Iodin City.
The tale I am to share with you begins in Lithium Village. A small town on the outskirts of Corium Desert within the World of Zinc. As there are no neighboring cities, Lithium Village, or LV to those who reside there, had everything it needed within. Gold to buy goods was not something the people of Lithium Village knew much about; because to get food, objects or anything you needed, you got through trade. The village was small enough that everyone knew everyone else and most people born within LV, never left it. There are few travelers that enter the town, and those that decide to visit ended up staying, while those who did leave rarely came back.
There are two ways to enter Lithium Village; one through the gate of Corium Desert and the other, over the waters of Zinc Sea. By boat, you travel along the lengthy coast line that followed the edge of Cobalt City, Corium Desert, and then you circle Lithium Village before arriving at the harbor close to the only small beach the town had to offer. Corium Desert, the only ice scape and place without rain in Zinc, was brutal to travel through. The temperature was always at a low degree, freezing anyone who went through it if they did not have the right provisions. It was not entirely impossible, you simply needed to make sure you were going the right way. If you knew where, the risk of dying lessened marginally. While traveling by boat took longer, it went without saying that it was definitely the better option.
But we aren't leaving LV just yet. The Civilians living in this town led relatively mundane lives to those on the outside. There were no vast changes in the seasons, and the people going about their day to day routine did not have grand dreams. But what made Lithium Village beautiful to me, personally, was that these civilians did not feel the need to have larger dreams, as they were more than content with dreams the size of a pea.
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Chapter 1: Solenum Everhart
“We’re in this together now”
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My nights were spent sleeping and my days were spent sleep walking. I was aware, but didn't pay attention. If I was still breathing it was only because I didn't want to die. Speech was mainly used to talk to the dead rather than the living. My body was set on autopilot as I went through my daily routine; this zombie state I found myself in having started the day my parents died. That had been a year ago, but I didn't want to think about that. Since I had no other family besides my parents, I'd been placed within the care of social services. The man who'd been in charge of me had found a home in a boarding house that was in a small town called Lithium Village. It was located in the far north of Zinc. Acacia Jacoby, the lady that worked in the boarding house and was now my official guardian, hoped my therapy sessions would coax me out of my shell. I should probably tell her that I was a lost cause.
Every last Sunday of the month, foster parents came to visit the boarding house. Sometimes they left with children to take care of, sometimes they didn't. I had never been taken home by any of those people. This was why Acacia wanted my therapist to crack through my numbness. She hoped I'd magically become that animated little girl without a worry again, the one I had been once upon a time.
Part of my daily routine was to go to the end of the street where the boarding house was located. The view was of Zinc Sea, the largest and only ocean in Zinc. The road continued for a short distance, the edge sticking out far away enough for it to resemble a balcony looking out over the waters. A beautiful black wooden railing had been placed around this edge to keep people from jumping into the ocean. The railing created a pattern of swirls, curling into each other; something I had stared at for many hours.
Lithium Village was a pretty town separated into two islands and connected with two bridges that carried trains to allow people to go back and forth. The houses and shops were small and narrow with straw roofs and clustered together to make up for the lack of space. All the bu
Electricity came to us in limited amounts, making it so that we couldn't use it for everything. The trains ran on steam and the street lanterns were lit with candles by the same man every evening. Not that I cared much about what the town looked like.
The only view I did enjoy was that of the balcony called 'Edge'. Whether it was sunny or rainy, I'd watch each sunset as it crawled beneath the landscape that was offered to me. Today was my tenth birthday and I had come up to Edge earlier than usual, breaking my routine only a bit for this special occasion. Although I lived my life as a ghost, nobody seemed to mind except Acacia who watched over all the children in the boarding house. It was part of her job description so it didn't surprise me that she cared. What did have me surprised today, was that some of the kids who were residing in the same boarding house, were taking notice of me right now.
"Hey!" One of them shouted. It was the bully of Lithium Village, Brass Farrow. I let my eyes take him in discretely before returning my attention to the sunset. He was maybe two years older than I was, and he had no hair. I knew he was a brunette though; he hadn't been bald very long. The girl I shared my room with, Holly Winfrey, liked to talk to me about all the gossip she'd been able to get her hands on. It was a good thing she knew how to carry on a conversation all by herself. One of the things she’d told me was that one of Brass' friends had accidentally put chewing gum in his hair and Acacia had been forced to shave his head. Brass would deny all of it, if asked.
"Hey!" My eyebrows pulled together in slight confusion as he repeated the shout. I could see him walk over from the corner of my eye, and I wished very hard for him to simply leave. Deciding that ignoring him might make him take the hint, I turned my gaze to the sky again, watching as the yellow turned into a vivid orange.
"I'm talking to you!" Angry words were accompanied by a shove. "Speak!" Letting go of my shoulder, he took a step back, arms crossed over his chest as his eyes traveled over my figure in a criticizing manner. "I've seen you talk to Acacia, why are you ignoring me?"
"Let it go. She's stupid, is all." I heard his friend call out.
Brass chuckled without humor, "She's not stupid, I can tell." His hand grabbed my shirt, dragging me up onto my feet. He was glaring at me and I was surprised at the genuine confusion I could read off his face. That's when I realized that he didn't like the unfamiliar. As the silence dragged on I could see his rage building, my mind imagining sparks glowing off of him. Adding a second hand to his grip on my shirt, he shook me full force and lifted me higher, screaming yet again for me to say something.
"Let her go!" A new voice shouted. I saw Brass frown before he dropped me, then spin on his heel to face the new presence on Edge. Falling to my knees, ignoring the pain, I lifted my eyes and focused on the person who had come to my rescue. I didn't know this boy, but I could tell he was around my age. I couldn't help but notice that his hair was strangely close to my own, black with auburn streaks. It was very messy, as if he hadn't combed it in days and his shirt had a chocolate stain on it. His pants were ripped around the knee, grass smudges decorating them and from the looks of it, he didn't seem to like showers very much. Despite all that, his posture was firm and determined.
"Get away from her!" The boy shouted before circling to take a courageous stand in front of Brass.
The bully laughed at the brave boy, "And who might you be?" He sounded amused, not at all feeling threatened. But the boy didn't seem to care, crossing his arms as he glared at Brass.
"I'm nobody. Step away from her now." I was in awe as the confidence in his voice never wavered.
"And what if I don't? What's your short ass going to do about it?" The boy's eye twitched before he pulled up his hands in a fighting sort of stance.
"I'll fight for her. I swear I will!"
"You think you can take me?" Brass laughed, yet he did bend through his knees as he prepared to battle the younger boy. My mind was racing as I tried to comprehend the situation. Not wanting the boy to get hurt, I reached forward and grabbed onto the bully's ankle.
"Don't hurt him." My voice was very scratchy and hoarse as I hadn’t used it in so long, but it had been loud enough to get Brass’ attention. I had expected him to retaliate, but instead he only sneered in my direction, kicking himself out of my hold before walking over to his friend. With one last look, both boys walked away. Watching them carefully, scared they may change their minds and come back, I sat up. When I looked over at the boy, he was staring curiously back at me. He walked over so he could crouch down, our eyes now level.
"Are you okay?" I felt surprise wash over me when I saw that his eyes were yellow, just as mine were. "Why didn't you fight back?" I shrugged. "You don't talk much do you?" I shook my head and he laughed. "That's okay, I don't either." He confessed, sitting down beside me. "I just arrived today."
He gave me a tentative smile as he waited for a reaction. I blinked, then frowned. His smile grew and then he simply looked up at the sky that had taken the shade of a deep blue. That was how I met my best friend.
Later that evening I found out that he was living at the boarding house as well. He was new. He hadn't known me at all, hadn't known I even lived at the boarding house when he stood up for me. He'd followed again that evening, but had left me alone afterward, noticing I didn't like to be crowded. The next couple of weeks he simply waved but never pushed me to react. He never really spoke, just kept me company even though I didn't ask for it. I was getting used to his presence and I felt myself getting excited when I was near him.
I grew panicked as the last Sunday of the month arrived. What if the boy was chosen by one of those people who came to foster lost children? He wouldn't be around anymore. Walking out of the boarding house, numbly at first, I made my way to Edge. I started walking faster as the panic made my stomach grow tight. When I started to feel nauseous, I ran, blinking the tears away that threatened to fall down.
Everything stopped, tears and panic along with my running steps as I saw the boy sitting at Edge already. He must have heard me, as he turned to wave, smiling as he patted the ground. There was almost no hesitation on my part as I made my way over, sitting down and shamelessly staring at him as I tried to understand why he wasn’t gone.
"You didn't think I would leave without you, did you?" He asked, grinning. I looked nervously his way, then gulped. This was it, he had given me all the time and patience in the world. If I didn't answer this very moment I knew I wouldn't be sitting next to him anymore the following end of the month.
I parted my lips, wetting them nervously. "I did." Although the smile remained plastered on his face, his eyes had widened as he heard me speak. Inching forward then, he pinned me under his gaze, forcing me to lean back, which made him laugh.
"What's your name?"
"Solenum Everhart. What's yours?"
"I am Calycanthus Esquivel." I smiled tentatively at him and he beamed back at me. This was strangely easy and difficult at the same time. Swallowing the nervous lump down my throat, I turned my gaze to the brilliant red sunset displayed before myself and Calycanthus. Feeling a warmth creep its way into me, spreading over my entire body and capturing my heart, I managed a genuine smile without hesitation.
"Thank you for being my friend, Cali."
"We're in this together now, Sol."
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Chapter 2: Calycanthus Esquivel
“At fifteen, what you believe to be the worst feeling in the world, isn’t.”
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Five years later and we were still in this together. Nothing seemed to be able to separate us and every time our closeness was so much as threatened, we found ways to defend it. It was what kept us going, what made us want to keep going. Lupinus, Acacia’s husband and one of our two guardians, said that we were being dramatic. And although his points on teenage hormones may be valid, it didn’t stop Solenum and myself from believing it.
