Chapter 5: Defiance Tere put me down and held one of my tiny hands, catching my gaze. “Alright,” Tere started. “Since this is your first scavenge, I’ll show you the ropes and hope for the best, okay?” I nodded, touched by his affection.”So, Lionik ordered for us to collect some scrap metal, we all separate in teams of two, except for Lionik. He goes to supervise Zon and Yel. He’s assigned me to help you. Lucky for you, I know where to find loads of scrap metal.” He leaned on his arms and legs, placed me carefully on his back, and broke off into a sprint. We passed jagged rocks and gaping blue lava flows, my hair flying in the wind of his dash. He flew down a dirt road and toward towering buildings. They seemed broken, once living but now just a corpse of a lost society, a city of grandeur. Tere slowed and pulled me off his back. We were surrounded by old large machines, submerged in dirt and covered in moss, rusted and bruised. Tere ripped at the roof of one of the machines, it creaked and shrieked at the pulling. The echo traveled through the dense atmosphere, boundless. “What are you doing?!” I shouted in concern, covering my ears to shield my ears. “This is what we need, scrap metal,” he answered. “Oh, sorry.” I said my face flushing a crimson red . I tried to break scraps off, but only managed to tear a few bolts and and screws. I sighed, disappointed in my small body. I grunted and pulled at a piece, trying to pry it free. Tere noticed the trouble I was having. He walked next to me, grabbed the same piece and we both pulled the part free. We worked together and gathered a pile of scrap metal. We both considered ourselves done and lounged atop the pile we created. I tried not to notice the pain. “So, heard you were born in the ketch, sounds luxurious,” Tere said to break the silence. “Yeah, luxurious...” I said sarcastically. [i]If you mean having to live with your father who’s set on killing you…[/i] I thought to myself, not realizing that I looked grim and depressed. Tere reached over and pulled me close, I yelped in surprised. He held me in his lap and cradled me, I sighed. “What’s up? Something’s bothering you, I can smell it.” He tilted his head and tightened his grip on me. I shook my head, but when I looked at him I couldn’t resist. “Just, my father’s been trying to kill me ever since he held me for the first time.” I answered. Tere nodded and held me for a long awkward moment. Just then we heard a fallen cry. Tere tensed and stood up, he screamed on the top of his lungs to attempt and notify the entire planet. “GUARDIAN!” He scooped me up and I yelped in surprise. He lowered and dashed back the way we came, seeming rather flustered. I panicked and held onto him. We reached where the group had first separated and the squad was readying for battle. Tere set me down and growled, he walked to Lionik. “The hell are you doing?! We need to get out of here...now!” Tere shouted. “We’re going to fight the guardian, snuff out its light.” The captain replied. “No, no we are not. Squad! Retreat to the Ishtar Sinks for the skiff pick up!” Tere ordered. “What the- soldier! you’re under my command! C’mere!” The captain lunged at Tere and pinned him down, I shrieked, Lionik pulled out two long sharp blades. He charged the blades, sending a spiral of arc twisting along the blade. I pounced onto Lionik and knocked him off Tere. Tere lunged at the captain and pulled me off. Tere pulled his shotgun out and pointed the barrel at Lionik’s head. Lionik stared down the barrel, he looked Tere in the eyes. “Do it rebel, I dare you.” Lionik threatened. We heard the Fallen warning cry again. Tere closed his eyes and put his finger on the trigger. With a guttural cry the Captain’s head snapped off, the hiss of the ether seeping out of his body making my skin crawl. Tere hoisted me onto his back and bolted towards the place where we made our pile of scrap metal. He ran past there and off to a place that was at the lip of a cliff. We saw the group there, waiting under a skiff. Tere picked up the pace and dashed for the group. As soon as we stepped foot within the group, I felt that odd feeling of being transported into the skiff. Tere gasped and caught his breath, setting me aside. The entire group was staring at Tere, mixed emotions spread along each of their faces. The skiff ascended into space and the trip became silent, none dared to speak of what happened- and none took their eyes off Tere. I got nervous and stared at the window. The skiff touched down next to the orbiting Ketch and the group was transported in. Two captains grabbed Tere by the arms and dragged him, the group followed. A baron with thick fur clothing stepped up to Tere. He looked Tere in the eyes and motioned the captains and the group away. “Rebel, kneel” He demanded.Tere obeyed, kneeling shamefully, his head drooping and a soft growl quaked from him. The baron pulled two blades out and stood behind Tere, he held Tere’s back arms up using his front arms and positioned the blades with his back arms, I whimpered. “Tere, rebel, you will now and forever will be demoted to dreg.” The baron bellowed. ”This is the punishment for your crime.” The baron sliced the blades clean through Tere’s arms. Tere screamed in pain, cyan blood poured out of the stubs that used to hold Tere’s limbs.I screamed and leaped out. I held my hands over the stubs and closed the wounds, I put his arms back and focused. I carefully sewed the limbs back to where they naturally are. The baron pulled me away and gasped at my work. “Wh-what, how did you? I ought to turn you into a dreg as well!” He scolded. Just in that moment, Tenvorock walked over. “Nonsense, no harm will come to her,” He picked me up.”But tending to a dreg is a serious crime. His breath was hot, and his stare was chilling and careless. He slung me over his shoulder and carried me to my room. No talk came to me the rest of the day. I scavenged around for leftover ether, but to my despair, I found none. I instead sat in the middle of the room, promptly whining at the loss of my movement and eyesight. I curled up so I could sleep, and my body could fast. I awoke after what seemed to be minutes, the star that had shined through the window had warmed my body awake. I touched the dark metal behind me, and yelped as it scorched my hand from the intense heat of that same star. The Ketch was quietly humming and working normally. When my mind caught thought of the previous day’s events, a rock fell into my stomach. What was going to happen to me? Tenvorock seemed pretty mad, maybe nothing was going to happen. Maybe I was going to starve? Before I knew it, I felt his massive hand scooping me up, causing me to squeal, he carried me to the shipyard and promptly threw me into a pod. The interior was blowing with ether and had a light green glow. I could see my squad staring at me in disappoint, all except Tere. He held a glance of want, of need, and of greed. Almost like… Remorse?. The next moments were a void in my memory.