When I got back to our small village I searched for my brother Fastus. I know him and I don't really get a long, but when it comes down to it he's the only person I could trust at a moment like this. When the balance of everything we have known is about to be destroyed, having a brother in the guard somehow feels comforting.
Nearing the edge of town I saw my brother, and nearly collapsed before him whilst grabbing at the thin white cotton shirt of a scientist. My lungs heaved violently, trying to recover from the long run to and across town.
Fastus took hold of my arm and yanked me up. "What is going on with you?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed.
I look about frantically, making sure no others were around. "It's Callow. I heard him speaking with the leader of the Viridi, Lesion." I gasped, the burning sensation in my lungs starting to recede a little. Fastus merely looked unpleased, so I went on. "Lesion persuaded Callow to go to war with the Brackin people."
"Our leader would never be so stupid." Fastus reasoned. "Callow and Nami are good friends."
I nodded. "I know, I know, but something doesn't seem right. Lesion said Nami is planning for a war, and if we do not strike first we will be destroyed. Callow may not recognize it, but surely this is a tactic to destroy the both of our cultures, leaving the Viridi to just... take over everything!" I exclaimed.
Some armed guards started to head towards us, prepared for the venture to the Brackin territory.
"Look," Fastus whispered in an urgent tone, "Do not do anything until I return. I will be back in three days. Surely nothing will happen between then and now, so don't speak of this to anyone, do you hear me?" I nodded, looking my brother in the eyes. "Good. I can't ruin my first chance as an acting scientist, now can I?"
"Are you kidding me!" I blurted. "After all I've said, you still care more about your duty?" I cried.
"Well maybe if you ever heeded to your job, you'd understand how it feels to be responsible." He said curtly. "Just stay quiet until I get back." He huffed, walking towards his group of guards and heading out into the desert.
Regardless of how hurt I felt, I stayed silent those three days, watching everyone go about their business as usual, as if nothing in the world could ever go wrong. How unfortunate for them. When the fourth day came, and there was no sign of my brother I began to ask my parents where he was, and after getting over the shock of my talking to them, they simply soothed me and said to think nothing of it. Maybe he was just collecting something new and excited. But then five days passed, and there was still no sign of his return. I fidgeted most of the day, but when the sixth day came and nothing was heard, I marched into the guard's tent, fully intending to find out where my brother was.
"Tell me where my brother is." I demanded, staring the head guard in the face, which was only a little higher than my own.
He looked at me, taking his awkwardly large helmet off of his head. His mouth kind of twisted in a way that was unusual for the carefree way most carried on, and my stomach began to knot and twist.
I continued to stand my ground, refusing to let my unease get the best of me. "Tell me!"
"He's not coming back, son."
I stood there for what felt a life-time, a life-time filled with the echo of those words. Not coming back? My breathes came quick as anger pumped through my veins. I took hold of the wooden table that held sign-up sheets for guard application, and threw into the side of the tent. "What do you mean he's not coming back?"
Other guard were quickly upon me, holding me back from lashing out any further. "He was killed on the job."
My chest heaved in anger. "This is all stupid Callow's fault! It's all your fault! Everyone is just going to die, and it's all his fault!"
The caring face of the head guard suddenly turned to stone. "If you speak those words again you will be banished without a second thought."
"Good! You're all a bunch of stupid idiots who can't even see how stupid your leader really is!" I said, spitting in his face.
Suddenly Callow was standing in the doorway of the tent, looking almost sympathetic. "I fear we have a traitor in our midst. Bring him to the center of town, you know what must be down."
The guards ushered me out towards to middle of our village. People had already gathered there, hearing the commotion. I glanced around, trying to spot the faces of my parents, but they were no where in sight. One of the guards pushed me down onto my knees, and ripped the sleeve from my left arm, revealing my left shoulder. Callow stood in between me and the people, holding a heated metal rod.
"Some of you may know Alden, that he is a waste of space in our village and cannot even make it to a job well suited to him. Well it seems that he is also a traitor, and as you all know, traitors must be marked." Callow moved behind me as one of the other guards grabbed my hair to keep my head down. Callow raised the rod. "This shows that Alden is no longer welcome to our people." He then dropped the rod onto my flesh, burning away the color to leave an inflamed red skin in the shape of fire, as others have before me. "Now, Alden." Callow said, as guards lifted me from the ground tears of anger and pain resentfully sliding down my face. "You are no longer welcome in this town, or any other Palkin establishment."
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