The Unwelcome Ones – Chapter Three
An Excerpt of Original Science Fiction
By Joseph Peters
The guard stared down at me. If he were able to tear through my soul just by looking at me, he would’ve.
“What the hell are you doing outside of the walls this early in the morn? Do you know how dangerous it is?!” His voice was gruff and came out sounding as thick as his belly.
“I… I’m sorry, sir.” I had to think something up that could get me the hell out of here. “I just wanted to see what guard life was like. I was thinking about taking it up in the future.”
“That’s a rather sh*#!y reason. I don’t care if you want to be no protector or not, you stay inside those damn walls. Now identify your element and show me the proof, then return back to camp.” He picked me up with one clamp of the metal laden glove of his left hand and positioned me on my feet. “Go on, now.”
I couldn’t. I was as stiff as a rock, my breathing as hefty as he was. If I were to reveal my element, I would be taken away immediately. But if I didn’t…
“Did I stutter?! What element are you?!” This was clearly an impatient guy, who had no time for fun and games.
If I didn’t show him my element, I would be taken away and discovered either way. Where the hell had Alixer disappeared to when I needed him for a distraction?! I sighed and nodded, and looked down at my right arm as a white glow surrounded it suddenly and it began to tingle, sending prickle-like chills through my skin.
His eyes widened and a bellowing laugh broke through to me. “You’re one of them?” He looked back over his shoulder, his body still heaving as the laughter continued. “GUARDS, WE GOTS OURSELVES SOMEONE RIPE FOR THE PICKING!” His gaze turned back to me as his arm went from a light orange to a fiery blaze. “You die now, you piece of scum.”
He raised his arm in the air, and swung down at me. I closed my eyes, expecting myself to be taken out and fill the burn flowing throughout me. But after a few seconds, it didn’t happen. Instead, a gurgling scream broke through the air, like that of someone who had just witnessed a mass murder and was unable to do anything about it.
My eyelids flew open, as a dark, midnight purple arm removed itself from the man and he fell to the ground, a gargantuan hole in his chest as blood oozed from the wound, forming a surrounding puddle on the ground. My eyes flew from the body to the murderer.
In front of me, stood Alixer. I had never witnessed his element before. Nor had I ever seen him murder a man. His arm was purple and throbbing and he was shaky, trembling so rapidly that if one wasn’t standing right next to him, they could’ve mistaken it as him being rocked by an earthquake. His eyes were no longer bright, they instead resembled the color of his cape and the blood on the ground, a red pulsing with an extreme anger.
“Alixer…”
The heavy thudding of guards approached us from the way we had come, and those that were around to witness the short spectacle were quickly rushing from their positions to eliminate us.
“There’s no time to explain! Just run!” His voice sounded almost demonic, which was worrisome, but he was still my brother and he hadn’t sent me in a wrong direction purposely before, so I took the order and we ran.
Missed chapter two? Read it HERE.
Missed chapter one? Read it HERE.