Born of Kytec - Kennedy Harkins (read novels website .txt) 📗

On the other, as soon as it was over, I’d be getting married, Koen would be starting his computer skills training, and Cedric would spend eight years learning to fight and lead the nation. Sure, it wasn’t like Cedric and I wouldn’t see each other at important social events, and Koen and I at the market, just as we have our whole lives. It was different this time. We would no longer be children. It would no longer be considered cute that Cedric, the future ruler of all of Nucleo, was friends with Koen, nothing more than a commoner. Barbaric, right?
There would be no more us. All the time we’d spent together, all the shared secrets, all the mutual pain, would be gone. Vanished, like it never existed, like it never mattered.

When I hit the woods I slowed to a walk. The teachers all say it was extremely hard to breed a type of tree that didn’t need sunlight. I can imagine. The ‘trees’ shown an eerie silver. Though it was their normal color, it still unnerved me. I’d known nothing else, but it always seemed...wrong...
My pace quickened as I got closer to my destination.

Am I ready for this? It’ll all be over so soon...

I squared my shoulders against the traitorous words. Who was I? Some soft-hearted young lady? No, against all the odds, I wasn’t like my step-mother, my sister, or any other girl I’d ever met. Smiling to myself at my small accomplishment, I fought my way through the peculiarly colored bushes. As per usual the plant needles left sticky scratches on my face and hands, the only exposed parts of my body. I didn’t notice. Peering into the clearing I realized my friends had beaten me there. Must have taken longer than I thought...

Cedric was pacing back and forth in a seemingly calm manner, but I knew him better than that. He was excited as a kid on the last day of school. His dark ebony skin blended into the dark shadows of the forest. He had always struck me as a very handsome individual, with warm brown eyes, strong facial features, and six feet of pure muscle. He embodied confidence, strength, and pose. The girls certainly went crazy over him. Cedric’s only physical flaw, in my eyes, was his constant lack of hair. Like most of the boys our age; he shaved it down so it stuck out less than a centimeter from his scalp. It wasn’t unattractive, just not to my tastes.

Koen, on the other hand, was Cedric’s exact opposite; he was sprawled out on the ground, lazily stretching his lean body. He was at least three inches taller than Cedric, and had a lanky build. His extremely pale skin was almost luminous in the dark, and created a great contrast with his carrot colored hair that fell carelessly into his eyes. His eyes... the most extraordinary thing about him by far, his nose was too large for good looks, and his freckles made him seem young. But, Koen’s irises were magical pools of liquid gold that could entrance anyone with one glance. That is, if he ever moved them away from his computer screen.

“Do you losers really have nothing better to do than to wait on me?” I sneered, as I emerged from the gloom. Koen jumped in surprise, but Cedric just frowned at me like he known where I was the whole time. Damn, him and his weird heightened senses. At least I could still get Koen.

“It wouldn’t be necessary to wait if you didn’t keep us waiting,” Cedric snarled.

“Walter and I had a date,” I said off-offhandedly, like it was no big deal. My two friends exchanged a look full of worry and resentment. I could always count on my boys to take my side, even if there was no battle to be won.

“How’d it...go?” Koen asked cautiously.

“I don’t wanna talk about him,” I whispered. “Can we just make a promise that for the next two months we don’t talk about any of it? Not battle school, or tech training, or any of that stuff.”

“Do you think that will help?” Cedric inquired with a wisdom not common in a boy of seventeen.

For awhile, I thought, which was all I really needed. Who cared about after...the upcoming events? It’d all be over, my life, my freedom, everything. My fate was sealed like every single girl my age with a family that had a social standing like mine.

I couldn’t believe I was making such a big fuss over this. After all, it wasn’t like this was the first time my father had ‘pimped me out’.

Are you sure you won’t have any more wine? It’s amazing for the nerves.

Shuddering, I pushed back the nightmares. It could all be taken care of at a later time. This was my last few months with my friends, and I planned to use it.

Koen coughed, breaking me from the binds of my mind, “ Should we get moving? It’s going to be a long trip.”

Shaking off the last of my insecurities, I felt somewhat like my usual self. “You’re right, it is going to be a long trip...over rough, unyielding terrain... That reminds me, which one of you morons gets the honor of carrying me?” After waiting a few seconds I continued. “Don’t all volunteer at once, you can take turns.”

Grinning, Koen threw his arm over my shoulder, squeezing me roughly. It was surprisingly comforting. He towered above me, even at my abnormally tall height of 5’ 11”.

“Don’t worry, Short-stack, I have faith you can keep up with us.”

“And if you can’t, we’ll leave you in the dust,” Cedric chuckled on my left, as we made our way east.
“Oh, you’ll come back. Can you imagine your life without me?” I boasted pridefully.

“Frequently,” Koen said dreamily. Both of them burst out laughing at my sullen expression. Let them laugh, I’ll get my revenge; I always do.

Releasing my shoulder, Koen captured my right hand, and Cedric my left. Both of their hands were large enough to swallow mine whole. Cedric’s was wide and calloused, Koen’s slender and lithe with rough tips from constant typing. It brought back all the memories of our childhood together, and it was one of the few moments in my life when I felt true happiness.

We walked in silence, and my mind wandered. Mostly I thought of where we were going, and the danger we were risking. I didn’t feel any fear, what could happen when we were all together?


Flashback:

Two years in the past

“Koen! Wait up!” I called to the receding figure in front of me. He’d had another growth spurt and I was at sore disadvantage.

“Come on, Gia, your faster than you look.” Cedric called from his side.

“Well, excuse me, for not having ten foot long legs!” Reaching their destination; a deserted park not far from the Royal Palace, they slowed to a walk.

“Only two years left,” Cedric stated coolly. We all sat down in a triangle, not daring to meet each others eyes. We’d only been fifteen, but already we were well acquainted with bitter resentment. I often wish I could go back and talk to myself. Would things have turned out differently if I told my fifteen-year-old-self just how fast the next two years would fly? One blink, and they were gone forever. What if I told her to treasure the two living beings that sat next to her? If I told her just how much they’d come to mean to her, would she listen?

“We need to do something...big. Something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives, ya know?” I said with determination.

Cedric’s eyes glinted with imagination and I smiled encouragingly at him. He always came up with the best ideas. That boy had adventure imprinted on his very soul.

“I was thinking about it; security is pretty lax during the summer. We could sneak into the-"

“Oh, here we go!” He glared at us accusingly, “I swear you’ll be the death of me! Give it up, we’ll never see the crust-”

“Be quiet! Do you want everyone to hear you?” I hissed, putting my hand over his mouth.

He mumbled something that sounded like, “Crazy...probably get us all killed...or worse,” into my skin.

“Maybe it is crazy, but don’t you think we deserve a little irresponsible fun? Before we know it, you’ll be off to training, I’ll be attending battle school, and Gianna...” Cedric cut off and glanced down at his feet. Koen had a similar reaction. It was in that moment that I realized my friends knew more about what was to be my future than they had let on. I took my hand from his mouth.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I broke it, “I think it’s a great idea, it’s exactly what I want to do with my last few months of freedom.” They both stared at me for a second.

Koen cleared his throat, “Then it’s settled; two years from now we’ll head up.”

“3,954 miles up, to be exact,” I chuckled.

“To the earth’s crust.” Cedric’s tone was sure and unwavering, just like the man he would become.

Chapter Two: Figure of Dark

Everything ached. My legs, arms, and anything else attached to my torso. I had scrapes all over my hands and a few on my face from when my natural grace had landed me flat on my ass. Koen hadn’t fared much better. He’d just gone through yet another growth-spurt and was still a little awkward. I was beginning to wonder if he’d ever stop. Cedric, on the other hand, had managed to keep his balance, thanks to all of his strenuous warrior training.
My foot sunk deep into a mud pile that I failed to see until the moment it consumed me up to my calf. I froze, staring down at my mud encased Activity Boot, I started to wipe some of the gunk off on the grass.
“Typical! Stupid, forest. . .nature,” I grumbled to myself.
“What’s the hold up, Jacobs?” Cedric called back to me from a few yards ahead.
“Nothing!” I answered, not wanting to waste anymore time than I already had. I ran to catch up with them.
“How much farther?” Koen turned to Cedric.
Ced had a calculating kind of look on his face, “It should be right around here.”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t be making this much noise,” I whispered. They both nodded their agreement. If Cedric thought we were close that was all the convincing I needed to shut my mouth. The