-Orion's Base-

--Lia's Perspective--

"Open your mouth and stick out your tongue please." The nurse asked me. The shards of broken glass left stuck in my mouth scarred me even further. The bleeding stopped as the last piece of glass was ripped from my mouth and she let me rinse out my mouth with alcohol to prevent any infections.

I walked into the bathroom to wash my face, but I instead stared at the mirror for ten minutes. I just looked at myself, losing hope every day that I would have freedom once again. Two years ago, when I was eleven years old, I didn't even know that I was lucky to have a life like that. Now, it's all I wish for.

My parents, Ms. Violet, my best friend, I missed them all every day. I had no idea if any of them were still alive. Long ago, Orion sent a squad of people to raid the village I lived in, and everybody who couldn't be of use as a slave would be killed and fed to the others. I worked hard every day to prove myself just so I can have another chance at a free life.

I sat down on the closed toilet and sobbed into my hands once more. I was slowly losing strength in my body, losing motivation, losing blood, I would be dead before I knew it, I just can't keep up with the work they were putting me through. Sometimes I believe that I was never meant to live.

The tiled floor underneath me was starting to get cold, so I knew it was time to go. I threw water at my face to keep myself awake and walked outside, shutting the door behind me and walking back to the doctor's office to get my shoes so I could leave.

"There you are. Your mouth better now?" Raven asked me. Raven was my 'caretaker'. He watched closely over me and kept an eye on me 24/7, I wouldn't be surprised if he had cameras in my room as well. I walked up next to him and was quickly pulled back by my hair. He tilted my head back so I was looking at the ceiling, then he looked down at me from above.

"You answer when you are spoken to. Is your mouth better now?" He asked again.

"Y-Yes," I muttered. He let go of my hair and walked forward towards the exit. I kept my head down, tracing his footsteps with my own. I'm sure I walked past several other children my age that was playing in the fields or being dragged to the cells to be weakened. I was scrawny now, I had no muscle on any bone and borderline anorexia.

"Orion said he had a mission for you, that means you follow me and you bow when you get in there. Am I clear?" I nodded slightly, realizing my mistake and verbally agreeing with him.

Once we walked past the courtyard with the fountain in the middle, we walked up decently long stairs that led to a large throne room where Orion was usually located. He sat here all day while his slaves and soldiers took care of everything else for him. The epitome of a man I despise.

Raven and I finally entered the throne room to be greeted by maids without tops on and soldiers clad in shiny, metallic armor. The purple banners that scattered the room in specific patterns sitting between each window, the red carpet bordered with a golden outline, the long tables for a big feast, and the golden throne at the opposite side of the room, all proved to me that he really was a stuck up, royal piece of shit.

"Well, Raven, Lia, it's nice to see you two doing so well. Can I get you anything to eat at all?" Orion asked. I could feel my ears perk up, but kept silent to avoid trouble.

"No sir. We're grateful for your compassion-," Raven was interrupted by Orion handing an apple down to me. He got off of his throne, even with how stuck up he was and handed me food. I thought it was a trick, it must've been poisoned or something, right?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"It's fine. I don't want you starving under my watch. Raven, how much are you feeding that girl?" Orion asked him.

"One piece of bread every three days. Should I be giving her more?" Raven asked Orion. Orion looked down at Raven with disgust.

"Dante, make sure Raven starves for six days and this girl gets all of his meals," Orion said. This had to be a joke, right?

A big, bulky man walked out from behind the small walls on each side of the throne. He walked over to Raven and Raven seemed to falter a little bit while standing in front of him.

"It won't happen again, sir! I'm sorry!" Raven told Orion. Orion brushed him off and sat back on his throne.

"Now that we have that taken care of, I'm here to give you a mission, Lia. I believe you've worked hard to prove your worth here and I want to test you to be a soldier of mine before I fully make you one. First, my wife Moon will cook you some food for dinner tonight and then tomorrow we will talk about this mission." He told me.

"Understood. Thank you." I told him, bowing my head.

"Please, don't do that. A girl like you should have no business treating me like royalty. After all, we're one of the same, Lia." Orion told me. Something was seriously wrong right now.

"I must ask of a favor from you. May everybody please leave the room? Dante, June, Amera, Noboki, I'll be fine in here." Orion said. Three more soldiers from the same wall Dante stood behind came out, all walking down towards the exit of the room with the red carpet. They were all terrifying people, one of the girls looked familiar. Noboki, with the bleached hair, was the one who helped raid my village.

The four soldiers left and the final people followed right behind. Once the door closed, Orion came down from his throne and walked over to one of the large tables on the side of the room. With an intricate style of wood carvings on the edge and even the top, Orion followed the carvings with his finger. He walked over to a pitcher and poured a glass of water for him and me, sliding it over the table towards me.

"When I was first born on this Isle, I was abruptly introduced to how harsh it could be. The people, the animals, some of them wanted blood, some of them just wanted to live, it was a wild beginning, but without it, we wouldn't be here. I haven't been oblivious to how you've been treated, and I hadn't cared until recently. I can't treat somebody like yourself like any of my other slaves. You're much more important than just a slave now. Do you know what makes you important, Lia?" He asked me. I knew that evil was still somewhere in him. I shook my head, realizing yet another mistake, then verbally responding.

"Twenty-five years ago, when the first Humans woke up on the beaches of this Isle, there were two people within the legion of the first White Stone who found each other attractive and decided to have a baby after being together. This didn't take very long and they had that kid in six months. This isn't that important, considering the Humans that wake up here only need six months to grow a baby. Anyways, they unknowingly gave birth to a stronger Human, known as an Arkian. Arkians, or what is so famously known for being a Generation Two child, are stronger, faster, and better than Humans. Do you understand where I'm going with this?" Orion asked me. I shook my head.

"Well, the point is, those two people were your grandparents. That child that they had was your mother, and now, here you are. You are a Generation Three Arkian, the only one known to the entirety of the Isle. You're unique, you're special, astoundingly so. Your body is what I'm concerned about. Your blood can be used to save lives, donate to the weak, and prolong the inevitable death we will all one day face. Are you willing to donate some of your blood once every week to save us all?" Orion asked me.

By the tone of his question and his overall character, I knew that this wasn't a question. This was an order. He might be nice right now, but I knew what he was truly capable of.

"I would love to. It would be my pleasure to save those people." I said to him.

"Great! You can sit down here and wait for Moon to return and make dinner, or you can go wherever you please. But, please know, if you leave this room, Dante will accompany you to make sure you don't escape. As long as you work with me, we can come to a solution and I will give you your missions and a life of luxury here as one of my soldiers. I have to leave now, but I'll see you later, Lia." Orion walked out of the throne room from a door near his throne.

I sat at the table, looking at it and enjoying the meals I would be getting. This was one step closer to freedom, or at least the only freedom I would know from here on out.