The Breeder Read online

  The Breeder

  By L. G. Nauck

  Trigger Warning:

  This book contains scenes of sexual, physical, and emotional violence.

  If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out.

  No one deserves to be abused.

  National Domestic Violence Hotline

  1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

  National Sexual Assault Hotline

  1-800-656-4673 [24/7 hotline]

  Copyright © 2019 L. G. Nauck

  All Rights Reserved

  Prologue

  Zidania is a world that contains an assortment of living beings with varying levels of unique abilities and cultures. In most societies, strength is honored and rewarded because strength equals safety. The result is that species are often broken up into different classes dependent on their abilities.

  Humans are broken up into classes; those who have magical abilities, those who have skill, and those who perform manual tasks that require no special talent. Since magic is not as plentiful as it was in the past, humans have very few options for getting ahead in society. This has led to humans being overwhelmingly marginalized. Since humans are easily overpowered by species with superior strength, rebellions are uncommon. However, there are still rumors of communities comprised completely of humans. There is no substantial evidence to support these rumors though.

  Elves are another known species, but little is known about their communities because they live among themselves and hardly venture out of their communities. Because of their emphasis on community and collective disagreement with interspecies breeding, elves tend to not mingle with other groups. Knowledge of the elven communities consist of their excellence in the healing arts, their emphasis on archery, and the fact that they had very good vegetarian dishes. While many of the other species live in the open; elven societies are hidden. The location of many of the eleven villages are unknown.

  The Oreki are large creatures who have skin made from stone. The average height being seven and a half feet, Oreki are known for their intimidating appearance which make them good candidates for military service. That was until it was realized that their heavy bodies surprisingly did not move very fast. Because of this, they are usually relegated to guard positions. The other interesting characteristic of the Oreki is they are sexless. Oreki still engage in sexual relations but reproduction only occurs when a rock is chosen out of the holy Zem mountain. The rock would then be placed in a pure spring for three days, and after that, a young Oreki would arise from the water. Because of this, Oreki are not a paired species. A parental unit usually consists of a single Oreki that chooses the rock and the community that loves and accepts it. Because the rocks are transformed through the power of the Gods, they are cherished as gifts amongst their people.

  Often considered to be at the top of the hierarchy, the Meticians are a species who are divided into an array of classes which are based upon clans. Because the Meticians are humanoid creatures who have powerful animal-like spirits within them, they often have an advantage because of their superior strength, speed, and skill.

  They also have the extraordinary quality of longevity.

  Because of these qualities, the Meticians are often classified as the dominant species chosen to rule over the others. Since most people associate the lack of war with Metician rule, no one has questioned the division of power. It is just accepted that the hierarchy was natural. Rebellions are few. As long as most people are comfortable, there is little to rebel against. Modern technology has abounded, jobs are distributed by those that are the most capable, and military prowess is a highly desirable attribute.

  In many societies, families are the ones who decide their children’s future based upon income and social status. Because education is expensive, children are often taught the trade of their parents and continue the family’s business. This has led to generations of the same family specializing in a certain profession.

  The only exception is military service.

  Parents would often send their children to military training with the hope that their children would be picked to join the elite soldiers. However, the military mostly consists of Meticians who have amplified senses and strength. Since Meticians are considered naturally superior, other species are not commonly chosen to fill military roles. This has turned the profession into a greatly desired and sought-after position. If anyone was accepted into the ranks, their life was filled with wealth and status. But it was also accompanied by the knowledge that their life could be ended at any time if war was to erupt.

  Luckily Zidania had not been in a war for a very long time.

  Chapter One

  The wind blew through the small training ground, lightly lifting long black hair and sweeping it in front of violet eyes. The eyes narrowed, waiting for the hair to settle as muscles tightened in anticipation, pulling the bow string taut. A target stood about fifty feet away, surrounded by a litter of arrows that had missed their mark.

  She knew she would not miss though. She never missed.

  Her skill came from years of practice and repeated failure. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she blocked out everything other than the target. In a split second, she let the bowstring go. Her arrow flew with startlingly speed, finding its’ mark in the middle of the target.

  Alena grinned in satisfaction, allowing her arms to relax once again.

  Was she surprised? No. But she was extremely proud of her skills. She had been practicing with weapons ever since she was a small child. The bow was just one of the weapons that she had become deadly with. A much-needed survival skill.

  “Alena! Could you let anyone else get a chance at feeling special!? I got an arrow on the third ring and was feeling pretty good. And then you step forward, all calm and collected, and show me that my confidence was all for nothing. Now I’m going to have to find a new thing to be good at. Maybe I can learn how to twist some straw together and make decorations.”

  Alena smirked at her friend, Kaleck, who walked up to stand beside her, turning his own bow back and forth as if examining a foreign species. Alena smiled in amusement at her friend’s antics as she began rolling her shoulders to release the growing tension in her muscles.

  “That sounds like a promising career. I just heard the other day how there is a deficit in twisted straw.”

  “It’s a serious problem. Honestly, one of the greatest challenges that face our kingdom.”

  They shared a look as they both moved towards the side of the archery zone where a water bin was set up. She laid her bow and quiver against the wall before submerging her hands in the basin to slowly wash the dirt off.

  “You don’t give yourself as much credit as you should. You are amazing with the sword. And math skills!? Out of this world!”

  “Thanks for throwing me a bone, I’ll just go do some math expressions in my cardboard box to calculate how much money that I, indeed, do not have.”

  Alena snorted at Kaleck before splashing some water on her face. The cool liquid felt nice against her heated skin. Especially since they had been outside in the heat for most of the day. Alena allowed her eyes to wander over the training grounds to see most of everyone had already went home. Even though the yearly military entrance competition was approaching, not many utilized the public training grounds.

  Since everyone within the city were given “equal” opportunity to dedicate themselves to the protection of their nation, training areas were scattered throughout the city. Each provided different types of weapons, mannequins, and targets. Since the training areas in the Southern district, where she resided with most of the other humans, had mostly weak training sticks, she traveled to the richer areas to practice. It was unfortunate, but the commute wasn’t too bad. />
  What time was it?

  Alena looked up at the sky, and judging by the position of the sun, she assumed it was a little after noon. Which reminded her of the fact that she hadn’t eaten in quite a while.

  As if her stomach had heard her thought, it rumbled in agreement.

  Apparently, she was hungry.

  “You want to go grab some khamp?”

  Alena asked, knowing it was Kaleck’s favorite meal. She watched in satisfaction as his eyes brightened and he nodded energetically.

  “I thought you would never ask! I was ready to eat four hours ago. If you hadn’t been so focused on becoming a warrioress, you would have noticed me munching on some bark in the corner.”

  She snorted as they both returned their weapons to their designated storage areas before exiting the training yard and walking towards town. In their city of Barthamos, no citizen was allowed a weapon other than the military and other officials. However, that didn’t mean that the citizens couldn’t practice with weapons inside the training fields. And that was a routine that her and Kaleck had started since they had been young and vulnerable.

  Alena had fallen in love with weaponry as soon as she picked up a dagger. She had loved the way she could maneuver the pieces of metal. Perhaps it was because it made her feel like she was in control. Or maybe it was her form of artistic expression. Some said fighting was a type of artform. More than likely she was drawn to it because it had been a form of survival. Learning how to use weapons meant she could protect and feed herself.

  Alena shuddered when a flash of cruel eyes and dirty teeth flashed through her mind.

  That had been a long time ago. She was safe. She would make sure she was always safe.

  Every new weapon she had picked up had been a new challenge. As soon as she mastered one, she moved onto the next one. And now she could safely say that if she was ever in a situation, she could grab about just anything and use it in defense.

  However, it did not look as if there would be any mass outbreak of war anytime soon. Because the kingdom was filled with citizens who knew how to fight, their city was well-protected. The most notable component to their defense being the king who was part of one of the strongest Metician clans. The Drykens were considered a formidable Metician breed with their enormous strength, speed, reflexes, sight, claws, fangs, and all sorts of other nifty abilities. Alena often wondered what it would be like to be one of them, to be born with natural abilities that gave you an advantage above others. They did not need to train for hours each day over the course of years to gain a measure of strength. They were born with deadly skills.

  She may not have inherited skills, but she was proud of the progress she had made. How many Meticians could say they had spent months with little sleep and hardly any food? How many could feel accomplished when they reached a new benchmark of being able to lift an additional ten pounds? She guessed not many.

  Did they take pride in every victory or were they desensitized?

  As they walked and chatted about random topics, Alena studied her friend. Kaleck was human, just as she was, with shaggy brown hair that often fell into his hazel eyes. In many ways, her friend was quite popular with his toned muscles and soft features. He had the kind of eyes that made you feel warm and accepted. The fact that he trained on a regular basis also gave him that protector quality that most girls hungered for.

  She was proud of her friend.

  Alena had met Kaleck when they were small children. They had both been orphans who lost their parents long ago. That was how they had both ended up at the Serenity House. They had first met when Alena had fallen from the second-story of a building and Kaleck had been the one to take care of her. It was from that moment that they began talking and playing together. They had looked out for each other. And now, 15 years later, they were still playing together.

  She smiled to herself as she half paid attention to what he was talking about. She and Kaleck had survived more things than most people. And Kaleck always kept a positive attitude through it all.

  Most of the times she had been feeling lonely and depressed, he had shown up. Him and his huge smile, encouraging her to forget her sorrows and look forward to the future. That was partly why she was going to try out to become part of the military. It was a good opportunity for her to raise her status while doing something that she loved.

  It was also one of the few opportunities open to orphans who came from no family.

  What were her chances?

  Not great.

  Did that mean she going to give up?

  No.

  She laughed at a joke that she caught at the end of Kaleck’s long speech and hoped it appeared she had been listening the entire time. Alena knew the kind of patronizing speech she would get if he knew she had been zoning off while he was talking.

  “Should we take the train to the South district? After working out so much it would be nice to have a little break.”

  Ordinarily she would say no but decided she would agree with Kaleck on this one. She wanted to get as much exercise and training as possible but taking the train would save a lot of time. Plus, it would stop Kaleck from complaining.

  “Yea, that sounds like a good idea.”

  She smiled back as he beamed at her and they moved towards the train station. One of the biggest perks of taking the train was the speed. They were currently in the North district but could be in the South district in a matter of minutes. A distance which would take them over an hour to walk was cut down enormously.

  The beauty of modern technology.

  They each swiped their train card on the gate and rushed to get onto the south-bound train before it left. Because it was still early, there weren’t too many people on the train, only a few who appeared to be asleep scattered about the cart. She was grateful for the lack of people because there were times it would get so crowded that Alena would end up pressed against the glass.

  Kaleck and Alena found a seat in the middle of the cart seconds before the train was pulling away from the station. The train built up speed fast enough to make the distance in minimal time. Alena watched Kaleck pull out his agenda and begin to look through it. She knew once he got into his planning mode that he would be unreachable until he set it aside. Alena turned to stare out the window, watching as buildings and mountains in the distance rushed by.

  She watched the buildings slowly change from new and expensive to old and dingy.

  While the North side was more spread out and upscale, the South side was the opposite. Because the North district was where the military and wealthy families lived, it faired far better than the South district which had orphanages, mills, bars, factories, and other things that the leaders thought would be better placed together and away from the rest of the city. It also wouldn’t do for the palace to look out over a city of filth and smoke.

  Alena did not really mind, although the pollution could get quite bad.

  People would often get sick from the gases that leaked out of the plants and the constant smoke that arose from factories. It was one of the reasons the area of town looked so dingy. Because no matter how much cleaning anyone ever did, it would just be covered in soot the next day.

  “Did you know your birthday is coming up?”

  Alena snapped out of her thoughts to give Kaleck a glare.

  “Oh really? I had no idea.”

  “I know, right!? Who would have thought! Well that’s okay, we can just cross it off here….”

  She nudged him roughly and he responded by grinning widely at her.

  She knew he was only teasing since birthdays were always a big deal between them. She knew he had probably been planning something for the past couple of months. Since neither of them actually knew their date of birth, they had decided to make up dates. They knew their approximate age so that made it slightly easier.

  She tilted her head, smiling at him, “So what did you get me? World peace? A family? A kitten?”

  “Well, I didn’t wan
t to spoil it but…I carved some parents out of wood for you. Gave them disapproving expressions and everything.”

  “What are they disapproving of?”

  “Are you a doctor or married to a rich man?”

  “Ah, point taken.”

  “Exactly. How are they going to retire knowing their child is out there galivanting?”

  “So, it’s a present of motivation.”

  “Exactly!”

  She watched as Kaleck’s expression go from playful to serious as he put away his agenda and stared ahead of him. It always unnerved her when Kaleck got serious because it was the opposite of his personality. Of the two of them, she was usually more realistic and practical.

  “So, your birthday is in two weeks, but the recruitment competition is in one week? I guess that will be an early birthday present when you get accepted.”