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<b> Homeland Security We began the march at dawn. This was the first time I left home. I quickly started to yearn for my mothers embrace. I had vowed to live my life as a saviour to those who need. To live beyond corruption, beyond greed. Yet I was still human, I couldn't help but miss home. I found myself in company I wasn't accustomed to keeping, I was in the midst of an armada of battle hardened men. Their lifeless eyes reflected my future. My future of servitude to humanity. We marched North. I tried to contemplate anything but the blistered that decorated my feet, with every incongruous step I winced. Yet my fellow Chonguns never knew of my pain. The morning sun beat down upon our armour clad backs as we advanced forward in total silence. Duty bound we embarked on what may be our last journey in a bid to answer the cries of a remote village that had grown frantic with fear. Rumours had spread for miles around of the stars that were falling from the sky. Fear had become a foreign concept for me, I no longer suffered the twisting sensations of trepidation in the pit of my stomach. My training saw to the end of that, my eyes became open to the wonderment of the world, I lived to see the world in harmony. As a Chongun you're given the gift of sight. You see the fragility of the world, which I will fight to my last breath to protect. The sky was illuminated, but it wasn't stars that were falling. Thousands of spherical shapes descended from the sky, but they weren't falling they were landing. The first one landed by the harbour. We advanced towards the sphere. Soft whispers of our vows were muttered under our breath as we came face to face with what surely no living man, let alone girl of 17 had ever seen. The sphere slowly unfolded to expose what was lurking within. It appeared empty. The complexity of the metal work and the light radiated from it were impossible as if it was alive somehow. My mantra ran through my head. <b>"If death be my duty, I will die paying my dues" I was the first to reach the sphere my eyes met a foetal like creature smaller than my fist, writhing around the bottom of the sphere, frantically thrashing and squirming around with its enlarged head and tadpole body. It emitted blood curdling screams as its skin stretched, the bones contorted and rearranged before my eyes. We looked at each other in silent bemusement as the creature began to expand and grow. Sinewy tissue spread across it's face. I was overcome with empathy. I knelt down and held it in my arms until it appeared ten times bigger. My head was void of sense I only had sworn to protect. I was bound by honour and duty and I will comfort this creature in its suffering, but for the first time in my life I found myself helpless, I could do nothing but watch as it grasped at it's throat, struggling for air. Veins protruded from its black eyes, the skin started to rot between my finger tips and fell from the bone. I only knew one thing it should never have gone this far from home. <b> -Brielle | |