Discipline for the Weak

“Wha… what has Ivaneq done?” I ask, my mind trying to register the sight before me.

There’s my brother, towering over Mitul’s bloodied body, our leader. But, I can't believe it. This isn’t happening. We’ve come so far! Too far! Only for my own brother to ruin all of this? The reason we have practiced our restraint. There's no coming back from this... everything is about to change.

He licks the blade of his dagger, the blood still pungent in the air. He looks to the sky above as it begins to rain and breathes in deeply, releasing a long, loud sigh as he takes in the moment. I note how his stature seems so much larger than ever before. He looks to me with a wide grin, Mitul's blood dripping from his lips.

I don't even recognize him. Something in him has changed... This isn’t my brother! My brother wouldn’t have done this.

These past few months without contact with the Concordium have caused many issues to arise. I had never believed it would come to this, though… at least not yet. We are bestial by nature, but for someone to have allowed this behavior, especially from my big brother... it is entirely unacceptable.

After all, he’s the one with whom I learned the disciplines of Khdvan.

“Saamik,” he bellows my name.

“Brother… Why?”

His smile instantly fades. He looks down at his dagger, turning the blade over and over within his palm. One of Mitul’s feet twitches and it sounds as if he is trying to utter some last words. Ivaneq gives his body a swift kick and sends him rolling into a small puddle, and I hear Mitul let out a weak groan.

Ivaneq takes another deep breath and walks towards me. His gaze never leaves the blade.

“Little. Saamik-”

“Saamik, not little!” I correct him. “Saamik, Ivaneq’s little. Brother. But bigger than. Ivaneq.”

Ivaneq snickers. “Yes. Saamik. Bigger than. Ivaneq. But. Still little. Brother.”

He rests his free hand upon my shoulder. “Listen. Little. Brother.”

My blood begins to stir beneath my scales.

“Mitul. Weak,” he says, and his eyes meet my own. “Masians. Weak.”

“Mitul not-”

“Weak!” He barks as he snaps his head forward bringing his face close to mine, his nostrils flared. “Mitul. Afraid.”

I’m studying his gaze, but I can’t make sense of it. He is stronger than before. He is fearless. “Mitul. Afraid. Of us.”

“What does. Ivaneq mean?”

Ivaneq laughs and drops his stare as he begins to pace about the area. “Mitul afraid. Of. Ivaneq. Mitul afraid. Of. Urix.”

This makes no sense. Mitul has been friends with my brother and I for years. Indeed, Ivaneq has a temper, but he’s someone who Mitul could trust. My brother and I both were shining examples of how far our people have come.

“Ivaneq. Tell me… What. Happened!” I yell, sick of being confused with the situation. I’m ready to know.

He simply laughs and shakes his head.

“Ivaneq…”

“Mitul… Try. Kill! Ivaneq!” he roars aloud, his face shaking as he stares into my eyes.

“Mitul?!” My scales grow hot as the blood boils beneath. “This. Not true.”

Ivaneq turns and raises the dagger. “This. True. Brother.”

I finally look upon the weapon with open eyes. It was Mitul’s. He had carried it about with him in his belt, but I have never seen him use it.

“Mitul tell! Ivaneq.” He pounds on his chest. “Our kind! Animals!”

Ivaneq walks back to Mitul’s body. “Mitul. Masians. No trust. Urix.” I watch as he kneels down to raise Mitul’s body by his collar. He spits on him and throws his body back down.

Ivaneq rises and walks back to me. This is too much. How are we supposed to explain this? How are we to make it out of this?

“Saamik,” he says between deep breaths, breathing out his open nostrils. “Urix. kill. Masians. Urix take. Planet.”

My jaw drops and I feel my eyes peel open. I stand speechless, listening to the rain beat harder and harder against the ground. I search for a way out of this. I try to think of any possible solution, but I can't. I know he believes this to be the only way.

He takes my hand, his still covered in blood. He places the dagger in it and closes my claws around the handle. I look him in the eyes. I want to tell him so badly how foolish he is, but I can’t. Because now this is the only way.

“Saamik. Help. Ivaneq," he beckons, resembling my brother once again. "Saamik. Finish. Mitul."

Something stirs within, ready to unleash itself. I look to Mitul who has managed to turn over to face the sky as the rain falls upon his dying body.

"Masians. Weak! Afraid!... Saamik help! Urix. Survive! ” Ivaneq begs, and I struggle for a mome nt as I hold the fire inside at bay.

I squeeze the handle tight and raise the weapon to my eyes. The rain rinses the blood from the blade and I let loose a feeling that washes over me like a tidal wave. I know this feeling. It’s one I have only felt once before in my life. Never, though, have I felt it to this extent, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same.

“Saamik. Finish! Mitul!," I swear. "Saamik kill! Masians!"

I taste the metal of the blood from my blade and lower it, looking to my brother as I embrace the fire raging through my blood.

“We will! Survive!”

By Chet DeLano