I sat with my childhood friend, Mika Ky, and his girlfriend Micha Spinster. We had gotten off a shift a few hours ago and should have long ago gone to rest. Shifts as a Peon was not easy, specifically for me. Most of the Peons enjoy tormenting the Talents, the citizens on the other side of the wall, but not me. Though i'd never say it aloud, least the Templar hear about it, it could cost my head on a pike.

Mika with his dark hair and blazing eyes grinned at his lady, she giggled as she stood up and started dancing to music only in her mind. I had to look away as to not offend my friend. Mika quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back to her seat. "I think you've had enough to drink."

With a pout she said, "Love, I need to relax though. I need to drown out the things we do."

"Don't talk about it." He told her with a grim look. "Just because Danor is the only one with us does not mean people are not listening." His tone was harsh and even I casted him a look.

She scoffed and pulled her hand from his. "Yes, SIR." she snapped before crossing her arms over her chest and glared at the doors, as if they would open and she could escape the room that was now filled with tension.

I cleared my throat, racking my brain for something to say to break the tension. "Have you heard about the boy that wants to become a Peon?"

She chuckled, it wasn't sincere but still, it was changing the path her mind was taking at the moment. "Everyone that can't be a Peon wants to be. I'd trade places with that kid any day." Mika's neck nearly snapped as he glared at her. Everyone else would think that he was being controlling and possessive, but that wasn't the case. I've known him since I was a child, I grew up with him, living in his home with his family, so I have learned how he thinks almost better than his own parents. He was controlling, yes, but it was because he worried about her safety. He would rather die than let her be hurt, he's told me so before in a drunken stupor.

"He doesn't seem like the type to be a Peon, he's standoffish but I can tell he doesn't approve of what we have to do."

"Is it one of the Talents?"

"No, he's one of the Thisels."

"Who is he?" Micah asked with a spark in her eyes. Mika rolled his eyes with a slight smile, he knew she was curious of the rich boy that wanted to be a monster. That's what Peons were, monsters, in her eyes and I couldn't agree more with her.

"His name is A-"

The doors slammed open, and in rushed a tanned girl from hours in the sunlight with her braided hair swinging behind her. Micah jumped up in excitement pouring a drink, "Tara, we were wondering when you would show up!" she said as she raised the glass to her, waiting for her to reach us and take it.

"Get your gear on. I overheard the Templar and the Grandmasters talking and they should be ringing the bells soon. Hurry." She told them as she swatted the drink out of Micah's hand and gave her a shove towards the doors.

Just like she had said, the bells were ringing, before I could even think my mind was decoding the bells. 'All troops gather in the Main Barracks. Urgent Message." Three times the bells repeated the message, Mika and I ran out of the room and split ways, going to our own rooms to get our gear on. I couldn't help but wonder if we were being attacked, but the bells would have told us.

We grouped together once we were geared up, our uniforms on with our weapons hanging by our waist. There were no words spoken as we walked side by side through the halls. Once we reached the main barracks, we had to separate. Mika went to stand at the front of his squad, total of six peons.

Micha followed me as I was her squad leader, Mika Ky didnt like to seperate from her but he knew I wouldn't put her in any unnecessary harm's way. I didn't let the fact that it was my best friend's girlfriend interfere with my decisions. I wouldn't put any of my squad in harm's way, sometimes you don't have a choice though. A few times Micah had been hurt, minor injuries majority of the time. Those were due to her disobeying orders though, she had a tendency to do what she wanted, and I had a tendency to cover up for her so she wouldn't be punished.

As the rest of the peons poured into the main barracks I turned to my squad, they looked slightly confused, a little concerned by the bells message. "Does anyone know what this is about?" I didn't plan on bringing Tara up, I couldn't let something like that slip. If tara was caught for eavesdropping on the templar she would be punished. The templar would think her a spy, a spy in the midst of his army.

Micah's eyes whipped to mine, a quick nod of her head, she knew not to say anything ethier.

"Probably some more horse shit the templar wants to throw on our shoulders. Never catch a break!" an older man grumbled.

I almost grinned but quickly wiped it off my face as the grandmasters enter the barracks, followed by the Templar. Our Triarchy.

The walked to the front silently, all heads turned to watch them. When they were finally in front of us, every Peon room turned in attention, backs straight, head held high, holding onto our very breaths.

People believed the Templar was only harsh to the Talents, but that was far from the truth. The Templar would whipp us for our crimes, though they were often different from the crimes the Talents committed. Talents would steal to provide for their families, they would try evading the Necron, those were all punishable by whipping.

Peons committed crimes such as attacking Talents but would go unpunished, but we were punished for our posture, showing defence to the Templar, being late to our shifts or training, for being a deserter. We would be whipped for our crimes and sometimes branded. It really depended on the Templars mood.

The templar's hard black eyes bore into us, one by one, taking his time as he watched over us. "Im disappointed with the time it took for you all to gather." He told us, voice harsh as if he had been yelling. "If things weren't going to be so rushed i'd punish you all, but we have more important matters to attend to."

There was relief in the crowd as he said those words, we wouldn't be punished.

" We have an early arriving guest coming, another Templar will be visiting us shortly. Necron will have to be moved up, which means you'll be working overtime training the Talents. Just because it is not according to schedule does not mean you can let the Talents slack off. They must put on a show like any other year.

"Fallence is known for the Necron, if Necron goes down hill so will our trade. Fallence will look weak, we can not appear to be weak! Weak are to be overthrown!" The templar bellowed, "Do you want to be working for another Templar? Turned into slaves?" The questions were rhetorical. "Collects the Talents immediately." He snapped as he turned away, ready to walk out the main barracks.

"Templar, sir, the Talents are in class right now." Tara told him. Leave it to Tara to speak up to Templar Graves. No one else would do that, 'especially in a moment like this. The Templar was hardly ever in a good mood, let alone when plans were being changed last second.

Templar Graves, turned slowly, menacingly, "They will likely die anyways, they don't need an education to be buried." He growled out, his eyes darken, almost turning black. "You can be buried right along with them the next time you disobey me. When I give an order you step to it without a second thought."

Tara looked as if she was going to say something but Mika Ky stepped forward, pushing her behind him. "Sorry, sir. Miss Wilder just assumed ripping the Talents out of their houses in the middle of the night would make for a better scene. Traumatize the parents and the children, perhaps give them incentive to fight stronger. She won't step out of line again." He told him as he stepped back in line, casting a dark glance at Tara.

Tara's jaw clenched and her muscles bulged ever so slightly as she bite her tongue.

"Though that would be entertaining, we can't afford to waste the time. Get them now!"

Templar Graves went out the other end of the barracks as we all began filling out the other end. I motioned for my squad to wait. I never enjoyed collecting the Talents for the Necron. Rubbing my hand over my face, i muttered under my breath.

Micah tapped me on the shoulder. "You can wait at the Training grounds, just give us the order to gather them." she whispered to me. She knew how I felt about it, the rest of my squad assumed i was worn out. I still hadn't had any rest so it was a valid reason.

"I cant, it reflects badly on me to send you out in case something happens. I need to be there."

"I'm second in command, I can give any order if something were to go wrong. I can do this for you Danor, you'll just owe me one."

I grinned slightly, MIcah was always saying that. I had taken her up on her offer once, and the payment wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I just had to switch a shift with Mika so they could get some private time. "Alright, i'll owe you, but you can't come claiming it for two weeks at least."

She shook her slightly as she laughed, "One week, final offer." I nodded in agreement. I could handle whatever she asked, as long as I could catch up on my sleep.

Stepping toward my squad I cleared my throat for their attention. "Micah is in charge, what she says, goes. I will be waiting at the training grounds, if Micah comes back with a report stating any of you disobeyed her direct orders you will be punished. I will take it to the Templar myself, and together will decide a fit punishment." The squad flinched slightly. I rarely said they would get punished, any punishment from the Templar was horrifying.

I didn't say anything else as I walked out of the barracks, behind me I could hear Micah giving orders. This year was going to be harder than most. We were taking talents earlier than usual, it was expected for a few of them to get hysterical, or possibly try to fight or run. On top of that, the previous years we had missed a few Talents. They had went into hiding, this year we had members of the squad that had gone through birth records to be sure we got every single one of them. If they were missed the years prior they would be put in with this years batch.

Outside the barracks peons ran around like chicken with their heads cut off. Thisels watched in confusion, and excitement. The thisels were entitled nosey people, watching all the peons rushing about gave them excitement that they rarely got. It was obvious they didn't know about our unexpected visitor arriving early, or the Necron being pushed forward. Whispers traveled on the breeze, "Were under attack", "They are doing raids", "They are preparing an execution". THey were all wrong, but i wasn't going to tell them that. Maybe the whispers would travel to the Talents and they could be somewhat prepared for what was about to happen. THe Talents hardly listened to the rumors from thisels, instead they kept open ears and minds and prepared for the worst.

A few people tried to stop me as I made my way through the thicken crowd, I gave the the look that made it clear not to stop me from my mission. My mission was simple but they didn't know that. I must of looked menacing, the way they stepped out of my way and made room for me.

WIth the Training building in view I nearly sighed, I couldn't stand being around Thisels. They were 'my people' but they really weren't. I prefered to be on the other side of the wall with the Talents. I prefered to help, not harm. Though this building would be doing plenty harm to them, at least I could be there to guide them. I wouldn't let them be slaughtered like last time. Twenty talents died last year during training. The peons training them weren't paying attention, they let them do what they wanted. 'They will be dead soon anyways' they had said.

I shoved the door open and stepped in side. Taking a deep breath I breath in the smell of sweat, metal, and blood. Though there was not any in sight, the smell of blood seeped into the walls and floors of. Forever tainting the air in this building. As much as I hated the violence we were known for, it was something I was good at. The smell could make me smile on my worst days, the days when I could see nothing but anger and hatred.

Today was not one of those days. Today was a day where the smell made me want to vomit and the thought of violence had me wishing that peon had killed me as a child like he was ordered to.