Roll Call

Blame is Safer than praise—Ralph Waldo Emerson—

It seemed unreal—a dream that she, Zormna Clendar, was now an Aver and standing in the Zeta District docking bay with official Surface Patrol officers, handpicked by the Kevin and sent to serve under Alea Tenngar, head of the Zeta District. It was everything she had wanted. Zeta was the best surface Patrol district besides the Alpha district. They had the best pilots, they had the largest access, and they flew the fastest ships. Zormna felt tingles of excitement run all over her skin.

“Nervous?” an older Aver leaned near her, asking.

Zormna smiled up at the man standing next to her. “Not nervous. Not a bit. I’m ready for this.”

The man cocked his head as he gave a laugh.  “You must be the Kevin’s Zormna Clendar.” He bowed. “I didn’t expect you to be so young.”

Zormna bowed back, but was not sure about his comment. “You expected me?”

He laughed again. Another officer looked over at the two and then nudged the Aver standing next to him. Zormna could hear their brief whispers. They immediately walked over to Zormna and her fellow officer.

“So you’re the Kevin’s prodigy. How old are you?” one of the men asked.

Zormna flushed at the question but puffed up her chest and answered honestly. “I’m twelve Parthan years. I’ve hit my sixth Arrassian year mark three weeks ago.”

“Three weeks ago?” the first Aver replied, visibly disturbed. “Doesn’t that make your birthday the Day of Adaral?”

Zormna nodded flippantly. “Well, that’s a guess anyway. That’s just when we celebrate it. I don’t know the real day. It’s not on record. I was orphaned very young.”

Alea Tenngar marched into the room just then. Immediately they all lined up, but not without comment from the three men to themselves.

“It is surprising that she arrived, born on the Day of Adaral.”

“She must have been born before it.”

“She’d be in more danger if she were a Tarrn.”

One man’s face paled. “Don’t say that! You know Tarrn-talk is forbidden!”

Zormna heard every word but kept silent, standing properly at attention though a shiver ran up her arms.

Alea Tenngar scanned down the rows of new officers sent to his district, eying each officer one by one. He shook his head as if he were thinking had it been left up to him they would not have even made the

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 27.02.2018
ISBN: 978-3-7554-7878-2

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