Fallen From Grace | BOOK 1 ✔️

Chapter One

It needs some major editing and additional revising. Have no fear! I'm working on it! 

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     "Again!" I yell at my squadron as they spar with one another in hand-to-hand combat.  

     "When training do not think of it just as training. Think of it as a life and death situation. Think about your mates. Your Children. Your Family. Those you choose to protect! "

     I can feel the intensity of the blows increase in great tremors causing a small smile to creep on my face. "This is no longer training. . .my kinsmen. This is merely protecting what's yours. There is no other option for you! It's kill or be killed!"

     The tiredness I was beginning to see in their eyes quickly turns into motivation. I walk around monitoring the sparring making sure no one gets too out of hand. The extra adrenaline I pumped into them will make them last another thirty minutes or so, I gather.

     "Lay off of them for a day Pierce. They look tired," Tristan admonishes as he walks up beside me.

    That only causes me to look at him with a dull gaze. He always had a soft spot for people for no apparent reason. I have no idea where it stems from, but one day it may end up getting him killed. There is no room for compassion in this world we live in. He of all people should know that.

    "Look? They are tired. I want to push them to the point of exhaustion. That's the entire basis of training, Tristan." He grabs my arm before I can leave making me narrow my eyes.

    "Pierce. Let them rest. They'll be at the front lines in a week. They need all the rest they can get."

    "Fine."

     "Enough for today! Go home and rest. You'll be needing it."

    They all begin dropping like flies as I finish my sentence making me bite down on my lip in anger. A lot of them are heaving as the rest of them are panting while sweat drips down their hair in cascades. They're tired, I know. They're exhausted, I know, but I can't bear to see another one of my kinsman die such an insignificant death again. I start to walk out of the woods with Tristan following close behind me.

    " ...About what happened at the last—"

    "I don't want to talk about it," I state matter-of-factly hoping to shut down anymore means of communication with him. 

     "You're working them mad, Pierce... I think your personal feelings are getting in the way of your better judgement. You should—"

     "My personal feelings? My personal feelings?" I repeat again. "Fuck you, Tristan!"

     He gets in front of my way blocking the only way out of the forest. I try to divert my eyes away from him already knowing what he is going to say.

    "You act like everything is okay! Like his death doesn't bother you in the slightest. I know he isn't just another sacrifice to you, Tristan! I know he isn't... Don't try to force me to pretend like this doesn't hurt."

    "Pier—"

    "He was our childhood friend! We grew up with him!" I slam my fist hard against a tree causing it to rumble. Some of the limbs begin to fall off as a response. 

     "Another one of us has died...I feel like another piece of me just died along with him..." My eyes gaze into his greyish-green eyes becoming cloudy with water.

     "He won't even have a proper burial. He'll be buried in a ditch just like the rest of them. I won't get to say goodbye... I'll never be able to..." My voice gets caught in my throat.

"I will never be able to tell how great of a friend he was to me. I— We will never see him again! Gabriel ,our Gabriel! He's gone and he's never coming back!" 

I sound broken. I know I sound weak. Yet, the pain in my heart is unbearable right now. 

    His long strands of brown hair dangles over his face as he puts his head down. I watch as his hands clench back in forth into a fist. I can see the stream of silent tears he's been holding back going down his face in droves.  After a couple seconds of this, I walk over to him and make him lean against me.