Red Spear

Chapter 1

The Ground. That's where the Council members sent a hundred juvenile delinquents. Loaded them up like cattle and sent them flying without a second thought.

Xis Diaz stood in the mass crowd as Bellamy Blake, an additional stowaway, pulled the door lever, lowing the last defense mechanism between them and the Ground.

A gush of fresh air blasted through the opening. That's what it was. Fresh. It wasn't toxic or radioactive like the tales and stories wrote it to be.

There was so much green. Green forest covered ground, green trees, green all around them. And the sky. The sky was a different blue from the Ground. It was lighter and pale compared to the deep blue they saw in space.

Xis inhaled a deep and long breath of air. It was the type of breath taken that almost hurt the lungs, but also sent a chilly rush rocketing inside them.

The air was cool against her exposed skin. A slight breeze swept through her loose red strands as the rays from the sun shined brightly down upon her, warming her fair complexion.

Most of the other kids ran wild, goofing and playing around. They were finally liberated and free. A freedom they thought they'd never experience. A smile crept upon her lips as she watched the other delinquents fool around, beaming and shouting with joy.

There was a strong concentrated scent of pine from all the green trees. Xis ran a hand on the trunk of a tree and felt its harsh groves scrape against her soft palm. She knelt down, the tips of her shoes dug into the loose soil as she reached for a wildflower. Its purple petals ran smoothly underneath the pads of her fingertips.

Xis brought the flower close to her nose, careful enough to not break its stem. Her blue eyes fluttered shut as she wafted the flower's perfume towards her. Sweet. Its sweetness was followed by a rich earthiness carried by an abundance of leaves and dirt. It wasn't at all overwhelming, if anything the ground was Xis' favorite scent.

"What are you doing?" John Murphy quirked a dark brow at her. His own pair of blue eyes heavily watched her.

Xis smiled, "I know we had a farm, but it doesn't compare to this."

"To what?"

"The Ground." Xis rose and grabbed Murphy's hand, lifting it to the nearest tree, "It's amazing."

"Okay..." Murphy retracted his hand from Xis' grip, "If you find it amazing, you wouldn't mind exploring it."

"Are you ordering me?"

"Just a suggestion." He advised her before turning around and retreating to other stragglers enamored by the Ground's nature.

Xis sighed, not even ten minutes on the Ground and people were already testing for control. A few kids followed Murphy back to the dropship. Without a doubt in her mind, Murphy was in the mood for some trouble making.

She ignored the twisting and churning feeling of her gut and turned the other way. If she was going to explore, it would be at her own expense and on her own terms, not an irrational criminal's.

~

Hours added onto hours the longer Xis wondered the forest. Her eyes gazed at every new sight presented to her. Twigs cracked beneath her shoes with every step she took on unknown land.

Xis slowed to a stop and listened to the world around her. The wind rustled the leaves and branches high up in the air. She could faintly hear running water in the distance. Xis opened her eyes as she stalked in the direction the water sounded from. If the water was clean they'd be able to use it to survive.