Story Ideas and Writing Prompts

Chiaz and Silandrium

                 CB-1 awoke, feeling the tingling feeling again. Her trainer had been teaching her how to recognise human emotions, so she was pretty sure this was "excitement". She shivered, recalling the beatings from her youth, and then carefully sorted her face to look like the other Guards around her, blank and emotionless. She stretched, and felt the tingling rush through her body. There were still a few hours before they opened the doors for the Guard-seekers, so she walked over to the chum-dummy, and ripped into it with her teeth, swallowing the strips of flesh as quickly as she ripped them off. It was only a matter of minutes before the dummy was reduced to scraps. She then walked to her water basin, and dunked her head into the freezing liquid. When she pulled it back out, she shook herself, splattering the walls and surfaces with cold water. She then returned to her cushion in front of the gate, waiting impatiently for the "Hour of Destiny", as her trainer remarked nearly constantly.

             Finally, she heard the creaking noise of the corral gate opening for a Guard-seeker to enter with three other humans, a little boy, a woman, and the one that drew her immediate attention.

            A little girl, with long black hair secured in a braid going halfway down her back, wearing a large, frilly, lacy blue dress that dragged on the ground, leaving trails in the dust and dirt. 

          She watched the little girl, who seems uncomfortable and alien among these Guards and Guard-seekers. The little boy, however, seemed right at home. Bounding from Guard to Guard, remarking upon them, saying things like, "This one seems really buff!" and "This one looks boring." 

         -perspective shift-

         This dress was the worst thing ever. Of all time. Even worse than the one that made it impossible for me to breathe. Why did Mother make me wear this bulky thing here? Silus was the only one getting a Guard, anyway, which wasn't fair. Maybe I wanted to have one of the big psuedonatures, too. But nooooo, "ladies shouldn't bother themselves with such things." I felt a prickling feeling down her spine, as though someone was watching me. I flipped 'round, and locked eyes with a Guard. This one was different creature, with long fangs hanging way past its lower jaw. It blinked its huge purple eyes at me and swished its tail, which was twice the length of its body, and set one of its taloned paws against the gate. I inspected it critically, following the curve of its horns, the long pointed ears, and the wings folded along its lithe sides. 

        It was beautiful, from the tip of its wolf muzzle to the very end of its tail, and the tips of its claws. I wanted it. No, I needed it. I grabbed Mother's arm, and tugged gently. "Mother."

      Mother sighed at me. "What do you want, Silandriam?"

      I pointed at the Guard. "Please, Mother."

      She inspected the Guard quietly for a few moments, before turning to the salesperson. "I want to see" She glanced at the gate label. "CB-1 in action."

     "Yes, ma'am." He pressed a button on his lapel, and a chum-dummy dropped into its kennel from the ceiling. CB-1 swept round, leaping on it and reducing it to shredded flesh scattered through the kennel in mere seconds, and then returning to its place, not even bothering to clean the blood from its white fur.

     The salesman likely saw the look in Mother's eyes, as he said, "CB-1 is white now, so that if you want it, we can change its color however you'd like."

      Mother turned back to me. "Are you sure, Silandriam?"

      I looked over at CB-1, seeing its purple eyes filled with intelligence and hope. I was about to say "Yes, I need it", but then I remembered my mother's talk she had with Silus before we got here. "You have to lie, Silus. Or else they'll try to cheat you."

    I looked back to Mother, making the desperation as evident in my eyes as I could, and said, "It seems weak and slow-witted."

     -perspective change-

     Those 5 words crushed her. They were so cruel, but the girl's eyes had been so hopeful and full of love.  She lowered her head, but didn't look away from the girl and 'mother', so she didn't miss the look of appreciation in the woman's eyes, before she turned away from the Guard-seeker. 

     "Very well, Silandrium. Silus! Let's go."

     Silus turned and dashed back to 'mother''s side. "Yes, mother. These all seem second-rate, anyway."

      The guard-seeker seemed desperate, as he blurted, "I'll give them to you at half-price!"     

     'Mother' turned back. "That's more like it."

     Salandrium grinned. "I want CB-1 to be as black as my hair."

     The boy waved a hand. "D-6, as white as it is now."

     He typed quickly into his tablet. "Name recognition?"

     "Yes. I want to name it. . . "the girl seemed to be really thinking about this. The boy, however. . . "Name mine Heartcrusher!"

     CB-1 shifted on her hackles. This was it. The instant Silandrium chose a name, she would be hers. She would be a true Guard, at her Mistress' side, shredding her enemies, climbing high in the heirarchy together. 

      Silandrium looked back at CB-1. She stared back at her Mistress, awaiting the word that would lock their souls together forever. 

       ". . . . Chiaz."

     The newly-named Chiaz felt the rush of connection, and then the prick between her shoulder blades. this prick was followed by serum flowing through her system, and the feeling of her size diminishing, so she could grow up in sync with her Mistress.

  It was so freeing. She had a place. Her place was at Silandrium's side, for the rest of their lives. And no one could stop them. Together, they would be on top of the world. Everyone else would just have to live with being third place.