The Ashen Wrath (Watty's SHORTLIST recipient 2018) CHAPTERED VERSION

*16

I made my way to the Recreation Tent and stopped at the edge of the storytelling area. I was unsurprised to see a T-drone hovering near the ceiling of the large partition. Only seen during IPs, the Privus' grapefruit-sized machines were used to alert unsuspecting Thrall of family or plot reassignments. Their capacity to throw lives into chaos made them just as menacing as the stilt striders, but just like anything else in the zone, you got used to them.

I peered into the story partition and saw Marta sitting cross-legged in the front row. She was watching the story-drone project narrated scenes from Heroes of the Final Lesson on the side of the tent. Heroes... was by far the most popular of The Ten Tomes, but Granddad had revealed it was nothing but lies. Frustrated over the content but fascinated by the moving images, I decided to watch for a while before I checked in on Annie.

A masculine voice projected from the story-drone: Disease rampaged the land, turning ordinary people into drooling beasts whose only pleasure came from ripping the flesh from those they once called friends and family. Only the strongest and bravest men and women survived the onslaught, taking refuge in The Walled City to make their final stand. Onus Samsol was among these brave survivors, which we now know as the Privus.

Granddad made it clear the werebeasts were just fairy tales. "Please," I mumbled.

The drone continued: Growing tired of watching mutated freaks turn his beloved nation into a wasteland, Onus rallied his people together and took action. With the world outside the walls hopelessly overrun by the Plague of Beasts, Onus built an armada of immense, flame-spitting machines to cleanse the land. As hard as it was to watch the great cities fall and burn, it was the only way to eradicate the disease and kill the monsters.

I wondered what awful weapon had actually destroyed the old cities. Yet another thing to ask granddad.

Not content to simply cower in a metal transport, Onus assembled a team of brave Privus warriors to strike down the wiliest of the cannibalistic creatures for good. Perhaps you already know the names of these heroes...

"Pan Doontz!" shouted the crowd, in unison with the drone.

"Mantizona Vontageous!"

"Perious Handellem!"

"Shantilouz Partrinson!"

"Planzin Plo, the Grand Wizard!"

I wondered how names could have gotten so boring since the Final Lesson. The most beloved part of the story was next—chock-full of decapitations, spurting blood and explosions. I walked away with a groan, having heard enough.