“You are no longer one of us. You are to go on your own, you will not identify as one of us. Go. Leave and do not come back.”
The wind outside was howling. Leaves and litter were swirling around and rain was beginning to fall. The skies were dark, and a storm was on the way. The last twenty four hours were a blur. They had roughly handled the young Rethan. Stripped them naked, forcibly cut off parts of their natural plating, marched them onto a ship, flown them to a foreign world then abandoned them on the edge of a city they did not know, leaving them with the most scant of resources. The seasons here were backwards. It was the start of the fourth month, but it was cold and horrible. Night was often freezing. At home, spring would have been starting. It was warm there before they took them away. Clear skies, flowers beginning to bloom. The opposite of here.
Retvik was lost. Abandoned. No. Exiled. They had barely anything on them. Just their normal school uniform and a now somewhat soggy cloak. No change of clothes, no communicator, no watch, no helper wristbands, just a small satchel with a small medallion tied to one of the straps and two small plastic cards in it, one of which had been cut in half. Their ID card, destroyed so it was no longer valid. The other card had… some money on it. Retvik had no idea how much. Enough for a hotel for a few nights? Could Retvik even afford a hotel? Were there hotels nearby?
Retvik didn’t even know where they were. Not in Rethan territories. Apparently they were on a planet called Phantok, which was a neutral world that belonged to the Lanex. There were a lot of Lanex, a handful of Torr and very few Rethans. The last Rethan Retvik saw was the big mean General who had told them to leave, that they weren’t a Rethan any more.
Right now, at least, there was shelter to be had. Vague shelter. A supermarket that was open for a few more hours. It wasn’t warm though. Lanex didn’t feel the cold or the wind or anything. They wore cloaks and armour, but it was more to avoid public indecency than anything else. Retvik had been on their feet for a while though and the little cafe was currently closed. They wanted to sit down but were worried they would be told off. Considering what had happened, Retvik didn’t want any more trouble. Still, Retvik was exhausted, so they awkwardly glanced around to make sure no one was looking and sat on the chair furthest from the cafe. Almost immediately, a Lanex staff member came over and told Retvik the cafe was closed, and that they needed to leave if they weren’t going to buy anything. Clearly, they had noticed the young Rethan loitering around for the last hour or so.
Knowing they needed to try and stay healthy at least, Retvik bought a box of instant mash and a large bottle of water (it was more expensive but would last longer, right?) then headed outside, back into the harsh winds. There was a bus shelter nearby. Maybe Retvik could use that to work out where to go.
At least there was a map and a bench and a corner to shelter from the wind. A brief break from the elements. Retvik was tired after all. And lost and a bit soggy. And scared.
Retvik pondered that thought briefly. They were a Rethan, they weren’t supposed to be scared. But… Retvik wasn’t a Rethan any more. They were an exile. They were allowed to be scared. Really, they were terrified. Retvik had no idea what to do. They were just a teenager, they were 17 years old and couldn’t even legally work yet. Being exiled meant Retvik was no one. They were a ghost. To make matters worse, being exiled was the alternative. They were going to be executed. Because of… uh… It was a mess. Retvik thought they were doing the right thing. That it was all part of a test, to see if they were brave, if they were a true Rethan. Turns out, they were not.
With a sigh, Retvik sat on the bench, leaning against the wall of the shelter, and closed their eyes.
…
Something shuddered. Ret’s eyes snapped open. At some point, he had fallen asleep. The Thantir Two was still flying, but clearly it had hit a rough patch on its way to the small they were going to.
“Are you alright, dear?” Kuta asked. “I noticed you fell asleep but decided to leave you to it. Did you have a bad dream?”
Ret rubbed his eyes, then sat up straight and sighed. “I did, yes.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not… not really… I was just dreaming of the day I was exiled. I was so cold and scared. And the more I think about it, the more I think they left me to die out there, because they could not kill me officially.”
Kuta hugged Ret tightly. “It… it is possible… but you did not die. You survived. You built a life for yourself, became famous and eventually came through the other side.”
“I guess. But… well… I suffered. A lot. I did not need to suffer as I did. I spent most of my life alienated and hated by my own kind. And now… well, now, I am dead, I guess.”
Kuta frowned. “That… that is… a good point… I do not really have an answer.”
“It is fine…”
Kuta frowned some more, then hugged Ret again. “It was all bad, but, well, Retvik, I love you dearly. You are a good person. You deserved better.”
“I did. However, I guess, in the end, I got you, right?”
“Hah, you did!” Kuta smiled. “Do not fret, my dear. We have super powers, are nigh unkillable and are about to go to a space mall to buy things for our wedding. Things are only going to get better from now on.”
Ret smiled and hugged Kuta back, then pecked them on the cheek. “You are absolutely right, my beloved.”