Bonus chapter: Training - Sirius POV

I run through the forest, and Altair charges hard at me. We roll and cough up the dust.

"Sirius, stay alert!" Orion shouts as we stand up.

"But he had to pretend to be my ally!" I respond, confused.

Altair chuckles as he dusts himself off.

"That has nothing to do with it," Orion shakes his head, "you already know that when you are with humans, you cannot trust their intentions even a little bit."

"Sure. It was my mistake, sorry." I return my attention to what I was doing.

I run again. I have to find the deer with a human garment tied around its neck. Unfortunately, more animals are out there with more clothes, and I don't want to know where they got them from; the goal is to learn to differentiate their scent. Humans smell very, very different from us and very similar at the same time. I'm having a hard time finding the right deer. I smell one nearby, but it's not wearing the item with the scent I'm looking for.

I detect Antares nearby, and I stop. He is watching me, but I can't distinguish from where. Everything smells like deer and humans, which is very confusing.

"Remember," he says behind me, "the humans won't hesitate to kill you if they find you off guard," and he lunges, but I dodge him.

At that moment, I smell Apus, and he falls on me from another side, dragging me to the ground.

"Humans have many plagues and diseases," he tells me as he presses me to the ground, "especially the infamous STDs. We don't know what those acronyms mean, but I suggest you not let them touch you, kid."

He growls and shows me his fangs. I do the same and give him a surprising blow, knocking him off me. I jump to my feet and, luckily, finally spot the deer.

I run as fast as I can, and the brothers come, too. A deer crosses our path, and our wild instinct awakens, which has often happened to me lately since they have worked hard to make me more aggressive.

I lunge at the animal as a savage growl escapes me. Antares attacks first and grips its neck with a bite before I can do so. Apus launches himself into the belly, and I prefer not to continue looking because the impulse to destroy the animal still runs through me insistently.

I continue pursuing my true objective while seriously thinking about what I am doing.

Is this okay? I have become very wild.

I manage to hunt the deer with Altair's help and take the garment to Orion. I find him next to one of his men, who is bleeding and kneeling on the ground. I take a deep breath because I know what has happened and what can happen.

I had seen Orion kill problematic men or exiles who were a threat to our people, according to him, without showing hesitation for even a millisecond, which has never seemed fair to me. However, warriors who fail are left without honor, which sinks their families and any offspring they have. If they betray, the punishment is death.

"Sirius, did you get it?" He asks without turning to see me. "I see you did. Remember that aroma. It's from Dr. Julio Gomez, one of your targets."

"Yes, sir."

Altair and the others join us. Seeing the scene, they smile evilly. My friend now finds it amusing to see the suffering of others. He was not like that, but I am aware that I have also changed over time.

"Now come," Orion orders.

I approach, looking at the kneeling man.

"Did he fail?" Altair asks."

"That's right. He failed to get me the information on the humans I wanted. Now I don't know what ages our targets are. He is going to be punished."

I clench my fists, but I'm partly relieved that he hasn't betrayed us. I never like seeing people die.

I finish rinsing my face with the fresh river water and breathe out. I'm almost ready to go, but I'm worried about failing. For some unknown reason, my family's honor is hanging by a thread, and Orion says that if I ruin it, they could take it out on my parents.

"How have you been?" asked Orion to my Mom once when I was younger. He walked me home because I had been hurt.

"Pretty good, thank you," she responded neutrally.

I looked at them both out of the corner of my eye. They knew each other, obviously. Everyone in the town knew each other, but I still wondered why the leaders ordered Mom to let me become a warrior.

"Go home," Orion ordered me.

I looked at him with some surprise, but I immediately nodded silently and left—of course, not to my room, but to hide where I could at least see them.

"He got hurt," my mother murmured.

Orion crossed his arms.

"He's going to get hurt many times, accept it. The blood he spills will clear your name, so be thankful." He showed a mocking smile. "And by the way, ask the stars for him not to die. He does not have the blood of a warrior."

Mom raised an eyebrow.

"My son is not going to fail. You'll see how he leaves you speechless one day."

"I can't wait. As challenging as ever, Enif." He turned around after laughing briefly with closed lips. "Yes, I want to see if he makes it."

All that about warrior blood intrigued me. I had heard rumors a couple of times among the elders that I must not have been my father's son. Which only bothered me more. Was I not worthy of him?

I return to the campfire where Orion is with Altair and the others, cooking a deer, and I stop when I hear them talking,

"He's already turned twenty, and he's not entering the transition stage," our tutor shakes his head. "This cannot be delayed."

I look down slightly. I can't help but feel like there's something wrong with me since I was given to my parents. First, there were doubts and rumors about whether I should have been 'born' or not, and now this. The transition stage is between nineteen and twenty, but I remain the same.

"Actually, that's a good sign," says Altair. "The later, the more strength and better genes. At least that's what they say..."

Orion snorts in derision.

"Better genes?" He crosses his arms. "He doesn't have the genes of a warrior. His father is a bust."

'Sirius has become aggressive like him. He doesn't seem like my son anymore,' Dad's words return to my mind. Wow. Apparently, I'm not enough for either of them, but if there's one thing I'm very clear about, it's that my father is, and he will always come first, no matter what the leaders have decreed, so I get angry.

"Is there a problem with my father?" I murmur, clenching my fists and approaching.

Orion frowns.

"There you are. Humans are a couple of years ahead, researching toxins to make us disappear, they say. How much longer are we going to wait for you? We need to stop that research, get rid of that toxin, and destroy them."

I sigh and look down again.

"I could go," Altair suggests, "if it weren't for the fact that I've already passed that stage."

I see him turn his face in frustration. Lately, he's been like this; sometimes, he says I'm Orion's favorite, then he defends me, and sometimes he says he's better when, in reality, I think we're both equally good.

"You?" Orion mocks again. "With the innocent face that Sirius has, no human is going to suspect. But I'm starting to get tired. If his transition doesn't go well, he could be killed by humans, and if he fails, his family will be punished. Sirius, remember that their honor depends on you. Since your situation is different, your mother could be punished. Do you want that?"

I clench my fists so much that they shake.

"I will show you I can," I say, looking up and returning his challenging look. "I can do this. The humans aren't going to win, so just give me time. I'm sure any day now, I'll change."

He examines me with his honey eyes, which always shine with anger and his jaw tenses.

"Good."

***

"Good night," I greet as I enter the house and see my father, Arcturus, with Ursa's parents.

This gives me a bad feeling.

"I heard they don't have a date set to join," my father murmurs.

He looks like me, but I've rarely stopped to wonder how the stars give you offspring who looks like you... I assume it's 'favored by the stars, ' as they sometimes say—the most common explanation.

"No, I can't set a date. I don't even know if I'm going to return."

"My daughter has been waiting since she finished school," says her mother.

I sigh.

"I'm sorry, really. It's better for her if she looks for someone else."

They make slight exclamations of astonishment.

"And you have waited so long to say it?" her father complains.

"I told her a long time ago," I defend, intrigued because she hasn't told them.

"What a shame." The lady stands up, ready to leave.

"I'm sorry," Dad excuses me. "As a warrior, it is not mandatory for him to join a partner."

After they leave without answering him, he looks at me with annoyance. Although it is not the first time he looks at me with that disappointment, it still hurts as if he had never done it.

"Dad..."

"You're leaving then. You'll leave your mother, your partner, and me, following that man's orders."

"And what other option do I have? You know well that the leaders wanted it that way, and I will clean Mom's honor. It's not my fault that I don't know their reasons. You never tell me anything."

"Enough. Minors do not demand reasons."

"Good. Then don't complain either." I tighten my lips and look down at the angry look he gives me. "I'm sorry, father."

He leaves without telling me more. I close my eyes for a second and stare at the ground sadly.

Nobody seems happy with me, which bothers me so much. To make matters worse, I am a terrible son. I have become a bit daring, and that isn't good. I am ashamed of myself. But I don't understand; I was given to Orion to train me, and my whole life, I have grown up under that training, and then they act with annoyance about it as if I had decided it or as if I had asked for it. What should I do? Everyone wants me to obey them simultaneously, in very different ways.

I'm fed up and tired. Sometimes, I just want to do whatever I want and be free.

Suddenly, a sharp pain takes over my eyes, and I complain.

"Are you okay?" Dad, who has returned, wants to know.

I rub my eyes and blink, trying to focus my vision, but it fails. Dad grabs my face and looks at me in surprise.

"Don't tell me..."

He nods.

"Your transition. It has begun."

We both look at each other with some sadness now, and I know it's because we know I'll be gone and probably won't come back.

***

"Focus," Orion says as he walks around me. He seems satisfied that I finally look human.

"He looks horrible," Altair mocks, and I look at him out of the corner of my eye in annoyance.

He excuses himself with a shrug. Yes, my eyes look like those of humans: round pupils with a small and unremarkable iris, but they are still green.

"You know what you have to do," Orion continues. "We already gave you an ID like humans, but if possible, don't show it, just in case."

"I know."

"I hope you haven't said goodbye to your parents."

"Why not? If maybe I fail and don't come back..."

"Believe me, I'm tired of failures, so this time, I'm going to make sure you come back," he says with a sinister look that I don't find funny. "The leaders know this mission is important, so they have allowed me to keep an eye on your mother in case you decide it is a good time to fail."

My blood suddenly runs cold.

Mom... Guarded by one of those bloodthirsty warriors? No.

"You can't do that," I claim, trying to contain my growing anger. That rage that I have been taught to have ready to shoot out and attack.

"If you fail, she will be punished for her low honor. Now you can go say goodbye to your people."

I grit my teeth and run.

When I get home, I see Columbus and Tornado, aggressive warriors like Orion, in front of the door. They smile at me smugly, but their gestures are not kind.

"Mother, I'm sorry," I hasten to say when I see her sitting on the couch embroidering something.

She looks at me out of the corner of her eye and continues.

"I trust that you will not fail, son. Go."

I approach and place my forehead against hers—our society's greatest gesture of appreciation.

"I will return. I won't fail," I assure her with my eyes closed, and I turn away; she has a sad face. "Say goodbye to Dad. I'll be back. I promise, Mom."

She nods, swallows hard, and continues with what she was doing.

I run outside.

"Don't you dare hurt her," I threaten the two men and walk away.

I walk towards the town's exit. If I complete this mission, I can return with glory, and that's just what I want for my mother. I have to follow through, and I hope it's as easy as it sounds.

"You're leaving now?" A female voice stops me.

Ursa. I turn around, and there she is. For the first time, too, she lets me see her sadness.

"Yes, you know," I answer as she approaches.

"I hope those ruthless humans don't kill you and that Orion doesn't kill you if you fail either," she murmurs.

I smile with closed lips.

"It won't happen. I will return."

Suddenly, she leans up, wrapping her arms around my neck, and presses her forehead to mine.

I can hear her heartbeat as I heard my mother's a few minutes ago, revealing her anguish because I am leaving, and I understand that it must be hard for her, too.

Yes, it is hard to leave my friends: Ursa, the twins; Symphony; Phoenix, the son of my father's colleague, with whom I have built houses; Mom, Dad; my town. I don't know for sure what I will find in the human city or if I will make it, but I have to do it. I must be strong and come back for all of them.

She pulls away and keeps her gaze downcast as a barely perceptible blush appears on her cheeks. The strange thing is that I only smell sadness, not anger. Altair had said that if the girl blushed, she was most likely upset. It doesn't make sense now, but I don't stop to ask either.

"I know I'll regret following the rules and not telling you," she whispers.

"Tell me what?" I ask stupidly, knowing she just told me she won't do it.

She sighs and steps back a little. Again, her face is serious and expressionless, as always.

"Come back soon," she orders and turns around, leaving.

I sigh and turn to look towards the horizon.

Humans are not that far away. Maybe a day if I run. We know they arrive in about forty minutes on their vehicles, so it's not far.

I take a deep breath and head out.