Hybris: A Concept Excerpt

Hybris has been booted from her encampment. Lima's attacks have decimated provisions; Archibald must fire some of his best soldiers. Hybris isn't lucky enough to escape the cut.

This is not my current WIP, but it is a concept excerpt for a book I intend to write not too far in the future. I hope you all enjoy ^^

I twiddled my thumbs, a bottle of rage fixed to open up between them. My eyes were sore with white-hot anger and insults were lodged in my throat. This had turned out to be quite the atrocity of a day.

Confident that I wouldn’t let go of a regretful outburst, my eyes rose to meet his. They were free of concern and selfishness wallowed behind his irises. What was once a face I found comfort in had twisted into something alien--something beyond my comprehension. A shiver laced its way through my spine and eventually up my neck; I held fast to prevent it from showing.

How quickly have things turned… what have I done to deserve this?

I was being kicked out. My mind was ringing with bits and pieces of words I was already forgetting. A few hours from now, I would be washing them away with whatever alcohol I could scrounge from vendors on the black market. It was a luxury worth blowing the limited wealth I had left to my name.

For years, I had served him with honor and purpose. Within our little tent, I had shown him strategies to make our enemies quaver and had brought him countless victories. But this had been before Lima unleashed her wrath.

A few tears threatened to break through the horizon and I shoved them back. I wouldn’t give him such blatant satisfaction. In truth, I needed his protection as much as he would find that he needed mine after he pushed me away. Months from now, I knew he would be aching for having made such a choice.  I wouldn’t pity him. By now, my stare had gone completely blank; it was leaving an awkward, spiraling silence between the two of us. I relished in it.  

Archibald’s thinning, orange-ish hair was swept back with nervous apprehension. His almost white eyes searched mine for something--some hint of what my thoughts were saying.

“Hybris? Don’t you want to say something?”

Provisions had grown scarce; I knew it was only a matter of time before I would get the fearsome boot sent in my direction. But I had given him everything--I had served as though I were his own child. Why me?

My mind fell through a symphony of burning stars to stretch across an unyielding night that would plague my mind for years to come.

Percy.

It was then that I figured out who the favorite was. Our little encampment had quickly ousted who was “important” and who was expendable once Archibald began to face the music. We were doomed. There was hardly anything we could do to hold out on our feeble resistance.

“Hybris?”

Sighing, I met his gaze once again. I had been trailing the threads of our withering tent. It was large enough to allow for tens of soldiers to gather around in wait for cherished instruction. Today, I was receiving my last. Too many of us were starving; being the best just wasn’t enough anymore.

“You know what, no. I don’t have anything to say to you, Archibald. Thank you for your mentorship. I’ll collect my last month’s pay and be on my way. I expect to be paid, too, lest you want a knife sticking out of your throat.”

A dangerous flame washed to life in Archibald’s gaze.

“You dare threaten me?”

I laughed.

“No, sir, I promise you. If you want me out of here so you can focus your attention on Percy, then be my guest. But don’t come crying to me when starving is the last thing you have to worry about. You’ll do Lima proud by this choice.”

Archibald swallowed. Once upon a time, I might have blanched at the thought of offering him such blatant disrespect. Today… today was different. I was older. Stronger. I had learned from the best; now the best was leaving me with the worst. As though my loyalty had been nothing.

And now he was low on men, even lower on provisions, and he had made the foolish decision to leave one of his best behind to starve.

But I won’t starve.

Before he could say anything more, I waltzed behind him to the sacks of gold he kept with him to pay his soldiers. They were low--much lower than they had ever been. But that didn’t matter.  I grabbed a bag from within my worn jacket and filled it to the brim with a little more than what I would have normally been paid.

My gaze pierced his, daring him to offer protest before I swept my hair over my shoulder in firm dismissal.

“If you hear from me again, don’t expect my salutations to be from that of a friend. You leave me to die; I will provide you with the same treatment in turn. Nice knowing you, Archibald.”

The tent flaps closed behind me and I could have sworn I heard him begin to sob.

Author's Note

I wrote this for my Tumblr, where it has also been posted. It is a concept chapter that I hope to expand on later. This book won't be written for a while though.

A lot of this is subject to change, of course.

Reviews

[LazerRays]

This is really really good! I'm serious! Like oh my god this is probably the best book chapter I've ever read on writers cafe!!!
You HAVE to continue!!!!
I love the sass and anger and snubbyness she has. Her bitterness really showed. Keep up the good work!!!