Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Astra

The frigid air surrounding the defunct cagem arena hugged Astra’s small form and sent shivers up her spine as she struggled to remain on all fours. Her fingers hugged the edge of the arena bowl and her eyes surveyed the fifty or so girls, all clad in knee length white dresses, all standing ramrod straight in rows across the arena floor. Like white pillars, most breathing heavily, some standing tall and defiant, even exhausted and up to their ankles in freezing water. Astra laid her palms on the cold steel floor and tried to push herself up, but the weight of her body overwhelmed her and send her sprawling downward, forcing her to lay her forehead against the cold surface as her lungs roughly expelled the air. She could see her breath forming in front of her, white wispy puffs that vanished inches from her lips. She felt more exposed than ever before, with her soaked dress clinging to her body, matted hair pressed against her forehead. Behind her, the sound of heavy bootsteps rang out as the towering blonde stepped around her. Astra caught a glimpse of her black pant leg, but then cowered, averting her eyes and gripping the edge of the bowl. 

“My name,” The blonde said. “Is Kerra. You will refer to me as Constable Erth. This is not optional. In your civilian lives you may have treated authority casually, but here you will come to know the full force and influence of the law. When you leave here, you will have gained a healthy respect for authority and many of you will go on to lead productive lives. You are here because you made a mistake. Some of you stole, some of you fought, some of you destroyed property. These are grave mistakes, but they can be rectified.”

Astra finally managed to work her way up to her knees, rocking back on her haunches and immediately clapping her hands against the floor to support herself. She rocked back and forth, the thin, soaked dress was no match for the atmosphere in the room. Nearby, at the bottom of the bowl, she heard splashing and the sound of water lapping up against the curved surface. The chattering of teeth and the whimpering of the other girls filled the air; silent as a whisper but loud enough to fill her ears as she looked upward, toward the Constable. She was a slender woman with blonde hair pulled back in to a tight bun; her tight black slacks were complimented by a light blue top over a white long-sleeved shirt. It wasn’t exactly Corum military attire, but somehow the form fitting outfit conveyed her authority without fail. Beside her, two women in military uniforms surveyed the crowd and as Astra allowed her squinting eyes to travel the perimeter of the bowl, she could see guards placed every ten meters or so. As Astra slowly gained control over hear breathing through a few poorly timed coughs, the Constable shot her a wayward glance and pursed her lips as if remembering something. 

“Ladies,” Constable Kerra addressed the group once again; her voice boomed across the arena. “In this cycle, we have a special guest, her name is Astra. As you can see, she is a little different from the rest of us.”

Astra could feel every eye on her, some curious, some judging as they observed her obviously male face and body. She was slender, as males went, and she had managed to grow her hair out to a reasonable length, but there was no mistaking a male when you saw one. After a brief period of murmuring, the room fell silent; Astra shivered and dropped her head, acutely aware of the gaze of each girl boring into her soul. Around the arena, empty seats for absent Cagem fans, abandoned long ago, overlooked the scene. Now it was just this Constable Kerra, her guards, and the girls in white lining the pit, blinded by spotlights and consumed by the sloshing water. 

“Astra,” Constable Kerra said to the group as she paced the stage, stopping briefly behind Astra and then walking back toward the center. “Is to be treated no differently than any other young lady of Corum. We have our reservations against males, both personally and legally but Astra is not a male. Corum has spoken, the Council of Three, has spoken. I have spoken! When I speak, my word is law, and you will reply with the respect my word invokes, are we clear?” 

“Yes Constable!” The voice of the girls rang out, echoing off the sides of the arena, a few reduced to shrill squeaks as their bodies struggled against the cold. 

“Astra, stand up,” Constable Kerra said to her, quieting her voice so that only Astra and the nearby guards could hear. Astra somehow managed to pull herself to her feet, shivering and hugging her body to stave off the cold. Constable Kerra shook her head. “You’re a male, Astra. That is what you are and nothing you do can change that. But the Council of Three has decided otherwise. Through your words, your deeds, and the aid of a very powerful individual, you have been given the rare chance to prove your worth. Now, what are you doing here?”

“I-…” Astra opened her mouth to speak; her voice caught in her throat and she looked down in shame. “I want- I want to serve.”

“Male serve Corum every day,” Constable Kerra glared at her. “If that’s all, then why this? Why insist that you’re this…transgender..thing. It’s more trouble than it’s worth, and you spit in the face of Corum by doing so. How can you serve if you cannot respect our core values?” 

“I wish to serve,” Astra said again, her lips quivered, she felt warm tears pooling at the edge of her vision. 

“Then serve as a male,” Constable Kerra growled. 

Dead silence washed over the arena; the girls in the bowl couldn’t hear the conversation, and the quiet began to take on a loud roar of its very own as Astra stood there, shivering. Her determination wavered, her fingertips dug into the fabric of her dress as whimpers escaped her lips with every breath. No one had touched her, but she was beaten. She’d only just arrived and she was finished. But then, finally, she worked up the courage to say the words.

“I’m not a male.”

“We’ll see,” Constable Kerra’s mouth twisted into a smirk for a slip second, and then the stone cold expression returned, filling Astra with terror as she stood there, still as a statue and rooted to the floor. “By the Council of Three you are Astra, and you are femme. You are bound to the role you have chosen and you are held to the standard implied. It is what you asked for but it is not what you wanted. State your name.”

“I… Astra.”

“And what are you?”

This isn’t what I wanted, Astra thought to herself as Constable Kerra towered over her. 

“I am a lady of Corum.” 

“So be it,” Constable Kerra snapped. “Join the others.” 

Astra could hear the Constable’s voice booming behind her as she scrambled down the side of the bowl, her feet splashing against the water and despite her best efforts, she fell, consumed by the frigid liquid and just as quickly she snapped to her feet and froze on front of the formation. The other girls stared at her, each one eyeing her, looking her up and down with both curiosity and apprehension; a few seemed angry. 

“We are ladies of Corum and we will conduct ourselves as such!” Constable Kerra boomed. “Make room for Astra into the formation, I will not ask again!”

She din’t want to go into the formation, she wanted to leave. She wanted to run, she wanted to be back in her home, the run down shack on the outer edges of the city. Unknown, overlooked, how she longed for that obscurity now. The girls stood aside, allowing Astra to step between them and take her place in the third row of the formation. 

“Your next task is very simple.” The Constable continued. “You will arrange yourself in rows, of eight, one in front of the other, hands at your sides. On the count of three-”

“Now wait a minute!” A brunette girl shouted from the formation. Astra and the others gasped as she stepped forward, glaring toward the constable, arms folded. “I get we’re being punished but you expect us to accept that thing?” She jerked a thumb in Astra’s direction then turned to glare at her. “I will not!”

“I see,” Constable Kerra nodded. “Adelyn, right? Your name is Adelyn. If you have something to say, then let’s hear it, but be warned, this is the only time I’m going to hear your complaints, or anyone’s complaints.” 

“They’re dirty!” The girl shrieked. “They carry disease, we’ll all get sick!”

“Adelyn Hyatt,” Constable Kerra stepped toward the edge of the bowl and stared down at her. “Your mothers, both acolytes in the Church of the Divine Femme, unless I am mistaken?”

“Yes, Constable,” Adelyn nodded, switching between a respectful expression and a glare back in Astra’s direction. 

“In order for Astra to be allowed the right of Womanhood, she would have needed approval from the Church, is that not right?”

“Well, yes,” Adelyn faltered. “But-”

“You’re saying that your own parents made a mistake?”

“That’s not fair, Constable!” Adelyn began to shift from one foot to the other, looking up to the constable with uncertainty. “My parents wouldn’t have-”

“Your parents followed the rules, they followed the law. In here, Adelyn, I would suggest that you do the same thing. In here I am the law and you are subject to me. Now, from this point on, should you choose to defy me again, I’ll make sure that you not only fail this course, but that you spend another twelve months in the worst possible service. Are we clear?”

“Y…yes Constable,” Adelyn looked to Astra, then nervously retook her place in the formation.

“Rows of eight, I will not say it again!” The Constable shouted. “Go, go go!”

The arena floor erupted into chaos, girls running in all directions as they tried to orient themselves and form up as instructed. Astra froze in place, watching the girls around her shoot from left to right, each one a blur of white as they crossed her field of vision. She turned and tried to get her bearings amidst the sound of splashing footsteps and shouts of agony as girls where jostled and knocked aside. One girl, a redhead fell face down in the water and was nearly trampled by another. Astra staggered as her senses began to leave her, the scene around her began to take its toll as she panicked, trying to decide on a direction to take. Shouts, echos, footsteps, screaming, the jostling of shoulders from all sides. She finally took a deep breath and stepped forward, making a run toward what she perceived to be the front of the formation. Water sprayed against her as she moved and each step was hindered by the ankle-deep liquid practically dragging her toward the floor each time she took a step. 

This isn’t what I wanted, she thought to herself again, moving on, through two scrambling girls. Why did I do this?

You are reading story The Corum Chronicles at novel35.com

Her stray thoughts were abruptly interrupted as she slammed into a girl near the front of the formation who had taken up a stationary position near the edge in an attempt to act as a guide for the rest of the girls. Astra tumbled backward, dropping into the water and trying desperately to catch herself - an attempt that failed as she tumbled sideways and rolled into the legs of another girl trying to find her place in the formation. She struggled, trying to regain her feet, and just as she was knocked backward; a sharp pain radiating across her face and her world went black for a spit second. Her scream shattered into a yelp and then a sob as she cradled her face and dropped down into the water. Her next sob was cut short as she sucked in a mouthful of liquid and hacked, struggling for breath and drawing her knees toward her chest. Cry after cry was punctuated soundly by a foot to the leg, the sides, the back of her hands as she tried to guard her face. Then, suddenly, she felt hands wrapping around her arms as she was dragged unceremoniously to her feet. 

“This is ridiculous,” A girl on her right said as she pulled Astra to her feet. She was quickly joined by another who took Astra’s other arm. Together they managed to set her upright and kept a firm grip, guiding her into place.

“Thank you,” Astra said weakly.

“Don’t talk to me,” The second girl snapped. 

“I can’t believe they’re letting this happen,” The first girl said, shaking her head. “Males aren’t smart enough for this.”

“They’re not smart enough for anything.” The second girl scoffed. “Should just drown them. I’m Cara, what’s your name?”

“Wrynn, nice to meet you.”

“Astra,” Wrynn said to her. Astra turned her head slowly, meeting the girl’s pale blue eyes; her voice was nearly swallowed by the surrounding chaos. “Can you stand?”

Astra gave a weak nod and Wrynn eased up on her grip, shooting a nod to Cara who did the same.

“Stay between us,” Wrynn said to her. “Keep your hands at your sides, don’t move unless we tell you.”

It took a few more minutes for the formation to even out, but in the end, they all stood, in rows of eight, Astra standing between Cara and Wrynn as slowly, the guards on the sides of the arena bowl made their way down, boots splashing against the water and sloshing as they made their way toward the less than perfectly formed lines. 

“Why are you moving around?” One of the guards bellowed at a girl near the middle of the formation. “Why are you moving around?!” 

“Get your arms at your sides! What is this?!” Another guard shrieked. “Do you want your mommy? Is that it? Your mommy can’t save you now!”

Astra stood there, frozen in place, her eyes moving upward just enough to see Kerra towering over them at the lip of the bowl. She observed the formation with interest as the guards passed through the lines sneering and shouting at the girls and berating them with some of the most colorful language Astra had ever heard. Eventually, Kerra called for them to halt, and they quickly assembled in front of the formation.

“Sub Constable Binn!” Kerra called down. “Have the students met the Corum standard?”

“Constable Erth! The students have not met the standard!” Sub Constable Binn called back.

For what seemed like hours, Constable Erth called for them to perform various grueling exercised. Leg raises, pushups, sit ups, all in the freezing water. Astre cried out as her muscles began to fail, her body plummeting down once again, the inevitable impact halted as Wrynn gripped her arm and returned her to her feet. 

“They’re so stupid,” Cara said from her other side. “It can’t even do a pushup.”

“It’s kind of a lot,” Wrynn said. “If she doesn’t do it all the time.”

The two continued to talk about her as if she wasn’t there, Wrynn less than gently pushing Astra to continue. The exercises went on with Constable Earth calling cadence from above and Astra’s muscles burned each time she made move. Her breathing intensified with each inhallation echoing in her water-logged ears and her vision began to fade with every single movement. 

“Astra,” Wrynn said to her. “Astra keep going, come on.”

“I…I can’t,” Astra sobbed, each cry punctuated by a desperate ploy for breath. Her legs felt like steel weights with Astra struggling to gain control over them as the Constable called out cadence. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”

“Make way, make way!” A new voice shouted; Astra inhaled softly and then fell to her knees, hands splashing against the floor despite the best efforts of Wrynn and Cara to stabilize her. 

“Second row, open the formation!” Constable Erth called out. “Make way for the medic!”

“Make way for the medic!” Someone in the second row called out. 

“Medic coming through!”

Astra was barely aware of the formation opening to allow a woman dressed in black slacks and a green civilian top to pass through. She carried with her a black bag slung over her left shoulder. The next sensation Astra became aware of was a hand beneath her chin, gently lifting her head; Astra locked eyes with the dark-haired woman. 

“Can you stand?” She asked her quietly. Astra looked at her in stunned silence as the woman continued to study her. Suddenly, she repeated the question in a much louder tone, this time with a hand clasped to Astra’s shoulder, shaking her. 

“I…” Astra managed to say as the woman shook her head and placed a hand against her temple. 

“What’s your name?” The woman asked sharpy. 

“A…Astra.”

“Do you know where you are, Astra?” The woman reached into her satchel and produced a small cylindrical object. A moment later she shone a light into Astra’s eyes, studying her pupils. Astra shook her head at the question; it was true, she had no idea where she was. “Can you tell me your birthdate?”

Astra stared at her blankly as the light moved from one eye to the other. Finally, the medic shook her head.

“Astra,” The medic said. “Are you okay?”

“I…I want to go,” Astra croaked, tears pooling in her eyes as she struggled to remain upright; her muscles began to give, a feeling of dizziness overtook her. “Please I want to go. I can’t do this.”

“Donna!” Constable Erth called down. “What’s the situation?”

After a moment of hesitation, Donna finally called back: “Pull her out!” 

You can find story with these keywords: The Corum Chronicles, Read The Corum Chronicles, The Corum Chronicles novel, The Corum Chronicles book, The Corum Chronicles story, The Corum Chronicles full, The Corum Chronicles Latest Chapter