Wild order, p.1
Wild Order, page 1
Wild Order
SJ Clements
Amazon Publishing
Copyright © 2023 by SJ Clements
Cover design © by Get Covers
Internal Design by SJ Clements
Editing by Treehouse Editing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems-except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews- without permission in writing from author, SJ Clements
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Amazon Publishing.
Playlist
“Hold Me, Help Me” by Halocene
“Somewhere I Belong” by Halocene, David Michael Frank and Lauren Babic
“Humans (Let Me Love You)” by Sick Individuals, April Bender
“Honey- Medasin Remix” by KUCKA, Medasin
“Still With You” (BTS) Cello Version by Gabrielle Dela Cruz
“War With My Mind” by Crimson Apple
“0 (zero)” -English Version by LMYK
“gravity” by Maaya Sakamoto
“King of Misery” by Saul
“Lions, Tigers & Bears” by Jazmine Sullivan
“The meaning of love” by egoist
“Middle of the Night” by Elley Duhe
and more…
Find the full list on Spotify
Wild Order Playlist by SJ Clements
For my husband, my rock and stability in my life built around chaos. Thank you.
For those who feel alone in the world. I see you.
“It is during our darkest moments
that we must focus to see the light”
- Aristotle
Author’s Note
Wild Order has triggers for mental health survivors. These triggers either appear off scene or happen very briefly. As someone with mental health awareness, I take your well being seriously and want you to know before diving in to make an informed decision. Fantasy of self-harm, a very brief allusion to rape, and torture.
Want to know a bit about the world… but don’t want spoilers, check out the end of the book for The World of Wild Order for the general rules of the land and more.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Playlist
Author’s Note
Chapter One – Scars of the Past
Chapter Two – Scattered Hopes
Chapter Three – Enslaved to Guilt
Chapter Four – Truth of the Fight
Chapter Five – Fiery Truths
Chapter Six – Envious Reflections
Chapter Seven – Festival
Chapter Eight – Committed
Chapter Nine - Fighting Herself
Chapter 10 A Touch in the Shadows
Chapter 11 Dancing Flame
Chapter 12 Brutal Sins
Chapter 13 War
Chapter 14 Find Me
The World of Wild Order
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Chapter One – Scars of the Past
Milana
My family had been destroyed. Not just dead but burned to ash before my eyes. Their blood spilled and soaked through the pressed earth. I ran as far as I could, promising to avenge them. Embers of rage take time to nurture into an inferno. One that threatens to boil my blood and burn my bones. Flames that will destroy the leader of the Desert Order.
Scorching sun, dehydration, and starvation nearly killed me when I ran from my oppressor, Desmond. The one who killed everyone I loved. My suffering furthered my bitterness until I could taste it. In the five years that have passed, I’ve learned that Desmond’s hunters would do anything to find me. Spies lurked in every societal Order and even amongst the nomad Wild people. I traveled on my own and survived by never staying in one place too long. Every creak of a branch was my sign to move on and it had kept me relatively safe.
My luck caught up with me several days ago.
Imprisonment is more annoying than the thought of death, but neither will stop me from killing the man who took everything from me. Although Desmond is far away in the desert, his lackeys make him impossible to forget. Omar, in particular, earned my resentment. His right-hand man that hunted me relentlessly for years. While my hatred runs hot in my blood, the cool air around me in this dungeon keeps me sane.
Being detained wasn’t what I would call ‘fun’, especially when I did nothing more than wander onto an Order’s land. The stone walls and pressed dirt floor were dark, with water dripping in the distance and mice scurrying when I was left to the quiet. The cadence of drips and scurries kept me company. Drip, scurry, drip drip scurry, squeak, drip... For days that was all I heard. Catching up on sleep was an on and off experience, and as much as I hated to admit it, I did need the sleep. Being on the run for five years was exhausting.
Yearning for my freedom once more to roam the countryside, the plains and rolling hills. Climbing the treetops and sleeping among the stars, being a Wild, a nomad, was the most liberating experience. If not for the running for my life every few months when the Desert Hunters would finally catch up. Bothersome that was, but it was better than the alternative. Better to be running than Desmond’s plaything. The thought made bile rise in my throat.
Years ago, when I was a small child, my Gunna once told me about the world before the Calamity.
“Sweet, Milana, it was a land full of steel and concrete. Cities of it with people everywhere. A steel jungle of everyone going everywhere and nowhere all at once. I was a young woman and had so many friends and yet none I would give my life for. The moon was only as big as the tip of my thumb.”
“Truly!” I yelled in astonishment as I climbed onto her lap.
“Truly,” she confirmed with a soft smile. “And it would come and go in phases. How to put this, sometimes we would see the moon and others we would not. The shadow of the earth would hide it for a night and then it would come out bit by bit until we could see the whole circle.” My eyes were so wide with wonder, I couldn’t even find words. “Now, we see the moon constantly, day and night. She is a sense of peace and warning.
“I wonder what other parts of the world were changed. Living in hiding until it was safe to come out, I had your mother in a steel fortress underground. I never left the desert, but I fear it is my time to go soon. The travelers of old told me that the mountains are larger, the animals more terrifying, and so much more. I long to see it, my sweet.”
Footsteps invaded the hush of the dungeon and my fond memory, steps that were sure and steady. I remembered those steps, although it’s been a few days. Lyron, the leader of the Eagle Point Order, approached while I sat on a cold, hard floor surrounded by darkness. But he was not the source of my rage. I had not heard of this Order before, and I've seen my share of them over the years. Most of the time, unless necessary, I avoided them.
Lyron’s breath was steady as the silence stretched between us as I sat on the ground, leaning my back against the stone. There was no light, only the darkness and the sounds within. Smart, but harder for me to plan an escape when I had no idea what was to the left or right of me.
The first day I’d arrived, I remembered his stunning obsidian hair loosely braided down to his waist, a shade of the darkest blue, like a sapphire in the moonlight. Darkened tan skin made me wonder if he was from the Ocean Order, and amethyst eyes I’d never seen before stared at me in the candlelight in determination when he ordered his second in command to monitor me. Judging by the schedule they fed me, I knew I’d been here for a few days, at least. But then it was hard to know for sure since they only brought my food as I slept. Their servings were meager at best.
His voice was grave and calm, ominous and yet… comforting.
“You are a quiet one. Usually, prisoners beg for me to release them by now.” His voice also had a sense of pretentiousness about it. Formal, intelligent. It gave the impression he was not to be underestimated.
“I enjoy foreplay. Nothing gets me going more than being starved and listening to your breathing in the dark,” I soured my words, tapping the back of my head against the wall.
“Ah, there’s the fighter I remember in the woods.”
I wince. When he and a few of his men found me at the edge of their territory, the fight that followed had been quite the ordeal. Five against one was hardly fair, but I’d made it very difficult for them. Inwardly, I smiled.
“You nearly took out one of my men. Your will to fight is admirable.”
Was that amusement in his voice?
“How’s that one guy’s head?” I asked, remembering hitting one of them with the hilt of my dagger.
“Still on bed rest. How’s yours?”
I stifled a laugh as I pushed off the wall to stand up remembering when I hit the one with my dagger hilt, another grabbed me from behind and I swung my head back to connect with his nose.
“He should have ducked, but I’m good.”
While not completely true, the dull ache in my head roared to life from time to time. He wouldn’t get that from me, though. Feeling the wall until I found the iron bars, I leaned against them as I stretched my back. The pops and release felt like a cool drink of water after a sweltering summer day. Bliss.
“Thor tells me you’re not an immediate threat. I have my doubts,” he said, along with the sounds of clinking and creaking of the lock and ke
My shoulders stiffened. The door swung open, and a light approached. Inching closer and closer with steady, quickened footsteps, I groan when his face came into view. Thor, the man who’d put me in a headlock and hit the pressure point on my neck days ago. A bitter bile rose in my throat.
My eyes narrowed as a corner of his mouth upturned into a smirk. Cocky little brat. When they first put me in the dark, damp dungeon, he asked me over and over what my motives were, where I was from, and why I was there. My response was the same. “I’m a Wild.” His voice made my skin crawl by this point, his casual jovial tone insinuating he was anyone’s friend. With all the Orders, it was hard to keep straight what land belonged to who these days.
“Our little Wild here is not a threat. She just doesn’t like getting caught. Like giving a cat a bath. She’s spunky but not dangerous,” Thor said as I took a step toward him, ready to pounce to teach him a lesson.
“I’ll show you a Wild,” I hissed, pulling my fist back when Lyron grabbed my arm and held it behind me like a vice. Damn, this guy is strong.
“Don’t make me throw you back in there,” he said, his voice low. He sighed. “And you,” he pointed to Thor. “Don’t antagonize her more than necessary. You said you’d take responsibility for her.” Letting go of my hand, he draped a piece of fabric over my shoulder. “Tie this so you can’t see.”
"You honestly think I will let this asshole have responsibility for me? You're as stupid as he is," I said as I grabbed the fabric roughly.
"The alternate plan is that you go back in here until you either die or go insane. Either way will not make me lose any sleep," Lyron whispered in my ear, low and foreboding.
Evaluating my decisions, I groaned in frustration as he moved his face away from mine. I complied and tried to find Lyron with my elbow to give a small strike, but he effortlessly dodged my pathetic effort.
I try to give myself a small space so I could at least look down. Unfortunately, the man is untrusting and pulled the fabric so that I couldn’t have that luxury. If he was going to tighten it, why did he have me do it in the first place? He gripped my forearm to keep it at my side, and easily wrapped his callused hands around my arm. He avoids gripping me too tight, but the warning is there. Don’t run.
“You’re no fun,” was all Thor said as he led the way down the series of halls. This place was a maze. I had no idea which way was which as they weaved me through the corridors. The day they captured me flashes in my mind.
I’d spent my entire life on the run. I knew how to evade. But that night had been so oddly peaceful, and I should have known it would all change.
*** Five days ago ***
“Milana.”
Hearing my name somewhere in a memory, I opened my eyes to no one but nature surrounding me. Morning had come, and I continued to glance around as I stretched. A dream, but one that I did not remember, just a woman’s voice. Calming, like a mother’s would be. Maybe it was my mother’s voice. I couldn’t picture her anymore. Rage and the thought of revenge blurred my memories. I could worry about remembering my family after my deed was done. If there was any justice, I would be joining them in the hell saved for betrayal.
Remembering there was a stream nearby, I headed in that direction, knowing how badly I needed to wash my face. It would help snap me back into the present. The sun was cresting over the horizon, with stunning gold rays peeking through the wispy clouds. The short walk allowed me to stretch out my limbs for another day of traveling.
Reaching the stream, I could feel eyes on me. Kneeling, I cupped the water in my hands and splashed it over my forehead and cheeks. Droplets fell onto my loose, faded blue t-shirt and onto my torn jean shorts. My shoes had seen better days, but they were old hiking shoes that helped me tread the forest terrain. The refreshing hit of ice-cold water made me gasp, feigning to be none the wiser as I heard a slight brush against the foliage. Someone was trying to remain undetected, and they had the advantage of the thick cover of the woods. Standing up, I stretched, but I could feel them there. Turning quickly, they were right behind me.
A tall man was before me, with chestnut brown hair and crystal-clear blue eyes. His forearms were tanned and muscular, the veins bulging like cords beneath the skin, and he held a dagger to my throat. Already not my day.
“You’re alone?” I asked, sick of being snuck up on. Obviously, I was losing my touch.
“You first,” he demanded as he eyed me for weapons.
“I don’t kiss and tell, sorry.” Tilting my head to the side, I met his eyes, and they were narrowed. Despite his less than welcoming greeting, I didn’t hate him.
“I heard there was a lone traveler around these parts. A few men back at the city had a few choice words to say about her. I would have to say, you don’t disappoint,” he said, not putting down his dagger, but smirking, as he tilted his head.
He liked games. But so did I.
“You know them? Your friends are rather rude,” I stated.
“My friends,” hissing out the word, “know to be more polite to a lady, and also that it’s bad manners to steal from the Order. Seems they crossed the both of us.” Narrowing his eyes, I saw that the thought of being associated with them made his skin crawl as he twisted his neck ever so slightly. So, we did agree on something.
“An Order boy? Not my type then, looks like you go on your way, and I’ll gladly get away from any Order and those associated with them,” I said, moving quickly as he kept his blade up and eyes on me.
“I’m not too keen on Wild ones myself, but you helped slow them down. For that, I’ll call a truce if you’d like to keep your life.” He was approaching me again, but this time lowering his weapon and stretching out his other hand as he sheathed it at his waist.
“I’ve had enough male attention to last me a lifetime in the last day. I will agree to get you out of my way.”
This guy was too persistent to be noble, and it made me uncomfortable. What was so wrong with calling it a day and leaving me to my own devices? I didn’t think there was an Order right here, but then my information was not exactly new.
“Considering you’re on the border of the Eagle Point Order, I’d say that it’s agreeable if you leave.”
***
The conversation did not end that way once I jabbed my elbow into his ribs, just enough to put him off balance so he’d think twice about following me. Four men came out from the tree line, and I was detained for questioning. Turns out that was Thor I’d met, and he was all too willing to make me pay for his ribs. Lyron had given him the opening to knock me out by hitting the side of my neck and further evaluate my threat level once we came to where I was currently being held.
The cool air slowly warmed as we walked through the corridors. While I couldn’t see, I tasted the fresh air as I took a deep breath. Musty and damp was not my style. If I could live my life in the open air of the wild lands ruled by no Order, I would do so gladly. Too bad that peace would never fully come until Desmond was killed.
Thoughts of him made my blood heat with anger. My heartbeat sped up as I tried to calm my mind. Lyron’s grip on my arm tightened ever so slightly, as if sensing I was about to run. However, it kept my flame in check, something that surprised me. And I was not surprised much anymore.
Running would be a possibility, but I had no idea how far I had to go to the exit. Guards could be everywhere and nowhere. While I am impulsive, I also enjoy my body above ground instead of buried in it. These last several days solidified that desire. I would be willing to die once a burning inferno seized Desmond’s last breath. Until then, I just had to wait until the right time.
Hushed whispers of curiosity buzzed through the crowd. My blind fold may dim my eyes’ ability, but the hearing was as good as ever.
“Who’s she?”
“Another Wild?”
“Is she from the desert?”
“Maybe she’s another…”
Thor’s commands boomed over the crowd so loud that I winced. “Come on, keep it moving.”
