𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝙾𝚏 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚜 | ✏️

𝕤𝕚𝕩 // 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣

    The two day trip to the Kingdom Center passes in a blur. On the road, I pass hundreds - no, thousands of others, all headed to the same place. The excitement is palpable, the very air nearly humming with anticipation. While the Hunt Announcement Day is a more somber occasion, what with the fact that twenty people are basically sent into a death trap, the Race Announcement Day is a cause for celebration.

    A celebration of the same few people who keep getting sent into danger, I think grimly. We all know that for the most part, the Race is more of a formality. The veterans almost always get chosen again and again for the Hunt, so the Race has become a sort of sick sporting event. Though I can't deny it's entertaining...

    But this year, I am hoping I'm not the one sitting on the sidelines, cheering on the veterans and the newbies, watching the Race for entertainment. This year, as odd as it sounds, I hope I am the entertainment.

*****

     I reach the Center near nightfall, less than an hour before the Announcement. Kids run through the streets, men and women haggle over goods, and sellers hawk their products in the narrow alleyways. I take a moment to simply bask in the energy of Kyrilla, the kingdom in all its glory. Because no matter what kind of facade I put up, no one can resist gawking at the huge castle seeming to rise out of the hill, backlit by the setting sun. I know that at this time, seen from up above, the entirety of Kyrilla looks ablaze with fiery red light. And that kind of beauty is what we need to preserve.

     Thirty-two years ago, the kingdom experienced the Dark Times. Instead of simply seeming like the kingdom was on fire, the kingdom actually was aflame. Thousands of people died - from the fires, the droughts, the floods, the famine, and the White Fire. And all because some stupid prat made off with the Vial.

    I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a young girl darting across my path. She's holding a chicken. I barely have time to process this (and begin to question it) when another person barrels headlong into me. We go down in a tangle of arms and legs, and I am frozen in surprise.

    After a moment, I regain my senses and quickly scramble away from the person who tackled me, presumably in their chase of the little girl. Now that we've separated, I can finally see their features.

    I'm surprised to find that it's a young man, maybe around my age or a little older. He's brushing dirt and dust off his clothes, but when he looks down and sees me watching him, he turns bright red.

    "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" he exclaims, quickly reaching out a hand to help me off the floor. Startled, I realized I hadn't even bothered to get up. The boy is rambling, something about his sister, and no more chickens, but I'm distracted by the way the setting sun plays across his features.

     He has slightly curly brown hair, cut long to brush his shoulders. His fair skin is dappled with shadows, the reddish light making him look like he's glowing. He pauses, seeming to wait for a response.

     I internally smack myself - I zoned out and clearly missed him asking me a question. "Uh- sorry, what was that?"

    Despite the rapidly decreasing sunlight, I can see him turning even redder, like his cheeks and ears took on the color of the sunlit sky. "I, uh, asked if you were okay," he says, looking down and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

    "Oh...yes, I am," I reply, suddenly feeling bashful. Come on Katie, what is this? Be strong and remember how to talk.

    "Well," the boy says, clearly uncomfortable, "I'm really sorry for knocking you over. How about we start over, and I can introduce myself properly."

    "Okay," I agree, mostly because there's no other option without sounding rude.

    "Okay." He lets out a relieved breath and bows low. "I'm Jamie, of South Village Creer."

    Interesting. Usually, when making proper introductions, you give your full name, family name and all, your town, and your occupation. The boy, Jamie, hadn't given half the information. That was all right, I wasn't planning to give all my information either.

    I curtsy, "Katie. Seamstress of Village Stanton."

    I can see him taking stock of the information I had given, much like I am doing now. Village Creer is one of the biggest villages in Kyrilla, part of the inner circle that is closest to the Kingdom Center. Because of this, the typical introduction of which part of the village you're from is used. Judging from his neat, but clearly worn clothing, he is part of the middle class - not well off, but not poor either. However, the exclusion of his family name could mean one of three things: either he was posing as someone poorer than his actual station and was hiding his family name to keep me from finding out, or he was posing as someone richer than he is, and didn't want me to know.

    Or, like me, he was orphaned or part of a scandal that would make it potentially dangerous or damaging to use his real name. Either way, Jamie of South Creer is standing in front of me, looking equal parts nervous and hopeful. I decide not to crush his hopes and dreams, and just be nice to him before leaving as fast as possible.

    "It's lovely to meet you," I say, preparing myself to turn and speed walk away.

    "Wait!" It's not Jamie's voice that I hear behind me, rather, it's one of a young girl. I turn back around and see the small girl that had run in front of me earlier looking up at me. "Are you a Hunter?" she asks in awe.

    It's fairly obvious to see why she could think this; I'm wearing a simple bow and quiver of arrows on my back, and my belt contains my three knives. And this girl isn't old enough to fully grasp the sexism that runs rampant in the campaign for the Hunt. "No," I say gently. "I'm not a Hunter...yet."

    The girl gasps, "Are you trying to be in the Race like Jamie?"

    I look up at Jamie, startled. He meets my eyes evenly, asking Is it really that hard to believe? with his open face.

    No, I try to convey, no it's not, I was just surprised.

    I look back to the girl and confirm. "That's the goal, squirt. Now, do you have a guardian who can take care of you?"

    She jerks her thumb backwards at Jamie, but he gives her a small shove forward. "Annie, go to Mama, okay?"

    The girl - Annie - gives a nod and a salute to both of us before turning and sprinting away into the crowds. Just then, a high trumpet note pierces the air. Instantly, the crush of people quiets.

    Slowly, everyone turns to face the raised platform at one end of the square. Stragglers hurry in, and people push and shove to get a better position.

    A bit unnecessarily, I nudge Jamie with my shoulder. His eyes meet mine, shining in the lamplight of the square. We both whisper the same thing, in complete unison, then have to cover our mouths to smother our laughs.

    "Look, it's starting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Written November 3, 2023

Word Count: 1247

{i wrote this in a class where the teacher was out so we had a free period. needless to say, i got kinda carried away and wrote a lot (for me at least)}

{{also THEY MET AHHHHHHH. i wrote it and i'm still excited lol}}