The one hundred and eighth

Chapter 1

The rucksack is packed, lying on the floor by the door and I take one last look in the drawer and my nightstand to make sure I have everything. I walk over to the mirror and begin braiding my satin black hair. Today is the day I think, the conscription day, I should be nervous but I feel nothing. If I fall, I fall. If I make it, I make it. "To let feelings rise to the surface will only cripple you" I think to myself as I finish the braid. The long braid falls behind my shoulder and ends at my lower back. "Perhaps I should have cut it? Not all short but maybe an inch or two?" As soon as the thought crosses my mind I push it away. My hair is the only thing other than my emotions and thoughts I can control and I will not let that go. I look at myself in the mirror one last time, making sure my relic is well hidden. I am wearing a long sleeved shirt, tight leather pants and boots. Everything is black, the riders color.
Grabbing my rucksack I swing it on to my shoulder and leave the room I have been living in for the past five years. My sword is strapped on my back and I have four daggers placed in the pockets of my clothes and one in my right boot.
The riders quadrant was never where I pictured myself when I was younger, but after a while I got accustomed to the thought. It was not really like I had a choice to begin with. All the children of the separatists are conscripted, a punishment for our parents' crime.

I walk through the long corridor to General Sorrengails room. There was something she needed to discuss with me before I left, and I knocked firmly on the door. "Come in" I hear her say and I enter her office.
"General Sorrengail" I say.
"Candidate LaMorte '' she nods towards the chair in front of her desk and I sit.

"Today is conscription day and I expect you to cross the parapet and make it over alive, Candidate." she began and I just nodded and she continued "I have an assignment for you these upcoming three years. My youngest daughter, Violet, is the same age as you and I have made sure she will enter the riders quadrant as well. She has trained for the past six months and does not have nearly as much training as you have had over the years. She will need someone to help her, protect her.".

I just nod again, beginning to understand what will be asked of me. "You will be that person. As long as she survives the parapet, the gauntlet and threshing, you will make sure she survives. Her life is tied to you from now on, if she dies you will die. Is that clear?". "Yes, general." nodding I raise from the chair, waiting to be dismissed but the cold woman in front of me who has done nothing but to cause me pain walks around her desk towards me with what I assume is a letter knife. "Remove your shirt" she says and I do as I'm told. I feel the cold metal against my warm skin as she draws two lines on the left side of my chest, warm blood starts to run from the lines but I ignore it and put the shirt back on.
"As a reminder. Dismissed" I begin to walk towards the door but before I leave the general says. "Oh by the way, Candidate. If you lose any fights, fail any test or do anything attracting the wrong kind of attention you know what will happen.".
"Yes, general" and with that I leave her office.

'So now I have to babysit the general's daughter. Great.' I think to myself as I walk around the building trying to find Violet Sorrengail. I have never met her but I have seen her around, she has been living here as long as I have.
It is funny to think that though we are the same height, 5'3, and the same age we are nothing alike. She is fragile, barely any muscles visible on her body, while mine is toned and curvy. Her brown hair with silver tips, mine satin black. Her eyes are blue and amber while mine are as dark as the pit of hell, her skin is pale and mine is olive. She has been training to become a scribe and I have for the last five years of my life done nothing but to train for this.
Shaking my thoughts away I spot the silver haired woman leaving with who I assume is Mira Sorrengail, Violet's older sister. Mira Sorrengail is also a rider, but graduated three years prior to today.

***

I follow the two trying to be as close to them as possible to not lose sight of them. I was standing in the line to sign in, careful to not stand directly behind them. As I'm standing there I overhear Mira saying "Stay the hell away from Xaden Riorson. He will kill you the second he finds out who you are". We haven't even got in and there is already someone that I know for a fact will kill her, not that I blame him. If my survival wasn't depending on her not dying, perhaps I would too. Around me I could see other candidates saying goodbye to their families and pain grew in my heart. No one was going to come and send me off, wishing me good luck and no one was waiting for me on the other side of the parapet either. I was nobody, no one knew I even existed. For the first time in my life I think I felt envy, envy of everyone who had someone waving them off or waiting for them in Basgiath.