The Merciless Crimson

II

I stood in line, waiting extremely patiently. I had just got to the riders section when I heard them, the whispers finally began.

"She has a rebellion relic, don't get too close."
"Hey! Watch out for her!"
"One of her parents was a traitor to the kingdom, she'll probably be one too."
"She's one of the marked."
"Serves her right for what her parents did to the kingdom."

I was used to it by now, however, it still pissed me the fuck off with the way they stared at me like I was some cretin. And it pissed me off even more when they stared at my rebellion relic, the whorls of darkness that covered my left arm. Making it painstakingly clear who my parents were.

A swift glare was all it took to quiet most of the whispers, but they would always be there. That was my curse, but I would take that, over death, any day.

The line began moving, and while I checked out my surroundings, and then, I saw them. Both generals. There was General Lilith Sorrengail, the commanding general of Basgiath. As well as, General Melgren, the General of this kingdoms armies. They're also the people responsible for the death of my family.

I stared at them, my cold, frozen mask slipping. My face twisted in hatred. You fuckers killed my family. I would make them pay. I would make them pay, even if it were the last thing I did.

"Hey."

A voice snapped me back to reality. There was a tap on my shoulder, I whipped around, ready for a fight.

"Woah there," the person who tapped me— a man who looks about my age, quite handsome, with a black curly head of hair and tawny brown skin, held his hands up in surrender. "Um, just wanted to say that the line was moving."

I looked from him, to the people now behind me, the line indeed had moved, then back to him, "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem." I began walking and he followed suit. "My names Bodhi, what's yours?"

"Skyla."

"That's a nice name, so why—"

"Why are you talking to me?" I cut him off. "Not to be rude, but I don't know you, and shouldn't you be like scared of me or something?"

"Why would I be scared of you? What, the relic? If so then no, I'm not. I got one too."

I turned my body around so fast I nearly got whiplash. "The fuck did you just say?"

He raised the sleeve on his right arm and there it was, swirls of darkness covering his arm.

"Why would I be scared of someone who is exactly like me?" He covered his arm back up. I must've looked ridiculous because a grin spreads across his face.

"I didn't realize," I turned back around and took a step as the line started to move. "I haven't met any of the others before, so you're the first."

"Really? Man, that must've sucked."

We didn't talk much for the rest of the time, just a few words here and there. We arrived at the entrance of a tunnel, revealing a mighty case of stairs that seemed to go on forever. It didn't take long before some conscripts started talking. It probably didn't look good that two 'marked ones' were in such close proximity of each other. But I didn't give a fuck, I'd walk with whoever I wanted, and if it made me look bad then I'd do it just to spite them.

"I can't wait to bond a dragon and have the honor of fighting against our enemies, even if those enemies were within our own borders." Some prick ahead of me sneered.