I didn't sign up for this out of the blue contest, I mean men in regal uniforms just showed up. Doesn't give you much of a choice does it? The older scarier one spoke to my mother about something just as the younger one looked over at me and decided that it was cool to approach me. His face was kind and to be honest quite handsome, taking a slight bow he spoke kindly to me.
"I can't say basically anything about what it is the Royal Family is doing. But I can say that you're apart of it, I'd say more about it if I could. . . But you know, vow of secrecy." He lowered himself on the floor to sit down, he sat in front of me. I was surprised that this random man and a soldier of the royal guard was talking to me like we were best friends or something. I stood up as the older scarier one made his way over, clearing his throat loudly causing the young soldier stand abruptly.
"Get up soldier. There is no time for rest, go fetch the boy."
"What boy Captain?" The older man turned out to be the captain of the guards, the older man took out papers and the top one had a picture of me and beside the picture was information about me... Like a private document an investigator had when looking into a missing persons case, or rather along those lines.
The Captain scanned through the papers he held, a few minutes passed before he handed a page to the soldier. The captain noticed that I had been staring at the guard as he walked away to fetch whoever was on the paper he held, a kind amused chuckle made me look up at the captain.
"You'll see him soon enough, but as for your preparation for the task at hand, I should give you this." He slide the backpack he hand been carrying off his shoulder off and held it out to me.
"You'll need it. Each contestant who is participating is required to have one, it has ninty percent of what you need to survive. Use it wisely, may your God smile upon you."
Taking the bag from him he gestured for me to follow, so I did. He led me out of my home as my mum waved at me from the doorway, her face bore a fake smile. I knew she was on the brink of tears. Although her fake smile gave me courage to keep going, so I continued following the instructions the Captain was giving me. Once we had reached the town square I could see a few kids walking around with backpacks on that looked just like mine, I had already begun to notice that this was a much bigger age range than I had anticipated. Some of the young boys had a thin outline of their own beards coming in, I noticed the Captain vanished to talk to one of the men in the corner. Looking around I started to notice the soldiers lurking behind the shadows, a few right of me, and to my left.
"Hey! Hope the Captain didn't scare you too much." I spun around to meet the eyes that belonged to the young soldier from earlier, although this time he was dressed down with a backpack like the rest of the kids around me.
"I'm on a team! Isn't this amazing?!" I should have said something, but I was instantly relieved when two girls came over to me as the pirate looking girl spoke first.
"Hey. My name is Sidra, this happy peppy person is Kaya. Over there talking to the guy is Kira." Kaya bounced on the heels of her feet excitedly for no apparent reason at all.
"I am so glad to meet the fourth person in our team! Hi I'm Kaya! What's your name?" The soldier chuckled as the guy that Kira had been talking to called some guy named Ashton, the young soldier turned to look back and called out to his teammate.
"Be there in a sec!" Facing me again he made a fake frown and then immediately grinned making Kaya giggled.
"Apologies, Apparently my team mate Ames is being impatient with me again." Turning to face Ames he raced over like a little boy running over to his father, and they high-fived each other.
"LISTEN UP MINORS!" All the kids and teens around me almost immediately got silenced by the sound of the Captain's booming voice, and by the look on his face he liked the response from his audience.
"So, you guys don't know what you're doing here, or why. So let me tell you something, not even my apprentice Ashton knew." Ashton shrank backwards as eyes dawned on him from all directions, I felt somewhat sorry for him.
"You all have been hand picked by the Queen and King themselves, you will journey through a vast waist land of pure snow and trees. No human civilisation for millions of miles, and before anyone can ask. No, there is no such need for your tacky new electronic stuff. No phones, no IPad's, no computers zilch. Nothing."
"Now a guard will bring you each three changes of clothes, the worlds top notch winter thermal gear and a few other things in a separate slightly smaller bag. The clothes have been already tested, cleaned and sized to fit the wearer perfectly. Girls follow Commander Red, boys will follow me. Do I make myself clear!?"
Almost immediately a single crisp Yes Sir erupted from each individual person around me, and even Ashton did a salute.
Commander Red was tapping her foot impatiently as the few girls that were apart of this uncalled for quest or rather test, were apparently too slow for her liking. Sidra was close behind me just as Kaya basically bounced over to us as Kira slowly walked behind her.
"Go get changed, no rush." I knew she was actually being very serious about this, I learned to pick up a few hints on facial expressions because of my mom.
Being an only child I grew up with no other children to take up all my mother's attention, in a word you'd think I was spoiled rotten. I was doing my usual thing counting the bags of rice and flower in the cellar when the soldiers came inside, and I had no idea this would be happening to me. Or anyone for that matter.
"When you've changed wait for your collective group and then go through that door." Once several of the girls were done they went through the door, by the time it was my group's turn to go through the door. We all hesitated. Then one by one the ready teams made their way through the portal one team at a time.
