Spiritborn ✦ AVENGERS

𝟏 | Earned, Not Bought

"TAKE A DEEP BREATH, RANI," NEMARRA WHISPERED TO ME, HER SOFT YET COMMANDING VOICE CUTTING THROUGH THE SENSELESS CHATTER THAT SWIRLED WITHIN MY MIND. Her voice, though quiet, seemed to carry, echoing and bouncing off the walls surrounding us as a result of the untamed wilds that corralled us in the huge, lopsided clearing we stood in. The grass below my bare feet rustled on an unfelt wind, seeming to stretch itself up to a sky that couldn't be seen - covered by the canopies of the treetops. And the calls of the wild animals hidden in the shadows seemed to beckon to me, calling me into the arms of the jungle where it was safe and sheltered - a place where I could escape to and forget about all the stressful and tedious things that were forced into my subconscious on a frequent if not daily basis.

There were several other soldiers and guards around us, chattering amongst themselves and only adding to the white noise that seemed to surround me. They stood at the edges of the shelter we stood in, watching as I stood there, as rigid and unmoving as a tree. Hearing their excited murmurings only elevated the anxiety that was slowly overtaking me, and my fingers flexed around the long handle of my glaive to discard the beads of sweat that was forming on my palms.

I hadn't been this nervous in ages. Of course, I knew that this whole thing was customary, and that it would forge a new alliance between the Clans of Nahantu that would last for generations to come. Or at least, that's what our father told us. Still, I couldn't deny that I was extremely anxious. But not for me - Akyrr forbid I ever had to go through something like this. No, I was worried for the woman beside me, who offered me a reassuring smile when my anxious eyes flicked over to hers.

In short, my sister was to meet her potential husband today.

It was demoralizing, in my opinion, to present Nemarra to the sons of the Clan chiefs like she was some sort of prized animal or valuable jewel waiting to be bought. The nerve! She was a person, a woman - a strong, independent Nahantu who deserved someone who saw her as such. Someone who saw her as I did.

But, all my objections and suspicions aside, this had to be done. Though Nemarra and I were both daughters of Chief Sturatt, Nemarra was the one that was his by blood. I was not directly related to Nemarra; Sturatt had taken me in after my Clan was wiped out by demons and my parents slaughtered right in front of me. So I didn't face the burden of being married off, thankfully (although, even if I was the Chief's blood daughter, Nemarra was the eldest, which meant she'd be married off anyway).

Suddenly one of the gatesmen let out a loud cry - a signal to the rest of the village that our guests had arrived. My heartbeat quickened at the sound, and I felt my pulse began to race, beating hard against my wrists and neck. I rarely ever ventured outside the village, unlike Nemarra who had done it dozens of times. I had never met this particular chief or his son. What would they be like? Would they be as kind and benevolent as my father, who was marrying off Nemarra for the good of the Clan? Or would they be cold and heartless, only interested in my sister because of the benefits they would receive?

"Chins up," Sturatt suddenly said from his spot next to Nemarra. "Remember, be kind to our guests. Don't mouth off or disrespect them." He gave my sister a particularly stern glare. "That means you, Nemarra."

I had to withhold my snort. Despite my objections to the whole thing, Nemarra had seemed to share at least some of my views. She had turned away almost every suitor that had been presented to her for various reasons - he was "too careless", "too idiotic", "too disrespectful", "too full of himself". And our father was beginning to grow frustrated with her; after all, there were only so many Clans in Nahantu. But Nemarra was just as self-confident as she was stubborn, and knew exactly what she wanted in a husband. Which, so far, hadn't been any of the other chief's sons.