Pyra

Chapter 2: A Plan

I could hear the mechanical drawbridge land on the border. The game was finally over. It took about three hours which is pretty short. Matches can last up to weeks. The most dangerous part is sleeping. One of your enemies might kill you in your sleep. I've only had a few overnight games in my career. The game is extremely simple. Not only simple, but mandatory. The two rules are: you win when you break the core of the other team, and you cannot leave the arena. Pretty easy right? What makes the game hard however; is you have to win by any means necessary. That means killing, maiming, and injuring. Children go to the academy at the age of five to learn how to survive the game. They have to pass a graduation exam at the age of fifteen. It's not a 'pass you're free fail you go back' sort of exam, it's a miniature version of the game. You either pass, or die.

The cave I was in slowly dissipated into nothing. I was standing with a few other people on the blank arena in the colosseum. I counted the people on my team. Only about ten. Half of our team died. Luckily, Maesyn and Krystahffer were still alive. I already explained Krystahffer. Maesyn has a very different personality. Maesyn is quiet but strong and disciplined. He has been my friend since my third year at the academy. He is only three years older than me. We are good friends and I trust Maesyn with my life. He has extremely pale skin, freckles, and blonde or brown hair that flows at his ears. Honestly, I can't tell what colour his hair is. Maesyn is pretty cute but Krystahffer is face plant beautiful. I ran over to Maesyn and I waved.

"So Maesyn, how was it for you?" I asked. Maesyn took off his face mask to reveal his face. Most of his victims in battle have no idea what he looks like. Maesyn smiled.

"Very good thanks," he replied. He put his bo staff into the holder strapped to his back. I walked with him to the exit of the arena. Krystahffer joined us on the way out. Krystahffer doesn't like Maesyn at all. He thinks he's too modest and it's annoying how quite he is. Once, in year four, they got into a fight. They were nearly exiled to the garden of agony. I've never gone in and everybody who has, has gone too insane to tell the story.

"So Maesyn, you landed any kills?" Krystahffer asked.

"No," Maesyn answered.

"You are really bad at the game. How have you not died already?" Krystahffer asked Maesyn sarcastically. I began to feel frustrated at Krystahffer's cockiness.

"I prefer not to kill people. It is morally wrong. That is why I do not use a sharp weapon," Maesyn explained. That is why I love Maesyn, in a friendly way. He can resist the urge to kill. He knows what's right and wrong. He is also sensitive, so he knows when somebody has a problem.

"If you say so," Krystahffer replied. He must have realized I was not very happy with him. Krystahffer knows what happens when I am angry. I looked around at the giant arch for the victors to stride through. It was grand compared to the small wooden door for the losers. I kinda wanted to see what it's like to be shunned upon by your family and friends. Losing is like a penalty for failing your duty.

🏹

We had arrived in the barracks. The barracks are a small room with two sides, one for boys and one for girls. There are bunk beds lining the walls. The walls, floor, and ceiling are gray. It's not super snazzy, which sucks, but it still seems cozy. Barracks are separated by teams. My team, team Teisei, has the same barrack as all the other teams. Each team has about twenty people in it. The barracks have sixteen beds for boys and four for girls. The only way to move out of the barracks is to marry and you get a plot of land. Normally there is a small living unit and maybe a tree for fresh air. The only living unit that is different is the unit that belongs to the government.

Speaking of the government, they suck! They are the ones that invented the game. They made it to deal with overpopulation. For at least fifty years, overpopulation has been resolved. I don't know why the game continues. At this rate,  humans will go extinct. Only the strongest might survive.
I slept above the elf girl from earlier. The only other girl who was one of those animal people, ulseyuss. Her name is Jokeeya. She has brown hair, pale skin, and freckles. Not to mention her cat ears. Jokeeya is super antisocial. She rarely talks.

"So new girl, what's your name?" I asked the elf.

"Ke'rahnda," the elf girl answered. She was checking her nails under my bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked Ke'rahnda.

"Nothing. Why?" she asked. I shrugged. The boys on the other side of the room were talking to each other. I got up and walked to an empty bunk on the boys' side. It was under Maesyn.

"What are you doing here midget?" a buff angle about the age of thirty named Awrthyr asked me. He was very rude and quite ignorant. He has a thick skull and no intelligence whatsoever. I wish I could strangle him most of the time. I would if he wasn't on my team.

"Hanging. The other chicks are doing shit," I answered.

"Language!" my friend ulseyuss Bodenn said. He had black hair that was cut very short. His goat horns are always clearly visible. He's a very quirky person that became my friend at the same time as Maesyn. I rolled my eyes.

"What y'all talking about?" I asked Bodenn.

"The government's stupidity," Bodenn answered. I knew what he was talking about.

"What specifically?" I asked.

"City restrictions," Bodenn answered. I knew what he was talking about again. Some laws are really idiotic. Not allowed to talk about human history. Not allowed to share information about the outside world. Not allowed to leave the cities. What kind of rules are those?

Maesyn and Krystahffer jumped out of their beds to join the conversation. They glared at each other. "Which rule do you think makes the least sense?" Krystahffer asked.

"The human history one. Duh!" I answered. Everybody nodded in agreement. Awrthyr yawned.

"I'm going to sleep. We got an early match tomorrow," Awrthyr said. We all waved our goodnights to him and he hopped into his bed.

"I agree!" Maesyn said.

"Me too," Krystahffer replied. I shuffled next to Krystahffer and leaned on his shoulder. He was warm and comfortable. Maesyn shifted uncomfortably.

"Why don't we go to find out about human history?" Bodenn suggested. I nodded in agreement.

"We leave the city," I said.

"Great idea!" Maesyn exclaimed. Bodenn hushed Maesyn.

"Wouldn't there be severe consequences if we got caught?" Krystahffer asked.

"Doesn't matter. It gives us a chance to find out why humans live on Pyra. What happened to make us move here? I always hear people talking about humans being from another planet," I said. Everybody nodded in agreement.

"Let's go early in the morning. Wake me up okay," I told everybody. They all nodded. We realized everybody else was sleeping. We all crawled into our beds and fell asleep. We knew it would be a long day tomorrow.