Water's Edge

Prologue

    When I was younger, my mother would always tell me stories of life before the war. How advanced civilization was, how secure they were. But that was before. Before the war, when my ancestors were divided for little reason, and before the Earth was damaged, its people separated by hate. 
    Now, things are different. The war is over, though the hate caused by it isn't. There aren't many people to hate because there are only two civilizations (that I know of) that are left. One is in the desert about one thousand miles off the coast. The other is where I live which is where the ocean starts. I think the ocean used to be called the Pacific before the war, but now it's just known as The Ocean. 
     The town I live in is closely knit. We can trust everyone and can ask for help from anyone. I think we are so close because we have nothing to fear. We have more than enough food, earthquakes happen only around every decade, and the Barrens (people who live off the coast) haven't attacked us in decades. Even so, children from every town outside of the city are selected to become what are called Shields. They are trained from a young age to guard the towns furthest from the coast. It is a boring job because no Barren has come to the coast recently so they have nothing to guard the city and towns from. Our great leader, Zephyr Tempest makes it seem like a great honor, but my town knows better. That is why our town governor sends the orphans to be trained. 
     That is why my brother never lets me go to the center of town. Our parents are dead, killed in a fishing accident. It's funny, how one wave can make two children orphans. That happened seven years ago, I was eight and my brother, Arroyo, ten.
We should have been taken to the orphanage at the center of town that day but we got out of it. Our home is on the beach, away from everyone else. When neighbors came to our house we would tell them that our parents were on a fishing trip. They never doubted us for there was no reason for us to lie, or so they thought. We survived through jobs we did after school for food or money. We were always careful to stay away from the governor's house and the orphanage for fear they would somehow know we were alone. I love my brother and look up to him. I knew why he didn't let me go to the festivals when I was younger and he wasn't an adult, but why now? He is eighteen and I am under his care so I was safe from being sent to become a Shield.
     Even so, I have a good life. I never want for anything and a caring brother who would do anything for me, is my hero.