*FEATURED PREVIOUSLY ON WATTPAD PICKS* In a time far off in the future, there are no lands, nor countries, nor strife. Cities hover in the sky. Robots are on every street corner. And life in the great metropolis of New Ramona thrives under the leade...
Author's Note: Thank you, thank you so much for reading this far! You'll notice that this chapter has the word [NEW] in the title. My previous writing style was too dialogue-heavy, so I decided to change it out. Of course, this means I'll be rewriting the earlier 5 chapters as well. When they're updated, you'll see the word [NEW] in the title. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter ~
Myc
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Myc had been lucky. Nearly fifty applicants had been in that testing pool this year, but only ten had passed.
She looked around her. Although it was not yet five o'clock in the morning, Market Square was packed to the brim. Everyone in Wrothli was there to hear the official qualification announcement–from Lovegood, who was the richest merchant in town, to poor Farmer Hendricks, who owned nothing but a plot of land, two cattle, and some tools.
The announcement was scheduled for the break of dawn.
As per tradition, only the top three were immediately notified of their ranking. For the rest of the group, and their families, there was no indication of whether they'd passed or failed until the announcement.
Stifling a yawn, Myc resisted the urge to close her eyes. She wanted to strangle the guy who originally came up with this whole break-of-dawn idea–she was not a morning person.
Automatically, she grinded her back teeth. In the Wrothlian culture, the gesture was considered very rude, so she tried to avoid it when possible, but it always returned when she was feeling nervous or restless.
The environment played into her discomfort. Sure, she was a people person and she liked talking, but not this level of activity. This was...chaotic.
Mothers filled the area, gossiped to their friends about the neighbors and to their neighbors about their friend's neighbors. In a shady corner, she spotted several men throwing a die and laying bets on which boys would pass. To them, life was a half game, half gamble. Hordes of children ran about the square in every direction. As usual, they'd be plotting their next big adventure or prank.
Myc wasn't here to hear the announcement. No–she was waiting for her first tattoo.
In Wrothli, warriors, both men and women, wore tattoos. Tattoos served many purposes, but mainly they were used as proof of identity and as a reminder of great achievements. The first tattoo was the same for everyone–their bond animal. Eve's tattoo, for instance, would be a tiger.
Was the sky looking a shade lighter? It was now a dull morning gray instead of the blanket of darkness. Other people in the square noticed as well for they jabbed their fingers pointing up at the sky and attracted the attention of their fellows. Myc could feel the tension rising in the crowd like it was a living thing–clawing and ripping its way out into the open air.
At precisely the moment when the sun's first rays rose over the horizon, one of the elders stepped onto the podium. He coughed once, twice to clear his throat and then began in a nasally pitch,
