Kali stalked her way through the crowd, glaring at anyone who dared to look at her. She was having a bad day. True, nothing bad had actually happened yet, but everyday in Naranjan was the same painful, pathetic routine. Kali had long since given up on things ever changing. The brown dust that coated every surface and stuck to her skin made the whites of her eyes stand out even more. Life in the army wasn't easy. There were only a handful of girls who were brave enough to join and the fact that she was unblemished did nothing to help the slurs that were spat at her.
Unblemished.
That one word could summarize everyone of Kali's problems. Naranjan was a world that floated around superstition. Black cats and broken mirrors were nightmare worthy events for any proud Naranji. However, the worst bad luck charm that you could possibly have, is to be a girl and be born without a vertical scar marring both cheek. It wasn't rare to be born without a blemish, it was just uncommon. Kali had lived her whole lived being avoided and scorned by 'friends' and foe alike. No shop would hire her and when she had nowhere else to turn to, Kali looked toward the army.
The army was the place for all of societies washouts to go. They promised free food and beds to sleep on, and in the cutthroat world of Naranjan, a bed and food meant the difference between life and death. Kali, who at the time was actually known as Alice, begrudgingly joined the army after two months of surviving on the streets. The only reason why Alice had survived that long in the city was her pre-existing knowledge of how to fight. As soon as she joined, Kali had learnt of the deadly world of the army. As both a girl and unblemished, she was the lowest of the low, and was expected to public punching bag. However, the kingdom was quick to find out that Alice wasn't going to take anything lying down. Everytime people tried to fight her, she fought back twice as viciously and often won, earning her the name Kali. That didn't stop Kalis' paychecks mysteriously disappearing, or the fact that she was blamed for everything.
The only good thing that had ever happened to her in the army was meeting Luka. He was different like her. With white hair and blue eyes that contrasted with his dark skin, he was ostracised as well. The average black-haired and black-eyed Naranji wanted nothing to do with him. He was the only thing that was keeping Kali together.
So, they spent their days with a cool facade of nonchalance, and survived together.
SUP READERS! AUTHOR HERE! THANK YOU FOR READING MY BOOK!
I'm only doing this to beat my two friends in a writing competition so help me out by actually reading the book. Comments on any mistakes are appreciated! SERIOUSLY THOUGH, COMMENT! I NEED THE ATTENTION!
I have a fair amount planned for this book so... Have fun I guess.
circa 1969
YOU ARE READING
How to survive
ActionKali is a badass. With a sharp tongue and even sharper skills, she is a force to be reckoned with. Luka used to be a shy and self-consciousness boy. That was before he joined the Naranjan army and had to face his fears one by one. Celeste is a moo...
