Named

Chapter 1

(Picture at the top is Lydia the Noble)



My feet are sore, sore from running. I looked back and saw their wings flapping through the breeze. Five of them to be exact. Well hello! My name is- hold on. Let me start over. Hello! I don't have a name. I know that might sound confusing to you, but I really don't have one. In my world  your name is engraved in your collarbone when you are born. It tells you your ability. On what you can do. What your job is. Purpose. That doesn't mean that I can't do anything or have power, it just means I'm -I don't like using this word but- useless. They have no place for me in Najiva (nay-jih-va) They have no use for us. Which I think is unfair since it wasn't my fault I wasn't one of the named. Named ones are the lucky ones. They have a purpose, they know who they are supposed to be. But I wasn't born with that. I was born with a single dot. That means I'm one of the misfits. They call us the "Tyrajazuis" (ty-rah-jah-zu-ees). Born to not be born. Alive but dead. I'm not the only one, there are hundreds of us. You might not see them but they exist and being chased to death. Which explains the five bird-like named protectors chasing me till the edge of the cliff. Hoping I will plunge to my death. Don't worry. I don't always flirt with death nor have a death wish either. I'm trying to find my purpose, just like the others. Let me take you back to where it all started.

Flashback

"Ha! I found you" Lydia, the Noble one said. Lydia is kind of my mother, except she's not. She found me when I was little. I made her retell the story a lot and I never get tired of hearing it. She found me roaming around with only a bracelet in my left hand. She said I wouldn't let her touch me, I would try to run away from her grasp.

"What are you doing? I told you, you can't read those!" Lydia looked at me and the book I was reading.

"It's so interesting Lyd! Did you know back then, we were all the same? No one knows their purpose, they would just live. It says here that "They would look for a purpose, hoping faith has something stored for them. They also had a lot of beliefs, Gods, superstition, faith. Its what kept them going. To get the life they want."  They sound like me Lyd."

 Lydia works for the officials. They are in third place in the hierarchy, the second group is called administrations and the top of the pyramid is the Royals or Firstborn. Lydia has been working for the officials for the longest time because of her name. She's honest, good, dignified, honorable. That's why she owns these books. They're called "history". I love learning about history. But they were forbidden when the 15th World War started. I guess they don't want people to know their mistakes. I'm not sure.

"You're not supposed to read these. They were banned for a reason" Lydia ushered me out to the door.

"But I think I finally know where I belong! Lyd. I want a purpose. Maybe the history books can tell me what I should do. It's so unfair. " Lydia gave me a sympathetic look.

"I know its unfair, I really do. But when I'm here, you don't need to know where you belong. I will protect you" And she did. She never broke that promise. She tried to protect me from harm. But she can't protect me from everything.

One day there was an announcement. All misfits or defects must be turned in to the protectors. They said that the Tyrajazuis population is increasing and they can't risk ruining the perfect utopian Najiva. Lydia was supposed to turn me in. But she protected me till her very last breath.

She gave me money and pills that allows me to blend in. And by that I mean a fake name will be etched in my collarbone. It usually lasts for a couple of months. I was forced to fled and leave her. Months later, I found out that she was tortured. She never told the officials anything about me. They said she died because of a horrible accident but I knew better. I knew better.

After I found out what they did to her, I rebelled. Not what your thinking. I started helping my kind, Tyrajazuis. I built my own group, gave them a purpose. They helped me build a hideout, a place for misfits like me. Where they don't have to look behind their back to see if someone is chasing them. I started researching my kind. I found out that the dots are supposed to mean something. Although I'm not quite sure. I do know that each misfits have a number of dots. The most common once are seven and six. Rare once are twos and threes. I'm the only one I know with one. A single dot. I ordered someone to steal some history books in the fortress. I know they have all the information I need. I know there's a reason why they kept those books hidden away. I need to know where I belong. I will lead mine and look for purpose.