As a new queen rises to power, the kings of Caeleste grow unrest. The Inlustris in their sights, they send an assassin to Antonella Feulune's palace, and the war is declared.
Inexperienced and filled with grief, Antonella sends off her fiancé on a t...
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Sitting by the river, I only let my feet submerge under the water. Marisole, Kora, and Gaia had other plans. They dove into the waters, unbothered by the high probability of drowning. They were swimming on what could be a graveyard of thousands of bodies; people that escaped authority but failed to outrun death.
They didn't seem to care. They laughed around, splashing each other as if none of that seemed to matter.
"Ella, you've got to jump in," Kora called out. The small but forceful waves lapped around them, moving them ever so slightly. It was enough to make me decide not to get any deeper than I already was. My bottom was rooted onto a dry rock, where I had no intentions of getting off from.
"I feel fine here. Thank you." I shared a nervous smile as they swam closer to me.
"Have you ever swam before?" Gaia asked.
The question took me by surprise. The reality was that when I first met the Bleeders was also the first time I ever touched a body of water. I was never taught to swim for fear that the only heir to the throne could drown.
"Just when we crossed from Potentia Flamber," I muttered, running a hand on the back of my neck. It wasn't like I learned how to swim. Herc was the one that held onto my arm as we crossed, so really I was dragged through.
"You never learned how to swim?" Kora swam closer to me, sitting down a few feet away from me, clad in her undergarments.
"It was never a priority, I guess..."
How could I ever tell them my family never wanted me to learn dangerous activities for fear that I could never continue the family reign? That's not something you say randomly to people you're hiding your identity from.
"We all have a bucket load of weird childhoods, right?" Kora shrugged.
I chuckled, not wanting to continue the conversation.
"Was mine even considered a childhood?" Marisole asked, laughing at Gaia's horrified expression.
"You've got to stop speaking that way," Gaia said.
"Why would you say that?" I asked, driven by the burning curiosity inside me.
"I grew up in the orphanages back in Fortis Crystallum," Marisole replied. "My birth parents left me in a box outside an orphanage, so I grew up there."
Kora sighed. "I hate it when you remind us."
"Hey, we've all gone through our dark pasts. It's why we all make sense. We're a group of insane, sad idiots."
Gaia snorted, sitting down next to Kora.
"What have you all been through?"
Sometimes it was hard to realize that criminals also had their tough share of life. For the most part, they were driven to the bad side of life due to those experiences. Having to go through so much can twist a person's mind.
Some, however, learned from their past and strived to do better.
The Bleeders must have been cornered, unable to do anything else.
"I escaped from my family," Kora admitted. "I always had my needs provided for. Food, a roof, and a place to sleep. It's just that Mum provided through a method I wasn't exactly fond of." After looking at the confusion in my face, she continued. "Mum was an escort. I hardly ever saw her. My two sisters followed in her footsteps."
I tried to imagine what she lived through. Mother used to tell me stories of women who used their bodies for their personal gain. Although the people threw disgusting slurs their way, they were actually some of the most cunning beings to ever walk the land. They knew how to move, literally and figuratively, to get what they wanted. If I ever met an escort, I would be careful; they knew how to deal cards like no other.
I could only wish to be half as cunning as them to win the war.
"And I grew up with my aunt. She was great, but when money was tight, I knew I had to leave." Gaia started playing with her blonde locks, staring out into the water. "I wish things had played out differently, but I'm glad I found this family."
"I'm glad too." Marisole grinned, tucking the longer side of her hair behind her ear. "This was what saved me. I wouldn't give it up for the world."
"Basically, we all had to make the impossible choice of joining a gang," Gaia turned to me, "it was the only way to survive, but it was also the best thing to ever happen to us. I hope you feel the same way."
My head pounded at the thought of seeing this as the opportunity of a lifetime. I mean, sure, if I were really a homeless person looking for the next adventure, this rogue gang would be phenomenal. As a queen, I didn't think this was ideal. However, if it was what would help me find the information I needed, then it would be worth it. If they were only going to be an obstacle from gathering intel, I would have to start planning my escape. I didn't even want to think about the worst case scenario.
"We'll see if that's the case if I pass Initiation, whatever that is..."
They chuckled but stayed quiet. I wanted to rip my hair out at their silence. No one was telling me anything about Initiation, and I expected that to be the culmination of my stay with the Bleeders. If I didn't pass, I would have to escape, or worse. I didn't know when or where it was, but from their stiff positions, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be something I'd like.
"Now I know that if I want to shut anyone up, I'll just talk about Initiation," I mocked.
That broke the tension, and they laughed.
"Sorry, Ella, but our lips are sealed. You'll know when it's time." Marisole patted my shoulder. I groaned wanting to know more, but it seemed like they weren't allowed to talk about it.
That scared me even more. My imagination ran wild thinking about the endless possibilities. For all I knew, they were going to hunt me down in the forest, and I would have to try to survive an entire night. That seemed cruel, but considering they were a rogue gang, maybe not so much.
"I expect death anyway. I can't even shoot an arrow." I pouted.
They laughed, which made me smile. Sure, they were criminals, but they were still people. Back home I was a queen of the people of Potentia Flamber, that included the bad ones too. What was surprising to me was that despite their obvious contribution to the crime rates in Caeleste, they joked around, ate together, and protected one another. They acted more like a family than most.
"We should start heading back. The boys should be back any minute," Gaia said.
I did not agree with how rogue gangs worked, but perhaps everyone could learn a thing or two about them, myself included.
