"Water," gasped the stranger as he pointed to her waist.
Hanging from Zyra Barton's waist was a thick belt with a water bottle attached.
She quickly took it off and opened the lid for him.
Zyra had to help him by putting the bottle to his dry and cracked lips.
He drank as if he had been dehydrated for several days.
The young man drank so fast that she thought he might vomit afterwards.
It was getting late, and Kayle would soon meet them, for this was the only road that led to their house.
Kayle would probably report the boy to the castle guards, and they would come and take him away.
Why did the thought of this fill Zyra with so much fear?
Zyra had been surprised when she saw the stranger lying almost unconscious in the street.
She thought he was dead until he let out a low, inarticulate moan and she rushed to him to help in any way she could.
As Zyra leaned over to check if he was still breathing, she lost her balance and fell on top of him.
Mortified, she hurried to get off him quickly, but he did not move.
His raspy breathing was labored, and then it stopped altogether.
For a moment she thought she had killed him.
Until, a few seconds later, the young man regained consciousness.
He moved slightly and moaned. She knelt down beside him and hesitated.
Unsure of what to do, she felt overwhelmed. Zyra listened to her heart, which began to beat rapidly in her chest.
If only Kayle, her older sister and natural born leader, were here. Kayle would know exactly what to do.
Zyra could tell that he looked extremely handsome despite the severe bruising on his face.
He was definitely not from this area. His coloring was unique, and she had never seen or met anyone like him.
She had the usual brown hair and eyes of the men and women in her homeland.
He, on the other hand, had long, silver-blond hair and violet eyes filled with pain and fear.
His shoulders were broad and his height made him appear slender.
He appeared to be about her age.
The boy sat up suddenly, and the swiftness of his movement caught her attention and brought Zyra back to reality.
If she had blinked, she would have missed it.
"Your kindness will not be forgotten," he said.
Then he stood up and backed away from her. And in that moment, he transformed.
The ground shook beneath her feet. She just stared and stood awkwardly holding the empty bottle.
She watched as he transformed into the largest and only magnificent wolfbeast she had ever laid eyes on.
He was huge, and she felt like she would need a ladder to climb on his back.
His fur seemed to glow and take on an almost ethereal appearance.
The wolfbeast spoke a few words in an unknown language and then finished them with a loud howl.
He looked deeply into her eyes one last time before vanishing into thin air.
Was he one of them?
These invaders who had taken over her planet.
No one liked to talk about the day the largest known comet collided with Earth.
Out of the wreckage came the most vicious predator known to mankind.
Humans were no longer the smartest animals on Earth.
Anyone who dared to question them or speak out against them was killed on the spot. The future looked bleak for the human race.
At least for Zyra. She was late to meet her sister Kayle, who was very particular about punctuality.
Kayle was probably worried since she had not arrived on time.
They always went home together when Kayle came home from her tutoring session.
Kayle secretly tutored a merchant's son in subjects like math.
Hopefully she was not too tired and did not mind Zyra bothering her for information about the wolfbeasts.
Zyra was bored, because without the wolfbeast's presence her life had returned to normal.
They still had some time to hurry up and get home before the curfew started, which had been in effect since her parents died.
Given the constant turmoil and raids, it did not look like it would be lifted anytime soon.
Kayle was the only family Zyra had left. Her parents had been killed in the last Fuegolian raid on Terranite territory.
They lived on the outskirts of the Terranite castle.
Too young and poor to live anywhere else.
Until they passed the apprentice exam, they would never set foot in the castle.
They would be a drain on the castle's finances, as they would be considered extra mouths to feed.
Without wealth, ability, or patrons, the orphans were not allowed to live within the castle walls.
The orphans were considered useless by their Terranite masters.
There were other orphans in the area, but Kayle wanted nothing to do with them.
They'd been corrupted from an early age and had seen and done unspeakable things.
Zyra admired and idolized her older sister.
Kayle was so resourceful and smart and had done a wonderful job of getting Zyra to live to the age of seventeen.
Those who lived in the outskirts of the castles had only one chance to see the inside of the Terranite castle walls, by becoming apprentices.
Anyone who'd reached the age of seventeen could take an exam. Not much was known about the trials; most focused on the rewards.
The chance to escape disease and poverty was all that those who lived outside the castle walls dreamed of.
Kayle was three years older than Zyra. She'd deferred her entrance so they could do it together when Zyra was of age.
They didn't want to be separated and would do anything to stay together.
Zyra would have thought she was imagining it all if she hadn't still been clutching the empty bottle when Kayle found her.
She stood rooted to the same spot, in fear or shock, and she wasn't sure for how long.
"Zyra, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Zyra managed to choke out the words.
It felt like a struggle to find her voice again and speak after what she'd just seen.
Should she tell her sister, and would Kayle even believe her?
Zyra didn't even know how to explain what had happened. It was like a scene from a bedtime story Kayle had always read to her as a child.
"Okay, great." Kayle looked at her sister and wished Zyra would confide in her.
Something had happened, but Zyra clearly wasn't ready to talk about it.
She'd give her space and in time Zyra would talk.
"Then let's go home." Kayle kept her voice light and airy.
Not wanting to upset her younger sister further, she gently pulled her along behind her.
Until Zyra began to keep pace with her steps as they walked side by side home.
"How did your afternoon go?" asked Zyra.
Kayle was relieved to hear Zyra speak again and it broke the awkward silence.
That had developed between them while she prepared dinner.
A soup that consisted mainly of lentils and spices.
Meat was expensive and very hard to come by. They ate what they could grow in the clay pots outside their hut.
"I finally managed to get my pay from that stingy old man. I still can't believe you and his son Brian are the same age."
"Is Brian going to take the test tomorrow, too?"
"Yes, because he's the same age as you, but we both know he's too stupid to pass."
"That's not a nice thing to say about him, Kayle."
"Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I've had it with his whiny voice, and it doesn't help that his parents spoil him."
Zyra chuckled. "Remember when he was younger and you told him he was ripping his pants because he ate too much?"
"Yeah, that's a classic. I can never forget that. This killjoy went to his father and told him what I said. His dad docked me a whole week's pay."
She hissed and got all angry just thinking about it.
Zyra laughed at her expression. Kayle wasn't done yet.
"I told his father that I was done and wanted to pick up my pay. He tried to talk me out of it, but I stood my ground."
"I don't know, Kayle, maybe Brian's dad was right. You shouldn't have quit your old job. Suppose neither of us pass the test, then what?"