Quickly, she put on a deep crimson tunic, loving
How the free shirt allowed her skin to
Breath. She double-checked her quick sword
At her waist and left to take a look at on the outer
Perimeters of her home.
~*~*~
Every Lost One was once at the Pit except
16-year-old Gavin now patrolling the entry
Gate and 18-year-old Liivel who had found
Himself a job in Midlaan to carry new
Financial support into the encampment.
Eighteen youth underneath the age of thirteen
Sat amongst the last 9 teen Elders
Waiting to discuss the day. Finger ingredients and
Fruit juice have been exceeded around as Mageia
Took her seat at the head of the circle beside
Dean.
"Okay, everyone!" she said, getting their
Attention. "From our Collectors, please tell me
If you have been spotted for the record."
"I," said Sissi, a 12-year-old collector with
Some defected fingers joined into one.
"How did that happen, for the record?" Dean
Said writing in the document book.
Her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
"A woman noticed me digging into a lady's purse
In the Olesha Arena."
"Okay. Learn from your mistake," Mageia said
In a kind but firm tone.
"I will. I thank the gods I was not caught," the
Girl stated bobbing her head.
"Gods be good," everybody said in unison.
Mageia nodded. "I too used to be spotted" This
Made a few eyebrows increase greatly surprised at the
Most experienced one in the family. She
Had no excuse barring the truth she let the
Proceedings on the Dais distract her. "I was
Caught by way of the very man or woman I used to be picketing.
I will study from that mistake and thank the
Gods I was no longer caught."
"Gods be good" anybody mumbled this time.
"if it really is all, what say to the hunting crew?"
Mageia said.
Their family's predominant 5 hunters wearing
Camouflaged hues to combo with nature,
Handed over their small file e book to Dean.
Jaice, their sixteen-year-old leader stood with
A pleased smile. Mageia quickly remembered
The image of recognizing her at six-years-old
Getting a brutal beating from a slave master
Who had recently bought her from an
Orphanage. Mageia had been amassing in
The market that day and followed them to the
Master's domestic and knew some thing had to
Be done. She lower back home to get Dean and
They rescued Jaice that night. The bad girl
Had bloody and historic bruises on her bald head,
Unable to produce hair.
The young woman now stood strong and
Shameless of her defect and had deliberately
Drawn plants over the scales that highlighted
Her petite face. "We were in a position to catch two
Rabbits and two wild chickens," she said. "We
Also caught two massive fishes from the lake."
"Very good, Jaice. Our cooking crew will make
Sure we dine nicely tonight. Thank you," Mageia
Said. "By the sound of things, the whole thing is
Going well. All thanks to any of the exact gods
Above."
"Gods be good," all and sundry said happily.
"May I supply a suggestion?" Jaice stated before
Mageia may want to go on.
"Sure," Mageia said.
"Well, I used to be thinking. Because Liivel had
Taught us nicely with hunting and now that he
Found a job in Midlaan, is it viable we can
Stop collecting?"
Mageia bit down on her backside lip and felt
Speechless. She glanced at Dean and the
Other Elders who regarded to deeply ponder
The suggestion.
"Stealing has turn out to be pretty risky,"
Dean muttered giving Mageia a
You-know-what-l-mean look.
"How about we discuss it later?" Mageia said
And Jaice nodded and shrugged.
She had to admit, Jaice had a accurate point.
There have been certain people within Ardania
Who would not pry into the non-public existence of a
Willing Strange worker. The only hassle she
Had used to be the many years of thieving rooted
Into her bones screaming to never give it up.
The adrenaline and the thrill to steal from heartless Fairs regarded to give her purpose.
One component was once for sure. Dean will not let
Jaice's advice glide away with the wind.
So quickly, she modified the subject.
"As we all know, present day many executions
Will proceed towards tonight, bringing in
Ardania's Annual Fair Ceremony."
This introduced a few groans for this
Long-winded ceremony only reminded the
Strange about their misfortunes and forced
Fairs to deal with them with phony smiles and
Showers of useless kindness. Of all the
Holidays Ardania observed, this one revealed
The darkest aspect of Mageia's kingdom and sat
It excessive on a throne to be worshiped.
"I know. I know. Like the years before, we will
Get through this. What we've gathered and
Hunted will be rationed until subsequent week once
The fairs are over. To honor these being
Sacrificed, no one will leave the encampment
To enjoy the merciless festivities. No one will
Leave until it is for an vital reason,"
Mageia said then caught eyes with Dean and
Felt a lump in her throat. "We will honor the
Ordained instead..."
"Are yuh sure about that, Geia?" Dean said.
"We mustn't serve any known god."
"Well, then, we can honor the innocent souls
Of the Strange who have died this year. I want
Everyone to locate something they treasure or
Value the most and will sacrifice it into the
Flames of the pit at midnight."
A deathly silence fell upon the encampment.
The solely aspect Mageia should hear was once the
Breeze rustling the tree branches.
"May their souls relaxation in peace in the Serene,"
Jaice said, eyes watering with sorrow.
Mageia fumbled with her fingers, the knot
In her throat extending to her wet eyelids.
A mild hand touched her arm, and she
Looked up at Dean whose eyes were dark and
Determined.
Then as a saint he was, Dean took over the
Meeting. "We will double protection and keep
Our noise at a minimum to avoid attracting
Any wanderers for the next few days. If yuh
Have any questions little ones sense free to ask
Any Elder. If that would be all, the Elders will
Go through the series for these days and have
Our meeting."
"I have some thing to say," Faebrin said. The
Boy's sky-blue eyes glanced at them with
Sorrow and uncertainty upon his face.
"What is it, Faebrin?" Mageia said.
"I noticed youth being led into the Taefo."
Murmurings and gasps arose, and a new
Tension swarmed in and stiffened Mageia's
Spine.
Dean's eyes darkened, irritated at the boy. "This
Talk is no longer fer younger ears, Faebrin!"
Mageia's coronary heart fluttered and sunk into her gut,
Despite the boy's stupidity.
"Dean, they had stopped sacrificing children
Five years ago," Mageia said, remembering her
Joyous prayers to the gods for touching the
King's heart to alternate that law.
"I asked around and-,"
"Yuh what?" Dean scolded. Mageia grabbed
And squeezed her satisfactory friend's clenching fist.
"They said the High Priest had some damn
Dream from the gods dealing with a need
For children's pure blood or something evil of
The sort. They're going to sacrifice them at
Midnight to convey in the holy days."
Gasps and weeping erupted amongst the
Group. Mageia felt shortness of breath and
Soaked in the twenty-seven faces surrounding
Her. She noticed herself once more standing on the
Dais, but this time the executioner's dagger
Lured closer to her little wrists bound to a
Stake.
"Dean...," she said. "We have to retail them."
Once they had disregarded the youth to the
supervision of their nice sitters, the ten Elders
joined to proceed the darkish theme at the Pit.
"Fae, yuh should've came to Geia or me
instead of sayin' it in front of the children,"
Dean said, eyes furious.
"I know. I'm sorry, but it troubled me, and it
couldn't wait 'til after the meeting," Faebrin
said shoulders tensing up and almost
touching his earlobes.
"Dean, we have to do something," Mageia
said.
"What do you endorse we do, huh? Rescue
them?" he said, giving her the crazy-look she
hated.
"Yes," she said, palms clenched at her sides.
"Children are supposed to live and enjoy
life. Not be dehumanized and die in front of
reckless fools who revel in the sight of blood. I
know how that feels, remember?"
"Geia..." Dean stated transferring feet and giving an
irritated sigh.
"I agree with Geia," Jaice stated loud and quick.
"We have rescued many young people over the
years."
"Yes, but now not from the Taefo," Dean said. "We
managed to rescue three children- three from
there long ago," he said, jabbing three fingers in the air. "Eson, Esa, and Jayta, may she rest
in peace."
Mageia swallowed hard to restrain the grief
from losing ten-year-old Jayta to her blood
disease two years ago. She passed peacefully
into the Hall of Souls surrounded by using her
family.
"And we nonetheless cannot thank you each enough,"
16-year-old Eson said, rubbing his twin
sister's back. They each shared a similar
sunken face due to their heads mashing in the
womb. His left eye, too small with bad vision,
was protected with a black patch, while his
sister's right eye additionally very small constantly
blinked.
"Rescuing anybody from the Taefo - let
alone a group is risky," Dean said.
"But it is possible," Mageia said, ignoring him.
Dean approached her and grabbed her by
the fingers and peered into her face. "Geia.
Remember the infinite instances tryin' to
rescue teens from there? They all failed.
They all ended up being recaptured and facin'
the slice either way."
"But we had been teenagers then. We are nearly
grown," she said, breaking free from him
to appear at the teens. "We have trained our
entire lives to scout orphanages, slave
holds, temples, and infirmaries, getting to know and
studying how to maneuver with stealth. For
gods' sakes we've got picked too many crowds to maintain count.