The Availables

1.1

            Located south of the equator is a place called Tristown.

            Tristown is sullen, and apathetic, and cold.

            The adults of Tristown are sullen, and apathetic, and cold.

            This is why Ronnie Dubim’s parents decide to ship her north weeks before she turns sixteen—away from where she grew up, across a blur of gradually changing lands—to Amoria.

            When she hops off the sun yellow vehicle, she has time to run her fingers once along the rusting metal beneath the chipping paint before it takes off, rattling down the track. Another similar cart will bring her belongings later in the day.

            She turns and takes in the city entrance, or at least tries to. She is overcome with a round of violent sneezing before she has the chance to look past the gates, the air too dense with a cloying scent for her to see without her eyes watering.

            “Ronnie Dubim?”

            Her nod morphs into another sneeze and she blinks through streaming eyes at the figure in front of her. Golden hair in tight curls, the young man in front of her is dressed sharply in a crisp white shirt tucked into slacks.

            “That’s me,” she answers.

            “My name is Medeus. I’m a member of the Welcoming Party.” He smiles and gestures for her to follow him. “Why don’t you come inside and we’ll start the tour?”

            Ronnie manages to choke out a question about the suffocating smell.

            “Oh, don’t you worry about that. It’s to provide a good first impression.” He laughs and shoots Ronnie a smile as if they are sharing a joke. “Once we get inside it won’t be so bad.”

            Medeus is true to his word.

            The minute they pass through the gates, Ronnie’s nose stops itching and she wipes her tears away hastily on the back of her hand. With a clear gaze now, the first thing she notices is height, and closely after, the sheer number of males and females alike holding hands and canoodling.

            “Why is everyone so…?”

            Medeus laughs again. “Why is there such a difference in height?”

            Ronnie nods. Amoria resembles an odd meeting of giants, humans, and dwarves. She tries looking for a pattern in the giants, perhaps something to do with age or ethnicity. She comes up from her search empty-handed. There are old and young giants and dwarves alike, but she doubts the city is simply a gathering place for such people.

            “Amoria is the City of Love,” Medeus says with a flourish.

            “No kidding.”

            “Love makes you grow. Literally!”

            Struggling to wrap her head around the idea of biological growth and love, Ronnie asks while they join the bustling crowd, “Is that why there are giants and dwarves?”

            Her tour guide chortles. “Those aren’t giants. They’re the most successful Amorians. They even have badges on their shirt cuffs. Look.” He points at a giant swinging arm above them and Ronnie catches a flash of something heart-shaped.