The Chosen One

Part Two - Leadmoore

Part Two - Leadmoore

"You should go, Fied. Wear my green dress, its the best one I have and it should match you eyes."

"Will it fit Mommi?"

"With a few pins. They'll hardly show, dear."

Wolld watched as their aunt ushered Fied upstairs to get changed. Leadmoore was a large village and he and his sister had come to live with their aunt and uncle four years ago.

"You're going to have to wear a tux!" Cecillia smirked. She was twelve, and tall for here age.

"Shut up." It annoyed Wolld that he had to dress up for his sister's ceremony. That's all the family had talked about for weeks. Now Fied was off to a pre-party with seven other fifteen year olds who were aging up. When Wolld turned sixteen he had no aging up ceremony - in the old village, he had been told that eighteen was the age. He found it odd that when he came to Leadmoore at the age of sixteen, he could enjoy luxuries that only adults got to enjoy before.

"You're just mad that she's not the little girl you can push around anymore."

"I said shut up, Cecillia!" She grinned in response."I only hate you because your right, you know." Wolld admitted.

"Mmhmmm." His cousin mumbled, satisfied. Cecillia had long fire-red hair, piercing green eyes, and great sense of humor. She and Fied had become really close, and boys had been known to whistle or turn bright red when the two of them walked past. Cecillia and Fied always ignored them.

"I guess I just thought that...even though I would get older she'd just always be... a little kid. Stupid right?"

"Depends." Cecillia looked mysteriously at him, then flounced upstairs to see Mommi and Fied.

Wolld was ninteen years old and thin. His face was often expressionless and his dark hair and gray eyes gave him a look of neglect. Next year, he would help his uncle run the tavern for minimum wage, it was his first full time job. He thought about it a lot and had come to the conclusion that he didn't really like the idea of working and serving drinks to complete strangers. His uncle was relatively rich compared to the other villagers, because he owned the only tavern in the village and it was often packed with travelers, especially in the spring when the traders and merchants arrived.

Wolld helped himself to a glass of wine, a rare treat that he occaisionally allowed himself to have. Fied's ceremony was tomorrow. He turned his mind away from thinking about the ceremony and work and instead thought about the thing that had puzzled him for years.. his old village.

After Fied had found him at the stie of the wreckage. she had run to the apothecary shop and brought back herbs and medicine for his wounds and clothes for bandages. She gave him some tea while she fished out the arrows stuck in his leg. Fied cried the whole time and Wolld grunted with pain. It was the longest day they had ever been through. When Wolld's leg and arm had been bandaged up, he and Fied slowly crossed the plain that separated them from Leadmoore Village. It was long, hard work, and they were painstakingly slow, due to Wolld's injuries. It took them three days to travel the nine miles needed to cover the plains. during that time, they ate little and rested long. The nights were chilly, and they had only one blanket. On the second day, Fied found Wolld a long stick he could use as a crutch, which was helpful, but as crutches require a leaning curve, did little to improve their speed. When they reached Leadmoore, they went to their aunt's house, where they lived with their aunt and uncle ever since.

Then Wolld thought of the skeletons. The blood. But no flesh, no bodies. He didn't know how it was possible, that the flesh of everyone in the village had been stripped away so quickly. He only remembered one thing from the attack: the cold, deep, creepy voice of a man saying:

"We must find the one who will overthrow him... destiny." Then there was a sucking noise and Wolld who had been hidden under his blankets with Fied, stood up, and felt the pain of two arrows and a sword. He toppled over sideways, hit his head on a tree and blackness engulfed him. He was shot so fast that he didn't even see the man who had spoken. All he saw was a blur of black white and red... blood, skeletons, and something else, buildings, perhaps. But it was all a blur, something long past- gone.

The announcer said the ancient words, pinned a white rose to each young adults chest, and they bowed in unison. There was a thunderous applause. Fied smiled. She had done it! She had aged up! She smiled untill her mouth hurt at an equally happy Nolan. What happened next was so fast she remembered it as a blur. Fied ran over to him her arms out and they embraced.

"We did it! We aged up! We're adults!" Their lips met. Fieds eyes closed. She thought it was all so wonderful that she could stay with his arms wrapped around her waist forever.

***

Wolld's face turned red. He didn't care that there were about a hundred villagers watching him, his sister was kissing in public! He had thought Nolan was nice, somehow this had drasticly changed his opinions. He marched up onstage mortified, almost unaware of Mommi calling his name, or Cecillia pulling him back in the direction of the audience by the arm.

"Alright , thats enough!" A few members of the audience giggled. "CAN YOU HEAR ME FIED? BECAUSE I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" He turned to the stunned audience. Behind him, Fied and Nolan separated. She glared at Wolld.

"Shows over folks! Girls exit through the left door, boys exit on the right. NO EXEPTIONS!" He turned and stared pointedly at Nolan. "Thank you have a good night. For our young adults, there are refreshments in the back," he finished lamely. He stomped downstairs, after his sister.

"Beautiful job on the harp Cecillia! You really have been doing well in your lessons." It was as if her mother had already forgotten about the outburst moments before. She shook back her red curls and smiled.

"Thanks Mom," she said proudly. Cecillia was anxious