Steel Butterfly

2

Kalia's POV

As we arrived at the last of the funeral festivities, everyone cheered. Most of the Hunters had a mug of mead or an ale in their hands. There was suckling pig, roasted duck, tamales, pipian, meat pastries, turkey legs, and fish.

"Welcome all. Now that we're here, we'll finish off by honoring Gamon's memory with a toast. For he has joined our ancestors and fellow Hunters in Valhalla." Elder Matthias spoke.

They toasted for him. A serving girl offered Xochitlizin and I a mug of mead, which we accepted and started to drink after the toast.

"Now onto the next order of business, as we all know, Elder Hunters are required to have at least one apprentice with them in order to train our younger Hunters better. Ronan, as we all know," Elder Matthias nudged over to him. He was a tall man with dark tanned skin, jet black hair he wore in a small bun, and jawline sculpted by the gods themselves. "Can't keep them because they quit or die."

"So who's my next victim?" Ronan smiled back at Elder Matthias. Matthias shook his head.

"The council and I have decided that your next apprentice will be Kalia Malinalli." Elder Brunhilde, an older woman next to Matthias spoke.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why me? I didn't want to die because I certainly wasn't giving up. People had mixed reactions, clapping or looking shocked.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Xochitlizin spoke for me.

"Of course, Kalia is still new to hunting and having someone as talented as Ronan to be her mentor will be very educational." Elder Brunhilde spoke. Half of me wondered if my father had set them up for it. I wouldn't be surprised. I refused to get married and would not willingly ship myself off to a sister house.

"Thank you." I spoke, half confused and half terrified. I decided to go outside to be alone with my thoughts. The garden was mostly full of trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves. There were pomegranates growing from bushes, almost ready for harvest. I felt like someone was punching me in the stomach constantly. I took a deep breath, trying to hold it together.

Not going to lie, I'm afraid. I really am not ready to go to Mictlan or with Tonatiuh or any kind of afterlife. I'm still pretty young. Some warrior I am. I hear them dancing to some music in the building.

"You aren't happy about it, are you?" A voice says. I whip my head around to see Ronan walking up to me.

I wanted to scowl, but as far as I go, it's not his fault or mine that this is happening. He sat down next to me.

"I guess not." I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm not really that likable anyway." He took a deep breath. Well, I felt that one. Despite the "friends" and maids I had grown to like and became an acquaintance to, I never felt like I belonged anywhere. Now I feel guilty.

"Look, I'm sure you're a nice guy, I just...this hasn't been my day." I give out a nervous laugh.

"It's fine. It's not mine either. Gammon is dead because I wasn't fast enough." Ronan looked up. "And it's my fault, apparently." I wonder if he was trying to make me feel better.

"It's always someone's fault. And sometimes it's not anything anyone could control." I responded. Like my father blaming me for my mother's death in her childbed. According to my grandparents, there was really nothing that could have saved her. But I guess my father wanted a reason to hate me.

"You're not wrong." He spoke. "So what made you want to join?"

"Well, I really just wanted to get away from my father." I chuckled, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "And I didn't want to marry or join a sisterhouse."