Centuries

Chapter One: The Blood Journey

She was going to die.

You only had to look at the girl to know: She was lanky with a sure lack of muscle compared to those she was to ride with, it made her look fragile. Her height was of no advantage either, in fact, it did not a single gratifying thing for her and now with her leather plates on...she looked like a small child.

Instead of a fourteen year old girl preparing for her Journey.

"At least try to look encouraging." Hissed one of my sisters, I looked at the stunning face of Greer with obvious disdain marring my features, "Instead of looking as if you're mentally preparing her eulogy."

But that was what I was doing and now I had lost my place...maybe I could say something about how well she sang or maybe her long hair? "She'll die out there." I stated bluntly not realizing how careless my voice sounded, I winced a little in regret but thankfully Greer didn't even notice.

"She won't die, I've asked Hester to keep an eye on her." Greer admitted but that only made me groan at the humiliation that my Shadow would face when such information is revealed.

"You should've just dug the hole yourself, Greer." I sighed heavily rubbing a hand over my face and she flinched a little.

Greer stood taller than me by once inch but she never let me forget it, though the length of her legs was nothing compared to the brute strength she possessed. Even compared to the other Descendants, she was strong. 

It was the gift that kept giving I suppose, off spring of the Gods all gifted with talents that never ended but there were three things that we all held in common, that equaled us all.

Strength.

Speed.

And the kind of beauty that makes us dangerous.

"You should say goodbye to her, you trained her as good as you could Alexa." Greer grimaced when my Shadow lost her footing and nearly toppled over a nearby log.

It was unfortunate that one of those many talents she didn't fully learn was grace, "Maybe she's just a late developer, like Asa!"

Preparing myself I looked back at Greer with a winged up brow, "Asa is a walking magnet for arrows, the amount of times she has been shot outnumbers all of the Greek wars." I pointed out and had I been as much as a foot closer to her, she would have punched my arm dead.

After half a day's walk I had experienced so many memories from my past that for a good while that I thought it was me who was fourteen again and ready to accomplish my own Blood Journey. 

Those are the kind of nerves that never leave you. They bury into your skin until they're rooted inside your bones and never leave you, sometimes it's a good thing other times not so much.

The Blood Journey will take these all twenty three of these girls into the wilderness for an entire week, if they make it out alive then they will be awarded by the elders for their bravery. 

Seen as the beginning of a strong Amazonian. They will fend, hunt, dehydrate for themselves and hopefully none will die in the process. That's why each and every one had a Shadow to teach them the way of survival.

There's only some who have known to die and some who are predicted to.

"Gaia." The small girls head snapped up so quick that it should have snapped like a twig, she swallowed at my sudden arrival as she struggled to tighten the saddle on her beloved horse.

"Hi Alexa." Was her meek greeting, her thick hair had been braided back to reveal the sharp angles of her aging face.

"You remember what plants you can eat and you can't?" I questioned noting at the time how keen she was to learn about nature's food and she nodded her head.