HIERARCHY ✔️ - KNJ

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The wasteland is almost baron, living on the outer edge of the Citadel we are forced to hunt for food, even though I am a master archer, wild animals are sparse and few due to the only water source on our side of the wall is a small fountain and spring.

My tribe is small in number but fierce as a pack, I lead a subunit of my best raiders on the hunting exhibition, usually catching small prey such as rabbits and stealing vegetables within the Hierarchy castle garden walls.

Upon leading my unit to the edge of the walls, I move the shrubbery that covers my secret passageway into the Citadel, toward the back of the castle, Leila and Marix are my sentries, young in age but have the best sight in the tribe, they observe the area around as I hunt.

We spread out, the young twins, Marla and Greta go to gather the vegetables as I head for the burrows, taking caution, stepping swiftly.

I close my eyes and listen to my surroundings, I draw an arrow from its sheath, listening for the small padding of paws thumping beneath the dirt, and I strike, stabbing a small fluffy cotton tailed kit, I twist its neck to make sure it wasn't suffering, and collected it into a brown sack.

Again hunting for more rabbits, I collected a few more, my bag now almost full, I climbed a tree to look around the gardens for any alarming activity, making sure the young ones were safely out.

I see my comrades leave with their collection back to the secret path, yet as I prepare to jump I hear a twig snap in the distance. I watch as a man comes into sight.

He almost looked like he was made of gold, the sun bared down on his skin through the trees highlighting his face, I moved higher to another branch like a wild cat, just to speculate him. He clearly lives within the walls of the Citadel as his attire is rather fancy yet slack.

Maybe he works in the castle, I've seen a few people, knocked out a few on my many experiences here, but I've never seen him before.

There aren't many men in my tribe my age, usually they are much older or much younger than me, considering I was the only child born under the blood moon that lives here, some children either didn't make it, starved to death or were left behind as their parents fled the Citadel being hunted by Kim guards.

This guy seemed to be around my age? He could be a guard, I need to keep my distance and leave soon, if I get caught I will face the noose, the same fate as my father.

He squats to the ground, touching the dirt, suspiciously he eyes around the gardens, a red liquid stained his fingertips, the rabbits blood, I unsheathe another arrow, stretching back the bow and directing it towards him.

Yet he stands and casually walks away, back towards the direction where he came from, I wait until he is out of sight to make my escape.

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Back at base we distributed the food to the others, everyone was helping each other prepare, until I notice one of my girls swaying lightly and curling over.

"Greta what's wrong?" I asked.

"My-my stomach, I notice the red ring around her mouth

"What have you eaten?" I gasped.

She opened the palm of her hand to show me the red berries she had picked. She had picked Mung berries, poisonous berries.

These weren't grown in the gardens of the castle, they wouldn't usually risk it with the Hierarchy family, but clearly someone had planted them recently, to kill intruders, to kill us.

Everyone gathered together, as the Elders decided on the best possible outcome for the situation.

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