The world is black, seemingly inoperable at first glance. Somehow, despite the wishes of the Gods, humans have survived. Thirty percent of the original population, anyway. In the beginning, no one knew how life would be fifty years later.
One day, with our technology and latte selfies, life flipped on human-kind. By that point in time, around a hundred species had become extinct and eighty percent of plant life had been destroyed. A man-like creature, one of the Gods, had descended onto the world. He was filled with anger and cursed the land for our irresponsibility and selfishness for constant resources. For the first twenty years, people went without electricity and internet. By the second year, the majority went insane without the use of their obsessions and governments fell to murder and uprisings across the world. Then, when the Gods saw that the inhabitants of Earth didn't learn the lesson intended for them, they punished them further. One day, the sun didn't come up. Like a light switch, or what was said of one, it flipped off. It never came back on. Fifty years after the first curse, thirty percent of the human population still walk the Earth.
The Gods gave up on protecting them long ago. They unleashed the creatures of old onto them and didn't care to come back. They hadn't been spoken to in what felt like a millennium. But that was the old age.
Eden grew up with the stories, and she believed they were just that. Stories. There were never Gods. There were never lattes. Just an explanation of why the world was so shitty.
Eden lived in what was labeled as The Orban, a mass of land in the district of Omerika where the population was slim. She hadn't seen another human being, other than her family, in a decade. Travelers would come and go, looking for better lives. But there were no better lives. It's make do, or die. She realized this even at the ripe age of seventeen.
The girl placed herself in the brown grass, staring up with simplistic grey eyes, at the twinkles of light that showed above. The black canvas that could be seen is somehow very comforting to her, despite the fact she has never seen the sun. In her mind, there had never been one. It never crossed her mind.
Her hair matched the sky with its' everlasting blackness. Like the stars, freckles danced around her features uncontrollably and almost insecurely. They were like an ocean over her face and her neck, yet never changing. The torn trousers and the dirt stained shirt she wore were loose. They were her fathers before he had died from sickness only the men seemed to get. The clothes also comforted her. His scent still lingered, which reminded her of things from before. The good things, anyway.
Her minded lingered on him longer than she had intended to.
"Eden!" A harsh woman's voice called from the farmhouse. Age had hardened her vocal cords, making them rough like rubble and concrete.
She stood up as quickly as possible, brushing the black dirt and loose grass from her clothing before rushing into her house. "Yes, mama?" She said. Eden's tongue was more elegant and had an accent that seemed to flutter.
"Where is your brother?" her mother asked, stress making her voice tremble. "That Blyth is back," she glared out the window. She was a thin woman. The skin that appeared to sag and stretch were hints of her once full curves and muscle. Looking at her then, Eden wondered how the visible bones and veins could have ever been fit with food. Eden was a twig compared to her mother. Food was scarce. Only Nobels and Warriors seemed to be fat with yummy riches.
"I'm not sure," she said, taking a glance out the open window and into the field of dead things. Most would say people have poor sight in the dark. However, they have evolved since then.
Eden could visibly see the scaly skin with random fur poking through the flaps on its' legs and head. Talons shredded the dirt, searching for a meal that wouldn't come. The creature's skin on its' face was decomposing or appeared that way. She couldn't help but gag at the sight. The Blyth was one of the creature's sent by the Gods. Some said it was controlled by the Rule, a type of corrupt government that rules Omerika. They use it to get poor souls to join the Warriors. They had been coming after Eden's older brother, Connin, for weeks. The Blyth suddenly snapped its neck in the direction of the house. It seemed to stare directly into Eden's soul, piercing her body with its' dreadful gaze. A rumbling escaped its' lungs, letting them know they had been spotted. The dirt no longer distracted it. The real food resided in the house. It strode toward them, almost smirking in triumph at its' next meal.
Eden broke its' gaze and threw herself to the side. "Mama, what are we going to do?!" Her heart raced, making her chest hurt. Anxiety built up inside of her stomach. It never looked at them or came close to the house until the moment it eyed Eden maliciously. Her Mama stared blankly out the window, almost accepting the fact that she was about to die. "Mama?!" She grabbed her mothers' wrist, shaking her violently. Eden was ignored.
A man walked through the front door, grabbing a crossbow from an assortment of weapons on the wall. He was taller than both the women but almost just as skinny. He shared traits with Eden such as the black hair and freckles. "Connin!" Eden gasped out, relief washing over her. "Let me help you!" She approached the weapons, an ambition flaming deep in her but Connin stopped her. The ambition disappeared as fast as it had come.
"No, you need to watch her," He directed before storming through the broken door. Eden helplessly looked back to the window, watching as an arrow struck the beasts' side gruesomely. She gasped as the animal yelped and turned to her brother. The skin seemed to ripple and wrinkle at Connin, leaving Eden anxious while her mother was stuck in her frozen state. She wasn't even going to help or worry about what remained of her children. Eden furrowed her brows, contempt building in her bones. However, she watched Connin take on the Blyth. He had only ever done this one other time and it left him injured. What difference would this time make? She gulped down dry saliva. Goosebumps began to prickle up and down her bony spine and arms.
The Blyth charged toward Connin in a rage, sending a high shriek into the musty air. Connin was prepared as he pulled out another arrow, but this time using it as a sword. He struck the side of its' head with the sharpened rock at the end, leaving merely a scratch. Maybe it didn't hurt, but it made the creature even angrier. It whipped its' head around, crashing into the handcrafted crossbow which was then thrown yards away from Connin, then turning the attention back onto her brother. Eden watched fearfully as the Blyth knocked into Connin when he tried to run, then ultimately pinning him to the ground.
It was at that point that through the open landscape a deep rumble of hooves sounded before coming into view. Four men and two women came to a halt on their black steeds, all wearing the uniform of the Warriors. Some had badges, indicating a higher rank. Two of the higher ranks were without helmets. One of the men grunted and the Blyth pushed harder into Connin, who gasped excessively for air. "Connin, lovely to see you," a woman, whose face was visibly distorted, said. Her horse was one of the largest and meatiest. "This is the last time we come for you, understand? You come with us now, we won't go through with our promise to you."
Eden's eyes widened and she looked to her Mother, who was finally gaining some sense. The woman stared with her hand covering her mouth. "Oh no, my baby..." she whispered and grabbed onto Eden's shoulder as if to stop herself from going out there herself. Her daughter, however, had a different plan. The girl tore herself from her Mother and grabbed one of the weapons, a chipped and rusted sword, before going out the door. A scream from Eden's Mom caused the Warrior's to snap their neck in the direction of the house.
"No!" Eden placed herself in front of the group, holding the sword with weak, shaky hands. She never held it before so the shake of her arms caused her face to flush. The Warriors chuckled at her.
"Eden, go inside..." Connin managed in a demanding voice.
"Listen to your brother, girl," The man of higher rank said, the grim expression giving her chills. Her courage diminished quickly, leaving her speechless. She felt reckless, but a plan formed. If she stalled them, he could find a way to escape.
"What's the promise you were talking about?" The words stumbled out of her, the sword lowering from her weak bones. She did her best to keep it lifted.
The woman smirked. Eden could see her face better as she jumped off the horse and approached her. She was at least five inches taller than Eden, towering over her with broad shoulders. Her face was scarred all along the length of her face. Either clawed or whipped, this woman shouldn't be messed with. The sword rose out of fear, the tip touching the Warriors' chest until she stopped. "If he doesn't come, we'll force him. And kill you," an evil grin was sent Eden's way, making her body shake uncontrollably. The woman chuckled before turning to Connin. "Tie him up boys," She said as she reached lower for the sword at her belt.
Death. Eden could see her death at that moment. Out of fear for herself and Connin, she snapped to attention. "Wait!" She lowered her sword and took a step back. "I can go with you! I'm willing, and you don't have to kill anyone!"
High Rank eyed her for a moment before grinning. "Huh," she huffed. Consideration rubbed against her deformity.
"Eden!" Connin gasped out from beneath the monster, trying to crawl away. The woman threw a hand into the air and the monster dug its claws into the boy.
"You'd come willingly? That doesn't happen very often..." She said and put her hand out, an evil thought rallying in her eyes. Eden stared at the hand, unsure of what it would do. It just froze there, waiting for something. The woman chuckled and grabbed the younger female's wrist then holding her hand. "It's a handshake," She exclaimed while the Warriors howled with mocking mirth. "You'll understand proper etiquette when we reach The Kingdom of Cities. My name is Girth, welcome to the Warriors."
Before Eden could react, she was tossed to the group of horses. "Put her on the Mini," Girth called out before a man got off one of the horses and picked her up by her armpits. She squirmed with surprise, feeling almost like a child, which she was. As she was placed on a miniature horse, they tied her hands to the saddle that was uncomfortable against her bony legs and it made her awkward body cringe. She eyed the rope questionably and then glanced at Girth. "So you don't fall off," she said simply and Eden understood with a quiet nod.
Connin stared blankly at his sister once the beast released him. "Eden, you... you don't need to do this. The only reason I've ever stayed was to protect you!" Her brother grabbed her by her arm. "What am I supposed to do now? I have to go with you, you can't do it on your own," Connin sounded stern and mean, meaning he was serious about it.
"Come, go, make up your mind! As long as we take one back I don't care!" Girth grumbled from her horse, steering towards them. "I'm getting impatient!"
Eden could see the freedom Connin always had and wanted, disappear from his cold eyes. He glanced behind Eden, then back to the house where they could see their mother holding a hand over her mouth. Finally, Connin took her foot out of the stirrup and used it to climb on behind her. Girth grinned, the scars stretching hideously into areas it shouldn't. "Wow, I'll be damned. The boss will be happy with me. Let's ride."
The group shuffled along, leaving Eden and Connin in the back with the Beast as it followed loyally. "She didn't even do anything," Eden whispered, referencing their mother. "She just sat inside, watching."
"Well, her punishment can be sitting alone for the rest of her life..." he mumbled back, sounding just as down as she was.
"I'm sorry I drug you into this mess," she said after a moment of silence.
"You didn't do anything," He sighed from behind her. "If I just accepted their offer, you wouldn't have to put yourself in this position," he wasn't wrong. Then again, he was never wrong about anything. Connin was the smartest person out of the three people she knew.
She didn't argue but she did think back to what he said earlier, about how he only stayed to protect her. Their mother didn't mean much to them, surprisingly. She never really tried to protect them. Once, when Eden was four, she was playing in the dirt when a four-eyed Sniz had attacked her. It's long, thin, reptilian body slithered at her and attempted to bite her. When she had screamed, she saw her mother grinning eagerly at the window... waiting. Connin, who was eight at the time, stomped on its head with his bare foot a few times before the body only twitched from the surviving nerves. So of course, neither of the siblings cared if they had left their blood behind. The only family they seemed to have was each other. The only person that protected Eden was Connin. She'd be able to return the favor once she was strong like him.
"Tell me what the cities are like," she finally asked. He'd been to the kingdom a thousand times. He knew what kind of life they were steadily approaching.
"Well," he began and shifted uncomfortably behind her. "There are people. A lot of them. They are very savage and fight whatever they think have wronged them or whoever they believe have food. This is mostly the third quarter, though. I haven't been to the second or the first. I know that we are going to the second... But you'll be able to see them when we pass..." His voice trailed off and Eden gulped down the small traces of fear that had begun to build up inside of her.
"They are ruthless, but it's understandable," one of the men butted in, slowing his mare down to match their speed. He had a helmet on, but Eden noted to tone and the depth of the voice. She hadn't heard another person's voice in a long time. If she thought she would, she figured the voices would be decades apart. Not anymore. She'd be hearing plenty in no time and that almost excited her. "I'll tell you how the quarters work. The Third is the outer wall. They don't have that much language but it's a mix of things. They are the lower citizens who have scarce resources.-"
"Why don't they leave then?" Connin interrupted.
"Beasts roam the lands beyond the walls, or so we tell them," Eden could tell he was grinning under the iron helmet. "We help them with shelter and leftovers from our meals. The Second is where the Warriors live, and where the middle-class citizens who know language and know how to work are. It's a little more lively than The Third because everyone is more civilized. The First is where the Leaders reside with their families. You will never see it, I can promise you that," The Warrior finished with a chuckle before gaining speed once again to catch up to Girth who was grinning at them from her high horse.
"Those poor Thirds," Eden remarked with a shudder.
"Better them than us," Connin disagreed.
"How did we not end up at the Third Quarter?" She asked him wearily, suddenly becoming very sleepy.
"Our family apparently could handle themselves fifty years ago and fled the city before they could be tempted into false protection," her brother explained. "Do you need to sleep?" He asked before she could respond, but she didn't even answer the question. She was out like a light if there ever was one.