Chapter Four

Aerilyn

Choosing Day had finally hit her when the loud town awoke with too much sound for so early in the morning.

Aerilyn’s ears rang with the sound of a bell chiming throughout the town.

It was only used as a signal for everyone to gather in the town square for the ceremonies.

Pulling herself from the cot, she could feel the back of her shirt hardened with dried blood making her shift uncomfortably.

Aerilyn didn’t own many things, this included clothing.

She had three outfits that she would swap between over the course of a few days.

When they became too dirty for wearing she had to find her way to the creek to wash them out in the water.

Her current top was probably destroyed which meant she would have to find a way to trade something of her own for a new one.

She had one outfit that was a bit less ragged than the other two, usually one she didn’t wear out into the fields.

The white blouse clung to her frame and the slacks she wore made movement quite easy.

She raked her fingers through her long white locks as she attempted to tame her wild waves.

The attempt failed miserably, resulting in the girl braiding her hair tightly down her back.

Every time Choosing Day rolled around, she felt more anxious about each ceremony.

Every name drawn was one closer to her own, the population slowly decreasing as each life was lost.

She slipped on her boots, carefully lacing them up before making her way out of her home.

The town beyond was alive with life, the clatter of hooves tapped against the cobblestone, and voices rang out as people began to gather for one of the most dreaded days each year.

Aerilyn found her way to the main street, pausing at the chaos beyond.

Hundreds of people walked through the crowded street, making it difficult for her to push into the sea of bodies.

They were all headed to the same place for the same reason.

They all had the same fear of whether they were going to be sentenced to death or if they would be safe for another six months.

Aerilyn took in the town square which was usually quite busy.

On a normal day, it was full of citizens with carts selling supplies and homemade items that would be of value to those who could afford it.

She had memorized every inch of the square, every escape route and place she could hide.

She hated stealing from them, but sometimes it was necessary.

There were times when she had been caught and punished for her small crime, while other times she was able to slip away down the alleys.

She had stolen from the people around her for years before trying to break into the castle.

Now that she was older, she understood what those supplies meant for people and felt guilty taking from those who had nothing.

The cobblestone from the street below her feet continued up the sides of each building around the square.

The entire town had been made of it.

The only buildings in Orissia not made of stone were the ones that were on the outskirts of the town.

The poorly made houses were a combination of stone and wood, making them more susceptible to damage.

The entire kingdom was built with specific reasoning, everything placed carefully to fit in a way that made sense.

There was a reason it was the only kingdom still standing.

A platform had been set up in the furthest corner of the square, giving everyone the perfect view of the large steel box that contained the names of every citizen within the kingdom under the age of fifty.

After fifty years, their name is removed from the pool of options and they’re allowed to live out the rest of their days peacefully.

Behind the box sat two thrones, one containing the king and the other containing the queen.

Beside them stood the two princes and several guards who all had a hand pressed to the handle of their swords in case anyone made a move to attack.

Aerilyn had never seen the royals up close before, it was always at a distance.

The only time she saw them was on each Choosing Day.

It made them feel unreal like they were just a fragment in their imaginations.

The two princes had never joined them for some unknown reason. The distance across the square made it harder to make out their faces, but the crowns upon their heads gave away their titles.

The crowd around her began to settle down as the square became packed with bodies that were pressed together tightly.

The burning sun of the day above them made her forehead moisten with a thin layer of sweat.

The nerves of what was about to come made the heat feel much worse than it usually did.

The murmurs of conversation around her began to quiet down as a man approached the steel box, holding a device to his mouth to amplify his voice for the entire square to hear.

“Welcome to Choosing Day everyone! I just love to see all of your faces, it’s so exciting to see all of our people coming together,”

his voice was cheerful, making Aerilyn want to gag. They always made Choosing Day out to be a ceremony that should be celebrated. The royals attempted to throw parties and make the Chosen feel like they were an honor to their kingdom.

“As you all know, after the plague, the continent’s population dwindled drastically. After the cure was made, we were forced to face the hounds. King Aleksi of Orissia was able to create a sword that could control the hounds. When he left our kingdom, he became lost in the world beyond our walls. Now, the sword is lost and we must find it to gain control over the hounds. The Chosen today will leave our kingdom in search of the Sword of Aleksi in hopes of returning and bringing peace to our kingdom once more!”

The man finished up his history lesson joyfully as the crowd began to clap.

Even though the people around her had a nervous buzz, many still enjoyed the story.

Aerilyn refused to feed into the bullshit.

Every group of Chosen were sent beyond the walls and none have ever returned.

She began to refuse to believe the sword was even out there anymore.

She couldn’t help but think that the sword was a fictional tale that was created to ensure the kingdom would have some hope.

“Alright then,”

he flashed the crowd a smile before approaching the box. His hand slowly dipped inside before pulling out a piece of parchment. “Blaise Kit,”

the first name is called, a slight relief rushing over the girl. His hand reached back into the box, drawing another name. “Brinley Credence,”

when the name was called, a small cheer arose from a redhead, bouncing on her tippy toes standing not far from Aerilyn.

Who the hell would be that excited to be chosen? She thought in annoyance.

“Bastian Price.”

The man drew the next name and his face turned white. It was like a hound had appeared before him, fear rushing over him. “E-Everett Delagros,”

the prince’s name fell from his lips and a wave of murmurs filled the crowd.

Her attention darted to the prince who had a look of confusion written across his expression, unable to hide the emotions.

He turned to his father, their mouths moving in what seemed to be an argument.

The other prince held his stomach, seeming as if he were going to be sick. Aerilyn had no idea that the royals’ names were ever entered into the mixture of citizens, it was unheard of.

“Finally, Aerilyn Kiliana,”

her name echoed through the square, a wave of panic rushing over her.

Twenty-one years she’d escaped the Choosing, praying she’d never hear her name.

She placed her hand over her mouth to contain the sob that threatened to break free from her. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall down her cheeks.

“If you have been Chosen, you will meet at the gate in an hour to begin your journey. Good luck to you all and may you return home safely with the sword that will better our kingdom,”

the man continued to speak, but Aerilyn could no longer hear him.

Her ears began to ring, her stomach clenching as she turned to get away from the crowd of people.

She shouldered through, people moving away to make gaps to let her through. Once she had escaped the crowd, she began to run to the one place she could find true comfort.

Aerilyn sat in the dirt, her face in her hands as she finally let all the tears fall.

Her entire body shook with each cry, unable to control the mixture of emotions running through her mind.

Before her sat two headstones that she’d visited more times than she could count.

Her mother and father’s names were engraved into the stone, their death dates only weeks apart.

Her father had been a Forcer who worked on the wall.

He was one of three people who had been victims of a hound attack. After that, her mother went crazy. The loss of her lover drove her to take her own life, leaving Aerilyn alone in the world.

She ran her fingertips along the names, realizing she’d never visit them again. She could never be buried beside them. Her body would never be found once she was beyond the walls. The hounds would probably devour her until there was nothing left to find.

“I don’t know what to do. I’m so afraid. I have never let my fear control me, but I can’t be strong right now. I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to leave home. I don’t want to die,”

her voice broke on the last word, spilling out all of her feelings to the graves before her.

Her emotions were always something that Aerilyn had control over.

After her mother allowed her pain to drive her to death, she refused to end up like her.

Now, Aerilyn had lost control of her emotions. They finally began to consume her. She knew she didn’t have much time. She had to say her goodbyes and pull herself together.

Aerilyn stood, brushing off her pants as she wiped her wet cheeks. She took several deep breaths as she pushed down her emotions. She had allowed herself to be vulnerable for the moment and refused to let it happen again. “I love you both. I’ll fight until the very end, I promise,”

she whispered, touching the headstones one last time before leaving the graves behind and finding her way back home to gather the few things she had.

She didn’t want to accept her death, she didn’t want any of it to be real.

She wanted to wake up from the nightmare that she was trapped in.

Instead of letting it consume her, Aerilyn found what little strength she had inside of her and tilted her chin higher.

The girl didn’t know what was waiting beyond the walls, but she clung to the small beacon of hope that she could survive.

Maybe this time would be different, maybe they could be the Chosen to change everything.