Chapter 1
KC groaned as he was pushed into yet another cage, smaller than the one he'd been in for the last couple of weeks. That was the thing about the tribe with no name; they insisted that all their prisoners lived in cages barely resembling the size of a cardboard box. Not only did they insist on the cages, they made damn sure that no one ever saw their faces, masks always covered them.
Rubbing his head as it smacked against the rusty cage door, KC sighed and sunk to the sandy floor that covered the base of the cage, his hands running along the gritty surface as he looked up at the masked guards, his eyes narrowing when he saw who was thrown in next, a girl and boy. The girl was small, she could only have been around 8 or 9, and the guy looked to be around KC's age, but of a smaller build.
KC smiled at them, the two of them seemed to be clinging to each other as if there was no tomorrow. "I'm KC," he said in a gruff voice, his throat dry from the lack of water and excess sun that shone down on the desert like prison.
"I'm Sol" the boy said with a small nod of his head, the little girl burying her head in his shoulder "And this is my kid sister Gabi"
"Nice to meet you… under the circumstances" KC said wryly…
Sol laughed before he turned his attention back to Gabi and KC was left with no one to talk to, his attention focused on a bug that kept flying in circles above his head, he watched it until he felt dizzy and that he might barf.
It was at that point someone yanked on his hair and his head smacked back against the cage… "What the hell?" KC cried as he spun around ready to whack whoever had pulled him against the cage… "Alice?"
Alice smiled through the cage that adjoined his, "KC… you glad to see me? Sorry about pulling your head back. See I thought to myself, there's only one guy in the whole world with green spiky hair… my Mallrat buddy KC…"
"Spot on" KC replied with a smirk "So how are you? How have you been?"
"I'm a prisoner, I've been better!"
Later on that day, when the evening was closing in and Alice had dozed off, mumbling something about sheep farming, KC's eyelids were heavy with sleep when someone nudged his arm.
"Oh hey Sol" he said sleepily…
"KC… I have something for you" Sol insisted, as he pushed something cold into KC's hand…
"What is it?" KC asked, holding the metal object up to the dimming sun…
Sol's eyes widened… "An amulet"
"I don't understand why you are giving it to me?" KC asked, a puzzled frown adorning his face…
"It's your turn. You have two wishes with the amulet, but only two. They can change your life for the better or the worse…"
"Two wishes huh?" KC asked with a raised eyebrow…
Sol nodded "Be careful…"
"I will"
When it was dark, KC looked suspiciously at the amulet. It was a simple silvery thing; something a person might walk past if you saw it in the street. But here in his hand, KC swore that it was sending tingles through him.
"Weird" he mumbled closing his eyes, as the amulet slipped from his hand, the chain still linked around his thumb and it swung from his hand.
KC mumbled sleepily, the day's traveling having taken its toll on him… "I wish…"