Chapter One- Were it all Began
~Heba~
I had a lonely childhood, just me and my solo games. At 5'2" I'm small compared to everyone my age. With my child like features, my soft hair and big, Amethyst eyes, it's hard to get a date with, well, anyone! I'm 15 almost 16 and I have no friends or family because of how I look. They think I mock the Pharaoh with my looks, and hair. My hair is what I dislike the most because it looks most like the Pharaoh's, with its 5 black star like spikes lined in violet. My blonde bangs that sprout from the middle of my forehead and framing my face. I wish I could get rid of my hair, but it's the only thing I have to remind me of my long forgotten Grandfather.
The Kings hair is very similar but different you see because his 5 black spikes are lined in scarlet. When his bangs shoot up from the center of his forehead 3 stay upright, while the rest frame his face. The 3 bangs stand 1 in front of his top most spike, the other 2 stand in front of his other 2 spikes to the left and right
See while I have soft-child like features, the King has sharp-man like features. His chin ends in a hard point while mine rounds out. While I have big chibi-like Amethyst eyes, he has small sharp, crimson orbs.
Sorry, it seems like I forgot my manners. My name is Heba Akiiki and welcome to my Home sweet Home. My alleyway.
My birthday's almost here and it will be spent in fear. Because every town, city, and village that our Great Pharaoh rules over must send a 16-year-old "tribute" as they call it, but they just sugar-coated it to A) make the parents of these unlucky few either feel more Proud/less depressed or B) To let the Guards who pick up the children up feel less guilty. Whatever floats their boat.
We send up a "tribute" every year one girl and one boy. They have their sights on me and the most beautiful girl here, Anzu. We send up virgins up to The Pharaoh because, apparently, virgin's tastes better than those whom have had Sex, I don't know.
There are 3 reasons why we send up our own people.
1) To keep the Gods in our favor.
2) To keep become the Pharaoh's whore.
3) To become the Pharaoh's 'temporary' Mate. (Since he, like, never dies)
(If the Pharaoh DOES take a Mate/concubine from one of the presented 'Tributes', the offering stop. That is, until said Mate/concubine is dead.)
See, there's no way I can ever want to go willingly, but alas I must go to represent my village. I could just go into the desert and stay till the jobs done and have someone else go instead of me. But they say you get to stay at a nice house till they take you to go up to the palace.
It's said the Pharaoh and his Priests, are God's themselves! Some villages call them Vampires, others calls them Demons. But no one expresses there version of the rumor near any Palace Guards or, anyone that works for the Palace is anyway, shape, or form.
Today's the day. My 16th birthday and possibly, my last day on earth as a free man, or, a man. At least I get pampered right before I die, so, that's a plus. I'm ready to go out into the desert though, I have a bag packed with some cloths and food, but I'm still debating with, my inner self, about whether to throw this burden on someone unexpectedly. 'To run or not to run, that is the question!' I think giggling a bit.
"Hey, Heba!"
Whoops! Time to start run, to run as fast as my short legs will carry me. To run to my alleyway, to get my bag and either run into the desert or my hidey-hole that's just big enough for me to fit in.
Shouts of "STOP!" and "HULT!" are hurled at me. I keep running though, telling myself over and over that I'm 'Almost there', 'Almost ther..."ACK!" I shout as I trip over a rock, falling flat on my face. Getting up I chance a glance over my shoulder to see how much ground they have on me, but, there's no one there. Did my paranoia make me believe I was being chased? I start to walk home thinking about this. I turn the corner to my alleyway when two strong, muscular arms warp around me. One at my chest, trapping my arms to my sides; and one around my waist, trapping my hands at my thighs.
"Got you, you little punk!" The guard grunted "You're coming with me to the palace to have your fate decided by the Great King!"
"Put me down you..." I started to yell out loud but was cut off by someone else saying,
"SHUT UP SHORTY!" A second guard said, putting a gag in my mouth while the first guard was binding my hands and feet, before chucking me into the caged cart. They started binding, gagging, and transporting in caged carts since 'tributes' found out how to escape from their carts.
"They don't pay us enough money anymore, Joey." said the second guard to the first. The first guard, now that I got a good look at the two of them; I see that the guard named Joey, has shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes. Tall, and very strong. He was wearing blue cloth pants, a white shirt and lite blue armor, with a brown leather belt and steal sword at his hip.
"Got that right Tristan!" The guard named Tristan has short brown hair that ends in a tall point in the front of his head with brown eyes. Just a bit shorter than Joey. He was wearing black cloth pants, a white shirt and brown armor, with a blue leather belt and steal sword attached to his hip.
I must have fallen asleep because I woke up at the hut where I was to be bathed, and the place where the Guards and I were to stay for the night.
Max: Ok Guys, not to worry. Chapter two will be posted momentarily.
Helen: *Huffs*
Sam: READ!