"Liana?!" Avara whispered to the person next to her. "She can't go!"
Liana was the only person in Empetial who was in a wheelchair.
"NO!" Liana's mother screamed.
"I volunteer! I volunteer for the Competition!" Avara yelled.
"Oh, hello. And what's your name?" Illianus questioned.
"A-avara S-s-siren." she choked out.
"Now a hand for these young contenders."
Four hundred and fifty-seven right hands went to their hearts, then to the sky.
"Oh, okay then." Illianus said after a pause. "Now to the Hall of Empetial, you three."
The group walked in silence into the foyer of the Hall. Clare was lead into a small room to the left of the Hall, Tarius was lead into a room straight ahead from the Hall and Avara was lead into the right room.
Her brother ran into the small, brown room. "Avara! Why d-" he was silenced by Avara hugging him.
"I couldn't let Liana go in to the Competition. She would be a sitting duck."
They hugged until a burly guard came in and pulled Zami away from me.
"Try! Just try!" he managed to get out before the door was slammed in my face. Avara sat in the leather chair and cried until she was escorted on to the rapid train. Hundreds of faces watched on from the line of guards. A few of them where weeping for their family. An exquisite lounge greeted them just past the doors of the train. Flowered pillows laid on ornate lounges. Huge vases of roses, tulips and orchids rested on small coffee tables.
"Your rooms are this way." Illianus gestured towards the east end of the carriages.
Avara immediately went towards the the bedrooms to look, while Clare and Tarius went towards the west end of the railcar. Probably to the dining car. She went into the first bedroom and saw a large oak wood canopy bed with green sheets and pillows. Next to the bed was a small oak end table with a clock and a pitcher of cold water with a glass. On the north wall stood an oak wardrobe. The walls were panelled with, you guessed it, ash wood. The floor was a leaf green carpet. Branching off from the bedroom, a bathroom with a large glass block which could only be a shower sat in the corner while a gleaming white toilet was just next to the entrance. A sink sat on the far side.
Avara undressed and stepped into the shower. There was a variety of options including temperature, (which she set to 41 degrees) scented soaps, (she chose lavender) and water pressure. After ten minutes she stepped out, was dried by some unseen machine, and walked in to the bedroom. She opened the wardrobe and found a multitude of shirts, dresses, skirts, trousers, shorts and shoes. She chose a sky blue shirt, a black skirt and black flats. She walked out of the carriage, past the lounge and into the dining car.