Isabel heard them before she saw them.
''Shit I'm late!'' She groaned, rushing around her room to find any suitable rags she could wear that hadn't been torn to shreds due to her constant exploration. Once she had found the last pair of grey cloth that was big enough to cover her frame, she hurried to the opening just above her bed to gaze outside at the colony. Marching forward was a small group of seven men and women, each carrying pickaxes and with baskets slung over their shoulders. They were the explorers. Isabel was one of them, although perhaps not for long if she didn't hurry to join them.
Once she had acquired her own basket she rushed out of her room and sprinted towards the door to leave her hut.
''Isabel, wait!''
She stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she heard her mother calling. ''Mom, they're going to leave without me again.''
''I know, I know,'' Helen said with a smile as she came around the corner to greet her daughter while holding her hands behind her back. Isabel tried to look over her mother's shoulders to catch a glimpse of whatever her mother was hiding but to no avail. Before Isabel could run away from her, Helen then brought her hands forward to reveal something small in the palm of her hand as she handed it to Isabel. ''Happy birthday dear.''
Isabel was lost for words. She stared down at the item her mother was holding. It was a small bracelet threaded together with different colors, big enough for Helen to slip onto Isabel's wrist. Isabel gazed at it for a moment, rubbing her finger against the material as her smile widened. ''I didn't even know...''
''That's why it's my job to remember.'' Helen laughed. ''I can't believe my little baby is 20.'' She then leaned forward to plant dozens of kisses along her daughter's face.
''Mom...'' Isabel groaned with embarrassment, tilting her head away but laughing just as well. However, her smile deflated after a moment. ''But I didn't get anything for you on your last birthday.''
Helen waved her hand dismissively. ''46 is not that big of a deal. Besides, having you safe and sound is my gift.''
Isabel stroked her new bracelet before she then wrapped her arms around her mother to hug her tightly. ''Thank you. Though this now makes me more determined to get you something for your next birthday.''
''You don't even know when it is.''
''Well, not everyone in the colony can chart days as well as you can. I'll figure something out. I always do.''
The two women stood in their hut clinging to each other tightly. Isabel couldn't stop smiling at her new gift. Presents weren't exactly commonplace within the underground colony. The best anyone could hope for was food that didn't result in a night filled with upset stomachs. And if there was anything special worth giving, Isabel and the explorers would be the first to know. They would travel through the tunnels to find any supplies or food that was needed for survival. Searching above land was out of the question and forbidden by the higher-ups, not that it stopped Isabel from wandering further than anyone else when no one was watching.
''Isabel...''
''Hmm?''
''They're leaving you behind.''
''Shit!'' Isabel screeched, rushing out of the hut to follow the explorers before they disappeared out of her sight down one of the newest tunnels they had dug. The young woman glanced over her shoulder to wave at her mother, who stood by the door and tried to keep a hopeful smile. Though they had no real fear of Dragons or Drakes in the tunnels, that didn't mean there weren't any dangers. Cave-ins, deadly insects, and the chance of getting lost in the darkness were all things that some feared more than the rulers of the world.
Isabel always acted tough for her mother. She worked harder than anyone else, resulting in her having a body quite lean and muscular compared to most, but still lean enough to move quickly if needed. It wasn't easy for most to keep muscle with the lack of consistent food, but Isabel did her best. If she found anything truly special, she would keep some to herself and bring some back to her mother in secret. With a historian as a mother, it made things easier for Isabel. She would know which plants and animals were edible. However, there was one difference between Isabel and the other women in the colony.
''I'd mate her if I got the chance.''
Isabel heard a voice from behind. She turned and saw two other explorers gawking at her mother, their eyes scanning her from head to toe like she was a piece of meat on display. Repulsed by their hungry looks, she walked over to them. ''Hey, keep your eyes off my mother.''
One explorer, a man of pure muscle that towered over Isabel, stared down at her and scoffed. ''What's the matter? Jealous because you won't be able to mate freak?''
Isabel kept her lips sealed and walked faster with the rest of the group, ignoring the laughter coming from the powerhouse explorer. The last thing she needed was to get into another fight and risk being sent back home without any food.
Her mother had explained to Isabel a long time ago that she was intersex. At first, she didn't think it strange that she was born with a penis. It wasn't until she bathed with other girls and boys that she noticed the difference, and it became more noticeable as she grew older with the other children and her size was difficult to keep covered. She laughed it off as the boys being jealous of her. But she only realized the seriousness when she was old enough to be told about mating seasons in the colony. To keep populations growing at a steady pace, men and women would be paired to give birth to a new generation of workers and explorers, so that the colony would always thrive and grow. Isabel wasn't sure what to make of the situation. She felt signalled out for being the only woman who would be on the giving end, and this left her feeling isolated. Though the higher-ups assured her that she would still be able to choose, she could tell some women were uncertain.
One of her only real friend in the colony, Jess, told her that the other girls were worried about having children who would be born intersex like Isabel and that it could be a potential hazard for the future if more are born that are unable to reproduce. Isabel remembered crying that night when she was told this news of why no one would want her. She told her mother, and her mother was furious. Helen knew that was the higher-ups talking and spreading that kind of talk throughout the colony.
After a while, Isabel didn't care. She wasn't looking for a mate, or to become a mother yet. She was still young. Although, now turning 20, how long would that last?
''Hey Isabel.''
Isabel turned to see Jess coming her way. Jess was a pretty, if plain girl, with dark hair, pale skin and a thin frame. Quiet and timid, she was Isabel's opposite in almost every way. Yet, she was like the sister Isabel never had.
''Hi Jess, are you gathering water today.''
Jess nodded. ''We think we might have hit a stream not too far from the last point. If we can filter the water, it might be able to provide for us until the next season.''
''At least you're finding something. We seem to be having no such luck with food and supplies.''
Jess's eyes drifted down her friend's arm, gazing at her biceps before she noticed the colorful bracelet. ''Oh? What's that?''
Isabel raised her hand to show off her gift. ''A birthday present from my mom. It's so cool, isn't it?''
''Ah, for a moment, I thought it was a gift from someone special.''
''It was from someone special...'' Isabel paused when she realized what Jess meant. ''Oh, no, nothing like that. You know that mates aren't going to be coming for me. One of me is apparently enough in this colony.''
Jess stared down at the ground. ''I'm sorry, I didn't mean...''
''You didn't do anything wrong.'' Isabel smiled. ''Sorry, I'm just pissed at the rhino behind us.''
''You mean Thane? He scares me. More so with the mating season coming soon. He strikes me as the type of man who would take a woman regardless of if she chose him.''
Isabel wrapped a protective arm around her friend's shoulders. ''Don't worry, I'll always be here to protect you from anything, whether it's something small as a spider, big as a dragon, or dumb as Thane.''
The two friends shared a laugh as they continued down the dark tunnel. Before blackness could overwhelm them all, the explorers at the front of the group took out their lanterns and shook them, causing the fireflies inside to light up their way. There was a fear amongst the colony of any natural fire being lit calling to the Dragons. Despite the years of relative peace, Isabel noted how the sense of paranoia grew with each passing year. The dwindling level of food and water didn't help matters.
Isabel knew that something had to change for the colony, otherwise the madness would kill them all before any Dragon could.
XXX
HELLO EVERYONE! WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? I WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME TO INTRODUCE WHERE THE STORY WOULD BE SET WITH ISABEL NOW OLDER AND SHOWCASE A FEW OF THE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS. I DIDN'T WANT TO THROW TOO MUCH INTO THE CHAPTERS TOO QUICKLY, BUT I WILL MAKE THE CHAPTERS LONGER AS WE GET MORE INTO THE STORY. WHAT DO YOU THINK ISABEL WILL FIND IN THE TUNNELS? WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE EXPLORED OR ARE THEIR ANY WORLD-BUILDING QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE? I HAVE IDEAS OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO HEAR SOME MORE IDEAS.
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS READ THIS SO FAR. I DIDN'T THINK THE FIRST CHAPTER WOULD GET SO MANY READS AND REVIEWS AS IT'S A COMPLETELY NEW STORY. I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO MAKE THE CHAPTERS THE BEST THEY CAN BE. THERE WILL BE MORE FROM ISABEL AND HELEN SOON.
TA-TA FOR NOW.
