Chapter 1 “Childhood”

"RUN" a child screamed, and so I did. I was running as fast as I could, over the fallen branches over the sculpture rocks and threw the tree vines. "I GOT YOU" I was thrown onto the ground and then, I realized I was pinned. "Ugh you always win it-" usai had stuffed some dirt in my mouth "HEY WHAT THE HELL" she burst into laughter and then I spit all the dirt onto her face. She screamed "EWW, ew ew your so gross" " you're the one who put dirt into my Mouth!" Usai and I went back to the village and we argued all the way till we got to the hut. "NABA, Kira spit dirt in my face!" "Well you stuffed the dirt into my mouth, what did you expect?"

"Both of you quite yuri is sleeping" usai laughed "that old man always sleeps" Naba made a frustrated expression "don't call you uncle an old man" "but he looks like an old man?" Naba just ignored her and went into the kitchen and Usai went to her room to get something. "Kira come here please" Naba had called me into the kitchen and told me to go down to the water with my littles sister and I asked "but why, didn't you hear any of what I told you?" her expression changed again in an unpleasant way " there are worse things out there kira '' she went back to cleaning and I was confused by what she could have ment death maybe? I'm not sure but it's not like I was comparing anything to death. "Usai! Hurry your butt up or I'm gonna leave you!"

We raced down to the shore and Usai had tripped several times on the way so by the time we got there she ran straight into the water to clean herself from all the dirt and sand her face had collected. I couldn't stop laughing and kept calling her worm brain. Me and usai played with a ball she brought and then some girls decided to join us. We played but the game was slow and it bored me a little,which was weird because I usually like playing but something felt off. I saw some boys playing not too far from where we were and I wanted to join them. So I did, and day after day we played different games going on hunts with the older men and chasing wild animals as if we were already hunters.

Some time had passed and I wasn't even seen as a girl and I loved it. Then one day I told Naba and my uncle about how I was feeling. My father was also there and he was actually the one to give me my new name and my mother naba and my uncle yuri both shrugged it off and just started calling me little boy. And then I went back to running around with usai and my friend. Usai didn't come with us often because she thought we were crazy. A few years went by and I grew and so did the others. I am about 14 years of age now, I started my first real hunt by myself tonight.

I was so excited so I wanted to hang out with my little sister again before I did because once I complete my first hunt by myself It will be my ride of passage into the uqesaka (uke-Saw-ka) brethren and I will be a true member. Me and Usai went down to the shore and we argued about how the pebbles on the sand hurt or not. She said they hurt her feet.

I told she's just weak and then she grabbed some sand and chucked it straight into my face. I pushed her into the water and then offered my hand to help her up.

She pulled me in and then we started laughing and playing in the water. I was soaked and kept getting the salty water in my eyes. It was nice though being with her like this as if we were 7 again.

A mighty horn was blown and me and usai stopped. I gave her a hug and I left her in the water, tonight was the night I claimed my birthright. I ran back to the village and I grabbed my gere, went into the cold dark, filled with trees that stretched so high you it would look as if they were touching the moon. I ran into the fog that had been developed by the village witch. I treaded as quietly as I could,trying to find the creature that only roamed during such a ritual.

I took out my bow and I held a rope attached to my poison arrow and I waited. I sat there for 20 minutes, then an hour, then 3. I dont know how long I was there for but I found myself trying to stay awake by holding a blade to my core. Then I could smell something, it smelled like something was burning. I tried to track the smell but then as I pushed through the brush, and threw the large leaves of this jungle. I saw it was my village, Fires as blue as the waters themselves screams louder than a newborn's cries.

I could feel every bone in my body grow stiff but in moments I was filled with fear. I ran to the village as fast as I could. I ran to the Blue Blazing fire and I ran over the fallen branches over the engraved covered rocks and over the sand and stone. I saw these strange beings taking our things and then throwing them into the burning huts. I grabbed my bow and shot as many as I could. I saw the witch ripping them apart limb by limb. Their blood had been spread everywhere on the ground on the beautiful leaves of our trees, on childrens screaming faces and now on my hands.

"RUN TO THE SHORE" yelled one of our men. I gasped "USAI!" I rushed down to the shore and when I got there I was greeted by her face. Her bleeding weeping face, being held by the strange beings who came onto our island and burned all that was us. They took her and before they did I saw as they ripped her eyes out of her skull and laughed as they threw them into the dark blue water. I stet 3 arrows onto the blue flames and I amend them straight into their ships, I was ready to spread back there abhorrent disease and I screamed"I HOPE YOU BURN EVEN WHERE YOU'RE DROWNING-" I shot the arrows but just as I did I was stabbed throw my left lung I could feel breath running low as the long blade left my body. I fell onto the sand and I watched as the blue flames spread through their ships. "I'm sorry..Urai.."

As I felt my body go cold I turned myself up, now on my back. I looked at the ring filled moon until…

I could no longer breathe.