Chapter Seven

 It had been three weeks. Three weeks since Artemis had come back, covered in scars. One week since she had healed. Three weeks since she had stopped laughing. Three weeks since she had walked around, her pale green eyes as lifeless as glass marbles. The tasks hadn't stopped, though. Kiela had already been assigned and completed three of them since Artemis's accident, but they felt different. Once upon a time, when she was younger, there were no tasks. Once she was able to run around like the young child that she was without making sure  there were no elders nearby. But that was before Manin came. Before everything changed. She remembered how he had acted nice at first, rewarding them with sweets and his kind smile when they completed a task for him. She had been so excited for her first task, and slaved to train for it. She had been so proud when she came back with only a small scar on her outer thigh. Manin had met with her, and told her how proud he was. Slowly, that changed too. She remembered how she had felt after she had failed a task for the first time. How his hand had fallen heavily upon her face, knocking her over. His threats to force her to leave, how she'd begged him to let her stay. What a fool she had been. For now she knew that no place was worse than this, this living hell in which she was forced to live. For now he wouldn't let her leave, and common sense told her that he never would have. And now there was no way to save either herself, or Artemis. 

 "Kiela!" It was Haran, an old friend of hers. "How's Artemis doing? I heard that she's really upset that she failed her task." 

 Kiela felt rage overtake her. "There are more important things besides pleasing Manin!" She spat. 

"Sorry," Haran said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "But..."

"I'm not finished yet." She growled. "Have you ever even visited her? Seen how she's doing? Seen the way she looks, as if she doesn't care?" Kiela was rambling now, not even noticing the words that she spoke. "While the rest of you run around, trying to complete your tasks and being good little kids, what do you think she's doing? The other night, I saw her lying in bed awake. She said that she wanted it all to be over. She said..." Kiela didn't notice the tears until she heard her voice break. She collapsed, sobbing, into Haran's arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said, sniffling breaths heaving their way out of her chest. "I just can't do it. I can't do one more task." 

"It's okay," Haran soothed, comforting her. "You're older than her and I, you only have six months left." Kiela felt something dark growing inside her. 

"I don't just want to leave myself!" she screamed. I want all of you to come too! I want to save us all from this place, or, better yet, go back to a time before Manin, before all of this happened!" 

"What can I do?" Haran asked her. "What can I do to help you?" 

"Don't accept anymore tasks." She said, clutching at his shirt so hard that the fabric tore off in her hands. His blue eyes met hers, and she saw doubt clouding them. "It doesn't matter if they beat you," She said, speaking faster in a rush to get it all out. "Nothing they can do is worse that what can happen to you out there." She gestures to the village walls. 

"Kiela, " He said slowly. "I have to tell you something."She stepped back, dread beginning to fill her. 

"No.." She breathed. He went on as though he hadn't heard her.

"I've accepted a task. I leave tomorrow at dawn." 

"Please, no." She said. She was seized with a sudden fear, and she leaned towards him. Panic reared its ugly head inside of her, and she fought to shove it down. "Tell them you can't go." 

"I've already accepted." He said decisively. "It's too late." 

"Then you have deceived me," she said, stepping back. Determination filled her, and she spat at the ground by his feet. "Until you are ready to defy them and leave this place, we will not speak."

 She turned, and slowly walked away. His pale gaze burned into her back, but she didn't turn once.

***

 Kiela fought to the front of the crowd, body jostled by the surrounding spectators. They were all children and young teens, some as young as nine years old. The aces of the younger ones were all dirt stained, and those of the others contained a mismatch of purple swelling and red cuts. Manin stood at the head of the crowd, and raised his hand for silence. 

"Those who we sent on the task two days ago have all returned. I shall now read out the names of those who have passed, and those who have failed. Each of them will mount the dias beside me as their name is called.

"Raykorm Ny'den"

A large boy mounted the stage. He was cheered half heartedly.

"Inaust Fayl." 

A thin girl with golden hair.

"Inaust Siev." 

A girl that was built like a barrel, with short cropped brown hair.

"Raykorm, Taiundkin" 

 The list of names continued. Kiela craned her neck to spot Haran, but she could not see his familiar head of messy brown hair.

"Inaust Isil" 

 Manin finished calling the names of the people who had completed the task. He sat back."Now I will read out the names of those who were not successful." His gaze scoured over all of them before coming to rest on Kiela. He then turned his attention back to the page clutched in his hand.

"Raykorm Dysad."

Kiela felt apprehensive.

"Inaust Lukys, And finally, Raykorm Ziarr." 

 Kiela reeled in confusion. Surely Manin hadn't forgotten about Haran?"There was one child who set out on this trip, and who will never return. He was too weak to survive this task, and by our supreme generosity we are giving him the undeserved respect of a true burial. Raykorm Haran, was unable to complete the task. Kiela felt as if she had been punched, the wind knocked out of her. She saw spots, and the world around her went black as she fainted.

***

 Kiela woke up, salt from her tears tracing trails on her face. She had lost Haran, she had lost Artemis, who else was she to lose? Right there, she made a resolution with herself. To not get hurt again, to collect the pieces of her broken life.Her stomach yawned, and groaning, she got up to get herself some food. She lit a small fire at the center of her teepee, and set a small chunk of meat from her previous day's kill to roast over it. As the meat heated and turned brown, she idly whittled on a large stick. Her knife followed the groves in the wood, making the crude likeness of some figure. Short wavy hair and a strong jaw bone began to appear, reminding Keila of someone..

"NO!" She screamed, throwing the piece into the fire with all her strength. The large piece of wood struck burning log, scattering embers everywhere. Kile jumped up and frantically brushed them off of her dress. The glowing pieces had burned several holes in the fabric. She stared, transfixed by the melting wood in the fire's core. 

"Why can't you leave me alone?" She asked herself. She watched the wood that she had carved in the likeness of Haran's figure crumble to dust.She heard loud footsteps behind her, the sound of large feet slapping against the ground.

"Kiela?" Lono's voice came from behind her. "Are you alright? Can I come in?". Kiela hastily brushed off her dress and the disturbed earth around where she and been sitting. 

"You can come in," she said. "I'm okay." She turned to see Lono enter her tent, his face pale with worry.

"I heard you scream," he said, his words jumbled in a rush to get them out. "And I thought, well, you know.." She nodded, understanding. With Adrianne's death so near he must have worried that she was the next victim.

"Yes, sorry, I'm fine." she said. She realised that she was hunched over as if warding off an attack, and straightened in embarrassment. Lono raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if that is the case, would you like to come on a run with Tori and I?" He asked. "No!" she exclaimed, heart pounding. She remembered her promise to herself to distance her friends, to distance everything.

"I can't," she said sharply. "I'm doing something."

"Alright," He said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I'll see you around then."

  He exited the tent and Kiela collapsed on her bed in relief. It would be harder than she had though to keep him out, but it was necessary. For both of their sakes.

***

 "Hey Kiela!" Kiela looked up to see Tori approaching with Connix and Lono at her sides. Both the fox and the mountain lion were in their animal forms, and Lono smiled at her. He surveyed the logs beside her, and when he realized that they were full he gestured at her to join him. She shook her head, her promise to herself ringing in her ears. 

 "O-Okay." Lono said, sharing a glance with Tori. She stared at Kiela, her golden gaze looking concerned. Blushing, she took a bite of bread to cover it up. All throughout the meal Kiela felt Lono's concerned gaze resting on her, and as soon as she could she shifted and loped off to her tent. She welcomed its privacy.

***

 Grass rustled against her calves as she shredded the individual fronds. She heard footsteps and laughing, and sighed. Why are they all so happy? Don't they realize how quickly it can all be ripped away? A particularly loud bark of laughter assaulted her ears, and Kiela recognised Lono's voice. She crouched down in the grass, trying in vain to hide. 

"There she is!" Connix's voice now. 

"Hey Kiela!" Lono jogged up to her. "We've been looking for you all day!"

Kiela didn't respond. "Are you okay?" Lono asked, kneeling beside her. You've been acting really weird." 

A pang of guilt struck her, but she shoved it away.

"Lono..." she said. "It would be best if you didn't try and hang out with me anymore."

Confusion lit his gaze. "Why?"

"Because..." she sighed, and then tried again. "Because it would be better for both of us to not be so attached when it happens."

"When what happens?"

She felt her frustration and sadness mounting. "When you die!" she screamed. A few birds took off from the surrounding branches and wheeled in confused flight. "When you die I'll be by myself! I won't have anyone left! Lono and Tori are better friends than I will ever be with either of them! Its best if I just figure it out now, on my own." she panted. Lono exchanged a glance with Tori.

"Kiela...he said. "Do you happen to know a man named Manin?"

Kiela reeled, images of a tall, imposing man flashing before her eyes. 

"How do you know him?"To her surprise, it wasn't Lono who answered, but Tori.

"Because I knew him."