.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

━ PROLOGUE ━
❝ RACK AND RUIN ❞

✭・.・✫ ・.・✭

THE SUN had barely risen above the trees when Kesta Xalrich slipped out of bed. She dressed silently in the dim morning light, tip-toeing across her room with the nervousness of a mouse. Each creak in the floorboards made her grimace, warranting a pause to listen for footsteps or voices beyond her bedroom door. With her parents asleep in the adjacent room, she feared that even the slightest noise would awake them. The Xalrich home was small, built to maintain only the people who lived there and no more. At one time or another, her parents might have wished to have another child, but Kesta had been their first and only. Perhaps it was for the best. Some days the walls of their home felt as if they were made of paper and that wouldn't do well with another young one running around. And with or without, Kesta already had her own problems to deal with.

When no movement arose, Kesta continued on her silent routine. She crouched down beside her bed and swept a hand underneath, feeling around the underside of the frame until her fingers closed around the object she'd been looking for. She gave it a sideways tug and slid it from its hiding place, gingerly laying it across a bent knee. Her fingertips traced along the wooden curve of a bow-one of her best kept secrets. It had been an endeavor of nearly three months by her own hand, weeks of waiting up until the middle of the night to painstakingly carve the handle by candlelight. But in the end, she decided it had been worth the work. Kesta ran her thumb over the engraving near the grip, two small words and a symbol neatly etched into the wood. Her name, written in Yadaran-her planet's native language-and beside it, a simplified recreation of her family crest. As much as her parents might detest her for the stunt she was about to pull, as least she would be honoring them in the process. It was unlikely they would see it that way, of course.

Finally rising from the floor with the bow clutched in hand, Kesta proceeded to the window on the far side of her room and drew the curtains and window open. It was getting lighter outside, rays of amber sunshine peering over the horizon. Yandara only had one sun, but it shone with the intensity of two stars combined. At night, the light reflected off the various moons so brightly, that the entire village was bathed in their silver glow. Eager to avoid any confrontation, Kesta quickly hoisted herself onto the window sill and swung her legs to the other side. She tossed her bow out first and jumped into the grass after it, landing on her hands and knees. The ground beneath her was tacky with mud from the previous night's storm, but the air smelled pleasant, like a mixture of damp earth and rain. Kesta stood up and wiped the dirt from her hands, unceremoniously smearing dark handprints onto her pant legs. If being recklessly stupid didn't get her killed, her mother surely would for getting dirty. Sliding her bow over her shoulder, Kesta hurried around the side of the house and down the dirt road that lead away from the village.

The forest was located at the village's edge, beyond a deteriorating stone wall. It had been built long before she was born and now stood crumbling and defenseless, just a marker of their territory. At one point or another, it was meant to protect the village and keep intruders out, but it had grown so old, it didn't have much purpose anymore.

Besides, no one came to Yandara anyway.

The eroded stone was cold to the touch beneath her fingers as she climbed to the top, rough but familiar against her palms. She had made this climb several times and yet, as she looked out across the valley, it felt like the first time again. Her village was faint shadow against the rising sun, motionless from this distance, but no doubt beginning to slowly come to life. Her parents would be among those rising to start the new day, or they already had, and found their daughter gone with the fading night. They might be angry, but they would understand.

Maybe not at first, but eventually.

A patch of mossy grass softened Kesta's landing on the other side of the wall, the ground springy underfoot as she walked a couple feet from the stone structure. The woods stretched out in all directions around her, emanating the dewy petrichor of the evening rain she had smelled earlier that morning. A light breeze blew through the trees, rustling both the leaves and the flyaway hairs that framed her face. It was all so welcoming, like this was where she was meant to be. In the hollow beneath the roots of a large tree, she retrieved a draw-string rucksack and a quiver of arrows. Unbeknownst to her family, Kesta had bought them from the local fletcher and stowed them here, all of the while she was supposed to be working. She slid the quiver over her unoccupied shoulder and continued further into the forest.
Soon she came to a clearing. Knee-length grass danced in the breeze, adorned by spiky pink and purple flowers. They were the same flowers that were sold in the village market and the same ones that had once grown in the bed of her mother's garden. Perhaps they had been weeds, but they were pretty, and they would look good as a centerpiece on the kitchen table. Kesta reached out and plucked a flower from the grass, careful not to prick her fingers on the petals or thorns as she wrapped it, and several more, into a bundle. She found a small hollow at the base of a tree where she promptly sat, carefully tucking the bundle of flowers into her knapsack, which she drew from her shoulder along with her bow.

Purposely sitting with her face to the breeze, she hoped that she was far enough upwind of any creatures that may stumble upon the clearing, otherwise her hiding spot was pointless. Although, the flowers in her pocket were likely fragrant enough to hide her scent, at least long enough for her to score a meal. Kesta settled down among the weeds, drawing an arrow from her quiver and nocking it in preparation for the hunt.

Then, she waited.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

Kesta peered through the canopy of leaves above her head, squinting against the harsh sunlight that shone through the trees. It was noon, as the sun was now shining directly overhead. She let out a frustrated huff, surveying the clearing around her with bitter dismay. She'd wasted the entire morning in her hideout, waiting for a non-existent animal to wander into her trap. Returning home was out of the question, as she would rather spend the rest of the day in the heat than go back empty-handed. There would be nothing more embarrassing than that. Kesta rocked back on her heels, soundlessly settling down into the dirt to stretch out her legs. Her grip on the arrow slackened and she leaned back against the tree as if in defeat. The sweet aroma of the flowers in her knapsack drifted upwards and her stomach nearly growled in hunger. She had almost forgotten to put shoes on this morning, never mind remembered to eat breakfast in her haste. A decision she was coming to regret. It only made it more crucial that she bring something home.
Then, as if on cue, something walked through the bushes at the opposite end of the clearing. It was a stout, round beast, reminiscent of a common boar, with its wiry fur and curved tusks that protruded from its bottom jaw. Horns spiraled down from between its ears and twisted forward into various points, sort of like ivory lances. People from the village called this creature a cehlu, meaning "many-horned", but ever since she was a child, Kesta had called it a di'yin. Two-faced. For along it's hunched back, the creature had a cluster of dark stripes, configured to look almost like a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Beady black eyes swept the glade, searching for a sign of a threat, while a long, tufted tail flicked back and forth warily. It raised it's snout to the air and Kesta instinctively shrunk back against the tree trunk, as if it might hide her scent further. The arrow, which had been slack in her palm a second ago, was pressed flush against the shelf of the bow, shaking fingers pulling the string taut and close to her face. The fletching brushed her cheek, but Kesta paid it no mind as she shifted forward onto the balls of her feet. Brown eyes peered down the shaft of the arrow between slivers of grass and spiky flowers, aimed directly at the heart of the beast as it scuffled through the dirt and greenery. Kesta inhaled sharply, muttering a prayer and a blessing under her breath on the exhale. Her fingers flexed, a breeze rustling her hair and urging her to release the arrow, to pierce the flesh and muscle, to strike the heart. The string slid from her fingertips and then-
Ears pricked, the Di'yin suddenly stiffened. With its hackles raised and tufted tail rigid, it angled its hairy head in her direction and squealed. Alarmed, Kesta loosed the arrow and it sailed through the air, directly above the creature's head, where it buried itself into the base of a rather large tree. Screeching, the Di'yin turned tail and raced for cover, disappearing into the bushes with a flash of horn and striped hide.

Dumbfounded, yet annoyed, Kesta sat back on her haunches, arms and bow falling back down by her side. As if to further mock her, a flock of winged creatures soared overhead, squawking in warning of her presence in the forest. Huffing, Kesta picked herself off the ground and went to retrieve her arrow. It was lodged fairly deep into the bark, the metal point missing from view. She reached to grab it by the end, firmly twisting with the hope she wouldn't break it. The moment her hand touched the shaft, the forest seemed to still and darken. The wind, which had been warm and gentle only a moment ago, turned cold and fierce, whipping her hair back and overturning the leaves on the trees. Grey clouds slouched across the sky, reaching for the sun with misty fingers. The hair along the back of Kesta's neck rose, a prickling sensation of dread filling her stomach. A horrible rumbling noise filled the air above, a sound like machinery whirring and grinding, which interrupted the silence immediately. Kesta raised her gaze to the sky and watched in horror as a giant, black airship rose above the canopy. Petrified, she pressed herself into the shadow of the tree. But just as quickly as it had appeared, ship sailed straight over the tree line and disappeared, leaving Kesta unnoticed and hidden in the shade. She calmed, wondering if it had just been passing through.

Then, a tremendous blast rocked the earth.

It was enough to jolt Kesta from her hiding place, like someone had pushed her. She gripped the tree trunk for support, scraping her palms on the bark in the process. A sound, shrill and panicked, echoed hauntingly throughout the woods. Screaming. Crying. People wailing as a second blow swayed underfoot. It didn't take long to figure out where it was coming from. Kesta ran. The arrow in the tree and the boar were long forgotten, fading distantly behind her as she raced back towards the village. Branches lashed her in the face and arms, leaving angry red lines on her skin, but she didn't stop to care. She reached the wall in record time, slinging her bow onto her back as she unhandily scaled the stone to the other side. The sight of which, was enough to make her blood run cold.
Acrid, black smoke snaked high in the air, turning the sky as dark as night. Flames danced in the afternoon sun, licking at the frames of now skeletal houses. People were screaming, crying out in terror as another thunderous blast shook the ground beneath their feet. They ran in all directions, in a panicked disarray, hoping to escape the chaos that surrounded them.

Her village-her home-engulfed in fire and hysteria.

Blaster-fire raked through the smoke and ash, lighting up the ground in colored explosions. Armed droids marched through the upheaval, ripping open doors and pulling defenseless families into the streets. Those who weren't quick enough to get to their feet, were trampled by their neighbors. Kesta wove through the crowd, her heart thumping erratically in her chest. She knocked shoulders and tripped over the feet of people running in the opposite direction, feeling trapped. Between the screaming and running, she couldn't make out who was who anymore. Even the street was almost unrecognizable now. The once familiar dirt path was now covered in a settlement of ash and rock, but in the distance, her house finally came into view.
Droids swarmed the area. They weren't menacing creatures in themselves, it was rather their guns that posed more of threat. They were rounding up stragglers, forcing them to huddle in large groups. Kesta searched for her parents' faces in the crowd, but failed to find them. Then she heard it. Her mother's voice, calling out. Her father echoing, calling out her name. Relief washed through Kesta's body. She didn't care where they were, she would find them, she-An explosion of light and sound had the world spinning on its side. The ground surged upwards and fell away, cresting and sinking like the plume of a wave. Kesta's vision went dark and hazy, and when she was finally able to focus on something, she discovered herself lying flat on her back. Her ears were ringing; in fact, she couldn't hear anything else. It was all muffled, indistinct. She tasted blood and dirt and stone, and everything hurt; why did it hurt so bad?

Metal fingers seized Kesta by the collar of her singed robes, dragging her slowly through the rubble. Footsteps approached and someone clasped her chin tightly, raising her face to the sky. They said something, their words all but falling on deaf ears.

"This one. This one will do."