A little girl sits next to me on the dock.
“What’s wrong Selene?” she asks me.
I look at my little sister and smile.
“Cassius’ leaving tomorrow,” I say back.
The mood changes. Cassius was my best friend, but he said he had signed up for military service yesterday. I honestly didn’t know what to say to that. His mom hated him for lacking magic ability so he would spend as much time as he could at our home. But to know it was that bad to the point he was willing to leave his best and only friend, that hurt.
“What’s wrong with that?” she says. “He gets to see the world. I want to see the world too!”
I smile sadly. She was 10. I was an idiot thinking she would know the actual reason.
I look to the horizon, the sunset painting the sky beautiful colors. Tears begin to fill my vision.
~
I wake up violently from the dream. I sit up and look around. On the table next to the bed, a drawing of my sister, Pandora, sits idly.
I wipe the tears from my face and get up. I get dressed and leave the room.
“Arcane Government Captain killed by the Shining Pirates!!” a boy yells loudly, waving a newspaper in one hand and holding a stack in his arm.
I ignore him as I walk to the bounty board. There, wanted posters for criminals are pinned there. Amongst them is a poster containing not a picture, but a symbol.
“WANTED,” it reads. “Any member of the Rebel 25, dead or alive. Wanted for treason, desertion, piracy, and murder. Please contact your local AG officer for info. Payment varies depending on member.”
I ignore it and look at a particular poster that caught my eye yesterday. I take it and walk over to the Syndicate clerk. Bounty hunting’s technically illegal but as long as the AG gets its criminals, they turn a blind eye.
I smile slightly. It’s time to hunt.