Scarlet - Chapter 1
#1 of Scarlet
First chapter of my WIP story. It ain't the best thing on this earth, so don't judge too harshly. It is the first novel-length story I've tried.
Hope you guys like it! :D
It seems almost unfitting to begin a story with an end. But, from every ending emerges a beginning, and every beginning evokes an end. This is the circle of all things, the vicious cycle in which all living creatures are caught. This cycle grabbed me and flung me around its crooked way, dragging me through the muck and filth of this world then out into the sun for all to see. From darkness we enter this world, and into darkness we fall at life's end. It only seems fitting, then, that what I believe to be my final moments on this earth should take place in utter blackness, punctuated only by the dancing flames of the Heartfires of the city above.
I'm still not even sure how I got there, my toes curling from the cold of the stone floor, my hair and clothes singed beyond recognition, smelling faintly of cinnamon. Before me sat three graying men cloaked in darkness, who whispered to each other in a tongue that transcended the decay of the ages, discussing what they should do with me. I couldn't bring myself to look at them. My eyes stayed trained on the cracks in the tile.
"Aiden Weiss. Step forward."
Two steps. Keep your head down.
"You have been formally charged with three counts of sedition, four counts of outright treason, twenty-eight counts of murder, fifty-six counts of theft, and one hundred counts of speech violations. How do you plead?"
Now raise your head slowly. Keep them guessing. Catch the High Elder's eye.
With a smile, I answered, "Guilty as charged."
The High Elder rose. "It would seem, then, that you genuinely value your cause over your life. We shall see what befalls you. May the gods have mercy on your soul."
They turned and retreated one by one into blackness, leaving me alone in the dimly-lit chamber. I caught another glimpse of the Heartfires blazing off in the distance, which reminded me of just how it was I got into that mess in the first place.