Ch. 1: Assessment Day

It isn’t easy being an anomaly, especially if that’s how others define you.

Think you’ve got it hard? Look at me. I’m literally the living, breathing definition of weird. 

Everyone else has color, or a cool special power to call their own.

Me? My special power?

It’s being the ONLY ONE without EITHER of those things.

Yeah. You’re literally known for being useless.

Welcome to my world, chumps. 

But if you think you can sympathize with me, even just a little further than what I’ve told you, it’s about time I told you the day my whole world changed.

My name’s Aven.

And this is my story.

___________________________________________

I stepped softly into the clearing between the buildings and gave a quiet breath, then looked to the sky and grinned. Today was Assessment Day, the day when the High Officials from the Capital would come to cities across the nation and choose the best of the white manes to become servants in their presence. Sure, maybe not the best thing to think about, but it was certainly leagues away from just hanging out here, in the sleepy town of Gatesborn. 

Of course, my brother was already at the courtyard. He had woken up hours before I did so that he would be ready for when the Capital Black Manes came. Typical Arius, always trying to impress.

“Hey, Aven!”

I turned my head to find a familiar face staring back at me. “Hello, Strudarin,” I replied, shuffling my paws. “What’s up?”

The tall green aetyr smiled as she came up to me and patted my back. “It’s Assessment Day, right?” Strudarin asked. I nodded. “Sure is! I’m heading up there to spy on Arius. And you?”

Strudarin’s eyes widened but all she did was laugh. “Typical Aven,” She chuckled. “You really are something else. Make sure you stay out of sight, would you? You wouldn’t want to get kicked out of Gatesborn for a week.”

I flashed a wink. “Don’t worry. I’m lighter on my feet than a cloud is in the sky! Nobody will know I was there. And you can be sure that I won’t get exiled… hopefully. Heh, heh.”

Strudarin rolled her eyes. “If you say so. I’ll be expecting to see you later this evening, then?”

“No promises.” I smirked as I wagged my tail. “You should know this by now, Stru. I can’t say one hundred percent that I won’t get my tail into a trap. By the way, are YOU coming to the Assessment? To watch, I mean?”

Strudarin shook her head. “Nope. I have to watch the shop while my nephew’s at the Assessment. You know, just in case someone decides to buy a souvenir during that whole event.”

I made a face. “Yeesh. You do you, I guess. But that sounds MEGA boring. In the meantime, I’ll be having FUN spying on my brother and definitely NOT jumping into the middle of the courtyard and making a scene.”

I dashed away, only to hear Strudarin’s scolding reply off in the distance behind me. “AVEN, NO!”

I laughed. “Aven, YES!” 

Before she could say any more, I climbed up a tree and hopped the nearby stone wall, disappearing from view.

After hopping a few more walls, I stealthily climbed another branch and sat there perched, shielded by a blanket of thorns and foliage. The ivy ran along the wall, so I was sure that within its shadow I would be disguised. It was a good thing the clouds overhead were partly covering the sun, too. If the sun was out, my blinding white fur would give me away.

I glanced over the wall and my jaw hung slightly open. The courtyard lay out before me, the huge temple-like courthouse at the north head of the border. The courtyard was a huge square of gray stone, and it was divided in the middle. On one side were all the male white manes, and the other side was the females. 

As of now, I was looking down into the male section. They were lined up, about a dozen each line, and there were about three lines. Their white, fluffy manes looked like wisps of fog under the partly cloudy sky.

I glared closer and found my brother Arius, standing beneath me. He was talking to Strudarin’s nephew, a huge, dark green aetyr with a powerful build. I don’t think I had ever really talked to him much before. 

I pricked my ears, trying to listen to what Arius was saying. I know, I know. Eavesdropping is bad, okay? But this is a bit of a bad habit of mine. I have HUGE ears. I can’t really help it.

“...What do you think you’ll get recruited for?” Strudarin’s nephew asked my brother. 

Arius sighed. “I’m hoping for maybe a palace guard. My night vision would really help accommodate that.”

I rolled my eyes. Arius was always going on about becoming a palace guard and whatnot. It was getting, frankly, kinda annoying.

“What about you, Strubin?” Arius asked him.

Strubin prodded his paw to his chin for a moment. “I’m not especially sure. I guess I’ll just be happy to make it out into the world. Gatesborn is a little… stale, you know?”

I held my breath. Great minds think alike! You know what I mean?

I felt an itch in my tail and I discreetly tried to reach over to scratch it. Suddenly, to my utter horror, I heard a crack. I paused, holding my breath and keeping deathly still. My pulse leaped.

Arius glanced up, and his ears bent back. “I think I heard something.”

Strubin shrugged. “Might just be the rocks settling.”

They stared up for a moment longer, then turned their gaze away. I gave a sigh of relief, then caught it AGAIN after I felt a rumble. 

Then the rocks gave way underneath me.

I yelped and plummeted down, to the courtyard below. A huge pile of thorns and foliage fell on top of me.

Arius jumped, then paused and sniffed the pile closer. I laid incredibly still, making sure not to breathe.

“...Aven, is that you?”

“...Nope. Come back tomorrow.”
I felt a claw grab me and throw me to my paws. I yelped indignantly. “Hey, watch it!” I snarled. “These thorns HURT, ya’know!” 

Arius’ violet eyes burned into mine, and he let out a hiss. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” He growled. “It’s ASSESSMENT DAY! You’re going to get yourself EXILED for showing up! You’re UNDERAGE by 9 MOONS!”

I threw up my paws. “Better than hanging out in Gatesborn! It’s so boring here. All we do is watch the shops, play in a jug band and count the clouds!”

Arius sighed as he placed his paw to his forehead angrily. “If you’re so bored, why don’t you help shepherd the Cowerrels? They run off everywhere. Yesterday there were a few who escaped and ran amok through town!”

“No, thank you! I’d rather count all 12,568,340,592 blades of grass on our lawn. Counting is still underway, FYI.” I rested my paws behind my head and glanced over at Strubin, eyes half shut. “So, when are the Black Manes getting here? I’m pumped!”

Strubin shuffled his paws worriedly. “Seriously, Aven, you should REALLY get out of here,” He whispered hastily. “If anyone else finds out you’re here, you’re going to be in serious trouble. You’re even in the male section, no less.”

“You would’ve had the mind of half a brain cell if you spied on the female section, Aven.” Arius added angrily. “And you know what that’ll do to me, right?”

I shook my head no, confused. 

“They’re going to take points off my credit, Aven! If they know that you’re my sister, that’ll put me in a bad light.”

“So what?” I mumbled. “At least if you get credit taken off, then you’ll finally shut up about that stupid palace guard job and possibly end up with Groom Of The Stool or something.”

Arius narrowed his eyes. “Why, you little-”

He charged at me, and I leaped aside as he barreled past.

He whirled around and snarled. “TAKE IT BACK!” He barked.

I stuck out my tongue. “Make me.”

He howled and raced across the patio, claws outstretched and tail streaming wildly behind him. His violet eyes glowed. 

I jumped over him, doing a backflip midair and landing once again behind my rabid brother. As he turned again, I reached down and grabbed a little rose, growing in between the cracks of the stone bricks. 

I waved the rose mockingly, and Arius snapped.

“THAT’S IT, YOU TWIT!” He roared angrily and raced back to me.

I stepped lightly out of the way and waved the rose as he streaked past me.

“Olé!” I laughed as he tripped over his own tail. “Bullseye! Bam-booey!” I mimicked a boxer and struck out at the air, wallowing in my victory. “I’m the champion! And I did it all without magic!”

“Aven, GO! They’re here!” Strubin whispered hastily, eyes wide. “Look! The gates are still open. You have a chance!”

“Huh? Oh!” I whipped around and turned, to see the gatekeepers beginning to push the huge doors shut. “Catch you later, losers! I’m gonna head out.”

I scampered at a breakneck pace, racing to the steadily closing doors. I was going to make it out, Arius would get his stupid job, and nobody would know that I was there. I wasn’t going to get exiled today, much less for the third time this past 12 moons.

“I’m going to make it!” I yelled for no reason whatsoever.

But then the gates closed, shutting me in and keeping the outside world… well, out.

I looked around, rubbing my bruised nose. “Looks like I didn’t make it,” I pouted quietly. 

Suddenly, a loud boom resonated throughout the courtyard; the sound of beating drums filled the area. 

“Oh, no…” I breathed, pressing my back to the closed gates. I hadn’t meant to cause trouble, but now that I was stuck here, I was going to end up getting exiled for a week, possibly even longer. And Arius would get points taken off his credit… not that I knew whatever the heck that meant.

I peered through the crowd and gasped. On the great stairs of the courthouse, a band of Aetyrim stood. But unlike everyone else I had met, they didn’t have white, fluffy manes. They had dark, black manes, the symbol of royalty and poweress. 

I felt my heart sink as a great bravado echoed through the crowd.

“LET THE ASSESSMENT CEREMONY BEGIN!”