I

My world consisted of seven cities. A city for each sin, and aptly named so; Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy and Gluttony. I lived in Wrath. 
It was early morning, and looking out my window from my bed revealed a sea of copper coloured sky. Here in Wrath, any shade of red was acceptable. Our sky, grass, leaves, bush, clothes, people, buildings, all of it red. If it was not all red, then it was there at least in some form. You'd think you would be sick of seeing it everywhere, but it was surprising just how many shades belonged to a single one colour.
Swinging myself out of bed, I pulled on my hunting clothes; worn looking but sturdy made black leather boots were pulled over my dark green hunting trousers, a cotton black jumper tucked into the band of my trousers. The clothes had been a gift when I joined the morning patrol of the forest, and at first I had felt uncomfortable wearing them. Given that red was our city's colour, wearing anything else felt perverse, but it became abundantly clear the first time I entered the forest why we didn't wear red. Pulling a brush through my fiery scarlet hair, I scooped it up into a bobble, hoping to keep it out of my eyes. Red eyes, like everyone else in Wrath. Inevitably with constant moving, strands of hair fell loose and got in my face enough times that I'd considered shearing all of my hair off. Being a girl of course, I couldn't. It was a pain when hunting but I loved my tresses all the same.
At the bottom of my bed lay my bow and arrow, onyx black in colour, across a deep chest filled with various hunting necessities; spare knives, ropes, lighters and matches, string, bottles, everything and anything I needed really. Pulling the bow and quiver full of arrows over my shoulders, I hauled open my window and jumped out, landing neatly on the ground a floor down, the maroon grass softening the fall. I often patrolled the border forests early mornings, and jumping out of my window became a sort of routine for me. The jolt as I hit the ground helped sharpen my mind, just what I needed for where I was going.
Out of all the seven kingdoms, Wrath was the largest. Sitting at the top centre of Wrath was the heart of the city, lavish with palaces and mansions, all sorts of imaginable entertainment facilities, dining facilities and top schools for the gifted. From there radiating outwards, the houses became less grand, the facilities less raved about, the schools inhabited by commoners rather than gifted students. But even at the outskirts of Wrath, the areas considered poor, the citizens still had a comfortable life of living, with enough money to see them through their lives given they were sensible with it. Which of course, knowing their situation, they were.
Me? I lived on the outskirts of the city that lay closest to the bordering forests. For most people it would bother them, living here. The forest gave citizens an unnerving feeling as they heard stories of the creatures that dwelled within, yet for me, it had never bothered me. I would rather face the horror head on and know where my enemy is than run away.
Since my house was at the edge of essentially everything, I had the relief of meeting no one as I headed off to patrol, which meant each morning I could take the path to the forest in peace, just the way I liked it. Living in such a large city, with all sorts of people bustling and swelling around you on a constant daily basis until night hit had turned me against the idea of seeking anyone's company bar my own when I had the choice. A few friends were about the only people I tolerated being with, and even at that I tried to keep the time we spent together on my own terms.
The smell of the air turned damp as the forest loomed closer in sight, and under that lingered the faint trace of rot. Something about the protective barrier surrounding Wrath stopped the stench that lay in the forest from seeping in to the city; the citizens would never realize how valuable the barrier was at times.
Ahead I could see Statham, the leader of our patrol, waiting with arms folded. It was impossible to pass the barrier without a seal, and that seal came directly from our ruler, Arcadius. The first time I'd joined morning patrol, I questioned why the barrier needed protecting. If we couldn't get by without a seal, then how could the creatures get in to Wrath? The response from Statham was simple; it was none of my business. My job was to protect the barrier and kill the creatures, nothing else. No questions about the barrier, no questions about the creatures. I was to remain in the dark, but it didn't stop me from wondering.
Stopping just in front of him, I craned my neck, eyes travelling up the bulk of his massive body until I met his eyes. Statham was not a force to be reckoned with. Dressed in an outfit similar to mine - only he wore a vest top and I a jumper - it strained tightly across him. He was an easy two metres tall, two metres of sheer muscle and unbound cunning and intelligence. His arms were the width of my waist alone, veins constantly bulging under his tan skin. Piercing red eyes glared into my own, a strip of rust coloured hair down the middle of his otherwise bald head slipped into his right eye. A grunt of annoyance and he swept it away down the back of his head. Clearly, it had been a tiring night. Statham always kept his hair slicked back under the control of gel, but with his hair falling out of its usual style it was obvious what sort of night he'd had.
"Statham." I said, firmly. Statham didn't like weak emotion. Anger was about the only emotion he could tolerate, and if I wasn't going to be angry then I couldn't be anything. Empty. That was the way to be.
"Elysia Nyx." he acknowledged me with my full first name as usual.
"Just Elysia!" I spat at him. Anger. Every day he called me Elysia Nyx, every day I had to remind him just to call me Elysia. I was more convinced however he said this just to wind me up, as was his nature, and it worked a treat every time. Something about being called my full name just irked me.
With a smirk he turned his back to me, and began to trace the seal on the shimmering red barrier. I couldn't see what it was, I wasn't allowed anyway. But considering I only stood at elbow height next to Statham, I had no chance of seeing over his bulk. The barrier rippled and Statham stood back, waiting for a large enough area of colour to dissolve before we could step through.
The smell of damp and rot escalated quickly as the barrier dissolved, I eased around Statham and stepped through the hole, the full scale of the intense smell burned my eyes, throat and nostrils. A moment later, Statham stepped through. I watched his face for signs of the smell hitting him, but he remained expressionless. I didn't expect any different really, but each day I looked to his face, hoping to catch him off guard.
Turning, I took in the full view of the forest. Out here, it was like an entirely different world. Everything around me was awash with greens, browns, blacks. Dressing in similar colours helped us to disappear within the world around us. It might have been beautiful in a way, if it weren't for the smell, or the creatures that lurked within. With the forest being the way it is, it made sense we dressed in colours to match our surroundings. Blending with our surroundings was key, albeit not that difficult considering our enemy seemed to only be able to see a few metres ahead of itself. However, its sense of smell and hearing seemed to more than make up for that.
A shove on my shoulder from Statham indicated his impatience, "Move!" he barked, stomping ahead of me. Normally I wouldn't tolerate anyone trying to push me around. It was another thing that angered me quickly, another thing I had to work on. But Statham was not just another person I worked with, he was my mentor, and that counted for everything. I followed after him, becoming his shadow, keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings as we made our way to the rest of the group. My eyes strained after glimpses of white, but nothing jumped out at me during our short journey.
Ahead, a group of four stood, wiping down their weapons with moss to erase the dirt and blood coating them, watchful eyes darting about their surroundings.
"Niobe. Lark. Crew. Kaius." I greeted each of them with a polite nod; Kaius was the only one to respond.
"Hey, Nyx!" he said cheerfully, struggling to keep his voice low. I smiled. Kaius was my greatest friend and my usual hunting partner on morning patrols, and the only one who called me Nyx. I moved to stand next to him, all five sets of eyes focused on Statham.
"Okay runts you know what to do. Niobe and Crew, you two start heading left and get to Zone Three. Lark, you're with me, we'll be going to Zone Two. Elysia, Kaius, you're going to Zone One. Are we clear on this?" he stared us all down, daring one of us to object. We knew better though and so said nothing.
"Well move then!" he roared, breaking through the group to move ahead to Zone Two.
The Zones were simply trees spray painted red with their corresponding number, but each were in vital locations. Zone Three was the furthest from the city, and deemed far enough out that anything beyond could be ignored. Zone Two stretched up and away behind, deeper into the forest, which left Zone One the closest to the heart of Wrath.  If you could imagine an invisible line connecting all three Zones, it would form a large semi-circle. This semi-circle was the danger area, the one we fought to keep clear of the creatures - Monochrome's as Statham called them. 

The walk to Zone One was a silent one. Kaius took the lead, gripping his falchion tightly in his right hand, occasionally swinging it from side to side to clear the tangle of the under brush that speckled the forest floor. Behind him, I held my bow sheathed with arrow in a more relaxed manner in my hands, pouring my concentration instead into our surroundings. White. My eyes burned to see it, yet nothing appeared. All too soon it seemed we had found our Zone, a large red '1' sprayed onto a tree trunk.
"Strange, we didn't encounter a single Monochrome." Had it really been that bad last night? I walked slowly around the tree, sweeping my eyes across the forest around me.
Kaius walked up to the barrier that separated us from the city, distorting the shapes of the buildings as he peered through. He pressed his hand against it, watching a small ripple emanate from his hand, growing larger as it pushed outwards before abruptly vanishing.
"Maybe we got lucky." chuckled Kaius, turning to me. I smiled in reply, then stiffened immediately.
A soft breeze carried a scent down to me, a scent that burned my nostrils, a sickening smell if ever I knew it. A Monochrome. I forced myself to take in a lungful of air, feeling the transition as I cleared my mind, my body of the stench. My eyes would be turning black now, just like Kaius' were doing, our stances becoming more determined, stronger, more self assured.
Kaius and I had something that not many citizens lay boast to; a Skill. In Wrath, there were four known Skills; Survivor, Vigor, Fighter, Power. My Skill was Survivor, while Kaius' was Vigor. As we use our Skills, our bodies change. Our eyes turn black, leaving just a sliver of a red ring at the edge , and it feels like your mind and body is opening up, accepting something that it has somehow always known it had. With these Skills, we have a better chance of fighting the Monochrome's and keeping the barrier safe, which is why everyone who volunteers for patrol must be put through their paces.
Quickly I readied my bow, eyes darting around the forest as I took tiny leaps towards Kaius, who stood tall and powerful, holding his falchion in a more deadly stance. White. It flashed seemingly out of nowhere, rushing its body towards us, while another four flanked its rear.
"Oh hell." muttered Kaius. We hadn't really expected five to show up all at once, it didn't happen often in the morning. Locking my sight on to the first Monochrome, I set my arrow loose, the shaft burying deep into its eye, another sailing after it striking it in its heart. It tumbled to the ground, shrieking and twisting its body as it died. Kaius was off at a run, charging the next one. He swung for its head, it would have been a neat decapitation had it not leapt up in an arc, smashing into Kaius' chest, scrambling to gain a hold of him. Kaius' hands darted for the Monochrome's ankles, gripping them tightly before swinging the creature over his shoulders. A sickening crunch sounded as it collided with the barrier, falling to the floor in a heap. Another dead.
I left him to deal with the other and took on the last two that bounded their way to me, black saliva dripping from their gaping, bright red mouths, several rows of yellow jagged teeth snapping with each bound. Here, my Skill really would be something I'd be forever grateful for. Had I not been in Survivor mode, I'd surely be paralysed with fear as the Monochrome's raced to me, tearing me to shreds. But I was in Survivor mode, and all of my instincts burned with the sheer need to indeed survive. 
I sent one arrow flying right into one of the Monochrome's open mouth and it howled, wriggling and clawing at its face, teeth snapping off the remaining shaft of the arrow that stuck out. One more in its heart and it'd be dead. But the second was already in the air, rushing towards me, ready to wrap its gangly limbs around me and tear a chunk out of my neck. It was too close to send an arrow into its heart, so instead I gripped an arrow tightly in my hand and drove it in to the creatures neck just as it connected with me, sending us both to the ground with a heavy crash. 
It screamed above me as I drove the arrow shaft further into its neck, straining to get free from underneath as its saliva dripped down. Some splattered onto my throat, and instantly it blistered.
"F**k!" I yelled, curling my legs up to my chest to boot the Monochrome off.
"Nyx!" Kaius called out, I could hear him rushing towards me, could see the previous Monochrome had successfully ripped the arrow out of its throat and was ready to jump, on which of us I couldn't tell. It didn't matter though, I notched an arrow and sent it deep into its heart before it could move, just as Kaius beheaded the one who floored me.

I was hauled up to my feet like a rag doll by Kaius, hand wrapped firmly around my bicep, keeping hold until I steadied my feet. Setting them down, I wiggled my arm and he let go, allowing me to pull my bow and quiver more comfortably across my shoulders. I set off to collect the rest of my arrows embedded within the Monochromes around us. With Kaius next to me, we took quiet steps to the nearest Monochrome, still alert with adrenalin, straining our senses to catch any other creatures that may be in hiding.
Moving my neck reminded me I'd been burned with the black saliva that fell in gloopy strands from the gaping mouth of the Monochrome's. It still stung, but we were all used to them by now. It would be easy enough for me to wait until patrol was over before I applied some ointment to the burn.
Putting my foot on the chest of the Monochrome I'd booted off myself earlier, the one whose saliva had burned me, I leant over to rip the arrow out of its throat. Its body was mostly a waxy white colour, but thick swirls of black twisted around its gangly body, giving it its apt name. The eyes were a dull black in colour, large and wide set in its surprisingly human looking head. With a twist I yanked out my arrow, sighing as I done so. A wasted arrow now that the Monochrome had broken half of it with its powerful teeth.
"Yuck." I muttered, tossing the arrow away.
A soft squeeze on my shoulder from Kaius made me smile and straighten up. He moved off to the next Monochrome, helping to collect my arrows. A short while later and my quiver was full again, all arrows wiped clean and tucked safely away. There was nothing to do but wait now, keeping an ever watchful eye for any other Monochrome's waiting to attack.
Looking back down to the barrier, the sight of the crumpled Monochrome Kaius tossed over his shoulders earlier caused my body to turn, my legs to start moving towards it. It was a grotesque sight. The back of its head had caved in when it connected with the barrier, face buried down into the ground next to it. Arms bent in odd angles behind its back, hips twisted at a broken angle.
Interestingly, a pool of saliva was spilling out of its open mouth, building up against the barrier. Taking a couple of steps closer, I could see that where the saliva touched the barrier, the red shimmer had melted, revealing a small opening into Wrath.
"What the.." I stepped closer still, crouching down to examine it. Behind me, I could hear Kaius approach.
"What are you looking at, Nyx?" he inquired, leaning over me. Turning my eyes up to Kaius, I blinked, hardly able to believe what I was about to say.
"The saliva.. it's melting the barrier Kaius!" I turned back to the barrier in amazement, feeling Kaius' hands on my shoulders as he took a closer look.
"Holy hell.." he whispered, scarcely able to believe it himself.
This meant.. a lot of things. Here, at last, was the reason we protected the barrier. If their saliva was powerful enough to melt it, then it meant that the creatures could easily get in and attack our city. In all our times of patrolling, not once had we even witnessed such a thing. Monochrome's were taken down before they even reached the barrier, so it was impossible to know that their saliva was a method of destroying it. It also now meant that if I collected enough saliva, I could enter the barrier myself. Whenever I wanted. Alone. Without needing Statham and his seal. Perhaps Kaius would come with me. Likely he would, actually, he was always around. Even at my house he just lets himself in at his own leisure, any way he pleases. It's pointless locking the doors and windows, he's so powerful he can just rip the door open, or haul the windows up. So, I leave them open, and no longer get surprised when he visits, no matter what time it is. 
We stood up, and together pulled the broken Monochrome away from the barrier, hoping the ground would soak up the saliva and the barrier would replenish the hole again.
"Kaius.. do you realize what this means? We could come here whenever we wanted, if we collected enough of their saliva.No wonder they never explained why it was so important the barrier be protected by us. With their saliva, we could enter here and go beyond Zone Two, see what's out there!  You've heard whispers of a place where these Monochrome's originate from, aren't you curious?" I looked at him seriously, willing him to know there was no messing around this time, unlike when we would joke about leaving Wrath, perhaps seeing the other cities we'd briefly been taught about in class, where ever they are. He looked around his surroundings, taking his time before meeting my eyes. Crimson hues peered into my own, searching for what, I couldn't be sure.
I stood my ground, the back of my mind vaguely taking note of my warming cheeks. Say something! I urged, fighting the desire to look away from his curious eyes. 
"Nyx.." he said softly. I swallowed. What, Kaius?
A crackle in the air above us broke the tension and both our heads snapped up. A red flare had been released into the sky. It was time to move. We were expected to go to Zone Two now. They would be headed to Zone Three, and those to were we where, Zone One.
Whatever Kaius was about to say was gone now, lost in the moment. The flare would alert surrounding Monochrome's in Zone Two, so once again we would be expecting a battle. It was no time for conversation. A quick glance between us and we set off.