Deep Green Series

Book I: Descendance

by

Amanda L. Saveley

For years, my people have lived and thrived in our own part of the forest of Deep Green. We have maintained our own traditions and way of life for hundreds of years, from the moment that Ezra Tyllen stepped on sacred ground and declared to the rest of the forest that he would make that ground his home, after having fled from another village, escaping persecution for his differences. From that sacred spot grew what is now my home, the city of Emaryu.

The story of Emaryu's origin has been passed down through my people from generation to generation, from mother to daughter, from father to son. My own parents are members of the Hephrosi, the official elite force that has always been the guardians of the descendants of Ezra Tyllen, our royal family.

Ever since I was young, my parents have stressed the importance that I pass the Hephrosi trials like my brother, Owen, before me. Both of my parents descended from Hephrosi that were their parents. One of my father's ancestors was one of the first Hephrosi, Cali Byzantique. She joined with a later Hephrosi, Katar Cameo. From the two descended my father's family, and the Hephrosi tradition.

That is why I, Catrice Cameo, must fulfill my destiny and become Hephrosi. I am very close to becoming that which I was meant to be. I am only seventeen summers old, but with the end of the summer, I will reach my eighteenth year. Then, I will be tested to determine my place in society.

There are several levels of society one is born into: the Narsi, or lower class, most of which have few skills; the Heshii, or middle class--our largest class; and the Tainta, or upper class, consisting of guild masters and craftsmen.

Then, there are different ways of making one's own place in society. There is the Alaysia, our local guard, and the Hephrosi, the royal guard. Both the Tainta and the Hephrosi are held in the highest regard. The only difference is that one as lowborn as the Narsi can be chosen for the Hephrosi.

My family is not looked upon kindly by the Tainta, mostly because we are Heshii Hephrosi. The Tainta thought that only other Tainta were good enough to protect the Tyllen family. This opinion often caused civil warfare between the Tainta and the Heshii.

My brother Owen was wounded during one of these battles, which led me to hate the Tainta and all of the people who thought that they were superior to everyone else. I decided that, when I was one of the Hephrosi, I would petition Galvesta to stop the fighting.

Galvesta Tyllen was Berure, the formal name for queen, and head of the Tyllen family, since her husband had been killed during a war with a neighboring people almost eight years before. She had two children, so it would only make sense that her eldest should inherit the throne. Her eldest, however, was a daughter, Natallia. The people thought that only a Tyllen should inherit the throne. Galvesta had only one son to do so: Sorren. Sorren Tyllen was rumored to have a cold disposition, much unlike his father.

Although I had lived in Emaryu all of my life, and we were the same age, I had never laid eyes on Sorren Tyllen. It seemed odd that I should not know what he looked like, since both of my parents were prominent Hephrosi. I thought it to be a good thing, since my best friend Traimi thought him to be handsome and was blinded to his coldness and the threat of being subjected to a lifetime of slavery.

However, my parents had seen him before, so I knew him by description. Even so, I knew very little. I knew that he was taller than me and that his blonde hair was slightly unkempt most of the time. My mother often remarked at his dark blue eyes that had apparent slivers of silver in them--a common trait of the Tyllen family.

Soon, like me, Sorren Tyllen would be eighteen. Although he turned eighteen a week before I did, he had to wait a fortnight before his coronation. I would be Hephrosi before then, depending on if I passed the trials.

What also depended on how I did at trials was where I would be placed. If I did well, I could be placed as high as personal guard to Galvesta herself. I knew that I simply wasn't enough to be a personal guard to Sorren. Usually only the top Hephrosi--mostly male--were placed as a guard to the Delarion, or king. My brother succeeded as far as being placed as personal guard to Natallia Tyllen, which put pressure on me to succeed.

Of course, that pressure was placed upon me at birth, but I didn't really feel the weight of it. I began to feel it for the first time a month before my birthday, as I sat on my bed studying. Owen entered my room, not caring that he hadn't been kind enough to knock.

"Quati, sister," he said lightly, dropping next to me on my bed, causing me to jerk slightly.

"Quati, Owen," I mumbled, not taking my eyes off of the scroll that I was studying, though I was thoroughly annoyed with my brother's presence, for it never meant that I would get much accomplished.

"It warms my heart to see that you are so serious about this Hephrosi thing," he said, a light teasing note in his voice.

"I just wish to be as serious as you, my brother," I said, apparent sarcasm in mine.

"Calm yourself, Cat. No need to get angry," Owen said gently, pushing a couple of stray dark curls away from his eyes. "I know how important this is to you. Mother and Father have been pestering you about this since you were a child."

"It just isn't as easy for me as it was for you," I said, trying harder than ever to focus on my scrolls, so that Owen wouldn't know the full effect his mocking was having on me.

He slid his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. "I'm sure that you'll do great. I was nervous, too, but it all worked out in the end."

"That's easy for you to say. You're a personal guard for Natallia Tyllen. When you're Hephrosi and you're working for the sister of a future leader, you have a good standing in society." I glanced over at my brother, with his dark, curly hair and celery green eyes. "It also helps that she obviously finds you attractive."

"Me? No," he denied, even though it was obvious in his face that he knew it was true...and he enjoyed it.

I groaned in annoyance and set my scrolls down to look at him. "Please, Owen, don't insult my intelligence. I know better. Everyone knows that she fancies you and that you do flirt with her, so quit trying to be modest. It doesn't look good on you."

He grinned unabashedly. "Okay, you win."

I rolled my eyes. It may have been true that he had seen four more summers than I had, but I was seven summers smarter. He acted like he was fifteen most of the time.

He jumped to his feet and straightened out his burgundy-colored slacks. He turned and gave me a mock salute before heading out the door, at which point I pulled off a shoe and threw it at the rapidly closing door.

I sighed and returned to my scrolls. A few minutes later, my mother, an older version of myself, entered the room, wearing a burgundy uniform identical to the one my brother was wearing. She looked at me and a surprised-yet-proud look crossed her face.

"Studying again, Catrice?" she asked.

I nodded. "Better to be prepared too much rather than not at all."

She smiled, nodded, and left me to my studies. Half an hour later, Traimi entered my room. Her hair, which varied in color from week to week, was an icy blue color. She grinned impishly and dived into my side on the bed.

I yelped and pushed her away. "Traimi, I'm trying to--"

"Study!" she finished for me, mimicking in a whiny voice. "Cat, you're always studying these days. What are you trying to prove? I mean, I know that you're going for some serious Hephrosi, but come on, you're already better than most of Galvesta's guards. The way that you obsess over those scrolls, I'd think that you wanted to be the captain of the Hephrosi team that guards Sorren Tyllen!" She grinned, her white teeth gleaming in triumph. "That, I could understand. I really wouldn't mind guarding Sorren myself."

I rolled my eyes, my annoyance deepening at the mention of my future leader and present object of contempt. "Yes, you would just love to tackle him, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah," she sighed dreamily. She glanced at me and her expression became serious. "Don't get me wrong, Owen is cute and all, but Sorren is gorgeous and smart, not to mention powerful..."

"And a completely overbearing, uninformed twit," I spat. "You make it sound like he's so wonderful..."

"And you make it sound like he's a tyrant!" she exclaimed, her face twisted in disbelief and ridicule. "Cat, you are overreacting. You've never seen him, never met him, and yet you pass judgment."

"I've heard enough to make an informed decision rather than base my opinion entirely on looks," I argued. "Besides, it's not as if you know him personally, so why are you getting so upset?"

She stood and faced me, hands on her hips. "You think you are so smart, Catrice Cameo. Well, you're not that smart. All you do is study, so you miss out on things that are really important."

"Like drooling over Sorren Tyllen like you do?" I asked bitterly. "Or shamelessly flirting with Natallia Tyllen like my brother? I really don't think that I'm missing out on much, Traimi."

She groaned and collapsed onto my bed again. "Cat, what are your parents going to do with you? No one will join with you if you keep on with that attitude."

I sighed and stared back at my scrolls. "I plan to become Hephrosi first."

"Then what?" Traimi asked, a hint of wonder in her voice.

I shrugged, for I really didn't know what my plans were beyond that point. "I don't know. Then, I am Hephrosi. I do my job. I protect the Tyllen family and other officials."

"Then what? That's can't be all there is," Traimi said, frustrated.

"I guess that may be true, but that's all I see for now," I responded.