Endless Fields

Chapter 1

“YO ROUX! YOU GOOD OVER THERE?!”
The dark-haired girl looked up at her Second over the corn and grinned at him. The sandy-haired boy was grinning like a complete dork as he tossed a corn stalk at her. She danced out of the way so as not to get cut on the sharp leaves, laughing.
“Sparrow! You know those are sharp! Be careful!
Sparrow Corbin simply smiled even wider as he picked up his basket and started making his way over to Roux. He bent down, his hair partly covering his eyes until he was level with the smaller female. The girl grinned as she leaned forward till they were nose-to-nose, and then yelped as he licked her face. She frantically rubbed at her face, laughing, and shoved him roughly. Sparrow took it into his stride, hip-bumping her playfully. Sparrow was her best friend, practically her brother. Roux Meadowlark was the Lead Harvester and she controlled what went up to the skies and when it went up. She still remembered vividly when the CloudWalkers ran a campaign against her, trying to overthrow her. She forbade the Collectors from taking anything back up to the skies for three weeks until the protesters retreated and stopped their campaign. She had a tight grip on the Floating Cities and she used it however she pleased. The Collectors, Tinsley and Karen, were nice enough but scared to death of her. She grinned as she followed Sparrow to the barn where they would put their crops that they had harvested. Roux Meadowlark was borderline 5’1 and didn’t look like she could even cause a bruise. But looks were deceiving. She could break bones with her bare hands and people knew it. The boys who liked her would describe her as nicely built with waist-length brown hair and a long scar decorated her cheekbone. Her black eyes seemed to stare right into a person’s soul. She was tanned to the color of soft caramel with freckles EVERYWHERE. Sparrow Corbin was her Second-in-Command and looked mean but she knew that he was a big ol’ softy. About six foot and around a hundred sixty pounds (almost all muscle), he looked downright terrifying when you counted in his scars. He had a dopey sort of smile that put butterflies in a person's stomach and soft grey eyes. His muscle ratio went well with his height and he liked to show off whenever he was around Roux. The Harvesters were a bit of a scary bunch due to their numbers and looks but Roux knew that a lot of them were pushovers. She was the youngest leader by far, gaining power at age thirteen and keeping it for the last five years. They reached the barn and she handed over her basket to Sparrow so he could store the corn for the Collectors to pick up. She grabbed Sparrow and hissed into his ear,
“Make sure there’s less than the quota in the bags. Remember what they are trying to do to us.”
He nodded and walked over to Bird, one of the Stock-Managers, and passed on the message. Bird nodded and took the baskets, vanishing into the dark shadows. Roux didn’t like the Stock-Managers. They were always super skinny and had that ghoulish look to them that sent shivers down her spine. Sparrow gave her a nod and went up the stairs to the upper levels, most likely to check up on the Underlings. Roux turned as the barn door swung open, letting in one of the younger Harvesters. She grinned as she saw the familiar red hair and a freckled face that belonged to Blair, her favorite Wrangler. Blair was an absolute sweetheart and pretty short for a thirteen-year-old. Sometimes you could get a glimpse of her running through the fields, her shock of red hair streaming behind her. The Wranglers took care of the fruit, making sure that they stayed tame and under control. Blair didn’t stop to talk as she rushed down the stairs to meet up with the others of her group. Roux smiled and turned around, making her way towards the back where the wheat fields lay. The moment she laid her hand on the door, it swung open and she came face-to-face with Axe Balker, the head of the Wheat Harvesters. He was always a little skittish around her and the moment he made eye contact with her, Axe blushed and quickly made his way past her. She found him curious because he loomed over her and outweighed her by seventy pounds so she didn’t understand why he acted the way he did whenever he was around her. He was taller than Sparrow by four inches (much to Sparrow's dismay) and wielded a sickle with deadly precision. He had a sweet face and hair the color of brownies that was as soft as it looked. He had green eyes that went well with his entire appearance and, even though she wouldn’t admit it, Roux liked to look at him whenever he wasn’t paying attention. At nineteen years old, the other Harvesters were surprised that he never tried to take control of the Harvesters and others said that he was terrified of making Roux mad. She smiled at his retreating form and went outside to check on the progress. She waved at Wheatly, AKA Wheat, who had dirt on his face. The ones working in the field paid her no mind, which she took as a good sign because it showed that they were working diligently. Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and, to her shock, found herself facing Tinsley.
“Sorry Tinsley, we’re not ready for transport.”
“I’m not here for the food. I wanted to tell you that the Prince has gone missing. His parents believe that he’s fled here.”
She scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“If Prince Ashby was here, I would be sending his butt right back up to the Floating Cities with his tail between his legs. I don’t have time for posh prats like him. Now, if you're not here for the food, get out of here.”
Tinsley winced and dashed off, kicking up dust in her wake. She laughed as she ran off.
“Good riddance.”