Everyone whispered in excitement as parents led their children toward the field. The older boys ran ahead, each yelling that he was the best and so would be the Warrior.
“Ooooh,” cried Lilia, grabbing Reina’s arm, “I hope it’s Bryan! This is so exciting.”
Reina stopped herself just in time from saying she found Bryan hopelessly dense. You didn’t talk to a girl about her brother that way.
“Or maybe….” Lilia snickered. “Maybe it’ll be Kylen.”
“Yeah,” Reina said unenthusiastically. She hoped it wouldn’t be Kylen—she didn’t like the idea of him in a battle. What if another harpy attacked him and no one could save him? “Hey, don’t you wish girls could be warriors?”
Lilia giggled and shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to fight the Red Wizard! I’d be so scared.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Besides, the hero always marries a princess or a pretty village maiden. That’s how prophecies work.”
Reina wondered if Lilia was right. She thought of the harpy dropping from the sky. It had felt good to do something to protect her village. How hard could it be, becoming a warrior?
Ahead, the boys stood in a circle. Kylen and Ryan arm-wrestled. The older boys, the teenagers, folded their arms and tried to look tough. The Gold Wizard turned in a circle, looking them over.
“Bring out the younger ones too—don’t be shy.”
Reina smiled at the wide-eyed expressions of the younger boys as their parents marched them up to the circle and placed them there. How small four-year-old Davyd looked next to eleven-year-old Kylen! Some warrior he’d make.
A familiar whining caught her ear.
“Oh no,” Lilia said, smirking. “Looks like your brother’s scared.”
“He is not!” Reina protested, although the way he clung to Mama and refused to join the circle showed otherwise.
“Hah!”
Reina’s face burned, and she scowled at Lilia. “He’s just nervous, like he should be! Unlike those idiots who think being a warrior is all fun and games, he realizes it could be dangerous.”
She marched toward Mama and Austyn. I’ll show her. Austyn just doesn’t like crowds, but he’s brave too!
She grabbed Austyn’s shoulder, and he latched onto her with a death grip.
“Reina,” Mama complained, looking weary. “He needs to join the circle. Everyone’s waiting.”
“Don’t worry,” Reina said. “I’ll stand with him, to make him feel better.”
Mama sighed, but stepped back.
“I’m right here,” Reina said when they reached the other boys. “Don’t worry.”
“Don’t leave,” Austyn said.
“I’m not leaving.” Reina peeled his hands off her arm. “Don’t pinch. I’m staying right here.”
She ignored Bryan and Kylen, who made faces at them across the circle. She stood directly behind Austyn, her hands on his shoulders to steady him.
“What’s he going to do? Put a spell on us?” Austyn asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
Reina laughed. “No, silly. He’s just going to…uh….” She glanced at the Gold Wizard. He held a medallion in his hand, a round disk on a chain. “Uh, give that medallion as a present to one of the boys.”
“Oh.” Austyn brightened. “Maybe he’ll give it to me!” He turned his gaze to the Gold Wizard.
“Maybe, but I doubt it.” I hope not. Reina’s stomach fluttered. What if the Red Wizard had secret magic that was too powerful? What if the Gold Wizard picked the wrong boy? Would one of her friends die? If he’s the Child Warrior, he has to be safe, because the prophecy said he’d kill the Red Wizard. But for some reason, she still felt terrified.
The Gold Wizard held up the medallion. “This magic talisman will reveal to us the Child Warrior.”
The Gold Wizard twirled in a circle, his staff in one hand, the medallion in the other. A cloud of gold and silver light surrounded him, making the air sparkle. Magic! Fascinated, Reina couldn’t take her eyes off him as he spun faster and faster. Rainbow colors streaked from him, and the air filled with heat. It’s so beautiful! I wish I could do magic.
With a little explosion of color, the medallion whirled up into the air, high above their heads, still spinning. It zoomed around the circle and then flew downwards, like a shooting star with a rainbow tail.
And landed, sizzling in the grass, at Austyn’s feet.