Lost Horizon (Sample)

Chapter 1 - Rex and Chase

His eyes activated.

Messy black hair was strewn atop his face in an unkempt manner. His tired yawn filled the empty space slowly being consumed by the light of the rising sun. Living in this society in his current position meant he'd to make sacrifices, especially if he wanted to keep the ones he loved protected. One of them was waking up earlier than he would've liked. Arising from his bed he stretched his hands into the air. 

His room looked the same as it always did. Bookshelves opposite his bed were stuffed with various novels and texts. A creaky ceiling fan rotated its blades. The wooden floor was as old as ever. Finally, the door directly ahead of him cracked open. Compared to the gleaming estates of the higher-ups it wasn't anything special though he didn't mind. It was home.

In a mere five minutes, he was ready to start the day. He donned his usual attire: A black jacket with a plain white shirt underneath, long dark pants, and a pair of old boots. After tending to his untamed set of hair he exited the room. Declining the noisy steps of the two-storied house an unusual smell infiltrated his nostrils. Waiting for him on the wooden kitchen table was a bowl of steaming porridge. 

This is bad. 

He preferred preparing his own food as he didn't trust others to prepare it for him . . . Unless it was his father. It wasn't that he didn't trust the person who made this meal, however, there was a rather lengthy history of his brother cooking absolute monstrosities. Quietly, he grabbed the bowl and tip-toed to a window sill nearby. Perhaps if he could dispose of the dish he wouldn't have to-

"Finally awake, are you?!" Standing behind him, a wide smile cracked on his face, was his younger brother. "And to think, you're always scolding me for my tardiness. Yet today, I made breakfast. Not the best look, Chase," Rex chuckled.

"But you still haven't come to the realization your clothes are in disarray," Chase retorted with a smirk. Like always, Rex wore the same: A sleeveless red shirt dotted with tears and long grease-stained pants accompanied by a worn-out pair of boots. His shirt revealed the sequence of black numbers imprinted on his right shoulder. Then there was his tightly tied necklace, a diamond-shaped gold pendant hanging from his neck. His attire very rarely altered, Rex adopting a style unique to him. "Sometimes I wonder if you've got a grudge against being clean."

"Very funny!" he grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Why fuss over such minute details? Who am I trying to impress, the customers? Most of them are rich nobles who live it up in the higher districts. If you ask me, they should just keep their mouths shut and pay us for all our troubles."

"Don't be ridiculous. If you go spouting off to a noble sooner or later you'll catch hell. Have you already forgotten last month's incident?"

"It wasn't my fault! That idiot had no idea how to drive a stallion! He just blamed me for doing a "bad job at fixing it" so he wouldn't be embarrassed in front of the flocks of women coddling him!"

"You think they care? In their eyes, those in the possession of power and jen rule Sanctuary. I mean, what does Dad always tell us?"

"Never look a bull lizard in the eyes?"

Rex received a smack atop his head. "Challenging the revered is a recipe for disaster. It doesn't matter who's right or wrong. As long as they're capable of buying your entire livelihood with a flick of their wrists then you should simply bite your tongue and let them get their fill of enjoyment. Although, I don't know why I'm telling you this. You'd punch a noble in the face without a second thought." 

Most survived by hiding their true self. Judgments. Feelings. Personas. Keeping them locked inside one would prevent the attraction of unwanted attention. Unfortunately, the same didn't apply to Rex. Chase knew it and so did their father. His failure to control his emotions and actions came with the detriment of him constantly getting into trouble. Whether it be an enforcer or a dissatisfied customer, Rex's uncaged personality blossomed all the same.