I do not claim ownership of the Emelan universe or any of its characters. I do however claim ownership of Bao Chen as she is a creation of my own doing, any duplication of this character or unauthorized alterations to her format and personality will be taken as a personal insult and force me to possibly take legal action.
Chapter 1: First Impressions
The summer air clean and pungent after her time in the forge. It had been seven years since her exile from Yanjing, and two years since she moved in down the road with her brother and sisters.
Daja enticed her the way girls back home never could. But Daja could never want her, or so she thought, considering she was left handed plus add in her missing fingers she was a freak she wouldn't deny it.
Very often her deformity limited the work she could do, the prostheses her father had made was very simple and didn't even function half the time. And she was to proud to ask anyone make her a new one. there was no way she could do it herself limited as she was.
Movement caught her eye, the small glass dragon that acted of its own accord quite often, unless with the weather-witch, Tris, she believed her name was. the whole lot were a bit odd but she didn't mind she was a mage too, working with metal and fire much as Daja did, but also water.
The glass dragon began coming towards her, an athletically built Daja in tow. It settled on her shoulder and Daja spoke, her voice ringing like an angel between her ears "Chime what do you think your doing, leave that woman alone." a shrill cry was the dragons only response.
She reached up and stroked the creature gently and summoned the courage to talk, "I-I-It's f-f-fine," a stutter to her first words to Daja, "I-I-I'm B-B-Bao C-C-Chen," she soon found her courage depleted and walked back into her forge the dragon, Chime Daja had called it, still on her shoulder.
Daja followed the stuttering woman, Bao, into her forge as she attempted to shoo Chime from her shoulder that's when she noticed her left hand "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your hand?" she asked looking at Bao's a hand, as she grabbed at Chime, the living metal on her hand reacting to the heat in the forge
Bao zoned out as she began to tell her tale the stammer gone for the moment, "It was seven years ago I was an apprentice to my father. He was making swords for Yanjing's army, I had tried to help and removed a blade from the fire bare handed, I'm a smith mage like your self, and I stupidly played with it I didn't notice my elder brother enter it cut him from his his right eye to the corner of his mouth he still cannot use that eye and his face has a permanent sneer, in my attempt to stop it the hot metal severed my thumb, index, and middle fingers . My father made this prostheses," she held up her hand, "before my trial. It was either die or be exiled, I chose exile. They gave me my journeyman's certificate and I haven't been home since." She slowly began to cry thinking of her lost home.
Daja Just stared at Bao, for the first time seeing her beauty she couldn't be much older then 23. Despite the prosthetic fingers her body was not marred by scars, she was well muscled she had worked in forges for some time then or just kept very good care of her body. Daja could feel a stirring she hadn't felt other then when she had been with Rizu.
"Oh wow, I'm sorry if that brought up hurtful memories." Daja said as she pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Bao.
As Bao took the handkerchief she waved off the subject like it was merely a fly that could be swatted "I-I-It's f-f-fine d-d-don't w-w-worry a-a-about me." Sniffling between words her eyes slowly drying up.
Daja couldn't help but chuckle at Bao the other girl's stutter was just so cute. Daja held out a delicate yet muscled hand "May I see your hand please? If its not to much trouble I think I can make you one that would actually work."
"Y-Y-You w-w-would a-a-actually d-d-do t-t-that f-f-for m-me?" Bao asked more out of shock than anything.
Daja wanted an excuse to see Bao again without her foster siblings getting curious. Briar's thought came suddenly, Oh quite worrying we all know how you are you don't need to be ashamed of it.
Tris mumbled an agreement, she must have been lost in a book.
Sandry's agreement came shortly there after, I hate to admit it but I agree with Briar and she is, albeit in her own way, rather pretty.
Daja quickly answered them, She is isn't she. To Boa she said after a small pause, "Of course I would. It is rather hard for me to find a challenge these days and I have the time."
Bao almost leaped for joy as she hugged the younger smith remembering every detail of her body "T-T-Thank y-y-you," she swallowed her nerves returning "so much" Bao quickly kissed Daja then stepped back her nerves gone again. "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry I-I-I d-d-didn't m-m-mean t-t-to d-d-do t-t-that."
Daja quickly mentally yelled at her foster siblings, Get out! As she shut the doors to their minds. She stepped forward wrapping an arm around Bao's waist and kissed her again "Don't be."