Chapter 1: Life on Exile Isle
Exile Isle, Madra Clan in the New Armes Kingdom, 452 Solar Year
The heat from the flames was against her face, the suffocation from the smoke was in her mouth, and the smell of burning filled her nostrils, the distant sounds of screaming rang throughout her ears, and then there was nothingness. The young woman awoke from the horrible nightmare, rather a memory, she had to remind herself. When she was younger that same dream had haunted her, now at the age of 19 those same memories were an odd sort of solace to her.
The nineteen year old rose from bed, changed into her day clothes, and went to the mirror to adjust her white tunic. She looked at the face of the woman staring back at her in the reflection. Master Kalam always said, she had her mother's face, but her father's spirit. While she wasn't sure about the latter part, she did certainly agree about the former, at least ever since Kalam had given her the gift of her mother's cream color tunic for her 18th birthday.
Now Yvaine Burova, a young woman, was the spitting image of her mother, except for the color of her hair. Her dark blonde hair came from her father's side of the family. Otherwise, her medium build, fair skin, and fierce blue eyes, she had inherited them all from her mother. Yvaine like to keep her long hair pushed back and out of the way to make it easier for herself during combat. She kept part of it up in a bun in the back, while the rest of it was braided into an elegant ponytail common for most of the noblewomen in her country.
Her look was completed by her favorite attire. The sleeveless ivory-colored tunic was durable, but pliable, making it ideal for battle. The garb, also, had a gold and black trim along the collar, torso, and shoulders. In addition, she had matching white belt and boots. By contrast, she wore simple black pants and gloves.
Satisfied with her gear, she grabbed the two small, but very unique, flanged maces that were lying on the table next to the mirror. She fastened the two hilts to her belt. At that same moment, there was a knock at the door, before she could open it, a young boy around 12 years old walked into the room. "Haven't I told you a thousand times to knock before entering a lady's room, Jehan?" said Yvaine in a half-serious, half-amused tone. To which the now smirking boy replied, "You're not a lady, you're my sister! Besides, I did knock and you didn't answer. So, I figured you were sleeping in, again…"
Realizing she wasn't going to win the argument, she was about to change the subject, when two other young men approached the door way. Standing in the archway, the first one, who looked very similar to Jehan, asked sarcastically, "Is our sleepy sister, awake yet, Jehan?" "Yeah, she's up, Pierre, but I don't think she's awake yet. She's still pretty cranky. She was yelling at me too."
The third young man chimed in, talking over him, "She probably yelled at you, because you entered her room without permission…again." Now it was his turn to be interrupted as the happy youth shook his head no and replied, " No, Ren. I knocked first this time. I'll have you know. Besides she was already up and ready to go when I got here."
Both young men, who were about 16, stared at her with surprise by this latest news. It was not like Yvaine to be up and ready to go so early in the morning. Pierre interjected once more, "I guess you're excited too, eh sis? I guess you enjoy our little excursions off the island to get supplies as much as we do." Yvaine tired of being the center of the attention, changed the subject, "Did you guys get the list of supplies we need to get from Neser Village from Master Kalam?"
Now Ren spoke up again softer in pitch this time, "My dad, said we could get the list from him after breakfast and our morning training session." "Gee, I wonder why we have to wait until after training to get the shopping list this time! I don't suppose you know Pierre? Maybe, it had something to do with you skipping breakfast and morning training during the last supply mission run. You and Ren were halfway across the shore with the skiff and the list before the morning eggs had even been collected." recalled young Jehan of the previous month's trip.
A smile of guilt came over the otherwise normally serious and calm black haired young man. Pierre looked similar to his older sister. They had similar complexions, same color skin, and even the same narrow shaped nose, but Pierre took after his mother in that he too had jet black hair, which for him was short and parted on the side. The young man answered the charges against himself by saying, "In my defense, I wanted to get an early start on the day. Besides, it's not like I …." Ding. Ding. Ding. The sound of a distant bell had interrupted his flimsy defense.
"Oh boy, breakfast!" exclaimed the delighted Jehan, who looked like a shorter version of his older brother, say for his brown eyes, by contrast to the blue eyes of his older siblings. He was out the door like a flash and heading toward the kitchen. The older teens followed at a slower and calmer pace down the hall.
Ren nudged Pierre as though to remind him of something he had forgotten as they strolled toward the breakfast table. The young man, who was wearing matching black and brown clothes and accessories, remembered what he wanted to ask his older sister. "So, Yvaine, you still up for the usual supply day deal?" She smiled and replied, "Don't you two ever get tired of always rowing the skiff back and forth across the shore? I mean, you two are like what, 0-20 at this?!" "What can I say, we're feeling lucky this time," he added while placing his hand on the hilt of the rapier he wore on his side, "Plus, we've been practicing a new technique, right Ren?"
The other young man, a brown hair boy that was dressed in a simple dark blue shirt and black pants and boots, placed his hand on the hilt of his one-handed blade with excitement as well. Then, Ren looked at Yvaine and just smiled. "As thick as thieves you two are, I see. Alright, if that is what you guys want. The normal deal then. You two against me in our morning training practice. Loser rows us ashore both ways." the blonde warrior spoke in agreement. The two 16 year olds each exchanged confident smiles to each other as though they were communicating with each nonverbally in a secret language only they spoke.
Master Kalam was already at the table waiting for them. Eggs, bacon, and bread were on the menu this morning. When the 3 had arrived at the table, young Jehan was already half-way done with his plate of food. After each had finished eating and washed their dish, they made their way to the backyard, which the old fist fighter and Bujutsu master had converted into an outdoor dojo training arena years ago.
"Father, today is the day. We're going to beat Yvaine, you'll see." declared a confident Ren. "Ren, I have told you many times before, when we are in the training arena you will address me as Master. In this small world, I am your instructor. A father will have bias and favor toward his son. A teacher of true warriors must have none of those if he wishes to train his students to their fullest potential." spoke the bearded old man in a calm, but authoritative, manner.
Ren looked at the man before him. He was tall and stout, but it was strength not flab. He wore a simple red and white karate gi with arm sleeves that been cut off to reveal his muscular physic, which was still impressive for a man of nearly 50. He had black hair, which was starting to turn gray like his beard. Compared to the teens, who were all medium in stature and form, he was a giant of a man. "Sorry, fa..th...master, Master Kalam, I won't forget again."
The older man rolled his eyes, "You two boys seem more eager than normal. Is it the journey you three are taking today that has so invigorated you more than usual?" At this, Pierre interjected in his usual calm cadence. "Indeed, Master Kalam it has. Well, that and the thought of seeing my dear sister humbled at last." The dojo master shook his head. "Careful, young Burova, your confidence seems to be getting ahead of your sword skills yet again. But who knows, perhaps you have improved since last time. Draw your weapons and assume your places." he commanded.
Before they went to their respective sides, Jehan ran up to his big sister, and did something he normally did not do. He hugged her and wished her good luck. The two boys and Yvaine both found this strange as well. Master Kalam thought he had seen the boy hand her something, but thought better of it, and called the young lad to his side.
Yvaine made her way to the right side of the room and assumed a defensive stance. She withdrew her twin flanged maces. These weapons, her father had had especially forged for her years before at seeing how ambidextrous and agile she had been even as a small child. The weapons were unique in that besides being elegant and expensive in crafting, both had a simple locking mechanism at the bottom of each handle. So, they could become a single weapon, functioning as a staff in battle if needed.
Over a decade of training with the twin maces, Yvaine, under Master Kalam's watchful eye, had completely mastered them and could swap back and forth between locking and unlocking them in a thoughtless instant. In this way, the 2 maces could be used as a single staff weapon or as dual bludgeoning weapons, which gave, Yvaine more versatility and adaptability in battle depending on her opponent's weapons and tactics.
Pierre and Ren moved to the left of the room and drew their blades. Both were excellent and proficient duelists with their single-handed swords. Pierre used a rapier, which was the same kind of weapon his father had once used in his days as a knight. While Ren used a simple sabre. Jehan, excited by the action he was about to see, ran up beside and sat down next to Kalam, who was sitting in his customary spot in the middle on the side of the arena so that he could see all of their movements in battle clearly. "Begin." his calm voice declared.
Ren, immediately, took off to the right, while Pierre moved left, both moving in to try and surround the eldest Burova. Yvaine in a flawless motion locked her two weapons into a single staff and changed her forward stance into a rear one. Spinning the single weapon back so that now it was tucked behind her arm running parallel behind its outstretched length.
She knew they had something new planned for her. Their goofy smiles at breakfast had told her that much. She just had to draw it out of them and then find a way to counter it. In the meantime, she wasn't going to let the two surround her and attack her at one of her flanks.
Just as both swordsmen drew near to her and were about to attack, Yvaine had a new plan of her own. She tossed her weapon in the air like a baton, as the eyes of both boys went up following its movement; Yvaine went down. She thrusted herself downward and to the left and then pivoting her right leg out for a low sweeping heel kick. She knocked her brother's feet out from underneath him. He fell onto his butt, dropping his sword, and still unsure of what had just happened.
Concurrently, Yvaine had summersaulted away on her right shoulder away from her downed opponent. Her weapon which had reached its climax in the air, while she was knocking Pierre's feet from out of underneath him, was now falling back down to earth. Rising quickly to her own feet she extended her left hand catching her weapon midair. She had no time for another attack, because now Ren had closed the gap between them and was thrusting his blade straight at her.
Yvaine still had not found her full balance and her footing was off for dodging this kind of attack as she normally would have done. Instead, she quickly loosened her grip on the center of the weapon letting it fall through her hand until the blunt ball end, larger than her hand, stopped it from falling further. Re-gripping the shaft, she brought the end of her weapon, which was being held in her left hand, across her chest, up to her right shoulder, and then made a horizontal motion with her arm as though she were back hand slapping someone. The result was that Ren's forward thrust at her got diverted away by the sideward block of her unified maces.
She followed this up with another front kick of her own. Ren managed to dodge it. But, it did allow her the few seconds she needed to regain her footing and balance. Both warriors assumed an attack posture once again.
By this point, Pierre was back on his feet with his sword in hand and ready to fight. No longer concerned with attacking her flank, both men started attacking her head-on with quick slashes and jabs. Yvaine, unlocking her weapon back into two maces used her ambidextrousness to its fullest by combating each opponent with each hand. They would attack her and she would parry to counter attack them. They would block or deflect her swings. All three warriors were familiar by this point in their training with most of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Thus, a stalemate had occurred almost immediately.
However, experience was starting to show in this sparring impasse, whereas Yvaine still remained calm and in control of her emotions, the boys, particularly Pierre, were growing restless and emotional. "Careful, Pierre, you're starting to let your anger get the better of you. You need to channel it and control it. You too, Ren, your impatience is causing you to leave yourself open up to unnecessary exposure." the aged dojo master yelled out.
At these words, Ren called out to Pierre, "The plan is working, now's the time." The middle Burova nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Ren stopped attacking and jumped back. This action surprised both Kalam and Yvaine, but Pierre was ready for it. He simply extended his left hand, which was weapon free, back toward Ren as if he were waiting for something. Suddenly, that something shimmered in the air. It was Ren's sabre. Pierre caught it and was now wielding dual weapons himself.
A smile came over his face once more as he whispered to the blonde mace user, "You are not the only one in the family who has learned to fight with two weapons." Soon brother and sister were engaged in a one-on-one duel. Each was able to block and counter the other's moves, but it soon became apparent that Pierre's inexperience using two swords at once was starting to show. Yvaine whispered, "Nice try, but your plan to attack me with 2 swords isn't going to work." To which, Pierre smirked, "Attack you?! No, my job was to distract you. Hehe!" Out of the corner of her eye, Yvaine could now see him, Ren had not backed off, but rather he was now channeling some kind of a runic attack.
All of a sudden, the image of the lightning rune appeared over Ren's head as he shouted, "Thunder Runner." With those words, a streak of magical lightning came bursting forth out of thin air at Yvaine. It was too quick, even for her. She took the magical hit directly to the chest, which threw her back about 5 feet.
Both teens laugh a victorious cheer, "We did it! Our combo attack was perfect." one shouted. "Finally, the sweet taste of victory!" proclaimed the other. "At last, she can row the darn skiff ashore for a change" Pierre added to his gloating. Master Kalam said nothing, but merely pointed with his eyes toward the fallen warrior. The boys quickly turned their glances back toward Yvaine. She was groggy from the knockback, however the lightning spell seemed to have had no effect on her.
They were speechless. "How?" a confused Ren asked. Yvaine pulled out from her pocket a thunder amulet and tossed it at the two teenagers' feet. "When? What? How did you know?" Ren's confusion asked again. Yvaine replied, "You should know that a thunder amulet can resist most lightning spells particularly ones as weak as yours." Now laughter could be heard coming from the side of the arena. It was Jehan!
The truth now dawned on Pierre. He had found out their plan somehow. And when he had surprisingly hugged Yvaine at the start of the match, he must have slipped it to her without us noticing thought the middle child. "Traitor! Turncoat!" declared Ren who now realized the same thing.
These words didn't faze the youngest Burova, he just laugh harder. Master Kalam remained silent still. But he did again gesture the two warriors' gaze back toward Yvaine. However, it was too late. She was already on the move. Coming between them since they were close together, she fell to her knees skidding across the stone floor. She extended both her weapons in each hand striking at the legs of both men. The force of each blow caused both guys to fall flat on their backs.
Yvaine still on her knees, but with both swordsmen on their backs on either side of her, and at her mercy, she twirled her weapons and let the ball end of each mace land on the head of both warriors with a gentle thud. Implying that had this been a real fight and where she would have used the full force of her weapons, both men's skulls would have been crushed with that blow. "Yield?" she asked happily. Both men said in unison with a tinge of sadness in their voices, "We yield."
With that she rose to her feet, and extended a hand to help the other two up. After debriefing for a while with Master Kalam about ways each of the three could improve their techniques, he gave Yvaine the list of supplies (to the annoyance of Pierre) and dismissed the three of them.
The mace wielder hugged her little brother and thanked him for use of his special amulet. The two 16 year olds were less thrilled by his little trick. Jehan told them about how he had overheard them talking about their secret attack plans the night before and how he wanted to give Yvaine the amulet this morning in her room before breakfast, but Pierre and Ren had arrived before he had had the chance.
Yvaine smiled at the whole story, even the two guys had to eventually agree while annoying to their plan; it was a sneaky and clever move. They appreciated that part at least. Ren adding, "I guess we trained the little pup well, eh Pierre?" "Maybe, a little too well." Pierre retorted while softly punching the 12 year old's shoulder.
When they got to the beach, Jehan said his good-byes and lamented that he was not yet old enough to go with them to Neser Village to get supplies. The three pushed the skiff into the deeper waters and climbed in. Yvaine was prompt about handing the two oars to each guy and winked at them. Both grabbed a paddle and a side and then started roaring as they had done many times before thanks to Yvaine and their ongoing bet.
"Losing or not, at least were getting off this boring island for a day." said Pierre in a happier tone now. Ren joked back, "What's wrong with Exile Isle?" "That is such a stupid name, why did we even call it that?" responded the middle Burova child. "Because we were foolish kids and it rhymed when we arrived here all those years ago." answered Ren as though he thought they should already know the answer to this obvious question.
The rapier sword user lamented, "Years…it really has been 11 years since we came to this damn island. I am just tired of it, you know!? There is a whole Kingdom out there to explore in New Armes and we're stuck on that stupid island…Exile Isle." Pierre ended sarcastically. The son of Kalam sighed, "But we are exiles. My dad says it would be dangerous out there for us, you know?…. You've been quiet, Yvaine, what do you think?"
The woman remained quiet a few more moments watching the morning sun rise behind a drifting cloud. Then she spoke, "I do want to see this country, maybe even the Queendom one day. Maybe, when Jehan is a little older, Master Kalam while take us on a trip or something."
"Oh, come on sis, you know that isn't likely to happen anytime. Besides we could go ourselves. I mean between you, me, and Ren what stupid bandit or thief could take us on and win. We'd be unbeatable out there." She sighed now, "But what about Jehan? We've already lost mom and dad, Pierre. I would not have him lose his big brother or sister too. Not, if I can prevent it." Ren was silent, but her brother exhaled a deep breath of exasperation through which he acknowledged she was right. Whether they wanted to go explore the world or not, taking care of their little brother was still their most important mission he had to remind himself.
About 20 minutes later, they were across the water and on the other side of the shore. They pulled the skiff inland for a bit so the high tide wouldn't pull their ride home back out to sea while they were gone. They gathered their empty bags, and proceeded in the familiar direction toward Neser Village for food and supplies with Yvaine in lead of the little party.
Meanwhile, back on the island, Kalam and Jehan were practicing some sparring techniques when they spotted a small boat off in the distance coming towards them. Jehan thought it was Yvaine and the others, but the old warrior knew better; saying it was far too soon for them to be returning this early. Plus that boat, while small, was still much larger than their simple skiff.
At last the vessel drew close enough for Kalam to make out a figure standing on its deck. He told the boy, "Jehan, go inside quickly and do not come out of your room, until I come get you. Do you understand?" The boy tried to protest, but when he saw the look in his master's eyes he knew better than to push the issue further and went and did as he was told.
Kalam watched him enter the house and turned his focus back toward the ship, which had now docked. The giant warrior went to meet his unexpected and uninvited guest. A cloaked figure walked off the ship onto the shore and lifted up a hand in greetings, "Ah, Master Kalam, right? As I recall, you were Allister's old dojo master, were you not? It is good to see that you are well."
Still not dropping his guard out of caution, the old fist fighter inquired, "You have me at a disadvantage, sir. You know who I am, but I have yet to know your name. Are you are friend or foe?" The hooded figure removed his covering revealing his face. Kalam dropped his guard after identifying who it was. The visitor said with a sudden concern in their voice, "We need to talk immediately. There is a new situation brewing and it could very well affect not only you and your son, but the lives of the 3 Burova children, and possibly even the whole Kingdom of New Armes..." Kalam replied, "Come, tell me all about it!"
Author's Note:
I hope you liked the first chapter of my new fanfiction. This story is going to be huge in scope and long in breadth. Make sure you check out the wikia to fill in some of the story's background and extra details that I won't have always have time to fully address in the story itself. The wikia website is suikoexilesDOTwikiaDOTcom.
The War of the Exiles is going to be starting soon and it will be quite epic!
Please read, review, and share with others. Thank you all so much!
