It was getting dark. Jil stood on the stone balcony of the Royal Castle of the Kingdom of Uruk aimlessly watching the townsfolk mill about far below. The great castle once home to King Gilgamesh was now inhabited by -in addition to the various servants and royal folk –Kaaya, (and on occasion) Jill, Fatina, Utu, and even Coopa and Melt when they decided to pay a visit.
"Jil," Fatina called as she walked out onto the patio to join him. "You should come inside, it's getting cold."
"I know," he replied in angst. The sun dipped between the clouds as dusk neared.
Fatina eyed him curiously, but with pity for his ongoing torment for the loss of his brother. "It's him isn't it?"
"…Yeah" Jill replied after awhile.
"Listen Jill. We already looked. We searched for days along the water's edge for any sign of him but found nothing. He was probably buried under the ruble and if that happened, we will probably never find him! So just… stop this okay? You've done enough."
"I know…" replied Jil as he gazed at the bustling city below. Another long silence passed between them before Jil spoke again, "But I just can't shake this feeling that he's still alive. Somewhere… I don't know… I can just feel it-" he turned back around to meet the face of an angry Fatina. She looked like she was about to cry which only made Jil feel worse with concern for her.
"Well fine!" followed Fatina, turning and beginning to walk away. "But Jil… This is only going to cause you more pain-and if you ask me-he doesn't deserve it." On seeing Jil's unwavering gaze towards the ground she continued, "You know, I bet Kaaya agrees with me."
"Yeah? You're probably right, but if you really think so why don't you just go ask her yourself?!" Spat Jil angrily. He bit his lip so as not to say anything worse and to prevent himself from crying. Fatina, although put off by his tone, still could not help but show concern for him. Jil really did miss his older brother-more than anyone-
"Damnit!" yelled a loud and rather spirited girl as she stepped off the train platform in the village of Rizo, on the outskirts of Uruk. "Why did she have to give me an F? So what if I couldn't perform the spell right? I still got a perfect score on the history test!" She spoke even louder as she walked (more like pounded) down the dirt road, red hair swaying in the breeze (the breeze made by her own raging red aura). "But I guess the spell is more important than knowing which family of nobles supplies our village. Here on the outskirts of Uruk, in what used to be the old country of Sumar, no one seems to care. Oh, but it's all about the spells now!" she yelled sarcastically, only partially aware of the numerous awkward looks being given her by passing market people. The piles of armor she carried back into town (after picking them up from the carter at the train station) swayed precariously from side to side with each not-so-graceful step.
"Damnit!" she slammed down her foot upon reaching the threshold of her grandfather's rickety old shack of a house.
The home as it stood, was built in the same fashion as many of the houses of this district: high up into the trees and winding between them with a somewhat elegant construction, withstanding much of the nastiest weather and helping the villagers avoid demon attacks from the nearby haunted forest. However, her grandfather's home was much less classy than many of his neighbor's; with a grass-thicket roof and old, splintering wood walls; it looked more like the type a wolf could knock down with one blow.
"What was that shaking?" her grandfather called from inside.
"Eeeuug!" she slumped over, her knees threatening to give out in self pity.
"Ah," breathed the old man after noticing her. "Aleja, my sweet granddaughter, I love you- but if you're going to do that you'll bring the house down."
"Ahaha! Sorry Grandpa. I didn't mean to," replied Aleja, her hand reaching for the back of her head in embarrassment.
In the doorway stood her grandfather; an old man in gray patchwork clothing two sizes too big and shoes resembling tan mud-spattered moccasins. A light gray beard grew from his jaw which was almost a foot long.
"It's fine. Just come inside already, you'll catch a cold."
"Sure Grandpa," Aleja answered.
"Hey, is that her?" a voice called from inside.
"Kyohei!" Aleja yelled, "I'm back!" The young girl raced through the house, past an unfamiliar curtain, and out into the backyard where her cousin, a young man with braded gray hair, dark sooty gray eyes, and a purple mark on his left cheek stood, smiling and leaning on an ax covered head to toe in sweat. His clothes hung off his overworked body and-like their grandfather's-were also a tad too big. A pile of freshly cut firewood and a worn chopping stump stood next to him.
"I would hug you, but I don't think you want my sweat getting all over your nice clothes," the boy, her cousin, joked.
"Yeah-" answered Aleja with an eyebrow raised, putting her hands up to shield herself in case he changed his mind.
Their grandfather walked out onto the grass to join them. "And when were you going to tell me she was here Gramps?" Kyohei asked teasingly.
"Keep your pants on! She just got here!" their grandfather barked back. "And you should come inside too. It's almost time for dinner.
Kyohei deposited the ax against the back wall next to the door and the trio headed inside. "You've been gone a long time haven't you Aleja?" her grandfather asked.
"Yeah, almost a year," she replied casually, meticulously examining the graining of the wood floor. "So how does it feel to be almost 15, Kyohei?"
"Great!" the boy replied with a tired but happy expression. "Maybe I'll be able to go away and attend Mage School at the academy just like you someday."
"Mmhm," Aleja responded halfheartedly. Deep down though, she knew that was probably impossible. Kyohei's older brother had the natural skill necessary to become a climber and several years ago, he left to become a climber. Aleja knew the only reason she had the chance to attend school to become a mage was because she was given a scholarship based on her grades and the money sent back from Kyohei's older brother. But that money had stopped coming. And without the money Kally sent back, what were the chances Kyohei would ever be able to attend school beyond their little town?
They were slim at best…
Something caught her foot as Aleja was lost in thaught and followed the others inside. She removed her foot to examine a pleated, faded and slightly torn salmon colored curtain draped from the ceiling around where Gramps's bed was supposed to be. Aleja pointed to the unfamiliar curtain absentmindedly and looked at the other two.
Gramps sighed as Kyohei began, "Oh, we forgot to tell you. We sortof have a guest staying with us," he replied pulling back the curtain. A guy with disheveled black hair and a stern face, about her age, lay sleeping in the small bed.
"We have to be quiet though. When Gramps fished him out of the river, he was really beat up, and he still needs to rest."
Aleja thought of the way she had stomped, yelled, and sworn when she arrived at the house- probably not the best introduction… but it was too late now. "And you don't think it might have been a good idea to tell me this before?" she questioned the other two, shooting them a repulsive glare.
Kyohei shrunk under her gaze, "Well to be honest. We didn't really think of that before because he hasn't even woken up yet, even though he's been here almost a week."
Aleja's eyes widened a bit. "He must really have been hurt…" she thought to herself. "Wait…" her train of thought halted as she recognized his face. "You don't… You really don't know who this is do you?"
"No," Gramps replied.
"Well, are we supposed to?"
Her right eyebrow twitched and Aleja mentally face palmed. "If my guess is correct, he is the eldest son of the local lord who died several years ago."
Kyohei's expression was surprised and excited but the old man looked skeptical. "Are you sure? How can you be certain?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I've seen pictures of him. And Kally told us he happened to be a member of his climbing group-"
Kyohei cut her off in eager anticipation "Yeah! I remember Kally writing about him in his letters! His name was Neeba right? I bet when he wakes up we could ask him about Kally!"
"Shhhh! Kyohei!" Aleja reprimanded her younger cousin for being too loud again. They never knew when their guest, Neeba, would wake up. And from how Kally described Neeba in his letters; they had better pray to Ishtar it wasn't their fault when he finally did wake up.
"Aleja, surely you can use some of your healing magic to heal this man faster so he can awaken…Can't you?"
Her hand wandered to the back of her head again and her grandfather knew it was useless. She tried to answer him, "Yeah, well I could… But he might end up with amnesia or…"
"or worse…" she thought. Aleja's magic was never very good but her grandfather had hoped her training at the academy would increase her abilities a little, but then again, you can't improve talent that was never there to begin with.
The patchwork family prepared dinner together and set logs on the fire from the pile of wood Kyohei chopped. Aleja swept the floor and watched as Kyohei did the dishes and Gramps attempted to feed the unconscious Neeba. After taking down the curtain, beating out the dust, and placing it back where it hung, finally, Aleja was able to relax from her long journey. She slumped happily into one of the boxes of metal smiting tools and armor she received from the carter earlier in the day and let out a long sigh.
As she relaxed against the wall, Aleja found her gaze drawn to the bow perched at the foot of their guest's bed. It was crafted well, she could tell from what little knowledge of bows she had. It was painted a deep navy blue and carved of some elastic metal material. The fibers making up the string were wound together in a beautiful pattern which curled into the ends of the bow artfully. It was hard to believe anyone could turn something of such wonderful craftsmanship into a weapon that almost certainly had been covered with blood on more than one occasion.
Thoughts of Kally and his letters weaseled their way into her mind. But surely a member of Kally's own team could not be the cause of her cousin's silence. And more importantly, with the leader of Kally's climbing party in this bad shape, nearly all hope of seeing her older cousin faded from her heart.
Aleja shook her head, attempting to rid herself of the depressing thoughts which plagued her. And instead she thought hard about how she could take his place, how to provide what Kally no longer could for their family.
And she concocted a plan. One that was sure to make Neeba stay, to answer their questions, and to provide her with an alternative way of providing for their family.
Her gaze drifted to Neeba's bow once again.
If her magic failed, that bow would come in handy…
A/N: "Aleja" is pronounced (Ah-le-ha). Or if you have already started pronouncing it a different way and prefer that- go right ahead. It's a fanfic so it doesn't make a difference; you're not actually saying it out loud. Also, I really appreciate reviews because this is my first published fanfic, so THANK YOU ALL!