Chapter 9
The next few weeks passed tensely for Kori. Komandr was being more aloof than ever and Kori felt always a certain looming pressure with everything she had to do before her time her ends and she knew that if the pressure was this bad for her, it was ten times worse for her sister and that caused her even more distress.
After that confrontation with the Headmaster, Kori felt a little more apprehensive towards her sister. A lot of what the Headmaster said about Koma shocked Kori since she had not really seen Koma acting that mean, just her normal pretentious self. But then again Kori knew she wasnt around her sister at all times and her sister only lets her see what she wants and that disturbed Kori more than anything.
She was also just very worried for her sister. The headmaster was obviously watching out to hear about how Komandr was behaving and knowing how proud Koma can get, Kori knew that what he would hear would be the same thing hes been hearing about her. Koma would never change just because someone wants her to and she was willing to get expelled just to prove that and Kori really didnt want her to get expelled.
For, despite Komandrs holier-than-thou attitude, she was Koris only real feeling of home; just seeing her sister helped Kori cop with not being on Tamaran for so long.
"Hey are you okay?" A voice called to Kori from above her.
Kori looked up surprised to find herself staring into large round eyes, the strangest she had ever seen for the pupils of her eyes were a hypnotic light green color and the retina was pink and around that a soft blue color. Tearing her eyes away she continued to look at the girl and found that unlike other species Kori had come across in Okaara, this girl seemed to look the most like her with the exception of this girl having way longer black hair that was cut short at the front to frame her eyes and face but extremely long at the back and she had a strange symbol on her cheek.
"Yes." Kori said a little shocked at the strikingly beautiful yet strange appearance of the girl. The girl didnt seem to believe her.
"Okay." She said simply as she plopped herself down next to where Kori sat on the stairs leading to the dorms.
"Oh! I cannot lie anymore! I am worried and I am sad about many things but especially my sister. She could get kicked out of Okaara and then I will truly be alone here and I do not want that! And if she is kicked out then the people of my planet will surely hate my sister even more and plus things apparently are already not so good with my planet because of the wretched Gordanians and Im scared." Kori said shamefully looking away at blurting all that out to a stranger.
"Sounds like you can use a friend right now." the girl stated.
"I have never really had a friend beforemy only companions are my brother and sister most of the time cause the other children of nobles do not really like me, they pick on me and pull my hair." Kori said pouting surprised again at how easily she was telling the truth.
"Well I will be your friend! I had a lot of friends on my planet but they did not come to Okaara cause they are not royal and I miss them."
"Oh, what planet are you from?" Kori asked curiously.
"Qu'kar."
"Qu'kar! Ive heard that its a beautiful planet." Kori complimented.
"Yes well I have heard great things about Tamaran as well but I have never been nor have I ever met a Tamaranean."
T"hen how did you know I am Tamaranean?" Kori asked curiously.
"It is pretty obvious since I have studied all about the other races and not to many other races look quite like we do."
"I suppose that is true." Kori said.
"That is why they find us to be weaker, because of our appearance." Her new friend said, a bitterness in her voice that Kori did not quite understand. There was a slight pause before the girl spoke again. "Well I know where youre from but I dont know your name."
"Oh, Im sorry! My name is Koriandr."
"Well Im Arä ll-Kachi, or just Arä . Hey, your sister isnt Komandr by chance?" she asked looking at her with those strange catlike multicolored eyes.
"Yes, that is my sister."
"Well shes a fighter that one. I saw her fighting just by chance one day and I had to admit I was impressed and that's saying something." Arä said.
"My sister is a way better fighter than most I know, it is just too bad that my people cannot see that. They think she is deformed since she cannot fly and looks different from us." Kori said with sadness.
"That is too bad." Arä said sympathetically.
"Yes it is and now because of their hate for her they denounced her title and gave it to me and that is why I am here two years before Im supposed to be."
"Well thats horrible but not half as bad as it could be see, on my planet if the king does not find an infant to be fit they just quickly end its life and the parents to that poor baby are given instructions to prevent another deformity and if that doesnt work then they must separate." Arä said in a matter of fact tone. Kori couldnt help her outraged cry.
"That is horrible! Tamaran would never do that, thank Xhal and Komandr is still royal so the people could never kill her." Kori said disgusted at the thought.
"Well your sister is still very lucky in my opinion cause she would have been dead on my planet... Hey, guess what." Arä said suddenly.
"What?" Kori asked still a little shocked at that information.
"Im not even really a royal." Arä blurted suddenly. Kori frowned in confusion.
But I thought only royals are allowed to train on Okaara."
"Thats true but my planet does things very differently. Instead of a royal risking their butt, my planet would rather send the future royal guards to come and train. Im actually an orphan found and picked for just this occasion. The real royal, Prince Raìch-Kai is safe and sound on Qu'kar. This tattoo on my face was the symbol they put on me to mark my status and purpose as the Princes future body guard and these symbols on my bracelet and clothes are the real royals heirloom." Arä explained pointing at first to the strange twirly line that ran on her cheek with three dots over it and then to the spiral orb with a swirly line going through the middle that was engraved on the golden bracelets around her neck, forearms and waist.
"Wow," Kori breathed. "Your planet is more different from Tamaran than I thought."
"Yeah," she said, her plum ruby red lips falling into a frown. "I dont like it too much. The people of my planet dont like me too much either since my mother had special powers and died giving birth to me and they especially dont like me because I got her special powers too."
"Well what can you do?" Kori asked with curiosity.
"My eyes can sort of hypnotize people into doing whatever I want them too. I dont know why but they can and so theyre all sort of afraid of me but I would never hypnotize any of them and the proof of that is that Im actually here." Kori frowned for her friend.
"Im sorry that they are scared of you but you do not have to worry. I do not think what you do is frightening at all, Kori said smiling at her friend who smiled back. My people absorb our sun light and use that energy to fly but my sister was born without that gift so they do not like her either but for all that she may lack my sister makes up for in strength and knowledge. She is far better fit to rule than me and if my people could see that, then they would be way better off but they dont and I dont want to be like that. I do not want to judge a person merely because they are different," Kori said sincerely. "So I will not be judging you."
Thank you. Arä said so quietly Kori almost didnt hear.
"You are welcome!" Kori exclaimed with a bright smile that lit up her eyes and when Arä smiled back hers was just as bright.
XxXxXx
"All students please report to the main hall. I repeat, all students report to the main hall." The second Headmaster, Lady Vellonys voice did not have at all its normal kindness and warmth but instead carried a sternness non of the other students had heard before.
"This doesnt seem good." Arä said as she and Kori hustled to get to the main hall. Kori nodded her agreement before pausing slightly at the sight of her sisters black mane of hair ahead of her.
It had been weeks since she last talked with her sister and Kori has since then been spending most of her time with her friend Arä . Although she tried to talk to her sister and keep her in line, there was simply the fact that Komandr did not want to be around her sister. Kori at first felt bad, feeling as if she had replaced her sister with Arä but decided that it was only normal of her to make a friend if she was lonely cause her sister was avoiding her in the first place.
Kori knew though that her sister was keeping herself in line since she was still in the school. She still missed her sister though but Arä was fun enough to take her mind off of her problems with her sister and her planet.
However, seeing Komand'r as they made their way to the hall, Kori felt the urge to go up to her sister and demand that they talk but something held her back.
"Hey, who is that?" Arä asked, snapping Kori out of her thoughts.
When Kori looked up to where Arä was pointing she was surprised to see the first Headmaster standing there besides Lady Vellony, his tall skinny form towering over hers. They were both wearing very serious expressions and they were surrounded by at least fifteen very bulky guards.
"Thats the first Headmaster. I met him a couple of months back when he told me and my sister about the Gordanians." Kori explained and Arä ohed as she turned back to look at them.
"He's kind of funny looking is'nt he?" Arä pointed out.
"You should see him up close. He's so skinny but theres just something about him. You can just tell you do not want to mess with him." Kori said seriously.
"Its weird though. We have never even heard the first Headmasters voice before. Something really serious must of happened to have him actually show himself." Arä said and Kori nodded her head in agreement. Suddenly Kori vision was obscured as the hall started to crowd with even more students as so she lifted herself higher off the ground so she could see. Arä looked up at her and frowned.
"Thats not fair! I wish I could fly." She said pouting and crossing her arms. Kori shrugged and turned back to the front as the hall went into silence.
"Students of Okaara, I beckoned you here with grave news. Early today our school got a message from the Citadel leader, Trogaar that they have sent a fleet of ships to surround Okaara and are prepared at any moment to attack. We are in no way taking this lightly and we do not think that their fleet is a coincidence. They purposefully sent fleets here to threaten your families into submission to their rules and hierarchy. We are not going to allow this. All of your royal families have been informed of what is happening here and are taking matters to end this. We ourselves have taken measure as well, however, there is an obvious need for all of us here to be on alert. The first Headmaster Kronugfer would like to say a few words on this." Lady Vellony said gesturing at the headmaster before stepping back.
"Students of Okaara, what has taken place recently is a good example of the things you might face when you are finally the leaders of your planet, so take this as another lesson. Now for those of you who were informed of the forthcoming tournament and are worried it will be cancelled, fear not for we are not going to stop our schooling because of these despicable creatures. The tournament will be done so I suggest you all prepare yourselves accordingly. If matters of this situation changes we will inform you all, under no circumstances is anyone to go anywhere near the outer grounds or anything of that sort for the consequences could be far worse than just expulsion. Now, proceed with your daily rituals as we handle this situation." The headmaster finished with sternness, however, before he could walk away a hand rose in the crowd that forced him to stop.
"Yes?" he asked as Kori rose higher to see whos hand it was.
"I was never informed of a tournament, do you mind explaining please?" A pompous, arrogant sounding boy with pink skin and blue furry hair asked.
"The tournament is when all the students must battle one or more creatures that are specifically for them to test their skills so and match strengths for when you the students fight each other." he explained.
"So we fight creatures so that you can match how powerful each one of us are and then you match us up to fight?"
"Exactly."
"Well this is going to be interesting." Arä said as everyone started filing out. "Hey whats wrong with you?" she asked when she turned to look at Kori when she didnt respond.
Kori however was too distracted in as dread enter her system to answer. She did not wish to fight with her fellow classmates for numerous amounts of reasons but she knew she had to, it was what was expected of her.
"On Tamaran when the royals would go to Okaara and finished their tournaments they always came back with stories of triumph and medals for their honors. Not a single royal Tamaranean has lost in the Okaaran Tournaments." Kori said a few seconds later with apprehension.
"Oh, and your scared youll be the first Tamaranean to lose?" Arä asked however it sounded more like a statement that Kori nodded to anyway. "Well I dont think you have anything to be too worried about Kori. You will do fine besides its not here yet so youll have time to practice harder if you think you need to."
"You are right." Kori said taking a deep breath.
"But that doesnt mean you'll freak out any less. Oh well, at least I tried." Arä said with a shrug.
"I'll be fine really." Kori said before becoming distracted. Koma was walking very determinedly to her.
"Uh-oh, sister alert. Ill catch you later Kori." Arä said before leaving, which was expect of her to do whenever Koma came around the rare times she would. It was common knowledge that Arä and Komandr did not like each other since Kori's friendship with her. Komand'r was a possessive one and Arä was not one to back off just because since she too had an attitude that was legendary.
"Ugh, I dont know why you associate yourself with such lowly people Koriand'r." Koma said with a disgusted expression on her face as she walked up, her dull purple eyes locked on Arä s retreating back.
"Shes my friend Koma." Kori retorted boredly.
"And that means what? Kori you shouldnt tie yourself to people like that but I didnt come to argue with you." Koma said flipping back her think opaque hair.
"Thats a first." Kori mumbled to herself before looking up at her sister to see if she heard. She didnt.
"Are you not excited about this tournament! Oh Koriandr it will be great!" Koma said suddenly.
"You think so?" Kori asked
"Of coarse. I have been waiting for this since I was first informed about Okaara. The tournaments are legendary Kori. You have to make sure you do well in representing Tamaran! We need to let everyone of these useless children here know who is really best in this solar system. We need to show them just how much power Tamaraneans have Kori! Now I know already that I will come out on top but it is you who worries me. If you fail and lose right away than that will still make us look bad! You need to train extra hard Kori." Komandr said sternly. Kori sighed but nodded.
"I know."
"Shape up Kori. Its time to put your childish weaknesses aside and be the fierce and'r that is not to be messed with. Its time to act a little more like me."
"I understand."
"Its time to be Koriandr, failure is not an option." Komandr said and Kori couldnt help but feel as if her sister wasnt really talking to her anymore. She responded anyway.
"I know Koma, I know. I'll act more and'r, I wont fail." Kori said a rush of adrenaline in her veins that she never really knew she had.
"Good."
