===== Chapter 1 =====
A Day in the Life of Koko Stormare
It was a calm and tranquil morning on Broken Crescent Island, the headquarters for the Order of the Sacred Fire or OSF as it was more commonly known. A gentle breeze blew over the beach where waves crept up onto the sandy shores. The sun was just coming over the horizon as a young girl stirred in the early morning stillness.
She was curled up under a simple blanket, laying on a bed with a mattress made of hay and other common stuffing materials. Her head poked out of the covers and rested softly on the pillow, her dark-red hair partially covering her eyes. She remained motionless for a few moments longer until a small, furry creature crawled onto the bed with her.
The creature sniffed at the girl then meandered over closer to her. Seeing as she still hadn't moved, the creature began to lick her face in an attempt to wake her up. Feeling an icky wetness on her cheek, the girl finally opened her eyes to see her pet red fox giving her a loving kiss. She smiled and patted the fox's head to make him stop licking her. The fox smiled back then jumped down off the bed to give the girl some space.
Once she was fully awake, the girl decided to begin her day. Her name was Koko Stormare, an unremarkable 15-year old girl living with her mother on a tropical island. She was 5' 10" and had a swimmer's body with light-tan skin. She got out of bed and momentarily stretched her body to loosen up after a restful night of sleep. The weather was hot and humid, but not uncomfortably so; Koko liked the warm weather and didn't mind it at all.
Koko was wearing a beige tank-top and light-brown capri pants, so she just needed to find her shoes before heading out. Unfortunately, they weren't where she had left them. She looked all around her room then scratched her head in frustration before spotting her pet fox, Whispy, lying in the corner with something beside him. Koko shook her head then went over to him, taking her slip-on shoes from him and putting them on.
Koko opened her door and went in to the main portion of the house. It was quiet and empty, though, it was still the early hours of the morning and her mom usually slept in. She made her way into the kitchen while Whispy went over to his bowl to drink some water. On the counter was a note that her mother had written for her. It was a list of things she wanted her to get from the market in town. Before she took care of errands, she figured she had enough time to ger her daily morning run in so she set the list back on the counter for now.
After downing a quick glass of water, Koko headed outside to begin her jog along the beach. Whispy stayed behind and did typical fox things while she was away. Koko started at a casual pace, enjoying the early morning sounds of the waves rolling beside her and the seagulls cawing above.
Koko's house and the beach she was running on were located on the smaller of the two isles that made up Broken Crescent Island. In an unintuitive way, it was named Lesser Broken Crescent Isle (LBCI) and it was where the OSF had a lot of its non-organizational areas. The main civilian establishment was located right in the middle of the isle, situated on the north side along the coast. It was called Seaside and it was where the main port for the isle was. Everything was mostly built around the port which included the market and surrounding market square, craftsman lane, and other amenities a normal town on the mainland would have. Next to Seaside was a small community of modest houses where the families of married OSF members lived. Koko, however, didn't live there but instead had special living accommodations with her mother along the beach. Fortunately for her and her mom, they lived in one of the VIP beach villas reserved for only the most important members of the OSF. Koko wasn't exactly sure how they managed to get one of those, but she didn't care to ask. Before that, she lived in a modest home in the family housing community until her house burned down. After that, they moved to the current beach-side villa they called home.
As Koko continued with her morning run, she passed by the occasional patrol and the one defense emplacement that was located along her usual route. Normally, there were more defense emplacements and security along the coast, but where Koko lived, there wasn't much to protect. Lesser Broken Crescent Isle had less Order-related targets so it wasn't as well protected as its sister isle, Greater Broken Crescent Isle (GBCI).
When Koko arrived at the defense emplacement, she took a moment to catch her breath before turning around and returning home. While she was resting, one of the personnel manning the defense emplacement got her attention.
"Hey, can you give me a hand for a sec?" asked the soldier as she squatted down from on top the emplacement. The artillery emplacement she was manning was of the larger class of emplacements, meaning it had a large turret flanked by a smaller turret connected on each side. There was a trebuchet set up on the large platform, which was raised higher than the two smaller platforms, to provide long-range bombardment support. Beside it on the smaller platforms, there were two ballistae to provide anti-air support.
Koko caught her breath and looked up to see a younger looking OSF member, probably one who recently graduated if she was stuck on artillery duty. "Uh, sure. Where is everyone else?" asked Koko as she walked over to the platform.
"They're off getting some food and left me to finish loading the ballistae. We had to unload the thing to clean it, but now I can't manage to get it loaded again by myself. I'm Jenny, by the way," said the soldier as she helped Koko get onto the platform.
Once Koko was up there with her, she looked to the unloaded ballista. "So what's the problem with it?" she asked.
Jenny looked to the ballista then back to Koko. "Uh, nothing's wrong with it. It's just-," she said before walking over to the ballista and grasping the winch wheel. "I can't wind it back up by myself."
Koko sighed, wondering how such a weak girl graduated from training in the first place. "Here, lemme help you then," she said as she grabbed hold of the other side. The two of them began to turn the wheel and slowly drew back the ballista's drawstring, eventually getting it back behind the locking mechanism. Once it was prepped, Jenny retrieved a bolt and loaded the weapon.
"Wow, thanks so much for helping me out," said Jenny as she wiped her brow.
"Yeah, no problem," said Koko. "By the way, are you a recent graduate from training?"
Jenny exhaled tiredly from exerting herself then turned to Koko. "Yeah. How'd you know?" she asked.
Koko momentarily looked away, not wanting to tell her how obvious it was since Jenny was young and seemed out of place. After graduating from training, OSF knights were given menial tasks to perform for a year as an augmentee. It was meant to test if they could follow orders and conduct field work properly before being assigned to more important tasks. Augmentee assignments ranged from being put on patrols around the island or general construction labor to being a headquarters runner or artillery emplacement augmentee, which was what Jenny seemed to end up with.
"It was just a guess," said Koko before looking back to Jenny. "So what were you assigned to be after all this is over with?"
Jenny gave an enthusiastic smile as she perked up. "I'm going to be a field mage! I may not be as physically strong as the others, but I can sure pack a punch with my magic!" she said before showing off a couple of offensive spells and firing them off into the distance to showcase her abilities.
As Koko watched Jenny work her magic, it began to make more sense as to how she got through training and why she was put on artillery duty. She figured the graduates were put into stressful situations that focused on their weaknesses. While there, they were supposed try and overcome them, or at least recognize them before being put in real-world instances that could mean life and death. Since Jenny wasn't physically strong, she was assigned to a station that dealt a lot with physical activity.
"Wow, that's pretty cool," said Koko.
Jenny began to calm down and took a deep breath. "So how about you? What's your story?" she asked as she made sure the ballista was secure and properly loaded.
Koko was caught off guard as the conversation was suddenly directed towards her. "Uh, haven't graduated yet. Sill in training and all. I'm finishing up my second year," she said.
"Ah, a trainee still. Do you know what you want to do when you graduate?" asked Jenny.
Koko took a moment to think, but hadn't really thought about it. "Don't know yet," she said. Before she could continue, the rest of Jenny's crew returned which prompted Koko to take her leave. Jenny thanked Koko once again for helping her out and waved goodbye as she continued with her run.
When Koko got back home, her mother was still sleeping, so she continued to be as quiet as she could while cleaning herself up. She washed her face and got some water from the kitchen to help her cool off. Once she was back in a resting state, she grabbed her satchel and headed into Seaside to take care of her mother's shopping list. Along the path leading into town, she saw a curious individual sitting high up in a tree in front of her. As she got closer, Koko recognized her and quietly approached the person.
"What are you doing?" asked Koko as she looked to the Tabaxi sitting up in a tree.
The Tabaxi was startled by Koko's sudden appearance and nearly lost her balance on the branch, clutching on to it as she dropped her pencil and writing pad. Once she was stable, she looked down to see her friend, Koko, standing below her with a playful smile on her face.
"Koko! You scared my prey away!" said the Tabaxi in a huff as she sat right back up on the branch. The Tabaxi's name was Kia 'ruu, an Order of the Sacred Flame trainee and longtime friend of Koko's.
Koko smirked and went to pick up Kia's notebook and pencil from the ground. "Just hangin' around up there?" she asked, handing back the writing materials.
Kia hung upside down by her legs on the branch and reached down for the pencil and notebook. "You can say that," she said, pulling herself back up after taking her items back. "I'm studying the island's native birds since… well, since there's really nothing else to study around here," said Kia as she sat dejectedly on the tree branch.
"Oh, c'mon. There's a bunch more around here than just birds. You can study… rocks? Plants? Oh! I know! How 'bout fish…?" said Koko with a mocking smirk.
Kia recoiled at the very suggestion as she gave Koko a disgusted look. "Fish? As in, the creatures that swim- in the ocean? As if I'd ever go take a dip in the ocean voluntarily," she said before dropping down right in front of Koko. "So, what are you up to?" she asked before placing her research materials back in her satchel.
Koko looked around nonchalantly then back to Kia. "Nothing much. I was just on a casual stroll headed into town," she said.
"Well, seeing as you're not in any hurry, I think you owe me," said Kia as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Want to help me find more birds to study?"
Koko scoffed. "And why would I want to do that?" she said.
Kia huffed again, placing her hands on her hips. "You caused the bird I was studying to fly away! Do you know how long it took to find a bird worth examining, following it, and finding a suitable vantage point to study it from?" she asked.
With a slight chuckle, Koko shook her head in defeat. "Fine. Lead the way then. But I don't know what I could do. Your eyes are way better than mine," she said.
"Your eyes are just fine," said Kia as she began walking down the road with Koko. "I really just wanted some company. And what better company is there than your best friend?" she said, looking to Koko.
Koko rolled her eyes at her as they walked. "More like your only friend," she said as she chuckled again with Kia giving her a snappy look. "I'm kidding," said Koko with a wink. "But really though. While everyone else spends their free time having fun or just hanging out with each other, you're always busy doing research or more study work… by yourself. Do you ever take a break?"
Kia grew quiet for a bit, looking somewhat dejected as she kept her gaze on the ground in front of her. "…what I do is fun," she said finally. "I enjoy what I do, and when I graduate, I hope to become one of the best researchers within the Order." Kia went silent again for a few moments before turning towards Koko. "What do you want to do when you graduate?"
The question caught Koko off guard again as she hesitated to respond, unsure herself of what she wanted to do still. "I- Uh…," she said as she took a moment to think it through. Since as long as she could remember, she had just been going through the motions of being a trainee with the prospect of becoming a full-fledged member of the Order of the Sacred Fire. She attended class and did what was required of her all because it was what her mother expected of her, and she had no problem with that; however, what came after her training, she had no clue. "I honestly don't know. I'll just be a regular knight and do whatever my superiors tell me to do. No more, no less I suppose."
Kia playfully scoffed at her as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's so like you, not thinking any further ahead than the next day," she said. "But you really should think about it. We're about to finish our second year, so we're almost half way done. Then before you know it, we graduate."
Koko kicked a rock on the ground as she looked away from Kia. "Yeah. I'll think about it…," she said, sounding very unmotivated and a bit annoyed.
Seeing her friend looking so dejected, Kia decided to change topics. "Anyway, you still owe me. Wanna help me out now? I still want to document one bird species before I head back home," she said.
Koko looked to her friend and gave a slight smile. "Sure. Let's get to it," she said. She and Kia spent the next hour or so hiking through the woods on the island, keeping their eyes up to the tree branches and canopy. Eventually, they found a suitable species for Kia to study but had also lost track of time. Koko told her she still had to run errands for her mom in town, so she said goodbye and headed to the market in Seaside.
When Koko finally arrived in town, her stomach began to grumble as she hadn't eaten anything all day. She felt hungry for some late breakfast and looked around for a food stand to grab a bite to eat. Koko spotted an opening at the counter of her favorite food stall and sat down on a stool, though the cook was busy with another customer at the moment. When the cook wasn't occupied, she got his attention and ordered some food. She was in the mood for something sweet and savory, so she got a plate consisting of rice and cooked eggs which was also complimented with bits of mangoes. While she was waiting, a male Lupin wearing an OSF uniform took the spot next to her and sat down.
"Not getting into any trouble lately, I hope," he said as he looked to Koko.
Hearing the man's comment, Koko turned to him with an annoyed look, thinking he was just some nobody instructor from the school; however, when she got a good look at him, she recognized him as her favorite instructor, Sergeant Fauhurst. He taught swordsmanship at the school, which was her favorite class.
"Not yet," said Koko as she looked back forward, watching the cook prepare her food and glad she didn't have to deal with an instructor she didn't like.
"Is that so? So should I be expecting some news when class resumes tomorrow?" asked Fauhurst before taking a drink from his cup of water.
Koko scoffed at him. "I was just kidding," she said before thanking the cook and paying for her food.
Fauhurst took another drink of his water then set his cup down. "I know," he said after an audible exhale. "By the way, your Offensive-Defense test is coming up. You think you're ready?" he asked.
"Yeah. Of course I am," said Koko with a mouthful of mango fruit.
"We'll see," said Fauhurst with a chuckle. "Now don't let this get to your head, but compared to the others in your class, you're one of the more… capable sword fighters," he said, almost immediately regretting inflating Koko's already filled-to-bursting ego. He then followed up with something else to offset the potential for inflation. "But your status only matters if you keep up your training. If you start slacking off, you'll surely be surpassed by your peers."
Koko grumbled to herself, saying something about how she wasn't going to slack off. She then downed the rest of her drink and gave a satisfied sigh. "I'd love to stay and chat more, sir, but I need to pick up a few things for my mom," she said as she got up from her seat.
"Is that so? How is your mother by the way? I know she's been sick for a while now, but is there anything you need from us? Has the apothecary continued to make his weekly visits?" he asked.
Hearing about her mother's sickness, Koko grew silent for a split second before replying. "She's- fine. The apothecary continues to do what he can, but he's still troubled by her illness," she said, trying to keep a grip on her emotions.
Fauhurst gave a nod and decided not to pry any further into the matter. "I see. But like I said, if there's anything at all that you or your mother needs, just let us know. We're here for you both," he said.
"Thank you," said Koko before leaving for the market.
As Koko walked away, she pulled out the note and reviewed the shopping list. It was just a list of simple things which were mostly food stuffs. She made her way around the market, visiting several stands to find the ingredients she needed. She placed everything in her satchel which was beginning to get pretty filled to capacity. Once she had all the items that her mother wanted her to get, she started to make her way back home.
The walk back to Koko's house was relaxing enough. The weather was still holding up despite reports of a possible storm just over the horizon. The skies were clear and the gentle breeze continued to blow over the island. Koko's breakfast from earlier also slightly lifted her spirits. Mangoes were her favorite food and she almost always got a dish that had it as an ingredient. Since she wasn't in a big hurry, she took her time getting back home and took a more scenic route.
When Koko got within eyesight of her house, Whispy was playing outside and ran over to meet her. Seeing him come over, Koko took out a gift for him and tossed the fox a bone that the butcher gave her while in the market. It still had some scraps of meat on it, so Whispy took the present and happily nibbled on it. After playing with her pet fox for a bit, she went inside to see her mother awake and roaming about the house.
"I'm home," said Koko as she opened the front door.
Upon hearing her daughter enter, Leanne, Koko's mother, gave her a warm welcome. "Welcome back, Sweetie. Were you able to get everything on the list?" asked Leanne with a smile.
Koko kicked the sand off her shoes then brought her bag over to the kitchen. "Yeah. I got everything," she said as she began to unpack her satchel. Leanne came over and helped her put it all away around the kitchen.
After everything was put away in its proper place, Koko helped her mom prepare dinner. She wasn't the best cook and only had a rudimentary knowledge of cooking from what her mom had taught her. While in the kitchen, she mainly did prep work which consisted of cleaning and cutting vegetables, boiling water, and other simple tasks.
Koko didn't mind it since she at least got to spend time with her mom, but she missed the days when the two of them did more than just housework and cooking. They used to go exploring, hiking, and other outdoorsy activities. Unfortunately, due to her mother's sickness, Leanne was forced to taking it easy and mainly stayed within the confines of the house. Even though they could no longer do outdoors-related activities together, Koko cherished what little they could do together.
Once everything was prepared and taken care of, Leanne no longer needed Koko's assistance and said she could finish cooking on her own. Koko wanted to help out a bit longer, but Leanne could see that her daughter was a bit restless and said she was fine by herself. She gave Koko a hug and suggested she take a nice swim before dinner to cool off and build up an appetite. Even though she wanted to stay, she gave in and changed into her swimwear before heading out onto the beach.
The sand beneath her was warm to the touch thanks to the sun and clear sky. It wasn't too course and it barely stuck to her skin as she walked towards the water. She got to the edge of the surf and did some quick stretches to loosen up before jumping in. The water was still very clear and a nice color of light-blue. It was like a tropical paradise and it was almost always like that except for when a storm came through.
Koko stepped into the water and waded deeper until she was near waist deep. Around her, small tropical fish of all kinds swam about, skittering off if she got too close. Fortunately for her, the surrounding waters around the island were being monitored for anything dangerous via magic. Whether it was a large sea monster or a tiny shark, if it was within a mile of the coast and deemed a threat, the OSF personnel monitoring the barrier would know about it and move to engage it. The implementation of the coastal water defense barrier came about just a couple decades ago due to the infamous Kraken Incident. Since then, the waters surrounding the island were cleared of all major threats and constantly monitored to avoid such an incident from ever happening again. If such a threat did occur, the OSF naval forces were notified and the closest ship was sent to intercept.
Even with the protection of the barrier, Koko kept her wits about her in case there was something out there that she wasn't aware of. Fortunately, the clear water helped her see any potential threats approaching before they got too close. She squatted down into the water until she was head-level with the ocean. She watched all the fish swimming about for a few moments before looking out to the horizon. There was a small island in front of her house that she and her mother always used to swim to. It was only 70 or so yards out from where she was, so it wasn't too bad of a swim to get there.
Koko took a deep breath then darted off towards it. She was a natural in the water, expertly swimming the distance without breaking a sweat. She learned at a very young age how to swim and loved doing it ever since. When she got to the small rock formation, she hoisted herself up out of the water and stood on it, looking out towards the other isle in the distance.
While Koko was gazing out into the distance, she saw one of the two ferries that frequently traveled between the two isles. There wasn't much business for a normal person on Greater Broken Crescent Isle, so they rarely if ever needed to travel there. The ferries were mostly used for OSF personnel to travel to Seaside to shop or visit their family before returning back to work. The trip wasn't that long which made it a great convenience for frequent commuters.
Once Koko had her fill of sightseeing, she dove back into the water and swam back towards the beach. She did a few more laps of going to the island then back to the beach before calling it quits. The sun was already starting to set, so she decided it was time to get ready for dinner. When she got back to the house, she freshened up and changed back into her normal clothes. After getting dressed, she helped set the table and prepare the dishes for herself and her mother.
Dinner was delicious as always and Koko ate her fill. The trip to the market made it especially good as the fresh ingredients made the dishes stand out. After they were done with their meals, Koko cleared the table and washed the dishes while her mom set aside the leftovers. Once the kitchen was clean, Koko did some quick cleaning around the house before retiring to her room. Her mother had turned in for the night already, so Koko stepped lightly as she moved around within her room.
Koko wasn't quite tired yet, so she laid on her bed with Whispy and cuddled with him for a bit. He still had the bone she gave him from earlier, so his breath smelled of meat. As the light outside began to wane, Koko lit a candle and set it on her bedside table. By then, Whispy was back on the floor lying on his bed cushion, still barely awake and occasionally looking around the room. Koko had moved to her desk and was reviewing some texts for her training. The weekend was over so she had to go back to school the next day.
When Koko grew tired of reading, she blew out the candle and returned to her bed, lying on her back as she stared blankly at the ceiling. As she lay there, she began thinking about the future and what she wanted to do. She still hadn't the faintest idea and as her mind began to wander, she slowly drifted off into a deep slumber.