Disclaimer: if you're already on this chapter, you should've read the other 5 and therefore would know that I don't own anything but the stuff I made up, and if you steal any of the stuff that's mine, I will e-mail myself to you and kick your butt. Much as I beleive Tammy P would do if I stole her stuff, which I am not doing.
[A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update! It's the stupid computers. I'm not compatable. It took me forever to figure this out. Plus It took a while until I was inspired. Basically, I had to start taking karate to get a clue for the next couple chapters. I have some non-english words in here, so you might get a little confused. If you do, translations are at the bottom of the page. enjoy! It took me forever to get inspiration for this.]
*At the Ningingri Da Jong*
Naimura had just finished putting away her sleeping roll as dawn's fingers began to sweep away the dusting of stars in the sky. A gong rang far away, calling all members of the Da Jong to morning excersizes. It was her fourth year there, and she had progressed with amazing speed. While many of the kodoshi that had arrived the same year as Nai were only in the Shi nen, she had already moved onto the Shichi nen. Unlike becoming a Tortallan knight, the road to the Ningengri order was not marked by time. One had pass certain tests to move forward, independent and unhindered from age.
Morning excersizes began with half an hour of silent meditation. This gave some of the later students time to come in, and some of the more tired students time to wake up. After that were yoga stretches, and some taiqi. Then Sensei Zin Kai, master of the Da Jong, led them through vigorous strength training: arm and stomach and a run for the legs. Every kodoshi was allowed to move at their own pace, some doing only 25 of each excersize and only part of the run, but there was also an air of competition. Once every while, a student tried to do as much or run as far or fast or long as Sensei Kai, and those watching would cheer and yell and clap. Eventually, though, Sensei kept going and the student did not. But the competition was not always with the Sensei.
Sensei Danei Kodoru had founded the Ningingri order long ago, and his ideas were quoted constantly, burrowing into the kodoshi's minds. The point was to work ever to do better than yourself. So every day, Nai pushed her body. One more push-up, one more curl, another minute on her run. She had been so small, so frail when she first began. Now she was strong and lithe, and unafraid of life.
No, she would not seem the same to her mother. But that mattered not. Nai was finally coming into her own. She smiled, running at a comfortable pace, and feeling the cool morning air wipe the sweat from her face.
Again, Naimura remembered the first time she had tried the morning run. After only a few minutes of running, she was panting and exhausted. She had fallen over a rock when she tried to wipe sweat from her eyes, and been so embarassed. Since that day, she never wanted to feel embarassed again, and worked harder than hard to improve. These days, Nai was almost even with the Sensei, running about an hour every morning, doing as much work as he did. She sat and ran in the back, and never went too long or fast. That way nobody ever started yelling about the Sensei's latest competetor.
As she finished her run, feeling refreshed and satisfied that it had taken her a whole 10 minutes longer to tire, she made her way to breakfast. At the Da Jong, it was always said that breakfast, being the most important meal of the day, was a Ningingri's greatest weapon. They served traditional Yamani fare: Steamed vegetables, rice, deep-fried fish, and sweet umeboshi. Once in a while, as a treat for foreign kodoshi, they served sweet rolls and candied fruits, which gave all of them a little extra energy.
Settling into a seat on her own, Nai munched on what she thought of as the perfect breakfast. Cold steamed vegetables and lots of rice, with only one umeboshi to appease her sweet tooth. As she wolfed down the last of it, a teacher tapped her on the shoulder.
"Yes, Sensei Arcela?" she said, face straight but eyes smiling. The two were great friends now, but formalities still applied within the Da Jong.
"Kodoshi Naimura, Sensei Kai has called you to his office. You are to report during your first free bell." the older girl looked worried. It was obvious that she didn't know why Nai'd been called by the Sensei.
"Thank you, Sensei Arcela." she bowed in her seat. Nai was more occupied with when her first free bell was. After breakfast, she had lessons in hand-to-hand combat, then mounted combat. She spent two hours on each of these, and then moved onto her lessons. The Da Jong made sure its pupils got at least as good an education as any Tortallan page.
Ah, it's between Math and sword. She thought, finally remembering her free time. But what could the Sensei possibly want? As the walked to her hand-to-hand class, Nai's stomach tightened into a cold knot. She had only felt this way a few times before, but her being knew the feeling well. It was fear.
[A/N: do I have you totally confused yet? Anyone out there who speaks Japanese is probobaly flipping frantically through thier translating dictionaries, trying to understand me. Really, I tried to invent some Yamani. I only loosely based it on Japanese. Mainly 'cause my dictionary sux. Here:
Da Jong = institute/school. (Dojo)
kodoshi = young students. (Kodomo=children / tenshi=angels. don't ask, don't know.)
Shi nen = fourth form/level. (Ni = 2 / Nen =year)
Shichi nen = seventh form/level. (San = 3)
Umeboshi = sweet pickled plums. I know it sounds gross, but I like it.
Sorry about all the confusion. px2dmx SunnyX]
