Gee, I think I babble too much. My whole first page of the last chapter was
babble, according to Microsoft Word, so I'll just thank my reviewers and go
on with the show.
Where is everyone? If anyone sees destiny ruler, tell her there is a reason I don't let her read my fanfics in class.
Lady Myrael: I do not want to see your economics teacher then. Although that sounds kinda cool that one of your teachers is risking absolute humiliation to be an individual. The whole muck up day concept runs on the fact that they can't really expel you, since you're out of school. But some schools organise things as well. Mine had a concert (by us), a slide show, and catered lunch, but I think some just have their students run around the place (or town, there's at least five schools in Geelong's CBD, including mine).
Kaydie, thanks for reviewing again. I will stop annoying you to read my fanfic unless you really want to. Thanks for correcting my spelling, I'm not usually too bad.
* ~ * ~ *
The Streets
Chapter 4
Before the break of dawn, Lady Kel went to the empty room the healer, Baron Whiteshaw, had told her he'd put the girl in. She carefully opened the door and went inside. She found the Baron sitting there, beside the girl's bed.
"How is she?" she asked softly.
"It was a wonder she didn't faint when she was stabbed in the first place. We've been barely able to keep the Black God away from her all night. She is slowly recovering, though."
"Thank the Gods," Kel breathed. "Do you know her name?"
"No," the healer said gently. "She didn't wake up for me to ask."
A teenaged boy with light brown hair poked his head around the door, scaring Kel. "You called me, sir?"
She could tell he didn't think much of his master.
"Yes, boy. I have been sitting with this girl all night, since she came in. Could you keep an eye on her while I stretch my legs?"
Kel thought she saw the boy give the healer a dark glare, as if he didn't believe that the Baron had been there the whole time. Either the Baron didn't notice in the dark of the room, or he ignored it.
"Of course, sir."
The Baron stood up and started walking towards the door. Kel stayed where she was.
"Lady Knight, you don't have to stay her with the girl. The boy will tell you when she wakes, as he will me, won't you boy?"
"Of course, sir."
The boy, who was closer to the room's single chair than Kel, sat down on the floor where he could see the girl on the bed, leaving the knight to the chair.
"I have no work to do until this afternoon. I will stay here."
"As you wish, Lady Knight." The Baron clearly did not expect this reaction.
She waited until he left the room before he began to speak.
"That man- I would not work under him for any money."
The teenager tucked his legs to his chest. "If I had the choice, I would not be working for him either." He eyed her suspiciously. "You're not going to tell him, are you?"
"Why would I want to stir up trouble between you and your boss?" Kel replied honestly. "I don't cause trouble for commoners for the sake of it."
Convinced, the boy continued. "He could be worse. He thinks he knows everything, but he often misses what's right under his nose. Surprisingly, he's a good healer. I think he is a lot more careful with his healing than he is with anything else." He uncurled himself slightly.
"You wanted to know her name, Lady Kel?" he asked. "She woke, while the Baron was not there. Just before she-" He wished the Baron was a little more careful. It had drained all his Gift to keep her alive while he was out.
"Her name is Raine."
Kel looked over at the sleeping girl. "Raine. It suits her."
* ~ * ~ *
Amei woke up when the light from the rising sun caused the wall of the storehouse to glow orange. She made handprints in the sacks of flour and grain as she pushed herself upright. Her few possessions lay beside her: about ten daggers of different shapes and sizes, a handful of coin in a cloth purse, a scrap of paper, bits and pieces she had stolen but had not yet sold, a tiger's eye pendant set in copper.
"Here," said the Shang Phoenix as she gave Amei what looked like a length of copper chain. "Happy birthday. You're thirteen, aren't you?"
Amei could feel a smooth lump in the length of rough copper chain. She brushed the top layers of chain aside to reveal a gold banded gemstone, the bands changing in colour from golden brown to dusky brown as Amei tilted it in the light.
"It's beautiful," she breathed. There must be something else to it. Sheiya would never give her anything just because it was pretty.
"The stone's called tiger's eye. It's supposed to bring courage, wealth and luck. Tell me if it works, so I can get myself one." Amei laughed. The Shang had no patience for anything magical, although she did grudgingly admit that magic did work.
"The copper's supposed to bring balance. Good luck," she snorted distainfully. "Balance in a warrior's life? Cows will fly first."
"And I suppose you told the jeweller exactly what to use?" Amei enquired slyly,
"Right as usual. Put that thing on or put it away. If we stand around here too long we'll get lost."
Amei had been with the Shang for just under two years, and still didn't understand her sense of humour.
"Okay." Amei secured the chain around her neck.
The pouch holding the Dominion Jewel gleamed brightly in her mind's eye, although looking extraordinarily ordinary with her real eyes. She had not taken it anywhere but the storehouse, but she had placed an illusion spell on it: no one but her would be able to see it, unless she wanted it to be seen. The pouch that was spelled specifically for the task held nothing but a rock, yet was better spelled than the other. It held an illusion spell identical to the one on the other pouch, plus a spell to make men believe it held the Jewel. The scholar should see no reason to probe it; it would be foolish not to spell such a thing against thieves. Well, against other thieves.
Amei slipped two of her daggers inside her boots, hid another two down her sleeves, one in the small of her back, two at her waist. how many was that? Seven? She attached her purse and a throwing dagger to her purse- belt, which was little more than a dirty piece of string. The throwing dagger was there mostly to make people think she was clueless about weapons and fighting. It gave her an excuse to steal money from those foolish enough to challenge her.
She left the storehouse and went straight to the markets. Even a thief/assassin needed her breakfast. She greeted the local street rats, who laughed because she was silly enough to wear a throwing dagger instead of a normal dagger, and gave each of them a bright silver coin. Children like that shouldn't be out in the streets. No child should be out in the streets.
Amei stopped at the fruit stall and picked up a shiny green apple. It reminded her of a friend she'd had in Port Caynn, the daughter of a poor merchant, who spent a lot of time with the street urchins. The children called her Sparrow, making her an honorary member of the group. She was quiet, but she was a lot of fun.
Someone bumped into her, and the apple slipped out of her hand to splatter on the ground, splitting open to reveal soft white flesh. The feeling of being watched, being followed, haunted her magical sight for a split second. The mages at the palace were scrying for her, and they were getting very, very close to finding out who she was. If they had found out who she was already, they would be tracking her every move.
The vendor glared at her, then stretched out his hand, silently demanding payment for the wasted fruit. Amei was tempted to just walk off; she could handle him if he grabbed her and demanded a fight. But she didn't want to abuse the fact that she could beat almost anyone in battle. She didn't want to become mercenary-hearted, but her power was slowly corrupting her judgement. She hated it.
Amei gave the vendor a small handful of coins, double the amount of the apple, and took another when he wasn't looking. Sparrow said it was bad luck to waste a green apple, that Peoia, the Goddess of friendship and tame animals, would bring bad luck to one who did.
Mouse admired the smooth, speckled green surface of the fruit. It caught the bright sunlight in a round white patch on its surface. Sparrow laid the brightly coloured fruit on its side and cut it in half, revealing a five pointed star, each point made of a perfect teardrop.
"Peoia created a star inside every apple, a perfect five pointed star, to keep the light of friendship shining bright in this world," Sparrow explained. "If anyone has ever admired her own creation, the green apple, and has shared it with a friend, the two friends will stay friends forever. But if anyone ever wastes a green apple, she will curse you with bad luck."
Sparrow offered Mouse a half of the star-apple. "Eat up. Our friendship will never end." She took a bite out of her half of the apple.
Mouse did the same. "Nothing will ever tear us apart."
But they were torn apart. Sparrow's father made her work as a servant for a rich merchant in Corus a week later, and the Shang Phoenix took Mouse away the next year. She had known Sparrow for years, since she was allowed to play on the streets by herself. Now she only had memories.
It was raining hard, and Sparrow was crying. "I leave tomorrow, Mouse. I was afraid he wouldn't let me out to tell anyone. I'm going to become a pretty little nobody in some house in Corus. I'll become a nobody, a nothing, who'll know nothing but her master's command." She sobbed harder. "He won't even let you visit me."
Mouse hugged her tight. "Never forget your true self, Sparrow. I could never remember who I am supposed to be, who my parents were, but I remember what I wanted to be, what I don't want to be. I can still remember my hopes and my dreams."
Sparrow buried her head further into Mouse's shoulder. "But you're such a strong person. You always know what you want, what you'll do to get it, and what you wouldn't do no matter what the reward. I never know what I want to do. I'm too indecisive to have constant hopes and dreams."
"But you do have constant hopes and dreams. You always wanted to be able to help people." Mouse squeezed her harder, hoping that if she could hang on forever, Sparrow wouldn't have to go away. "You just need to believe in yourself. You know who your true self is better than I do. You know what kind of person you want to be when you have your own children. I'm still not sure what kind of person I want to be."
Sparrow could hear her friend's sobs. She was starting to cry too.
"Maybe we could do something," Sparrow suggested, "to make sure we can find our true selves again, if we lose them. We could do something to make sure we see each other again. We could give something to each other, bind it with blood, so we will see each other again. Mouse, do you remember what your real name was, the one your parents gave you?"
"Barely. I have more trouble remembering it with every day that goes by."
"I'll give you my true name, and you'll give me yours, okay? When we see each other again, we'll give each other's name back. So when we both get our names back, we'll remember our true selves."
"But you know your true name."
"I'll give myself a new name. I won't tell my parents, I'll only tell my new master. I'll forget my old name, with all the work I'll have to do."
Sometimes Amei thought her true self was that cold heartless mercenary, that she was just fighting the inevitable when she helped the street kids, fetched a healer for someone who had a bad day. Since she had settled in Corus, she had done many of the things she had thought she'd never do when she was living in Port Caynn. It had occurred to her that one's true self could evolve as one experienced more, but she would never have thought that she could end up stealing and killing people for more money than she needed to survive. If she didn't get her freedom soon, she would truly become that cold, heartless mercenary.
* ~ * ~ *
Daine was eating dinner in the mess hall with Alanna and Kel when a tall, dark, virtual stranger came to sit next to her. Daine kissed him on the cheek, as she hadn't seen him since breakfast the previous day.
"We've got her," he announced triumphantly. "Brown haired, green eyed, Gifted, and most likely a warrior of some sort. We've sent some guards out into the city, but if she's stronger than we thought, we'll have to send some knights. Are you ladies up to the challenge?" he added slyly.
"That rat Maggur and his cronies deserve every little bit they get," Alanna said hotly. "A traitor deserves a traitor's death."
"If she's Scanran, she's not technically a traitior," Numair reminded her.
"But if she's Tortallian, she is," Daine said quietly.
"I hope not," Alanna said. "A Tortallian girl, a spy for Maggur?"
"You never know," Kel said. "If King Maggot wanted the Jewel, he should at least bring an army with him. No sneaking around."
"Oh, Kel," Numair interrupted. "I just remembered. A young boy came up to me while I was on my way here. He asked me to tell you that Raine's awake."
Kel immediately stood up and pushed her chair in.
"Who's Raine?" Alanna asked.
"My new maid," Kel answered before she walked off.
* ~ * ~ *
Sorry if I can't write Alanna, Kel, Daine and Numair very well. That's kinda why I use my own characters. I try to write them well, but it may or may not work.
If I don't update very regularly during (my three months of) holidays, blame it on: the exams (any year 12 student from Victoria who happens not to be studying before Friday, good luck on the English exam), Kingdom Hearts (sorry, I got addicted when we got the game last week. Believe it or not, it's like a Final Fantasy/Disney crossover fanfic with some original characters thrown in for good measure), and a whole pile of really fat books I plan to read sometime.
Please read and review, even if you don't really have anything to say in a review, it makes me feel loved. I'll review back, I promise.
Where is everyone? If anyone sees destiny ruler, tell her there is a reason I don't let her read my fanfics in class.
Lady Myrael: I do not want to see your economics teacher then. Although that sounds kinda cool that one of your teachers is risking absolute humiliation to be an individual. The whole muck up day concept runs on the fact that they can't really expel you, since you're out of school. But some schools organise things as well. Mine had a concert (by us), a slide show, and catered lunch, but I think some just have their students run around the place (or town, there's at least five schools in Geelong's CBD, including mine).
Kaydie, thanks for reviewing again. I will stop annoying you to read my fanfic unless you really want to. Thanks for correcting my spelling, I'm not usually too bad.
* ~ * ~ *
The Streets
Chapter 4
Before the break of dawn, Lady Kel went to the empty room the healer, Baron Whiteshaw, had told her he'd put the girl in. She carefully opened the door and went inside. She found the Baron sitting there, beside the girl's bed.
"How is she?" she asked softly.
"It was a wonder she didn't faint when she was stabbed in the first place. We've been barely able to keep the Black God away from her all night. She is slowly recovering, though."
"Thank the Gods," Kel breathed. "Do you know her name?"
"No," the healer said gently. "She didn't wake up for me to ask."
A teenaged boy with light brown hair poked his head around the door, scaring Kel. "You called me, sir?"
She could tell he didn't think much of his master.
"Yes, boy. I have been sitting with this girl all night, since she came in. Could you keep an eye on her while I stretch my legs?"
Kel thought she saw the boy give the healer a dark glare, as if he didn't believe that the Baron had been there the whole time. Either the Baron didn't notice in the dark of the room, or he ignored it.
"Of course, sir."
The Baron stood up and started walking towards the door. Kel stayed where she was.
"Lady Knight, you don't have to stay her with the girl. The boy will tell you when she wakes, as he will me, won't you boy?"
"Of course, sir."
The boy, who was closer to the room's single chair than Kel, sat down on the floor where he could see the girl on the bed, leaving the knight to the chair.
"I have no work to do until this afternoon. I will stay here."
"As you wish, Lady Knight." The Baron clearly did not expect this reaction.
She waited until he left the room before he began to speak.
"That man- I would not work under him for any money."
The teenager tucked his legs to his chest. "If I had the choice, I would not be working for him either." He eyed her suspiciously. "You're not going to tell him, are you?"
"Why would I want to stir up trouble between you and your boss?" Kel replied honestly. "I don't cause trouble for commoners for the sake of it."
Convinced, the boy continued. "He could be worse. He thinks he knows everything, but he often misses what's right under his nose. Surprisingly, he's a good healer. I think he is a lot more careful with his healing than he is with anything else." He uncurled himself slightly.
"You wanted to know her name, Lady Kel?" he asked. "She woke, while the Baron was not there. Just before she-" He wished the Baron was a little more careful. It had drained all his Gift to keep her alive while he was out.
"Her name is Raine."
Kel looked over at the sleeping girl. "Raine. It suits her."
* ~ * ~ *
Amei woke up when the light from the rising sun caused the wall of the storehouse to glow orange. She made handprints in the sacks of flour and grain as she pushed herself upright. Her few possessions lay beside her: about ten daggers of different shapes and sizes, a handful of coin in a cloth purse, a scrap of paper, bits and pieces she had stolen but had not yet sold, a tiger's eye pendant set in copper.
"Here," said the Shang Phoenix as she gave Amei what looked like a length of copper chain. "Happy birthday. You're thirteen, aren't you?"
Amei could feel a smooth lump in the length of rough copper chain. She brushed the top layers of chain aside to reveal a gold banded gemstone, the bands changing in colour from golden brown to dusky brown as Amei tilted it in the light.
"It's beautiful," she breathed. There must be something else to it. Sheiya would never give her anything just because it was pretty.
"The stone's called tiger's eye. It's supposed to bring courage, wealth and luck. Tell me if it works, so I can get myself one." Amei laughed. The Shang had no patience for anything magical, although she did grudgingly admit that magic did work.
"The copper's supposed to bring balance. Good luck," she snorted distainfully. "Balance in a warrior's life? Cows will fly first."
"And I suppose you told the jeweller exactly what to use?" Amei enquired slyly,
"Right as usual. Put that thing on or put it away. If we stand around here too long we'll get lost."
Amei had been with the Shang for just under two years, and still didn't understand her sense of humour.
"Okay." Amei secured the chain around her neck.
The pouch holding the Dominion Jewel gleamed brightly in her mind's eye, although looking extraordinarily ordinary with her real eyes. She had not taken it anywhere but the storehouse, but she had placed an illusion spell on it: no one but her would be able to see it, unless she wanted it to be seen. The pouch that was spelled specifically for the task held nothing but a rock, yet was better spelled than the other. It held an illusion spell identical to the one on the other pouch, plus a spell to make men believe it held the Jewel. The scholar should see no reason to probe it; it would be foolish not to spell such a thing against thieves. Well, against other thieves.
Amei slipped two of her daggers inside her boots, hid another two down her sleeves, one in the small of her back, two at her waist. how many was that? Seven? She attached her purse and a throwing dagger to her purse- belt, which was little more than a dirty piece of string. The throwing dagger was there mostly to make people think she was clueless about weapons and fighting. It gave her an excuse to steal money from those foolish enough to challenge her.
She left the storehouse and went straight to the markets. Even a thief/assassin needed her breakfast. She greeted the local street rats, who laughed because she was silly enough to wear a throwing dagger instead of a normal dagger, and gave each of them a bright silver coin. Children like that shouldn't be out in the streets. No child should be out in the streets.
Amei stopped at the fruit stall and picked up a shiny green apple. It reminded her of a friend she'd had in Port Caynn, the daughter of a poor merchant, who spent a lot of time with the street urchins. The children called her Sparrow, making her an honorary member of the group. She was quiet, but she was a lot of fun.
Someone bumped into her, and the apple slipped out of her hand to splatter on the ground, splitting open to reveal soft white flesh. The feeling of being watched, being followed, haunted her magical sight for a split second. The mages at the palace were scrying for her, and they were getting very, very close to finding out who she was. If they had found out who she was already, they would be tracking her every move.
The vendor glared at her, then stretched out his hand, silently demanding payment for the wasted fruit. Amei was tempted to just walk off; she could handle him if he grabbed her and demanded a fight. But she didn't want to abuse the fact that she could beat almost anyone in battle. She didn't want to become mercenary-hearted, but her power was slowly corrupting her judgement. She hated it.
Amei gave the vendor a small handful of coins, double the amount of the apple, and took another when he wasn't looking. Sparrow said it was bad luck to waste a green apple, that Peoia, the Goddess of friendship and tame animals, would bring bad luck to one who did.
Mouse admired the smooth, speckled green surface of the fruit. It caught the bright sunlight in a round white patch on its surface. Sparrow laid the brightly coloured fruit on its side and cut it in half, revealing a five pointed star, each point made of a perfect teardrop.
"Peoia created a star inside every apple, a perfect five pointed star, to keep the light of friendship shining bright in this world," Sparrow explained. "If anyone has ever admired her own creation, the green apple, and has shared it with a friend, the two friends will stay friends forever. But if anyone ever wastes a green apple, she will curse you with bad luck."
Sparrow offered Mouse a half of the star-apple. "Eat up. Our friendship will never end." She took a bite out of her half of the apple.
Mouse did the same. "Nothing will ever tear us apart."
But they were torn apart. Sparrow's father made her work as a servant for a rich merchant in Corus a week later, and the Shang Phoenix took Mouse away the next year. She had known Sparrow for years, since she was allowed to play on the streets by herself. Now she only had memories.
It was raining hard, and Sparrow was crying. "I leave tomorrow, Mouse. I was afraid he wouldn't let me out to tell anyone. I'm going to become a pretty little nobody in some house in Corus. I'll become a nobody, a nothing, who'll know nothing but her master's command." She sobbed harder. "He won't even let you visit me."
Mouse hugged her tight. "Never forget your true self, Sparrow. I could never remember who I am supposed to be, who my parents were, but I remember what I wanted to be, what I don't want to be. I can still remember my hopes and my dreams."
Sparrow buried her head further into Mouse's shoulder. "But you're such a strong person. You always know what you want, what you'll do to get it, and what you wouldn't do no matter what the reward. I never know what I want to do. I'm too indecisive to have constant hopes and dreams."
"But you do have constant hopes and dreams. You always wanted to be able to help people." Mouse squeezed her harder, hoping that if she could hang on forever, Sparrow wouldn't have to go away. "You just need to believe in yourself. You know who your true self is better than I do. You know what kind of person you want to be when you have your own children. I'm still not sure what kind of person I want to be."
Sparrow could hear her friend's sobs. She was starting to cry too.
"Maybe we could do something," Sparrow suggested, "to make sure we can find our true selves again, if we lose them. We could do something to make sure we see each other again. We could give something to each other, bind it with blood, so we will see each other again. Mouse, do you remember what your real name was, the one your parents gave you?"
"Barely. I have more trouble remembering it with every day that goes by."
"I'll give you my true name, and you'll give me yours, okay? When we see each other again, we'll give each other's name back. So when we both get our names back, we'll remember our true selves."
"But you know your true name."
"I'll give myself a new name. I won't tell my parents, I'll only tell my new master. I'll forget my old name, with all the work I'll have to do."
Sometimes Amei thought her true self was that cold heartless mercenary, that she was just fighting the inevitable when she helped the street kids, fetched a healer for someone who had a bad day. Since she had settled in Corus, she had done many of the things she had thought she'd never do when she was living in Port Caynn. It had occurred to her that one's true self could evolve as one experienced more, but she would never have thought that she could end up stealing and killing people for more money than she needed to survive. If she didn't get her freedom soon, she would truly become that cold, heartless mercenary.
* ~ * ~ *
Daine was eating dinner in the mess hall with Alanna and Kel when a tall, dark, virtual stranger came to sit next to her. Daine kissed him on the cheek, as she hadn't seen him since breakfast the previous day.
"We've got her," he announced triumphantly. "Brown haired, green eyed, Gifted, and most likely a warrior of some sort. We've sent some guards out into the city, but if she's stronger than we thought, we'll have to send some knights. Are you ladies up to the challenge?" he added slyly.
"That rat Maggur and his cronies deserve every little bit they get," Alanna said hotly. "A traitor deserves a traitor's death."
"If she's Scanran, she's not technically a traitior," Numair reminded her.
"But if she's Tortallian, she is," Daine said quietly.
"I hope not," Alanna said. "A Tortallian girl, a spy for Maggur?"
"You never know," Kel said. "If King Maggot wanted the Jewel, he should at least bring an army with him. No sneaking around."
"Oh, Kel," Numair interrupted. "I just remembered. A young boy came up to me while I was on my way here. He asked me to tell you that Raine's awake."
Kel immediately stood up and pushed her chair in.
"Who's Raine?" Alanna asked.
"My new maid," Kel answered before she walked off.
* ~ * ~ *
Sorry if I can't write Alanna, Kel, Daine and Numair very well. That's kinda why I use my own characters. I try to write them well, but it may or may not work.
If I don't update very regularly during (my three months of) holidays, blame it on: the exams (any year 12 student from Victoria who happens not to be studying before Friday, good luck on the English exam), Kingdom Hearts (sorry, I got addicted when we got the game last week. Believe it or not, it's like a Final Fantasy/Disney crossover fanfic with some original characters thrown in for good measure), and a whole pile of really fat books I plan to read sometime.
Please read and review, even if you don't really have anything to say in a review, it makes me feel loved. I'll review back, I promise.