Averon - There were typos in the first chapter, and there might be in this
one. Sorry about them.
Hiei – Why do I have to be an unwanted brat?
Talking sword – Because you are, short stuff.
Averon and Hiei - stare
The Punishment
The next couple days were like heaven for Hiei. He got up at dawn, as usual, but he didn't have to deal with his roommate (who happened to be Ginden's right hand man, and Hiei's favorite punching bag, Kent). He would get a warm bath and dress in the back room of the salle. He always wore the same thing. A pair of black pant that had had a couple inches cut off the bottom so he didn't trip. This was held up by a rawhide belt. He had torn the sleeves off a dark blue tunic. This he wore belted around his waist tofree up his arms for sword work. This was finished of with a pair of brown boots that actually fit, and a black bandana which he wore tied around his head to cover up his star-burst (his poor, mutilated uniform). He got really sick of people looking at him funny because of the starburst and opted to cover it instead of enduring their stares.
After this he ate breakfast with his master. Again, they always ate the same thing, being novice and teacher and not priests. This meal consisted of coarse bread, butter, and whatever fruit or vegetable happened to be in season (which at this time was turnips, which he refused to eat). The two usually ate in silence, but on some occasions were heard discussing different moves or some unnamed students performance the day before.
Then an incredibly uneventful morning followed filled with nothing but book work on subjects Hiei couldn't have cared less about. After this was lunch, which he ate alone, of the same bread, cheese, and sometimes a little meat that was going off and was therefore suitable for his lowly status. Then was the time for him to teach his lessons. The youngest of the novices, and some older ones who had refused to start when they were supposed to or had no talent, entered the salle and waited nervously for him to come out of the back. As soon as he heard them whispering, he crept out the door and snuck behind them. Then he cleared his throat, causing all of them to jump. It never got old...
Today he addressed them after they managed to calm down. "Today I will show you how to properly," He looked at a few of the students before continuing, "hold a sword and some basic attacks and parries. Those who succeed will get a treat." They all stared in amazement. They had been taking their lessons from him for a week now and hadn't thought the word 'treat' was in his vocabulary. Or that he could string more than three words together without cussing for that matter...
Hiei taught his class well, and quite a few of them managed to get the patterns he taught them down by the end of the class. All of them finally got their grip right. He didn't smile, instead he went into the back room of the salle and came out with a basket of apples. He gave each student one of the precious fruit and dismissed them. They ran off, back to the dorms, to showoff their good fortune.
"I should have thought of that." Avir stated. Hiei turned calmly and raised an eyebrow at his master, who laughed.
"I didn't find it brilliant. I just got tired of their whining and gave them a reason besides fear to succeed." He stated calmly. It had been obvious to him, but apparently his teacher found it out of character...
"Why don't we start on your lesson, kid?" Avir said; wiping his eyes as Hiei fetched his practice sword. The lesson was the same as always, a fast paced fight in which Hiei was expected to find his own moves to defend himself with. Avir never went to hurt the boy, but was very hard on him. If he wasn't the lad would never learn anything! At this point in Hiei's training, Avir was going all out and couldn't even catch the fabric of his shirt! The boy was amazing, to say the least.
Finally, the day was over. Hiei ate a silent (always silent) meal with Avir, then set up his pallet in the backroom of salle and fell asleep. Tonight, however, was no ordinary night. It was the last night in the age of the hawk. The day before the Changing of the Kings. The Changing of the Kings was a ceremony that took place every 25 years on the first day of the first year of the next age (say that ten times fast...). The first year of each age was called the year of the 'whatever' depending on which house was going to rule for the next quarter century. The four royal houses were the house of the hawk (obviously), the house of the fox, the house of the dove, and the house of the horse. Tomorrow was the first day of the year of the fox, the day the heir apparent took the throne. The ruling lords couldn't take the throne because they still had to rule over their area of the kingdom. The kingdom itself was in five parts, one for each point of the compass and the city of 'New Horizon', the city of light, in the center. The city only answered to the supreme ruler, and the stewards who ruled the House of the Rising Sun (thus 'Horizon', get it? Oh, and the temple is named after the house of the stewards, though is also called the Temple of the King)
Hiei was the heir apparent for the house of the stewards. Not that it was likely that he would ever get to rule... His twin was a better choice anyway, and his family wanted nothing to do with him. He was better off in the temple and out of sight. All the heirs had to attend the ceremony, as well as the lords and the current ruler (Genkai!!), so Hiei was stuck at the stupid crowning, while he could have been elsewhere (stupid complicated traditions)......
Hiei – Why do I have to be an unwanted brat?
Talking sword – Because you are, short stuff.
Averon and Hiei - stare
The Punishment
The next couple days were like heaven for Hiei. He got up at dawn, as usual, but he didn't have to deal with his roommate (who happened to be Ginden's right hand man, and Hiei's favorite punching bag, Kent). He would get a warm bath and dress in the back room of the salle. He always wore the same thing. A pair of black pant that had had a couple inches cut off the bottom so he didn't trip. This was held up by a rawhide belt. He had torn the sleeves off a dark blue tunic. This he wore belted around his waist tofree up his arms for sword work. This was finished of with a pair of brown boots that actually fit, and a black bandana which he wore tied around his head to cover up his star-burst (his poor, mutilated uniform). He got really sick of people looking at him funny because of the starburst and opted to cover it instead of enduring their stares.
After this he ate breakfast with his master. Again, they always ate the same thing, being novice and teacher and not priests. This meal consisted of coarse bread, butter, and whatever fruit or vegetable happened to be in season (which at this time was turnips, which he refused to eat). The two usually ate in silence, but on some occasions were heard discussing different moves or some unnamed students performance the day before.
Then an incredibly uneventful morning followed filled with nothing but book work on subjects Hiei couldn't have cared less about. After this was lunch, which he ate alone, of the same bread, cheese, and sometimes a little meat that was going off and was therefore suitable for his lowly status. Then was the time for him to teach his lessons. The youngest of the novices, and some older ones who had refused to start when they were supposed to or had no talent, entered the salle and waited nervously for him to come out of the back. As soon as he heard them whispering, he crept out the door and snuck behind them. Then he cleared his throat, causing all of them to jump. It never got old...
Today he addressed them after they managed to calm down. "Today I will show you how to properly," He looked at a few of the students before continuing, "hold a sword and some basic attacks and parries. Those who succeed will get a treat." They all stared in amazement. They had been taking their lessons from him for a week now and hadn't thought the word 'treat' was in his vocabulary. Or that he could string more than three words together without cussing for that matter...
Hiei taught his class well, and quite a few of them managed to get the patterns he taught them down by the end of the class. All of them finally got their grip right. He didn't smile, instead he went into the back room of the salle and came out with a basket of apples. He gave each student one of the precious fruit and dismissed them. They ran off, back to the dorms, to showoff their good fortune.
"I should have thought of that." Avir stated. Hiei turned calmly and raised an eyebrow at his master, who laughed.
"I didn't find it brilliant. I just got tired of their whining and gave them a reason besides fear to succeed." He stated calmly. It had been obvious to him, but apparently his teacher found it out of character...
"Why don't we start on your lesson, kid?" Avir said; wiping his eyes as Hiei fetched his practice sword. The lesson was the same as always, a fast paced fight in which Hiei was expected to find his own moves to defend himself with. Avir never went to hurt the boy, but was very hard on him. If he wasn't the lad would never learn anything! At this point in Hiei's training, Avir was going all out and couldn't even catch the fabric of his shirt! The boy was amazing, to say the least.
Finally, the day was over. Hiei ate a silent (always silent) meal with Avir, then set up his pallet in the backroom of salle and fell asleep. Tonight, however, was no ordinary night. It was the last night in the age of the hawk. The day before the Changing of the Kings. The Changing of the Kings was a ceremony that took place every 25 years on the first day of the first year of the next age (say that ten times fast...). The first year of each age was called the year of the 'whatever' depending on which house was going to rule for the next quarter century. The four royal houses were the house of the hawk (obviously), the house of the fox, the house of the dove, and the house of the horse. Tomorrow was the first day of the year of the fox, the day the heir apparent took the throne. The ruling lords couldn't take the throne because they still had to rule over their area of the kingdom. The kingdom itself was in five parts, one for each point of the compass and the city of 'New Horizon', the city of light, in the center. The city only answered to the supreme ruler, and the stewards who ruled the House of the Rising Sun (thus 'Horizon', get it? Oh, and the temple is named after the house of the stewards, though is also called the Temple of the King)
Hiei was the heir apparent for the house of the stewards. Not that it was likely that he would ever get to rule... His twin was a better choice anyway, and his family wanted nothing to do with him. He was better off in the temple and out of sight. All the heirs had to attend the ceremony, as well as the lords and the current ruler (Genkai!!), so Hiei was stuck at the stupid crowning, while he could have been elsewhere (stupid complicated traditions)......