SAPPHIRE
01: Dreams of the Future
She was perhaps the most talented, most brilliant student to enter the prestigious Otome academy of Garderobe. Her voice was soft and enchanting, capable of soothing the most suffering of hearts. She was also exceptionally beautiful, which complimented well with her academic and fighting abilities, but that was only a bonus to her outstanding character. Caring and compassionate to all, she was loved and respected by all. Regardless of where they came from and who they were, the girl had the hearts and minds of everyone who knew her. When she walked – and she walked in a graceful manner rivalling that of royalty – she drew the eyes of everyone in the room. When she spoke in that soft voice she was capable of quieting and healing the wounded hearts, the loss dignity. She was also capable of speaking in a strong, sharp tone, enabling her to lead and command people who may or may not know her. Her eyes could make one's heart flutter at a single glance; it could make one smile through humour; and it could also strike fear into the enemy that stood before her.
One of the village elders of the Black Valley had only needed one look of the girl to know what she would grow up to be. She had been spared from the disease that had stricken everyone; a disease so terrible to have them essentially crippled for life. This was an act of miracle and in turn she had become their saint. Even at the tender age of six years old the young girl was already under a strict training regime. Discipline and a strong, excellent work ethic had been instilled in her since birth. Everyone had a helping hand in the growth of this magnificent girl. Destiny had a great many things planned for her and no one was going to let the chance slip away. She had become the Valley's daughter – she was their hopes and dreams. The beautiful girl with long, flowing black hair and deep blue eyes carried the future of the Black Valley on her shoulder. Standing unfazed outside in the scorching heat, under the boiling sun, the fourteen-year-old Rena Sayers had come to accept her mission in life. 'Serve honourably, dutifully, and when you are done, return home and aid in the cure of this disease,' the elder had told Rena a few days earlier. She nodded, accepting her mission as saviour of this warrior society.
The Aswald were proud and honourable people, but they had been marginalised and labelled as bandits and a threat by the larger, wealthier nations. Such nations as Windbloom and Aries saw the Black Valley as a brewing ground for future mercenaries and not as the poor, desolate home for an unfortunate group of people. They were misunderstood and left to fend for themselves. No one dared to venture into their territory to offer assistance. No, the Aswalds were very much alone. It was no wonder why they had to lend their services to other nations wherever possible. In order to gather resources and keep their small, independent nation afloat, the Aswalds had to sell their services and do whatever job they were paid to do without a moment's thought to right or wrong. It was this that had Windbloom calling them mercenaries, but what else were the citizens of the Black Valley supposed to do? People in Aries and Windbloom enjoyed a comfortable life where placing food on the table was not an everyday problem. The citizens of the Black Valley lived on a day-to-day basis. Rena had grown up living in this poor nation, struggling to carry on the dreams of her people while fighting to survive. 'You are the light at the end of this tunnel, Rena. You are what this Valley requires to become a better place. Never forget the people who have helped you, and never forget to help those who need it, regardless of their origin,' advised her ailing father when she had turned twelve. Her father, once a strong man, died days later in their house – a small candle-lit chamber of a cave in the Valley that was only big enough to fit the two. She would never forget her father's words.
As part of the warrior society and being designated as their saviour, Rena underwent long, relentless training sessions that were equally ruthless and rewarding. Some days she would come home – under her own will, of course, as requesting help was frowned upon – heavily bruised and bloodied, but her honour and dignity remained intact. Her body adapted to the extreme training regimes and became stronger. Her mind became sharper, able to react at an instant's notice, and became her most powerful weapon. She became a cool, calculating fighter that was able to change tactics fluidly without pause in an ever changing environment. Upon arriving in Windbloom, the fourteen-year-old Rena had breezed through the initial physical fitness examination needed to become an Otome. However, merely applying to the academy was a grand feat in its own as it was fraught with difficulties. As the Black Valley and the Aswalds were not looked too kindly upon by Garderobe, or Windbloom for that matter, Rena was unable to state it as her nationality on the application form. Luckily the world and its citizens did not think alike, for a kind family from Windbloom offered to take her in as their adopted child. Tuition fees would be the responsibility of the Black Valley, but the family would provide the prospective Meister with a home to stay for the duration of her academics at Garderobe. The decision required no hesitation at all. The Aswalds accepted the offer immediately and agreed to double their efforts in order to pay for Rena's tuition. I won't fail them, Rena thought decisively, knowing failure was never an option.
The plans had been set and she was ready to leave her people for the first time in her life. She stood on a cliff overlooking the expansive desert, knowing she would cross that soon enough to travel to Windbloom. Normally the Aswalds would tell her to go and let her survive on her own, but this situation was quite different. They wanted to know that Rena had arrived at Windbloom so escorts had been assigned to her. Rena took a deep breath in and made her way back down to the people that had cared for her since birth. Despite its rather empty and poor look, Rena loved the Black Valley and knew she would miss it sorely while she was gone. She would miss the searing heat of the day, the burning sand between her toes, and her family that was everyone in the Valley. Though she would make friends in Windbloom, Rena knew she was only going to live a lie and pretend to be someone she was not. Her "friends" at Garderobe would be led to believe that Rena Sayers was from Windbloom and that her biological parents had died when she was young, not by some disease but by natural causes; that the girl had come from a modest family living in a modest house, and not from a poor family living in a small chamber of a cave. It would be a major shift but the girl was ready to make the necessary changes.
Rena entered the chamber that was her room and packed what she would be carrying with her across the desert – water and food to last several days. The family in Windbloom said they would provide the girl with clothes and food for the duration of her stay – clothes most importantly as she had to blend in and not stand out – but there was no telling how long Rena and her escorts would be in the desert. Nature would determine the speed at which they travelled, and if Nature was kind then the weather would be tolerable and cool. With the small bag filled, Rena stood up and sighed, taking one last look around the dimly lit room. She would be gone for at least two years and perhaps longer if she was given a Master right away. Never forget where you came from. Never lose sight of your goals. The words echoed in her head constantly. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, Rena left her room, never once looking back at the life she would leave. Some of the adults looked at her with pride, tears swelling in their eyes, and the children stopped playing, watching as the girl, which they had heard about from their parents, leave and commence her historic journey.
'So you're ready for this?' asked a voice from outside the entrance.
Rena turned to face a boy with black hair and piercing emerald green eyes a few years older than she. His face had been worn by the disease and the sands of the Valley. Though it was rugged and lined displaying age beyond his years, inside he still retained his youth. The boy was a tall and imposing figure, strong and loyal to the Aswald ethos. 'Oh, hello Reito' said Rena, greeting the boy. 'Have you come to see me off?'
The boy named Reito grinned, replying, 'No, I've come to escort you to Windbloom.' Seeing the look on Rena's face, the boy replied, 'It's a test, they say. If I can do this then I get to proceed further in my training.' Although the citizens of the Black Valley grew up with a strong fighting background, there was a select group that was responsible for the defence and support of the Black Valley. This select group was the Aswalds, the Knights of the Black Valley. Reito had been groomed since he was a child to become a member of the Aswalds, and Rena, who had been something of a childhood friend to him, knew the sacrifices and hard work he committed to reach his goal.
'Good luck, Reito,' said Rena, 'I really hope you make it.'
He grinned, looking at her with an odd expression. 'You make it sound as though I'm going to fail,' he said, feigning a hurt look. 'Of course I'll make it,' he added, beaming at her.
The escort party of five, including Reito, met Rena at the entrance of the Black Valley. Many of them were prospective Aswalds while others were simply trained fighters. They carried an assortment of weapons from swords, staffs, and rifles, as well as fragmentation grenades. The leader of the escort – a bald, barrel-chested man with faint green eyes and a thick sandy moustache – gave Rena a brown cloak and told her to put it on. 'This is to make sure no one can recognise you if we are spotted,' he said before they set off. 'Also, don't forget to cover your face. The winds are going to be pretty heavy.' Looks like Nature isn't going to be on my side, thought Rena as she watched the blowing winds kick up a small sandstorm outside of the Valley. Everyone wrapped their face with a scarf or some strips of cloth, goggles or sunglasses covering their eyes, to keep the sand out of their face. It would be a long walk but there was no alternative method. Rena had to be snuck into Windbloom where the family would pick her up and take her the rest of the way. 'You got everything you need?' asked the leader of the escort. Rena nodded. 'Alright then, let's get moving. We'll try to make it to our first checkpoint before the sun sets.'
As Rena left the Black Valley she turned to look at her home and the people who helped raise her one last time. She did not cry because that was not in her personality, but her heart never felt so heavy. Through the tinted lenses of her goggles, Rena looked up at the bright blue skies and wondered to herself, Where am I going to be in five years' time? Five years seemed like an eternity; she did not dwell on the matter for long. As the group of six began to march across the wide open desert towards Windbloom under the intense heat and strong winds, the villagers of the Black Valley watched their hopes and dreams unfold. There went Rena Sayers to Windbloom to become an Otome.
Ω
Travelling across the desert took three full days. One thing she learned while traversing across the expansive desert was how much she hated the sand. If she did not hate it before she hated it now. The temperature was horrible to say the least. The heat was beyond anything she had ever experienced despite growing up in the Black Valley. The hot, humid weather allowed for the sand to stick to her exposed skin. Though the cloak she wore did well in covering her identity, it did not actually cover her. Like everyone in the party of six, sand found a way to stick to their skin, creep into their mouths, and blind their eyes. As they walked under the heat, Rena sometimes felt she was going to throw up sand instead of her lunch. The heat began to get to her – she could no longer tell the difference between reality and hallucinations. Mirages were a constant and she sometimes found herself mindlessly walking towards something that was not there. Luckily she he had the assistance of her escorts or else she would have gotten lost several times along the way. Reito simply laughed each time they found her wandering away in the wrong direction.
The schedule the group followed was strict and gruelling. She would wake up early, eat, and walk for six hours, taking short breaks in between. After six hours they would have their lunch and walk for another six hours. Then came supper, more marching, and then a quick, short sleep. On the final day her legs began to wear out but Rena kept pushing, tapping into her reserves and made the final distance. Far off in the distance were the reinforced walls of Windbloom. The easy part was now over: they had located Windbloom. Now came the tricky part where Rena had to be smuggled into the guarded nation. Sentries patrolled the walls, staying in their guard towers or walking along the walls; they could see anyone coming during the day for kilometres out. The only hope to enter Windbloom was by night. The leader of the escort left Rena in Reito's care while the rest of the team scouted for an entrance into Windbloom. Making a fire to keep warm during the night was out of the question as that would reveal their position to the sentries, so they resorted to staying close and exchanging body heat. Under the moonlit night, the two leaned against each other's back, feeling one another breathe, and did their best to stay warm. Despite being wrapped in several layers of clothes, Rena could not help but shiver.
'Feeling a little cold?' asked Reito, baiting her. 'I think the heat's getting to your head again.' She could not see his face but she knew he was grinning.
'Don't laugh at me,' retorted Rena indignantly, hers arms wrapped across her chest. They remained quiet for some time, both of them shivering in the cold desert. With her scarf no longer covering her face, Rena could see her every breath before her eyes. An awkward silence fell between the two with none knowing what to say. 'So I guess life will be the same as always when you return?'
Reito shrugged. 'I suppose so,' he said slowly. 'I mean, is there a reason for it to change?' He paused for a bit and added. 'Well I suppose the only change will be you not being there. I think everyone will notice that.'
'Please, don't make me miss that place more than I already am,' said Rena heavily. 'How's Midori and Yohko?'
The boy was not easily thrown off by questions, but this materialised out of the blue and took him by surprise. She felt him react in shock, opening and closing his mouth without a response ready. Rena enjoyed putting Reito on the spot. Finally forming an answer, the boy replied defensively, 'They're okay, why?'
'Just wondering,' she said airily.
Rena waited for Reito's reaction. At first he remained seated, though he was shifting uncomfortably, until he finally stood up. 'Look, this whole thing – yes, it's just a thing – shouldn't be taken seriously. I mean, those two – you know them, right?' asked Reito, feeling irritated. 'Come on, Rena, it's not my fault Midori and Yohko are like that. Do I like them? Yes, yes I do because they are my friends, albeit they're a bit younger than I am. Still, they are my friends.' He walked in front of Rena to gauge her response, his shadow covering her.
'Well if they're your friends then why are you letting them do this to each other?' asked Rena with an air of authority. 'They used to be best friends but now I'm seeing them argue more than before. They're friendship is falling apart over you.' Rena never liked scolding anyone, but Midori and Yohko were her friends and she didn't want to see anything bad happen to them. They were a few years younger than she, but they were quite close. Rena knew the two of them were best friends and had developed a crush on Reito, sparking a rivalry between the two. 'If they're your friends then you have to do something and stop this from getting any worse. One of them is going to leave, Reito, and I don't think they'll come back. I don't know who will be the one to leave, but one of them will. Their friendship can't, and won't, survive at the rate things are going. Either you do something to stop this or you let it get out of your hands.'
'Well what would you have me do?' he asked exasperatedly.
Rena paused, thinking. 'I can't find the answer for you, Reito. You'll have to solve this one on your own,' she said finally.
Reito's face was hidden in the shadows but she knew he was irritated. He sat back down, his back turned to Rena, and kept watch for the scouting party. The two sat silently in the cold desert for quite some time. Eventually the escort leader and his team returned to the two. They had located a possible route to enter Windbloom undetected. 'To the far east of the port is where we can enter. The guard there is the least concentrated and the location is advantageous to us. We will have to do a bit of climbing but that shouldn't be much of a problem,' said the escort leader.
The group set off immediately towards the walls of Windbloom. The escort leader retraced the same path he took the wall with the group, telling to get down every now and then when he believed a sentry was looking their way. Satisfied that they were still safe, the escort leader gave everyone the all clear and they resumed their trek towards the walls. They were far enough away, coming down a hill, for Rena to see the lights of houses inside the country, appearing like stationary fireflies off in the distance. The towers of Windbloom Castle were visible even in the night. She looked at it with envy, knowing the kind of lifestyle the royal family lived. Did the King and Queen even think outside of the life of others outside the walls of their castle, their nation? Did they understand the suffering the citizens of the Black Valley had to live through with every passing day? Probably not. Rena did not hate them. She did not hate them because they were simply uneducated, not evil. They did not understand the situation outside of their own lives and were merely told lies by their servants. Perhaps, maybe one day should the opportunity arrive, she would try and open the eyes of the royal family and let them see the cold, hard truth.
The party of six spent nearly an hour trying to reach the spot the escort leader had picked out for them. It was to the very edge of the nation where they found a "pathway" – nothing more than a narrow, rocky trail – along the mountains leading into the country. The walls of Windbloom had been well constructed to keep unwanted visitors out, but this little bit had been overlooked and provided Rena with the opportunity to enter the country undetected. Sentries guarded the walls but here there was hardly any, or at least none they had noticed. Reito volunteered to go up first and make sure the coast was clear. It took him a long ten minutes to make the climb; still visible to everyone below, Reito flashed a thumbs up and signalled Rena to come up. She tied the straps of her bag tightly and prepared to venture up the steep mountain. Before making her way up to Reito, the barrel-chested escort leader stopped her and said, 'Please be careful, Miss Sayers. Everyone back home is supporting you.' Rena nodded and gave everyone on the ground a hug. They smiled sadly at the girl, watching her climb up the narrow path.
The pathway was not steep enough where she was forced to climb every inch, but she could not simply walk the distance to Reito. The steps were small and far apart; she had to hold onto anything that provided grip to move up from time to time. Her hands, which were tired and worn at the midpoint, gripped each rock or jagged edge available as she proceeded further and further up the passage. The world beneath her shrunk and shrunk; the expansive desert was viewed much the same way she saw it three days before on the cliff in the Black Valley. She paused momentarily to take in the view before continuing.
Reito was waiting at the top when she arrived. He grabbed her hand and hoisted her up to his side; they sat on a flat landing that allowed them to see almost all of Windbloom. It was a breathtaking sight for Rena. She had never seen the nation before; now she did and she couldn't believe her eyes. The city before her was bigger than what she first imagined and what she saw from a distance. It seemed as though every square inch of Windbloom was occupied with houses and buildings extending to the edges of the large walls. The castle was quite close to them, maybe only a few kilometres off in the distance. Rena could see Windbloom Castle in all of its entirety. She wondered whether the King and Queen were currently sleeping or if they were still awake. She did not see any lights lit up inside so she assumed they were fast asleep. 'Wow, that's so beautiful,' said Rena silently in awe. Reito merely grunted in assent. She turned to look at him. Reito was looking at the city before him with disgust. Clearly he did not have any positive feelings directed towards the wealthy nation. Was it jealousy? Rena did not ask; she was not looking for an argument.
'Well I guess this is it,' she said after a time.
He turned to face the girl soon to temporarily disappear from his life. 'Yeah,' he acknowledged, 'I guess this is it.' They looked at each other for a brief minute before embracing each other. 'Take care, Rena, okay? Don't forget about us back home.' He handed her a white ribbon. She took the ribbon, holding it before her and looking thoroughly surprised.
'What's this?' she asked, holding the white ribbon in her hand.
'Something to remember us by,' he replied.
She smiled sadly. 'Of course I'll never forget any of you guys,' said Rena, trying not to get too emotional. It was a hard fought battle, though. She gave Reito one last hug and said, 'Goodbye. Tell everyone back home I say hi from Windbloom, okay?' Reito nodded; she turned and made her slow descent towards Windbloom. She did not look back to see if Reito was watching her. Looking back, watching her last link to the Black Valley distance itself farther and farther away, was simply too painful. As she went down the side of the mountain, memories of her past played over and over in her head. From the earliest memories of her parents to her last moments with Reito, Rena replayed these in her head continuously. Her heart was heavy as she thought about the Black Valley, but there was excitement in seeing her future in Windbloom as well. Rena made her descent into Windbloom without ever seeing Reito or anyone else who may have been up there. It probably didn't matter as she melted into the shadows of the night so it would have been nearly impossible for him or anyone to spot her.
The descent had taken her twice as long as it did to climb up, but with her two feet flat on the ground she breathed a sigh of relief. She was exhausted from all the climbing and moving, as well as the lack food and sleep deprivation. The group had been on the move since the afternoon and they did not take their regular breaks. Rena went for her water bottle but found it empty. She cursed silently and moved on into the night. Her hand retrieved the map and location of where she was supposed to meet this family. Rena looked for a place that would provide her with an ample amount of light so she could take a look at her map. Though she had practically memorised the map of Windbloom by heart, she still wanted to view it one last time for confirmation. Leaving the mountain side, Rena navigated her way through a thick a forest towards the castle. Rena planned on using the castle as her point of origin and work from there. It would be the longer method of doing things, but currently she did not accurately know her location.
Rena exited the thick of the forest and found herself standing over a small stone bridge spanning over a small ravine. She looked up at the castle and judged that it was probably another ten or twenty minutes' walk. Rena was about to set off when movement in the forest caught her attention. Crap, I can't run, she thought suddenly, knowing whoever was coming was very close by.The girl, immobilised, watched as two figures materialised outside of the forest in front of her. A man and a woman, both young, stopped in their tracks and looked at the girl from the Black Valley. It was clear from the way she dressed she was not from Windbloom.
'H-hi,' said Rena after a while.
The couple exchanged looks. 'Are you Rena Sayers?' the man asked suddenly. Taken aback but recovering quickly, Rena nodded. The couple smiled and said, 'Welcome to Windbloom.'
Rena sighed with relief. Relief. The word had a new meaning to Rena Sayers. She was taken in by the family that would support her and was led to her new home. They had been looking for her throughout the night, walking from one end of Windbloom to the other. Rena was glad they had chosen to end their search here or else she would have had to spend the night in the forest. Obviously travelling by day would not have been something she wanted to do, but that did not happen and she was glad. Fate had smiled kindly on her: her "family" had found her. She was now exhausted beyond her capabilities; her legs were giving out and her mind was telling her eyes to close. It seemed like in no time that she was shown to her room at the couple's house. Rena, yearning for a bed for three days, finally collapsed onto the soft blankets and passed out. It would be the best sleep she ever had. The memories of her past had ceased playing in her head. Dreams of a better and brighter future took shape.
Δ
Author's Note: Well this is my first chapter of SAPPHIRE so I hope it's the least bit interesting. On an important note, I'd like to point out that this is an alternate universe story so nothing told, or will be told, here will follow the manga or anime. There will be some similarities here and there but the story is completely different. The personality of the characters may be similar to their counterpart in the manga or anime, but will not be the exact duplicate. Just as well, I've tweaked the physical appearance of some of the characters (i.e. hair colour) to make it more "realistic" as well as for personal preference.