Hello guys! Oh. My. These new Evanesence songs are the best birthday present I could ever give myself *Mentally dances to oceans*. Were I not too lazy to bother with clothing, I'd probably be gothic :P
Aaaaanyway. I am now a year older than I was! Well, not really, but officially! Yaay!
Sunset was always a scary time for me. Those in the town who didn't have a home stayed downstairs, sleeping on the benches or huddled on the floor. I swore to make them some beds as soon as I got the wool. I firmly shut the doors to the town hall, and from the windows I saw citizens doing the same. I silently cursed the night, and the monsters that bred in it.
"Don't worry, Ekra, the sun will rise." I ignored the woman, not even bothering to see who she was. I turned to the back of the town hall, where the ladders to my room were.
"Sleep well," I muttered, climbing up and once again, almost tripping over the steps (I needed to fix that) to my bed.
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I woke to the frenzied twittering of birds. I loved birds, especially doves, with their soothing hoots calming me like nothing else.
The calmness of the morning was broken by villagers muttering beneath me. Sighing, I climbed from the warmth of my bed, slinking down the ladders. Tearing a piece of bread apart, I walked across the hall, sighing. My elation from yesterday had dissolved with the setting sun, and memories of my father had sunk in. Everything in this accursed town reminded me of him. Hefting a pickaxe onto my back and pocketing my few Deniers, I walked out of the building and began running, avoiding the open mines and caves that dotted Royale's East. As soon as I had skirted the worse, I began to flat-out sprint, silently yelling at my legs to go faster.
I was so absorbed in my body that I didn't see Jyoti as she wandered into her village's fort.
"Ekra?" she cried, jumping aside as I nearly crashed into her. Her accent pronounced my name as Ek-a-ra, sort of. She brushed non-existent dirt off her pink sari, the cloth's gold hem twinkling in the sunlight.
She looked up at me and instantly took in my miserable expression. "Oh, come in child." She embraced me, her silk clothes shrouding me from memories. Gently holding my shoulders, I let the chief's wife steer me inside the Quila, seating me down in an empty room.
After I had cried my heart out, and was reduced to sobbing quietly, Jyoti rubbed my back, gently unlocking my sore muscles.
"Ekra, in no way are you a bad person. You're a wonderful girl. What happened to your father is not your fault. Don't look for blame, carry his name with pride. It'll get better."
I looked up at her, disbelief filling my torn heart. "Does it really? How would you know?"
Her pained smile told me all I needed to know.
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The red and white sails slackened. "Great," I muttered, groaning as I shoved at the tiller, which creaked reluctantly. The sails swung around, catching the breeze and pushing us onwards. Snoring could be heard from above and behind me, Kamiko was slung across the crow's nest, one arm hanging over the edge.
Smirking, I peered out across the horizon. A jolt went from he heart and up my throat. Sand and dirt, piled up by the current, formed a gentle bay. A forest grew off in the distance, tall oak trees standing proudly.
The ground rose into a hill, shielding whatever was behind it from sight.
"Land!" I yelled, so loud my throat stung. Five men rushed onto the deck, fighting for place at the stern. "Guys, calm down," I scoffed, watching them behave like hungry dogs begging for food. The bay was shallow, I wouldn't be able to sail far in.
"Get ready for a swim," I muttered, expertly steering the ship as far as I dared. Grabbing a block of iron tied to a rope, I tossed it out of the boat, tightening the rope until the boat was still.
Ignoring the cold weather, I leaped off the side, followed by the five men and four other women. Ten of us, ten madmen rebelling against the Shukun...
We soon reached the shore, all of us able swimmers. Shaking the droplets from my short hair, I ran to the forest edge, ignoring my soaked clothes. A few pigs wandered through the undergrowth, ignoring me. The hill was rather steep, the kind where you have to grab plants whilst climbing. Hauling myself up, I stopped short. "Holy crap."
Three towns, as different as possible, sat in the grasslands. To my left a little sprawled a pile of white buildings, occasionally with wooden roofs. To the right, and almost out of sight, small wooden houses and farms sheltered under the shadow of a stone-walled fort. A massive blood-red tower was further up the hill, just the sight of it giving me the creeps. Between everything was a close packed town, blonde and brown-haired villagers milling around the area. I was taken aback at how they started their day, I had forgotten what it was like to live like this.
One figure stood out in the mid town, dark red hair the colour of dried blood. Light iron glittered in the sun, a curve of the steel from the shoulder to mid-back. The pickaxe seemed tied onto the person's back by a wide strap.
Not noticing me, the figure began to run, long legs leaping over and around mines. He or she was fast, amazingly so.
"What are you staring at Sic?" I turned away, looking up at Kamiko, who, as I reminded him, had no right to tease me for being distracted.
"You cleaned the drool off your shirt yet Kam?" He huffed and turned away.
"Perfect! cried Mai, arms outstretched to show what she'd seen. An area of stone, almost a circle, and nearly completely flat, lay just meters away from the hill. Flat land dominated the area. A perfect place to build.
"We'll survive. We'll stay free." Utterly oblivious to my relief, Kam rushed down the hill, joining the others in cutting wood.
Oooh. New character. Many thinks- really Kat? Thinks?- Many thanks to Sicomba for the wonderful OC, he will be a great addition to my story and plot. So I desperately need Hindi names, and any japanese and english Oc's are welcome. Sicomba sparked a really good idea for me, you won't all be getting main characters XD.
Please review. If you fav or follow me and not review I will hunt you down. And I desperately need more poll voters, as 4 people are in no world a good show of public opinion.
Anyway. Good bah!