OUALD: Okay! Wow. Four new reviews. So to Guest: I'm sorry that part is not exactly your cup of tea but trust me, everything I do has a plan, purpose and/or reason. I suppose this also responds to Draconias' review. Then to Pandaemic: Okay. Its moved now. I just wanted some more people to be able to see it before it went to the crossover section. And finally force200: Oh believe me, things are gonna go nuts around here soon.
Bright orange flames covered the earth as Lelouch walked by. The heat wasn't unbearable at all. If anything, it was relaxing and only mildly warm. The raven-haired girl looked down and openly gaped at the somewhat loose brown pants and skirt hanging off her hips. The pants were tucked into paler boots. Her chest was covered with a light green halter-top made of either grass or reeds, she couldn't tell. On the right side of her face, a small part of her hair was braided with purple beads.
Just ahead of her, the fire surged into a roll like a hill and Lelouch jumped back. The hill grew taller and taller then a large bird of fire squawked loudly into the blackened skies. The massive beast looked right at her with its bright green eyes. Slowly, it moved its head toward her and stared at her as if expecting something. Slowly, the former boy stood and stretched a hand towards the bird. The creature settled its beak under her palm and a warm, tingling sensation raced up her arm and into her chest.
She rubbed gently, marveling at the smooth, silken texture of the hard keratin under her fingertips. The bird opened its beak a little and blew out a steady stream of flames on her boots. Quickly the flames spread to her pants and skirt and licked at her top. But the girl could not find it in herself to panic as the flames spread over her skin, only the feeling of calm and collectedness as the bird's mouth closed and it rubbed its beak against her hand a little harder.
Slowly, the flames began to pool over her heart, vanishing within her chest and filling her with a relaxing warmth. Without warning the bird charged at the raven-haired girl and snapped its beak at her eye. The girl jumped back with a scream as something was pulled from her eye rather painfully.
Lelouch snapped her eyes open and shot up, covering her eye and expecting to feel the familiar slick of blood on her fingers. Rolo looked over to the teen and Lelouch calmed as the feeling didn't come.
"Are you alright?" the boy whispered. Lelouch nodded, trying to avoid looking down at herself as Rolo looked her over. "What happened?"
"Just a nightmare. Think nothing of it," she said with a deep breath. Rolo nodded as he strapped a small, bone-handled knife to his belt of small gold coins. Suzaku was sitting against the bed frame, turning a matching knife over in between his fingers. The teen had discarded the Zero attire for baggy brown leather pants, a reed chestplate and belt strung with what looked like rib bones of some sort. Lelouch raised a brow towards the former assassin. Rolo shrugged and laced up his boots. "The Great Grass Sea is hot. I'll talk with some women about getting you and Nunnally more appropriate clothes."
"Alright. Where are you going?" Lelouch asked with a slight crack in her new, female voice.
"Training with Rhakaro. He's the youngest of Drogo's bloodriders and so he's the newest from Vaes Dothrak, where we're headed once my father comes back. Its the city of the horse lords. Its also where all Dothraki boys are sent at four to learn how to be proper Dothraki. Since I'm older than any of the trainees there, Rhakaro offered to train me when Drogo adopted me. And since Suzaku is staying here with us, he'll need to know how to fight like a Dothraki."
"Don't let me hold you up then," Lelouch said as Rolo left with a wave. After a moment, Lelouch pulled her shirt away from her body and peeked down, immediately turned red and looked away.
"Pervert." The raven-haired girl shot a glare at the tiny brunette next to her.
"Its not being perverted if its my own body."
"Sure." Lelouch shook her head and looked over her clothes again. "But Rolo's right, we both need new clothes. I don't know about you but I'm not in favor of this dress." Lelouch slowly wrapped an arm around her sister and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry." Nunnally returned the gesture and squeezed gently.
"I know why you did it all. And that life is behind us now. Lets focus on this one in the here and now, okay?" Lelouch smiled softly and carded her fingers through the pale brown tresses.
"When did you get so smart?"
"In a life I just said we should forget." The girls laughed a little before the flap of the tent moved and yelling began to ring outside the cloth walls. Lelouch stood cautiously and moved to the flap, moving it aside slowly.
"What's going on?" she asked Suzaku as he moved back a little. Rolo had drawn his sword -a long blade curved like a crescent moon- and another bloodrider held a longer sword. The man, probably in his later twenties at most, was growling in drunken Dothraki at the khalakka and making gestures at the tent. Rolo only moved the tip of his blade in slow circles in the air.
"From what I can gather, this man is tired of the slave girls in the camp and wants you or Nunnally," the knight offered cautiously, keeping an eye on the other men assembling in a circle around the brewing brawl.
The man looked at the tent flap and began laughing before speaking again. Rolo snarled at the man.
"Ahna khalakka. Mae khalakki ki ahna. Mae ahna inavva. Jahakmen yalli." At that, the man charged, swinging his sword like mad. Rolo quickly ducked side to side, drawing the man away from the tent.
"Ahna jahakmen? Yer yalli ifak." Rolo ducked again and the man's sword became stuck in the dirt. Rolo's arm was a blur as the blade cleanly detatched the man's head from his shoulders. The boy immediately grabbed the man's braid, cut it off and threw it to the ground before spitting on it and the corpse.
"Sek, jahakmen." Many of the men began to laugh as if their prince had just told a good joke. Lelouch shook her head and went back inside to Nunnally.
"What was all that?" the brunette asked. Lelouch shrugged.
"Someone trying to make our brother look weak I suppose?" Nunnally raised an eyebrow.
"Our brother, huh?"
"He may not be our brother by birth but he's still our brother. He did die because he was protecting me, remember?" Nunnally nodded. "And I have the feeling being the sisters to a khalakka will be a good idea."
"Khalakki." Lelouch snapped around to the flap as a young woman, probably no older than Lelouch herself, with dark hair and skin walked in with two sets of clothes.
"Pardon?"
"You are Rolo's younger sisters, correct? Then you are khalakki. It means daughter of Khal, sister of khalakka."
"Khalakki," Nunnally repeated with a smile. The woman nodded with a warm look in her eyes as she sat down by the girls and handed them the clothes.
"I noticed you might need these." Lelouch held up a woven halter-top that ended below her new breasts and had a flap over her stomach, a pair of pale linen pants and a suede skirt to go over it. Nunnally had the same attire.
"What's your name?" Lelouch asked.
"My name is Irri."
"My name is Lelouch and this is Nunnally," Lelouch introduced. Irri smiled warmly. "Would you mind helping my sister into her clothes? She can't use her legs."
"Yes khalakki," Irri said with a nod. Lelouch picked up her clothes and moved behind Rolo's bed before she began to change. Her eyes were shut tight as she unbuttoned her Britannian clothing and cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as she pulled the woven top over her head and had to wriggle it into proper place. Her eyes only opened when she could tie the skirt over her pants to secure them in place.
"I can't even get dressed without feeling disgusting. This is humiliating."
"Lelouch, I'm dressed," Nunnally called. Lelouch quickly stood up and brushed out a few wrinkles in her clothes as she moved to sit next to her sister.
"Irri, do you have somewhere you need to be?" Nunnally asked. Irri shook her head with a soft smile. "Then can you teach us about the Dothraki?" Irri smiled warmly and nodded.
"When you told us we are khalakki, why did you say we're Rolo's younger sisters?"
"If you are older than the khalakka, he will be khalakka no more. No Khal wants a daughter first. Khalakka is near ten-and-eight years now. And you two?"
"Nunnally is ten-and-four. I'm ten-and-seven only recently," Lelouch said casually as she winked at her sister. Irri smiled warmly.
"Then the Khal will have no quarrel with making you his daughters."
"How do you say daughter in Dothraki?" Nunnally asked.
"Ohara, khalakki."
"Ohara," Nunnally repeated carefully.
"Very good khalakki."
"What does jahakmen mean?" Lelouch asked.
"It means braidless. In the Dothraki, a braid signifies a victory. When a Dothraki is defeated in combat, they cut off their braid so the world sees their shame. Our new Khalessi will need a braid and so will the two of you if you are to be khalakkis."
The next several hours were filled with lessons as the girls would say a word in Common Tongue, Irri would say it in Dothraki and the girls would repeat it. None of them even took note of the passing time until Rolo and Suzaku walked in, revealing the darkness of night behind the tent flap. Both boys were covered in grass stains, dirt, mud and sweat.
Lelouch arched a brow at the boys as Nunnally giggled. Irri smiled at her prince.
"Training went well," Rolo said.
"Athvezhvenar," Lelouch said in Dothraki as if she'd spoke it her whole life. Both boys shot a look at her and she giggled.
"We've been learning Dothraki all day," Nunnally reported. Rolo shook his head and chuckled.
"That's good," Rolo praised as he sat down near the girls. "Ave will be pleased. What's your name?" Irri bowed her head.
"Irri, khalakka."
"Irri, will you go and get us some food?" Irri bowed out and left the four to themselves.
"When do we ride?" Lelouch asked as the flap shut behind the slave.
"Tomorrow. We'll be headed to Vaes Dothrak-"
"City of the Horselords, right?" Nunnally asked.
"Yes. Thats also where you two will be legitimized as Drogo's daughters, if you agree to that of course."
"We already told Irri we're your sisters. That Lelouch just turned seventeen and I'm fourteen."
"Trying to get back the time the Geass stole from you?" Suzaku asked, casting a glance at the pile of discarded clothes Lelouch had left by Rolo's bed.
"It seems fitting. This is a new life and a new world," Lelouch said in a tone that closed the matter. Suzaku shrugged and picked up the clothes.
"What do you want done with these?" Lelouch stood up and walked over to take the clothes. Nunnally removed the small red dress from its place under a cushion as her sister walked back and held out a hand for it. Lelouch smiled as Nunnally handed the garment to her.
"These are from a place that no longer concerns any of us." With that, Lelouch dropped the clothes into the fire and watched as the clothes turned black and burned away to ash. "Do what you like with the Zero attire."
Bright orange flames licked at Lelouch's clothed legs as she strolled past them. The warmth was welcome as the girl looked around. The fire surged ahead of her and the large bird reappeared, holding a familiar sigil in its beak. The red bird of Geass flapped its wings almost pathetically as the Phoenix gazed down at the raven-haired girl. With a flick of its head, the Geass sigil vanished into the flames, leaving only Lelouch and the Phoenix.
The massive bird placed its head near Lelouch again and again she cautiously touched its beak. This time, the bird rubbed its beak against her hand and made a noise very similar to a trilling or purring. Lelouch couldn't help but smile.
OUALD: I think that's good enough for now. So quick thing, I'm aging Dany up a bit so she's seventeen instead of fourteen. So, sorry about all that but its just weird for me to write that kind of stuff, okay? Great. So, please review and see ya next time.
Ave means Father. Sek means yes. Ahna is I. Athvezhvenar means excellent. Ki means by. Mae means he/she/it/third-person reference. Ifak means foreigner. Yer means you. Yalli means child.