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 Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 2:17 pm
New to this and I've been writing this for a while. I've already got 2 chapters down but for now I'll start off with just my prologue.
Prologue
A new world. Or that’s what it was supposed to be. A world without pain, fear, anger. A world of peace. And it was; for a few years. But what it feared the most came to pass. People started comparing themselves to others who had less, and thus the status between rich and poor came into play.
The rich seemed to rule everything. They seemed to be always right, always on top, always like a king or queen. There was no middle; that is, until the poor started to rebel against the rich. They were sick of being pushed around and put down into the spot of starving. In a way, you could say we had fallen back into the medieval times.
The rich, as a way to protect only themselves, created an organization called “Soldier”. It’s main purpose: to protect the rich and enforce all rules created by them. They became the middle class.
At first no body liked it except for its creators, but over time people just grew accustom to it; like everything else. The rules were simple: obey us and live as peacefully as you have, disobey and pay far worse than death. Nobody knew what the “far worse than death” was, for no one had ventured far enough to test it. Their imaginations seemed to over take the idea, as it was planned that way. The main two rules were simple: No one is allowed outside after night fall and, No groupings allowed pass the number of 6. It prevented any night attempt or gatherings. They worked. Even after time, the animals were also staying in the shadows, feeling the fear that the night air held.
The world rebelled against the humans destruction of it; and nothing comes without a price. The price for this “New” world was horrible. Some people thought it was the “far worse than death” statement and thus steered far from the person. A young girl was born with the curse living inside her; something that was feared far more than anything else. Maybe even Soldier feared it themselves. Everyone believed in the devil in those days, and it was said that this girl was born with the devil inside her. Killing her parents at birth she orphaned her own self. She’s not even considered human, just as a vessel. It is believed she has no soul, the devil is her soul, yet she contains everything else a human has. She breathes, feels, hears, and can speak. But she’s not even considered living. Just a wandering mass off unwanted curse, of fear.
Only a small golden ring that sits on her forehead under fire orange hair and above ember gold colored eyes showed that she held the curse. It seemed that her appearance came with the curse as well, seeing as no one else held the color or her hair, eyes and the small built frame that supported milk-pale skin. It seemed that no matter how much I stood in the hot sun on those summer days, did my milk skin change color; forever remaining what it was. I am the girl who was born with that curse. I am the girl who, as she walks down the streets, brings fear into everyone’s eyes.
It was hard to see their faces as I walked down those dark streets, and even harder to get by each day knowing I could destroy this entire world if the cold gold metal were to fall off.
What happened next I never would have expected, yet it happened, and for the time I was grateful. But for after, I wish I had never known the Commander of Soldier.
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:44 pm
Soldier, eh? Reminds me of the SOLDIER force from Final Fantasy VII.
An interesting story at this point. It's only the prologue, so no one should point anything out yet. It should attract some interest though.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 8:46 am
Chapter 1- Getting Started
“No!” I screamed as I ran for everything I was worth down the dark alleyway that hid my appearance more than anything I wanted it to hide. I was hoping it would hide me, not just who I was. As long as they knew that someone was out passed dark, even if no one recognized them, they were caught within the next 24 hours. It was just how advanced this new world was.
It wouldn’t be hard for them to recognize me now; I was the only girl of my age who stood at 5 foot 4. And that’s all they needed to fish me out of the small town I now tried to escape. I wanted a new life, one away from fear and pain. I thought that I could reach it in a new place outside of this. A place where no one knew of me or what I held.
I looked up for a quick second to see if there was anywhere I could loose the black figure that trailed me. My wide ember eyes darted everywhere among the moon lit alley. There were some advantages to having a demon, or whatever it was, living inside me. It gave me powers that a normal person could never have.
I seemed to have the eye sight of a hawk, the hearing of a cat and the sense of smell like a dog. I could pick up things within a mile radius from where I stood. Now was not the time where they were working to their fullest. Me, scared? If anyone knew of this they would just laugh; if they got close enough to hear about it. I was the one to be scared of, not the one to be scared. But I was just a girl of sixteen trying to escape what bound me. I just wanted a life where I could walk down the streets without points, whispers, and most of all, without having fear show up in everyone’s eyes as they moved out of my way.
I came to a stop as the alleyway ended, leaving me a cold, black brick wall that trapped me between, whoever was chasing me like a cat and mouse, and itself.
“Come on now,” the voice came at me from the shadows. From what I could tell…it was a woman’s. That confused me right on the spot there. No one was allowed outside after dark except for Soldier members. No woman was allowed to join Soldier; unless the woman wasn’t from Soldier at all. Whether she was or not, she would turn me over to them.
My eyes darted around with my head, making my short fire orange hair fall into my eyes. I was blinded for a second, and it was that second that lost me everything.
Pain swelled in my left shoulder as cold metal was driven through flesh and bone, hitting and running into the wall behind me. I was thrown back by the force and hit the cold cement hard, my face twisting in pain as I yelled out. No one would hear it except for us two.
I stood there, frozen in place as I felt the warmth of my blood, and smelt the iron of it, as it ran down my bare arm. I was glad, at times, to be wearing the small ember tube top that stopped at mid drift and the long ember matching silk skirt that sat on my hips and covered my whole lower half.
The red blood had reached the tips of my fingers by the time the woman decided to release me from the cold blade. I fell to the ground, clutching my shoulder with my only good hand, staying on my knees, my bangs covering my eyes. I was too afraid to move as the sword was placed at the bridge of my nose. The woman towered over me at about 5 foot 11. I couldn’t look up to meet her cold eyes, I couldn’t move away from where I was. The only thing that fell between us for a short while was the slowing of our breath.
“I caught you,” the woman finally said as she withdrew her blade from my small face and knelt down to me level. I flinched away from her cold touch as she went to place two fingers under my chin. My ears picked up the sound of her frustration, though it was perfectly hidden from any humans ears. She had obviously worked on it for a while to make it so.
I could tell she was fed up with games, and it proved as she grabbed my chin and forced me to look into her eyes.
Her eyes were a violet color, a rare one, but it was known unlike mine. They stared back into mine with a cold glare that seemed to penetrate even my own innocent eyes. I was glad the clouds now hid the moonlight so my eyes were unable to be seen properly and my hair only looked like a dark blond. There’s no way this is happening, I thought to myself as I tried to look away; tried to move.
A gasp was heard throughout the alley as the clouds moved away from the moon and my hair, plus the little golden band that tried to hide under it, was revealed. My eyes opened slowly as the woman dropped my chin. I could hear her slowly backing away from me by the soft padding of her boots. “You…you monster,” she yelled at me, making me close my eyes once again and swallow hard. I had heard those words often, but had yet to get used to hearing them.
“Are...are you with Soldier?” was all that I could bring myself to ask. It was a stupid question, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if she had said ‘No’. She didn’t say what I wanted her to.
“That’s a stupid question,” the woman replied as she stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight, obviously seeing that I had no intention to kill her. She pushed her long raven black hair out of her face and her violet eyes stared down on me with intent on killing; the opposite of mine that shone with fear. Her black trench coat kept her thin body hidden, along with black pants and a shirt.
There was a long silence that I dared not to break as the woman watched me. “Who are you?” she finally asked, her voice gentler than it had been earlier.
“I think you’ve already determined that,” I replied coldly, remembering the words she had called me.
She shook her head in frustration. “What is your name?”
“To you I am no more than ‘Phoenix.’ For that is all I am to anyone in this so called ‘New World’.”
The woman stared at me. I was scared, yet covered it with brave words against someone from Soldier. I was poor, I had no family; nothing stopped her from hauling me in and executing me without permission or a word from anyone else. “I am Yasha Hyuga, Commander of Soldier. I would like you’re real name, ‘Phoenix’.
I hesitated, but it only lasted a second as I heard her reach for her sword that lay sheathed at her side. “Hikari Nitewelle.” It was simple, it was respectful, and it was enough to keep her happy.
Again she just stared at me. “Come along then,” she finally said, drawing her sword and putting it at my side, pushing slightly to get me to walk. “I’ll fix that up when we reach headquarters. You better not pass out by then or I will really kill you.” I could tell by her words she didn’t mean to kill me then; not until we reached the command center at least.
The town was dark, lit by the full moon that gave it an eerie effect; like everything was covered in a black, glass shell. The wires that held the transport trains looked as though giant spiders had made them, stretching from one end of the city to another in every direction, only to have the dark, cold road follow under them. In the new advanced world we had, everything was practically run by computers, electronics, and machines. Nothing was hand done anymore. Not even the meals.
It was only like this if you had money though. Otherwise you were on your own, trying to get enough to eat with each passing day. Not knowing if you’ll die today, or the next.
We must have walked for miles from the alleyway that had hid us, onto the open road that went in every direction it could, swallowing the ground with its cold black layer. I felt dizzy, and things spun, but I kept moving. I did not feel like dyeing out there, in the middle of no where. I knew everything I was going through was because my body was rapidly healing it, but I could feel something that shouldn’t have been there. I could feel each muscle and nerve weave back into place. It was taking far too long for the wound to actually heal. I let it slide for now.
“Here, we are, Phoenix,” Yasha finally said. She lifted a hand to point to a large building. It must have been more than a hundred feet wide and more than fifty stories high.
“What was the point in getting my name if you’re just going to call me Phoenix?” I retorted. It wasn’t the smartest idea, speaking and all, but I felt like it more than anything.
Yasha just looked back at me with cold eyes, replying, “Prisoners do not speak.” That shut me up. I wasn’t willing to argue passed that, knowing if I did she would live to her word and kill me there and then.
She placed she hand on the scanner pad outside the thick glass doors. The green laser slid across, made a small noise of confirm as the wide doors slid open to each side, revealing us into a large hallway that looked as though it went for miles.
Pushing me through the door with the hilt of her sword she led me through winding halls that seemed almost like a maze; each door needing to be opened by identification. Each hall had at least over fifty doors, leading every way possible in the gigantic building. As we walked, the halls lit up over head and faded as we left; all automatic. The long narrow passages were dull with a cream color and the only things that scattered the walls were the oak doors.
“Get in,” the woman ordered as we came in front of a door at the end of the hall. I had lost count, but I was sure we had gone up at least forty floors. I did as I was told and stepped into the large room as the door slid open.
It was more like a house itself than a room. We stood in the entrance of a small hallway. The left held a door, and so did the right. At the end was a large sitting room with glass windows that overlooked the entire city. The room was furnished with burgundy couches and a darker shade painted on the walls. “This is my room, do not get comfortable.” Her room?! I asked myself silently as I walked down the hall into the sitting area. Glass tables were placed in front of the couches, scattered on them sat magazines and papers which were most likely documents.
“Phoenix, the room over there,” she said, pointing to the right. A small oak door sat in the corner, forgotten. “In there you will find stuff to fix that.” She had obviously meant my wound. I did as she bid, knowing I did not need to, and emerged from the door with a white first aid kit in my good hand.
“You’re faster than I thought. It takes even me a while anything in there,” Yasha commented as I passed it to her at her beckon. “Sit.”
“There really is no need,” I argued, staying where I was.
“I said sit.” She had gone back to her cold tone, making me obey at it.
“There really is no need,” I repeated as she grabbed my arm. The only thing that sat upon it was a small scar where the wound had been and dried blood where it had freely run down my arm. “I said there was no need. I heal faster than anything.”
“You were lucky. I was aiming for your heart. I’ve never missed my mark,” she stated as she let my arm go with an odd look; a one that showed she was surprised. The words were warm and me question why the commander was doing this; why she was so nice and all. Yet at the same time they sent chills up my back. ‘Never missed a mark’ was what me nervous. If it was only a fluke, the next would not be. I’d have to be careful.
It kept everything I had to keep from laughing or being the usually joyful girl I was. The commander would not like it at all and I’d end up six feet under; if I got that lucky that was.
Yasha stood and I stood with her, not wanting to seem rude by staying on the couch well someone higher in the class order was on their feet.
“Sit down,” she told me with a sigh. I did as she bid. The couch was comfortable; well cushioned and perfectly built for comfort.
I wasn’t aware how much time had passed with me sitting there staring out the large glass wall, but I soon found myself asleep, dreaming of things that had never crossed my mind.
When my eyes were finally able to lift themselves open I found I was no longer in the burgundy room had been when my eyes had first closed. It had crossed my mind that meeting the commander had just been a bad dream, but my shoulder told me otherwise. It hadn’t been two days since I was hurt, else my wound would be fully healed; there was still a scar. It usually went after by the beginning of the second day of receiving the wound.
Looking around I found that the room I was in was not furnished much. Only a small oak night table that looked as though it had weeks worth of dust on it followed by an oak dresser, much like the night table, and a single bed in which I lay. The room was dull with the same cream color as the halls and the sheets of the bed were plain with white. The only thing that looked as though it was meant to be there was a large digital clock above me that read '4:57AM’. I had slept a full day.
Throwing the covers off with my good arm I got up to find myself still in my clothes. On the end of the bed lay a new outfit; a cotton white, long sleeved shirt that looked like the ones pages’ wore back in the medieval days with black pants that clung to my legs as I pulled them on. It was a weird change from my skirt and tight top to the complete opposite; though it was welcomed. The pants felt a lot better than the skirt and the shirt was fitted perfectly to my small frame.
“Oh good, they fit,” a voice said from behind me, making me jump and spin. The commander stood there, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing the same as she had the night she had attacked me, minus the long trench coat.
“What is this about?” I asked, confused on why she was giving me clothes when I was too be killed. It was what the law stated, and she had broken the main law.
“I’ve talked with the headmasters and they say it’s alright. Of course I’ll have to keep you secret from everyone else for a bit. They still think that a girl had broken the law and will think it you if you just show up the day after it was announced.” She kept going on, still making no sense at all. “So instead I-“
“What do you mean?” I finally asked, cutting her off. She made less sense then a rambling idiot.
She eyes me for a second before sighing and shaking her head with a smile. “I’m sorry, Phoenix. I want you to be my assistant. Every commander is supposed to have one and I hadn’t found one that fit the job well enough.”
I didn’t move. What? Assistant? Me? A fugitive? It didn’t make any sense. What was the sudden change from ‘I never miss my mark’? Or ‘Prisoners do not speak’? I was most thankful as a knock on the door sounded through the area. “I’ve got it,” she I said quickly as I pushed passed the raven head and made my way down the small hall to the door.
“Hello?” a large man asked as I opened it. he must have stood at, at least 6 foot 2. His eyes shot straight over me without catching a glimpse of my not hard to miss colors. He was obviously confused about how the door had opened.
“Ah, sorry, Kasei,” Yasha said as she appeared within the man’s view, making me invisible behind her. She had given me the eye that told me not to do anything or regret it. It scared me enough to keep me put. “I forgot I had the door on auto,” she said quickly. I smiled and slid away, going back to the room where I had found myself. It was only a few feet away, and hopefully the man, Kasei, would not see me.
I stayed just behind the door, listening to the two talk. “Why were you in there?” Kasei asked, eyeing the open room. “I though you never used it.”
“And is it right to question your commander?” Yasha asked. She seemed to have laughed and said, “Nah, I just was cleaning up the dust, didn’t want it to spread.”
Kasei seemed to leave it at that for he changed the subject. “Have you found anyone?”
“No.”
“You’re running out of time.”
“I know!” Yasha yelled, obviously annoyed by the topic. She didn’t like what they were talking about, and whether it was because she was trying to hide me or because of something else, I could not pick it in her voice.
“The headmasters want you.” Clothes move and the door closed. I peaked my head out to find the commander leaning against the door with her forehead on it and her hands on the door knob. Kasei was gone.
“Yasha…?” I asked warily as I came out of the room and behind the woman.
“It’s nothing. I need to go, I’ll be back soon.”
I frowned but nodded, knowing she never saw it. I didn’t like the tone of her voice, it seemed to be bugged by something, almost as though it was a strain to say the words she did.
She left without a word and I sighed. I did not know why she had left, but for some reason I didn’t like it. I felt as though something was missing, and I did not like how quiet the room had suddenly gone. I was not used to the quiet, still air that now surrounded me. I was used to the sounds of the streets. It made me scared, though I didn’t know why.
I sat on the large burgundy couch that day, watching the sun rise through the windows that kept me from the open air. I had found a remote of some sort, though I wasn’t sure what it was for. Of course me being me, I had to try every button. I had almost burnt the place down, almost destroyed the place with the cleaner and by the time had found that a large screened t.v. came down from out of the ceiling, I was about to die of a heart attack.
Twice someone had peaked their head it to see what the noise was about. I had guessed it was a maid seeing as though no one could enter the room except for Yasha. That was the only problem. I would have gladly got up and walked out, but I was scared that I’d be locked out till Yasha came back and I didn’t know when that was.
I had entertained myself with the large wide screen for a bit, but my attention span was short and I had just eventually ended up walked around the place in circles till I heard the door unlock and open.
At first I wasn’t sure but when I saw the black trench coat that the woman always wore I bolted and took it from her, hanging it up on the rack and turning back to her, smiling.
“How was y-?“
“You idiot!” she yelled when the door had closed behind her, grabbing my wrist that had tried to drop beside me. Her hold was hard, making me wince slightly at the sudden change. “I told you! You need to stay hidden for a while!” She looked down at me with cold hearted eyes, almost as though expecting an apology from me for something I couldn’t even remember.
“Huh?” I asked, confused by what she was talking about. “I didn’t leave the room…” My voice trailed off as her cold eyes grew colder.
“Don’t play innocent with me!” she yelled, still holding onto my wrist. It felt as though she was cutting of the circulation, and by the way it was going red, I was guessing she kind of was. “You’re lucky Kasei didn’t see you. Otherwise I’m not sure you’d be alive right at this point.” Her eyes had grown softer and she released her grip on my wrist. I pulled it away and rubbed it with my other hand, trying to get the blood back through again.
“I’m sorry Yasha. I wasn’t thinking. Please forgive me,” I said with a small bow. Yasha had full control over my life, and no matter how much I wanted to be free from worrying about what I do and say, I could not break free. I could have run ages ago when she was gone, yet something held me in the large place. There was something about Yasha that was different from the rest; and it was not that she wasn’t scared of me.
Yasha looked at me and cocked an eyebrow upwards. “I would hope so. And apology accepted.” She then sighed and walked over to one of the large couches that sat in front of the windows. A large tattoo, one I had never seen before, snaked up her visible right arm. It appeared to be a wolf, solid black and curving up and around her forearm, starting at her wrist ending at her elbow. I ignored it. It was not my business.
Instead I ventured the question I longed to ask from the time she took me in. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” I moved over to where the woman sat, standing in front of her with my feet together, right hand behind back and grasping the left wrist; the stance of a Soldier at attention.
She looked up at me with the look that clearly said ‘What kind of question is that?’ Despite the look she answered. “I see you are confused. I do fear you my dear, just like any sane person in this town that knows of what you hold. I’m just better at hiding it.” She stopped to give me a smile of mischief before continuing. “Nah, I guess I just take you for granted. You don’t seem like the person that would take that power limiter off just to get what you want.” She looked away from me and out into the city that was now covered in darkness. “Listen, Hikari, go to bed. We’ll begin you’re training tomorrow.”
I didn’t know what to do instead nod and walk slowly over to where the large door lay to my room. “Yasha?” I asked, stopping in the doorway and turning my head to look at her. She looked up at me and made a small sound to let know she was listening. I paused for a second before saying softly, “Thank you.”
Yasha raised an eyebrow at me and looked at the book in her hands. “I’m not to be thanked. If you get in my way, I will kill you. That’s how I determine who dies and who doesn’t.”
For some reason I found myself smiling at the comment. “Yes, ma’am.” With that I walked into my room and closed the door quietly, undressing into night clothes that had been laid at the end of my bed. I lay in the big bed, listening to the small sounds of Yasha moving until she finally got up and went to be herself. After that everything went dark.
*~*~*~*~*~*
My eyes met a dull shade of gray mixed in with colors trying to show up in the growing light. I moaned slightly and rolled over in the sheets, pulling them around me body as I did so. Pushing myself up with my arms I changed into the uniform and looked at the clock above my bed. It read: 6:00AM. I was surprised I had gotten up so early. Usually I would have slept in till 8 or so but something told me that I should be up with full awareness. Finished cleaning up myself I went to the door and listened. When I was not fully awake, like now, I could not use my powers very well.
“You need to find someone, now!” a voice yelled. It wasn’t Yasha’s, but Kasei’s, the man from yesterday.
“Don’t you think I know that?!” Yasha yelled back, being quiet about it though. She obviously didn’t want to wake me.
“Then choose me! If it’s so hard then just appoint me!” Kasei argued back. By the tone of his voice I could tell he wanted the position I held.
“No.” Yasha’s voice was much softer than it had been a second ago.
“And why not?” Kasei had also brought down his voice, though still had it higher than his commander’s.
“Just leave. Now.”
I heard the man obey as the door slid open and then close. I waited until I could no longer hear his footsteps in the halls before opening my door and walking out to find the commander leaning against the wall, her head in her hand.
“Yasha…?” I asked hesitantly as I walked slowly towards the woman.
She looked up at me with those cold violet eyes she had given me three nights before, making me stop dead in my tracks. “Did, did I do something wrong?” I wanted to know.
She shook her head at me and sighed, pushing herself from the wall. “Go get breakfast Hikari.”
I did as she asked, running quickly into the kitchen and grabbed the two plates waiting on the counter. By the tone of her voice I could tell she didn’t want anyone around, especially me.
The plates was filled with eggs and toast. I grabbed them and as soon as I had turned I heard a noise that made me turn around once again. There on the counter sat two glasses of orange juice. Shifting the plates I picked up the glasses and went back to Yasha, who was sitting on the middle couch, staring out the window as she did.
I placed the glass and plate on the glass table in front of her and turned to retreat to my room.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the woman asked, seeing me head for the small hall. Her voice was mono-toned, making me regret ever coming out in the first place.
“I thought you’d want to be alone,” I replied calmly as I turned to face the commander. “You seem kind of off.”
“Come sit. I’m fine.” Her tone never changed, making me hesitant as I walked back and sat at the opposite end of the couch. I picked at my food for a time before seeing that Yasha hadn’t even touched hers. I kept quiet about it while I finished off my food and brought it back into the kitchen, along with my empty glass. It felt good to finally have a decent meal in my stomach, especially after sleeping for a couple of days. It was the only thing I hated about healing. I could not control it, I always got really tired afterward, and it hurt as it stitched back together and the scar was faded over by new skin. But it kept me from losing too much blood; for that I was glad.
“Hikari, I want you to train with the others. I don’t think I have the time to train you myself,” Yasha finally said, breaking the long silence that had fallen between us.
“But did you want to keep me secret?”
“Yes, but there are ways that we can disguise you’re appearance so that no one questions you. I think it would be best.”
“No!” I screamed instantly. “I don’t want to go with them. You said you would train me.”
“I don’t give a rat’s a** what I said earlier. What I’m saying now is that you’ll train with everyone else.” Her voice rose from the quiet mono-tone to match my own scream.
“Then I quit. You can take Kasei as your assistant. He seems to fit the job a lot better,” I said, my voice calming itself back down to an indoor voice.
“You can’t quit,” Yasha said with surprise at my words.
“Watch me.” I wasn’t one to be so cold towards someone, but I wasn’t a push over either. I lived and died for myself, no one else. I gave her one last chance to change her mind; she didn’t move. I stood and walked towards the door, my steps long for my short legs and my feet planting themselves firmly on the ground with each step.
“Get you’re sorry a** back here. If you’re going to put up such a fuss I’ll teach you what I know. That’s not a lot,” Yasha finally growled as I placed my palm on the door pad. The door opened to reveal a startled Kasei, standing there wide-eyed. This time he saw me, and this time there was no running.
“K-Kasei, what brings you here?” Yasha asked through gritted teeth as she stood and walked over. She pushed me aside and pulled Kasei in, checking the halls for anyone else before pulling her head back in and closing the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“So…she’s…what?” Kasei was as shocked as Yasha was the night she found out who I was. Whether he was directing the question toward me being half demon or Yasha’s assistant I could not tell. I closed my eyes and stayed seated in front of one of the large glass windows, leaning against it slightly. I did not have enough weight to break.
“Exactly what I said,” Yasha replied calmly, though I could hear a slight hint of frustration at the man. The two of them sat on the couch in front of me, watching each other with only a slight glance my way here and there.
“So you had her all this time…” The statement was more for himself but Yasha replied with a nod anyhow. Kasei’s sapphire blue eyes met mine, making me stare into them for a second before looking away sadly. Eyes were the source of all true feelings. Eyes could not lie, and the man knew this much. “But she has broken the law. It’s only right to-“
“That’s why I chose her. Not only did she stand up for herself to me, even after knowing who I was, but she was brave enough to try and escape this jail cell after dark when there was a huge chance no one would notice,” Yasha said, cutting Kasei short.
I didn’t know if me standing up to her was true—it seemed like I failed at that after she wounded me—but at least she understood what kind of place this world was.
Kasei nodded slowly, shifting his eyes back over to me once again. I watched out of the corner of my eye as he looked me over carefully. “She’s only a child,” he finally whispered to his commander. “She’s not more than twelve, maybe thirteen.”
I had forgotten that despite my being so old, I barely aged. I still looked like a child, when truthfully I had seen more than anyone living.
“How old are you girl?” Kasei asked me.
“Um, well, it’s a secret. So I don’t know,” I replied childishly. There was no way I could tell him my real age; and it really was my own little secret.
His eyes grew frustrated and as I glanced over at Yasha I saw her eyes show a hint of being curious. “How old are you, Phoenix?” Yasha tried as she saw me look at her. A small smile danced across her face from my comment. Glad someone was amused, I thought happily. Maybe I can be myself without being killed. I sighed and shifted slightly on the ground.
“I’m five hundred and twenty.”
They both stared at me in disbelief. When I said that I had seen a lot more than they had, I meant it. Though I knew no matter how much I told them they would never believe me. I’ve been around since the beginning of this New World. It was part of the curse that I held; a long life but short on aging in appearance. I only age in appearance every forty years and thus giving me the look of thirteen.
“I don’t want any games right now,” Yasha finally said, her voice soft and cold. “I’m not in the mood.”
“I’m not playing games,” I argued back. “I really am. I’ve seen the beginning of this New World and what it was supposed to be like.”
They left it at that. I’m guessing they weren’t in the mood to argue with me.
“Anyway, Hikari, you’re going to be trained by me since it seems I have no choice. Kasei will also help,” Yasha finally said, looking back at me from her spot out over the city.
Me and Kasei both looked back at the woman with wide eyes. He, nor I, had known of this. And obviously both of us were not willing to cooperate.
“No.” The small word came out of our mouths in prefect sync, almost as though we’d planned it. But it made Kasei looked over at me in horror. I, on the other hand, gave it a thought before giving a small nod.
“You saved my life, the least I can do is listen to you once in a while,” I said softly, smiling up at Yasha. I was stubborn at times, but it was true; she saved me in many ways that seemed to go beyond the human eye. Still, there was something that kept nagging at me. A voice. It kept asking why I was such a push over. I didn’t know.
Though I could tell Kasei was not to happy about the decision.
“Fine,” he finally said with a sigh. He said nothing as he got up and walked down the hall to the door. “We start tomorrow, it is too late today. I expect you to be up and ready by six.” He smirked slightly and left, letting the door slide close behind him with a small click as it locked.
Looking up at the clock I sighed. “I’m going to go get ready for bed,” I said, more to comfort myself at the time than let Yasha know. But she still nodded and got up off the couch the same time I stood up from the hard wooden floor.
Opening my bedroom door I shut it before walking to the small wooden dresser and opening the bottom drawer to reveal a few pieces of clothes. Pulling out the plain white tank top and shorts that matched I threw them onto my bed.
Pulling off my currant shirt I hissed slightly as my eye caught the sight of my shoulder in the small mirror across the room from where I stood. Though it was three days after I had received the wound, the scar had failed to disappear off my delicate skin within the time. It should have been non existent quite a while ago.
Walking slowly to the mirror I placed a finger on the scar, only to draw it away instantly with a gasp of pain. It had hurt! This wasn’t making any sense.
Pulling on the top and shorts with clenched hands I gritted my teeth to keep from yelling out. “What did you do?!” I asked as calm as I could, storming over to the kitchen and looking up in the woman’s eyes. “What did that blade of yours do?!” I wanted to know; I had the right to know. I had never received a scar from just a sword wound, and I had had plenty of those.
Yasha smirked and walked over to place a hand on my scarred shoulder. My knees gave way instantly and I was on the floor, gasping for air with my eyes shut tight. “I see it’s working well.”
“What did you do?” I asked through gasps and gritted teeth, forcing myself to rise again. “I want to know!”
“All I did was place a little curse on it so that it would never heal properly.”
“Bull.”
The smirk never left the woman’s face. “Alright, you caught me, Phoenix. I did place a curse on, but one that makes it so that when pressure is applied, it feels as though your arm is getting torn off, or your insides are turning out. The technique is used on all prisoners or fugitives so that if they ever tried to escape or harm anyone, they could be easily dealt with.”
“You got that much right.” I had had enough of this. She had no right to do this. “But I’m no prisoner anymore. Or am I?”
“No, but once it’s placed it can not be undone. I’m sorry Hikari.”
I clenched my jaw together till it ached, trying to keep my tongue under control. Turning around on my heel I left the room and headed straight for mine, my foot steps sounding throughout the whole place. It all ended with my slamming of my door and the sigh of the commander.
I lay awake in bed the whole time, just listening to the sounds that my ears picked up. Nothing really interested me, but I did not feel like sleeping. I was too mad to even think about sleeping. Instead that voice that asked me why I did as people said or why I cared so much about what other people thought badgered me.
I knew the answer; it had hit me after Kasei left. But I highly doubted that it was right one. How could wanting to protect my own pride do with what people thought or said? Unless…
I sat up in bed as I heard Yasha’s door click close. She had gone to bed.
Quietly throwing the covers off me I slipped out of my room and knocked on the woman’s door that stood only a few feet away from mine. I was answered by a cold “Go away”. Despite the answer I entered and stood in the doorway, Yasha’s cold violet gaze fixing on my eyes.
“I—I’m sorry for earlier,” I said hesitantly. I didn’t know how the commander would take my apology, but I hoped she would.
A sigh could be heard in the silence that had stretched on between us and I saw—and heard—Yasha move over to one side of the bed, patting the spot beside her. “If you wanted to talk you could have just said so.”
I smiled in the dark and made my way to the bed, sitting on the opposite side of the large bed, my knees up to my chest and my arms wrapped tightly around them. “Does it make sense to care about what one thinks of you or do as they say, just because you want to protect you pride?”
“What kind of question is that?” Yasha replied, looking over at me.
“I asked a question first.” I laughed and smiled, the total opposite of what my face had been a few second ago. “It’s only fair that you answer mine first, you know.”
“I don’t know where you got that from, but no, it doesn’t make any sense to me.” I looked at her, my face full of question, knowing full well she couldn’t see my expression. Her voice had been hesitant. Was she hiding something.
“Oh. Well, I was just wondering. A friend had asked me it a long time ago.” I was so lying, I never had any friends. Yasha was the first person to talk to me, let alone come close to me.
“You know, you aren’t that bad once you get to know you.”
“Huh?”
Yasha chuckled. “I mean, I wasn’t sure about making you my assistant because…well…you know. But you really are a nice girl that’s just looked at the wrong way.” I could tell there was more she wanted to say, more to add, but she kept it to herself. I kept me knowing to myself. But I said nothing except thank that it was dark enough to hide my blush.
“Go to bed, Phoenix.”
I nodded and did as I was told this time.
Falling into my bed I lay there awake once again. Though how much I wanted to go to sleep, I could not. Not until that question was answered. To protect my pride? Protect it from what? My vision swayed slightly and my eyes forced themselves closed. Darkness over took me.
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:03 am
ShadowEdogawa Soldier, eh? Reminds me of the SOLDIER force from Final Fantasy VII. An interesting story at this point. It's only the prologue, so no one should point anything out yet. It should attract some interest though. I agree with Soldier-thing. This is very interesting. 3nodding *Waiting up for the next chapter* whee
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GetRidOfMyAccount Captain
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