Having been introduced to the members of the Aitelorn clan within the week she had awoken, a second had passed since Yula had first told the young cocoa haired teen that she could run around out of the infirmary. That is, provided she stomached all her potions. Kairi swore Yula was discretely replenishing otherwise empty vials during her sleeping hours. She had been so bold as to bluntly bring the notion up in conversation with the healer. Nonetheless, Yula, who was sitting by Kairi’s bedside at present, merely laughed it off, instead going on to describe the clan’s estate; not forgetting the various behavioural conducts the young girl was expected to adhere to whilst under their care.
A castle of magnificent grandeur, the Aitelorn estate was huge enough to house tens of thousands of people at a time behind its massive walls. The castle itself was divided into four separate wings for easier navigation; namely North, South, East and West. Each wing accommodated more than a hundred rooms, each designed for the occupation of pairs, preferably of the same gender (though Yula confessed that more than two could fit comfortably in those rooms – her sons, for example, shared a – ‘huge-ass’ was left unspoken – quarters over in the South Wing). There was also an infirmary, kitchen and formal dining hall in each, though an additional infirmary situated in the West Wing where the training rooms were.
Generally, rooms in the South Wing were occupied year-long; inhabited by the Aitelorns themselves, the estate staff, Seloria, and now Kairi herself. Rooms in the East Wing, Yula explained, were meant for guests. The particular wing was also where most balls and functions were held. In other words, Yula informed Kairi, whose eyes portrayed little other than blank confusion, the East Wing was the ‘entertainment section’ of the estate. To the North was where most, if not all of the meetings regarding the Aitelorn trading business were held. As such, its rooms were reserved for business delegates in league with the Aitelorns and other important figures in that scene. The West Wing, with more than half of its rooms fashioned as training facilities and with its two infirmaries, was also home to a massive library spanning three floors and roughly twenty rooms. “That’s where your sister spends most of her time,” added Yula as an afterthought. Kairi nodded.
Bridging the four wings of the castle in the middle was the Central. There, family portraits with expensive frames were hung along the walls. Another distinguishing feature of the Central was the huge family tree. Unlike the similarly-decorated Wing areas (with certain differences as to their functions), the Central had a glass ceiling and dark marble floors.
Pausing to make certain Kairi finished the remainder of her potions, Yula began voicing the three basic rules on behaviour within the Aitelorns. “One: be yourself.” Well, that’s not hard to do, Kairi mused, tapping a finger to her chin before pausing. Wait that could be hard. I still don’t know what to think of all this. Yula, pretending not to notice the young female’s somewhat-dilemma, continued. “Two: instructions are to be followed.” Simple enough, the girl decided with a shrug. “Three: be civilized and respectful to each other.” Yula grinned as the younger laughed at that – of course she was going to be civilized! As for respect… well… “No guarantees,” Kairi phrased to the Aitelorn matriarch with a cheeky grin. Yula rolled her eyes, ruffling up the girl’s bright-coloured hair in response. “Oy!” went Kairi as she attempted to save her hair.
“Now, Seloria mentioned you were wondering about her calling me ‘Mistress’?” Kairi responded with a frantic nod. Yula held up a hand, the younger looked at her inquisitively. “She addresses Nerion as ‘Master’, and my sons ‘young lords’, although she calls Phiol ‘idiot’ too.” Kairi had to giggle softly at that. “If you haven’t already guessed it, your sister works with us – she is Phiol’s assistant.”
Kairi tilted her head to the side. “Assistant…for what?” the auburn hair fought the urge to pinch Kairi’s cheek upon glimpsing the rather cute expression on the young girl’s face. Instead, she patted her head.
“Phiol manages the family’s trade business,” Yula explained. “Seloria’s job is to manage him - make sure he eats, sleeps, rests, and schedules his meetings, so on so forth.” Kairi nodded slowly to indicate her understanding. “In addition to being a secretary-figure for Phiol, Seloria is also his partner during business meetings or functions. On the not-so happy side of business, she seconds Phiol in battle.”
Kairi frowned a little, forefinger tapping her chin in thought. She was no good with maths and calculations, but she knew that almost ninety percent of her older sister’s time was taken up by work. “If she’s that busy, how is she going to help me? I still can’t fight well enough without aid to save my life.” Before Yula could point out that Kairi was capable of holding her own when they found her, the girl persisted her reasoning. “I acted purely by instinct, and luck was the only thing preventing my getting any serious injuries.”
A silent moment passed between the two before Yula rose and gestured for Kairi to follow her. Together they slipped out from the South Wing infirmary and, as Yula led the way to the West Wing, Kairi allowed her eyes to roam over the various paintings and decorations that were present in the hallways. Several maids and servants bowed in respect to Yula as they passed, to which the matriach smiled back in polite-greeting. Kairi however, finding herself feeling a tad shy, kept her eyes down most of the time but smiled all the same.
The walk from the South to the West Wing took a ridiculous ten minutes. Kairi found herself feeling rather bemused at the lengthy distance, somehow imagining that the Aitelorn patriarch found amusement in making his sons dash from one end to another within a set time limit (truth be told, the young Thyride knew not how right she was in thinking so). Yula led Kairi to one of the many training rooms and, upon pushing the doors open, spotted her two youngest in a two-on-two spar against Phiol and Seloria.
While the participants were too busy to notice their presence, Nerion inclined his head ever so slightly in their direction; an indication he noticed their entrance. He then resumed watching the spar, presumably the acting referee. Yula, after making sure Kairi was settled in a nearby seat as comfortably as she could, walked towards the front to stand beside her husband. She whispered something into his ear and the patriarch, after a moment’s contemplation, nodded his consent. Yula beamed happily at him before she too turned to regard the spar.
Kairi watched with keen interest as her sister made a swift hammering motion with the blunt end of her scythe, aiming for Stein’s unsuspecting head from behind. “Stein!” Rityu had called to his brother in warning. Alas, the damage had been done. “Oy!” The fiery teen yelled, agitation growing. His attacker offered a half-giggle, then backing away from his angered form. Stein charged after her, bellowing a heated war cry.
A scythe-wielder and a sword-wielder as partners, thought Kairi. While a rather unlikely combination, it was proving to be quite a fascinating watch. Kairi was sure Seloria had some of her own instinctive abilities to match styles, or perhaps it was just that the older had worked with Phiol for a long time (of which she had no doubt), for it was a very interesting pattern the duo fell into. Seloria’s scythe kept the sword-wielding duo wary, and Phiol’s precise movements made it difficult for Rityu and Stein to gain a proper advantage.
Stein’s style with his dual swords, Kairi noted, was quite similar to her own. Still, she dismissed the notion that the youngest Aitelorn was like her when he proved he was more than able to fight solo when the older pair decided to break formation, forcing the younger duo more into defence as they were made to split up and fight one-on-one. The fight was even more one-sided from then on, and Kairi almost failed to get up and flip out of harm’s way on time when Phiol accidentally knocked Rityu’s sword out of his hand a little too hard. Seloria, who only just caught on to the happenings when Stein admitted defeat, turned to Phiol with a glare that could kill.
The oldest sibling gulped audibly. “Sel, d-don’t do anything rash…” he said, backing cautiously away from his assistant with arms raised in surrender. Seloria did not bother giving him a forgiving response and fiercely flung her scythe at him, forcing the two younger Aitelorns to duck for cover and their oldest Aitelorn brother to run for his life. Of course, Yula was having a bit too much fun laughing at her son’s expense, and Nerion, who had expected this to an extent, sighed, shaking his head. Seeing all this, Kairi stood, then hopping lightly off the chair in front of her for leverage and performed a little flip in the air for momentum before catching the scythe’s handle. And all just as Phiol ran past her being.
She twirled it around several times before eventually noting all eyes on her. “What?”
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Chapter 2
A book in her hand, Seloria sat by her sister’s bedside after Phiol had driven her away from work. He knew her concentration had been lacking recently. The Aitelorn estate’s infirmary was huge – an estimation of more than twenty beds lined each side of the area with at least five private rooms in addition. Being amongst the few headquarters on the side of light with dark times lying ahead, such facilities were an essential part of the estate and there were five infirmaries within the grouds, each as big as the very one Seloria and her unconscious sister now resided in.
The female placed her book lithely onto the bed stand. Her mind in its present state, she could not get any further reading done. Rising to a stand and leaning over the bed, Seloria gently brushed several stray strands of Kairi’s long hair from her face. The girl had been in deep sleep for more than a week now. Of course, Yula had believed the rest best for the cocoa-haired teen – though she needed to wake soon so ‘potions could be shoved down her throat’, the healer’s exact words.
From what Seloria had managed to gather after filtering much of Yula’s medical jargon, was that Kairi had fashioned a shield of sorts around her being from the moment she regained consciousness after the initial kidnapping. It appeared that the girl did not let it down until she had been found. That alone should’ve drained her magic reserves dry, and yet, the day they had found her, Kairi was still capable of spell casting. It was to Seloria’s knowledge though of how Kairi had no experience with fighting solo; and yet she had held her own against those thugs until she joined in. The scythe wielder recollected, her younger sister had instinctively matched her battle style – something she had excelled at since she was old enough to learn how to fight…
Seloria frowned. There was something about her younger sister that was different from before and she was not sure if Kairi herself knew what it was. The thought forged a sense of wonder within her but she decided now was hardly the time for an expression of her doubts. Just as she moved to open the windows nearest to Kairi’s bed for some fresh air, the younger began to stir. I should’ve known, Seloria thought in amusement. She had not performed this latest action as nimbly as she had with her earlier placing down the book.
Abandoning the windows, she returned to the girl’s side – who had shot up to a stiff sitting position on the bed as if awoken from a fierce nightmare. “Hey there,” soothed Seloria with a small smile. “How’re you feeling?”
Seloria knew Kairi had woken with a spell on her lips, but decided to restraint any comments about it. The younger girl had a wild, almost frantic look in her orange-coloured eyes, but they vanished the instant her eyes found Seloria. “Kairi?”
“Se…Seloria?” Kairi asked uncertainly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as her fingers fiddled with the sheets. Apprehensively, she reached out to touch the length of her sister’s hair. The older did not make to stop her. Yula had mentioned this such possible reaction of Kairi’s as a way of confirming the reality of her situation – the sense of touch was a way of convincing herself that she was indeed safe, that Seloria was in fact real and right there before her, that the proceedings of last week were not a mere dream…
Ending a long-pause-of-a moment, Kairi let out a strangled cry and threw herself at her older sister, sobbing silently. Seloria in turn held the younger in a tight but gentle sisterly embrace, whispering words of comfort. Kairi was the type to let all her frustrations, insecurities, anger and whatnots build up to the point where she could contain them no longer and just…burst. She knew Kairi’s limits had been tested by the horrible kidnapping.
And in a world where war was on the brink of erupting, Seloria was not sure if she could deal with losing Kairi a second time.
Apparently, Yula had not been joking when she said she was going to shove potions down Kairi’s throat. Potions of all sorts littered the tray the Aitelorn matriarch held in her grasp, and more were inbound, held by Stein. Seloria watched with a bemused eye as Kairi, who had long recovered from her breakdown, blanched at the sight of all the potion vials.
“Hello Kairi. I’m Yula, and you are in my abode,” the woman announced in a tone of mock malign, then setting the tray of potions down on a nearby table. “And since you are here, I fully expect you to obey my every order.” Kairi, responding automatically in surprise, nodded cautiously.
“Don’t worry, she does this all the time,” Seloria whispered audibly to her sister, mock-saluting the healer when a glare was directed her way. Stein rolled his eyes in exasperation, wondering why Seloria had to act the way she always did as he placed his own tray of potions down next Yula’s on the table. Nodding briskly to his mother, the male strode out of the room as if about to meet his maker. His composure caused Seloria to raise an eyebrow; she supposed the Master was still punishing his two younger sons.
As the door to the infirmary shut unhurriedly behind the purple haired youth, Kairi eyed the trays. “I don’t have to take all of that, do I?” she asked meekly. Yula’s grin-of-a-reply was nefarious.
“Ah, but you do,” the healer proffered – the sisters suspected she was holding back a cackle. “You, little missy, are undernourished. Not to mention bearing more than a few fractured bones, some dangerously low magic levels, and pure physical exhaustion. If you don’t take all of these potions, dream not of taking a step out of this bed for a month.”
Those words succeeded in making Kairi whine. “No, I don’t wanna stay bed-ridden! I wanna go train!” she wailed, dragging out the ‘no’ and ‘train’. Yula and Seloria exchanged amused looks – that was the exact reaction Seloria had five years ago when Yula told her the same thing.
“If you want to get off that bed and train, listen to Mistress Aitelorn,” Seloria informed, ruffling her sister’s hair. Kairi whined again in response and immediately began pushing the elder’s hand away, though Seloria noted the question visible in Kairi’s eyes. Yula smiled at the affectionate interaction, oddly reminded of that between her sons, Phiol and Stein.
“Alright Kairi, I expect you to drink these potions,” here, Yula placed four different coloured vials in front of her, “at every three hour interval. Finish them all and you’re free to run about out of the infirmary.”
Kairi had the beginnings of a grin tugging at the corners of her semi-cracked lips, that is, before it morphed into a pout when Yula continued. “But, I have to discourage you from heavy training and-or sparring for a week.” At that, the young Thyride groaned, flopping back down on the bed with a soft ‘thud’. Seloria shook her head at the younger, unsure if she was amused or bemused by her behaviour.
The female placed her book lithely onto the bed stand. Her mind in its present state, she could not get any further reading done. Rising to a stand and leaning over the bed, Seloria gently brushed several stray strands of Kairi’s long hair from her face. The girl had been in deep sleep for more than a week now. Of course, Yula had believed the rest best for the cocoa-haired teen – though she needed to wake soon so ‘potions could be shoved down her throat’, the healer’s exact words.
From what Seloria had managed to gather after filtering much of Yula’s medical jargon, was that Kairi had fashioned a shield of sorts around her being from the moment she regained consciousness after the initial kidnapping. It appeared that the girl did not let it down until she had been found. That alone should’ve drained her magic reserves dry, and yet, the day they had found her, Kairi was still capable of spell casting. It was to Seloria’s knowledge though of how Kairi had no experience with fighting solo; and yet she had held her own against those thugs until she joined in. The scythe wielder recollected, her younger sister had instinctively matched her battle style – something she had excelled at since she was old enough to learn how to fight…
Seloria frowned. There was something about her younger sister that was different from before and she was not sure if Kairi herself knew what it was. The thought forged a sense of wonder within her but she decided now was hardly the time for an expression of her doubts. Just as she moved to open the windows nearest to Kairi’s bed for some fresh air, the younger began to stir. I should’ve known, Seloria thought in amusement. She had not performed this latest action as nimbly as she had with her earlier placing down the book.
Abandoning the windows, she returned to the girl’s side – who had shot up to a stiff sitting position on the bed as if awoken from a fierce nightmare. “Hey there,” soothed Seloria with a small smile. “How’re you feeling?”
Seloria knew Kairi had woken with a spell on her lips, but decided to restraint any comments about it. The younger girl had a wild, almost frantic look in her orange-coloured eyes, but they vanished the instant her eyes found Seloria. “Kairi?”
“Se…Seloria?” Kairi asked uncertainly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as her fingers fiddled with the sheets. Apprehensively, she reached out to touch the length of her sister’s hair. The older did not make to stop her. Yula had mentioned this such possible reaction of Kairi’s as a way of confirming the reality of her situation – the sense of touch was a way of convincing herself that she was indeed safe, that Seloria was in fact real and right there before her, that the proceedings of last week were not a mere dream…
Ending a long-pause-of-a moment, Kairi let out a strangled cry and threw herself at her older sister, sobbing silently. Seloria in turn held the younger in a tight but gentle sisterly embrace, whispering words of comfort. Kairi was the type to let all her frustrations, insecurities, anger and whatnots build up to the point where she could contain them no longer and just…burst. She knew Kairi’s limits had been tested by the horrible kidnapping.
And in a world where war was on the brink of erupting, Seloria was not sure if she could deal with losing Kairi a second time.
~*~
Apparently, Yula had not been joking when she said she was going to shove potions down Kairi’s throat. Potions of all sorts littered the tray the Aitelorn matriarch held in her grasp, and more were inbound, held by Stein. Seloria watched with a bemused eye as Kairi, who had long recovered from her breakdown, blanched at the sight of all the potion vials.
“Hello Kairi. I’m Yula, and you are in my abode,” the woman announced in a tone of mock malign, then setting the tray of potions down on a nearby table. “And since you are here, I fully expect you to obey my every order.” Kairi, responding automatically in surprise, nodded cautiously.
“Don’t worry, she does this all the time,” Seloria whispered audibly to her sister, mock-saluting the healer when a glare was directed her way. Stein rolled his eyes in exasperation, wondering why Seloria had to act the way she always did as he placed his own tray of potions down next Yula’s on the table. Nodding briskly to his mother, the male strode out of the room as if about to meet his maker. His composure caused Seloria to raise an eyebrow; she supposed the Master was still punishing his two younger sons.
As the door to the infirmary shut unhurriedly behind the purple haired youth, Kairi eyed the trays. “I don’t have to take all of that, do I?” she asked meekly. Yula’s grin-of-a-reply was nefarious.
“Ah, but you do,” the healer proffered – the sisters suspected she was holding back a cackle. “You, little missy, are undernourished. Not to mention bearing more than a few fractured bones, some dangerously low magic levels, and pure physical exhaustion. If you don’t take all of these potions, dream not of taking a step out of this bed for a month.”
Those words succeeded in making Kairi whine. “No, I don’t wanna stay bed-ridden! I wanna go train!” she wailed, dragging out the ‘no’ and ‘train’. Yula and Seloria exchanged amused looks – that was the exact reaction Seloria had five years ago when Yula told her the same thing.
“If you want to get off that bed and train, listen to Mistress Aitelorn,” Seloria informed, ruffling her sister’s hair. Kairi whined again in response and immediately began pushing the elder’s hand away, though Seloria noted the question visible in Kairi’s eyes. Yula smiled at the affectionate interaction, oddly reminded of that between her sons, Phiol and Stein.
“Alright Kairi, I expect you to drink these potions,” here, Yula placed four different coloured vials in front of her, “at every three hour interval. Finish them all and you’re free to run about out of the infirmary.”
Kairi had the beginnings of a grin tugging at the corners of her semi-cracked lips, that is, before it morphed into a pout when Yula continued. “But, I have to discourage you from heavy training and-or sparring for a week.” At that, the young Thyride groaned, flopping back down on the bed with a soft ‘thud’. Seloria shook her head at the younger, unsure if she was amused or bemused by her behaviour.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Chapter 1
The slums were a dirty place. That much was obvious to the purple haired teen as he trudged alongside the rest of his family and his first brother’s assistant. Hands pocketed, his green-silver eyes held just the slightest tinge of annoyance. Indeed, Stein Aitelorn, sixteen years in age, was not happy in being dragged away from the comfort of his family mansion’s training room; especially not for walking the slums. Even his most modest of garments stood out within the vicinity. It made him all the more tense at the stares he and his company were receiving. Stein resorted to glaring at anyone who dared meet his eyes, clutching the hilt of his dual-swords (the weapons dangling in their hoists from his belt) to subdue his discomfort somewhat.
Several steps ahead of him were his parents, Nerion and Yula Aitelorn. The Head of the Aitelorn House was a highly no-nonsense type of person. He bore piercing silver eyes and neatly combed reddish-purple hair. The man’s very presence commanded utter attention and respect, and his sword skills were not to be trifled with – simply the sight of him with a blade was proof enough. His life-long companion, Yula, however, was a much gentler figure. Her eyes, lovely shade of green, were graciously expressive and her lengthy auburn hair was almost always left loose. A healer by profession, Yula was not meant for combat and yet her accuracy with her chakrams (which she always summons – she never has the weapon on her being) was not a laughing matter. It was not very well-known, but the Aitelorn matriarch was also quite the sadist…
To Stein’s immediate left was the Aitelorn’s second son, Rityu. Much like their father, Rityu had reddish-purple hair that was nearly as long as their mother’s and silver eyes that seemed to find a sense of amusement in everything. While Stein was younger than Rityu by three years, they were the most identical in looks, eye and hair colour being an exception. They were also remarkably alike in built – both being lean and athletic. Rityu was rather akin to the Aitelorn patriarch in terms of swordsmanship (his sword lay in its sheath on the right side of his belt, the same position the oldest had his), though it was apparent he was less exposed to the art in comparison to his father and oldest sibling.
Said oldest was walking to the right and slightly behind Stein. Phiol Aitelorn took after his mother most amongst his brothers. His auburn hair was cut short and messily styled. And while his eyes were the trademark Aitelorn silver, they were as expressive as Yula’s. Phiol’s slightly heavier body build was similar to his father’s – the only physical trait he’d taken after. While his swordplay style differed from that of Nerion’s, it was a slightly more efficient way of fighting – proven through the times he had been forced into combat against those wanting to take over their family business by force. His second in these duels was, more often than naught, his assistant who was deadly with her scythe.
Standing beside Phiol was the only non-family member and Phiol’s assistant, Seloria Thyride. Rescued by Nerion and Yula at fourteen from a bloody massacre that cost the young female her left eye and the kidnapping of her younger sister, it took Stein and his brothers four years to help her recover. Now 18 (which made her four years younger than Phiol), she assists the elders in the family business, more often than naught hitting the oldest Aitelorn son on the head with the huge file she was prone to carrying during business hours. A simple yet stylish eye patch covered her missing eye, and her remaining good eye, a dark shade of blue that could be mistaken as black, was oftentimes cold. Her light brown hair was never allowed to grow past her shoulders. Much like Yula, Seloria never had her scythe on her being – she summons it to her hand with a mere thought.
Taking another look about the slums, Stein was hard-pressed to hide his discomfort and disgust. The place made the mess of a battlefield seem clean. Puddles of water (some were probably human excretion, Stein thought in disgust while bringing a gloved hand to his nose in an effort to stop the foul smell from reaching his nose – he failed that task splendidly) were aplenty along the paths they walked on, and blood stains, both new and old, decorated the walls, pathways…everything.
“What’re we doing here again?” he muttered, stopping in his tracks for a moment to eye a cut-off limb before side-stepping the stray leg, cursing under his breath. Seloria, who had moved up to match his pace, eyed the younger male with a bit of amusement in her sole eye.
“You should’ve listened to what Master and Mistress Aitelorn said this morning,” she spoke, tone one that screamed disapproval as she shook her head slightly. She also had a habit of pretending to be high and mighty with Stein, which was what she was doing right now. “But since you didn’t, I’ll enlighten you.”
Stein rolled his eyes, too used to her behaviour around him to feel insulted. “Then by all means, please enlighten me,” he said in a deadpan manner. Seloria almost pouted at him for not rising to the bait as per usual, but understood his reaction somewhat. The slums were making her feel uncomfortable too.
“I don’t know how they found out,” she told the younger, “but Master and Mistress Aitelorn managed to retrieve information on where my sister is and their sources point here. They believe they may need our help, hence why we’re all brought with.”
Looking around more closely at Seloria’s words, Stein understood why. While the majority of people in the slums were very much malnourished and did not look as if they could fight, there were people hiding in the shadows with their murderous intent flowing out of them in waves. He let out a small ‘tch’ of annoyance and shoved his hands back into his pockets. Seloria fell back and returned to Phiol’s side, both discussing some matter or other.
The Aitelorns plus one slowed when they heard shouting from a distance. Amongst the cries of “get her” and “she’s getting away” was the familiar (to them) clashing of blade to blade, alongside the occasional female war-cry and shouts of a spell name or other (which was almost always “Fire”). Seloria’s lone eye had widened in recognition of the voice and she immediately broke apart from the group, dashing towards the fight with her scythe in hand. Figuring that it was her younger sister’s voice that spurred Seloria’s actions, the Aitelorns made haste to catch up with her.
Upon nearing, Yula instantly casted a “Shield” spell around Seloria and the younger female she was fighting alongside with. And while Nerion, Phiol and Rityu almost eagerly drew their swords before jumping into the fray, Stein had stopped to pause and marvel at the almost-instantaneously in-tandem dance the two currently-fighting females started. Each twist and slash of scythe and dagger were in direct sync of each other, and every time they turned, it was to strike an opponent or enemy the other never saw.
While he watched, it was also very painfully obvious that the younger female was running on pure adrenaline. She would likely drop in a dead faint soon. Knowing that he and Seloria were capable of fighting in tandem with each other as well, Stein briefly nodded his head towards the girl’s direction, catching his mother’s eye. Yula, understanding his implication, released a nifty replacement spell, switching his position with that of the girl’s. Seloria, who noted Stein’s action, nodded at him gratefully before turning back to the fight.
It took a while, but with the sadistic streak in the brothers that came from Yula, the skirmish did not take as long to end as one would expect when outnumbered ten to one. Seloria’s scythe vanished from her hand as the males flicked their swords (in Stein’s case, both swords) to rid them of the blood that covered their blades. The girl, who Stein was surprised to note, had not yet fallen unconscious. Instead, his mother was supporting her as she had taken to staring at Seloria in shock.
While the girl’s eyes were an odd orange and her hair a touch darker and very much longer than Seloria’s, there was no doubt in any of their minds that she was the very girl that took them four, almost five years to find.
“Kairi,” Seloria said slowly, overwhelmed by the fact that it was her sister standing before her after the adrenaline from the fight wore off. The Aitelorns knew she was – Seloria rarely lost her composure, but she was shaking ever so slightly at this moment. “Kairi…”
The girl stared at Seloria a moment longer and then slowly pushed herself away from Yula. She moved towards the older female slowly – almost as if in a daze. When her knees buckled, her legs too tired to hold her up any longer; Seloria rushed to grab her and held the younger girl in an emotional hug, slowly sinking to their knees onto blood-stained ground.
“Seloria… I’m not dreaming this time, right?” Finally the girl spoke, her voice dry yet thick with emotion. “I won’t wake up in the morning to find out this meeting has been a dream, right?” As she spoke, her hands reached up to return Seloria’s hug. Her hold grew tighter as she spoke.
“No,” the older responded softly, comfortingly. “This is not a dream. I’m here, and I’m not letting you go again. Not anymore.” At Seloria’s words, the Aitelorns glanced, with grim satisfaction, over to the now-dead once-captors that had Kairi in their grasps for far too long.
Kairi leaned away from Seloria for a moment and, with a small, tired smile, closed her eyes and slumped against her older sibling, allowing fatigue to overcome her at last. Stein, who had watched the interaction closely, frowned.
“She still doesn’t believe we’re real,” he pointed out. “She thinks we’re a dream – that this situation was a dream.” At that, Nerion, who had observed the interaction silently, nodded his agreement.
“Well then,” Seloria began to repond, “we’ll just have to show her we’re not.” Carefully shifting the unconscious girl in her arms, she lifted her up off the ground and, nodding as an indication she was leaving ahead of them, vanished from the area. Yula, already in her element, told her boys that she would see them later and followed Seloria’s classy example exit.
“Let’s head home,” Phiol said, slightly miffed that the duo did not perform alongside-teleportation with them, but understanding that Seloria was concerned over Kairi’s well-being, and Yula had gone into full healer-mode...
“There are still stacks of paperwork to be done.”
“And both Rityu and Stein need more training,” Nerion added abruptly, fixing both sons with a stern glare. “You both completely went out of your forms.” Said two ducked their heads, embarrassed to have been caught. “Come.”
With that simple sentence, the remainder of the Aitelorns in the area marched out… and Stein could not help but complain about the blood on his boots.
Several steps ahead of him were his parents, Nerion and Yula Aitelorn. The Head of the Aitelorn House was a highly no-nonsense type of person. He bore piercing silver eyes and neatly combed reddish-purple hair. The man’s very presence commanded utter attention and respect, and his sword skills were not to be trifled with – simply the sight of him with a blade was proof enough. His life-long companion, Yula, however, was a much gentler figure. Her eyes, lovely shade of green, were graciously expressive and her lengthy auburn hair was almost always left loose. A healer by profession, Yula was not meant for combat and yet her accuracy with her chakrams (which she always summons – she never has the weapon on her being) was not a laughing matter. It was not very well-known, but the Aitelorn matriarch was also quite the sadist…
To Stein’s immediate left was the Aitelorn’s second son, Rityu. Much like their father, Rityu had reddish-purple hair that was nearly as long as their mother’s and silver eyes that seemed to find a sense of amusement in everything. While Stein was younger than Rityu by three years, they were the most identical in looks, eye and hair colour being an exception. They were also remarkably alike in built – both being lean and athletic. Rityu was rather akin to the Aitelorn patriarch in terms of swordsmanship (his sword lay in its sheath on the right side of his belt, the same position the oldest had his), though it was apparent he was less exposed to the art in comparison to his father and oldest sibling.
Said oldest was walking to the right and slightly behind Stein. Phiol Aitelorn took after his mother most amongst his brothers. His auburn hair was cut short and messily styled. And while his eyes were the trademark Aitelorn silver, they were as expressive as Yula’s. Phiol’s slightly heavier body build was similar to his father’s – the only physical trait he’d taken after. While his swordplay style differed from that of Nerion’s, it was a slightly more efficient way of fighting – proven through the times he had been forced into combat against those wanting to take over their family business by force. His second in these duels was, more often than naught, his assistant who was deadly with her scythe.
Standing beside Phiol was the only non-family member and Phiol’s assistant, Seloria Thyride. Rescued by Nerion and Yula at fourteen from a bloody massacre that cost the young female her left eye and the kidnapping of her younger sister, it took Stein and his brothers four years to help her recover. Now 18 (which made her four years younger than Phiol), she assists the elders in the family business, more often than naught hitting the oldest Aitelorn son on the head with the huge file she was prone to carrying during business hours. A simple yet stylish eye patch covered her missing eye, and her remaining good eye, a dark shade of blue that could be mistaken as black, was oftentimes cold. Her light brown hair was never allowed to grow past her shoulders. Much like Yula, Seloria never had her scythe on her being – she summons it to her hand with a mere thought.
Taking another look about the slums, Stein was hard-pressed to hide his discomfort and disgust. The place made the mess of a battlefield seem clean. Puddles of water (some were probably human excretion, Stein thought in disgust while bringing a gloved hand to his nose in an effort to stop the foul smell from reaching his nose – he failed that task splendidly) were aplenty along the paths they walked on, and blood stains, both new and old, decorated the walls, pathways…everything.
“What’re we doing here again?” he muttered, stopping in his tracks for a moment to eye a cut-off limb before side-stepping the stray leg, cursing under his breath. Seloria, who had moved up to match his pace, eyed the younger male with a bit of amusement in her sole eye.
“You should’ve listened to what Master and Mistress Aitelorn said this morning,” she spoke, tone one that screamed disapproval as she shook her head slightly. She also had a habit of pretending to be high and mighty with Stein, which was what she was doing right now. “But since you didn’t, I’ll enlighten you.”
Stein rolled his eyes, too used to her behaviour around him to feel insulted. “Then by all means, please enlighten me,” he said in a deadpan manner. Seloria almost pouted at him for not rising to the bait as per usual, but understood his reaction somewhat. The slums were making her feel uncomfortable too.
“I don’t know how they found out,” she told the younger, “but Master and Mistress Aitelorn managed to retrieve information on where my sister is and their sources point here. They believe they may need our help, hence why we’re all brought with.”
Looking around more closely at Seloria’s words, Stein understood why. While the majority of people in the slums were very much malnourished and did not look as if they could fight, there were people hiding in the shadows with their murderous intent flowing out of them in waves. He let out a small ‘tch’ of annoyance and shoved his hands back into his pockets. Seloria fell back and returned to Phiol’s side, both discussing some matter or other.
The Aitelorns plus one slowed when they heard shouting from a distance. Amongst the cries of “get her” and “she’s getting away” was the familiar (to them) clashing of blade to blade, alongside the occasional female war-cry and shouts of a spell name or other (which was almost always “Fire”). Seloria’s lone eye had widened in recognition of the voice and she immediately broke apart from the group, dashing towards the fight with her scythe in hand. Figuring that it was her younger sister’s voice that spurred Seloria’s actions, the Aitelorns made haste to catch up with her.
Upon nearing, Yula instantly casted a “Shield” spell around Seloria and the younger female she was fighting alongside with. And while Nerion, Phiol and Rityu almost eagerly drew their swords before jumping into the fray, Stein had stopped to pause and marvel at the almost-instantaneously in-tandem dance the two currently-fighting females started. Each twist and slash of scythe and dagger were in direct sync of each other, and every time they turned, it was to strike an opponent or enemy the other never saw.
While he watched, it was also very painfully obvious that the younger female was running on pure adrenaline. She would likely drop in a dead faint soon. Knowing that he and Seloria were capable of fighting in tandem with each other as well, Stein briefly nodded his head towards the girl’s direction, catching his mother’s eye. Yula, understanding his implication, released a nifty replacement spell, switching his position with that of the girl’s. Seloria, who noted Stein’s action, nodded at him gratefully before turning back to the fight.
It took a while, but with the sadistic streak in the brothers that came from Yula, the skirmish did not take as long to end as one would expect when outnumbered ten to one. Seloria’s scythe vanished from her hand as the males flicked their swords (in Stein’s case, both swords) to rid them of the blood that covered their blades. The girl, who Stein was surprised to note, had not yet fallen unconscious. Instead, his mother was supporting her as she had taken to staring at Seloria in shock.
While the girl’s eyes were an odd orange and her hair a touch darker and very much longer than Seloria’s, there was no doubt in any of their minds that she was the very girl that took them four, almost five years to find.
“Kairi,” Seloria said slowly, overwhelmed by the fact that it was her sister standing before her after the adrenaline from the fight wore off. The Aitelorns knew she was – Seloria rarely lost her composure, but she was shaking ever so slightly at this moment. “Kairi…”
The girl stared at Seloria a moment longer and then slowly pushed herself away from Yula. She moved towards the older female slowly – almost as if in a daze. When her knees buckled, her legs too tired to hold her up any longer; Seloria rushed to grab her and held the younger girl in an emotional hug, slowly sinking to their knees onto blood-stained ground.
“Seloria… I’m not dreaming this time, right?” Finally the girl spoke, her voice dry yet thick with emotion. “I won’t wake up in the morning to find out this meeting has been a dream, right?” As she spoke, her hands reached up to return Seloria’s hug. Her hold grew tighter as she spoke.
“No,” the older responded softly, comfortingly. “This is not a dream. I’m here, and I’m not letting you go again. Not anymore.” At Seloria’s words, the Aitelorns glanced, with grim satisfaction, over to the now-dead once-captors that had Kairi in their grasps for far too long.
Kairi leaned away from Seloria for a moment and, with a small, tired smile, closed her eyes and slumped against her older sibling, allowing fatigue to overcome her at last. Stein, who had watched the interaction closely, frowned.
“She still doesn’t believe we’re real,” he pointed out. “She thinks we’re a dream – that this situation was a dream.” At that, Nerion, who had observed the interaction silently, nodded his agreement.
“Well then,” Seloria began to repond, “we’ll just have to show her we’re not.” Carefully shifting the unconscious girl in her arms, she lifted her up off the ground and, nodding as an indication she was leaving ahead of them, vanished from the area. Yula, already in her element, told her boys that she would see them later and followed Seloria’s classy example exit.
“Let’s head home,” Phiol said, slightly miffed that the duo did not perform alongside-teleportation with them, but understanding that Seloria was concerned over Kairi’s well-being, and Yula had gone into full healer-mode...
“There are still stacks of paperwork to be done.”
“And both Rityu and Stein need more training,” Nerion added abruptly, fixing both sons with a stern glare. “You both completely went out of your forms.” Said two ducked their heads, embarrassed to have been caught. “Come.”
With that simple sentence, the remainder of the Aitelorns in the area marched out… and Stein could not help but complain about the blood on his boots.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Author's Note
Update: May 8th, 2010
First, some disclaimers.
I do not own any concept or idea behind certain skills, spells or summons. The credit for that will fall almost-solely to the creators of the Final Fantasy series. Others will fall to the creators of .Hack, Kingdom Hearts, and possibly Wild Arms.
Also, there will likely be references or concepts tied to Harry Potter, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, and other anime and books that slip my mind.
The entire Aitelorn clan (Nerion, Yula, Phiol, Rityu and Stein) and certain characters that have yet to appear are characters created by Tsu.
Karyme Doyle, who has yet to make an appearance, is Okie's character.
The plot, Seloria and Kairi Thyride, and certain characters that has yet to appear, however, are solely mine.
Also, the story is being beta'd by Okie. The entire writing process, though, is solely me.
Update: May 6th, 2010
After getting some critique I very much needed from a friend (I agree with her, I'm too much in RP mode), the chapters are now being rewritten. The next chapter will not be up until all four chapters are revamped.
Sorry for that, and please wait for the very much more reader-friendly chapters (in terms of character understanding, for those who don't know them) to come up!
First, some disclaimers.
I do not own any concept or idea behind certain skills, spells or summons. The credit for that will fall almost-solely to the creators of the Final Fantasy series. Others will fall to the creators of .Hack, Kingdom Hearts, and possibly Wild Arms.
Also, there will likely be references or concepts tied to Harry Potter, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, and other anime and books that slip my mind.
The entire Aitelorn clan (Nerion, Yula, Phiol, Rityu and Stein) and certain characters that have yet to appear are characters created by Tsu.
Karyme Doyle, who has yet to make an appearance, is Okie's character.
The plot, Seloria and Kairi Thyride, and certain characters that has yet to appear, however, are solely mine.
Also, the story is being beta'd by Okie. The entire writing process, though, is solely me.
Update: May 6th, 2010
After getting some critique I very much needed from a friend (I agree with her, I'm too much in RP mode), the chapters are now being rewritten. The next chapter will not be up until all four chapters are revamped.
Sorry for that, and please wait for the very much more reader-friendly chapters (in terms of character understanding, for those who don't know them) to come up!
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