Aussia

The opening chapter of something I've been working on. It has a kind of overwhelming amount of information and descriptions to set the scene so it might be a lot to take in. I hope you enjoy! :)

An overwhelming sensation of cold. Surrounding me and seeping into every inch of my body; I can feel it inside my skin, inside my bones. It feels heavy as if it's a solid object weaving its way through me and claiming my body as its own. There is a deep, tangible darkness stretching for an empty infinity everywhere; but also... Nowhere. The existence I find myself in neither 3 dimensional nor 2, there's nothing I can compare it to, nothing I've ever experienced before. I could say it's a bit like floating in the water and closing your eyes, but with even more detachment from your body. The space around me seems unimaginably deep and infinite, with no up or down, no direction at all. I can't tell if I'm moving or staying still, all I can feel is the unrelenting cold; like I don't even have a body but have somehow become part of the dark expanse of nothing itself.

 

A loud dinging sound echoes all around me and I feel a strong jolt, something similar to electricity. I have normal sensations again; I am reminded of what it feels like to breathe, see, and feel. Also, unfortunately, what it's like to hear. The booming tones repeat five more times before it registers completely in my mind that they’re coming from the clock outside. Once I fully remember where I am, I groan and watch small water droplets drip off the rusty faucet on the left side of the room and ever so slowly fall to the floor with an anti-climatic splash in constant aggravation. The side of my face feels as if it’s been permanently glued to the pillow, and my right arm which has been tucked under me feels like it has been sawn off from disuse. The pain of the handcuffs imprisoning my wrists to the bed has become beyond aggravating, almost unbearable. Beside my bed on the ground is a thin white blanket, which I managed to kick away in my small portion of sleep. To some, spending time in this dreary place would be an excruciating experience, not only for the body but the mind as well. For me, however, it’s become a dull ache, the kind that if you keep experiencing the same thing over and over it eventually just becomes your version of normal. This damp, dark, windowless room is ever too solemn, and ever too familiar. Cracks cover the perpetually gray ceiling in a complicated maze; my eyes trace through them repeatedly, attempting to solve the unsolvable pattern.

Minutes tick by, my only reminder of this being the giant clock near my door that announces itself every hour, making it very difficult to sleep steadily. My dream from the night before lingers in my head. it doesn't faze me much though, ever since I can remember I've had pretty crazy and unusual dreams. Although, they do seem to be getting worse lately. I sigh and force myself to sit up for once. My gaze falls to the light beneath the locked iron door to freedom across the room that grabs my attention, which is only about five or six feet away. I concentrate, flick my finger out, and soon enough shadows seep into the doorway, swallowing up the small source of light and bringing a pitch black veil to the room. I concentrate and pull my hands into fists, forcing the shadows to curl as much as possible, leaving about half of the room well-lit. My hands struggle into different motions, whatever they’re capable of in their current situation. The shadows flicker and play, creating sloppily dancing human-like shapes across the room. They swerve, spin, jump, and morph in and out of each other to the distorted jumble of music that only plays in my mind. It swallows my attention and I get lost in the lively illusion.

After an unknown amount of time, the silhouettes are jolted to an abrupt stop as the heavy iron door across the room is heaved open with a sluggish creek. My breath catches; I press myself against the wall and pray that whoever it is didn’t happen to see my tricks of light from beneath the door. I breathe a sigh of relief when behind it I find the grinning face of Rory, my flamboyant and clueless ‘overseer.’ He is dressed in his usual black and red training clothes that represent his relatively high level as a Daught. His silvery blond hair, which is popular and desired among many families, is in its usual messy and unpredictable state. His build is massive, tall, but still smaller compared to most daughts. I trust him to an extent, which is more than most.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” He chuckles. “Didn’t know I looked that bad today.” He jokes, expecting to receive a laugh. A faint attempt at a smile pulls at my face. After a pause and realizing that’s all he is going to get, he continues. “Let’s get you out of here, I bet you’re just dying to start your training again.” I roll my eyes. He sighs and strides to my shackled state, gently unlocking the metal around my wrists. “They could at least give you a window.” He grumbles under his breath. For as long as I’ve known Rory he has never ceased to have a fair and generous nature, as dull as he is with most other subjects. He alway refuses to discriminate against even the perceived pettiest of people. He helps me out a lot, especially in a place as strict as a warrior monk temple, and especially since I am treated by most as an intolerable demon child that is a disgrace to humanity. You could say I’m pretty popular.

“I’ll be down at lunch with the Sicaries. The rest the Daughts are in Eirini village investigating some sort of disturbance. I don’t know logistics and what not, I’m on guard duty all day, ‘cept now, now I’m dealing with yourself.” Rory explains with his slight dialect that comes from Corvoa, a massive island of the coast to the East. He spends a lot of time supervising the Sicaries, a status branch for those who are typically bred more tall and lean with a sharp wit, specializing in assassination and gathering information. Sicaries, Daughts and Illustrians are the three paths of specialization. Rory looks disappointed, He always is when he isn’t chosen to do field work. Alvaro, the head of our temple, sees him as too soft and not quite cut out to “make it to the top” in this service path. He still tries, however, and in my opinion is much better a person than those who are thought to be “cut out for it.”

Erini is the closest cluster of civilization to our temple, which is isolated on a nook of the tallest mountain on the planet, Multanix. It stretches so high that you would have to climb past the perpetual layer of clouds that are always hovering high above us before you could dream of seeing the top. It’s said to pierce straight through the atmosphere, but that seems a little extreme. Nonetheless, our temple is even a hassle to reach; whenever someone comes back from town or training they have to find the hole just big enough for a large person to walk through covered in a giant leaf meant for camouflage that leads to a dark, damp tunnel. The tunnel winds up to the door of the temple, which is completely underground. It’s the only point of access since the entire thing sits on an ominous ledge protruding from the mountain. If you go out to the courtyard and look down past the edge there is a sheer drop that extends all the way to the forest-covered base of the mountain below representing your eminent doom if you decide not to play by the rules.  

“Anyway, whenever you’re ready you can go eat some real food. Alvaro’s allowed you to sit with the other trainees today, so don’t blow it.” Rory instructs.

“I won’t,” I assure both him and myself with as much confidence as I can produce. He smiles faintly and struts off as proudly as he can, leaving the door open. I remain seated for a bit, staring at the floor until I muster up the motivation to join my ‘comrades’.

The main hall is the largest room of the temple, it’s always dimly lit with few windows to set a ‘respectful’ atmosphere. Meals are seen as something highly sacred, so there’s really no time for fun in that regard. If I’m going to get any food at all I’ll have to obey the strictly set meal times, which means I don’t have time to head back to my room to make myself look somewhat presentable. As if my associates don’t already have enough lack of respect for me as it is. I quickly pull my wavy, near-black hair into a single braid down my back as I reach the excessively long winding stairs from the isolation quarters to the main hall. Most of the trainees are already sitting at the massive single dining table; over the table are exceptionally intricate statues of the 5 gods engraved into the wall: Viryla, Shara, Nilim, Operis, and Tanriek. Nilim has four arms, each holding a small technological contraption of some sort, and Shara is always depicted as a beautiful goddess made of solid gold. A few candles stand to the sides of them to form a simplistic shrine; a prayer is also performed before every meal to ensure they know we’re not starving to death, I guess. Each of the gods corresponds to one of the realms of living, Viryla is the realm of war, corresponding to the god of war. Shara is the god of commerce, Nilim is the god of technology, Operis is the god of labor, and Tanriek is the overseer of each of the other gods. Each of them apparently rules over and sways their respective realms; our Temple in the North belongs to Viryla. There are also two other unspoken deities, Thamosis and Physis, the god of death and the goddess of pure blood. We don’t worship either of them, as Physis is reserved only for the families of pure blood, and to even acknowledge Thamosis too much would be an instant first class ticket into his realm.

I walk over and take my seat at the table while being met with many eyes, as usual. There are a few in the temple who pity me, but most are just afraid of me. It’s hard to say which is worse. I sit in the dim silence that swims with a few quiet murmurs and scan the room. Most of the other trainees are set on becoming daughts, which is usually seen as the most prestigious out of the three paths. Most of them won’t get in, however, unless they’re specifically bred for it.  My eyes finally find the uncanny, contagious smile of Nayo, Alvaro’s son and pretty much my only friend here. I was basically raised with him; we’ve known each other ever since I was found outside the door of the temple as a baby. I have no idea who my actual parents are, they were most likely part of the Skabris clan, a highly secretive nomadic group who worship Thamosis to gain their dark magic. The pure-bloods have been hunting them down for decades; they kill off the clusters one by one, but another group always seems to pop up somewhere. Thamosis’s power must have favored my parents excessively since I was born with such rarely strong abilities. Thamosis’s ‘gift’ chooses a select few out of his worshippers, He bestows a bit of his energy upon an unborn child, usually after some sort of sacrifice, as far as I know. My parents are almost surely dead now, seeing as they left me at the temple. This is one of the only places I wouldn’t have been killed at first glance. When Alvaro found me he most likely figured he could put my power to ‘good’ use through discipline, making me into a weapon he could utilize.

Nayo is a couple of years older than me and has a lot of pressure put on him since he’s next in line to become the head of the temple and general to all warriors. He naturally has to train more intensively than the rest of us, learning pretty much all there is to know about strategizing, politics, combat, and protecting us in a war-hungry realm. Having the father that he does, it’s baffling how different they are, and I’m definitely grateful for that fact. He sits with a few other to-be Sicaries, their conversation is lively and filled with laughter, even though they’re struggling to keep as quiet as possible. Everyone tries to suck up to him and get on his good side so they can ensure success in their futures, but Nayo still tries to act as normal and average as possible, completely shoving his status aside. I still have no idea why he even pays attention to me, and neither does anyone else. He gets a lot of criticism for it. When he notices me at the table he stops his conversation and walks over to me. His friends look quite annoyed.

“Aus, You’re finally out! It’s a good thing too, it was getting pretty boring around here.” He expresses, trying not to acknowledge the fact that I’m wearing dirty, ripped confinement clothes instead of the slick black material made especially for training that everyone else has on.

“Yeah, I’m sure I really liven things up,” I remark in a dry voice with a half smile.

Nayo chuckles quietly. “You’re a natural,” he says. “You don’t even have to try.”

“It’s a talent,” I mutter snidely as Alvaro opens the big metal doors from his conference room with a loud clunk alongside two generals, Kane and Amias. The same booming and overbearing doors seem to be lurking in every corner of this place, announcing the presence of anyone who enters a room. It surprises me a bit, I didn’t expect them to be eating with the trainees today; they normally don’t bother with it unless they have something important to inform us of. Everyone instantly becomes dead silent and takes their seats, knowing better than to tick off the boss. Alvaro wears his usual embellished pale yellow Head Monk cape that trails all the way to the floor. He’s tall, with slick black hair that’s ever so slowly turning gray and a permanently serious expression posted on his moderately wrinkled face. Yet today he seems to be even more bitter than usual, his face holds a concerned expression that he’s obviously trying to hide. Kane walks stiffly beside him and also seems to be masking agitation, but Amias remains indifferent as usual. Alvaro doesn’t acknowledge me in the slightest as he swiftly walks to the end of the dining table and takes his seat in the large chair directly under the gods’ shrine. We look towards him expectantly for the update of the day. At first, he remains silent, settling in his chair for an excessive amount of time as if delaying his announcement for as long as possible. Eventually, he breaks the anticipation with his gruff voice.

“As some of you know, there has been another attack in Erini.” Alvaro pauses to clear his throat as muffled mutters circulate around the room. “Quiet!” He demands authoritatively. “The scouts of Nilim are relentless in their pursuit of the Leria Quartz that grows inside this mountain. It is one of the main reasons why this place holds such a unique power and sacred energy that helps us become the great warriors and spiritualists that we are. We use this energy to help the world find wisdom and change into a better version of itself. To take this away would be to disrupt the flow of nature itself, and to disrespect the gods.” He fidgets slightly with his napkin as he places it on his lap. Leria Quartz is one of the most valuable crystals, said to hold supernatural powers that strengthen anyone in its vicinity; it’s often depicted surrounding the gods. Nilim has sought after as much of it as they can get, their latest technological advancements use it as one of the main materials, and it has apparently improved the mechanisms immensely. However, the mineral is notably rare, making the innovators of Nilim desperate for more of it. The elites of our temple are the only ones who know the exact location of the crop of crystals within the mountain, so the scouts were forced to meet with them.  After ‘politely’ demanding that they let them mine the crystal and the monks’ refusal, they turned to force and attacked Erini in search of any information. We’ve sent out most of our warriors to guard the city, and the Nilim soldiers haven’t created too much destruction yet, as we can pretty easily overpower them. However, I suspect there’s another issue on our hands as barely anything makes Alvaro as noticeably worried as he is.

“We will not let this happen.” Alvaro continues. “The village is on full watch, and we have put a stop to any soldiers daring to disrupt our peace…” He pauses for a long time, staring contemplatively at the table. “We have also received word from the Vasikos family,” he informs reluctantly. The Vasikos family is the pure blood family of Viryla, they’re royalty, the ones who govern the entire realm. We receive instructions from them pretty regularly; we’re the most successful Warrior Monk Temple in the realm and have a good amount of control over the three other temples as a result. They naturally want to have a tight hold around our actions. “The Queen has warned us of the increasing number of rebels in Tanriek and Viryla. They’ve been invading cities and villages, destroying whatever items and artifacts relating to the Pure-Bloods and gods that they can find. Their last attack was on the Western Temple... they set fire to the entire building.” Gasps resound around each side of me. Alvaro continues in a monotone voice, masking his concern as if to take away value from the situation. “There were no deaths, but the ancient sorcery welded within the walls and the incredibly sacred religious artifacts are lost forever.” His voice eases a bit and falls to a solemn tone as I mentally prepare for an undoubtedly chaotic near future.

Sweat drips down my face uncontrollably as I channel all of my energy into another kick. My sparring partner is Kaida, a 17-year-old boy with an overflowing amount of pent-up rage. He’s constantly looking for every opportunity to make my life harder.  As my foot nears his head, he attempts to duck, but moves a second too late and I hit the side of his face with a satisfactory smack.  He pauses for a moment to stabilize himself and I use the opportunity to go in for a job, but his hand quickly strikes forward and grabs my fist. I attempt to break the hold but Kaida swiftly swings his right leg around and impacts my side before I can. Pain shoots through my body and I fall to the floor, catching myself with one arm. Damn. As he goes to kick me in the stomach, I hoist my weight onto my arms and double kick him as high as I can reach from the ground. He staggers back and kneels on one leg as I jump to my feet, breathing heavily.  He collects himself and shoots toward me with a closed fist, just as it’s about to brush my skin I step to the side and Kaida stumbles forward. Perfect. I capture his arms behind his back and bend them backwards, one wrong move on his end would lead to a broken arm. He groans through his teeth and eventually surrenders after an unnecessarily long amount of pain-filled time. 

An unamused Kane stands in the corner of the training room and gives an unsatisfied nod as we look towards him. He is the head of the Sicaries, and Kaida is his son. My ‘rivalry’ with his son and his already existing disapproval of me results in an unfavorable relationship between us, but I’m forced to train with him as Alvaro sees it necessary that I’m proficient in all paths of specialization. This is probably the reason I beat Kaida almost every time we fight: he’s only focused on one style of fighting while I can incorporate all three into a battle. Kane instructs us to take a break and motions Kaida towards him. As he passes me, he shoves his shoulder against me a little too hard to be an accident. I ignore it; it’s not worth my acknowledgement. I grab a wooden cup from the table, walk over to the small well of constantly running water that circulates throughout the temple and fill it. The water is ice cold and comes straight from the closest patches of snow on the mountain. I glance over to the private conversation Kane is having with his spoiled brat of a son. He looks angry. Good. 

Alvaro solely teaches me to ‘control’ my ability, but never how to improve it. So instead I have to teach myself, often resulting in me getting locked up for hours or days. I’ve found it useful in combat, I can push the person’s shadow forcefully to make them stumble out of balance, and I am also able to freeze them for a few seconds by using their shadow to stick them to the ground. It’s something I have to make so subtle that it can’t be distinguished as magic, and It’s not the most outstanding advantage, but I know that gaining a few moments in a match can mean all the difference. If the time ever comes that I’ll need to use it, it will definitely work towards my advantage.

 I’ve heard of an ancient sorceress who was able to fully possess a person’s shadow and therefore their body, rendering them completely helpless to her control. She was also apparently so adept that she could pull the shadows completely out of the surface and into the 3 dimensional world, making them a solid force that could kill instantly. I’m not sure if it’s just a myth or reality; the information did come from the medicine woman who’s mental state revolved in a different direction than the rest of us. It seems unrealistic for someone to possess so much power over others. Then again, there’s royalty and politics. 

As the duo immerse themselves in conflict, I find a corner that’s blocked by a shelf which I slip behind so that I’m hidden from sight. I focus on the shadow sprawled across the wall and gently pull at it, feeling and seeing it rise higher against the ceiling. The sensation of doing this is hard to explain. It’s just kind of always been there. It’s just like any other feeling of touch, like when you move your arm; you can’t really explain how you can, you just can. It sort of feels like I’m reaching into another world just under the surface of our own and tampering with what’s there. After successfully moving a vase a couple of inches to the right using its shadow, I decide to try something I’ve recently been working on.

I’ve only begun to be able to physically move objects in the past couple of years, and I’ve only achieved moving them back and forth two-dimensionally across a surface. I’m afraid of what might happen if my power gets out of control, but there’s a deep-rooted, unsatisfied curiosity inside me that aches to know what I’m truly capable of. I struggle to get the best grasp I possibly can, focusing on the feeling and not letting go or loosening my grip. I grit my teeth, it’s heavier than I’m used to. With all of my strength and attention, I forcefully pull towards me as hard as I can. I feel something break, not in my body, but… In the air? I stare at the wall as I fall backwards and witness something that shoots waves of both fear and excitement through my body. A small, slightly translucent dark mass protrudes from the wall and slowly sinks back in. It’s somewhat translucent but carries an undeniably heavy energy. Suddenly, the most inexplicably dreadful feeling washes over me; it feels like my soul is being sucked out of my body. I blackout for a few seconds when I make contact with the ground. As my vision clears, the world around me spins uncontrollably. I’m so weak that I can’t even sit up; gasping, I attempt to lift my arm up, but it shakes aggressively. Out of all of the pain that I’ve ever felt in my entire life, both physically and mentally, this was the worst by far. It’s not excruciating physically, but the intense depression and absolute mental turmoil is indescribable. It’s something that I am sure not planning on experiencing again. After I finally gather the strength to stand, I stumble out of my hideout and am spotted by Kane. He gives me a suspicious look but doesn’t care enough to say anything. 

Everyone has been training intensively in preparation for a possible attack from the rebels. No one really knows how large or lethal the organization is, and I’m convinced that Alvaro and his council are withholding information from us. He says that it should be nothing to worry about, but we have never gone so far out of our way for an insignificant potential threat, only ones that are certain. Once Kane is finished lecturing Kaida, he dismisses us to meditation. I open the neighboring door to find the dim, candle-lit meditation room severely underpopulated. With the combination of extra training and defense in Erini, there aren’t many left roaming around the temple. Of course, I’m only allowed outside on special occasions, and when I am I have to be thoroughly disguised in case I bring attention to myself in a way that is very hard to explain. I think it’s ridiculous; I’ve been able to control my abilities more and more, and if Alvaro wants to get the most use out of me then I’m going to need more real-world experiences. 

I sit down eagerly, hoping to calm myself as much as I can and try to ignore the splendid occurrence that just happened. Isseria, a spiritual prodigy at only 14 years old, sits next to me in some sort of trance-like state that I’ve never understood. Normally only those who pass the initial tests are allowed entry to train here, however, Isseria was an exception. She caused quite a bit of commotion in her little home village in Operis. By the age of 10, she had already entered into the spirit realm four times, while most fully trained monks have only traveled there once or twice. The old spiritual teacher leading our meditation is an example. He’s still waiting to have his first run-in with the other side. She was destined to be an Illustrian from the minute she was born, and the temple accepted her in right away. She refrains from pretty much all combat though, claiming she’s a pacifist.  In my opinion, fighting doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘violent'. Here they teach us that it’s not about causing pain to the other person, it’s an art that is highly spiritual and freeing. It’s like… dancing, a healthy outlet that, if used correctly, can produce more peace than choosing to do nothing. I know that if I hadn’t been able to free some of my frustration physically I would have never survived all these years here. 

The booming gong sounds as a queue to begin our meditation. I’ve never been very good at this; I can’t sit still for too long. Probably because I am confined to a bed pretty regularly, so when I’m not I try to spend as much time as I possibly can moving around. I close my eyes, breathe deeply, and concentrate. I push the thoughts in my mind away and try to focus on absolutely nothing. Time ticks by; I’m not sure how much, and my head becomes oddly fuzzy. I continue to fall deeper into relaxation until I lose touch with my surroundings. It’s odd, I’ve never experienced this before. It’s kind of like my dream…

Suddenly, I find myself in a cold, snow-covered forest shrouded in darkness. Here I was thinking it was the middle of summer… Mist blankets over the trees, making the moonless sky even dimmer. I can feel myself physically standing there. I can feel the cold snow on my somehow bare feet and the slight wind caressing my cheeks. In the distance I hear what sounds like dogs barking, the sound grows closer and closer. I frantically try to decipher my location by examining my surroundings. How is this possible? As the barking becomes louder I catch a glimpse of a blue flash swiftly running through the trees’ silhouettes. It disappears as a soft, soothing voice whispers my name from behind me. I jump and abruptly swerve around, almost losing my balance. A woman in a blue hooded cape stands a few feet away from me. She’s tall, with long, dark brown hair and looks to be somewhere in her thirties, although she has an obvious beauty that seems ageless. She wears a solemn ghost of a smile on her face and carries a glowing lantern in her hand.

“Hello Aussia,” she greets.

“Hi…” I say shakily, trying to gather my confused thoughts into an understandable sentence. “Who are you? How do you know my name?” The woman frowns slightly.

“That’s not important right now, but there’s something you need to know. There isn’t much time and I need you to listen very carefully,” she instructs, seeming somehow both frantic and calm at the same time. I nod slowly.

“Ok.”

“There are people who want to use your power, dangerous people. Don’t trust even those who seem the most innocent.”

I stare at her, confused. “No one knows I was even born aside from those at the temple. I think I’ll be fine,” I say.

“No,” the woman snaps. “Your little haven is not going to be so safe anymore, your abilities are becoming stronger and those in tune with magical energy can sense it. They know you’re here, and they know you are powerful; they fear you, and fear is very dangerous.” She explains. Somehow I feel like I know her, even though I’m sure we’ve never met.

“This might seem like a weird question, but this whole situation is pretty odd… Anyway, do you know anything about that thing I felt earlier, when I tried to pull the shadow out of the wall?” I ask hopefully. She sighs and replies reluctantly.

“Yes. You felt death, my dear.” A pang of fear and confusion rushes over me, I wasn’t expecting her to know anything about it. That can’t be true. She pauses and looks down at the dark ground. “I knew this would come eventually. You don’t know the extent of what you’re capable of, when you reach into the veil between our world and the next and try to merge them together, you open a door through an already thin barrier.” My fear quickly turns to anger.

“You knew this whole time?!” I question in almost a shout. “Why didn’t you warn me?!”

“You don’t understand…” She starts as she frantically glances behind her. The barking begins again, even louder this time. “I’m out of time. You need to leave, find a place as far away from the mainland as possible. I know you have questions, but I need you to listen to my instructions. I have a feeling I will be seeing you soon.” She smiles warmly and vanishes along with the midnight forest, leaving me in a confusion-filled emotional wreck.

I feel myself sort of shocked back into my body, not unlike the sensation I felt this morning when I woke up. What the hell is going on? I’ve lived my entire life knowing exactly where my place is and that I needed to follow very specific guidelines, otherwise I’d get myself killed. It’s been drilled into my head so many times that there’s no more room for confusion, only survival. Whatever is happening to me is causing that false sense of security to collapse because I have no idea what to make of any of it. The vision was far too real to be a dream. I felt the reality weaving its way through my conscience. The woman had a hold over me that made me want to believe what she was saying, and I did. I still feel the effects of whatever magic she must have been using to manipulate my will, but I imagine it’ll fade eventually. Now that I think about it, the entire situation must have been conceived by magic… Which doesn’t make sense because in order to be that powerful, it would have to be naturally occurring. There’s a science to magic- there are rules that can’t be broken and an exchange of energy that follows specific guidelines. You can tap into magical energy by training intensively for years, but no matter how much time you put into it, it will never reach the same effectiveness that one who was born into it naturally can achieve without any practice. The level of magic by which the vision was created was undoubtedly naturally-occurring, meaning that the energy was either drawn from a Pure-Blood or a Tarnished, such as myself. I can’t imagine what business either of those would have with me, unless they wanted to harness my energy themselves. Maybe she only asked me to leave the temple because she doesn’t want me to have a safeguard. It seems much more likely than if she was trying to ‘protect’ me in some way. Still, I can’t help but feel myself wanting to trust the strange woman.

At dinner I’m enveloped in a thoughtful, dream-like state. I barely touch my food and mostly just stare at the table, twirling my fork around. Nayo almost scares me out of my skin when he taps my shoulder. 

“Hey… Someone’s a little jumpy,” he teases.

“Hey, sorry, it’s been a weird day.” I manage to explain in a quiet whisper of a voice. He sits next to me and fiddles with the table cloth while I push my plate aside.

“Tell me about it. I’ve been in a ‘meeting’ with my father for the past two hours that was really just a lecture on how to become an emotionless robot like him. I feel like I really get the whole father-son bonding experience.”

“Huh.” I mutter.

“What?” he asks with a slight laugh.

“Nothing, I just can’t see you ever running such a gloomy, soul-crushing melting pot of disguised angst.” He looks mildly surprised that I would say something of that nature out loud so forwardly. He’s not accustomed to people being honest with him, except for me, of course, who has nothing to lose. Maybe that’s why he keeps me around. After a moment he grins widely and looks down. 

“Guess I don’t really have a choice in that matter. To be honest I can’t really see myself there either. I’m hoping somehow I can make this place better, though- less brutal and more open minded. Especially towards people who are different, like you. If we just keep having the same old thing all the time I think I’d die from boredom.” I snicker.

“You don’t have to try to make me feel better.”

“Oh, I’m not. We’ve got some real problems and I don’t think I need to tell you that.” He explains honestly.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Nayo pauses with uncertainty while I let out a sigh. “You’ll be great,” I add with a smile. He fakes a dramatic shocked expression.

“No way… Aussia just gave me a compliment. I can’t believe this, I’m honored.” He looks pleased with himself so I shove his shoulder.

“Ow!” He rubs it. “Watch your strength…” I mask a laugh as he rolls his eyes.

“I think I’m going to go to bed early.  I’m pretty tired.” I express. He nods and yawns… Guess someone else will be too. I walk up the winding stairs to the second floor and open the door to my modest room. It consists of a small bed, fragile wooden desk, and a pretty sizeable wardrobe against the wall by the window. That is one privilege I do have- I get my own quarters since they feel I should be separated from the rest. I keep the majority of my belongings concealed in drawers; I learned my lesson when my necklace was stolen from me by some little rich, entitled brats whose parent’s overpaid for them to have a trial period at the temple. It doesn’t normally accept those who haven’t shown acceptable skill or have been bred for the part. The necklace is my most valued possession. It was around my neck when I was left here. They also trashed the entire room and stole a few other unimportant items, leaving words sprawled across the wall that tore my little validation seeking heart in half. I ended up getting my necklace back, though using a sort of morally debatable method. Either way it was effective since none of those kids came back when they would’ve been old enough to train. After that day when I was the ripe old age of 11, I instinctively started hiding all my things. Not necessarily because I was afraid they would be stolen again, but because I didn’t want anyone to be able to see anything that would give them a hint of who I actually am. If they believed solely in my reputation to begin with, then they have no business knowing any actual truth. 

I walk into the highly compact bathroom and flick on the light; In the mirror stands an obviously sleep-deprived and exhausted excuse for a person. I stare at my expressionless face and don’t seem to find much life projecting out of my yellowish-hazel eyes that contrast my dark, olive colored skin. I throw some water on my face and try to clear my head of the lingering concerns of the day, then I undo my braid and let my hair collapse over my shoulders. After changing out of the confinement clothes that I still happened to be wearing and into a passably comfortable shirt and shorts, I muster up just enough energy to find my bed and collapse into the covers. It feels so good to lay on something that doesn’t belong in a cell.

Nayo is overly susceptible to the creative arts. He spends his free time learning piano sonatas and painting vibrantly colorful pictures that cover his room to the point where only specs of the actual wall shows through. He’s gotten pretty good at it too; of course, this is a tremendous waste of time in Alvaro’s eyes. He still continues to do it, though, despite the constant abuse and criticism. I truly believe he’s an entertainer at heart, and that’s a rare find around here.  

Nayo is playing something that he wrote himself, its tone is solemn, yet still has a cheerful undertone. The notes flow together in a skillful and pleasant way that shows a deep understanding of the structure of music. Never will I understand how musicians use sound to depict such evident feelings without even including words. I wander around the dusty abandoned storage room full of hidden treasures; I’ve always scavenged for interesting trinkets and knick-knacks wherever I go. I spot a shiny object under some sort of rolled up carpet, and there’s no one who can keep me from inspecting a shiny object. I pick it up and find it to be a metallic cylindrical tube; deciding I can probably use it for something, I drop it into my pocket. Nayo clears his throat and causes me to quickly shift my attention to the fact that he is no longer playing. 

“That was really great,” I quickly announce. He wears an annoyed expression on his pale face.

“Right… That’s why you were busy hunting for useless strips of metal instead of listening,” he grumbles.

“Hey, they’re not useless. And I was listening,” I argue. “I really did like it, I’m sure it’ll get you the attention of every girl here.” Not like he already does. His face turns red, so I know I’ve accomplished my goal.

“That’s… Not really what I was going for,” he assures. Just as I’m about to reply, the door creaks open and I jump. To Thamosis. It’s Amias. he quickly spots us and shows no reaction to our presence. He’s the perfect example of a highly effective emotionless soldier, and I’m pretty sure he might actually be a robot.

“Hello…” He says calmly with his eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Any particular reason for you two being here?” I pry my brain for a good cover story, but fail to act in time.

“If you don’t tell Alvaro I’ll ensure your daughter is promoted to her desired position of power,” Nayo attempts to bribe. Amias lifts his mouth slightly, which is probably the closest he’ll ever get to a smile.

“You and I both know that she’s not cut out for that.” He says in a playfully mocking voice that deviates from its usual monotone quality; he’s enjoying this. He does have a point though, Bria is somewhat dull and probably couldn't handle being anything more than a mid-level Daught.  I pick my brain for ways I can keep this apathetic man from going to Alvaro and making my life a living hell for the next month. I’m just about to give up and accept my fate just as something hits me. 

“You’re always giving Alvaro ideas for how to get the most use out of me, and I know for a fact that most of them don’t go through. If you keep your mouth shut I will be your weapon or whatever you so desire for an entire day; Alvaro doesn’t need to know.” Nayo shoots me a glance that could pierce through solid bricks in which I try not to acknowledge. Amias stands silently, considering my offer. After a long pause, he  gives his answer.

“You really are a foolish one. What’s to keep me from accepting your offer and turning you in once I’m done with you? It’s not like he’s going to take your word over mine.” He inquires. 

“Yes but I’ll make it a point to have a witness in every place I go from now until you decide to use me. If you go to Alvaro you’ll have to tell him the truth about when you found us and he’ll question why you didn’t tell him right away. If you want to get any benefit out of this you’ll accept my offer and keep your mouth shut” He smiles.

“Good. you’re learning. A day doesn’t seem like much…” He taps his index finger on his chin and looks off to the side.

“A day. That’s it.” I say with imitated sternness. Amias sighs.

“Alright… I’ll make the most of it; this should be fun,” He says with a wink, swerves to walk out the door and closes it deliberately slowly. I turn to face a glaring Nayo.

“What the hell, Aus? Why did you do that? You do not want to get involved with whatever diabolical personal business that psychopath has up his sleeve.” I glare at him for a reason that I’m not quite sure of yet.

“You can’t afford anymore setbacks right now. I know your father’s already making ‘exceptions’ for you as it is.” I say in a quiet voice. He looks at me with stubborn eyes, but I know he knows I’m right. 

The glint of moonlight reflects off of the shining statue of Shara and veils the room in a silvery hue. Silence fills the dining hall and brings an unsettling feeling. I’ve never liked being in complete silence, even while sleeping. I step out from my hiding place behind the open hall door and quickly shuffle across the room. It’s nights like these when I wonder if this place is training highly-perceptive warriors or sleepy, uncaring novices. I’ve been sneaking out since I was 12 and have failed to be caught every time. I do pride myself on my stealth, but my expectations are still a little let down.

After slipping out to the courtyard, I swiftly pace up to the raw, rocky mountain wall encompassing the hidden temple. Placing my hand on the surface of the jet black rock, I close my eyes and swear I can feel a heartbeat. The mountain has always felt alive to me, with overflowing energy and a restless spirit. Although that probably comes about from my lack of friends and lonely desperation that have caused me to become well-acquainted with an oversized, dead piece of rock.

I pull my handy dagger out of its sheath and reach up as far as I can to stab it into a soft, pre-formed nook created from my past adventures. Once secure, I place my foot on a sturdy ledge and begin to climb. I move swiftly up the jagged wall and am careful not to make more noise than the screeching crickets I hear somewhere nearby. Reaching the uneven ledge I had aimed myself at, I hoist myself to a crouched position and quickly spot the cave (well, more like hole) that remains a secret to anyone outside of the temple. The dim glow of the light-trap strapped around my wrist gives me a less than decent idea of how I should arrange my footing. I manage to scurry over to my destination and slowly lower myself into the darkness, letting go just as my arms give out. 

As I hit the ground, the large cavern lights up with a familiar, vibrant indigo glow. The space is roomy, but not particularly tall. It only stretches a few inches above my head. The soft glow lines the walls, their source being the Laria Quartz nestled inside. This is one of the only pockets of crystals that isn’t constantly being mined or constantly monitored. I guess the way the Quartz were positioned within the rock was too hard to extract without shattering their delicate structures.

 I sit beneath a large, bright crystal protruding slightly from the wall. I feel the soft vibration of their energy every time I’m near them, and it helps me focus my own. Within the chaos of this past week, my mind had been so preoccupied that it forgot to be afraid. But this is a phase that has clearly passed; I can feel my body shake with built up anxiety and a solid lump in my stomach that won’t go away. I’ve been trained for years to forget that the concept of fear exists, but no matter what I try it always seems to worsen the problem. 

I close my eyes and let out a deep breath. My mind drifts back to my vision from a few days ago and the woman’s warning. The idea of leaving this place has been something I’ve fantasized about since I was a child, but if she really knows anything about my situation then she can’t expect me to just run away from the temple out of nowhere. Unless she knows I already want to leave… The thought finally pops into my head, if she could intrude into my consciousness then she may know things about me, and without any solid explanation it’s possible that she knew I was looking for any excuse to run. I still doubt I can trust her, especially from just one vision, but a part of me wants to deny all logic and take my chances. I curse myself for entertaining the idea, however slightly. If I leave I’ll be caught, and if I’m caught I’ll die. That’s what I’ve always been told, and that’s what has kept me alive so far. But what if they’re wrong? What if I’m capable enough now to keep myself from being noticed? Even so… It doesn’t matter now. Either way I will have to at least wait awhile until the threat of an outsider looking to take advantage of my power is no longer relevant.

I find myself on my feet and pacing back and forth in the dim light. I can never stay still when I’m deep in thought, or ever for that matter. The dull vibration of the crystals seems to be louder than it was, but I make an acception since my ears aren’t their sharpest in this specific moment. However, the usually docile sound continues to shift and seems to be changing ever so slightly in pitch. I walk back to the Quartz I was previously sitting under and place my hand on its glossy surface. It seems to almost purr at the touch, and the sound becomes louder and louder. I try to focus my energy to be in tune with the life force of the crystals, but I’m no Illustrian. Nonetheless, I can undoubtedly feel their power rising at my contact. For some majestical reason I feel an extreme calmness wash over me. Who knew one could feel so many things produced by supernatural sources in the span of about 48 hours. I mean, I’ve always had a bit of trouble controlling my emotions compared to the expectations one would have for a monk. The amount of energy I’ve spent trying to conceal them is more than I’d like to admit, plus they strengthen the lack of control over my powers.
I let the soothing violet light and unfamiliar feeling of absolute calmness lull me into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

Author's Note

Definitely some grammar problems so sorry bout that.