Power: Chapter 1

 

    Thwack! My practice sword hit the wooden post with a vicious swing. Thwack! My footing started to waver as I concentrated mostly on my thrusts and swings.
    “Watch your footing, Lyla,” Mea called. I tried to correct my feet and keep with the rhythm of my strokes, but failed miserably. Mea came over and showed me how to place my feet.
    Mea is the leader of the Hunters of the Triangle-Heads. She was seventeen, and James’s cousin. She was medium-height, sturdily built, with short, curly amber hair, and sparkling teal-blue eyes. She was kind, robust, had a good sense of humor, and was an excellent teacher.
    James was walking through the other Hunter trainees. He was really tall, with short, fire-red hair, a light spray of orange freckles, and olive-green eyes. James was my first teacher. When I had arrived here in Sector 1’s base, I was antisocial and didn’t talk. James sought me out and became my friend, my confidant. He took me under his wing, teaching me reading and writing and mathematics until I was ready to be turned over to the Dowzhri professors. The Dowzhri professors taught me advanced reading, writing, mathematics, history, mannerism, strategic maneuvering, and so on. When I was ten, I was old enough to begin weapons training. James would spend extra time with me to help me train. Already he says I have the potential to become a remarkable swordsman. I think he was just blinded by pride, because I was just average.
    I am a Hunter of Triangle-Heads. Here at our base, Castle Otker (named after Otker the Brave, a famous warrior) in Sector 1 in Derria is where I live. Hunters of Triangle-Heads are kids or teenagers, like me, who are too young and inexperienced to join the Golden Griffin Army. You have to be seventeen. Until then, you’re a Hunter. Right now, I’m thirteen. James is in his early twenties. I still have some years before I can join the Golden Griffin Army.
    Mea finished helping me, and nodded approvingly as I fell back into the rhythm of the strokes, this time with correct foot placement.
       Mea turned and went to the middle of the practice yard. “Hunters, fall in!” she called. All of the Hunters, from all sections of the practice field, looked up from whatever they were doing, and quickly filed in around Mea in a circle, me among them. I look around at them. There was about twenty trainees in my section, all thirteen. A good friend of mine, Gary, was standing next to me. He was tall, sturdily-built, with semi-short sienna-brown hair and laughing hazel eyes. His brother, Tril, was second-in-command of the Golden Griffin Army, second only to General Jorgon and the King. He hasn’t seen his brother in a long time.
    Tazon was to my right. He was short, with his ethnic background so mixed he could only be called an Alderrian. He had long, shaggy black hair and mischievous emerald-green eyes. He didn’t care that much for the Hunter’s training; he wanted to be a bard, roaming throughout the land singing his songs. Tazon would make up is own, very bad songs and insists he sings them to us, instead of singing the traditional songs of Derria.
    Next to Tazon was Evan, Tazon’s twin brother. Although they look alike, you could always tell who was who because Evan was more sweet and caring, while Tazon was more mischievous. In fact, the only reason that Tazon was a Hunter was that Evan had his heart set on being in the Golden Griffin Army, and Tazon couldn’t bear being separated from his brother.
    Will was standing on Gary’s other side. Those two were as thick as thieves. They would play practical jokes on the inhabitants of Castle Otker, and usually wound up on cleaning duty after a famous lecture from Sir Daniel, who was the leader of the squad assigned here in Sector 1. Will was tall, lean, and had semi-short bracken-colored hair, and an open, friendly face, with sparkling clear-blue eyes. Will and Gary were some of the most curious Hunters in the history of Yrite. The term ‘curiosity killed the cat’ meant everything to those two.
    Another good friend, Kaitlynn, grinned at me from the other side of the circle. Her wavy brown-black hair fell into her green eyes, and she shook it away. She was a great friend, eager to learn, quick to listen to your troubles, all in all a kind and caring friend.
    Ashrai was standing next to Kaitlynn. She had ethnic background from M'Ochi, recognizable by her rounded face and large black eyes. She had short black hair, and a voice that could be warm or cold, hard or soft depending on her mood. She fought in a fierce, brutal style that made me not want to go against her in combat.
    There were others. My eyes drifted over Sera, Urik, Islara, Kalisa, Estin, Jourdian, and came to rest on Alan. Alan’s blond hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his jade-green eyes were attentive and expressionless as he payed strict attention to Mea. There was something different about him. He never took part in any activities, never really hung out with anybody. No one really knows who he is and where he comes from, although there is a rumor floating around that he came from a monastery, far from Otker, maybe not even in Sector 1.
    I turned my attention to Mea as she ended her lecture about how well we did today, and what we can expect for tomorrow. She dismissed us, and, relieved, we headed back to our chambers to freshen up before my section’s next class.I fell into step beside Kaitlynn. “Mea is sure a good teacher, isn’t she?” Kaitlynn asked cheerfully.
    I nodded. “She’ll be a great successor to Sir Daniel.”
    Since we had been in the practice yards, we reentered the castle through a door that led to side hallways. Because only Hunters and soldiers come this way, the people who designed the castle decided only to decorate the important parts, so the hallways that I was walking in now had herbs laid down, a poor substitute for rugs.
    I returned to my quarters, where I freshened up. My quarters were kind of small. I had a large window that faced north, toward the Alderrian Mountains. I had a bed with a chamber pot underneath it, and a small table, behind a cloth that I hung up. Outside of the cloth, I have a small couch, a desk with a chair, and a small fireplace. I had a place where I kept my clothes, mostly the Hunter’s uniform, but also other tunics. I chose a clean uniform and grabbed my books. On the way to my next class I dropped the sweaty Hunter’s garb off to a servant who does the washing. I made it to my next class just as the bell rang.

At attention at my desk, I listened to my Dowzhri professor drone on. I was bored out of my skull. This class was history class, not my favorite, and today’s lesson was about Carathan, mostly about the positions of power in Carathan. First, let me explain. Carathan we have been at war with for 75 years. Their current king is King Ildred. Carathan has made an alliance with Nocklam, but M'Ochi is our unofficial ally. Yishna is supposedly neutral, and so is Dowzhra.

    The Dowzhri professor, Nanji, finished the topic about King Ildred, and started another. subject. “Duke Alexander,” Nanji said, fixing his attention on all of us. I jumped slightly, and fastened my attention on Nanji. That name sounded so familiar, yet deadly, with a dangerous edge to it. We had learned about him before, yes, but only briefly.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen Alan pick his head up, and listen intently. Satisfied that he had everyone’s attention, the oak-skinned professor smiled slightly and continued.
    “Duke Alexander is the son of Lord Robert and Lady Ariyah, the deceased sister of King Ildred. King Ildred is Duke Alexander’s puppet. Duke Alexander manipulates the King and uses him for his own benefits.
    “Although King Ildred originally created the Elders of Hallows, we have evidence that the idea was suggested by Duke Alexander, yet another example of him controlling the King. As you all know, the Elders of Hallows are a group of elders that is the rulers of Carathan. They make the decisions for Carathan, but most of them are suggested by Duke Alexander. The Elders of Hallows practice necromancy, the study of black arts.”
    Nanji coughed slightly and glanced around. “Excuse me, I digress. I hadn’t meant to get into the Elders of Hallows until next week.” He continued the lesson about Duke Alexander, and the more I learned about Duke Alexander, the sicker I felt. Finally, the bell rang. “Look over your notes and prepare an essay about Duke Alexander, including facts about how and why Duke Alexander is controlling the King.”
    My classmates and I gathered our things and headed out of the room, my mind racing. I went down to dinner, after dropping my books and equipment off at my quarters. Sitting next to Gary and Kaitlynn, I absently played with my food (meat, potatoes, and chica roots).

    I stood up, picking up my plate with all of its uneaten food. I didn’t notice Gary’s foot until I had tripped over it, and fell to the floor. My face, of course, fell into my plate of food. Everyone gasped, then started laughing. Naturally, Gary and Will’s laughter was the loudest. As far as I was concerned, Gary had declared war. I will have my revenge.