Guerre of Jailys
folder
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
2
Views:
976
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
2
Views:
976
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
I
Alright... so Insomnia kicked in, and as I finished my most recent addition to my meager Manga collection, an idea that had been slowly swirling around my warped mind solidified. Thus, this is born. The actual chapter shall be posted in a few moments, once it's finished. Had to make the story slot first, however, due to the forgetfulnes that comes with sleep depravation.
Hope you like it. This is supposed to be an odd combination of Gaymoar, Yuripanic, Marimite, and a few of my ideas thrown in. Ideas I'll note to you that belong to stories I've started throughout the years, and discarded as not worth finishing. Hopefully they'll work better with this one than they have before.
*******************************
Darrah looked back at the gates to the grounds for Jailys and hugged her bag to her chest a little tighter. She remembered the first time shed lain eyes on them. Her parents had dropped her off, stuck a note in her hand… and left her there. As far as she’d known, the young age of eight that she was, she really had only been accepted into a very exclusive trade school for girls. It had been three years since then, and she had greatly learned different. Turning away, she moved off, feeling her skin shudder at turning her back to the gates, and headed toward the market. She had some supplies to buy. The end of this year was the Evaluation, and she still had no clue where she would be placed.
“Five bundles of sage, the flask of firewine, and the seventh polishing stone from the right please.” As the merchant fetched her the sage and polishing stone, he smiled a grin missing half of its teeth at her.
“Ain’ ye a mite youngun te be gettin alkyhall?”
Darrah blushed and hunched a little into herself with embarrassment. Sometimes it seemed as if she was the only girl with a school uniform that the merchants pestered about buying the firewine and shadowbrandy. It wasn’t like she wanted to drink it! Those were some of the strongest alcohols available on the market, she’d pass out from one sip! No, every merchant knew that the students of Jailys were allowed to purchase alcohol underage, but they always pestered her about it. Timidly, she offered over her left palm for inspection. The tattoo of an undesignated student stood out plainly, something no commoner or street urchin had managed to mimic for reasons the common populace still couldn’t understand.
“I only be pokin at ye, youngun.” He chuckled, shaking his head and putting the firewine with her selection. “Ye come te me erry time ye needs herbs an te like. I know ye. I put it on ye school tab, off wit ye. There as summat be’ind ye.”
Darrah quickly gathered all of her things, startled by the fact that he had another customer, and turned to quickly rush off. The ‘customer’ behind her, however, startled her into frozen awe. A higher student of the Guerre campus… and not just any of them. Kirryn Diandor stood there patiently, a distant look on her beautiful face, white uniform practically shimmering in the light of midday. Darrah’s mouth dropped and she stared as Kirryn stepped forward and merely gestured at the jasmine sprigs, then squinted and frowned at the polishing stones and whetstones. Something was wrong, and Darrah had a feeling she knew what it was. The others were impure, she’d sensed that just by looking at them. Each had, somewhere within their core, veins of something that would create a less-than-right polish to whatever weapon they were used on. It was almost impossible to make a perfect pour for the special stones, found only in the major cities of their country, and one of the missions for fourth year students to find one of them. The weapons of the Jailys academy could be polished with nothing less than near-perfect.
Swallowing hard, and closing her mouth, she clutched the rest of her possessions to her chest again, and removed the polishing stone from the bundle. Her hand shaking, she bowed her head and held it out for Kirryn. It took a moment for the older girl to realize what was just to the side of her, and as the Guerre student took the stone tentatively, about to say something, Darrah hurried off. “Ah… aye miss. I be puttin ‘at on yer tab, stead’o ‘ers.”
“Who… Who was that?”
“‘at miss? ‘at was jus’ Darrah. She be comin’ te me fer sage an’ firewine fer te pass year ‘n more.” He smiled proudly. It was supposed to be an honor for any student to regularly visit a merchant’s wares. Supposedly they were talented at picking out their supplies for classes. Little Darrah had started coming to his stand for dried sage and firewine at the beginning of her third year, and hadn’t stopped. She was the only one that came for those from him, but one girl was enough for his pride. Now… now she’d led an upper-student to him as well. He vowed to have a small pot of his special sage set aside for her the next time she came around.
“Darrah. I don’t believe I’ve seen her around the school before.” The older girl’s voice sounded distant, confused, as she continued to watch in the direction that the younger girl had run off in, and she looked down at the polishing stone. “She needs this if she wants to pass into Guerre next year.”
“Er… I dunno what be so special bout ‘at un, but ter be sev’rel more ‘ere.” He gestured to the other polishing stones, each one, to her senses, unsuitable for use.
***********X***********
Darrah stared down at the form scroll in her lap, flushing again. It was one of the most basic combat forms that they were to learn, and of course she was having issues with it. However, the idea of working through it, through any combat form, brought a flush to her cheeks as she remembered that day a week ago that she’d briefly encountered Kirryn Diandor when collecting year-beginning supplies. Their fingers had brushed when Kirryn had taken the polishing stone from her, and she’d had to run away in embarrassment before being reprimanded for taking the only worthwhile stone.
“Hmph, I wouldn’t have expected to find you here.” The voice was smooth, sweet, but almost low for a girl. It also sent shivers down her spine, shivers of something akin to fear and awe. The steps behind her could barely be heard above a whisper of wind, and their cadence betrayed that their placement and movement was precisely controlled. Turning, Darrah’s eyes widened to see the best Guerre student approaching her with a smug smirk. Kirryn glanced down at her, gesturing to stand, and raised both eyebrows. Darrah set the scroll aside, not wanting to drop it, and stood before the older girl, shocked. “I’ve been looking for you.”
When Kirryn’s hand came up, and her first two fingers brushed Darrah’s chin, that same shiver went down her back. Just as Kirryn was known as the best student within the Guerre campus of the academy, she was also known as the most antisocial. It was said that she’d hospitalized a lesser student for jumping on her accidentally. “I… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Kirryn jerked her head back slightly, hand still in position, startled. “What for? I came to thank you for your kind gesture. Your name is Darrah?”
“Y… yes…” Her eyes widened then, staring in even more fright at Kirryn. How did the upper-schooler know her name? No one knew her name, except to tease her.
“How did you know what I was searching for?” Kirryn’s hand dropped and she stood there casually, watching Darrah with that mysterious smirk again. The younger girl shivered once more, this time more visibly. “Most people find me difficult to read.”
“You… you looked aggravated… and… and disappointed.” Darrah said in an almost whisper. “And kept glancing over the polishing stones. None… none of the others were suitable for Jailys weaponry.”
“The one you chose was near-perfect.” Kirryn said with that smirk broadening slightly. “You certainly have sharp senses, don’t you?” Darrah gulped. “Well, thank-you. Please let me know if there is ever a favor I can do in return. That polish-stone was much needed.” When Kirryn merely brushed Darrah’s bangs out of her eyes a little, then turned and practically glided away, Darrah fell to her knees in relief. The older student hadn’t wanted to punish her for taking the stone first… she’d wanted to thank her.
TBC
Hope you like it. This is supposed to be an odd combination of Gaymoar, Yuripanic, Marimite, and a few of my ideas thrown in. Ideas I'll note to you that belong to stories I've started throughout the years, and discarded as not worth finishing. Hopefully they'll work better with this one than they have before.
*******************************
Darrah looked back at the gates to the grounds for Jailys and hugged her bag to her chest a little tighter. She remembered the first time shed lain eyes on them. Her parents had dropped her off, stuck a note in her hand… and left her there. As far as she’d known, the young age of eight that she was, she really had only been accepted into a very exclusive trade school for girls. It had been three years since then, and she had greatly learned different. Turning away, she moved off, feeling her skin shudder at turning her back to the gates, and headed toward the market. She had some supplies to buy. The end of this year was the Evaluation, and she still had no clue where she would be placed.
“Five bundles of sage, the flask of firewine, and the seventh polishing stone from the right please.” As the merchant fetched her the sage and polishing stone, he smiled a grin missing half of its teeth at her.
“Ain’ ye a mite youngun te be gettin alkyhall?”
Darrah blushed and hunched a little into herself with embarrassment. Sometimes it seemed as if she was the only girl with a school uniform that the merchants pestered about buying the firewine and shadowbrandy. It wasn’t like she wanted to drink it! Those were some of the strongest alcohols available on the market, she’d pass out from one sip! No, every merchant knew that the students of Jailys were allowed to purchase alcohol underage, but they always pestered her about it. Timidly, she offered over her left palm for inspection. The tattoo of an undesignated student stood out plainly, something no commoner or street urchin had managed to mimic for reasons the common populace still couldn’t understand.
“I only be pokin at ye, youngun.” He chuckled, shaking his head and putting the firewine with her selection. “Ye come te me erry time ye needs herbs an te like. I know ye. I put it on ye school tab, off wit ye. There as summat be’ind ye.”
Darrah quickly gathered all of her things, startled by the fact that he had another customer, and turned to quickly rush off. The ‘customer’ behind her, however, startled her into frozen awe. A higher student of the Guerre campus… and not just any of them. Kirryn Diandor stood there patiently, a distant look on her beautiful face, white uniform practically shimmering in the light of midday. Darrah’s mouth dropped and she stared as Kirryn stepped forward and merely gestured at the jasmine sprigs, then squinted and frowned at the polishing stones and whetstones. Something was wrong, and Darrah had a feeling she knew what it was. The others were impure, she’d sensed that just by looking at them. Each had, somewhere within their core, veins of something that would create a less-than-right polish to whatever weapon they were used on. It was almost impossible to make a perfect pour for the special stones, found only in the major cities of their country, and one of the missions for fourth year students to find one of them. The weapons of the Jailys academy could be polished with nothing less than near-perfect.
Swallowing hard, and closing her mouth, she clutched the rest of her possessions to her chest again, and removed the polishing stone from the bundle. Her hand shaking, she bowed her head and held it out for Kirryn. It took a moment for the older girl to realize what was just to the side of her, and as the Guerre student took the stone tentatively, about to say something, Darrah hurried off. “Ah… aye miss. I be puttin ‘at on yer tab, stead’o ‘ers.”
“Who… Who was that?”
“‘at miss? ‘at was jus’ Darrah. She be comin’ te me fer sage an’ firewine fer te pass year ‘n more.” He smiled proudly. It was supposed to be an honor for any student to regularly visit a merchant’s wares. Supposedly they were talented at picking out their supplies for classes. Little Darrah had started coming to his stand for dried sage and firewine at the beginning of her third year, and hadn’t stopped. She was the only one that came for those from him, but one girl was enough for his pride. Now… now she’d led an upper-student to him as well. He vowed to have a small pot of his special sage set aside for her the next time she came around.
“Darrah. I don’t believe I’ve seen her around the school before.” The older girl’s voice sounded distant, confused, as she continued to watch in the direction that the younger girl had run off in, and she looked down at the polishing stone. “She needs this if she wants to pass into Guerre next year.”
“Er… I dunno what be so special bout ‘at un, but ter be sev’rel more ‘ere.” He gestured to the other polishing stones, each one, to her senses, unsuitable for use.
***********X***********
Darrah stared down at the form scroll in her lap, flushing again. It was one of the most basic combat forms that they were to learn, and of course she was having issues with it. However, the idea of working through it, through any combat form, brought a flush to her cheeks as she remembered that day a week ago that she’d briefly encountered Kirryn Diandor when collecting year-beginning supplies. Their fingers had brushed when Kirryn had taken the polishing stone from her, and she’d had to run away in embarrassment before being reprimanded for taking the only worthwhile stone.
“Hmph, I wouldn’t have expected to find you here.” The voice was smooth, sweet, but almost low for a girl. It also sent shivers down her spine, shivers of something akin to fear and awe. The steps behind her could barely be heard above a whisper of wind, and their cadence betrayed that their placement and movement was precisely controlled. Turning, Darrah’s eyes widened to see the best Guerre student approaching her with a smug smirk. Kirryn glanced down at her, gesturing to stand, and raised both eyebrows. Darrah set the scroll aside, not wanting to drop it, and stood before the older girl, shocked. “I’ve been looking for you.”
When Kirryn’s hand came up, and her first two fingers brushed Darrah’s chin, that same shiver went down her back. Just as Kirryn was known as the best student within the Guerre campus of the academy, she was also known as the most antisocial. It was said that she’d hospitalized a lesser student for jumping on her accidentally. “I… I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Kirryn jerked her head back slightly, hand still in position, startled. “What for? I came to thank you for your kind gesture. Your name is Darrah?”
“Y… yes…” Her eyes widened then, staring in even more fright at Kirryn. How did the upper-schooler know her name? No one knew her name, except to tease her.
“How did you know what I was searching for?” Kirryn’s hand dropped and she stood there casually, watching Darrah with that mysterious smirk again. The younger girl shivered once more, this time more visibly. “Most people find me difficult to read.”
“You… you looked aggravated… and… and disappointed.” Darrah said in an almost whisper. “And kept glancing over the polishing stones. None… none of the others were suitable for Jailys weaponry.”
“The one you chose was near-perfect.” Kirryn said with that smirk broadening slightly. “You certainly have sharp senses, don’t you?” Darrah gulped. “Well, thank-you. Please let me know if there is ever a favor I can do in return. That polish-stone was much needed.” When Kirryn merely brushed Darrah’s bangs out of her eyes a little, then turned and practically glided away, Darrah fell to her knees in relief. The older student hadn’t wanted to punish her for taking the stone first… she’d wanted to thank her.
TBC