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 |  The Legend of the Eyebright was thought to be just a myth... |
| Fifteen-year-old Eunae stared at the expanse of morning sky around the flying carriage as the last tinges of the sunrise disappeared, ignoring the other girl in the cramped carriage cabin. Outside the window, she could see the white-capped waves of the sea. The beating wings of the giant horses pulling the slate-gray carriage obscured a hazy blob on the horizon that had to be an island, and her destination. She sighed. She was now farther from home, both in body and spirit, than she had ever been. The aching memory of the tearful departure as she left her mother and sister at the Palatial City still filled her mind, but she did not miss her apartment in the widows’ section of the City, provided for the disgraced women of noble society. Many told her she was lucky to be going, that the teachers in the widow’s section selected her from the ranks of the young, noble girls of Serentan, and Eunae did feel relieved to leave behind the dank, crowded buildings that kept the women and children secure, out of trouble, and under the watchful eyes of the Emperor. Although women had posed some threat in the past, rounding up all the widows was a waste of the Emperor’s time in Eunae’s opinion. The women in the widow section spent their time on useless little crafts, or, more frequently, alcohol, and never had she seen even a glimmer of seditious feeling. She did not miss the Palatial City, but the absence of her little sister Jinae, and mother felt like a festering wound that would not heal. The small amount of money the family still had could not support all of them. They would fare better with Eunae gone. Her departure would provide extra recognition for her mother and sister, and would give them better status. They might even be able to move out of the widow’s section. She knew in her mind it was for the best, but in her heart, she grieved. Her carriage companion, a tall, brown-haired girl with dark blue eyes, coughed, bringing Eunae’s attention back toward her. Eunae fought to keep her face impassive and poised. She could not afford to have any slips of emotion. For some reason, she never felt comfortable in any situation, and nurtured the nagging feeling she was doing something wrong, or maybe she herself was wrong. As the eldest child, she always faced many responsibilities, and felt the burden of wanting to be the best, perfect. She found relief in her emotion-control, which was tied so intricately to the sensory magic she had buried herself into since she was a child. It was easier to control her emotions than to feel them. Mainly to distract herself from the other girl’s stare, Eunae studied her reflection in the carriage window. She saw amber eyes set in a delicate, ivory face, and a wave of black hair tamed into place by several large pins. However, the crisp morning breeze had loosened several locks from their place. Behind her peaked face in the window reflection, she could see the plush red inside of the carriage seats, and the domed, wooden ceiling. The other girl occupied the seat closest to the far window, and Eunae used the pretense of coughing to shift a little in her seat. She saw the curious interest in the other student’s eyes. “Transfer student?” asked the girl, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the pair since the beginning of the trip. Eunae nodded, more to her reflection than anyone else. The girl nodded back. “Which Cloud?” “Sylph,” she murmured. Turning around, she met the girl’s eyes and looked back down. “That explains why they asked me to meet you in this carriage, then. I’m the Sylph Cloud Leader. I head the Council and one of the Aerials. My name is Calixte Cé,” she said with a polite nod, peering at Eunae. “They told me your name is Eunae. Eunae Sun. What sort of schooling did you get, wherever you came from?” Eunae knew Calixte wanted specifics, but instead decided to answer, “A very thorough one.” Her response was true. Those first years of learning were but another faint memory of her early childhood. “Can you fly?” Calixte asked, her tone indicating she expected the negative. Eunae hid her impatience and just nodded. She loved to fly, although she hadn’t had the chance to practice the past couple of years. “And you speak Common.” It wasn’t a question, but Eunae felt the need to answer. “Yes.” “We haven’t a transfer student in a long time,” remarked Calixte. “You’re the same age as me—fifteen—aren’t you? We’ll probably have lots of classes together. We’re stepmates. That means we’re in the same year.” “I know.” “Sylph Cloud is the best Cloud at the Academy,” Calixte announced, pride seeping into her voice. “Clouds are like big teams. We’re like big families and live together in Dwellings.” “I know.” It was only half a lie. The only piece of information she hadn’t known was that Sylph was the best. Her Irinifan sponsor, Lady Xé, a grizzled woman with yellow teeth and pearls in her hair, had explained to Eunae about Clouds, Councils, steps and the system of Contests, but she never mentioned that Sylph was the best. “You’re replacing a seventh step student in our Cloud,” Calixte explained. “He was sent to Dryad Cloud to make room for you.” Then, in a drier tone, she added, “Our Cloud is divided into six groups for the Battle Contests. There are two Aerial Squads, two Ground Divisions, an Aerial Patrol and a Ground Patrol. The six members of the Council each head a team, and each team has nine members, plus the Leader. The nine members are further subdivided into three Units. There are many leadership opportunities in our Cloud.” She hesitated. “Because the student you replaced was a Unit Leader, the Council won’t like you unless you prove you’re really good. It’s most likely you’ll be tested and placed into the Ground Patrol Unit until we can trade you back out. It seems a waste of someone with such a…thorough education.” Calixte grinned, but Eunae didn’t return the smile. For the first time in a while, she was confused. Her Sensory wasn’t telling her much about Calixte other than the obvious. Calixte herself had said she was a leader at the Academy. She was probably someone well-liked and respected. Eunae couldn’t help but wish a girl like Calixte would be her friend. It took her a couple seconds of stern, personal remonstration before Eunae convinced herself that she didn’t know the girl at all, and couldn’t possibly feel any affinity for her. To take her mind off of the unsettling feelings that stayed stuck inside her throat, Eunae noticed that Calixte was wearing a pale blue uniform with a silver emblem of the outline of a decidedly female figure, with arms outstretched from the craggy rocks surrounding her. A Sylph, Eunae thought. “Our Cloud is being Resectioned in two weeks. Resectioning is a lengthy tryout process and most leaders don’t want to change their groups too much, but I want to give you a spot in my Aerial Squad.” Eunae frowned. “Didn’t you just say Resectioning was a tryout process?” “It is. I was made a Council Leader three years, youngest in four centuries, I think. As Council Leader I get first pick in all the students. Tryouts are a good way to see if anyone’s improved over the summer, but it hardly ever happens. We have our rosters picked out before we arrive at the Academy. Eunae, I have this itching feeling that you are good enough to be Unit Leader. You have to be. Why else would they put you in Sylph?” She stretched ruminatively. “You want the position?” “Then it’s not a tryout process, really,” Eunae pointed out. Calixte shrugged. “Making it seem like a tryout process raises morale.” “You’re trying to make it seem like people have some sense of control.” “Don’t you think they do? Isn’t that the whole point of destiny?” Calixte replied, a sharp note in her voice. “The whole point of destiny is that it is unfathomable,” Eunae said, and decided to finish reciting an ancient law of sensory she had learned early in her instruction. Maybe it would impress this strange girl. “I believe a person’s path in life is so crossed and complicated with other strands of life that it is impossible to wholly control any destiny,” she finished in one breath. Calixte relaxed. “Very wise,” she murmured, “but I prefer to amuse myself with the notion that I can choose my own path and destiny in life.” That sounded pretty lofty to Eunae, and she stared at Calixte until she cracked a grin. “They tell me my father used to say that. But enough with the quotes. Are you accepting my offer?” Eunae nodded, smiling a little despite herself. She looked into Calixte’s unusually deep blue eyes. For a moment, she saw pain, just as profound as her own, and an odd, almost metallic iciness. But then it was gone. Calixte turned away. “We’re going to be friends,” she murmured with a little smile. There was no need for Eunae to reply, for she also felt the unexplainable bond between them growing stronger as she soared toward her new life, and perhaps a new destiny as well. |
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