Blood Royalty

Note: a map of Asinica can be viewed at http://voide.dnsmonster.com/James/bigmap.gif
EDIT: Apparently James deleted it from his server again, so I'll upload it soon and change the address.

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The wind blew harsh, the sound of the waves crashing violently against the shore screaming in the ears of the young woman, her own cries stifled by the wind beating against her face. She looked around, frightened; it had been so long since last she had stood on the isle of Asinica. Her eyes, a bright turquoise, the same shade as the angry sea behind her, darted about in the darkness. She shivered from head to toe, what skin bared to the elements ice-cold to the touch. The salty water dripped from her clothing as she took wary steps across the wet sand.

Her pale skin and hair were also drenched, and she crossed her bare arms over her chest. Clad only in a pale blue tube-top and a simple skirt of the same color with slits open to her hips, she huddled close to the jagged edge of a large rock. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, and she leaned against the surface near her, urging sleep not to take her - not yet. She had to get away from Jasil...

With that thought, her frightened gaze slid back to the water's edge, just barely out of sight in the darkness, the last conscious thought flitted through her mind, and she fell into a sea of memories, and tortured dreams...

*****

"I still don't see why they feel the need to Blood us before we're even accepted as Blood Royals."

Her words entered the small dragon's ears, pulling its attention from the fish in the stream to look once again at her mistress. Running a hand through her shoulder-length chestnut hair, the young woman sighed softly.

Just barely nineteen, she had already seen so much more than any of the women of Asinica. Born in the small town of Rook, her life was filled with hardships and poverty from the moment she took her first breath. Her father had abandoned them before she was born, and her mother had died giving birth to her. The last words the woman had uttered before all breath fell from her lungs were indiscernable. But as they pried open her right fist, out fell a single flower, a white morning lily - the woman's favourite flower. And so it became the child's name.

As she stood, brushing off her black shorts, she smiled at the violet-blue Dragon Kioko, her only companion to this point in her life, since that day she had run away from the orphanage. As the dragon went back to playing with the fish, Lily glanced around her new home, amber eyes glimmering red in the rays of the dawning sun.

For the first time, she saw the Training area in full light, and gasped openly when she set her eyes upon the barracks. Surrounded by thick forests, the only sounds those of the rustling leaves, the babbling creek, and the chatter of the birds, the barracks stood out of place, and yet shone with a supernatural beauty.

It was made of wooden panels, like many of the other buildings in the lands of Asinica, and stood two floors high, a large rectangle disappearing far into the clearing. It still surprised her how a place to train knights and warriors could be situated in such a calm location. It seemed a crime to interrupt the soft peacefulness of the forest.

Shaking her head slowly, Lily forced herself to remember that this was one of the only peaceful and quiet areas left in Asinica, possibly the entire world of Anaiya. Surely the Imperials had brought destruction to the other realms before advancing here, following in the steps of the other dark ones.

At that moment, a breeze picked up, bringing with it the scent of blood, causing Lily to scrunch up her nose, and the little dragon to sneeze.

"It seems more have died this night.. They are getting closer.."

She shook her head slowly, sadly, and glanced to where her sword lay beside the river, knowing her skills were honed well enough to fight off an impending danger. And yet, the enemy was too greatly numbered, and the other Royals had gone off to fight those invading Rook. If anything were to happen this day, she would be much too outnumbered to be of any assistance to the cause.

Just as she was turning back to her dragon, a thought attempted to enter her mind, and she looked around, confused. A distant thought, memory perhaps, was nagging at the back of her brain, but she could not discern it. Lily got a bad feeling, and immediately moved to where her sword lay by the stream, picking it up.

Ah, her sword, how good it felt to grasp it in her gloved hand once again. The power it gave her, the rush of adrenaline at a good swordfight; feelings that could never be easily described. When she held this sword, she felt more than just the mere woman which the men of Asinica saw her. With her sword, the Crimson Flame, in hand, she felt like the warrior who's heart beat in her chest.

Raising her head, Lily's ears caught something, a slight noise that sounded like light drums beating far off beyond the Raider's Forest. Straining to hear, she squinted her eyes, struggling to see; damn her plain human vision. In a moment of sudden realisation, she turned to the dragon, and saw that Kioko was also staring intently, her sharp dragon eyes following some hidden movement; hidden to her own eyes.

And yet the timid little dragon showed no signs of apprehension, and after a while actually went back to chasing the fish in the stream. Lily relaxed slightly, and yet wondered who it could be; as the sound neared she could now make it out to be footsteps of many men approaching the barracks.

"The Blood Royals!" Lily exclaimed under her breath, a sense of wonderment overcoming her. Here she was, a potential Royal, one which was sure to make the "final cut", and yet she had never met these who would be her peers, her superiors... She had heard no mention of the name of the man who was to put her through this vigorous training!

The wind picked up, whipping her chestnut hair about her face, bringing with it the faint scent of blood, this time mingling with the sweet aroma of newly-blossomed orchids. Reaching up her free hand as she lowered her sword, she brushed the hair from her face, and at the moment she did so, a group of a dozen men stepped into the clearing.

Two of these men had bright red sashes tied around their waists, both without a shirt. One noticed the young woman and stepped toward her curiously as the ten other men dropped to the ground, their earth-toned clothing bathed in sweat from many nights' journey, one hand going to the sword sheathed at his hip. Quickly she remembered her own, and dropped it to the ground, shaking her head in what he took to be defiance.

Swiftly he pulled the blade free of its prison, the sound of metal grating against metal catching the attention of the men nearby. Walking angrily towards her, he raised the sword, pointing at her throat and igniting her own flame of anger.

"Who are you and how did you find this place? Getting in the way of the Queen's training is punishable by death. I suggest you choose your words wisely woman, for they may well be your last!" He yelled angrily, stepping within feet of her, his sword at the ready should she make any sudden movements.

Ironically, this actually amused her, and for the briefest of moments, she considered toying with him for a little while. But one look at his tensed and ready body caused that thought to flee her mind. No, what she had to say would provoke a reaction much more fun to watch anyways.

A small smile came to her face, ringing with cockiness as she placed one hand on her hip and rolled her amber eyes at him. Stepping so that her back was to the man, she carefully unlaced the front of her white bodice-top, and let the back of it fall below her shoulders, clutching the fabric to her chest - baring the wounds so recently inflicted upon her; the marks of the Blooded.

Turning her head to gaze over her shoulder, Lily had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing as an audible gasp could be heard from the men farther away, and the leader behind her lowered his sword in amazement. Never had a woman been allowed to train as a Royal!

The man who had approached her slowly, reluctantly, lowered his blade, and Lily turned, lacing her top back up. A smirk brushed across her pink lips and her eyes tracked the movements of this man, amusement glimmering in their fiery depths.

The man, however, wore a face of extreme confusion as he looked at her. The markings carves to meticulously into the flesh of the woman's back marked her as a true Blood Royal, one of the queen's army and personal protectors of the lands. But never before had a woman been allowed within the vicinity of the barracks. This one, he thought, must have been exceedingly special to be allowed within and be Blooded before undergoing any formal training whatsoever.

'Apparently this one's the Queen's new pet project...'

"Well, who are you, woman? And what makes you think you're capable of being one of the Blooded?"

His voice was sharp, demanding, and he almost sounded as if his masculinity had been wounded. Indeed it may well have been, for this was the most manly job on the continent, and now a woman had invaded.

"Um.. Lily, sir. Lily Claret. And it wasn't my idea to come here, sir. It was suggested to me by the Queen's footman." Lily had seen the question coming, and had asked it to herself many times in the past couple of days. A strange man had seen her fight off a thief, and had taken her aside, suggesting she use her skills for the better, to help ward off the threats to Asinica.

"Well, we'll see. Your training begins now. We are going to test your endurance. From here, you will run to the end of the forest, to the lone tree within the plains, turn around and come back. I will time you, and you may only stop to rest when you have returned to the barracks, and only then will you be allowed a drink. Warriors must work in harsh conditions. If you are not worn out by this time, you will continue the run until you can do so no longer. In the coming days, this test will continue. Go!"

A man obviously used to giving orders and having them followed, his words were barked out loudly. He only hoped that this kind of harsh regime would turn the girl off the idea, if not show them all that she was not ready for the challenge that being Blooded had to offer. She had already been marked, and so the only way for her to be gone was for her to formally request to be released by the Queen, and even then a good reason needed to be displayed. Surely her lack of ability would be the perfect reason. And he was just the man to inform her of such.

*****

Note from the Author: Quite obviously, since the ending here is so abrupt, this is a work in progress. I'll be adding more soon, especially now that I've upgraded my account. Still, any Constructive Criticism and R&Rs are always appreciated!