"Father ... I ..." as soon as she notices it is her father, she doesn't know what to say, frightened that her father will deny her the right to go on war.
"Don't say anything right now, I have a story to tell you. Come home, first."
He turned, a gesture that was becoming more familiar to Zayina and began to walk back to their manor.
Zayina followed her father back home, not saying a word, looking down slightly. She felt like there was no hope left now that her father had just appeared.
When they arrived home, Zayina was instructed to sit at the table where their last conversation was held. Her father started with a question, "What do you know about my life as a nomeni fighter?"
"You are one of the most gifted elemental adepts known, father, you have been fighting taught me some tricks on survival and fighting. Much more I don't know except for the things I heard in the stories you told when you where at home after being away to war."
"Well..." her father admitted, "...it wasn't always that way. You see, my first chance to fight was when I was 13. Of course, the minimum age limit at the time was 14 to enter service. I'll admit that my skills weren't very strong, but I wanted to fight..." he paused, waiting for her reaction before he continued.
"You could say that" bashfully replied the father, "but I didn't do it with permission. you see, I wasn't officially a Nomeni warrior. I left home by myself and followed them. The advantage of being with the Nomeni is that you can follow a small skirmish without being officially enlisted."
"You don't understand, dear..." The father looked concerned, "you have already failed one test. The students will not give you any more chances. I'm just telling you... there are other options."
"No, I will not let my subjectivity have an effect on my performance!"
Enraged and vehement, he told her flatly, "This is your first exposure to battle and you don't need to be enlisted to fight. Go rogue, find your own path and be your own commander. It's how I did it, and when you prove yourself on the battlefield, they will know they made a mistake in not enlisting you on their first chance."
"I understand ..." she said, she was beaten, confused, she didn't know it anymore. Without another word she stood up and went upstairs towards her bedroom, there she lay down, head in the pillows, thinking about her failure, tears dripped down, it just wasn't fair ...
Noanna entered the room, "I heard your father. Don't be so hard on yourself. You can be just like him, I swear to you."
She had already packed a travel pack for her and laid it down beside her as she wiped tears from Zayina's face, "Leave with the veil of the night. You will be a formidable fighter, but you'll have to be alone. If and when a skirmish needs your support, that's when they'll see just how valuable you are."
It didn't take long for Zayina to fall asleep. She was exhausted and defeated and her dreams weren't pleasant. There were hooves everywhere, stepping on her. She tried to summon her powers but no accendo would flow... it was like she was suffocating. Finally a hoof landed beside her, a spatter of blood flying onto her face.
With the spatter of blood Zayina awakes, bolting upward into a sitting position, sweat running down her back and cheeks, she could still hear the hooves in her head, what was happening to her?
Her anxiety had mixed with her unconscious, creating a horrific vision... or was it one of the future? She couldn't be sure. Noanna entered like she had after the previous dream, "You screamed again... are you alright?"
Noanna knew her well, "And you are anxious... it is not uncommon to have dreams under such circumstances."
It was starting to get darker outside and Noanna had brought the dinner to her, rather than forcing her to confront her parents again.
"Thanks." she said shortly but of course friendly to Noanna when she brings her dinner, she begins to eat almost ravenously, she was starving because she had barely eaten in the morning and she knew there was a long night ahead.
When Zayina was finished, Noanna silently handed the travel pack to her. Her friend tried to speak but no words came out.
Noanna stood up and paced around the room for a few moments and finally spoke, trying to sound confident but her voice cracked every once and a while, "You must leave tonight before your father changes his mind. I'm afraid I won't be joining you..."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
He turned, a gesture that was becoming more familiar to Zayina and began to walk back to their manor.
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Enraged and vehement, he told her flatly, "This is your first exposure to battle and you don't need to be enlisted to fight. Go rogue, find your own path and be your own commander. It's how I did it, and when you prove yourself on the battlefield, they will know they made a mistake in not enlisting you on their first chance."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
She had already packed a travel pack for her and laid it down beside her as she wiped tears from Zayina's face, "Leave with the veil of the night. You will be a formidable fighter, but you'll have to be alone. If and when a skirmish needs your support, that's when they'll see just how valuable you are."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
It was starting to get darker outside and Noanna had brought the dinner to her, rather than forcing her to confront her parents again.
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
Noanna stood up and paced around the room for a few moments and finally spoke, trying to sound confident but her voice cracked every once and a while, "You must leave tonight before your father changes his mind. I'm afraid I won't be joining you..."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
Winner MTGS Weekly Sig/Banner Contest
Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226