On The Edge of a Blade

Oasis

A large map sat upon the floor, spreading out six feet in each direction. Beside it lay a young girl, splayed out upon her back and gazing at the ceiling. Her eyes began to close, drooping until they finally fell.

"Rose, you're supposed to be studying." Liana walked into the room, raising an eyebrow at the sight of her less than studious student.

Almost asleep, Rose snapped to attention, sitting up hurriedly. She had a sheepish look on her face, the visage of one caught in the act. But, she was still fiery, a hint of teenage insolence infecting her response. "It's not my fault," she complained, "geography is so boring!"

Liana's eyes narrowed, but she didn't mirror Rose's contempt. Instead, she walked over to her and sat down. "Nonetheless, it's important. Travelers use it to navigate, and kings use it for war and diplomacy alike."

"Why do I need it, then?"

"Because it is a good skill for any learned person to have." Liana tilted her head towards the map. "Show me where the Greater Desert is."

She hadn't learned much, but, at the very least, she knew this; it was, after all, where her home kingdom of Gushénn was located. Eager to please, she leaned over the map, considered it briefly, then pointed.

"Right. Now where's the Durn Oasis?"

Within the large mass of beige land, a spot of green sprang forth. Like a blotch of spilled paint, or a piece of vibrant moss growing upon a rock, it sat in the middle of the Greater Desert. Rose tapped it confidently.

Liana nodded. "Now, if we didn't have a map to locate it, do you think that anyone would be able to find the Oasis? Travelers would never be able to navigate through the Greater Desert without a guide. Which is why maps, and geography as a whole, is important."

Rose rolled onto her stomach, propping herself up by her elbows. She stared at the map disinterestedly, trying to appear at least somewhat attentive. "But I'm not a traveler."

"Maybe you will be someday. You might have need for a great adventure in the future, one which will require a map."

"Maybe." Rose didn't sound convinced. Perking up, she abruptly pushed the subject down a different path. "What happens when a map becomes outdated?"

An odd question, and Liana found herself having no tolerance for it. "Well, they usually don't need to be changed," she said dismissively. "Mountains don't tend to move much within the course of less than a few hundred years."

"But an oasis can die." Rose turned her head slightly, looking at her teacher out of the corner of her eye. "The one that Gushénn is built on is failing, isn't it?"

A slow smile grew upon Liana's face. "Very true," she said. "I'm glad to hear that you've been listening to some things I've taught you."

"Well, you are correct. The Durn Oasis was once a much larger place, but within the past generation has begun to recede." Liana leaned over and traced around the oasis. "Within the next twenty years, it might be gone completely."

"Why?" Whether by program or design, Rose was starting to find perverse interest in the topic of their dying home.

Liana uncrossed her legs, stretching them out before her foot had a chance to fall asleep. One hand kept her from falling over, and the other painted in the air, as though she were an artist. "Realistically, it's a misuse of the land which has led us to this point."

"Because the king makes bad choices!" Rose piped up, throwing in her penny's worth.

"Yes," Liana smiled, satisfied with how well the red haired girl had been taught, "that he does. But, if you look at legend, it would argue that the Fallen Angel who created the desert is set upon taking back its land. A Risen Angel named Rosemaria gave us the Durn Oasis after her jealous, depraved brother burned the land in fire."

Rose blinked, then turned onto her side to face Liana. "She has my name," she noted curiously. "But doesn't the Fallen Angel as well?"

Liana leaned closer to her student, lowering her voice. No one was around to hear them, but certain words were meant to be spoken quietly. "Your name -- Rose -- is a thing of coincidence. But it fits, for you are a beautiful flower, yet full of thorns. A first name shared with a good angel, and a surname shared with one of fallen power. Just remember this: whether by intent or chance, names have power."

As her elder spoke, Rose's eyes widened fractionally. There was a touch of fear found within them, but also a growing elation. "Guard your thorns beneath your petals, Rose. The best way to defeat your enemies is through silence and concealment."

Rose nodded her understanding. "Never share your secrets until your enemy's dead."

Satisfied, Liana smiled. "Indeed. But, enough with the history lesson. Keep at the geography. I don't want to find you sleeping when you're supposed to be studying again." She stood, and exited the room once more.

Alone again, Rose sighed. Her gaze turned back down to the map and tried to refocus. Unfortunately, there was no sure way to keep working at something so boring when there so many other, more exciting, things to learn. There were legends to pick apart and kingdoms to unravel; there were topics of kings and angels to discuss! Heck, her very surname was derived from the very Fallen Angel said to have created the entire Greater Desert! Myths and history were far more enticing; it hurt her young mind to try and settle with something so painfully dull.

Though she had been warned against having loose lips when uttering dangerous words, Rose couldn't seem to help it. Like a sigh from her mind, she found herself whispering out the name which played upon her considerations, the identity which she shared with a figure of legend.

"Alister . . . . "

A/N: Hey, all! So, I write ahead on Google Docs in order to compile my thoughts, and to give myself the chance to let things simmer in the pot before making pre-posting edits. (But the editing grind never truly stops, so if you ever find any mistakes or think that anything is imprecise or unclear in wording, please message me or leave a comment :3 Fresh eyes catch more than I can.) If you're ever worried about OTEOAB getting boring, then don't worry; things start to heat up rreeeall quick!