Embers and Ashes

Chapter 5: Ecclaissia

Five years later...

"Ecclaissia! Ecclaissia, where did you go?!" shouts my caretaker. After the old lady brought me to their leader and told of what had happened a great debate was held on whether I should be imprisoned or used. Their verdict was to put me into training because I could be a helpful asset to future raids and hunts, but since I was only three and had no parents, I needed someone to look after me. No one volunteered because they thought of me as a mysterious dangerous creature and they were afraid because of the aura that I present (and the fact that I could talk to monsters).

I didn't care, I was going to get strong enough to escape. Then the old lady stepped out of the crowd and said with her wispy, harsh voice, "I will take responsibility of this child." The woman is feeble, or appears as though she is, but her voice is strong. She has shortened with age, but she still has her beauty and poise, along with her elegance, you can tell she has been in a battle, for the scars on her face and hands. Her hair is long, silky, and shines when the light hits the silver and white strands of hair. Her clothes consist of brown material that has been made into sack like dress; the dress has a saggy collar in addition to her white fox fur scarf. Her eye-sight hasn't changed, she has very keen eye-sight which isn't all that great for me, but her eyes are very gentle.

"Ecclaissia! Where are you girl?!" I sit at the edge of the forest hoping that my parents will come running to me, even if it is a lost cause. I really can't remember them all that well anymore, their faces and images slowly fade away from my memories. I try to hang on, but when I try, they slip even further from my grasp.

"There you are!" I turn around to see her worried eyes, her worried gentle kind eyes. "I'm sorry, I was watching the woods."

"Ecclaissia, you know that they're not coming back." She says in a gentle, but stern croaky voice.

I reply sarcastically, "Yes, I know, just hoping for an impossible miracle to happen."

"Your instructor is waiting to start class." Is all she said in return.

I get up and slowly jog into a run in the direction of the training area. When I arrive my teacher says, in a provocative voice, "Finally, we have been waiting an hour for you to arrive. What does that mean?!" (My class consists of full grown men and few women because I have excelled passed the expectation of my age-group), I have been put in this class to get my full training experience; which includes strategies and battle tactics, and what my age-group is currently learning about is what the right type of weapon is and how to use that weapon, I have learned how to use all the weapons available, but I like to use a skill called Dual-wielding. Dual-wielding is the usage of two swords at the same time as one whole sword, but it is harder to defend or protect your-self because you really can't use a shield with this technique because of the amount of flexibility needed to use this skill.

"Sir, does it mean that Ecclaissia would have to do laps around the entire base?" asks a smirking meek skinny young man who is jealous that I excelled faster than he did (in all actuality everyone who is learning how to fight is jealous, except for the instructors and a couple of peers).

"No. It means that we all have to do laps around the entire base three times! Do you know why men?!" shouts our teacher as we begin our laps.

We shout back "No sir!"

"It is because you have failed as a team. If you are going to fight out in battle the first thing you need to learn is how to work together as a team!"

I am at the front of the line because I run the fastest and I am on my second going on my third while the others are on their first. When I finished my three laps, I sit on the side watching them finish their first and begin their second.