Shadow 1: Life of a Noble

Ryikaria steadied her breathing and relaxed her grip on the wooden sword used for training. She had picked up the proper way to hold a sword and breath from watching her parents. Even though she didn’t have formal training, she enjoyed having practice matches with her little sister. It was a chance for the two of them to improve with each other at their own skill level. The training room was silent as Ryikaria stared at her sister who stood across from her. Her sister stood at the ready with one hand firmly gripping the wooden sword and holding it in an odd combat stance.

While both of them had studied the proper techniques for holding a sword and delivering striking blows, they had both developed their own styles of hold their weapons and attacking. Ryikaria had created a unique style that relied on keeping the blade in a resting position in a sheath and drawing it at the last minute to throw the opponent off guard. She would use the psychological understanding of the human body in order to predict where their strikes would go. While she had focused on that style, her little sister always held her blade in one hand. Striking, blocking and parrying was all done keeping only one hand on the hilt. She had also managed to pick up on the cues of the human body which allowed her to evade attacks with ease.“Are you ready, Yiania?”

“I’ll beat you this time!”

Ryikaria smiled.

“Good luck.”

Watching Yiania step off with her leading foot, Ryikaria calculated every possible out come that could have taken place as well as nine follow up moves ahead within each of the possibilities. She examined each of the outcomes slowly in her mind which only was a

second in reality. If she is leading with her left foot forward, it will take her six steps to be with striking distance. Her swing will be aimed at my body at its mid-point. Of all the options, the best would be to evade under the strike while drawing the blade and aiming for the ankle. On impact, she will fall to the ground and I will have won, Ryikaria thought as she checked the calculations once again.Just like Ryikaria had predicted, Yiania had closed the gap between them in six steps before trying to swing her wooden sword in the exact position that Ryikaria had worked out. In just two moves, she had won the battle in only a second as she held her wooden blade against her little sister’s throat. She smiled and held out her hand to help her sister up from the ground.

“So, what was that about beating me?” Ryikaria teased.

“There’s always next time, right?” Yiania asked with a smile.

“Not if your dead.”

Yiania’s face turned from cheerful to the realisation that she had not been taking the combat training as seriously as her older sister. In that moment, she knew she needed to act as if her life was at risk during those combat fights. Ryikaria placed her hand on her sister’s head.“Finally get it now?” Ryikaria asked with a smile.

“Yeah! I’ll keep practising until I’m better then you.”

“Good girl. Now, let’s go eat. I’m sure you worked up an appetite getting beat so many times,” Ryikaria said in a teasing tone.

Placing the wooden sword on the rack, Ryikaria made her way for the exit while Yiania followed behind her.

“What should we do after lunch?”

“ I need to practise my violin studies.”

“Still don’t see how you got into that, sis. Isn’t it boring?” Yiania asked.

Ryikaria turned on the heel of her shoe and looked to her sister. A smile appeared on her face as she brushed back the bangs of her long blond hair.

“It’s no different then you enjoying dancing, is it not?”

“But you don’t move like you would in a dance.”

“True but that still doesn’t change the fact I can feel it.”

Grabbing her sister’s hand, Ryikaria positioned herself into a position that was common among dance partners. A soft melody escaped her mouth as she used the rhythm of a song she had learned in the key of A Minor to create an ambiance of darkness in the dance the two of them took part in.

“ You can feel the music, right?”

“I still don’t get it but whatever you do, I’m always here to support you,” Yiania said with a smile.

Ryikaria stopped after spinning Yiania around six times before leaning her back like a knight holding a princess.

“Guess you still have some growing up to do.”

“You’re only two years older then me,” Yiania pouted.

Steadying her sister upright, Ryikaria smiled and played with her sister’s hair.

“Yes I am. Which means I’m more well-developed then you.”

Both of them had long blond hair that reached down to their thighs while their eyes were a pale ocean blue that could entice a person with just one glance. They were also similar in dress and various mannerisms. Ryikaria had been keen on wearing frilly dresses that flowed like her own movements. Most days, Ryikaria and her sister could be seen wearing a white dress top with frilly cuffs that were laced in an elegant pattern at the ends. The skirt was also in the same pattern with lace around the hem. Even her stockings that stopped just

past her knees were white, along with a pair of single-strapped high-heels that had a small hint of gold accent on the heel. While both Ryikaria and Yiania were similar in their appearance, the two of them had one thing that stood out. The size of their chest.Yiania had only managed to develop into a bra size that was bordering on barely being visible. It was the one thing that annoyed Yiania and always made her felt insecure about her looks. Still, she couldn’t complain. She had everything a well-off noble family could have and more.

“Anyway, just don’t worry about it. One day, you’ll grow into a beautiful girl and find a person that will love you.”

“Eww. Why would I want to be with a boy?”

“Did I say boy?”

“W-Wait! I’m not into girls, sis.”

Ryikaria smiled as she made her way down the hall.

“You never know. They may just understand you better then you understand yourself.”

“What if I just make a boy wear cute girl clothes?”

“If you can make a boy into the best girl then keep them.”

“You’re always so open-minded, sis.”

“Yiania, you should always be open to new experiences. Expanding your mind leads to adapting to the world around you.”

Without warning, Ryikaria grabbed Yiania by her wrist and pinned her up against the stone wall. She smiled as she stared into her little sister’s eyes with a calm expression. Yiania could only freeze while her heart started to increase; her cheeks flustered by what was happening.

“For example, what if I was to kiss you?”

“S-Sis… We can’t do that it’s…”

“Who says we can’t? There are no laws that state I can’t fall in love with my own sister. Am I wrong?”

“N-No… but…”

“Yes?”

“It’s just…”

“You only think it’s weird because your mind is trained to think that way. Don’t let people change your own views. Facts and logic help us to define this world but it is our choice what to do with this information. People around us may think it’s wrong but is it truly?”

“I…”

“It’s not because the facts don’t deem it to be immoral. Our society may say otherwise but that is nothing more than their view point.”

Yiania felt her cheeks getting hotter as Ryikaria moved her face in closer.

“R-Ryi… Ryi-Ryi…”

Ryikaria smiled and planted a single kiss on Yiania’s forehead.

“Relax. I’d never do anything like that to you. Still, always keep learning and expand your mind beyond the knowledge you have. Break the boundaries of what we limit ourselves to in this life.”

Without another word, Ryikaria headed down the hallway while Yiania placed her hand on her heart. Why is my heart beating so fast? Do I actually like girls, Yiania wondered as she watched her sister round the corner until she was out of sight. She felt confused by the event that had taken place and questioned many things about herself as she headed down the hallway. Entering into the dinning room, the transition to a large room of white painted wooden walls and gold accent trimming throughout, felt like change from the simple wooden walls of the training room or the old antique feeling of the family library. The dinning table in the centre of the room was wide in comparison to a standard table seen in a commoner’s home. Despite the fact the table could sit roughly sixty-nine people, Ryikaria and Yiania only ever used one side of the table.

Sitting down beside her older sister, Yiania slipped off her heels as she tried to avoid making eye contact with Ryikaria. She could feel her heart beat increase and had a feeling that Ryikaria was watching her.

“So, are you just going to avoid eye contact because of what happened?” Ryikaria asked in a playful tone.

“No…”

“That’s what you’re doing right now,” Ryikaria continued to tease.

“I am not.”

“You definitely are. I told you that there is nothing to worry about aside from your own thoughts.”

“ Can we just… pretend it didn’t happen?”

“In time, you’ll learn to ignore what others see about you.”

“As nobles, aren’t we supposed to present ourselves accordingly?”

“Who says?”

Ryikaria stood to her feet and slipped off her heels before standing up on the table. She twirled on the ball of her foot as if she was standing up on a stage in front of a grand crowd.

“R-Ryi!”

“You see dear sister, there is no reason to hold yourself back from the limits of your own mind. I don’t care what others say or if they talk about me behind my back. They are only cowards and refuse to say it to my face.”

“Who is talking bad about you sis? I’ll beat them up.”

“You’re missing the point, Yiania.”

Ryikaria sat down and crossed her legs as she looked into her sister’s eyes.

“Their insults don’t have any sway over me. When you stop caring about what others think of you, you’re free to be yourself.”

“How did you come to this conclusion?”

Patting the empty spot beside her, Ryikaria smiled.

“It starts by breaking your own perception of what you think people believe.”

Yiania was hesitant to get on the table as she looked into her sister’s eyes. Maybe, I just need to be let myself be free, she thought as she made her way onto the table. Sitting down beside her sister, Yiania started to feel a strange sense of freedom in the choice that she had made.

“How do you feel?” Ryikaria asked.

“Odd.”

“Good. Embrace that feeling.”

Before Riykaria could continue her speech, she heard the sound of one of the doors opening. Stepping into the room was a maid who had her white long hair tied off with a black bow on the left side. She was as short as a child which limited her ability to clean certain parts of the house but this didn’t stop her from doing her duties.

“You two shouldn’t be sitting on the table like that.”

Ryikaria smiled as she looked over to the maid and rested her chain against the palm of her hands.

“Nercyil, don’t you have a kitchen to get back to?”

“ You never grow tired of teasing others, do you?”

“Nope. It’s always fun to enjoy life. If you live each day to its fullest with happiness, there is nothing to regret.”

“One day, that outlook of yours will change, Ryikaria.”

“ If it does, it will be okay. Life is ever changing. In those moments of change, I will simply go with the flow and see where it takes me. Even if I become a different person in the process, I will still have lived my life.”

“If you’re done with this banter, what do you two care to eat?”

“ Think you could try something different like make the dough in a circle shape. Maybe something like a bowl shape. Then add some cheese and chopped sausage to it before placing it onto the brick oven.”

“I will say, your mind never ceases to amaze me.”

“Thank you, I just thought of it. Maybe it’ll catch on in shops if it works out like I think it will.”

“Anything else you wish to request?”

“No. I think that will be it. Aside from some water, of course.”

“Of course.”

Nercyil didn’t speak another word and exited the room while Ryikaria turned to her sister. Laying down on her back with her arms resting against the back of her head, Ryikaria propped her feet onto her sister’s lap like a foot rest and stared up at the ceiling.

“Do you believe there is something out there?”

“I think you need to learn to not prop your feet on people.”

“Answer the question.”

“Okay, what exactly do you mean by out there ? Like where exactly are you talking about?”

“Beyond our world. Think about it, is there something out there that we don’t know of?”

“You mean, the goddesses?”

“No, I’m not talking about fictional deities that can easily be debunked with logical and rational thinking. What I’m getting at, is a world that isn’t apart of our own.”

“Now you just sound crazy. Next you’re going to tell me our lives are nothing more than a story created by some girl who thinks up the outcome of everything we do or say.”

“Can you disprove that it isn’t the case?”

Yiania was silent for a moment as she pondered the question.

“Do you actually think that could be true?”

“No, if it was, I’d have a way to call them out.”

“How would you do it?”

“That’s my secret,” Ryikaria said with a playful wink.

Sitting up from her resting position, Ryikaria looked intently into her sister’s eyes.

“Back to the topic. Do you think there is something beyond our world?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Now that you ask, not so much.”

“I think, there is another world beyond our own. Reason being, I managed to sneak into father’s private study and I saw things that were… not of this world.”

“What kind of things?”

“Well—”

Before Ryikaria could speak the sound of the door opening interrupted her. Standing in the doorway was Nercyil with a tray in one hand.

“The dish turned out as you had described,” Nercyil said as she placed the tray on the table in front of the girls.

Uncovering the top of the tray revealed a steamy dish that was fluffy and rose about two centimetres in height. The dough had baked even well throughout and even the cheese blended in with the toppings of sausage.

“Do you think you could cut it into nine sections?” Ryikaria asked.

“Evenly? No.”

“Six?”

“For a genius you seem to understand nothing about how to divide things evenly.”

“You understand that I was joking, right? Even divisions of eight should be enough. I can eat four slices and Yiania can have four. Unless you want to have two slices, Nercyil?”

“I may partake.”

Pulling out a dagger that Nercyil had strapped under her skirt, she quickly cut the circular concoction into eight even slices. Ryikaria picked up one of the slices and looked over the creation she had envisioned in her mind. Taking a single bite, she took in all the flavour that entered her mouth. The perfect blend of the cheese and sausage mixed well with the texture of the dough that had been baked to an almost perfect temperature.

“So, how does it taste?” Yiania asked.

“It’s not bad but I feel like it is missing something. Not sure what though.”

Picking up a slice, Yiania ate a large bite and chewed it in her mouth before swallowing.“ Wow, that is good!”

“ Nercyil, try a slice.”

Nercyil picked up one of the slices and studied it carefully.

“I’m actually quite amazed I got this… whatever it is, to bake at the way it did. You did not tell me how long to leave it in the oven for.”

“ Yeah, I probably should have specified a time.”

Taking a single bite, Nercyil mauled over the flavour in her mouth. After swallowing, she closed her eyes.

“ I believe this would be well received throughout all of Temeraire. What do you plan to call this morsel though?”

Ryikaria thought for a moment, before taking another bite.

“I think I’ll call it pizza.”

“Sounds like an interesting name for a dish,” Nercyil said as she partook in another bite.

After the three of them finished off the dish that Ryikaria had thought up, she turned to Nercyil.

“Perhaps you can answer a question for me, Nercyil.”

“Depends on the question.”

“I’ve noticed that all the maids around the manor have white hair. Yet, others around the street have various other colours from black to brown and even blond. White is the only one that seems to be uncommon. Why is that?”

“This is a question you are better off learning about in time.”

“Looks like I’ll be having fun figuring this out.”

“Allow me to offer some small advice. If you are going to sneak into your father’s study, maybe learn to be more discreet about it.”

Rubbing the back of her head, Ryikaria smiled like a mischievous child.

“Me? No, I’d never break into my father’s study.”

“ Just so you know, you could have easily been killed, had you been an actual intruder. Let that to sink in your brain while you practise your violin.”Without another word, Nercyil left the room leaving those words stewing inside of Ryikaria’s mind. That means she and the other maids know something. Somehow, they are connected to whatever it is I saw in my father’s study. Best guess is they understand those odd symbols and language. Which means there is a way to learn it most likely. The question is how, Ryikaria wondered as she laid back on the table lost in deep thought.

“ Hey sis, what did Nercyil mean by that?”

“I honestly have no idea but I’m prepared to find out.”

Ryikaria jumped down from the table and looked to her sister before grabbing her shoes.

“Either way, I should go practise. I have a lot to think about.”

Exiting the dinning room, Ryikaria made her way down the hall before entering into her room. Placing her shoes off to the side, she pulled out a small wooden case that held the violin that she had been practising for two years as a hobby. The violin had been gifted to her by her mother and passed down from generation to generation. Pulling out the maple top instrument, she checked over the various parts to ensure there wasn’t any build up of dirt and that each of the strings were still of high-quality.After checking over the bowstring, Ryikaria placed the tailpiece of the violin against her chin and held the neck with her left hand – keeping a firm grip on the bow in her right. Playing a few notes to check that her violin was in tune, she closed her eyes. In that moment, she began to play an emotionally sad song in the key of A Sharp Minor that she had created. White hair isn’t a common colour trait. So, how exactly did it get passed down the bloodline and where did it start? I may not be able to know where it started but I can say that the number of people with white hair is rare. If I recall, the story of our history was that the

Light Bearers protected us from the darkness in The Pit. They are apart of the military that protects us but what if that’s just a lie. But what’s the truth? What is it that truly happens in The Pit? Those symbols and language I couldn’t read has to hold the truth of this world. I need to know, Ryikaria continued to ponder her thoughts as she kept playing. Opening her eyes, she noticed Nercyil and another maid standing beside her.

Ryikaria tried not to show any sign of fear in her cheerful facial expression. How did they get in here without me hearing them? I should have easily been able to hear the door open even with my playing, she thought. Placing her violin back into her case, she waited for Nercyil to speak.

“Do you want to know the truth?” Nercyil asked.

“Can you read my mind?”

“Minds? No. Body language is easy to pick up on though.”

“So, what’s this truth?” Ryikaria asked as she placed the violin back in the case.

“That’s for you to find out.”

Nercyil looked over to the other maid and nodded. The girl held a book in her hand that appeared old and bound in a leather that looked as if it would fall apart. Placing the book on the nearby desk, the maid returned to Nercyil’s side.

“In that book is the beginning of your journey to the truth.”

Ryikaria made her way over to the desk and looked over the book. On the front was the same strange emblem that she had seen. Upon opening the first page, she was greeted with a single quote in a script that she recalled seeing on various papers in her father’s study. It was something she didn’t understand.

“Nercyil, what language…”

As Ryikaria turned to where she had last saw Nercyil and the other maid, she was surprised to note that they were nowhere to be seen. They had vanished like ghosts into the

shadows. So, she wasn’t lying when she said they could have easily killed me. Interesting, Ryikaria thought as she sat down at her desk. Flipping through the pages, she took note of the ink on the different pages. All of them were written with what appeared to be antithetic styles of handwriting, leading her to believe that different people had written in the book. After looking through all the pages, Ryikaria leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Pulling out a bottle of ink, quill and some parchment paper, she opened up the first page of the book and scanned her eyes over the words and illustrations. Hours passed before she stop on a page with an illustration of a tree and a single set of symbols off in the marginalia. Unlike the words of the book that were black and clearly written in black ink, this one word was red. Even though she couldn’t read the script of the symbols before her, Ryikaria smiled. Thank you Nercyil, this will take time but I have a place to start, Ryikaria thought as she traced the symbols on one of the loose-leaf sheets of paper and written out the word she believed it to mean in the common script.Okay, now I just need to decipher this whole five hundred page book. Should be simple enough if I keep at it everyday. It might take a while but this will be well worth the effort, Ryikaria thought with a smile.