Post by Seira Blake on Dec 26, 2012 12:16:53 GMT -5
Hello! This fic has nothing to do with the charries of the site, Gijinkas, or Pokemon all together. This is a little something that has been sitting in my documents for a long time now and I want to post the first chapter to you all. Well, enjoy this derp, if you want!
RATING!: This is rated T, until farther notice, or someone tells me to up or lower the rating.
DECLAIMER!: I own nothing but the plot. OCs that are used will be bashed or minor characters who don't have much screen time.
WARNING!: Some characters have been gender switched. There is a chance of derps in tense. There is a chance of too much description. There is a chance of heavy lack of description. There is a chance of spelling derps. There is a chance of OOCitice.
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Song of One, Voice of Many
It was as dark as night when Jehu awoke. Not a sound was heard, meaning the morning wasn't fully upon the world. The light of false dawn grew dim through the cracks in the ceiling of her attic room, telling the girl of her tardiness. The morning chill made the small room icy, forcing its only occupant to cling to her thin blanket for protection. But the memory of today's importance gave the bluenette girl the courage to face the morning - cold and all. A small shiver was the temperature's only prize as Jehu quickly and quietly left her straw pallet and threaded wool blanket to dress in her work clothes. With the worn clothes she was forced to call hers wrapped around her, Jehu moved as quietly as a professional thief out of the creaky trap door into an area that served as a kitchen.
Seeing the kitchen clear of its mistress, the bluenette girl slowly stalked through the small kitchen to the cottages main room with practiced ease, her eyes trained on the only entrance to the household. Her body was tense, ready to sprint should the sleeping bodies scattered on the dirt floor awaken. The only sounds coming from the sleeping family were snores and sleepy murmers. The door was within reach now, the girl's freedom almost absolute. But just as she was slowly opening the ancient doors to prevent any noise, the farm's rooster announced the full arrival of morning with a loud crowing. As swift as wind, Jehu moved her thin body through the slim crack she was able to make and ran, down the dirt walkway of the cottage to the weathered village road at full speed.
Jehu never stopped to rest on her small journey, running down the well-treaded road as if her life depended on her malnourished legs. Light began to bleed on the world, making it both easier for her to see and more dangerous, for she could be seen by the other farmers in the area. But when she arrived at the village, the shadows created by the rising sun helped to hide her from the villagers awakening and beginning the day's work. She made her way with ease to the school house, her only safe haven. The position of the sun let her know she was arriving on time, something that filled her with relief. She wasn't going to make Ms. Yubel mad, she'd have time to practice and get ready.
Today was something special for the village - but more so to her -, someone of great importance was riding through on a tour of some kind. Only Yubel knew who it was and why they were riding through, but she refused to say. Although the villagers didn't really press, they all wanted the date so that they could prepare for the special arrival. Ms. Yubel didn't even give them that, saying she didn't know, but told Jehu the date to give her hope. As a result, the village had been on their toes for months, preparing the very best of everything they had to offer for the traveler. When the traveler didn't show that day, the nonperishables were placed in storage and the food was eaten in a festival-like manner by all. Save Jehu.
Now, don't think they were doing this in the name of good will, no! The villagers wanted to win the important traveler's favor. With good words from someone of importance, their market would bloom with exotic goods from far places. The village could easily transform into a city (or so they liked to believe). As the village dreamt of fame and fortune in this visit, Jehu dreamt of something far greater than impressing some person for a feeble good word. If she played her cards right, the traveler may hopefully spirit her away to the capital and help her find work as an entertainer.
The village was bursting with energy when Jehu was finally safe behind the school's stone walls. A laugh born of nervousness, fear, adrenaline and victory poured out of her mouth like rain water before she could stop it. Yubel chose to enter the room then, wondering what could make her student laugh like that while feeding the blond baby in her arms. When she saw the state of her student, breathing heavily and her body and clothes covered with dust, she let out a growl of anger that stopped Jehu's laugh in her throat. Spooked by the unexpected growl, Jehu turned to see her salt-and-pepper haired teacher giving her a disappointed look. Jehu gave a nervous laugh as Yubel's booted foot started to tap against the stone floor, a strict sound echoing across the room. And to add icing to the cake, the baby was giving her stern look instead of finishing her bottle!
"What," the eldest of the woman began, "am I going to do with you?"
"Hey!" the bluenette began to defend herself, "You know how far I live from the village! I had no choice, Ms. Yubel!" Yubel didn't look convinced by the weak argument.
"You can easily have walked, instead of running yourself out!" Yubel scolded, her foot still tapping. "You've done it before." Jehu's posture grew sheepish, running her calloused hand through her shoulder length teal blue spikes.
"Weeeelll…" Jehu drawled, an embarrassed blush coloring her cheeks. "I guess I sort of… overslept?" Yubel was fuming, her bi colored eyes – one the same orange like Jehu's, the other bright green - glowed with anger. When she saw the angered gaze, Jehu braced herself for the verbal beating she was about to receiving.
"JEHU!" the volume of the shout physically knocked over the bluenette girl. "How could you oversleep!? You know how important today is! Are you trying to ruin your chance!?" Yubel scolded. She didn't pause to check on the infant in her arms either, who was too used to the yelling from both persons in the room to make a fuss over the noise. Jehu twiddled her thumbs as her teacher delivered her just scolding, trying to look as sorry as possible while shrinking into herself. When Ms. Yubel said no more was when she looked up, expecting an angered look from both her teacher and the baby. Instead, Yubel gave her a look of understanding as her anger dwindled to nothing. Yubel released the rest of her anger with a sigh and place a comforting hand on her student's shoulder, after freeing one by placing the baby's bottle down somewhere.
"Dan and Gloria working you into the ground again?" A flinch was all the answer Yubel needed to confirm her question. Yubel couldn't for the life of her understand why the farmer and his family - along with the rest of the village - could hate the girl so much, they raised her themselves!
"Guess it can't be helped…" Yubel sighed before she grabbed her student's arm to force her to stand then push her towards the hallway she came from. "But we can help how you look! Go take a bath, girl! You look like you rolled in mud!"
"Why, I never!" the girl faxed insult, storming in a showy manner down the hallway, causing the baby in Yubel's arms to giggle. Jehu turned her head to look at the giggling baby and gave her a teasing smile. "I'm going, Alexis! You can stop being a teacher's pet!" Alexis gave a high squeal of delight. Jehu laughed with the baby's delight, her pace relaxing.
"Get a move on, girl!" Yubel ordered in good humor. "You're burning daylight!"
"You're acting like the King himself is visiting!" Jehu shouted from the hall. Yubel just shook her head, before she reached for the forgotten bottle to reheat it with a spell.
"Common, Lexi, let's finish breakfast," Yubel cooed at the baby, making her way to the living quarters of the school.
XXX
A strong wind blew over the traveling party as the rays of the morning sun shone down on the small group below. The sound of hooves was muffled by the cooling gust of air. On the dusty road marched a small platoon of armed men, hard-eyed from many years of battle. Only a few of the traveling men had the privilege of riding, the most seasoned and high rank rode on fine horses. Leading the band was a young man, younger than many of the soldiers behind him, in black armor. The design of both body and head protection gave it a sinister look, the look only intensified by the flowing crimson cape behind him. His cold, golden eyes stared ahead in firm determination, glowing with wisdom and courage beyond his years. The midnight stallion walked calmly in the front, its head held high in pride. The clank of hooves speeding up was the young warrior's only warning of someone riding closer. In his peripheral vision he saw a man with deep teal hair and cunning silver eyes on a bay steed slow his horse to ride next to his right. Zane Truesdale, one of his most trusted generals and friends. The other man waited for acknowledgement from his obvious superior, patiently keeping his bay by the larger horse's side.
"You may report, Zane," came the armored man's command, his voice steady.
"My Lord," the general began, voice just as steady. "We shall be arriving at the next village in a matter of hours. This one has had many good growing seasons for the past seventeen years, and Yubel as a result is stationed there to teach."
"Thank you," the lord thanked simply, the coldness in his eyes thawing some at the mention of his lifelong friend. It took all his self-control to keep his old childish self from exclaiming in excitement.
Zane stayed beside his lord for some time after that, pecking at younger's curiosity. But he kept his mouth shut for some time, knowing how his curiosity got him in many bad scarps in the past. When the teal haired general didn't return to his post, the lord decided to both ease his childish nosing and whatever was on Zane's mind. "Is there anything else you need to report?"
"My apologies," Zane replied, a light grieving in his eyes. "I've been wondering of the doings of my wife, Aster." The dark clad lord allowed a light smirk to grace his features.
"Afraid your child will arrive before you come home?" Zane sent his lord a mock glare.
"Maybe, maybe not," came the vague response. The young lord chuckled, both amused and glad the grief had lifted from the elder's eyes. But the talk about family made him remember a grievance of his own: finding a bride. His council has been driving him mad with reminders of his need for an heir. And all the balls they tried to throw so he could meet unmarried maidens of noble birth. Thankfully, his duties require him to keep the troops moral high and travel through his kingdom to do so. Though there hasn't been any activity on the Eastern border, no-one could forget the bloodshed that the Eastern Kingdom caused one of the oldest families in his land…
In a hurried attempt to dispel the anger those thoughts brought, he began thinking of Yubel. The thought of his old friend lighten his heart, and the fact he was seeing her soon almost made him smile in delight… almost. The last letter he received from her was strange, and even stranger was that she had encrypted the letter so that only he could read it. She said she found a 'precious gem' while teaching and that he must retrieve this gem as soon as possible. Yubel never stated what she meant by 'gem' or what it really was. And even stranger was that the odd-eyed woman had never called this gem an 'it'. And why must he come and retrieve it? Wouldn't this gem better benefit the village she's staying in, even as a tourist attraction? With a sigh, the young lord pushed those thoughts into the back of his mind for later pondering. He'll find out when he got there, especially with what Yubel wrote last before signing her name and sending the message.
XXX
As the salt-and-pepper haired school teacher laid her charge into her basinet for the infant's first nap of the day, Yubel heard her student's call from the area designated to be the dressing room.
"Ms. Yubel! I need help, the dress doesn't fit right!" It took a good portion of her patience for Yubel to not curse Jehu's 'guardians'. Yubel made sure Alexis was alright before she stormed to the dressing room and shouted, "I swear! If Dan and Gloria don't start feeding you right, there will be hell to pay!"
When she arrived to the dressing room, Yubel blinked as Jehu's gowned figure came into view. The girl was still too thin for her own health, but there was definite weight gain from the last time the dress was worn. The deep violet top with a built in corset that at first hugged the young girl's form gently now clung too tightly to her for proper breathing. But as a result of the weight gain, the skirts – the under skirt a rich purple like the top while the lavender upper skirt draped over and split in an elegant manner over the under skirt - now draped delicately over her better rounded hips and her sleeves hugged her arms nicely to show off the slimness, when before both mentioned pieces of the gown had hung loose and didn't do her figure good.
"That isn't the problem!" Jehu replied as her teacher entered, turning so the older woman could see the problem. "The top's too tight now, can you fix it?" The older woman sighed and moved from the hallway door towards the shelf she kept her sewing kit, in case of something like the wardrobe crisis Jehu was having now happened. She took out what she needed to fix the top, and made her way to the girl before starting on loosening the top when she did. As she worked on making the top more comfortable, she asked, "You haven't actually resorted to stealing food, have you?"
Jehu snorts, a look of mock humor in her eyes, "You do realize so many people here would love to charge me with that! No, Dan and Gloria have been actually feeding me better. They started to because they didn't want to chance losing the village's reputation of being kind to all." Yubel had to bite her cheek before she poked her student with the needle in anger. Really, how selfish could people be! When it came time for her contract to end, she was going to deliver a full report on the happenings of this village. If her plan didn't work, that is.
"I still have trouble believing you survived your whole life here, with these people…" the elder stated hotly as she finished one side of the top, moving afterwards to start fixing the other side.
"I know, just lucky I guess~" Jehu responded, standing as still as she could to help her mentor out. "Mind if I press my luck today?" she asked in a hopeful tone after some time had passed.
"I'm not telling you who the traveler is, Jehu," Yubel deadpanned, not looking up from her stitching. Jehu gave a grumble of annoyance.
"But why not! They're almost here, and I'd rather drop dead than tell anybody in this village!" Jehu exclaimed, giving her teacher a pout, before her expression turned into one of devious glee. "Unless it's not what they expect~" The salt-and-peppered haired woman sighed as her student cackled softly. Sometimes, Jehu was too devious for her own good…
"Okay, you villainess," Yubel stated as she stood straight again, finished with fixing the top. "The top is loosened, and you are ready to practice!" Jehu gave her teacher a smile of thanks as she tested the fit of the top. After a few deep breathes, she deemed it worthy and spun around in joy of being able to breathe.
"So, what should I sing first?" Jehu asked eagerly, stopping her spinning.
"Sing the Teaching Ballot you've been working on," Yubel ordered smoothly, sitting down on a stool to look at her student.
Jehu slumped a bit, giving a groan. "Can't I work on something else? I've been working on that one for months!"
"It's one of the basics and a good warm-up, Jehu," Yubel answered simply, used to her student's whining. Jehu gave a sigh, deciding to concede for now. She took in a deep breath, readying to project her voice as if to a large audience. After a second pause she released her breath to make a sweet sound, the words telling of the kingdom's many adventures through history.
XXX
Haou couldn't help but twitch a bit in excitement as they neared the festive village Yubel is stationed to teach in. It's been years since his friend took the job, and now he is able to visit her. It really annoyed him some that this is the first visit he made an effort to make, even though it was because his duty as King lead him to this village.
His men gave bright smiles to the people as they marched and rode through to the entrance of the village. From the looks of the locals, they were very surprised that their monarch is the one who they awaited for months to show. But the surprise quickly turned into something else as the people scampered to offer him and his men all they have to offer. The food looked and tasted delicious, the clothes felt fine to the touch, and the drinks were definitely soothing to the throat, but for some odd reason the people seemed on edge. As if with one word he would have them all killed. He wasn't that ruthless, no matter what the rumors said. He made it a habit to show his kinder persona to his people, only giving them a taste of his darker side when the need calls for it – like with enemy invaders and criminals of the worst kind. It made him wonder why they were behaving like this. He'll just have to ask Yubel, she'll know or at least have an idea. May be it was the rumors…
So, he gave them all his best smile, and gladly took from them their offerings. As the festivities began to pick up and his men start laughing and enjoying themselves – even Zane cracked a smile more than once – Haou started to relax a bit. The feeling was still there, but he could ignore it for the sake of his troops. They hadn't had this much fun since they left the last town, and that was months ago. These people must have really been looking forward to his visit. A flash of purplish-black and white hair caught his attention while he was talking to the Head of the village, and it took all his discipline to keep from rudely running to the woman holding a baby. After politely excusing himself, he walked calmly and with purpose to Yubel, giving her a warm hug when they met half way.
"Yubel!" he said in delight, "I'm truly glad to see you. How are you?"
"I'm doing well, Your Highness," Yubel replied politely, giving her King a short bow. Haou couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"You don't have to do that, you know," he said dryly.
"I know, just being polite~" Yubel said, giving him a smirk that he missed seeing for years. Haou snorted. The baby in her arms giggled at the sound he made.
"Who is this little one?" Haou asked, his tone kind as he wiggled his finger in front of the child. She made a cooing sound as she reached for the finger to play with it, causing the adults to chuckle at her innocence.
"Her name is Alexis," Yubel replied, "I'm taking care of her while her mother is on bed rest."
"That's very kind of you to do, Yubel. I thought you hated kids," Haou said. Yubel gave him a sour look in response.
"I don't hate them, Haou, I just don't have much patience for them," Haou gave a chuckle at that. Yubel was the most patient person he knew, so her saying she had no patience for children either said they were too much of a challenge for her or she didn't see how good she could be with them.
"Could have fooled me," he replied lightly. It was so good to be with Yubel again. With her, he could unwind and relax to the fullest.
"You're Majesty!" the Leader called from some ways away from Haou and Yubel, bringing them out of their little world and back to reality. The elderly man made his way to the two younger adults. "How do you like the festivities? Is everything to your liking?" Haou had to keep a sigh from escaping from hearing the tone of the man. He hated ass kissers. Always had.
"I find the festivities to be refreshing," Haou answered coolly, though honestly.
"Ah, I'm so glad you could pay our humble village a visit, Your Highness," the Leader said in response, before finally noticing the quiet Yubel standing beside the king. "Pardon me, I seemed to have interrupted your conversation. Do forgive my rudeness."
"Apology accepted, sir," Haou said dryly.
"Yubel," the Leader spoke after giving Haou a bow, "could I bother you to play with our musicians? I'm sure His Highness would be delighted to hear your sweet sounds."
"I would love to, but I have a very special surprise for His Majesty to hear that I think I should wait," Yubel declined smoothly.
The Leader and Haou both looked at her in surprise, the elder seeming to hide irritation at the decline while Haou hid his disappointment. He liked to hear Yubel sing and play, she was good at it.
"When will you display this surprise?" the elder man asked.
"She should be ready any moment now," Haou raised an eyebrow when the village Leader's breath hitched for some reason. Then, as the sound of the crowd died to make way, a sound like music rose for all to listen. The music didn't sound like anything he ever heard before; it gave a… nostalgic feeling. Haou looked to Yubel with every intention to ask if this is what she meant, but from what he can tell she didn't know what was causing the sounds they were hearing.
"Timenta soltia - timenta soltia - imenta saltia - imenta saltia," a voice rose from the music, strong and clear with the intention of being heard. The king had to steel himself, for now he knew why the music gave him such a nostalgic feeling. Magic. Pure magic. The person singing was casting a spell of some kind and he didn't know what to expect when the caster is finished. Though he wondered; why singing? It would go much faster chanting it like a normal mage.
"Oh... you have got to be kidding me..." Yubel whispered, sounding uncharacteristically flabbergasted.
"You know what's going on, Yubel?" Haou asked quietly, looking out for anything remotely suspicious and dangerous.
"She was supposed to sing a teaching ballot! Not... whatever the hell this is!" Yubel whispered harshly as the music turned... sensual, would be a good word for it. How this mage used her magic to make a trumpet sound like that was beyond the two-toned brunet king. A ways off to his right, from where Haou suspected the school was located, the crowd parted for whoever was heading their way – most likely the mage casting/singing that spell. For some reason, Haou was getting excited, like something good was going to come from this. Haou tried shaking it off, logically believing it was the effect of the spell. Though, he had every right to believe that.
"Timenta soltia - imenta saltia - camare soltae - imenta soltae," the girl – he could tell now that the mage was a woman, a young woman – sang as she appeared from the crowd, head held high and postured like she was of nobility. Haou was ready to affirm that, for he could recognize her features as the ones only found in one family. The rich and light purples of her gown complimented her coloring well, her teal hair spiked and defying gravity like it was made of air. Her eyes, closed half-way, glow a brilliant orange – like a sunset. Haou was too busy taking in her strong appearance to fully notice that when she appeared the song-spell had picked up some and seemed to be drawing to a close.
"Martia ifvi – canta~" the girl sang out, using the last of her breath to project the last verse as long as she could. Just as she was finishing, her eyes fully opened to show off their bright color, and then they locked on his gold ones and stayed. If there was one thing Haou could think of when they locked stares, he didn't expect it to be this; she was the one. For some reason, he now understood what Yubel meant by the 'precious gem' comment in her letter to him. She meant this girl she found while assigned to teach here, seventeen at minimum, is the last of the line of Andersen – one of the strongest line of mages known to live alongside the royal family.
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Thank you to those who have read to the end of this chapter, I hope my best is good enough for you.
To those who are interested in the song-spell Jehu sang, please look up ‘Pandora Hearts-Pandora Heart expanded’, for that is what was used. And I don’t own it, I only wish I did.
