YellmanI1213


 * Brainstorm**
 * //__ Dye __//**

(Heroine: Eraketa?) wants (to get a destiny) because (she is trapped at home) but (only those marked at birth can have a divined path and freedom from servitude and patriarchy.) ^^Changd a little due to length problem ;P
 * Sentence:** (Character) wans (goal) because (motivation) but (conflict)

Gray light floods delicately through gray clouds into a grey room, falling onto a soft lace spotted with blood and a pale face accented by pink lips parted in surprise. There are other people in the room, cruel shadows with not an ounce of humanity between them. And then there is The Boy. A daemon to be sure, his gentle smile a fake one meant to hide the evil thoughts behind oh so innocent blue eyes. The light pink lips seal, and behind them I harden my gaze, locking my cold brown eyes against his welcoming blue ones, their milk chocolate color turning dark and uninviting in the gray midmorning. Behind me a figure hangs over with a smile, proud to introduce me to my knight in dull green robes of silk and a charming grin that any heir to vast lands should have. But the grin merely turns me harder against him; the cocky air about him makes my stomach turn. Outside of the house birds are waking, singing morning songs and welcoming the rising sun. ‘How dare they be so happy, singing the day as every morn,’ my thoughts burn my skull, the anger scorching my heart, ‘and my mother, to bring this… boy!... here before me like I am yet another woman eager to please. He looks at me as a dog looks at meat, or as I am his damsel, though he is more likely to be mine.’ Hushed whisper falls roughly into my ear, my mother’s voice making me bite my tongue, “Darling, I know you imagine you’re meant for great things, but you know this is how you were born. You are unmarked, yet you have the opportunity to marry him, into a marked family and bear marked children. I have done all I can, love.” I dare not reply, for the only words I have for her are vile tasting, I simply nod and stand up from my soft leather chair, leaving its calm blue comfort, and walk forth to greet this intruding boy. Behind him his family watches my every move, looking as hungry tigers do when preparing to pounce, analyzing my every step. When my heavy feet find me in an arm’s length of the boy, I stop, and wait. His heart beats calmly at his neck while my pulse in that of fury pent up within me. As I aim a glare meant to kill he clears his throat, acting as an imperial does, like the world should stop for him. “Miss Eraketa Auno,” his light bow was practiced, he could not show submission to a woman to be certain, and then continues, “It is a kind thing to see you face after hearing the words of my father. I am Hikuro-Tomai Manisho, please call me Tomai.” A slight gasp rises at his last words, and my eyebrow rises ever so slightly. A stutter from him almost has me laughing, and he continues with a correction for his error, “As we are to be wed, you may as well call me as you would a husband.” This justification was followed by a barely audible sigh as the tension was released. In a calm tone I had been forced to drill with my mother, I reply, “You may call me Miss Auno, Manisho. We do not wish to begin this relationship on a light note with the joining of our families in this arrangement.” He looked almost sad to hear me say those words, but I found that as I used words to widen the gap between us I gained comfort in the knowing that it was not yet final, we were no yet wed. An empty silence was left between us, and Manisho’s father spoke up, “Miss Auno, you and my son shall need to get acquainted. My wife will supervise a lunch tomorrow.” Without a pause, without a check to see if that was agreed upon, he turned and followed the dark wood hallway to the door, the rest of the Manisho family in trail, leaving silence once more. My mother kept her head low until the door shut behind them, and turned to me. “Era, have I taught you no better? To refuse his openness?” her voice rose ever so high to injure my ears, them already in pain from the throbbing of my skull. I wait to see if she would like to further screech like a banshee, then say ever so calmly, “Well it just seemed so unprofessional, and we can’t be unprofessional in such a business arrangement.” She stutters. “This is not a business arrangement, Era! This is my attempts to give you a happy life! I’ve done all I can, you should know that. At your age most are long married, I was then with child, I have let you go on hoping for a mark for far too long and for it you have grown unappreciative!” My blood boils in my veins, my skull pounds, and without a word I storm off. No place comes to mind, but it will be a better place than this. Behind me my mother shuts the door, not even a call for she knows it is of no use. The town has not before seemed so grand, on the wide lanes one can see to the far end of town, but along the small side paths I is an infinite labyrinth of dark lanes with not a lamp to be seen. It occurs that I’m lost, but matters not as I continue. And at some point I lie down and sleep. The moon still sits in the sky when I wake; moonlight from above in a cloudless sky, moonlight that casts few shadows, and the sound of humming opening my eyes to a blonde maid, fair with forest green eyes that have seen much. “Afraid I would wake you at some point, but I figured you’d come around when ready. So kind you look when sleeping, but I see now you’ve had a rough day. Hopefully I could help with that, miss; I’ve some food here if you’ll take it.” I rise slowly, the half-filled sack of grain I found myself asleep on was not so welcoming after a couple hours on it and my muscles each have their own pains to put me through. “Thank you, kind lady, but no. I do not wish to take from you, when you could have caused me harm yet did none.” “These alleys are not so very dangerous, sweetie, they are merely… shadowy. We find it a good home when you have none, though most find a bed before a night’s sleep.” “A good home is likely what I need now, there is little for me in my own.” She gave a gentle smile, “It is an awful thing to find one’s home uninviting, but if you will please follow me.” She gave a moment for me to stand and began walking gracefully down the alley. “I suppose at this point there is no more worry of you kidnapping me, but it would be nice to know your name.” “I am Riene, and I’ll request the same of you.” “Eraketa Auno, Miss.” Her laugh was soft and warm. “I am no miss, though if I know your family name I should be bowing.” “Oh, yes I suppose most do. But that is not something I would wish.” “Then I shall not use your family name. What should I call you by?” “Era. That’s what my mother always called me.” I almost say ‘calls’, but she shall not be speaking my name in her cruel voice any longer. “So, sweetie… dodging your past before getting a new beginning? What do you want in this new life, what do I lead you to?” Riene asks. I pause, my dream are unachievable, unrealistic… but… “I’m going to be a quester.” I say it quietly, wavering, than repeat with confidence, “I’m going to be a quester, and I’ll find a way.” “Are you marked and still running from home?” “I’m… just a girl.” She smiled so softly I barely saw it, and a final turn brought us to a grand opening. “Well if anywhere is a good place to achieve that, this is it.” From the dark alleys to the sunlit plaza, it took me a moment to blink away the daze and realize that the stunning beauty was not my hopeful illusion. Along each wall threaded off dark alleys, but between narrow townhouse a thick block was a home that welcomes. In the center a canopy stretches between four giant tree, and not five meters from me a fountain spills over gold, the bright sunlight changing it from simple water to gleaming beauty. Children in a park on the far side of the plaza play with a ball, running back and forth, and parents sit talking beneath the blindingly white canopy. “You might stop hanging your mouth open like a cow, girl.” The rude voice snaps me to attention. Riene gives the boy- well not really boy, he must be of my age and his height is likely a decimeter above that height I share with Riene- a stern look and chides him, “Be kind to her, she has seen little night’s sleep.” “I’m fine.” I find myself saying, abruptly, not willing to show my weakness. His head falls to the side as he laughs; brown hair some tones lighter than my own flops slightly and his laugh spreads to me. His watching eyes suddenly catch mine, and he says, “A bit unwelcoming, but I suppose you don’t even know me. Kyoya, miss, you would be?” “Era, its nice- well hello, Kyoya.” “Can’t even say it’s nice to meet me?” Before I can react his arm is entwined around me and I’m being pulled along. “So Era, has my mother told you where you are?” My gaze slices over to Riene and I raise an eyebrow. “Yes, she’s my mother. Probably regrets the day I was born, but it’s a bit late for that, eh Mom?” Riene rolls her eyes and smiles at him, “Just don’t hurt the guest and be back- with her! - by sundown.” I break away from Kyo as his mother walks off to one of the townhouses, but before I can follow her I’m grabbed by the arm and pulled down. A wooden bench catches my ungraceful fall, better it than the fountain behind me, and to my left Kyoya sits calmly, looking up at the soft white clouds beaded with bright blue. “My mother brings in new people sometimes; she looks for those who are lost and helps them. It’s amazing what she can do, how much she builds people up. Why did she find you?” “I’m running away from something awful, a complete lack of freedom, in hope of being a quester.” His smile is encouraging, and he replies, “I can help with that, if you’ll trust me.” Something about his words has a deep ring to them, he wants to see if I will trust him without his mother’s guidance, and I answer tentatively, “I’ll trust you, once you tell me what I trust you about.” “Well, questers need a mark, right? What is yours?” “I don’t have one.” “Right, but what should it be? If you had one?” I look up at the clouds again. “Rays. Of light, I mean. Like... a rising sun or something.” He smiles again; it’s become so familiar though I’ve known him for at most an hour. He stands and turns to me, his arm extended. I take his hand lightly and rise to my feet, and he brings me across the plaza to his house. We enter silently, and Riene is nowhere in sight, but he continues up the stairs with me in tow until we pass through a doorway. It’s some sort of workroom, thin pens protruding for vases and inkwells spotting a dark wooden desk. Kyo lowers me into a chair; he sits in one opposite me but close enough to touch. He pulls gently at my arm until I lay it on the desk. “Think of something else; whatever I do don’t think about it, it’ll only get worse.” His face is lightly lined with worry, but I smile to reassure him. He picks up a pen and dips it in the inkwell, I let my mind wander. The desk has a sweet scent of polished oak, the wall is soft blue, and a window on the far side let in light through its dirt covered pane. Searing pain shoots up my arm but I push it aside, thinking of anything else. Kyo’s face is stony in concentration, his hair slips into his face. Blue threads escape the edges of his shirt and a thin silver chain slips under it. More painful stings, then he looks up at me with a smile. “Done,” he says with pride, lifting my arm to let me see. Soft yellow edges a red toned half circle, and along the bottom edge of the semicircle a soft brown line arches. It’s like a sunrise, beautiful and elegant, ready to light the world. I looked up a Kyo and tears prick my eyes, his smile matching mine. We go down the stairs, I trip at least twice for staring at my mark. I see outside that it has grown dark, but nothing can dampen my rays. Kyoya guides me to a guest room, and I finally see Riene in the kitchen, out of sight before. He lowers me to the bed and blows out a candle, exiting silently. The calm of sleep overtakes me, the moonlight welcoming me to doze. Riene wakes me with the sun, and instinctually I look down at my dyed mark. Its beauty echoes that of the sun I can barely see through my bedside window, filling me with joy. “You should go register for a quest today,” Riene says, “Not that we wish to get rid of you, but sooner is better.” I smile at her, “I’ll leave now, I don’t wish to cause you more trouble.” Kyoya has yet to wake up when I walk out the door, sun bathing me and the sounds of wind in the trees a song to comfort me. I can’t step off the front porch. Still can’t step off. The door opens behind me. “I thought you left- hours ago.” “I can’t do it, I can’t leave.” I feel him sit down beside me, but dare not lift my head and let him see my tearstained face. His arm slides around me, warmth seeping into me from his steady hold. “You don’t have to.” I look up to him suddenly, see the wind blowing his soft brown hair and feel it tug at my own, let the sun’s rays warm me. “My mother was right.” I laugh quietly, “I’m not marked, that isn’t my fate. I should just go back home, face my future.” He smiles softly and pulls me toward him, “You are home, Era.” His smile widens, “I’ve always wanted a little sister.” I laugh openly; look up into the sky, feels the sun’s rays and Kyo’s arm supporting me.