Alexandrian Conspiracy

Rock Woman

Aytachia is strong, not to exaggerate but Shes like a rock. Firm, Quiet, and strong. Shel shows it subtly with no real pressure, almost accidentally, in the way her slow pacing walk sounds like a stomp. Her hands are bigger than the average girl, callused and bulky, her skin rough and tan like coarse sand. It's no wonder the village people are scared of her between her curse that seemingly attracts natural disasters and her intimidating masculine look. I can't help but envy her physique.

In the middle of Aytachia's house there is a huge boulder, halfway in the ground. She lives around it, a small stove keeps us warmth as she climbs onto the rock, encouraging me to climb it. We sit there together awhile; this must be what friends do I think to myself. Then I have a good idea, I wonder if she can train me, to be strong like her, so I get her attention and ask her. But first I need to find out how she got like that in the first place.

"So Aytachia, why did you come here in the first place, I can only assume you came from Greece."

"At first when I wanted to explore the world my heart was full of wonder and excitement. I wanted to travel the world outside of Greece, in search of an inspiration I couldn't find there. But my odyssey didn't favor me, I was confused and lost even before my curse, and I fled till I could find somewhere with no other people who would partake in my misfortune."

She covers her mouth, almost surprised by the sound of her voice after all this time.

"That must've been scary, being in the world alone, I'm worried I'll end up like that."

"Yes, but it is because of my situation that I turned out the way I did, it forced me to become strong, it took a long miserable time, but even the cursed can be blessed with a right attitude. My mother underestimated just how determined I was to live my life my way..."

I just stare at her, putting myself in her shoes, just imagining how it must be like sends a warm sensation up my body and I already feel stronger, this connection that were having, it makes me feel warm, she's like a sister I would want to look up too.

"Wow... I never really knew my mother, but she cared in the end, so I'm pretty lucky, right now I'm on my first journey, there's so much I want to do and yet at the same time I feel I don't have it in me."

"What is your name."

"Siena, like the color... but why?"

"Siena, now isn't the time for self doubt, I think you have dreams. You just need someone you can accomplish them with"

She flexes her muscles and gives a shy but nice smile

"I'm not going anywhere for a while if you want to be my friend, and Id be happy to share what I know with you, and even learn some stuff from you as well."

I burst with excitement.

"Really! you think you can actually learn something from me, Markus is practically omnipotent!"

"Who's Markus?"

"Oh, I should've thought about that... Hes a buddy of mine."

"If you have a buddy, why do you seem so lonely."

"It's just a situation, he thinks I need more friends, besides I'm less lonely already."

"Same, I think we're going to be a great pair. But you really must go now, before the lightning strikes..."

"What lightning, oh I see what you mean, I'll be seeing you."

I wave my goodbye and start walking back on the trail, which was a good time to do so anyways as I don't have night vision and there's no way I could see if I stayed later. So, in searching for a mentor, I found a friend, and it makes me so happy to think of everything we can do now I barely even notice the lighting zapping the giant rock behind me.

When I get home I see a cyprus paper sheet nailed into the door, I take a closer look and readd it

Siena the Worst

So you want to be a fighter huh, rumor spreads fast and we've picked up on your interest to fight... Your welcome to attend anytime recruit. But be ready, there is never any mercy on these blood soiled, fertile grounds.

From the Arena master.

Weird, I guess they must have noticed my looking around and asking for trainers, its still rude of them to call me the worst...

The next day

I'm bright and early out of bed for the first time in what feels like a very long time, I guess a little bit of hope and a lot of ambition can go a long way, but if I'm to make anything of it I have to be willing to work hard. When I get to Aytachia's burned down hut I'm already sweating from the heat and my feet are blistered from my wooden sandals. Ouch.

"Back so soon Siena! I'm glad to see you."

"Me too, but my feet aren't."

She nods and makes a face of discomfort seeing my feet. 

"Thats ok, in time the skin will harden, and you won't feel a thing." 

I wonder how long she means; she seems to have a warped view of time and it could be years. But I'm sure she's right as not an inch of her skin seems soft, but I'm happy to think that her personality is. 

"First thing first, we stretch."

She shows me her positions and it makes me aware of my body and I'm conflicted between the comfort of the light sun on my skin, and the discomfort of knowing my belly is out to see, even if it's just by a bodybuilding hermit.

I expected to get straight into the lifting of rocks and the punching of sand, but nope, we stretch all day and talk all night, before I know it, I'm walking back home in the middle of the night feeling super loose and tired. I wonder if this is what she intended, like I said, a warped sense of time. 

The next day she laughs when I flex, saying I'm built like a wiry skeleton, she wants to know what I've been eating, and I have to tell her I'm practically just fasting on bread. At this she decides that were going fishing, I think to myself, this feels like a side quest. 

We lay on our bellies at the side of a river stream, she has two large nets we use to catch the fish, she strikes up a conversation.

 "So Siena, are you from a tribe here?" 

"No, I don't look like anyone here."

"Liar, your in a tribe."

"No im not! I think youve gotten heat sickness."

"Nope, your part of the lesbian tribe."

I turn red and squirm into the river. How does she know! She catches my foot before I join all the fish. 

"So, what's your type. I'm guessing not men."

"Well, I've grown up around men all my life, and I was always a rowdy kid, not like the other girls in Alexandria, but that was just my outside, like a book I can't be judged on my cover. The girls didn't know that I was actually pretty shy despite having fun parkouring all day. I would always return home to shove my nose in a book and read. But that's when I figured I'd like to be with a girl oblivious to me, take her by surprise and read with her. My type is someone smart and funny, and maybe just a little hard to impress. "

"Glad you don't just like boobs." 

she laughs and we catch fish till sunset. right as were walking home to eat some fresh fish, a powerful gust of wind snatches her bag of fish away and the fish smack her in the face, shes not amused but I find it funny that they fly away, its obviously her curse of misfortune, but its not so bad. 

"We can share my fish."

She looks grumpy, "But my idea was for you to get some pounds on, so nope, I'm eating grass tonight, and you better eat every one of those slimy rapscallions. She cares and it fills my belly with happiness.