Unmarked

Chapter 49

Lavina and Anghi followed Charlie through the council building.

"Are you excited?" Anghi whispered to his sister.

"Excited?"

"Yeah! We get our apprenticeships today!"

"Oh, is that what's happening?"

Anghi laughed. "Yes, she's taking us into a chamber to pick out our weapons and then she's going to assign us our teachers."

"That's right." She started. She looked at her brother and smiled. "I forgot that I'm kind of Marked now."

"So I ask you again, are you excited?"

"I do not know." She started again. "I never thought it would be possible so I never really looked into it."

"Well, that all changes today, hm? I'm sure you'll like it." He paused, "Whoever you get, anyways."

They laughed.

"Alrighty, you two." Charlie said, turning around. "Let us begin." She motioned to the room. Charlie walked outside the circle of stumps and grabbed two basic level hilts. They had no real customization to them and just looked like short metal rods. She walked over to them and handed one to each of them. "Now that you have your hilts, please place them on those two stumps over there." She pointed. They did as she asked and walked forward to the stumps that were close together. They each placed their hilt down on the stump and then walked back to Charlie. Charlie smiled at them and then walked out of the circle. She came back once more, this time with blindfolds and put them over their eyes. With that she went outside the circle again. "Close your eyes and let your mind be your guide!" She began. "Listen for what you need and choose! Begin your journey." The two of them split up, walking opposite from each other. Lavina went from stump to stump, feeling them. But then stopped at one. She put her hand more to the middle of the stump and it glowed. She heard something hit on the stump. Then seconds later she heard it a second time. After that she felt Charlie on her forehead and turned towards her. Charlie took off her blindfold and then went over and did the same for Anghi. Lavina turned her head to the stump and looked at the hilt. It had taken shape and color. Into a form that she quite prefered. She grabbed it and looked it over. Then Charlie caught her attention, motioning them to the middle of the room. "Well, let's see!"

"Huh?" Lavina asked.

"Take a deep breath in, twirl your hilt around and ignite it." Lavina did as she said, taking a deep breath in and then igniting her weapon.

"Oh, how rare." Charlie started. "Not many get a saber, especially not one like that." Her weapon was flat and long. "And how about you, Anghi?" He did the same and the hilt turned into a glass looking ball.

"What-what is this?" He inquired.

"That is a magic item, consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky?"

Charlie laughed, "Yes, well, your new teacher will show you how to use it." They both lost their concentration and their items turned back into hilts. "Follow me." They followed her into another room. She stopped and turned to them. "For you, Anghi, someone very special has been assigned to you." Charlie held up her hand and a person came out of the darkness behind her. This person was dressed black, white and yellow. Their hair was white and they had a moon and star over their right eye.

"Hello there." They started.

"Anghi, she will be your teacher." Anghi held his hands tight and then shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry, Anghi. If anyone can teach you magic, it's her." Charlie smiled. "Well, introduce yourself, star child."

The woman laughed. "I'm no star child, Charlie."

"What do you mean?" Anghi questioned her.

"She was given her powers, she wasn't born with them." She paused. "Well..."

"Hello, Anghi, people around here will refer to me as the 'star child' but you can call me Kota." She bent down and shook his hand. "Don't you worry, you won't hurt me." She winked at him. She whispered something to him, he laughed. "May I have your hilt, dear Anghi?" Anghi handed it to her. "With this hilt, I solidify our apprenticeship, me as your master and you as my student. I swear to teach you how to use your abilities so that one day you may become the master. Will you do me the honor of being my apprentice?" She held out his hilt and smiled. Anghi grabbed it. "I can't wait for our first lesson." She stood up and stood next to him.

"As for you, Lavina." Charlie turned her gaze. "Don't think I forgot about you." She laughed. "Your teacher is someone who we haven't seen in a while, someone you already know. Though, not very well. He himself struggles with anger issues and can be a pain when it comes to training. Lavina, your trainer." She motioned to her side. The man stepped out of the darkness and walked towards her.

"Hello, Lavina." He started. "You look a lot like your mother. I hope you are not as weak as her."

"Oh come now, sir. Aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

"No." He turned to her. "You call me back for this, I didn't want to come here, but I suppose I owe Amilia a favor, after all she went through, all that suffering for me."

Charlie chuckled. "Maybe not, but perhaps you can play nice this time?"

"I'm old and if you recall, you found me in the middle of nowhere."

"Exactly, now you can actually have a life again, get those old bones moving."

"You are a piece of work, aren't you?"

"I'm the best, it's true. I worked to get here, sir. Perhaps you are older and know better, but I am the first non-pure to take office, and I'm sure not going to let you push me around. And it wouldn't be the first time either."

He laughed and then turned back to Lavina. "Hello Lavina. I am Akxfo Vlminff. And apparently, I am your teacher." Lavina changed her position and crossed her arms.

"I suppose you are."

"I hear you are incredibly smart, now, are you strong?"

"I'd like to think so."

"We'll see." He put his hand out to her and she gave him her hilt, dropping it over his hand. "You're a sassy girl. And I bet that dog tag keeps you tame." He smirked. "We'll work on that." He looked up at her. "Lavina, I'm a bit old fashioned and am a hard teacher, but I promise that you will be ready for anything in your future endeavors. You'll learn how to fight, make a good regimen and learn respect. I would be delighted to share my wisdom one last time with you." He held his hand out to her. Lavina grabbed her hilt from him and smiled.

"So it begins."