Miya Mayflower...Stay beautiful

Chapter 7...

Wow I've actually managed to update, I'm shocked! :L Please leave feedback on any improvements and please ignore any spelling mistakes, I shall check through it eventually :) xx

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Chapter 7...

‘Where have you been Miya?’ Mother had seen me pushing through the village to get back home. The streets were unusually crowded. Okay so they normally are crowded but not full. Even the shops were invisible unless you were about six feet tall, which I am definitely not. She had grabbed my hand and was trying to drag me through the crowd, when she saw Gayne behind me. She yelled to him and he came over ‘Gayne, come we need to find your brother. We’ve been looking for you both.’ With that, she took one of us to each arm and proceeded to force her way through, towards the village baths...I wondered vaguely why we were going to the baths. There were barely any other buildings on that side of town, except a few of the older houses that were behind it. Mind you, it was also the biggest building in Kamune and was often used as the water god’s temple by the religious people in Kamune. 

Religion has never been a great part of life in Kamune. Of course, everyone is born with an element, but not everyone really uses that to their best advantage. It is the job of the village Sayer to sense the element of the newly born child. This was my father’s job. There is only one Sayer born every three generations and one Sayer will often cover a number of villages. The elements are Earth, Water, air and Fire. But this does not mean that everyone fits in. Some people cannot be given an element. Nobody knows why. Some of these people are destined to be Sayers. I am not talking about loads of people born with no detectable element. There are about the same amount of people born as Sayers as non-elemental. Often if two non-elemental people have children, these children will also be non-elemental; in fact, most non elementals have another non elemental in their family. This is perhaps why some people find me strange. I am the only non-elemental to be born in this village in over one hundred years. There are others in nearby villages, but there has not been any in my family for as long as anybody can decipher. Of course, this does not mean I do not want to be religious. I would be, if I could, but I have nobody to worship, so what can I do? I always used to join my mother in her earthen ceremonies, but once I became ten, I was not allowed anymore. My father was of the fire clan. It is not often that one individual can tell the element of someone outside their own family, as it is not something that you tell others. The only way one would know is if you were seen at the temple of your elemental spirit. They all have different names.  I only know that the fire spirit is often known as Hayal the conqueror and the Earth spirit is known as Cylaas I do not know any other of the names, as nobody I know worships them. 

I can see Hane in the distance, on the steps outside the baths. He’s waving now, trying to get our attention. I wave back and Gayne catches my eye. I didn’t realize it...I meant so much to him, he’s obviously upset. Brilliant! Now I feel guilty... It’s not as if I don’t want to be friends and yes, I like him. But I don’t know him. Reaching the steps, Gayne looks away and my mother releases our arms. I can feel my arm! I did not realize quite how hard she was holding it.

Gayne spoke up. ‘What’s all the chaos about?’ Chaos is one word for it...everybody seems to be panicking. It didn’t really occur to me at first, but now, looking around I can see how mothers are crying silently and sons are standing tall. What could have made the whole of Kamune act in this manner? Well, actually, there is one thing. Rebels.

‘The king has sent messengers to every village. Every family must provide a soldier for the army. Those families who have no young males must give in another way. Any boy over the age of fifteen is old enough to join.’ Hane is speaking in a solemn manner. It is not hard to tell that he is worried. He cannot be feeling as confused and worried as I am now. There are no men left in our family to go for us and we have nothing else to give. What are we going to do? There is nothing we can do.