“Fina, wait up.” I hear someone yell, I turn around and see that it is my friend Zilindo, I stop and smile. Zilindo, a funny looking young man, tall and gaunt, hair that went where he didn’t want it to, clothes, always either to big, or to small, glasses that sat at the edge of his nose. Smart boy, my friend was, but Zilindo was no ladies man. He is my guy though, not in a romantic way, but in support. He is my best friend.
I am walking home from school right now, I’m in my last year of school and so glad, and he was my study buddy. I forgot that we were suppose to walk to school together today. He walks up to me with a smile on his face.
“You forgot.” He says mockingly.
“Yes,” I chuckle, “Sorry.”
“Hey, I have a female friend, I’m not going to mess that up by worrying about her imperfections.” Zilindo smiles at me the way he does when he tries to make a joke.
“You got that right.” I say in response and start walking again. We head for town first, like we always do, before we head home to my house. As someone walks into the market, like Zilindo and I do, they are met with the familiar sounds that you would find in any Red Nation markets. There are people bargaining to get the prices down, the clanging of pots and pans at the restaurants, hissing, clanging, banging, pounding. It is a symphony of people wheeling-and-dealing for everyday things. In the middle of the market place was the grand statue of our Emperor, and around it, smaller statues of famous Gifters. Gifters are people who are, as you could have guessed it, gifted. They are gifted not with just talents like everyone else, they are gifted with the talent of being able to harness the power of the fiercest element in the world; that of fire. They weren’t just Gifters though, as rare as they are, these statues were of Master Gifters. Master Gifters are the people who have tamed the legendary beasts, Dragnatis. In the last 500 years, only ten have been tamed by Gifters. The ten statues surrounding the emperor are the only ones we know of who have done it. They aren’t the only Gifters though, with in each generation there are probably around six to ten Gifters on average. In my generation there are only 3 so far, but the time for their powers to surface is anywhere from 10-15. There is still plenty of time for more kids in my generation to become Gifters.
The Red Nation is a very large Nation, with in my town there is only one Gifter, that people know of. His name is Gahiji and he is a jerk. Sense I have known him, which is sense the years of Day Care before school, he has always wanted to be the center of attention. So when he realized he had the power over fire, oh you can bet he made a large to-do about it. His parent’s told everyone, everyone in town knew and everyone in town treated him like royalty. Which is the trend with Gifters. The Emperor has him to all the state dinners, he is always the leader in school activity and invited to everything. Another advantage that Gifters get, is that they can do what ever they want. Gahiji could walk down the street and take an apple from a stand and keep walking, whose going to stop him? I’m glad I’m not in that kind of attention, I don’t like being the center of attention. Zilindo says it’s too bad I’m so pretty, I can’t help being the center of attention. Not to sound conceded or anything, but he’s right. I just had to be born with red tinged hair that fell perfectly in waves like licks of fire, I just had to be born with curved eyes and long lashes that bring out fiery ember eyes, a perfect little nose and lips that naturally look they have been bitten. I’m slender, with curves in “all the right places” as Gahiji says. My waist is small, my hands dainty with long thin fingers, small feet, a reasonable sized chest that makes me look good in anything. Curse these good looks.
The Red Nation is a country obsessed with fashion and looks, red and gold, black and ivory, everything. The people who are lucky enough to come from privileged backgrounds, like me, get to wear gold necklaces, gold rings and accent pieces along with the finest silk dressed, like the pink one I wear today that cuts across my chest and clings to my body until my hips where it fall lightly to my thighs. Today I also wear four gold arm bands up my upper arms, two on each, gold bracelets that connect with gold chains, a heavy wide gold necklace, and an ankle bracelet that wraps around my ankle and circle each other when they meet. I have on a pair of white tights and light pink shoes that fit to my feet and go up to my knees. My father is in a high position in the country, so my parents have plenty of money to spend on their little Princess. Me. I have no siblings, no cousins, not many friends. Really, it’s just my parents and I, Zilindo is closest thing I have to a brother, sometimes a sister when we see a spider. My parents have repeatedly tried to find me a male caller, but I usually turn them away, I don’t want a companion like that right now. Despite my parents feelings on the matter, I keep turning down Gahiji too, no one can really understand why but me. Even Zilindo thinks I should just go out on one date with Gahiji to get it over with, make it horrible and he’ll leave me alone. I don’t think so. All I can say is that if I was a Gifter, I wouldn’t go around telling everyone, I wouldn’t even tell anyone, I don’t strive to have that much attention brought upon myself.
Zilindo and I walk around the statues a little, the soft padded sound of our soft soled shoes thud against the cobblestone as we walk and looked at the ten assembled statues. The last one built, was 50 years ago, it has been a long time sense a Dragnatis has been tamed, 12 years sense one has been seen. It is extremely rare, but every Gifters dream to tame one, maybe not every Gifters dream. The smart ones would rather live then fight one, but Gifters are the only ones who can tame a Dragnatis, and stop their fiery rampages when they do occur. I hope that a Dragnatis never comes around in my lifetime.
Suddenly, breaking the peacefulness of the market, if there is such a thing, is a commotion swelling from the shops, cheers and claps. A shot of fire blazes and flickers into the sky in a display of power; signaling that is was time for Zilindo and I to go.
“Lets go to your house before he sees us.” Zilindo mumbles.
“Yah.” I agree readily and we leave the market as quickly as we can. We try to avoid Gahiji at all cost. Unfortunately for us, he doesn’t want us to avoid him, and catches up to us in no time. We are almost to my house, so close, when he corners us down an alleyway.
“Hey Pretty face,” He says putting his arm around me, “Weirdo.” He casts the comment to Zilindo, we both just roll our eyes in aggravation.
“You know Gahiji, the way to a girls heart is not through being a rude brute to her friends.” I point out to Gahiji and slip out from his grasp.
“Which means you are a little lost when it comes to Fina.” Zilindo comments.
“You better watch it nerd, you know you can’t take me on.” Gahiji growls and roughly pushes Zilindo.
“Hey!” I shout and step between the two, “Enough.” I glare at Gahiji, “Just leave us alone, we were trying to avoid you.” I point at him.
“Why try to avoid the inevitable Fina, I’m a Gifter I get what I want.” He says backing me up against the wall.
“Oh, and you want the world as a ring on your fat fingers.” I snarl. That makes Gahiji blink in surprise.
“No, what I want is you.” He replies regaining his composure.
“I’m not an object, and you can’t have me.” I say and try to walk away. I feel a hand grasp my arm and pull me back around.
“Don’t play hard to get, I don’t dig it.” I hear Gahiji say with a frown, despite my attempts to get away, he pulls me closer to him, his dark hair covering his dark eyes.
“I’m not playing, so stop being a cheat.” I say and rip my arm out of his grasp.
“Lets go.” Zilindo says to me, I nod, I really just want to get out of here, we try to walk away, but Gahiji doesn’t agree with our plan.
“Let see how far you can walk away with fire around you.” I hear Gahiji say followed by a clap from his hands, as he spreads apart a ring of fire stretches around Zilindo and I. We both back up against the wall. I’m surprised by this, so is Zilindo. We both can’t believe Gahiji would go this far. I look to Zilindo but his face is just covered in fear, I can’t believe Gahiji has resorted to using his power over fire to force me into going out with him, the dude seriously doesn’t know how to pick up girls.
“Stop it Gahiji.” I warm him very strongly.
“What are you going to do about it.” He says back to me.
“I will make you stop.” Is my reply that I offer with a glare.
“How, you’re not a Gifter like I am. It would be quiet interesting to see how you can stop me.” Gahiji says with a sly smile and steps into the ring of fire that has encircled us.
“Stop it Gahiji, now.” I say standing between Gahiji and Zilindo. There is no way I’m going to let Gahiji hurt Zilindo. Maybe Zilindo can’t fight back, but I can.
“No.” Gahiji says with a frown, “Not until you agree to go out with me.”
“You are horrible with girls.” I glare at him in anger. I really don’t like this guy, he is seriously a butt-head.
“Really?” He says, he tries to do something, but I have keen reflexes and as he brings up his hands to close the fire in around us, I quickly pushed out my hands, and push the fire away. I can’t believe I just did that out of reflex!
Oh yah, didn’t I mention, I’m a Gifter too, why am I so clumsy with secrets?
YOU ARE READING
Fina
Novela JuvenilFina, shy but fiery. She harbors a secret that would change her life completely. When she makes a single mistake her life is thrown into chaos as she runs for her life. The secret she harbors can bring distruction if she chose to use it that way, bu...
