Invincible

Chapter 7 - The Endeavors of Lyra

 "So, what do you think after your first day?" Lyra asks, pulling a brush through her slightly messy hair.

"It is not what I expected," I answer honestly, still using the translator. I'm not sure what I expected.

"What, did you expect to be thrown into a bed and impregnated?" Lyra asks, laughter lacing her voice.

"Yeah." It's not very satisfying, having to have everything said in the same tone of voice. I wish that you could select the way you wanted it to be read, just so I could throw the words out the same way they sound in my head.

My voice itches to be used again. I just don't fully trust Lyra, or this place. The way everyone reacted when Commander Gael was mentioned, just seemed off. By everyone, I mean Teacher Oralis.

"Some of the Luvah prefer to train us, and then give us to their precious sons. We have to act appropriately at events, and be tamed before they can lay eyes on us." Lyra says. She looks at me, waiting.

I nod, seeing if she'll tell me more. My mother taught me that if you stay silent during a conversation, then the other person will talk more to fill the silence.

"I'm due to be picked up in three weeks, I suppose you'll be leaving at the same time. We have to learn a certain amount of Luvah but," she gestures to my translator with a flick of her wrist.

I nod and smile, turning around to reach for a set of sleeping clothes. They are made of light muslin, just plain white. I wonder what happens when we bleed here. Everything is white, wouldn't stuff get stained?

"Here,"

When I turn around, Lyra is holding a small blue pill in her hand. I don't take it, my gaze flicking from the pill to her.

"It's to stop your monthly." Lyra explains, swallowing the pill with a glass of water. She offers another one to me, and I take mine dry.

"The Teachers think we learn better when we don't have to worry about cramps. Also, it keeps us from getting pregnant by any of the groundskeepers."

I tug at the sheets on my bed, and crawl under them. They feel wrong. Because no one has slept in them, they are hard and cold.

"Goodnight Crynn." Lyra calls as she turns the lights off.

*

My dreams weren't very nice. So I'm lying in bed in the dark, listening to Lyra snore softly. I can hear the staff of the place moving around in the hallways, so I know we'll be woken soon.

Light creeps in from under the door, casting its glow across the room. It wakes Lyra, who must've been training herself to wake when the light comes in.

"Morning Crynn," she murmurs sleepily. After a few seconds, she sits up in her bed and stretches. Her hair is everywhere. I've never seen my hair do that in the morning, it just sits flat on my head until I brush it.

"Why are you up so early?" I type in the translator.

"If you get ready a little before they come in to wake you, you can get better food." Lyra explains as she pulls herself out of bed with what looks like a lot of effort. The lights turn on, and I can see pillow creases in her skin.

She pulls her uniform on, and I jump out of bed to do the same. There's a curtain hanging across the room, so I pull it across for a bit of privacy.

"You seem like a morning person, Crynn. It took me the whole week to get a head start, and now I don't even have one," Lyra continues talking to me through the curtain as we both tame out our hair.

Just as I pull the curtain back, the door opens and Teacher Oralis peers round the door. She smiles when she sees us already ready for the day.

"Teaching the new girl how to get the best food, well done Lyra." She leaves the door open, and we follow her into the hallway.

Only a few others are ready, and they all point and mutter when they see me. I try to ignore it. Years of sticking out have taught me well.

Lyra bounds downstairs, eager to get the food before anyone else. For someone that's not a morning person, I admire her enthusiasm.

We join the line for food, which is thankfully short, and Lyra's motor mouth starts going again.

"Told you the best food is served early." She points at the bacon, which seems to be getting ignored by all the other girls, and beams.

We reach the food and start dishing up our servings. I follow Lyra, and get some toast, eggs and a small portion of bacon. She also grabs a small yoghurt bowl, filled with plain yoghurt. I ignore it, and follow her to a small table at the back. The other girls stare at the bacon on our plates as we pass them.

"Most girls don't eat it because they want to stay skinny. The secret is eating a small amount last, so you can taste it until your next meal." Lyra says quietly, leaning slightly closer to me. She doesn't drop her tray, which is a miracle.

At the table, there is already one other girl, who slides over to make room for Lyra. Her black hair is cut to her shoulders, and her eyes are a startling blue.

"Em, this is Crynn. Crynn, this is Em. We were roomed together before the sale," Lyra explains, stealing a fried potato from Em's plate.

How do they talk so freely about the sale? It's been only a day since mine, and a week since I turned seventeen.

"Hey," Em stabs the piece of toast that Lyra just cut and eats it before Lyra can protest. Lyra looks up, and motions for me to move over.

A tall girl with glasses sits next to me. Her plate is almost empty, save for a bowl of the yoghurt and some sliced apple.

"I'm Mariline." She introduces herself to me. I type my name into the translator.

"Crynn." The robotic voice catches Ems and Marilines attention. Em almost drops the potato she was eating, and Marilines spoon falls back into the bowl.

"She's a mute." Lyra explains, the only one not phased by me. She keeps eating, carefully slicing and protecting her toast.

"Selective," I type. "Trauma caused."

Em shrugs and goes back to eating, Mariline still looks shocked. The freckles dotting her nose are wrinkled, and her glasses slide down her nose a little. She pushes them back up with a finger, and that seems to break her trance.

"I heard the Commander brought you. Did he know at the time of purchase?" She asks, picking her spoon up again, but not taking her eyes off me.

"He stopped the auction, and I'm pretty sure they mentioned my disability." I lower the volume on the translator, aware that others are listening to our conversation.

A bell echoes through the room, and Lyra starts eating even faster. I assume that means that we are going to have to leave soon, so I focus on finishing my own food.