Echoes Of War

2

Bathed in the warm embrace of a sunlit day, I stood amidst the vast training fields. The gentle breeze carried the fragrance of blooming flowers, a momentary respite in the midst of relentless training. My braids, meticulously woven for protection, cascaded down my back as symbols of both strength and vulnerability.

Master's watchful eyes observed my maneuvers with a flicker of pride. Her words echoed approval, a recognition of how far I had come. Yet, beneath the veneer of accomplishment, a storm of emotions raged within. The scars, both seen and unseen, still bore the weight of battles waged. Of the deaths of those I wouldn't save, of those lost at my hands.

In the cadence of my training, memories beckoned me to simpler times. Time where I didn't hold such agony, and hatred for those who have wronged me.

I closed my eyes, reliving moments when my older brother trained under this same sun, a future king in the making. This—this all should've been hi, his birth right, it should've been him standing here holding these swords and facing off against master. Not me, not this imposter that I've become. Not this shallow of a woman that I've become.

The ache of longing filled my heart as I yearned for the days when life was uncomplicated, and my family's presence was an unwavering support. Gods, how I wish I turn back time, to finally be able to use all these powers that I have but yet I feel uncertain, unconnected with my own thoughts, feelings and emotions.

My fingers, adorned with tribal markings, traced the scar on the left side of my face – a stark reminder of tragedy and conflict. Master's approving words were a fleeting respite compared to the deeper scars etched within. "You are ready.... half wit."
"Tell me, do you enjoy feeling pain Master?" She knows exactly what to say that'll trigger my powers, which lands her onto the wall.

Lucky for her there aren't any walls around us......yet one can imagine ways to stop her heart from beating.

"Silly girl. Now come on fight like you mean it." She adds as she uses her elemental abilities at me, "Are all Syrhra tribe members so predictable as you Master?" She simply smiles, as we resume to our daily routine. Master is the only one apart from the Elders whom are within the walls of Thundar tribes.

If it wasn't for my need for her abilities after Admiral Arnoux's attack on all four tribes, Master wouldn't be here, since the Thundar tribe decided that it was time to close its gates on everyone else. Master and the elders were the only exception. Thundar is the only tribe that is still standing without Admiral Arnoux's claws and his army in the way.

It had take years to rebuild the Thundar's tribe as it is now, our people are happy, alive, and eating well compare to other tribes, the East has become a beacon for hope for those under Admiral Arnoux's claws, but I wouldn't open the gates of Thundar for strangers again. That already costed me a lot, not only my people's lives, but also my mother's, as well as my brothers and my dear sister. And I pay the price everyday that I life and breath.

Tribes such as Elara and Synthra are all under Admiral Arnoux's claws, last I heard, his tribe the Valorn's were having troubles with controlling those tribes that they so desperately wanted to and enslaved its people for. I should feel bad but I don't, this war wouldn't have happened if those tribes weren't so power hungry for the Thundar's blood and its people.

Lost in the shadows of my memories, a guard's urgent arrival shattered the reverie. "My Queen," he gasped, "four men seek an audience, emissaries claiming to be from the Wolfkin tribe."

The mention of the Wolfkin tribe reignited a dormant fury within me. Unbeknownst to myself, my power surged, and an unseen force shattered a nearby vase. The shards echoed the fragments of my peace as I prepared to face emissaries from a past that had stolen much from me. The sunny day, once a canvas of serenity, now carried the foreboding weight of impending confrontation.