The Chase : Volume One

Unintended Consequences Part One

"Semmy"

"Semmy-Belle!"

Semmy opened her eyes to Suada looking at her with furrowed brow. "You were already in bed, so I didn't wake you last night after I heard about the announcement from last night." she said standing up and beginning to move things around the room.

The sun was coming in though the window. Semmy groaned and pulled the cover back over her eyes. She didn't want today to be here yet. As upsetting as yesterday had been, there was a lot more to deal with now. She didn't want to face the aftermath of it all either. What little reputation she had, what little standing she had left, was all gone. There was not a zheragon in all of Zeneth who didn't know what a joke she was to the Center and to all of Zhagozie.

Suada pulled the cover back briskly, "they announced the list for En Zahut girl, and you are on it."

"Eeeeeh?" Semmy moaned as she sat up, her eyes still adjusting the light. "What announcement?" 

Suada stood up and opened the curtain a little more. "En Zahut, The Chase! Are you actually awake or can you not hear me?"

Semmy groaned "I knew they were gonna announce that, everyone was talking about it. Who did you say was on it" Semmy sat up slowly and started to stretch a little.

"You... You are on it!"

"MEE?" Semmy exclaimed in wonder. "But... But... I will just be turning 20 in time! They stopped putting 20 year olds two rounds ago."

"Which would be a problem if it were ever an official rule but I believe that is why you are being sent. But they don't know you are Chosen. You will need to start training as soon as possible." she explained sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

"I already train four days a week" bemoaned the younger agon.

"Not melee fighting Sem - rahisi and zheragon. They are entirely different. Getting disoriented or running out power in the air can completely change the tide of a battle. Also, you are training on a course, you need to get out and train in a wooded terrain, and perhaps even against some small yfrahne."

"Well that will help - but who is going to train me?"

"I will... at first. I have sent word out to an old friend." Suadas eyes darted down as she stood up and smoothed down the sides of her garment a bit nervously.

"How? When did you have ti-?"

"Well I sent the perula out last night when I came back and you were on the bed unconscious!" Suada interrupted a tad agitated now at Semmy's interrogating.  "But I was your mother's ..."

"AhhhUgggggh" Semmy whined laying back down pulling the cover back over her head. She felt like her trials were never ending. First she gets assault with fruit on her Tae'Sora, now they wanted to send her to the Amaranthyne to die.

Still, she did have hope. The Chase, was the perfect opportunity to raise in ranks. Whoever she was lynked to would have a vested interest in repairing her status. This was something she could use. It made her sick. Not only was  marriage the  quickest and most official way to upward mobility, she would have to depend on some random male to help her.  Especially after Suada told her it was up to her, she couldn't pick someone who would lord over her or possibly just kill her to get out of it.  There was so much to do in order to be prepared for spending  seven days in only place where dragons not the strongest - or the most appreciated. 

Semmy thought of her brother again. She refused to believe he was really gone. He was all she had left, and she needed to believe in something.  She had to get up and face the day whatever the case may be. Because if he was alive, she was the only one trying to bring him back.  So she slowly pulled the covers from off of her face. 

"So how do I get ready for this?" she asked slowly sitting up. 

"I have already sent out a request for the perfect xisei. He is only 250, but he is a close friend of mine. You can trust him. "

"A master under 500? Well, I guess I am still lucky by accounts that I can have one. " she asked pulling herself to a stand and heading toward the window.

"Oh me training me first doesn't count?" Suada prodded 

"Well that will help - but"

 "But I was your mother's protector before I became your nurse, nanny and attendant! Jobs I only took on, because... I couldn't bear to see you alone, and I didn't trust anyone else to look out for you... But I know those titles have made it difficult for you to look up to me as a warrior and real mentor. So I asked for help.  With someone whose experience might be a little more... fresh." she went on while rushing about picking out clothes for her charge. For Suada, everything seemed to be falling into place- but she clearly was not ready for these times to come on as quickly as they had. She had hoped the desire to handle Semmy's wedding publicly without making the malintent too obvious would lead to this conclusion and before Semmy's rahisi had unlocked she had little hope it would turn out well nonetheless.

Suada sighed. She was still worried that this was moving much faster than she anticipated.Still, this would be the fastest way to boost Semmy to enough regard that she could start squeezing information out of the upper class. She was still fairly certain that Eteocles was behind the betrayal. The only one who could bring Zheragon together against him is Eli. But to get him on board I would need hard proof first, hard proof that only Semmy could play the best hand in finding.  Suada thought to herself. "I will go and grab more equipment from the store. I have the perfect place to start practicing with your rahisi." She grabbed a sack and went out the door.

Looking out the window now, Semmy looked down and saw a cloaked agon standing in the minor courtyard. This agon seemed quite finely dressed under the white cloth. Which was already too white to be an average nadiren citizen. The agon jumped up and down in delight and ran straight into a gon's arms. The gon appeared to still be wearing his fare from the previous ending. Soteramose wore a mostly back sherwani with red embellishments. He looked surprised by his guest but did not hold back from giving her a passionate kiss and swinging her around in his arms.

That kind of love reminded her of her parents. One of the few remaining good memories she had of them was scenes of hugs and kisses and cuddling together. As she could remember she her parents were very much in love. She noticed him looking around and leading her away but almost didn't move away in time when he began to look up at the windows.

She froze with her back to the wall next to the window with her hand over her mouth trying not to laugh. She carefully looked back out the window and saw how he gently escorted her along and was looking ahead of her steps to makes sure she didn't face any reason to stumble. "So he is handsome and caring" she thought aloud. For a moment she thought being cared for like that by him, might be nice. However, she scooted that imagery along without too much more thought. Him obviously being take - was more than too much drama for her. Also, she still needed someone with a better public standing. Or at least one that wasn't more a thing of gossip and infamy.

"Infamy...." she pondered... notoriety, infamy... envy... If I could have any of those, I can use that. Everyone wants something.