"The time has come, Erik." the tall blonde woman told the man with the straw-colored hair sitting across from her, looking at the image on the seeing table before her, "I will reveal the secret in three days."
The man, Erik, frowned.
"Is that wise?" he asked skeptically, "Are you sure the girls are ready?" he gestured toward the image.
This girl had her arms wrapped around a younger girl. The older one looked about 16, while the smaller girl looked about 12, and she had the same ivory skin and ebony hair as the older one. The older one appeared to be comforting her. Erik looked more closely, and saw that there was a cage on the table in front of the girls. It had a small, unmoving ball of tawny fur lying inside.
"Is it the older one that you're talking about? Because the other one is much too young-"
"Yes, its the older one." The woman switched the image.
In this one, a tall, lean, blond girl lay on a couch with a phone in front of her, texting. She had on headphones, and she was bobbing her head up and down to the beat. The girl giggled and rolled over, still clutching the phone.
The woman rolled her eyes, "This one's going to be tricky to deal with." she said.
Erik nodded as the woman flipped to another image.
This girl was sitting at a table, with what looked like a charcoal portrait of someone in front of her. Though it had to be only five o'clock pm on Earth, she was fast asleep. Her skin was the color of caramel, her long black hair splayed around her, covering part of the drawing. She was lying still and breathing steadily, an innocent look on her pretty face.
"See what I mean, Sylvia?" Erik asked.
"What?" the woman, Sylvia, looked surprised.
"They are still quite young." Erik pointed out.
"They have to be ready. They are all high schoolers now. Sixteen years old. That is old enough." Sylvia got up and began to pace, twisting her long blonde hair around her hand nervously.
The image changed to a girl pulling on a pair of boots. She pulled her wavy blond hair into a band, and picked up a helmet. It looked as if she was going horse-riding.
But Sylvia didn't seem to have noticed.
"Besides, I have no choice." she continued, "Kiana is dying. We can't let Caleb take over Misteria, you know that." she gave Erik a meaningful look. When he didn't respond, she continued,
"And don't forget, I am close to them all the time. I have watched them carefully. It is quite possible that they are ready."
The image switched to the last girl, a slim, beautiful girl with long, light brown hair. She was wearing an orange tank top with the word, Hoopstar, on it, knee-length black shorts with tall blue socks, and a pair of black and purple shoes with tall ankles. All of her clothing had a check mark, no, a Nike sign, Erik realized, on them.
There was sweat beading on her forehead, dripping down her face, and dampening her shirt, as if she had been working out.
She called out to the three boys who were watching her jog towards them. She impatiently pushed back the light brown hair that had escaped her braid. Her green eyes were darting back and forth, as if she was ready for something.
She was practicing a sport, Erik decided.
One of the boys, a very good-looking boy, lean and tall, with dark hair and huge, sparkly emerald eyes, threw her an orange ball with black stripes on it. She bounced it skillfully while darting around two other boys, one blond and one with black hair, and threw the ball into a sort of net. The boys nodded in approval, one of them shooting her a smile.
The other boys all did the same thing, dodging around each other and then throwing the ball into that same net.
Sylvia kept the image on them.
When they seemed finished, they all walked toward the other side of the large, high ceilinged room, probably a gymnasium, Erik decided, talking and laughing all the while.
Erik looked up, expecting Sylvia to switch the image now, but she was still watching silently, a small, satisfied smile on her face. She didn't seem to notice Erik watching her, so he quickly averted his gaze, looking back at the image.
As Erik watched, the kids all walked to a corner of the room, no, gym, and grabbed what looked like bottles of water from their bags. The girl and the first boy, with that brown hair, started chatting. He said something, and she threw a small towel at him. He didn't seem to mind though, pushing it away and laughing.
"The boy is in love with her," Erik realized with a jolt.
Sylvia looked up, "That's all you notice?" she asked, disbelieving.
"What? No, I mean-"
"Well, I think she will be the easiest to train. I've been watching her the longest, about two years, and she has the best attitude." Sylvia explained.
"Have you known that Kiana is going to die for two years?" Erik asked incredulously.
"No, don't be thick-headed. I've just always known that they would be important to Misteria's survival." Sylvia explained.
"Okay, but I still don't think they're old enough." Erik said, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"Well, I'm going to do it anyway," Sylvia waved her hand dismissively, "Plus, we will be there to guide them through it all. They will succeed, and we will prevail." she tapped her hands on the table, "Keira will rule. We must believe that."
"You always find hope, Sylvia. I imagine you will support us all." Erik watched her face closely, and then asked, "When will you tell the rebels?"
"After I tell the girls." Sylvia was firm, "I must know for sure that the girls will be able to do this, and that they actually believe me. It does sound kind of fantastical, doesn't it?"
"When you think about it from their point of view, yes, it does." Erik looked thoughtful.
Well, we'll just have to see." Sylvia walked out of the room.
Erik stayed behind. The image was back on the sleeping girl. He watched the girl as she breathed steadily, looking so vulnerable and innocent. Erik's heart clenched to think about sending her into a war.
"I hope Sylvia's right." he muttered to himself, as he hurried out the door after her.
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Ayyyyye i started a story
i'd appreciate some feedback if anyone's willing and yeah...
keep smiling everyone :)
