Blue Flame

Chapter One

Chapter One

“Anja! Move it! We’ll never make it in time at this rate.” I half whispered half screamed at my friend, I didn’t actually care about being late, simply my guardian was present, and at all times, a good impression was required. Anja – the lump that was supplying the floor with her body heat started moving, and to my amasement, actually stood. she observed my clean and readied state, with my bag slung over my shoulder.

“Well aren’t you the early bird today? I swear, you’ll be the death of me.” She mumbled, swatting matted hair away from her face. Even whilst being unwashed and irritable, Anja was still the better looking out of the two of us. I wasn’t meant to care, and I had convinced myself – and her – that I didn’t. But; who wouldn’t want to be utterly gorgeous? We were fairly the same height, although I was around an inch, inch and a half taller. Her eyes shone light blue, whilst mine are a dark green, they would be my best features, if it weren’t for the black rays that shot from my pupil through the iris. Some say it’s creepy, some say it makes me look ominous, I say that’s basically the same thing.

Anja’s hair was a rich brown, the curled tips reaching her hips, on the other hand, my natural red hair splayed across my head in a self-cut spiked/pixie fashion. All in all, I was quite proud of my hair.

“Alright! Mariska – we are outta here.” I acknowledged Anja’s massive bag and inwardly smiled. She would overpack wouldn’t she? 

I nodded, and walking out the doorway, I pressed the activation panel on the roof: Rays of blue and green light formed in the doorway giving the illusion of freestanding water, in reality it hurt like hell.

Checking quickly that it had in fact activated, I stalked to my baby. Climbing attop the padded leather, Anja had already started her Drift. I pressed in the code, and listened to the sweet purr of myDrift come to life. We practically flew down the orb, skidding across the lines toward the Old Bridge – the only still-standing structure left from the 2000s. It was by far the most beautiful structure in the entire Dome. We reached the begining of the cobbled bricks, this was the only place you could find real brick anymore. The feel of the carved stone under the wheels of my Drift was outstanding. The texture was slowly worming it’s way into my life, ironically as it was wearing away from the bridge like sand off of a boulder.

We reached the gate – like usually (as we were usually late) it was closed. Anja spun and drifted in reverse toward it, giving a small, but noticable dent among the many others she had made. Our titanium imprisonment slowly opened, the gate creeping open. And the overly zealous GateKeeper – Glade Mordintos – standing at the small gap.

“Anja! You know that if you continue to dent my gate, I’ll have to get Ole’Lorenzo to give you a bruisin’.” He all but whispered in his raspy voice, We smiled at his friendly humour, as he signaled the gate to open further. We brought the Drifts back to life, my heart warming at the sound of my baby’s purr.

Outside my home-orb, was a confusing and twisted pathway with many side roads that led to dissapointing deadends – in every sense of the word. Yet most of the roads led to many other orbs, not unlike our own. Knowing the path like the back of our hands, Anja and I sped to the left of a fork road, twisting and drifting through various alleys, and finally reached the Training-Orb. It had been our temporary home since a week ago, and today we would not be leaving for a descent while. A part of me missed the bridge, but I was anxious to meet up with my friends again.

Gliding through the open gate, we stopped perfectly in line with our quarters. Being third fraim recruits, we were granted certain graces, such as heated showers, clean matresses and a wide variation of weapons to choose from. I had waited for this all my life. In one small fraim I would be a graduate of The best Training-Orb in the Dome. I would be free – free to leave this Dome and finally know what waits outside this metal encasement. sliding off my Drift I slung my bag onto my other shoulder, and walked into the Third Fraim Quarters. The smell hit me first.

“A little something we might have over looked, aye?” Anja looked back at me. We were later than I had originally thought. Girls of our age all looked up at us in surprise, they had clearly just been for a run around the Nature-Orb, that was directly neighboring the Training-Orb. Leaves and mud clung to the girls like their clothes, which were sweat soaked.

“Welcome ladies.” A dry voice spoke ahead of us. I instantly dropped my bag and saluted the Commander. He noded at me, and waited for Anja to repeat the movement of respect. She struggled heaving her bag off and quickly gave up to give a flimsy salute. He frowned and nodded after hesitation.

“Why are you late? This is not a good way to start off the fraim, ladies.” I noticed the glint in his eye when he said ladies. I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, before straightening my back and answering firmly:

“Sir we had some trouble with the gatekeeper, he was unusually irritable this morning.” I smiled at myself inwardly, imagining just how ticked off Glade would be if they traced it back to him.

“Hmph. Alright fine. I know you are from one of the outter orbs Eored.” He harrumphed, addressing me by my last name. It was not uncommon for a commander to do research on the excelling recruits. Almost everyone here new my name, well, every third fraim recruit at least.

I nodded in agreement, as he swiftly turned back to the muddied and no-longer panting girls scattered across the room.

“Ladies.” He sneered. I sneezed the moment he left, breaking the thick tension that hanged in the ballance. We all laughed and slapped eachother on the back;

“Like you two to be late on the first day of fraim!” My perticular friend – Tamar – spoke up first. Anja never really took a liking to her, but we fit together like two barrels in a gun – the result: utter chaos.

“Tamar! You said you weren’t coming back this fraim!” I said in surprise.

“Oh! counting on it were you? Ha! Well, I’ve confirmed your fears then. I have devised a devious plan for us this fraim.” She said excitedly, rubbing her hands together. I grinned in return.

“Looks like the new commander will  have a lot on his hands. What’s your ingenious plan, dear friend?” I raised an eyebrow in question. I faintly heard Anja sigh as she picked he bed furthest from the one I’d dumped my bag on.

“We are going to beat the boys this year. And you have absolutely nothing to say that will change our minds.” She smirked a wolfish grin, like she knew I would object, which –  would have.

“Our minds? So I se we previously agreed on this then.” I shook my head in adoration of my friend.

“Yes dear, I told you yesterday, it’s not my fault you weren’t listening.” Again the wolfish grin appeared, and she was right. I couldn’t change her mind, and once her mind was set, she set to make up mine for me.

“So it’s true then.” I sat on my bed, which was the closest to Tamar’s.

“Yes, it’s true that you’re best friends with the most attractive person in the Dome.” She said her smile reaching her eyes.

“Haha, not what I was thinking, but it’s true.” I laughed with her. ”It’s true that this fraim is doomed for me. You do kow I planned to focus this time, right? Beating the boys wasn’t exactly on my agenda.” I frowned slightly, unpacking my bag, setting my boots under the bed.

“Oh, we discussed this earlier, like I said, try and pay attention.”

“Do you just keep talking when I leave?” I smiled at her incredulously.

“Pretty much.”

A/N: So? If you have any comments/constructive critisism, leave it in the comments/replies box, and I will get back to you.