Fɪɢʜᴛ Fᴏʀ Aʟʟ || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Oɴᴇ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sɪx || ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴀɢᴜᴀʀ

Sasha

Nothing in my life has ever been normal.

Okay, the tone of that was way more negative than I intended. I love my chaotic, fast-paced life. The constant movement of it all gives me barely any time for worries or resentments.

Or dreams.

But dreams are for the hopeful, my pa always says. Achieving them is for the determined.

Great advice, Pa. Really, super encouraging.

He'd always laugh at my sarcasm, maybe pull on my long hair. Who said you're not determined?

That was years ago. When he was still happy, and my father was still around. Then my father left, and Pa got sad.

He threw himself into work, and as I was only eight at the time, dragged me along with him. So I got introduced to General Teng's army at a very young age.

In fact, after watching them train for about a month or two, I begged him to train me. Pa was nothing short of delighted. He trained me personally for the next two years, then enlisted me.

That's how I, at only 14, became part of perhaps the most feared army in all of Zhong.

Anyway, back to the current craziness of my life.

Given the recent Conqueror attack on Jano Rion, we'd had to flee to the Great Bamboo Maze. My eyes stung just thinking about it. We'd failed. Our duty was to protect the city and they'd burned it to the ground.

But one good thing had come from the attack. Jhi has returned, summoned by none other than Meilin, the General's daughter. And she'd fled alongside with a Greencloak, heading to Greenhaven– and safety.

And my Pa was safe. The thought bubbled insistently back to the forefront of my mind. He'd made it. I pushed it away.

Don't be selfish, his voice scolded.

There was no one whose life could be traded, no matter how I felt about them. That was what he'd always taught me. No one was worth more than anyone else. A noble sentiment, really. But one that would surely get him killed.

Anyway. I shook off the pesky tendrils of the thought, refocusing.

We were stuck in the Great Bamboo Maze indefinitely, so that's where my Bonding Day celebration ended up being held. Well, it wasn't really a celebration.

No one expected me to summon an animal, least of all me.

But when the jaguar flashed into being, lithe and fierce and deadly, I couldn't deny it. And then I found out we were part of a prophecy.

Sheyu, the Greencloak who'd administered the Nectar, revealed it to me first. He told me about the frantic message he'd gotten from a fellow Greencloak, explaining the prophecy and her inability to complete her mission.

I'd felt sorry for her at first.

Then Sheyu had told Pa and he was devastated.

I didn't understand why at first.

"It means that you must leave us and go to Greenhaven with him."

My eyes widened, "what? But, but... my future is here, as a Zhongese warrior!" In that moment, I wished the jaguar had never come. I must've been the only person in the world to ever wish to get rid of their spirit animal.

He smiled sadly, "it was. Now your future is with the Greencloaks, saving Erdas."

I looked at my spirit animal. The jaguar was lounging in the dappled shade, licking his paw with what I could've sworn was a condescending expression.

This is all your fault! I wanted to scream, if I'd never summoned you, I'd not have to go with the Greencloaks! But instead I nodded, gritting my teeth. "I'll practice everyday as to not forget what you have taught me, Pa."

His eyes were dark with an emotion I couldn't decipher, though it was familiar. "You had better."

Sheyu smiled, "come, Sasha. We must go."

I bowed respectfully to my father and General Teng. Then, with one last glance back, followed Sheyu out of the camp and into the Great Bamboo Maze. It was only after we'd left that I finally understood why I had recognized the emotion in Pa's eyes.

It was loneliness.

The days after my father left, it had oozed off him, silent, infectious. I remember looking at him and feeling terrible for something I couldn't have changed no matter what I did.

My heart wrenched. I'd caused that feeling in him.

I abandoned him.

My mouth grew dry and tears pricked my eyes.

I'm no better than Father.

That chapter was kinda different, but fun to write. Hope you enjoyed it and please check out my Spirit Animals role play, it's still open!

edit: 20/03/21
that's really depressing sash-
also, just to be extra clear!!! SASHA IS A BOY
yeahhh, there've been a lotta mixups with that. sorry.
hope you enjoyed lovelies!! xx