The Founding of Gazo’s and Gracie’s Academy Part III:
Death and Divide
Year: 15 BGW
It had been nine years since her mother, Grace, had given birth to her brother, Gazo Jr. Gracie liked watching her brother grow just as she had flourished as well. Her mother would tell her that her curves, charisma and cleverness were all traits that she had when she was a young woman, and it was those very traits that caused Grace to win her husband. It was during moments like those, though, where a certain sadness entered the room, like her mother remembered the monster that her father had become. Gracie, in some respects, blamed herself for what happened between them, but she was young, and naïve and just wanted to do what the men did. Was that so wrong?
But, now a new man had entered her mother’s life, her son, and Gracie needed to accept that. He was a typical brother, getting into fights with her, skipping classes to roughhouse with boys, and catching insects after school. None of it bothered Gracie, but she could tell that her mother had acquired a heart for him. One that she thought had left her after she had watched her father drown in the Krine Sea. Late at night when Gracie would need to relieve herself in the chamber room she would pass by her mother’s room and hear a weeping coming from it. It was only on nights where both moons seemed to shine brilliantly. The closest she had gotten to asking her mother about it, was having her fist an inch away from the door. Instead, she prayed for her mother when she returned to bed. The same prayer she had memorized under her mother’s instruction. The same one that had kept them safe for such a long time. Gracie only hoped it would continue to provide safety for them.
For during that span of time, Grace worked multiple jobs, some in the afternoon and some at night. Gracie never questioned where her mother went at night, mostly because she never heard her leave besides a handful of times. She would always be back the next morning, hair ravished like she had been up all night, and she seemed exhausted the way she would be whenever they trained together. And that was her other job, besides a seamstress, she continued her lessons in women’s defense and Gracie had grown to be her aide. The idea was radical, even in this new land that she was brought to at the age of nine, so they trained near a small lake miles from town. Grace would pay for a ride out there in a caravan and a ride back. Gracie knew that she had worked enough and saved up five years’ worth of cures and spells and the occasional bonds that helped them move from Joseph’s house to a squalid section of town, and it helped pay for transportation to their location to practice. Now, it wasn’t squalid in the sense that there were beggars and brothels and the scent of beer eroding the air; it was squalid as anything would appear to be after having lived in such luxury for years in the house of a politician.
Still, the section of town that they were living in currently afforded to them a wealth of clients that were somewhat established financially. It was Gracie’s job to entice these females to sign up with their sessions while at school—Lady’s Charm as her mother called it.
“I don’t know Cie, I. . .I don’t think my father would approve. . .he’s” Ebony looked down and to the sides of her.
Gracie finished her sentence. “Traditional. . .well it is only as traditional as we let it be, that is why we need other women to help us out.” Grace ripped off a piece of her bread and looked at the suns overhead. It was lunch at Rydel’s school and the reason why Gracie was here is because of Joseph, in fact, any females here must have had help and pull from somewhere to receive an education. That is what makes it the perfect place to recruit, her mother said.
“What. . .” Ebony leaned in closer, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, and whispered “What is it that you do there actually?”
“My mother and I teach ladies to defend themselves.”
