Girl At War

Introduction

Hey, so this is an experiment story. I don't think anybody even reads my stuff, but anyway. :) The inspiration for this story came from a dream, so it's a little unusual. It is set in a different world. Here's a quick run-up of their world before the story. If you'd like, you can skip it. Enjoy! Questions and editing welcome! (aka wanted;) The picture above is of the 127 Falmere, a plane in my book. 

Their world is a lot like ours, only much more advanced technology and some other differences. It is much smaller, and it is all two kingdoms. There is still gravity, and a sky. Only this sky is "set". In places it is always cloudy, in others it is always sunny, in others it is always rainy. The rain had to be brought to the sunny area to water everything. Wind can come and go, though.

There is no fire, anywhere. Nobody knows what it is. It is greatly feared. Sometimes, near the edge the rainy area, a lightening strike will start a fire. It burns lots, and terrifies the people. They call it rebel light, because even though it is light, they cannot control it. Warmth comes from bundling up, and one-room, well-insulated houses heated by body warmth, acting much like igloos.

The people look much the same, only the Hopeains are much more beautiful. There are set colors, though. If someone has brown hair, they will have brown eyes, warm-toned skin. Golden blond or lighter, means blue eyes, fair skin. White hair is pale eyes, and pale skin. Red hair, dark blond hair, black hair, and any different hair or eye color other than pale, blue, and brown are nonexistent.

Light is used as a common every-day thing. If someone wants to hang something up, they grab a sunbeam and tie it. Sometimes light is used as a blanket, for it has good insulation, but since it is bright, it's hard to sleep with. Most often, light is used to tie things and provide its namesake: light. It is a perfect torch, for they can get a piece, and put it on the table or somewhere and it acts as a lamp. Everyone can control light, but everyone also has another ability; one of five special abilities in the world.

There is Devoy, telepathy, which is most common, second most common is Shekara, the ability to sense emotions in people and changes in nature. Then there's Vivita, animal skills, which is slowly becoming less and less. Zuni, or shapeshifters is fourth, and like Vivita, it's a disappearing power. Last, and rarely seen, is Malental, the gift of healing. It is rumored that Mkally, the goddess of healing, allows only seven healers in a hundred years. There is also something that a few older people know about, and simple refer to as the Gift. It is the ability to see the future, if a little indistinctly, and not far into it. It is not considered one of the powers, for one person in a thousand may have it, or may not. However, the Gift is passed through lineage of Arian, the first who had the Gift. If someone is not of her blood, they have no chance of getting it. Those of her blood have a chance, but a slim one.

Visible only to Malentals when they want it, is something like a light bar/meter near each person. That tells their tiredness.

The world in a sense is split, half and half. One half of their world, nicknamed the Death Side, the temperatures drastically change, soaring from dangerously hot one day, to below freezing the next, even in the sunny areas. The other half of their world holds pretty even. The world is also split into two kingdoms, with one having been pushed to the Death Side. The other occupies the Life Side where the temperatures hold pretty much even, and comfortable.

The two kingdoms are Alkotratz, and Shayvor. Shayvor is where the my character's family lives. Their king is fighting back against Alkotratz, to get to the Life Side. Without the Life Side, his people are slowly dying because the temperatures have too drastic changes. Food barely grows at all, and any animals are very difficult to keep alive.

The king has drawings whenever he needs more soldiers, and whoever is drawn, has to fight for him. Males ten and up are required to enter the drawing, females fifteen and up. Those chosen must serve until one of several things happen: one, they get injured bad enough to send them home. Two, they serve ten years or until twenty-five years old. Three, they get a discharge, most often in the worst disgrace and cast out of society. Or lastly, the war ends. There is a meager pay for some elite ones, the rest are just soldiers for their kingdom.

Marriages are arranged when the children are between five and ten, and they are married by or before twenty. The children have no say in the marriage. They are not told until two months before the wedding. Old unmarried women are unheard of. They say if a girl isn't married by her 21st birthday, she is a witch, and so is put to death. Men have no limits, though. They could have two wives, although when they married the second, they had to quit having children with the first. Neither gender could divorce, and if either one ran away they were likely to get killed for "treason to their chosen partner." If a husband or wife died, the living one would remain for two years in grieving, then women had two more years to pick another partner and men had three before being 'eliminated', or killed. Molesting women was a death charge. They were treated with the highest courtesy. When a married man or woman is called to war, the other returns to his/her family until their partner returns.

There is no real "law enforcement" because everybody sees the trouble caused by fighting and try to avoid it. If something is drastically wrong, it is taken to the King. Small affairs are settled by gentleman's duels. All children are taught by the king's school how be polite, to ride and to shoot with a bow in case of later involvement in fighting. Children of the wealthy are taught at an early age how to handle swords, read, write, and many other things.

Terms

Klapydia - the air defense of Shayvor, made up of the most skilled pilots and fighters. It's an honor to be one. (note, planes are much like they are in the Marvel Avengers)

Kaheric – an old, practically forgotten language, equivalent of Latin in our day.

Lo-Hem – a trained fighter

Kulpan La-Inyan – an elite group of fighters in Shayvor. Trained as assassins, and bodyguards.