Messages From a Friend (Poofless)

3

~*Mi'kai*~

"Bet'cha can't catch me!" Frags yells to M'ayris and I before running off somewhere. He and my sister met less than a month ago, and yet they bicker like life-long comrades. I don't know why, but it still feels strange to see my sister in the recruit uniform; let alone be ranked 5th out of our entire age group after only a few weeks. She might even out-rank me at the rate she's going at. No wonder they called her a prodigy...

"Let's give him three minutes," I say with a smile, leaning backwards against the cement wall behind me. Today we are supposed to be watching the west wall to make sure that first years don't try to escape while "running" the perimeter of the base, but all Frags wants to do is goof-off. Why can't he be serious for once in his life? Maybe then he'll be able to actually learn how to fight and improve his ranking.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud laugh from Frags. M'ayris sighs and shakes her head, "You can wait three minutes Mi'kai. I'm getting impatient." With that she runs off to catch Frags. It's not hard to catch up to him; he's not a very fast runner.

"Alright," I call after my twin before letting out a sigh and closing my eyes. I finally get a break. Maybe I can actually- my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone stepping on a twig. Letting out a huff, I open my eyes and look over to where the sound came.  But instead of seeing a tiny new recruit like I expected, I saw a blonde girl around my age.

She didn't look like a recruit. Her hair was done up in an fancy braid-like-thing, and she was wearing a blue and white dress instead of the light grey uniform. And instead of wearing polished black combat boots, she was barefoot.

"Who are you, and what are you doing back here?" I ask with the most serious voice I can muster, "You don't look like a recruit."

The girl's eyes were wide with fear and she looks around as if she was being followed, "is there any guards around here?" she whispers, turning her attention back to me. Guards?

"Guards? If you're talking about gate guards than no," I point eastward, "they stay in the eastern areas of the compound."

"No not gate guards you idiot," the girl hisses, "royal guards!" I look at her in confusion.

"Why would the royal guard be-"

"You don't know who I am?" she looked stunned to see that I didn't know who she is.

"Should I?"

"How do you not know who I am?"

"It might be because I'm from the islands," I say with a shrug, "We don't get much information over there."

"Really?!" her eyes widen with surprise, "I've never been to the islands! What are they like?"

"Umm... the islands are different from the mainland. That's all I can say really," I shrug, "May I ask who you are so I won't get confused again?"

The girl smiles and stands up straight, "I am Princess Anaihee Northridge, daughter of Emperor Wojcik, and next in line to the imperial throne," a small smile is on her face, "What about you?"

"My name is Mi'kai," I say with a shrug. It's not like I have much else to say about me.

"Is that all it?" Anaihee's eyes were wide, "You aren't going to mention anything else about yourself? Like who your parents are, or how many siblings you have?"

"I have a twin sister named M'ayris."

"You're a twin?!" she was dumbfounded like everyone else gets when I say that.