A Dance Of Blades and Hearts

Peria

The ship to Peria consisted of I and the helmsman, who only ever strayed out of the helm area when he had to get food.

The mission was top secret and was known only by the masters and my brother, I had been on the ship for 2 days, alone with my thoughts and my heart in my throat most of the time.

I had no idea what to expect in peria.

According to the masters I was to join the training barracks for new recruits for the perian palace, it was the only way to get into the palace which was always heavily guarded, I sighed and pushed the thoughts out of my head.

Not making it back was something every zethnan warrior who went out to war had to face, I was just in uncharted territory.

My only prayer was that if things were to go horribly wrong, azumi wouldn't blame himself forever for it, non of this is his fault but my brother has always had a way of taking responsibility for things he wasn't supposed too.

A sound came from the ship, piercing through the silent air. I left my place on the the ship and went up deck, what I assumed to be the Perian harbor came into view.

The ship wasn't zethnan ofcourse, it was one that had been taken from a city that was in alliance with Peria during the war. So the ship easily passed through inspection by those I guessed to be the bay officials

Just like the masters said immediately after coming out of the ship, there was a man waiting, he bowed

" lady kiara " he said and I bowed, the man was to show me to the training barracks, after which I would be completely on my own. At the back of my mind I acknowledged that I was being called Lady for the first time in my life and it felt odd

The stranger led me through the city, the first thing I noticed was how bright this part of the city was, stalls filled almost every corner, people barely spearing us glances if not curious ones, the city was beautiful.

I grew up believing that peria was evil, it's emperors since the beginning of the war at the forefront of it all, looking at the city and at the children running around with big innocent smiles on their faces made me wonder if they were oblivious to the war and how things were outside of  peria, or they were just doing what their emperor commanded, what they were born into.

I shook my head to clear them of the unwanted thoughts, Peria was the enemy.

I realized the man had stopped infront of a large building with gray walls in a corner of the city, he turned to me and bowed,

" this is the perian training barracks, I'm afraid the masters only told me I had to bring you here, nothing more " I bowed at him

"thank you, I can take it from here "

I stared at the building and unconsciously clutched my mother's Necklace, the interior wasn't much different from the view from outside, the hall was empty safe for a desk with a petite looking lady.

I had no idea what to do so I walked up at her

She looked to be in her mid 20s, her eyes followed me till I stood in front of her

her eyes looked curious

" are you lost dear? " she asked eyebrows raised.

Lost? Why would she ask that. I bowed at her

" I'm kiara from nalu and I'm here to join the recruits for the palace " the masters had agreed that I was to use my real name incase of an unforeseen complication.

The womans eyebrows shot up even more.

"Nalu you say?, well that explains it " she hums looking at a parchment and writing down something.