Warrior: In Training

Chapter 1: The Magister

Chapter 1: The Magister

She played with her bright purple hair as she looked in the mirror. Her eyes were a grayish, silvery colour that lit up when she laughed, her skin was perfectly tanned and her lips plush and pink. She sang as she brushed her hair and never missed a single note.

That girl, the one with the bright purple hair and tanned skin was my sister. She was the definition of beauty, as was my mother who looked like an older version of my sister. My dad had died a warrior for the Magister, but he still had had a beauty to him-while he was alive.

"Kimberly, Jennifer! I have to tell you guys something!" mom called from downstairs and Jenny looked at me where I sat on my bed in our tiny room.

"Are you coming sister? Or are you just going to sit there?" Jenny giggled and ran out the door. I didn't move for a long second, I just stared at where I could see my reflection in the mirror.

I did not contain my family's beauty. My purple hair was dull in comparison to my sisters. My skin was pale and my face full of dozens of freckles. My gray eyes did not share my sister's sparkle and my lips as plush as an deeply loved, childhood teddybear.

Disappointment in my lack of beauty always followed me after I looked in the mirror. I always felt as if one day I would look into the simple mirror trimmed with a delicate wood frame and see the image it had when my sister stood in front of it.

Sighing, I pushed up with my arms. I got up and put my pale feet on the cold wood below me. Silently, I walked out of my room and down the creaky stair case. At the bottom my mom and sister were waiting, looking like twins, my sister's eyes gleaming with what could only be pure joy. She might be four years my senior but she acted ten years my junior.

"Sister!" she exclaimed practically jumping on me. "We've been asked to join the Magister for supper!"

I nodded my head knowing the "we" did not include me. The Magister would not have anyone under the age of adulthood at his banquet. We held of no importance to him as we could not take on any job in the community, yet. I wouldn't see this world's ruler until I graduated school.

"Honey, I want you to go upstairs and pack your things up okay." my mom's voice cracked, going barely inaudible. She was probably thinking of dad right now, with all this talk of the Magister going on. I know that she missed him dearly, just the thought of him usually brought her into a depressed state.

"How long am I staying at Aunt Fiona's?" I asked as I rubbed the back of my neck. Aunt Fiona was my only aunt and I always stayed at her house when my mother was gone for the night. "I thought it was just a dinner?" I continue.

"What do you mean?" mom's voice asked confused making confusion sweep over me as well. Jennifer was just off in her own little world, a smile on her face as she daydreamed, probably imagining all the delights the meal would bring. My sister always had expensive tastes and we never could satisfy them with us just barely staying above the poverty level.

"Your sending me off to Aunt Fiona's because I am not allowed to go to the dinner, am I right?" I asked voice strained, I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what was about to be said next out of my mother's lips.

"No hun, your going with us. Only you're not coming back." mom paused. "The Magister has selected some children from each age group to be his next line of warriors."

It made sense to gather kids from all the different age groups, I'd give the magister that. This way he wouldn't wipe out a whole age group from a school and cause a year without new workers. We could train young this way and be warriors longer and we couldn't say no because our parents held all of our rights, not us.