Tzipora

A young woman dressed in rags and wearing an iron collar stumbled out from the entrance of a drab little cell, with hollow lifeless eyes, and long, oily black hair. She was a slave by the name of Tzipora, from the former tribe of Medith, around the age of fifteen. She and her father, Yothr, were the last remaining members. They currently lived as slaves, if it could be called living. Her father, being great in wisdom, was put to work on the inscription work around the various places in the city where different magical effects were desired. He even helped to link a key piece of the diagram that now serves as the outer wall's barrier projector. Now, however, this long year of work had drained him of all life, and he was grasping at the edge of death's door, holding out a hope his daughter couldn't see or understand.

"Just wait." He would tell her, "God hasn't abandoned us yet." his eyes always seeming to look far to the future.

She would always shake her head at these words. Her experience didn't leave room for God. Whatever He was doing, it was the Demon King who currently held their lives in his grasp. She knew there was no hope in such an evil being as master, so her heart had already abandoned the world and everything in it besides her father.

Right now, she was making her way to her daily labor, still sore and exhausted from the piled up days of unceasing work over the past year. She was looking at the dirt, her hands scraped after having stumbled on her way out.

A shadow loomed over her suddenly and a hand reached out. "Here." A deep but kind voice echoed in her ears, before taking her under the arm and helping her stand. " Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks Anak." Tzipora thanked him in monotone, though imperceptibly her eyes widened just the slightest bit. He actually returned.

Anak looked into the dead, grey eyes of the thin girl before him, and felt a stirring in his gut. She was still so hopeless, like someone living in a dark cave having never seen the light. He wanted to break open the walls of that cave and allow the sun to pour in.

"How's your father?" asked Anak. He had a bit of a gleam in his eye like he was up to something as he asked this question.

"What do you mean?" Tzipora asked, her tone turning tense as she eyed Anak warily. She didn't play games when it came to her father.

"Wh- wait, you mean-? Aghh! That bastard." Anak raged, and Tzipora just grew more confused and anxious. Seeing this Anak held his hand out in a placative fashion, "Okay, sorry. That must've been really confusing. You remember my enchanter friend I told you about? He was supposed to stop by. He's probably just running late."

Anak looked over his shoulder as he too grew anxious at the unexpected development. Suddenly, around a corner came sprinting a lanky youth in a divine copper skull cap, carrying a gnarled wooden staff.

"Urmu!" Anak called out waving his hands energetically, "You're late!"

"I know, I know," Urmu grumbled. "The damned entrance guards held me up."

"For two hours?" Anak chided his friend, "I came here expecting you to already be finished."

"Um, excuse me." A sharp voice suddenly rang out. Tzipora wore a tight frown, and her eyes blazed, showing a depth of passion that Anak hadn't yet seen from her, her hair that usually hung low over her face swept back as her head was held high. Anak stared dumbly, stricken by her visage. "Just what do you intend to do to my father?" Tzipora growled.

"Ah, yes, that's uh... that's my department." Urmu interjected shyly, " Anak here asked me to use an enchantment to help heal your father. I did explain that there are no healing enchantments, at least that we've discovered yet. Not that he'd listen." Urmu started his explanation, his last words dashing aside the slight hope she almost felt at his initial statement.

"Now hold on, Urmu! That's not what you told me!" Anak shouted in equal measures of anger and panic. He wanted to help Tzipora, and lift her spirits. Wouldn't this just make things worse?

"Hold on, I haven't finished." Urmu quickly spat out. He realized how badly he'd begun his explanation. "From what I've heard of your father's condition, its from old age and over-work, right? I don't need a healing enchantment to fix that. I have something that will work far better. He doesn't lack health potential. He lacks latent energy. Just you watch." Urmu used terms unfamiliar to both Anak and Tzipora, clearly some kind of enchanter's jargon.

Hearing this, Tzipora mutely nodded. She wouldn't know what to say until either seeing her strong and healthy father standing once again before her, or watching them fail. Anak impatiently gestured for Urmu to enter.

As Urmu stepped inside, Anak and Tzipora close behind, he saw the dusty air, cracked and poorly insulated walls, and completely bare floor of the wretched dwelling. On that floor lay Yothr, Tzipora's father, pale, shivering, and emaciated. Much longer like this, and he'd be thrown into the arena for sport and monster food. He was snoring gently, even as he shivered uncontrollably, apparently sleeping.

Tzipora tapped Urmu hard on the shoulder, and put her finger to her lips, indicating he work silently and let Yothr sleep. Urmu nodded. He raised the gnarled wooden staff in his hands, and a white light flashed in his palms. Twin beams of green and orange light befell the sleeping Yothr from the tip of the staff, and his shivering slowed before stopping. As time passed with Yothr illuminated by the dual lights, his thin frame began filling out miraculously, and several joints loudly popped, as the swelling in them subsided.

The light finally diminished and disappeared, leaving Yothr looking like a man who'd lived his long life in the lap of luxury.

Tzipora looked between her peacefully napping father, and Anak, ignoring Urmu completely, as tears began to form in her eyes.

"Thank you. I...just-thank you," she bowed her head towards Anak as feelings of relief and gratitude overwhelmed her. Perhaps some hope could still be found in this world of darkness.

Suddenly, a loud banging echoed out from the outer wall.

"Slave girl! Get out here! You think you can just skip work?" a loud voice bellowed obnoxiously.

Hearing this demand, Tzipora's gleaming eyes quickly lost their luster, returning once again to their cold, detached state. "Forgive me, Master Bian. I'm heading out right now." She turned to head out the door, her shoulders drawn in close in anticipation of the beating she knew was coming.

Before she could even take a step, however, Anak grasped her arm tightly. He looked into her eyes, and shook his head,

"Let me handle it, Tzipora."

As she stared into his steady gaze, Tzipora found herself agreeing, unwittingly having come to trust him. "Stay behind me." Anak smiled as he gently pushed her aside, walking out the door himself. Tzipora followed closely behind, her eyes once again gleaming, unbeknownst to her.

"Bian, was it?" Anak asked authoritatively as he strode confidently out the door.

"Silence, slave." A foolish soldier standing by the door who lacked awareness swung his filled scabbard towards the back of Anak's head. Anak swiftly ducked low, as he swept the soldier's legs from under him, before pointing a finger at him,

"I could kill you with just this. Do you believe me?" The soldier gulped as he nodded.

"Fool!" A panicked Bian began berating his subordinate, " Don't you know who you just attacked!?" Bian dropped to his knees and bowed his head low towards Anak, "My apologies young master Anak. How shall he be dealt with?" Bian was trembling. He was in the audience at the tournament, and saw the overwhelming strength of the young man before him. Everyone in the city knew he was inhuman, growing at a monstrous pace in a single year, and, besides all that, his parents answered directly to King Gel-ad. There was no one he would less like to antagonize.

"He has been, I'd say." Anak cast a mocking glance at the soldier, before turning his cold eyes back to Bian. "Tzipora, my friend," He emphasized the latter words, "-was with me. Is there a problem?" He looked down imposingly on the still kneeling Bian, taking advantage of the situation to increase his leverage to the utmost.

"N-not at all, young lord. It's just-" Bian cast a troubled gaze at Tzipora, "slaves have to work. It's the King's decree. I can't just let her not go where she's assigned...sir."

Anak rubbed his chin in thought. "The King's decree," he mused. "Well, that will probably change soon," he declared, "So just make an exception today, hmm?" Anak gave Bian a devilish smile, making his blood run cold. Still, he didn't fear Anak more than the king.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, not budging.

Anak frowned deeply as he considered his options. He refused to allow this Bian, who so rudely interrupted the happiest moment for Tzipora in too long a time, to get what he wanted. Bian clearly just wanted to get Tzipora away from Anak so he could beat her. Suddenly an idea hit Anak like a star's right hook. He turned to Tzipora with a delighted expression.

"Where were you assigned to work today? I'll come with you." Anak smiled brightly at Tzipora, who suddenly felt like laughing at this brazen, stubborn young man who refused to leave her be.