Finally Employed!
-- Starting Author Note --
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to apologize for being silent -- stuff's been getting in the way of writing... and I'm also lazy so that doesn't help much.. <.<;;
I'll be writing alot more now, I swear!
otherwise Hyphen will kill me. ;;.>.>;;
Please read the ending author note!
Side Note: ECV stands for Enhanced Circulatory Vein (ECS refers to the whole system (S standing for System)). This vein is connected to every, single place on the body, and is what transports sparks around. See the end Author's Note for some clarification.
-- Lewis --
"Riselaesuu. Waurae-raerr-hawaukaerrri."
I felt my ECV enter a hyper state, as if I'd pumped it full of pure sugar.
It flowed with the contrasting sparks of life and unlife; pouring into my lungs, waiting for a direction.
'Aasuu-leuuraeoha-kawauleha'.
The words never left my mouth, well, not as sound.
They appeared shortly afterwards as a black mist that emerged from my mouth and then moved to cover my hands; I couldn't feel the mist, nor taste it as it streamed out of my mouth. But it seemed to speak to me... or maybe was I just reading into the feeling it gave off?
A feeling of destruction, of ruin.
Yet... not of death.
Perhaps when I was stronger...
I jumped off my back leg, using the adrenaline of my active body to cover the distance between myself and the training dummy within the span of a few seconds. During the sprint, I split of a small part of the active sparks within me and channeled them towards my eyes, letting my 'World Vision' take over my sight.
It all turned black. Everything, apart from a clump of grey sparks that I continued to speed towards.
Closer.
Closer.
I reached the dummy, slamming both my palms into it's chest and forcing the sparks in my hands into the dummy's body while using the momentum of my sprint to knock it to the ground.
Unnecessary, but it looks cool.
Better chances of passing the test, if I make myself seem stronger, right?
I cut the sparks off from my eyes and hands; almost stunning myself as the darkness instantly inverted itself and flooded my eyes with white light.
The dummy was still on the floor -- a widening gap forming on its chest.
It shouldn't take more than two minutes for the whole thing to deconstruct.
< That was.. lamer than I thought it would be... You trained for weeks for this..? >
< It's not a smart idea to show them everything, right? >
< Fair, I guess. >
< You just wanted to see everything I learned, didn't you? I'll show you later. >
< I'll hold you to that~>
-- ... --
It was dark, almost too dark, an unnatural kind of dark.
Yet, even with this darkness, a crumpled figure could be seen.
A girl, about 25 or so; her hair, eyes and body - a wheat farm that hadn't seen care in far too long.
Though, her green eyes still shined -- not with life, it wasn't life at all. They shined with anger. A burning anger.
But, it seemed that none of it was directed at the jail she found herself in. It wasn't at the unfairness of life, or the struggle of the weak under the strong.
It was at herself, her own childishness that lead to this.
'Why did I trust them so much? Why didn't I trust the visions?' These thoughts often plagued her waking hours.
-- Aeryn --
"...and your monthly payment will be 4 Quadra-Prisms."
"Thanks."
< Hey Lewisss, how much was a Quadra-Prism again..? >
< 120.. 575...1800. 1800 Diamond prisms a month. >
< So... around 450 nights at the Innkeeper's place back in Mianee..? >
< Yeah... About so.>
That was. a lot.
A lot of money.
I felt a weird sensation piercing my mind -- both from Lewis and myself.
< Ahhh~ Oh the comfort of money~ >
"Ahem. Aeryn?"
"huh? oh, yes?"
"Your teaching license."
"Oh! Right! You're the best whatever your name was!"
"You'll be a provisionary teacher -- meaning you'll be provided living and sustenance, and usually you'll be given a 'mentor' to show you the ropes, but Sir Aldrich has made a few requests."
"Hmm?"
Please, don't darken our mood. We were so happy...
"You'll be given 3 months for personal study, afterwards you'll be required to teach a subject."
"So.. that means..."
"You'll only be teaching when an existing teacher is away."
And there it was. The details that had to change the mood>
Now.., I was...
I was beaming! No, ecstatic!
Finally! A stable course of income!
Little to no responsibility or required social interaction!
"Thank youuuuu!"
The lady who was currently trying to tell me to semantics of my new job probably was picturing the many delightful ways my face could be suddenly altered, but I didn't care. Couldn't care.
I strode away, bouncing to a music I couldn't hear, a heartbeat I didn't really understand.
< So... why are you so blissful? Surely it's not just the money... > Lewis' voice once again appeared in my head. I wondered if I'd ever get tired of it...
Maybe, maybe not.
< It's not like you aren't blissful~ I can literally feel your bliss radiating within me. >
< That's... that's because our souls are bound together! I feel your emotions! Nothing else! >
Oh really?
<...>
< But anyway, why can't I be blissful? We successfully escaped prison, gained our first friend in this place, got a job, got money.. >
< Fair.. >
< AND! You still have to tell me about your- our new powers~ >
< Let's get to our room first >
< OH RIGHT! OUR ROOM! >
I spun around, ready to fly back to the desk
"BLOCK 6:1, ROOM 20:5!" The receptionist lady yelled at me.
"OH! THANKS BEATRICE !" I said, still spinning.
< Eh? Where'd you get 'Beatrice' from? >
< It was the first name that came to mind. >
< Interesting.. she does remind of a 'Beatrice ' I read in a novel... >
< You read books? >
< A while ago. >
- ... --
Days flew almost as fast as her sleep did -- each few hours of being awake seeming to only be separated by a couple of minutes.
Though recently, she started thinking that seconds was a more accurate fit.
All the prisoners were kept in separate cells, or well, most of them.
This girl used to have a cellmate, but they were taken away ages ago.
'Was it just a dream? A Figment of my imagination?' These thoughts were always at the forefront of her mind. Though, whether they regarded the cellmate, or her old life was a question with an ambiguous answer.
Life in the cell hadn't changed, not once. Day in and day out, it was go out, then go in.
The guards hadn't changed either, they still didn't talk, or try to interact with us.
'Was this really a jail or one of those places they sent crazed people?'
She'd never actually seen the former - those were only in the large cities.
Though, thinking about it... one of the guards had been odd. He spoke to us, carried messages between us.
And... had helped devise an escape plan.
I worried for the poor girl, and the other prisoners.
They fully believed the plan would work -- it was funny was desperation did to people.
Though, perhaps I'm wrong, and the guard is doing it with no malicious intentions at all.
Either way, I wasn't fond of declining entertainment.