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 Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:15 pm
CLASS AFFINITY SOLO
The Haven of Pearls “It doesn’t exist, child,” came the voice of one of the older household staff at Khalel’s home, “you’re just chasing stories.” These words, of course, came from Kelna, a pure-blooded Oban woman who worked as the head housekeeper of her family’s estate. A no-nonsense and hardworking woman, Kelna wasn’t a believer in the legends and stories that the teenager often read. They were flights of fancy and adventure with promises of silver, gold and other types of treasure, but nothing more than that. And they were certainly not how the young daughter of a nobleman should be spending her time. There were other, more important things to focus on: etiquette and poise, for example, as well as trying to find a suitable husband. Needless to say, Khalel wasn’t surprised in the slightest at her housekeeper’s words. She assumed she’d say as much.
Khalel had been sitting at the desk in her guest house when Kelna had arrived with her lunch for the day. Books, papers, and maps of all sorts had been sprawled out on top of it, covering almost the entirety of the surface. The hybrid ended up pushing or moving a lot of these aside in order to make room for the tray of food. When Kelna set it down, Khalel couldn’t help but glance at her, elegant brows quirked in response. “They aren’t stories, Kelna,” she told her, picking up a sandwich with one hand and biting into it. The girl allowed herself to chew her food and swallow before continuing on. It was rude to talk with one’s mouth open, and she had been raised better than that. “The Haven of Pearls exist. Matori have spoken of it for decades,” she then paused, and the housekeeper stared at the girl dubiously. “Just because no one has managed to find it, doesn’t mean it’s not real,” she went on to add.
“If you say so, deary.” And that was that. Kelna left the young girl to her own devices, and Khalel proceeded to eat the rest of her lunch without interruption.
The Haven of Pearls. It was a topic that Khalel had taken a personal and passionate interest in from the moment she could read her letters. As was common knowledge, the Matori people had been enslaved under the Obans for hundreds of years. Two hundred years, to be exact. What wasn’t common knowledge, however, was the fact that the first Matori slaves had a secret hideaway. Dubbed the Haven of Pearls, it was a refuge the Matori sought out when they had down time or wanted to get away from the wrath of their masters. There were other reasons for the hideaway as well. For the Matori, it was a getaway where they could share their culture with one another and keep those traditions alive. It was also a place for them to store any personal items or goods that they didn’t want the Obans to have. Piles of pearls were said to be located there, hence the name of the secret spot, among other things. And it was for that reason, along with a desire to learn more about her Matori heritage, that Khalel was going to find it.
“I’m going out,” came the hurried response of the prentice as looked through her bag one last time to make sure she had everything. Whenever going out into town, Khalel always made sure to carry a bag with her. Not only did she carry a bit of gold on her, but in this instance there was also some snacks, a skin of water, and a bunch of maps and papers with possible clues. These would be the things she’d need if she wanted to find the Haven, and it was always good to be prepared. When she said she was leaving the house, Roga, her former caretaker and the head guard of her father’s estate, just nodded his head in acknowledgement. Although she wasn’t allowed to go out by herself when she was younger, Zaleem had reconsidered his feelings when she turned fifteen. For the past two years, she had been free to come and go as she pleased, and that couldn’t have made her happier. She took the chance to go out at every opportunity she had, which ended up being at least once a day.
Once she was out of the estate, a hand dipped into her bag, and from it Khalel produced a sheet of paper. On it, Khalel had written down a clue she had gathered, which was evident in her neat penmanship. The clue read:
The heart is the center of all things.
Through it, we are given life.
Rejuvenated, we find our salvation.
With this set of phrases in mind, Khalel set off into Sulburi, eager to see if she would have any luck finding the Haven. Luckily for her, she had an idea of just where to go.
The heart of Sulburi was generally a bustling place. Quite a few buildings of importance were located there, so this was of no surprise. The garden that could be found in the center of the city was, however, oddly enough, devoid of people for the time being. On’os seemed to be smiling down upon her for her to be alone in such a place, and Khalel would have to pray to him in thanks later. For now, she had a secret hideaway to find.
The fountain in the garden held Khalel’s attention the most. Not only was it located in the center of the city, but it was a source of fresh water. Water provided life and rejuvenated people when they were in times of desperation and need. She knew it was connected to the Haven of Pearls, but how exactly, she wasn’t sure yet. A refuge for the Matori would surely be well hidden, so having it out in the open was out of the question. Khalel found herself staring at the flowing waters of the fountain, and that was when something caught her eye: one of the large, square bricks that made the pathway around the fountain was different – more worn, somehow. With her interest piqued, the prentice headed over to it, and lifted it up after checking to make sure she was still alone. No one was nearby. To her surprise, after a bit of struggling, she managed to pull it up.
Underneath the brick, a ladder led down into the darkness. Khalel took this opportunity to procure a torch from her bag. She then struck it with a flint in order to light it, and then descended down the ladder. Once she had reached the ground, the hybrid then smoothed out her dress and gazed around her. The chamber she was in wasn’t much to look at. Sconces on the wall could be seen to provide light, but the girl didn’t bother with them. Instead, she made her way down the corridor that was the only direction from the chamber where the ladder was, clearly eager to see what she’d find.
Upon reaching her destination, Khalel couldn’t help but gasp. A larger chamber, much more spacious and accommodating, was located under the fountain, just as she had thought. The Haven of Pearls was real, and was the stories said, chests of various items and goods could be found there. Combs made out of coral, handfuls of pearls, even piles of shells of all sorts could be seen. All of the items in the chamber, of course, had a thick layer of dust over them, so it was clear that hideaway hadn’t been visited in some time. The prentice couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear upon the revelation. She had done it! She had actually found the Haven of Pearls – something that others told her was just a legend. Boy, what a wonderful feeling it was!
It was then that Khalel opened her mouth and spoke for the first time since leaving her home:
“No one is going to believe me.”
---
Word Count: 1,336
Results: Khalel goes down the Treasure Hunter path.
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:13 pm
SOLO ROLEPLAY
A Surprising Conversation The sun was high in the sky on a beautiful sunny day, and Khalel found herself about to get in the pool just outside her living quarters. Later on that night, she had plans on meeting Skadravi again, but for the meantime, she was going to relax. The past few days had been a whirlwind of events. First, she had met Nuri, who was the typical for a young Oban of noble standing. He was polite, if not a bit stiff, yet he wasn’t unbearable like others she had met like him. The day after that, she had met Skadravi, who was entirely the opposite and unexpected. A hybrid boy and one of lower standing, his approach of her had left her thrown for a loop. Yet despite being caught off guard, she found herself attracted to him and eager to spend more time with him, even if he did steal her most prized possession away from her. Never before had she met another hybrid in Sulburi, so it was really refreshing to see someone else like her. Skadravi had made such an impression, that Khalel had asked him to meet her again, secretly and in the middle of the night. What had gotten into her as far as he was concerned, she had no idea, but the hybrid was eager to see the other later that evening. For now, she was just biding time until their rendezvous rolled around.
Just as she was about to slide into the cool depths of the pool, a familiar face appeared in the entryway that lead to her private pavilion. It was Kelna, and she appeared to be looking for the young prentice, for the moment she saw her she stopped and sighed in relief. “Oh, good, young miss,” she said with a happy smile, “I was able to find you.” Quirking a brow, Khalel just gazed over at the head housekeeper with horizontal pupils. Dang it, Kelna – her timing couldn’t have been worse. She wanted to swim, not talk or do whatever the housekeeper was clearly looking for her for. Without having to ask, the old Oban woman went on to explain the sudden intrusion, and the hybrid was glad she didn’t have to ask herself. “I’m sorry to bother you, Miss Khalel, but Lady Faelahn has asked to see you. She wanted me to bring you to her straight away.” Her stepmother? What would Faelahn ever want to talk to her about? Everyone knew that her stepmother had never been overly fond of her. It was even her idea to seclude Khalel away from the rest of the family! Well, whatever it was, she couldn’t exactly keep the woman waiting. Sighing heavily, she pushed herself up from the deck of the pool, and ran inside her house to change her outfit quickly so she was more presentable for the noble woman. Appearances were always of the utmost importance to Faelahn, and she was fully aware that showing up in her swimming attire would be very offensive to her. An irritated stepmother was the last thing she wanted to deal with.
The walk to Faelahn’s personal quarters seemed to take ages. In actuality, it probably only took a few minutes or two to move from Khalel’s section of the estate to the noble woman’s, but she had never actually counted. That and trips to visit Faelahn had usually meant one thing: she was in trouble or about to receive some sort of scolding, so of course the prentice would drag her feet walking to such a meeting. Kelna hadn’t even explained why on earth the woman wanted to see her, anyway – just that she wanted to speak to her, and that was that.
Once Kelna had shown Khalel to her stepmother’s quarters, the older woman then excused herself. Faelahn didn’t even have to ask her to leave. She was aware of her station and her duties, and did as she was told. Faelahn, herself, was sitting on a chaise lounge when the young prentice arrived, and sat up only after the housekeeper had took her leave. “Thank you for being gracious enough to come and see me, Khalel,” the woman said to start the conversation she wanted to have with her. Instinctively, the younger of the two women raised a brow at the other, but said nothing in return. Instead, she just waited to see what else Faelahn had to say, which hopefully included why she had requested an audience. “I know our meetings like this are fairly uncommon, so I didn’t want to put you off by requesting to speak with you.” The golden eyes that Khalel possessed rolled in annoyance. Everything was always so formal with her stepmother. Gods, that was annoying!
“Just get to the point, will you, Faelahn,” Khalel all but snapped irritably. This was followed by the young hybrid crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance, as if she hadn’t been evident enough that she wanted to leave. The young girl’s blunt comment was met with a sneer and a glare from Faelahn, but the noblewoman relented. “Fair enough, child,” she said, moving to relax in her chaise lounge again. “I’m here to talk to you about your company, as of late.” She then smirked, a sly and impish expression that Khalel knew all too well. She had her people spying on her again. “Roga tells me he saw you with a noble Oban boy the other day,” she went on to add, to which Khalel could only sigh over. Damn it, Roga! Why did he have to tell Faelahn everything like some sort of chattering bird? If Faelahn knew about her time spent with Nuri, then chances were her father knew by now, too.
“Zaleem would be pleased to know that you were spending time with a respectable Oban,” she went on to add. Khalel just frowned, and waited for her to continue on. Clearly, she wasn’t done. “He wouldn’t be proud, however, to hear you were kissing some low-born hybrid in the back alleys of the bazaar.” Now Faelahn had Khalel’s attention, for the moment she mentioned Skadravi, she straightened up almost immediately. Damn it. Why did Faelahn have to have contacts all throughout the capital? And why did they have to spy on her? This was not good at all.
“Relax, darling,” her stepmother said, raising a hand up in a defensive stance. “If you want to spend time with a hybrid boy, I am fully supportive of that.”
“You’re what?”
Faelahn was many things, but supportive of Khalel and what she did with her life was generally not one of them. This comment from her stepmother had thrown her completely for a loop. Was she being genuine, or was she just saying such things to lead her into a false sense of security? The prentice wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she was surprised to be hearing all of this who a woman she went out of her way to actively avoid.
“Out of all the people you should end up with, a hybrid like yourself is the most fitting, honestly.” Faelahn shrugged as she said this. “A pureblooded Oban or even a pureblooded Matori wouldn’t get you like he would. That’s all. You need someone who understands you, dear, high standing or not.” Wow. She was being genuine. Who would have thought? Khalel certainly wouldn’t have; not in a million years. “Your father might not approve, but I’ll get him to come around, if you desire to see this boy more frequently.”
She did, of course. She wanted to spend as much time with Dravi as she could, being that he was a hybrid like herself. Not to mention that she found him attractive and funny and intriguing and all of that. But of course, she wasn’t going to say that outloud. Not yet, anyway. Not for a while. She had only just met the boy the other day, after all. Khalel’s mouth remained closed and no words came from it, instead, a sign to Faelahn that she clearly wasn’t ready to talk yet.
“Fair enough. That’s all I wanted to talk to you about. You may leave now.”
As quickly as she had been summoned, she had been dismissed, and Khalel found herself leaving her stepmother’s quarters at a brisk walk. Had that…really just happened? Seriously? She still couldn’t believe it as she made her way back to her own quarters. Well, if a whirlwind of events had been happening, things just ended with a complete tornado thanks to Faelahn. Luckily for her, she’d be able to relax a bit later, once she met up with Skadravi. That moment could not get there any faster.
(Word Count: 1,456)
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 8:48 am
SOLO ROLEPLAY
Defiance Tuesday evening had rolled around again, and that could only mean one thing: a visit from her father.
In the past, Khalel had always yearned for such visits. On the days when she was by herself with her caretakers, she would count down on the days remaining until Zaleem showed up again. They were the times that she looked forward to the most, however brief they may have been. His visits were never very long - an hour, maybe two at the most. Just enough time for him to say that he checked in on his daughter and saw how she was fairing. Yet as she grew older, the young hybrid came to view these visits with less and less enthusiasm. She loved her father, of course. He helped bring her into the world and he took care of her, so there was no doubt about that. But at the same time, some of his views left Khalel a little off-put, and she couldn’t help but feel distanced from him more and more as of late. As a result, the times she spent with him then were awkward, if not a bit forced, to say the least. An arrangement was an arrangement, though, and she couldn’t turn him away. It was for that reason that the girl busied herself with some last minute tidying before the man graced her with his presence.
Zaleem always arrived at 7:30 PM sharp. As a nobleman with a political upbrining, time was quite important. There were always meetings to be had, people to discuss things with, and events to attend to. Punctuality had been ingrained in him from the time he was small, and Khalel could always count on him not to leave her waiting. His arrival on that evening was no different. Upon reaching the door to her living quarters, he gave a curt knock and then let himself in. Khalel had just finished bringing in some glasses of juice accompanied by a plate of cookies for them to nibble on, should he be so inclined. Before addressing her father, she set down the glasses and the plate, and then gave him a small smile.
“Good evening, father. It’s good to see you again.”
“Khalel.”
His greeting was short and to the point, as he always was, and Zaleem wasted no time. He slipped into his usual seat at his daughter’s small dining room table, and waited for her to do the same. Fluidly, she slid into her chair, only to place her hands primly folded upon the table. This was how their time together was always spent: formal and businesslike. Her father never had been an affectionate man, even for all of Khalel’s wishing. Over time, she simply came to accept that this was how he was, though that didn’t stop her from hoping that one day it might change. That one day, he might give her a big hug and tell her that he loved her, though it never came. And so there they sat, and it was there that Khalel waited, for Zaleem was always the first to speak.
“It seems you have acquired a bushi since our last meeting. Is your janarim not enough?”
Khalel frowned, her golden eyes moving to glance out of the corner toward the window of the front of the house. Skadravi’s bushi, Ruindego, seemed to settle in quite well, though it took him a few days. Eventually, he had gotten fond of lazing about in the deeper end of the pool, which was where he was located now. Ipo would occasionally join him, swimming around in circles and diving up and down around him. Although the zanteer was generally more of an introverted individual, she seemed to have taken quite a liking to the large turtle. That made Khalel happy. It was good for her to have a friend. Not wanting to keep her father waiting for an answer, Khalel expelled a sigh before saying, “He’s not mine; he’s a friend’s. I told him I’d watch him for him.”
Although this answer didn’t seem to sway Zaleem one way or the other, the man gave his daughter a slight nod of his head. He then wasted no time, and continued on with other news that he had heard recently. “Your stepmother tells me you’ve taken interest in a hybrid boy,” he began, not hesitating to look the girl directly in the eye, “I assume that’s his bushi.” Khalel opened her mouth to respond, but her father spoke again before she could get any words out. “You should keep better company, Khalel,” he went on to say, “although Faelahn is under the impression that being friends with this man is a good thing for you, I’m inclined to disagree.”
Her chest tightened when she heard this, and any words that she thought she was going to say were now stuck in her throat. Just what exactly was he getting at?
“You can watch the bushi, but I don’t want you spending any more time with this young man. I’ve raised you better than that. Your attentions should be given to Oban men of higher standing.”
This was when Khalel couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at her father. How could he be telling her all of this? Spending time with Skadravi made her happy. Not only was he fun to be around, but the two of them understood each other, which was something an Oban man would never get. They didn’t have the same experiences. Zaleem just wanted her to be with an Oban because he was prejudice. He held a disdain for the Matori, even when they kept slaves during the war. The only exception had been her mother, and both of them knew that. She wouldn’t have been around if it hadn’t been that way.
“You haven’t raised me at all.”
“What did you say?”
“You said you’ve raised me better than that, but you haven’t,” the prentice found herself saying, her arms crossing over her chest in annoyance. “All you’ve done was push me off on to tutors and caretakers, while occasionally visiting me once or twice a week. That’s not raising.” While these things were hard to say out loud, it had been the truth, and they needed to be addressed. It was easier for Zaleem to just hand the girl off as she was growing up to other people, rather than taking responsibilities for himself. Yes, he gave her animals to play with, a roof over her head, and food, but that was all. He never gave her advice or a shoulder to cry on, nor hugs or affection. He could have done so much better.
“And you can’t tell me who I can and cannot spend time with anymore. I’m not a child. Skadravi is my friend, and if I want to hang out with him, then I am going to hang out with him.”
SMACK!
One moment she was sitting in a chair across from her father, and the next she was on the ground. Zaleem had backhanded the girl, and although he didn’t look as strong as he was, the force was enough to knock her to the ground. Shaken, the girl propped herself up on an arm, while bringing the other to touch her face where she had been struck. The blow had been enough to cut the corner of her lip, which was now bleeding slightly, and Khalel couldn’t help but glare at her father. This hadn’t been the first time. Every so often, once in a blue moon, Khalel would feel empowered enough to speak out, only to be met with something along the lines of a backhand.
“You will not see him.”
“Get out.”
“Don’t you tell me what to do, Khale--..”
“GET. OUT.”
She was sick of this – of everything. Being told how to act, how to address people properly. How to bow or curtsey. Who she could talk to and who she couldn’t. That ladies were supposed to behave this way or that. It was tiring. It was draining. And she had enough of it. She was done. Her life was hers to live and hers alone. No longer was she going to let anyone else tell her how to run it. If they didn’t like what she did or who she spent time with, then that was their own problem. She would do as she pleased.
Zaleem was not pleased. Glaring with rage, her father let out a yell of frustration, only to knock over not only the table, but the contents that were on it as well. The plate of cookies fell to the ground and ended up scattering everywhere. The plate clanked, but didn’t break, thankfully. Though the glasses full of juice were another story. They shattered upon impact with the ground, leaving the floor soaking with the sweet liquid. He did not like being spoken to in such a way, and after his outburst, it was clear where Khalel’s half-brother got his temper from.
Luckily for her, her father said no more to her, and instead stalked out of the house. The door slammed behind him with a crash, and the hybrid couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Good. He was gone.
Curling up on the floor, tears flowed from her eyes, ones of both frustration and sadness.
She needed to get out of Oba.
The sooner, the better.
(Word Count: 1,575)
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