Kashato

[Amethyst Star]

First off, sometimes I just get inspired to write. I've done fan-fiction in the past, but this turned out to be something different, but that's kind of where it spawned from. Also, it's not my normal style of writing and not my best, but I decided that it doesn't really matter. I just felt like writing, so it's mainly just for myself, but I hope that you may enjoy it as well... to some degree There will be more coming in the future, so these pages are what I have typed up.. __________________________________________________ ______________ Kashato Introduction “I beg your pardon, sir. I did not mean to interrupt.” She bowed, hoping she would be well received. “Your apology is accepted, seta. Please allow me a few moments before we speak.” Her bow deepened slightly in response before she left. Out of the hall she looked at the various people going about their business, all of them wearing the insignia of the Kashato in its various forms depending on which sect each person belonged. The lady envied them in their activity and hoped that fate would smile on her and she, too, would be qualified to bear the Kashato. She had a unique ability, but was not certain that it would be enough to be accepted at such an age. Such a thing was unheard of. The door behind her opened silently and she stepped back into the room. Once again she bowed to the Nachaga, showing him the proper respect. “What is your name, seta?” Before lifting her eyes from the floor she stated, “My name is Taislea Uchóto.” “And what is your business here, Taislea Uchóto?” “I wish to train to become a Kashato.” “How old are you?” “I am twenty-four.” “When did you desire to become Kashato?” “When I was twelve.” “Why did you not join at that age?” “My parents would not give me permission at that age. Then I was taken from them at thirteen and was unable to escape until I was twenty. Now I wish to join.” “Do you actually think that at your age you can become a true Kashato?” “Yes.” The Nachaga looked at her severely. Taislea was instantly startled when his eyes suddenly turned from a soft brown to a soul-piercing metallic blue. At first it was a pole stabbed violently into her chest, and then a chain holding her in place, immobilized by his eyes. Her very spirit struggled against it, wishing against all odds to be free of this hold. Without meaning to she reached up with her ring in her hand and quickly pressed it to her chest. At the same time she was frozen, she vaguely sensed the Nachaga’s presence behind her as well as in front of her, as if his eyes had remained fixed on her but the rest of him had moved. A hand was swiftly descending to strike her in the back and reflexively, the other half of Taislea turned and reached up to block him. She did so weakly, but it was enough to startle him when he saw someone else now on one knee before him. “What is this?” he exclaimed. “I’ve never seen this kind of jitsu before!” Taislea looked down at herself, shocked at what she had done. She had revealed herself in a manner that she wished had not taken place but she could not go back now. “This is not a jitsu, Nachaga. I do not fully know what this is, but it is my solid spirit form, the real me.” The Nachaga looked at her, then down at the body, which was now lying prone on the floor before him. In all honesty it appeared dead, unmoving and unbreathing. He reached down and touched it, finding that it did not move at all. Then he stood up and touched Taislea’s arm, finding it perfectly solid. “What is this?” he asked her, unsure of what to think. “Please allow me to show you.” She bent down toward her own body and turned it over, revealing a knife in its chest, sunk all the way up to the hilt. Grasping the handle she quickly pulled it out, revealing to the man that there was no blood whatsoever. Then she stepped onto the body, the position of her feet matching, and took another brief glance at the Nagache before she let herself fall backwards. She fell into it, holding the knife over herself as she went, and eventually appeared to fall through it. However, the knife stayed, somehow in the same place as it was before she had pulled it out. To the Nagache’s surprise, Taislea’s eyes opened and she sat up. As soon as she could look up at the man she said, “I don’t know what this is. I only ask that you take it into consideration as I desire to become Kashato.” Not one to be easily startled, the Nagache quickly regained his nerves and moved to sit once more in his chair. “Be seated,” he told Taislea. He watched as she quickly grabbed a chair and pulled it to a spot in front of him and sat down. “Taislea Uchóto, tell me who you are.” Chapter 1 I was born in the city of Sulao where the River Usa divides. My father’s name was Zhen-sa of the house of Esco and my mother was Yuka-sa of the house of Tama. I am the younger of my parents’ two children. My father, worked as an attendant in he stables of a man named Yenja-sa. One day when my father was at work, men were sent to our home, sent by an enemy of Yenja, and captured me. They hoped that my father would be able to influence his employer in return for me. My father refused, though, choosing to give up one of his children and retain his honor in the eyes of Yenja-sa. I was thirteen and the men that took me sold me to a group of travelers whom I was then to entertain. I would dance for them and sing for them, and as long as I danced and sang they did not harm me. On nights I could not dance or sing they would beat me or starve me, or put me out where wild animals could get to me. I had to learn how to defend myself from the animals, though they rarely came near the camp. However, they did not let me become very strong. I was to always remain thin and graceful. At times if they though I was growing larger they would not feed me until I grew faint. For several years I was very sick, but could not complain. I never knew when other travelers would come by and I always had to entertain them. Many of them were worse to me than the travelers I was with, but they were never allowed to do any more than beat me. Then one day, they came across a rich man who saw me. He wanted to take me and told the travelers that he would give them a great deal of money for me. I was nineteen and was forced to marry him as soon as we returned to the rich man’s city. There was nothing else I could do, but that night he brought me to a small room and I was frightened by what he began to do and tried running away. He beat me as well, but after a time grew tired of me and locked me in that room. I heard him outside of the door talking with one of his men. “Bring me a knife,” he ordered. When the man returned, they spoke for a short time. I did not recognize his voice as one of the men who had been traveling with him, and guessed it was one of his house attendants. “Use this knife. It has served me well,” the man said. His voice was somehow familiar to me but I never saw him, nor have I heard his voice to this day. I heard the lock click and the rich man entered, one of his female attendants with him, a girl slightly younger than myself. “I will show you how simple this is,” he stated. But I saw that the girl was scared as well. She saw me and tried to hide behind me. Angry, the rich man grabbed at her and lifted the knife to hit her, but as the knife was coming down I tried to grab it but ended up grabbing the blade. Something happened, but I don’t know what. Somehow my spirit traveled along with the knife and as it continued towards the other girl I went along with it. The knife went across the girl’s throat and I went with it, horrified at what I was seeing. He continued to slash at the girl and at the last plunged it into her chest. At that time I was stuck to the knife and ended up being stuck to the body of the girl, entering her. All I felt then was pain and… death. The wounds of the girl were now mine, and the blood that was now falling on the floor was mine, too. Over the roar of the pain, I could faintly hear the rich man’s shouts as he noticed that my body was dead as well. I could hear him dragging it out of the room, but as soon as that had happened I thought I heard him enter the room. But I could tell it was someone else when they began to wrap bandages quickly and firmly around the gashes to stem the bleeding as quickly as possible. Then I felt myself being lifted off of the ground, carried in this person’s arms out of the rich man’s home. I was taken to another house away from the rich man. I was now at a family’s house, lying on a mat in a warm room. I felt a gentle, fatherly kiss and a brief brush of cool metal on my forehead and knew that it wasn’t the same man who had been outside of the rich man’s door, but the quality of his voice and the gentleness in it was the same. But now he had to leave. “You are free,” he whispered into my ear. But then he said with a more forceful voice, “Breathe.” I gasped as I was given control over this body, finally able to move it, though any movement I made left me in pain. The family took care of me and after a day I opened my eyes, not remembering anything since that first initial breath. “Her fever’s broken,” I heard a woman say. She placed a hand on my foot, one of the places that had not been harmed and said, “We will care for you. Rest and heal.” Each day they cared for me, giving me food and water, and within a week I was beginning to feel strong enough to walk. Each day, though, the bandages needed to be changed and at first when they removed the one from my neck I began to bleed again. It was quickly replaced, though, and soon I was able to go without them and walk around the house. I could not go outside, in case any of the rich man’s attendants saw me. I was allowed to look in a mirror after two weeks and saw the body of the younger girl who had died first. It was her eyes that looked at me, but my spirit was the light behind them, and it made me sad to see that. I touched the scars that ran across my face and neck and recalled seeing the knife that had made those scars. Then I remembered seeing the knife go into… my chest. Alone, I looked closely for a sign of that wound, but was surprised to find none. I knew that it hadn’t been my imagination, but I was perplexed that I couldn’t find it. I knew that the rich man hadn’t taken it out. He left it when he found my first body dead. I tried asking the family I was with, but they did not understand where it could have gone. However, when I brought it up, the father left and came back with a ring in his hand. He gave it to me, saying that it was from the man who had brought me here and that he was supposed to give it to me if I asked about the knife. He didn’t know what it was for, though. Later that day I was thinking about that man and held the ring to my chest. Something happened and it closed in on what seemed like nothing, but when I pulled my hands away I saw the knife sticking out of my chest. I stood up very quickly, frightened by the sight, but I became even more frightened when I saw that the body of the girl who had recently been killed did not stand up as well, but fell over as if dead again. I ran over to the mirror but did not see myself at first. However, after a short time I began to see me, only now it was the body of the me that I had lost, whole and appearing as I had before, clothes and all. I ran towards the door, but when I tried to push it aside my hands just went through the wood rather than touch it. I walked through the door and ran to the people who were caring for me. At first they didn’t see or hear me, but eventually they could and were scared when they saw the real me. But the man who had been here before had given them more instructions for when this happened. “It’s the knife. It keeps your spirit in the body,” I was told, but I did not understand at first. We all went back to the body that was lying on the floor and the father turned it over. There was no breath coming from it, nor was the heart beating, but it still felt warm somehow; just empty. I ran my hand through one of the arms, and from that felt the connection that now bound me to it. “What do I do?” I asked the father. “You need to re-enter the body.” Not sure what was going on, I layed down and felt myself to be in line with the body of the other girl. Then I felt the knife going back into both of our chests, binding me once again to it. It took a little while, though, before I had complete control and for a few moments I was not able to breathe. The family was able to revive me and I was once more this other person. The ring had fallen off once the knife was in place, so I placed it on my hand so I wouldn’t lose it, in case I needed it again. It frightened me to know that this was possible, but I also knew that this had been done on purpose, that that man had given me a second chance. I would occasionally return to myself in my spirit form and found that eventually I was able to regain a semblance of my physical form and could be solid once more. Actually, the more I was solid, the more difficult it became to retain my intangible form. But I continued to practice. Eventually it was time for me to leave. The wounds on the body had healed enough to be traveled with, though I continued to wear a bandage around my neck covered by a high-collared shirt. The man had supplied me with money as well, and the family gave me food enough to last several days on the road until I could find a place where I could buy more. I have thanked them in my prayers each day since. I managed to return to Sulao after several weeks of walking. At first it was difficult and my body was weak, but eventually I grew much stronger and was able to cover many miles each day. I hid by night so that I would not be seen by anyone who may have known me, though I eventually realized that the people I had lived with would not recognize me now. I still did not take chances. Sulao had changed much in seven years. I went back to go and find my family and many of the streets had become confusing after all of this time. I finally made it to my home, but did not enter, preferring to just see them before I did anything else. I waited outside of the gate for an hour or so before I saw my mother walk out of the house. A young man walked behind her and I soon recognized him as my older brother, and I realized how much he had changed over the years. It was then I realized that I had changed, too, and my family wouldn’t not recognize me, let alone invite me back. It took a while for me to come to grips with that, but I eventually left. I went to the only other family I had once had ties to, and asked Yenja-sa for a job and a place to stay. I was given the position as an attendant, maintaining the rooms for his guests and staying out of sight when they arrived. I was given a small room with an older woman, but it was hard for me, because she always asked me questions about my past and where I came from. She kept starting at my neck. Also, I no longer had much time as my real self because I never knew when my services would be required. Occasionally I would peer through the fence and see the Kashato walking down the street and my dream to become one returned to me. I gazed at them jealously, sure that I was too old to join them, but eventually I began to wonder if they would grant me permission when I showed them what I was. I left after three years, hoping to find this place. It took me a year of wandering and I had to ask a great many people to help me, but I finally arrived.

[Amethyst Star]

Page 2 “And now you wish to become Kashato?” “With your permission.” The Nachaga stood up and paced the length of the room a couple of times and then said, “I want you to find Kashato Mika-sa. He will tell you where to go while I make my decision. You may go.” She stood and bowed deeply. “I thank you, Nachaga.” She walked out of the room and began to search for Mika. “Kashato Kakashi, what do you think of Taislea-sa?” Kakashi was slow in emerging from the shadows. He had an almost haunted look on his face that was mostly obscured by the mask he wore, but his visible eye betrayed his emotion. “She has changed much in a year.” After a few seconds he added, “She carries her scars well… at least the ones we can see.” “You have been watching her, so I value your input. Given her background, would she ever become a full Kashato?” Looking for the right answer, he became lost in his memories, trying to decide if she could become what she desired, and also what this position required. He remembered seeing her with the travelers just before she was sold to the rich man and the ways that she had dealt with her various captors. The Nachaga waited patiently, knowing that Kakashi’s silence was not avoidance. Eventually he spoke, “She has the emotional capacity, but she has always been kept weak. I don’t know if a year has helped her to become physically strong enough.” “So she should be tested.” “Both of her.” “Yes. And who would you suggest to perform the test?” “Well, she is already in contact with Mika-sa or will be soon – so he is my recommendation.” The Nachaga nodded, though hoping that Kakashi would have performed the test himself. “Very well. Inform Mika-sa of what he is to do and then continue your work Kakashi.” “Thank you, Nachaga.” “You are dismissed.” Kakashi vanished. “Excuse me, I am looking for Kashato Mika. Do you know where I may find him?” “Yes.” “… Would you tell me where he is?” “Not right now.” “May I ask why, Kashato?” “You did not ask the right question.” “…Would you tell me where I may wait for Kashato Mika?” “Third floor.” “Thank you, Kashato.” She bowed to the guy who was only a few years older than she. Then she waited for him to head off before she straightened and headed off to find a staircase that would lead to the third floor. She wandered around the various hallways, weaving deftly in between the men, women, and youths that were busily going about their tasks. She became very confused, though, when the hallways suddenly became deserted. It hadn’t happened immediately, but for some reason they just all entered their rooms at a prescribed time, leaving only the occasional adult walking quickly and avoiding her. It surprised her how difficult it was to locate a simple staircase, but it eventually appeared after a great deal of twists and turns. This one only reached the second floor, so she tried stopping someone in a corridor for further directions but everyone looked too busy to be bothered. Fortunately there was one woman who saw the confusion in her eyes and offered to take her to Mika-sa’s office. They did not speak, and all the woman said when they arrived was that the Kashato would be back eventually. So Taislea stood there for a while, her back against the wall. Kashato Mika-sa arrived after about a half-hour and when he saw her he asked what her business was with him. She bowed deeply and replied, “I am Taislea Uchóto. I was told by the Nachaga to find you. He has not decided whether or not I may be allowed to train to become a Kashato.” “So you need somewhere to stay. I have space in one room.” Since he had not entered his office yet, he decided to take her straight there. All of a sudden, a slight, brief breeze blew through the hallway while Taislea blinked. She remarked it, but Mika-sa did not appear to notice it so she gave it no further thought. Mika-sa told her to follow him and so she did. He began to move faster, though, increasing his speed as they went through the various hallways. After a time Taislea’s pace had increased to a trot, and then a jog, and eventually she was running after the Kashato. She quickly began to grow tired and from in front of her Mika ordered, “Keep up.” His pace did not slow but she was determined to do her best. If she wanted to be a Kashato, she would have to become strong and she wanted to show Mika that she could be so, even though her legs ached and her lungs began to burn. After a time she knew that the cough that resulted from her lack of endurance would be sticking with her into the night if the went much further. Why could this room be so far away? she though. How big is this place? “Here,” Mika said as they stopped in front of a door. “You will wait in this room until you are summoned.” Taislea was gasping as they stopped, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She briefly managed to control her breathing long enough to ask, “Where may I find water, Kashato?” She noticed that he hadn’t even broken a sweat. “There is a tap in the room. You may use a cup that is by the sink.” “…Thank you, Kashato.” Mika-sa left without another word, running as soon as he was out of sight back to his office in order to write out orders to a few of the other Kashato and students. He would do as instructed.

[Amethyst Star]

Page 3 The water did not help and Taislea wished that she had a large cup of hot tea to sooth her aching throat and lungs. She gulped down two cups of cool water from the tap, but while her stomach sloshed with the liquid her throat still felt dry and a tickling sensation made her cough. It was odd having no one around so she tried to be quiet in order to keep the silence intact and not expose herself. Sitting in a simple wooden chair she looked around the room. It was very simple, sporting a freshly made bed with a shelf above it, a sink, and a small desk and chair. There was a window at the head of the bed that let in a reasonable amount of light, but she was too tired to go and look at what was outside. Instead, she filled another glass of water, drank half, filled the cup, and set it down on the floor before she layed down next to the bed. It was not her room so she felt uncomfortable about lying down on someone else’s bed, messing it up. The coughing became more frequent for a short time, but she sipped the water and eventually it began to quiet down, leaving merely a dull ache that nagged her. Closing her eyes, she began to wonder about whether or not she would be allowed to stay. The idea that they would say no perturbed her, and so she chose to dwell on her fantasy of what might happen if she was permitted. She saw herself wearing one of the signs of the Kashato on a band around her forehead, walking purposefully down a street with one or two others. She saw herself hiding silent and undetected in a tree near an enemy encampment, waiting to act. She saw herself with hundreds of other Kashato standing to oppose any army that might set itself against their lands. Eventually she began to doze off, having relaxed from her run. As she was doing so, a knock came at the door and she quickly came to herself. She stood up quickly and hurried to the door. Opening it she saw a teenage girl standing in the doorway. “Taislea Uchóto?” “Yes, sir” “Come with me.” Without saying anything else the trainee turned and began to walk away. As was the same with Kashato Mika-sa, Taislea soon found herself running along behind the swiftly sprinting teen. Her coughing regained its former strength and eventually she reached a point where she knew that if she ran any further, she could risk injuring herself, something she feared knowing that the Nachaga was trying to decide whether or not she could train. Luckily the student saw this and they slowed down to a walk. When she could focus on something other than the pain in her chest she was able to look around and see the beauty in the simplicity of the building. The walls were white and plain, but there were some artful decorations around the corner where the ceiling met the walls. Occasionally there was a painting depicting the face of a Kashato, fully attired in a formal uniform. One of them she recognized as a former Nachaga, remembering a picture that her father had once shown her when she was young. The doors were of a brown wood with brass handles, some of them sporting nameplates of the same dark, gleaming metal. Taislea was lead through a door and after going around an obstruction in front of the door found herself in a room with several large tubs. No one else was in there but that didn’t surprise her. “There are buckets next to that spout over there so you can fill a tub with hot water. There are towels, soap, and washcloths next to the dressing room there. A steam room is on the other side of the dressing room. When you are finished, just pull the cork out of the tub and it will drain itself. Then wash out the tub and you may return to your room.” Taislea just looked at her confused, but the girl left before she could ask any questions. Still catching her breath, she wondered what was going on, but she figured that the steam from a hot bath would help her aching. She walked into the dressing room and exchanged her raiment for a large towel. Then she grabbed two buckets and filled them with hot water from the spout and dragged them over to the nearest tub, dearly wishing that they weren’t so heavy. Under the extra stress, her legs ached terribly and even after just one load Taislea began to grow light-headed. She knew that enough was enough and that he body couldn’t handle the strain. So, she went back into the dressing room and pulled the ring out of a pocket. She went back to the tub and set the towel on one side, folded neatly, and situated herself within the basin. The water barely came up to any reasonable level and so she situated herself so that her body would not sink into the water. Then she took the ring and used it to pull the dagger from her chest. Taislea’s spirit left and she carefully placed the knife on top of her towel. Then she made herself of flesh and went to fill the buckets again. This part of her was well rested, but the fact that she was fully dressed made the work slightly more cumbersome. Right when she was emptying a final bucket-load into the tub, another girl came in, this time a youth, probably young enough to have just been accepted into training. Laughing playfully, she went over to Taislea’s tub and snatched the knife off of the towel, running out of the bathing room. Worried by what would happen if the knife became lost, she ran after the girl, groaning at having to exert herself again. However, not far from the room a Kashato had stopped the girl and was holding the knife. “I believe that this is yours.” The young girl received a stern look from him that promised consequences before she ran off again. But before Taislea could do more than take a hold of her property the Kashato also handed her several large books. As she heaped her up with paper he commented, “Since you’re not busy I would ask that you help me carry these back to the library.” He took an equally large stack, but Taislea had no idea what was happening. Now she was being treated as a servant. “Kashato, I don’t mean to be rude, but I left my…” she mumbled something, “in the bathing room. I really shouldn’t leave it unattended.” “This won’t take long” But it didn’t matter. Her current body was in no better shape than the other and her arms hurt from the weight. And again it seemed like they were taking a long way to the library. But once they were through the door he had her place the books on a counter and then said, “Please put them away.” “Sir,” Taislea replied, her arms relieved of the pressure, “I really should get back to the bathing room.” The Kashato took a step closer, a commanding tone in his eyes. “I also have business that I must attend to, Taislea Uchóto. It would be better that it not be delayed.” She acquiesced, knowing that her acceptance may be on the line should she refuse. She bowed and replied, “I am sorry, Kashato. I will replace the books.” As the man left she turned and saw that the library was quite large indeed. The shelves were at least three times as tall as she and ladders stood upon a track that circled along them. She was glad that she was only having to carry one book at a time now, but it took her a while to figure out how the books were organized and she hoped that they wouldn’t fault her if she made mistakes. Climbing up and down the ladders was not the most pleasant experience, either; they were unstable and often threatened to come lose from the track.

[Amethyst Star]

Page 4 She finished in the library, very much vexed and wondering what was happening with her other body; it wouldn’t actually rest without her spirit inside of it. Fearing then that another Kashato would delay her, she switched from being tangible to the spirit that she was and walked through the walls of the library out into the hallway. As her luck would have it a swarm of people had flooded it, startling her. True, they couldn’t see her, but her hold on her invisibility was touchy and if she was distracted she ran the risk of being seen. She also realized that she had no idea where the bathing room was. She thought she knew what the general direction might by, but it would take her a while to find it unless she asked someone. Not exactly how I expected this day would go. She walked around, careful not to become flesh in the midst of this gauntlet. She looked for someone who may not have anything to do immediately, but she wandered around for several minutes before she found one. The lady was walking a bit slower than the rest, so Taislea began to walk slightly behind her when she appeared again. She seemed mildly surprised to have someone suddenly appear in her peripheral vision, but was not startled. “Can I help you, seta?” She kept walking, so Taislea kept her head bowed politely as they moved. “I am sorry to disturb you, but I must return to the bathing room and I do not know where it is.” The lady gestured as she replied. “Take this hallway until you come to the office of Kashato Urino, then turn right. When you see room number 126, take a left and continue until you see the bathing room on your left.”

[Amethyst Star]

Page 5 “Thank you very much, sir.” It was a welcomed relief to have plain and simple directions rather than being run around in every possible direction. She took her time getting there, relieved when she arrived to see her body lying exactly where she left it. Sighing with finality, she placed her arm on the chest of the body and plunged the dagger she carried through both. It was an unconventional way for her to return, but it worked nonetheless – and she didn’t get her clothes wet. The tub was only tepid, but she found that the body was still quite warm, so she quickly relaxed. However, she was still coughing occasionally, so when she was feeling better she stepped out of the tub and dried herself with the towel. Then she made her way over to the steam-room and left the towel outside while she stepped into the warmth. Her coughing acted up almost immediately so that she had to focus very hard on regulating her breathing. She laid down on a stone bench, relishing in the way it made her feel, though she was constantly mindful of the moisture in the air. She stayed in there for about twenty minutes, becoming so relaxed to the point of lethargy and she had to force herself to breathe. Exiting the room she sat down on a nearby bench, her towel wrapped around her, enjoying the warmth that had soaked into her muscles and skin. When she returned to her clothing she found that someone had replaced it while she was enjoying the steam. Instead of her usual blue skit, sleeveless white shirt and woven sandals there were two sets of simple black clothing laying on the bench with two pairs of light, black boots and socks on the floor in front of it. As she dressed she wondered what the second pair was for, but it came to her that the second was a set for each body as the second seemed a smaller fit, designed for her other self. So she changed into the larger set, but when she switched forms she was reluctant to give up her old clothing. She had had it for so long, having found no need to change it, the only link to her past she had left. But she did so anyway, knowing that it was necessary to do so if she had truly been accepted as a Kashato trainee. She had saved the boots for last, though. After she placed them on her smaller feet, she returned and went to pull on the second. Before she could, though, she saw something that had been wrapped up in the socks and was hiding in the right boot. Pulling it out she revealed a dark-bladed knife sitting within a leather sheath. She carefully removed the blade, unsure if it was truly sharp or if it was not. She tested it against a corner of the towel she wore, noticing that the blade was, indeed, very sharp. What am I going to do with this? Entirely uncertain whether or not she should put it somewhere else, after putting on the boots she sheathed the knife and replaced it within the right one, snug against her calf. Then she dried off her black hair and pulled it back in a tail before stepping out of the bathroom. As soon as she did, she saw two trainees waiting for her on either side of the door. They both said, “Follow us,” and began to walk down the hallway. They took her around and eventually she recognized that they were taking her back to the room of the Nachaga. Outside of the door, her heart raced, uncertain of anything. “Come in,” a voice from inside said. They did, and Taislea soon saw the man’s face staring straight at her. She bowed before entering the room, being ushered in first, and was followed up by the two who had led her here. She bowed again when she stood before the Nachaga and waited for him to speak. “Taislea Uchóto,” he spoke, “we have decided that you are able train with us to become Kashato.” Her heart smiled. “However, you must be fully committed. We will not accept a half-hearted commitment, and upon choosing to become Kashato, you will become one despite any reluctance you may have towards our training. You will train, and if you wish to do otherwise, that will make no difference to us. You will not leave until we say so.” Her heart shuddered as she signed her life away. She bowed and said, “I accept your terms and will do what must be done to become Kashato.” As if this were a regular occurrence, the Nachaga continued. “Good. I am first assigning you to Eidebal and Eidozal. You can not very well join the rest of the new recruits, so they have been instructed to teach you specifically and help you progress as quickly as possible. Eventually you will join the other students under a full Kashato. Until that time, I expect you to treat them as if they were.” “Yes, Nachaga.” “Good. You are dismissed.” She bowed again and the three walked out of the door. As they kept walking the two spoke to Taislea. “I am Eidozal. My sister and I will take you back to your room so that you may sleep, but we will see you an hour before sunrise and begin. Will you need someone to wake you up at that time?” Deciding to be realistic she said, “Yes. I would appreciate that.” “I’ll let Kip know,” Eidebal said to her brother. She veered off to the right and headed away while the two continued.