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Two Aishas stood by a tiny straw hut, in a small peasant
village in Meridell. One was a proud looking red male, holding a pitchfork in
his right paw, and the other was a motherly blue female. The female Aisha was
cradling a baby Aisha bundled in worn cloth in her arms, a look of weariness but
extreme happiness on her face.
"Look darling," she said breathlessly, pointing
to a few hairs sprouting from the baby's head, "she has orange hair..."
The male Aisha smiled. "She looks beautiful,"
he said fondly, putting his arm around his wife's shoulders and giving her a
gentle squeeze.
"What should we name her?" the female asked,
tenderly laying a finger next to the sleeping baby's cheek.
The male Aisha thought for a moment, and then
he said, "Kilahna. Her name will be Kilahna."
***
A young brown Aisha with gorgeous, long orange hair hummed to herself as she
straightened her bed sheet. It was morning, and the sun was shining its beautiful
light through her open window. She was already wearing her favourite wide-sleeved
white shirt and pretty red dress, and her fur was neatly combed.
"Good morning mother, good morning father!"
she called cheerfully as she skipped out of the tiny straw hut. "My, but isn't
it a lovely day?"
Her mother pulled her in a tight hug, while
her father smiled, wiping sweat off his brow from doing farm work in the fields.
"Happy 16th birthday dear," her mother said lovingly. Her father nodded and
put down his pitchfork, coming forward to give his daughter a hug as well. "Happy
Birthday, Kilahna."
"Oh, thank you," said Kilahna, returning her
parents hugs, "today is going to be wonderful, I just know it!"
"Big sister!" said a small brown Aisha boy,
tugging and Kilahna's dress, "I picked this just for you…" he held up a blue
pebeanjay flower, and looked up at her with his round, innocent eyes. "Do you
like it?"
"I love it!" she exclaimed, kneeling down so
that the two were eye level. She took the flower and fixed it in her hair. "Thanks,
Winder!"
"Will you remember my birthday next month when
I turn 5?" he asked anxiously.
"Of course I will," she said, "The 29th of the
month of Eating, I'd never forget!"
Winder beamed with pride. Kilahna stood up and
turned to her parents. "I am meeting Rhina in the village square," she informed
them, "so I must be going now!"
"Oh, wait!" said her mother, quickly pulling
something out of her dress pocket. "This is from your father and I."
She hander her daughter a polished, thin gold
circlet, which shone in the sunlight. Kilahna gasped happily as he mother placed
the tiara carefully on her head, and brushed her bangs away from her face.
"Oh mother, I love it!" she said, feeling the
circlet with her paws. "It's simply stunning! But how much did it cost?"
Her mother suddenly looked very sad, but a smiled
replaced it quickly. "It doesn't matter dear; we still have enough money for
food."
"I promise I'll make lots of Neopoints today!"
she said gratefully, rearranging the tiara affectionately. "Thank you and goodbye!"
She leapt lightly out the small wooden gate and down the beaten path.
"Kilahna!" a purple ixi called as the Aisha
entered the hustle and bustle of the village square. The ixi ran up to her and
said, "Watch, I think I learned that new move you taught me!"
Kilahna watched as the ixi stood up on her hind
legs and tried to twirl, but she fell down clumsily on her hooves. "I'll never
be able to do it," she said embarrassed.
Kilahna laughed and helped her up. "Rhina, you're
an excellent student. Soon you'll be better than me!"
"I'll never be as good as you," Rhina said,
blushing, "I admire you Kilahna, you're such a good dancer…"
"And I admire you," replied Kilahna. "You've
been taught things like math and how to read. I wish I was as smart as you are."
Rhina blushed even more, as the two friends
walked to their usual spot in the square. The ixi handed Kilahna an aged tambourine,
as she sat down and began to beat against the stone-paved ground with her front
hooves.
Kilahna picked up her skirts and began to dance,
twirling and jumping gracefully. A few of the villagers nearby stopped to watch
her, and Rhina started to strike the ground harder and faster, and Kilahna quickened
her pace, skipping in circles and waving her dress.
A small audience was starting to form around
them, and Rhina started to whistle in tune to her drumming. Kilahna laughed
merrily and spun around the small circle that was formed by the crowd, who were
starting to clap with the music. Kilahna signaled to Rhina and the ixi let out
a long whistle, as Kilahna leaped into the air and made a full turn before landing
elegantly and giving a low bow.
The crowd cheered and tossed a few coins at
her feet. Kilahna bent down and picked them up in the outer layer of her dress
in one dignified sweep.
The crowd began to wander off, going back to
what they had been doing before. "That girl's something, eh?" a farmer said
to his friend. "Almost put me in a trance!" To which his friend replied, "I
bet she could put anyone with a weak mind into a trance!" A blue Zafara in a
concealing dark cloak listened to them thoughtfully, and an evil smirk appeared
on her face. She stepped back and disappeared into the shadows.
Later, when the crowd had left, Kilahna emptied
the coins at Rhina's feet? "How many are there?" she asked eagerly.
Rhina counted them up and said, "Around 400
Neopoints. Not bad for one show!"
Kilahna smiled. "I owe it all to my musician!
Well, let's go have breakfast somewhere, and after that we can go to Meri Acres
Farm!"
***
"Lord Kass…"
A purple Eyrie was gazing out a huge window
onto the country of Meridell, far below. He didn't even turn around as he asked
lazily, "What is it, Zafara Double Agent?"
"My lord, I have found someone who might be
of interest to you," the blue Zafara said monotonously, bowing slightly.
"Well, speak up?"
"A gypsy Aisha She has the power to hypnotize
the weak-minded, my lord…"
Kass rubbed his chin, his eyes still on the
peaceful scene of Meridell below his citadel. "Hmm…" suddenly, he grinned. "I
have a plan for her. Very well, fetch me the girl."
"I will," the Zafara double agent said, and
she bowed again before leaving and closing the door behind her.
***
"Goodbye Rhina!" Kilahna called brightly as she waved. She hurried down the
path, humming to herself happily, a bag of 1000 Neopoints swinging from her
paw. As she stepped up to her tiny hut she noticed that her entire family was
outside. Kilahna opened her mouth to greet them, but she stopped immediately
when she noticed that there were tears streaming down her mother's face. Her
father looked grave, her brother, worried.
"Mother!" she cried, rushing up to them. "What's
going on?"
Her father took her firmly by the shoulders
and said, "Kilahna… we're out of Neopoints."
"I made 1000 Neopoints today," Kilahna said
breathlessly, without losing eye-contact with her father, "look, right here…
mother, please stop crying…"
"It's not enough," her father said heavily,
"we can't afford food for the family."
"I'll sell my tiara," Kilahna said abruptly.
She was starting to take it off when her father stopped her. He looked as though
he was trying to make up his mind about something, and then he sighed.
"It's not worth anything; it's fake…" he looked
at her sadly. "I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter," said Kilahna urgently,
"we have to sell everything we don't need."
Her father shook her head. "You're talented,
Kilahna," he said quietly, "you can make a living for yourself… take your brother…"
"No father," Kilahna said firmly, "I'm going
to go out right now, I'll find a job! Wait here!" Before her father could respond,
she whirled around and ran off down the path, her orange hair flowing behind
her.
Suddenly, a Zafara jumped into her path. The
Zafara looked up at her with dull, empty eyes and said, "Lord Kass wishes to
speak to you…"
A shiver shot down Kilahna's spine, and she
suddenly felt very cold. Without waiting for an answer, the Zafara wrapped an
icy cold paw around Kilahna's wrist, and took her down an alleyway.
***
Kilahna found herself standing on the marble floor of a large, darkened room.
A figure sat at the other side of the room, tapping his fingers together. He
stepped into the light of the room, and Kilahna realized that he was Lord Kass.
"I wish for you to come and work for me," said
Kass frankly, without wasting any time.
"I serve the people of Meridell," said Kilahna,
shaky but just as frank. "I am loyal to King Skarl."
Kass smirked and pulled a bag of Neopoints out
from behind his back. Kilahna's eyes widened when she saw the number on the
side: 80 000.
"I'll give you 80 000 Neopoints," he sneered,
"if you do one good show for Skarl."
Kilahna's mind was working very fast. Reasons
disappeared as fast as they came. "80, 000 Neopoints for one show?" she asked
nervously. "Why?"
Kass shrugged. "I suppose I'm just nicer than
that stupid old king," he said in what he must have supposed was a kind voice,
although it still sounded cruel to Kilahna.
"And that's all I have to do?"
"One good show is all I'm asking for."
"And then I never have to work for you again?"
"Never again."
Kilahna's eyes flickered to the huge Kass flag
on the wall, to the bag of Neopoints in Kass' hand. Finally she closed her eyes
and said, "Yes. I accept."
***
Kilahna followed the Zafara double agent through the winding stone hallways
of the Meridell castle, a feeling of dread in her stomach. They entered the
great hall, which was stuffed full of Neopets, from jesters to nobles, peasants
to royalty. They eyed her as she passed, murmuring quietly to their neighbors.
Wordlessly, the Zafara double agent stepped
up to the kind, bowed, and handed him a letter. Skarl unfurled the letter and
read it to himself. He looked doubtfully over at Kilahna and said, "Very well
then, let's see what you can do. Music!"
Kilahna began to skip around in circles as the
music started. She was holding back, however; she was scared. She had never
been nervous before when she was performing, no matter how big the audience,
so why now? There was a frown on Skarl's face, and he seemed displeased.
Kilahna closed her eyes as she danced, and images
of her family came into her mind. She began to dance faster as she imagined
herself in the village square… in fact, the music was beginning to sound more
and more like Rhina's hooves against the ground… someone whistled, and she opened
her eyes and leaped into the air, spinning and landing perfectly. Encouraged
by cheers from the crowd, she picked up her skirts and began to hop to and fro,
throwing her long orange hair behind her shoulders. She was actually enjoying
herself now, and she began to dance even faster…
She looked around at the crowd as she twirled,
and she was pleased to see that they're eyes were completely on her. She stole
a glance at the king, and he seemed deeply immersed in her performance as well…
a huge smile spread across her face…
And she caught sight of a small yellow Aisha
with thick glasses, who was glaring at her with extreme hate. Kilahna ceased
dancing immediately, a burning pain in her throat and heart. How could she have
sunk so low?
The crowds cheered and whooped, but for the
first time, Kilahna didn't care. She tore her eyes away from the yellow Aisha's
glare, and stared avidly at the ground.
"Amazing! You must dance for me every day!"
the King said in excitement. There were murmurs of approval around the great
hall.
"As you wish, my king," she said in a hollow,
distant voice, barely listening to the praise the king was giving her. She felt
more ill than she had ever felt in her life, and the thing was, she didn't even
know why.
***
"Kass, I did as you wanted," said Kilahna as she opened the heavy wooden doors
and entered the room. Where had the kind laugh in her voice gone? When had it
been replaced by these demanding tones? "Give me my 80, 000 Neopoints."
The Eyrie smiled evilly. "You have done well,"
he jeered, throwing her a bag of Neopoints. Kilahna carefully checked the number
on the side, and turned to leave. The guards at the door held up their spears.
"What's the meaning of this?" asked Kilahna.
"You promised the king that you'd dance for
him everyday," sneered Kass.
"You said only one show!"
"That's what I said. You were the one who told
me, 'I am loyal to King Skarl."
"I didn't mean- I said- you lied!" cried Kilahna.
"You're breaking a deal, girl!" shouted Kass.
"Fine… consequences… you dearly love your family, do you not?"
"No… no!" she screamed. She dropped the bag
of Neopoints onto the floor, shoved the guards out of the way and flew down
the hallway, Kass' maniacal laughter ringing in her ears.
***
Kilahna raced down the path towards her house, not wanting to know what to
expect. Her house came into view, and she screamed. The entire hut was going
up in flames, Darigan pets laughing at the sides. Kass flew down and landed
behind her, smirking.
"What have you done to my family?" Kilahna sobbed.
"You liar!"
Suddenly, Kass seemed angry. He grabbed her
arm and threw her to the ground. "They're gone! Now repeat after me," he snarled,
"I live to serve Lord Kass!"
Kilahna fell onto all fours, her face to the
ground. "I live to serve Lord Kass," she whispered, as a single tear rolled
down her cheek and splashed onto the ground.
I live to serve Lord Kass…
The End
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