Hiromi Kai whirled around the large kitchen with grace and ease. Her three prehensile tails chopped vegetables while her hands stirred a large pot hanging in the wood-burning oven. The scent of herbs and lamb filled the air of the entire fortress, the Kai Main House that is. Hiromi looked out the window down the hill to the estate gates, the sun just starting to set over the wooded hills. Whispering to herself, she sighs, “If they are even one second late, I will skin them both for the next meal.” The house matron threw the three knives into the counter below her, each thudding into the wood in a rhythmic pattern. She whipped around and scooped up the chopped potatoes, carrots, and celery and dropped them in the boiling stew. As the pot sputtered and popped, Hiromi started to hum a soft tune while she cleaned up the mess of preparation. Once again she checked the window, the sun hiding behind the hills, letting out its last rays of glistening light. Hiromi started to grab utensils and tableware but was startled by the sound of the front door slamming against the wall of the house.
“Yes! Told you! You might have me in a fight right now, but I've got speed on you, old man!” I’Kira raggedly replied, “Fine, yes. I am not the spry young one I once was… But I am not old. I’m barely 54.” Hiromi took that opportunity to slink around the corner, out of her daughter's sight line. Silently, Hiromi stealthily glided into the entryway and whispered in Yuki’s ear, “If I am older than Uncle I’Kira, and you called him old… Does that mean you are calling me old, Yuki?” Turning slowly, Yuki’s coat absently drifted to the ground revealing her white and red accented fur standing on end. With a creek in her bones, Yuki turned to see her mother's glaring purple eyes an inch away from her own, piercing their way into Yuki’s soul like a spear. “Of course not, Mother! You are so youthful and full of life! Old is not a word that adequately describ- remotely comes close to anything that you are!”
Hiromi cracked the wooden spoon against her open palm, which sent a bolt of anxiety coursing through Yuki. “Good save Daughter. Your Father would be proud of your linguistic ballet. Come, dinner is hot. Don’t track mud through my house, I just removed the last of it from yesterday.” As the stealthy matron meanders her way into the kitchen, she called out to the pair, “The heating glyph for the hand basin has been repaired, now go wash up.” I’Kira had already beaten Hiromi to the punch and walked out of the washroom with a clean face and hands. “Better hurry up, it might be that I still win this race.” He said with a wink in the direction of the young Kitsune. Yuki glared daggers at her uncle, “Yeah right, I won already, you can’t move the finish line after I’ve crossed it.” Bumping into his side with her shoulder, Yuki stiff-armed past her Uncle, sauntering into the washroom and returning soon after. Yuki started to round the corner into the kitchen when she overheard what her Mother and Uncle were discussing.
“Hiromi, I haven’t heard anything, I just sent a messenger bird two days ago, but I haven’t received word back,” I’Kira told her, trying to hide the concern in his tone.
“I haven’t gotten a letter from Iskra for two months now. It is quite unlike him to not have a backlog of written letters. The last I received was dated as written a month before its arrival.” Her tails twitched as her whiskers stirred.
“I know you are worried, but it doesn’t help to do nothing all day but cook and hope he walks through the door.” He said, insistently.
“Do you know what his mission was? He wouldn’t tell me before he left… That makes me think it was very dangerous, or at least not safe. Did he ask you to go with him?” Hiromi’s voice grew quieter as the thoughts of what could have happened consumed her mind.
“No, Hiromi, I don’t know what his mission was, and I offered to accompany him as a Shadow should, but he refused to let me. G.U.I.L.D. apparently has some stringent rules, and being one of the first official parties of the organization means heavy scrutiny.”
Yuki chose the pause that followed to join in the conversation. “Father’s missions are normally a couple of months, but he has been gone for six now. How long could this mission take? Uncle, tell me about G.U.I.L.D. and what it means to be an adventurer to them. Please.” Her eyes pleading as she stared at her Uncle. I’Kira sighed and glanced over at Hiromi, “It’s up to you right now, if she gets this knowledge.” An additional sigh from Hiromi, “Like her father wouldn’t have started prepping her upon his return… Go ahead, but first, let's get some food while it's hot.” I’Kira approached the steaming pot and Yuki quickly inserted herself before him. She swiftly took the ladle and served herself, smiling mischievously at her Uncle. After the three had served themselves, they all sat down as I’Kira began to explain.
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“Yuki, let's start from the beginning. I know you already know some of these things, but I want to make sure there are no gaps in understanding. When this world was first formed, there were eight deities. The six we know of for sure are Sethra, the Burning Passion, and Deity of Fire. Apason, the Restorer, and Deity of Water. Calhoun, the Immovable, and Deity of Earth. Rihan, the Undecided, and Deity of Air. Lux, the Luminous, and Deity of Light. Lastly, but not to be forgot, Nox, the Forgotten One, and Deity of Dark. The other two deities mentioned in the old texts from before the formation of the six panthetic kingdoms are highly debated, although primarily there are only two sides. These people are either on the side of nonexistence or on the side of Supreme Deities. The former is self-explanatory, but the ladder is the idea that these two Supreme Deities created the other six. The two debated deities are Adam, The First - the Deity of Law, and Luscious, The Choice - the Deity of Chaos. During the first era of this world, the Deities created the races of people we know and even chose to live among them. However, war soon broke out, or so it is said, and the races became separated, following their own deity and forming the six kingdoms. As the Fire, Water, Air, and Earth Deities all left Tyria, the Light and Dark fought for control of the area. This was thought until just recently when the Kingdom of Dark and their capital city disappeared. The War died down, and all the hostile races that lived and breathed war, who acted as mercenaries for either side, spread out looking for more places to dominate. The Orcs, Kobolds, Goblinkin, and many others took to the seas and began making long treks across the land. Soon, these creatures were attacking villages and towns. This is where your great-great-great-great-grandfather and others like him started to appear. G.U.I.L.D., or Global Unified Institution of Learned Daredevils, was an organization set up to ensure cooperation between the five remaining kingdoms. Those who visit the two current G.U.I.L.D. Academies get special tattoos and permission to cross borders on official business, with the understanding that they are not to start a new war. If you are a certified adventurer, you guarantee that the public good is greater than oneself.” Lost in his own thoughts, I’Kira took a drink from his goblet and paused for reflection.
“Let me see if I understand this, the six kingdoms made a city guard for the world, and called them adventurers?. One can only adventure inside kingdom borders if one has the accreditation, this accreditation also provides additional resources to help out on missions. For someone to earn said accreditation, they must attend an academy and follow the teachings to a T. Did I condense it adequately?” Yuki summarized for her Uncle. I’Kira silently nodded his head in confirmation. Yuki continued, “Good, good… but that sounds awful. They stripped the adventure out of the adventurer. Another issue I see, only the wealthy will be able to become accredited. We will say goodbye to the common hero!” I’Kira and Hiromi both chuckled and Hiromi, still giggling, said, “Oh honey, you are wealthy; I don’t believe it is your place to speak on behalf of those you don’t represent.”
Yuki shot back with passion, “If those with privilege never speak to the injustices of those without, how can the ones behind those locked doors of privilege ever hear the plight of those outside?” Her mother, eyes wide in surprise, replied, “That may be true, but words of wisdom from the inexperienced often fall on deaf ears, even when correct. You must choose the timing of your battles wisely. Isn’t that a main tenant of the Kai Fighting Code?” Yuki grimaced at the implication of her Mother's words. “Does my age matter when it comes to ideas for the common good?” Yuki faltered, wanting to say more, yet somehow the words eluded her mind's grasp. Uncle I’Kira spoke up at that moment, “Age doesn’t matter if you find the people who believe in the message. Surround yourself with like-minded people and there is no limit to the accomplishments to be had.” Yuki stared at her Uncle and instantly nodded her head in understanding and agreement, “Okay! My goal in life is now clear - I’m going to start the first inclusive academy, one that doesn’t base its admissions on wealth, but on skill and merit instead. It will accept all forms of life, from training age and up, and courses will last as long as the applicants need them to ensure their survival. This way, anyone who wants to can become the adventurer they always wanted to be.”
Hiromi gazed at her daughter, both with inspiration and trepidation. How awe-inspiring it was to watch her create a wholesome idea and think it would work; however, it was equally as worrying. What enemies would she make if this idea was put into practice? Would enough people follow her lead? Hiromi thought of how she wasn’t alone in these thoughts. All parents had these questions about their children, especially after caring for them and watching them grow. Then suddenly, they are out on their own, making the decisions that the parents were making just a few years prior. The urge to want the best for them lingers even after they have left. Hiromi remembered watching the faces of the people in her hometown express the exact emotions she was feeling as she left with her future partner, her child’s Father, Iskra.
“I hope Father returns before next week! I want to tell him this idea on my birthday. My hopes are that he will help me as a gift.” Yuki’s declaration spurred Hiromi out of her thoughts and she smiled fondly at her daughter. “I’m sure he will love the idea, it sounds just like something he would do himself.”