White Divine Pupils, Ruha!

Fesdek, ashara. It is a phrase in Elamoor that means 'Fate is everything'. I, Ruha Elamoor, am a witness.

Going to Furhad was my dream. Not only mine, everyone in our courtyard. But then, one after the other, the promising offspring of our courtyard died, leaving me to carry on the dream. Left alone, I journeyed to the closest village to Axihome; Calbran, intending to muddle along there for a while before I set out on my destiny. Who knew that the chief of Calbran, Alev Sunr, coveted my White Divine Pupils.

I never intended to spend one more minute than I was supposed to in Calbran. Therefore, I casually told the boy chained next to me that I was going to break out. Who expected him to readily agree?

I followed after them when I realized we were all going to Furhad. I could do with some friends, some support. I had all my life fought with my own courtyard relatives, all in the name of competition, of proving ourselves worthy of our clan name. I had never had a day of rest.

Therefore, Cao and Zin and the others mattered so much to me. Even though we'd been together less than a month, I regarded them as my true Brothers and Sisters, completely different from those fake ones of my courtyard back in Elamoor.

.

The bandits had fled. They were ordinary people, only two them being mages. Mediocre ones.

"If those two lived in Elamoor, they would be beggars. But they dare to be arrogant here," our benefactor who asked us to join our company, by the name of Suful, spat.

Exactly what I was thinking.

"Ruha, dear, hope you didn't suffer a fright?" she asked me tenderly. I knew what was going on in her mind. She wanted to make me stay with them at all costs, and eventually marry me to her son Drenh, whoever the heck he was. I knew how all Elamoors think, being one myself.

But she was so wrong! I only required their protection on this trip and this trip only, because of my White Divine Pupils. Mixed among a crowd of Elamoors, no one could have any thoughts towards me as they had done in Calbran.

"Aunty, can I ask you something?" I said.

"Go ahead, good child. Heh heh, Ferme, look, she's calling me aunty already!"

Ferme glanced at me with a lopsised grin. I remained focused.

"Aunty, the stone used to block raw magic, what's it called?"

That stone was my nemesis. I had to be protected!

Suful thought for a while.

"Are you asking about lunar stone?"

"This lunar stone," I asked, "is it grey in colour and shines red when used?"

"That's it," Suful clapped, "why?"

"Nothing," I said gravely. So it was lunar stone. Then I had another idea.

"Aunty, can it's effects be blocked?"

Suful shook her head.

"Child, just as mages have ranks, lunar stone also have ranks. Naturally, once your rank is above the lunar stone directed at you, it will have no effects."

So cultivation was the key. I had to raise my rank, raise my rank, raise my rank! Never again would I be powerless because of a stinking lunar stone!

Suful looked at me.

"Child, I noticed you have the White Divine Pupils. Could it be...." She hesitated, "you are from the royal branch of Elamoor? You see...you haven't told me your family name.... it's not polite,"

I looked straight at her. They were all dead, what did it matter?

"My name is Ruha Elamoor," I said simply.

She laughed nervously.

"You..You know it's impossible to claim the clan name anyhow--"

I raised my hand and showed her my clan mark. All the Elamoors in the wagon forgot to breathe.

"You... you are actually Ruha the Eighth?!"

I frowned, puzzled. When had I ever had such a title??

"Ruha the Eighth, memorial ruler of Elamoor!" Suful continued, her eyes wide and round, "and me thinking I could take you for my Drenh!"

Well, I was glad she admitted...

"Your Highness!..."

"Don't start," I warned.

She clammed up. It gave me time to think.

So since they were all dead, the title passed to me?? And I wad ruler in memorial because they thought I was dead too? Sucks.

If I was indeed ruler of Elamoor, there would be a lot of things I would do. Like moving the clan away from it's original site so I would not be haunted from the scenes in my childhood.

I looked at Suful.

"So...."

Given permission to talk, she stammered:

"Your, Your Highness, my caravan is yours! Everything I have, my money, my Drenh--"

I knew she would add him to the lot. I laughed, imagining how Drenh would spit out blood knowing his mother had sold him to the ruler like that.