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She was born on the eve of the Summer Solstice. The sages proclaimed that summer to be one of extreme heat, and so it was that her father named her Katja. In the language of her people, the name was one of many for "fire".Her people were the strange and elusive Tyberan. A people who kept within their own borders, only a small few entering the Outlands as spies or exiles. The only real time the Tyberan people left their borders was when they went to war and sought to claim lands beyond their own.
For centuries beyond counting, such was the way of the Tyberan. Always expanding the vast empire they had amassed over the years. However, as Katja grew and was integrated into this society, she did not understand. Her mother often tried to beat the Tyberan sensibilities of superiority into her daughter, but Katja stubbonly refused to believe her people to be the absolute race.
When she was eight, Katja was selected by General Kevlaar, leader of the Queen's Armies. The General sent her to the Shodar, a secret group of assassin thieves.
Katja remained with the Shodar for eight years, learning the fine arts of killing and thievery. The General always came by occasionally to check on her progress. The members of Shodar were impressed with her ability to adapt to their ways. She excelled beneath their tutelage, becoming more and more a lethal beauty that they were proud to have in their possession. However, the General returned when she was at the height of her class, taking her from the Shodar.
So, again, Katja left with the General, always trusting her mentor. Throughout her days at Shodar, he would often come and spar with her. Keeping her in practice against a weightier foe. Katja, now sixteen, followed the General unerringly. He led her to the Grand Palace of Tybis. It was here that she was inducted into House Protectorate, a life-long dream that had been handed down generation to generation in Katja's family.
Her assignment from Protectorate was to guard the Prince-Heir Thalin D'Ubrian. Young Katja and the princeling got along quite well, becoming steadfast friends. Katja was only two years older than Thalin, but still they got along. By all rights, Thalin could have ignored Katja, for she was merely a servant of the Crown. However, he was not permitted anywhere beyond the Palace Grounds, so his life was often a lonely one. However, their friendship was to be a short-lived one.
On the last year of her two year assignment, Katja's charge, the Prince, was slain in his own bed. Katja recieved beratement for her lapse, but nothing further came of it. It was at this point that General Kevlaar came again, sweeping her away to more training.
This time it was in the Central Grounds within the Palace. Here was the training arena of the Warrioresses of the Veil. These women were the prized soldiers of the Queen herself. Kevlaar deposited Katja here. However, before he departed, he gave her a gift. He told her it was the Dagger of Mystics and that it would always protect her. Little did she know of the magical power that was imbued into the short blade. As Kevlaar departed, the eighteen-year-old Tyberan stepped into a world she wouldn't soon forget.
It was here that she made her first true enemy in the form of Sharidia Ohlamvae, a fellow trainee in the "warriel", the shortened term for the Warrioresses. They trained for two years, learning the finer arts of the blade. Here they learned to integrate the fighting arts of the body with the fighting arts of magic and metal.
After the first year, they were all Blessed and given the one gift that was reserved for those in service to the Crown; the Amulet of Bast. This item allows them a limited amount of endurance when commanding the Powers of the World; powers of Earth, Air, Water, and One. Once they were given these, they entered a more fierce level of training. A few of the trainees did not survive. But, always, Katja and Sharidia fought for the highest classification of their group. Katja was stronger in the Power, but Sharidia was more fierce with a blade.
In the last year of their training, Katja was exposed as a failure of House Protectorate, despite Kevlaar's best attempts to keep the news from the public. Sharidia pushed the decision of the Priests, by using one that had been infatuated with her. He had been a High Priest of Sekhmet at the time, and as such the Sect of Sekhmet dealt with the Law. The Sect first decided that such an offense was deserving of execution. However, General Kevlaar stepped forward and pleaded for Katja's life. His sacrafice was accepted and, as Katja watched, her mentor was slain, decapitated before the entire city. It was, thusly, the decision of the Sect to exile Katja to the Outlands; with the addition that should she return she would be executed.
So, with only the Dagger of Mystics and the Amulet of Bast on her person, Katja left the land of her birth. Never once turning her eyes upon that accursed land again.
To be continued...
© 1999 E. Angeli Mansfield