originally posted in:The New Dojo
"I know sis, maybe we can luck up and catch something later, like a rabbit." He said as he finished spreading the jam.
English
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"You know that the Master and mistress would punish us if we did." She told her brother. "We can't have anymore then the other kids. That's that." Then, the footsteps came downstairs. There was a brown headed shaggy haired boy with brown eyes who ran to the table and grabbed the slice of bread and immediately began to scarf it down. This was Zane's little brother, Akira. He was the age of six.
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"Damn Aki, remember to breath little bro." "[i]Heh, it's a miracle he never choked on his food.[/i]" he thought to himself.
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Edited by Inflatablepants: 5/26/2017 12:39:17 AM"Ya, ya! We got things to do! People to see! Bird's to shoot and stuff!" Akira told Zane with a mouth full of bread. "Chew with your mouth closed Aki! And ZANE! WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Setsuna demanded. Aki put his hand to his mouth and swallowed. "Sorry." He apologized.
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"Sorry Sets...Il try to watch it from now on." He said as he started to pout.
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"Ya, you better. If the mistress caught you saying that she would activate your chip." Setsuna warned Zane almost heartlessly. Aki looked up at Zane wide eyed as their big sister said that.
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Edited by SDK Zane: 5/26/2017 12:56:53 AMHe rubbed the back of his neck and clenched it, feeling the chip underneath his skin. Not even the nightingale's blood children was safe from the chip. "Right...."
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"Anyways. We should head out." Setsuna told her little brothers. "Training starts in five. Pretty sure the mistress was planning on having the kids who are five and up to do the salmon ladder."
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"Remind me what that is? It's been a while so I don't remember."
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"It's like that big rack where you have to use your abs to jump up to each level with a pole." Aki told Zane as he swallowed the rest of his bread. "It looks hard though!"
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"Hey, we shouldn't have a problem with that. We've been training after all!" He said trying to encourage his brother.
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"Ya...I guess you're right." Aki said with little confidence. "Well, let's stop talking about it and let's go do it!" Setsuna said as she walked towards the front door that barely hung on its hinges.
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He hopped out of the chair and ran to the door, waiting for Akira. "Common, we don't want to be late!"
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"I'm coming!" Akira said as he hopped off his chair and ran to the door. Setsuna opened it wide which allowed the siblings to walk outside. They walked into what looked like a run down town in the middle of the woods. All of the homes were made of rotting wood, including Zane and his family. However at the head of the village was a massive mansion that floated on top of the ground. A purple dome covered the village, and Zane remembered why. To avoid detection the Nightingales had their own pocket dimension that changed locations every day. Today, it was in the middle of the woods. Hundreds of kids were packed around the centre and Zane saw the large Salmon ladder they stood around.
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"So, where do you guys think we'll end up tomorrow? I'm hoping for a mountainside village."
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"A mountain side village? Why the mountains?" Aki asked his older brother. "Won't those be like...cold?"
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"Exactly! Plus there might be a chance for snow! I loooove the cold, it's just so relaxing." He exclaimed.
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"But...it's so cold." Aki said quietly. "I hope we land on a beach." Setsuna then said. "You can play in the snow all you want little brother but I want to sink in the sand and relax in the sun..."
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"That sounds terrible, plus wouldn't you get sunburnt? You haven't really been known to tan well and burn easily."
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Setsuna punched Zane in the shoulder as he made fun of her. "Oh I'll do what I want Zane!" She told him as they got to the crowd.
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He chuckled at seeing her reaction. "You get irritated waay to easy big sis. How are you gonna ever get a boyfriend if your always angry?"
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"Why would I have time for a boyfriend if I'm too busy dealing with you and your sassy comments?" She rebuked. Her face flustered but Zane saw the smirk at the corner of her mouth.
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He grinned as he then hopped up in his older sisters shoulders, messing with her hair. "I think you'll be able to manage."
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Then, the bustling of the crowd went to a dead quiet. He could see above the black cloaked crowd the small radius that cleared around the ladder. A woman, her cloak around her but her hood down revealed her face. She was an older woman, likely in her forties. She had greying blond hair and piercing old eyes that were intimidating to anyone. She looked around then spoke. "...You, boy." She said as she pointed to a small boy in the crowd. "You're first. Go."
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A feeling of dread came over Zane as he hopped down from his sisters shoulders. He watched the boy that was called out, praying for him to succeed.
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However, Zane remembered that this boy did anything but. As the small boy grabbed the pole and pulled himself up, he tried to lift the pole to the next step. But, the pole hardly made it and the boy crashed into the ground. The mistress, the old lady, pulled the whip from her hip and smacked it at the boys back. "Get back into line!" The Mistress yelled. The boy ran back into the crowd as the mistress pulled another child up to the ladder.