Chapter 2 The Beginning

THE BEGINNING – (THE ISLAND)

Dimitri was just 10 years old when her whole fantasy turned into a stuffy space, and it got even stuffier as she grew older. 

She was the only child of her parents, so her trainings were both masculine and feminine. 

Her parents, ‘the Saws’ were the pillars of the island, and they had held every single corner of the island so firmly that no Evil could arise either from within or beyond. 

The island was a sanctuary for humans, but in little Dimitri’s head it was just a home. No child her age or below knew what was beyond the waters that surrounded them.

“Dimitri Saw!” Aileen, her mother called out.

“Mom,” Dimitri jerked up from bed immediately, she had been caught sleeping again.

“It is time for your training and you ran off to sleep again? Do you know how much you need to train to be perfect?” Aileen lectured her as she always did.

She always wished she had another child so Dimitri wouldn’t feel burdened, but she was not blessed with another, so she had to protect the only one she had. And how else can one protect their child if not teaching her how to protect herself?

“I am so tired and sleepy.” Dimitri mumbled as she rubbed her eyes with a sulky look on her face.

She barely gets enough sleep, she didn’t even know why she has to go through such intense trainings when it always drains her.

“The time is fast coming, so you have to be prepared.” Aileen pulled her up, off from the bed.

“Time? Prepared for what, mom?” Dimitri was clueless about the whole statement.

“Quiet! Wash your face quickly and rush down to the training square before your father notices your absence.” Aileen told her daughter, but Dimitri remained on a spot unmoving.

“Did you not hear me just now, young lady?” She held herself back from sounding stern.

Dimitri pouted sadly, holding back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. The last time she had enough sleep was on the night before her 10th birthday. 

“Can I not just sleep for today?” She pleaded. She was really feeling sleepy and tired still.

“You go to the training square at once young lady. After that, you come and learn your stitches. You are a Saw and the heir to the Island.” Aileen reminded her as she always does in moments like this.

Dimitri’s heart ached as she felt like crying, she always heard the same words over and over again.

‘You are a Saw and heir to the Island’

Doesn’t Saws or Heirs sleep? She wished they did.

“Yes, mom,” she replied sadly and went ahead to wash her face then headed to the training square.

Aileen watched her daughter leave, “One day, you will understand that all I do, I do for your safety.” She said under her breath.

She sighed out and went ahead to the kitchen to prepare their food.

"Dimitri!" Festus called out to her.

Dimitri paid no attention to him; she kept walking head on towards the training square.

"You always ignore me," Festus frowned while watching her figure from a little distance.

Dimitri paused in her steps. She turned back to look at him with a scowl on her face."I don't ignore you, you are always on a bad timing." 

He just always looks for her at a bad time. Just like now, she wasn't in the mood to talk.

Festus face lightened up when he heard her reply him, he knew she would stop, she always did.

"We are best friends anyway so it should be a good thing, right?" He smiled as he got closer to where she was standing.

Dimitri rolled her eyes as she kept on walking.

Festus was persistent, "But it is true though. I mean, it's like your mind calls out to me when you are having a bad time and I just appear and make it go away like an—" he got cut short when Moko's voice sounded above their heads like a drum.

"You are late!" Moko scolded.

Dimitri felt her chest tighten. She was always scared of her father. "I apologise father," she replied immediately and went to the front circle where she always positioned herself. 

Festus was usually a blabber mouth, but he always stood like a soldier awaiting command in situations like this any time he was around Moko. 

He became still till Dimitri nudged him.

The training square was alarge open field where soldiers and most interested children came to learn combat. 

It was a large square with medium sized circles sketched in the middle to accommodate a lot of people.

"What are you doing there?" Moko lashed at Dimitri.

Dimitri looked up at him. "I ... I..." she could not find her words, she never did. Not when she was up against her father.

"Go for your laps now!" Moko thundered like he was addressing a soldier.

Dimitri had done the morning laps very early in the morning already but her little heart almost burst out in fear; she couldn't say so. 

"Ye ... yes, father," she did not wait to be told twice, she took to her heels instantly.

Festus was about to join her, but Moko halted him.

"Attention, soldier! Were you asked to leave the grounds?" 

"No, sir." Festus shivered and went back to his circle. 

If he looked in a little distance he could see Dimitri's figure jogging, with her violet hair blessed with coloured strands of silver flowing with the wind, she was always eye catching.

He knew she was already tearing up by now, she always cried when her father raised his voice at her. 

The only reason he joined the combat training was because he wanted to accompany her.Asides him, she was the youngest person in the training square, the rest were 16 years and above but she was still tasked to train harder. 

He really felt sorry for his best friend.

"Boy!" Moko commanded Festus’ attention back to the training grounds.

"If you prefer to be elsewhere then leave, but make sure you don't ever come back to the square," he looked down at Festus.

Festus had to gulp down hard to avoid peeing in his pants.

Moko was a handsome, tall and well-built chocolate skinned man. He was a disciplinarian, but Festus just saw him as a big bully.

"Yes, sir," he whispered out in fear.

"Speak up, boy!" Moko thundered.

"Yes, sir!" Festus said more audibly.

Moko left him to continue his commands.