Nameless

Nameless; Hopefully I'll Finish This One.

"Could you ever fall in love with anyone else?" She asked, her brown hair wrapped around his fingers. Her hands were resting on his bare chest. She felt his every breath, so close to her.
"No… It was only ever you. I love you." He smirked. 
"Well, that’s new." She smiled into his neck. 
"What’s new?" He asked, his smile fading.
"That you’ve said it. Because, if I’m honest, I love you too." She whispered.

Kira snapped out of her daydream. A sword was swung at her head, she parried and ducked out of the way. She grinned and sliced at the stomach of her attacker. Kira’s swing connected with a huff of breath. Her sword made a beautiful connection, causing blood to fall to the ground and her attacker to stumble. 

"Why do you like me?" She asked, still curious about his feelings for her.
"Love. You mean why do I love you." He corrected her, leaning forwards and brushing her hair out of her face. 
"Yeah, that." She said, ducking away from his battle scarred hands. 
"Because you’ve always been there for me." He said simply, his voice hoarse with emotion. 

Kira stepped back and plunged her sword into the back of her attacker. He was only one man, destined to die today like anyone else that attacked her. She’d been taught by the best, she was almost the best herself. Only one man could beat her, her mentor. Her mentor…

"Ami." She asked, her voice quiet and reserved.
"Yeah?" He asked, looking up from polishing a dagger. 
"I want to learn how to fight." She said, she smiled slightly. 
"Why?" He asked, his brows knitting. 
"So I can join you in your missions." She grinned, her brown hair bounced as she rocked on the balls of her feet.
"Oh… I guess I could teach you a little. You know about plants and poisons already."

Kira smiled slightly as yet another attacker charged forwards. She threw her short blade up, it spun in the air perfectly. She leapt over the body of the dead man and caught the handle of her silver sword. She grinned as she slashed at the charging man’s legs. He fell the floor, he landed with a bone jarring thud. She flicked her wrist and the man’s throat was torn open, blood flooded out of the gash. 

"Goodbye."
"What?"
"Goodbye." He said again, his back to her. He stood with one hand gripping the door frame, his knuckles white. 
"I heard that… but what do you mean?" She asked, her voice broke in the middle of her sentence. 
"I have to go on another mission." He said, his eyes clenched shut. In one hand he gripped a scabbard, the other was still gripping the door. "Alone."
"What? No… I - I always come with you." She whispered. "In case anything happens."
"Not this time." He bowed his head and walked out the door. "I'm sorry."

Kira looked at her blade, carved with intricate detailing on the handle and a simple Celtic knot pattern on the blade. No one else approached her, they seemed to be fearful. Rightly so. How many people had she killed with this sword? How many people had died by her hand? How many since Itami?

"Itami."
"Kira… Why are you here?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"You’re to be terminated." She said coldly, this man was still her world… But he'd broken her. She looked at him, his slim, athletic frame didn't look dangerous but he was a lethal weapon.
"Oh." He said with a smirk. "Oh dear."
"I thought that’d be your reply. Anyway, I'm here to terminate you."
"I'm sorry, but I can’t let you." He said, his stance shifted slightly. 
"You don’t have to let me, I will kill you. It’s an order." She said coldly, pulling the twin blades from the scabbards at her hips.

What was everyone waiting for? She wanted to fight, to rip and tear at the flesh of these weak men. Kira scanned the battlefield, pain and destruction lay scattered around her like the broken bodies of the dead men her task force had killed. Fresh blood permeated the soil, leaving a thick mud underfoot. She shifted on the spot, her skin tight leather armour was lightweight and not the least bit restrictive, but she knew when we was wearing it. 
"Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?"
She looked up. That silhouette, she already knew it. She’d lived with that man, fought with him, trained with him, ate and slept with him. He was her life… And then she killed him. 
"Itami?"

--

"Squad 10! File ranks!" The sharp voice screamed across the courtyard. 
Kira looked up at the grey skies, thin wispy clouds smothered the dim sun. She walked into the courtyard, following the other first year applicants. 
"Move." Someone sighed and pushed past her. "You’re in the way." It was a blonde boy, tall but young. Her age maybe… probably older. His rank was two syllables at the most. 
"Sorry." She mumbled, looking down at the cobblestones. 
The blonde boy turned around and shot her a single look of pure disdain. He muttered something and turned around. The crowd around them was making a lot of noise, everyone eager to see the training of the guardians. 
"All applicants follow me." A tall, thin, balding man said sharply. The same man that had yelled the instructions to Squad 10. "We shall go through the training hall so you shall have to be careful not to get hit by any weapons. We will not be held responsible for your injuries."
Kira looked at him closely, a layer of uneven stubble ran along his jaw, greying in patches. He looked old and wise, a four syllable rank maybe.
"My name is Alexander. I am your boss for the next week. And I will be for longer if you make it through the selection. Only the elite are chosen."  He turned and walked away, the line of hopeful applicants followed closely. 
Yes, a four syllable rank. He was indeed high up. She followed the crowd, mainly one or two syllable ranked men, there was only one other woman she saw. That woman looked only one syllable.

The ranking system was difficult for females to climb, as the people were rated on their achievements and physical prowess. Males had two syllables by puberty and three by marriage, usually. Sometimes there were women that got up to three syllables by the time they were old crones but the men their age would be five or more syllables. Male children weren’t named until they’d made their first kill. Females wouldn’t be named until they’d grown a hen all by themselves, with no help from their mother. 
Kira had been named Ki by the age of five and had gotten her name, Kira, aged fourteen. Now, two years after that, she was enlisting for the Guardians. The warriors and peacemakers, the lawmakers and the punishers. She smiled to know that, as a woman, she had startled a lot of people with her persistence and her knowledge. 

A small smile slipped across her face, a small one because if anyone caught her smirking while there were training, half undressed three syllable males around, she’d be flayed for Temptations. 
The crowd walked into the smaller to the three training rooms. Even this hall was the size of a football pitch. Alexander stopped walking and stood still in the wooden hall, perfectly still. He seemed frozen. He watched the crowd file in. 
"You, girl." He said, pointing at Kira. "Why are you here?"
Kira looked around her, the eyes of sixty other people were glued to her. She smiled and laughed softly. "Isn't it obvious? I like to fight. I want to protect."
Alexander looked at her, a sharp look. "You like to fight?" He walked closer to her, looking her in the eyes. "You want to protect… You’re doing neither here. We’re training. You need to be strong before you fight." He lashed out, his hand in a clenched fist hit Kira in the stomach. "And alert."
Kira felt the air burst out of her lungs as Alexander’s fist connected with her stomach. She fought the sudden reflex to double over. She stood still, her eyes watering, and bowed her head, looking at the floor.
"You learn to respect your olders and betters."
"Yes, Sir." She gasped. Her breath came in ragged gasps. The blonde boy that had pushed past her sniggered and whispered to a small boy next to him. They both shot her one look and laughed. 
"You, boy." Alexander turned to face the blonde boy. "What’s your name?"
"I am Shiro." He spat the name out, breaking it into two syllables so that everyone could hear. "Shiro Sagami, son of Kusque Sagami."
There were a few muffled gasps as the recruits heard Shiro’s name. He was the son of one of the most high ranking Guardians, he’d been trained since he was small for the express purpose of running the Guardians after his father died. 
"I asked for your name, not your life story." Alexander spat. "But you’re a Sagami. Kusque’s son, in fact. A high ranking noble man."
"Yes."
"That’s ‘Yes, Sir’ to you." Alexander snapped, "I’m still your superior."
"Yes, Sir." Shiro drawled, his voice barely more then a whisper. His arrogance annoyed Kira, he had no right to treat anyone like that. No right at all.
Kira looked up at Alexander. He was showing no sign of anger, but his eyes were furious. Kira bowed her head again. 
"Right, I will pair you and you will work on basic sparring." Alexander shouted at the recruits. "You will then be reorganised into different levels. Some of you will not come back tomorrow."
A cold shiver ran down Kira’s spine. She had to come back tomorrow, she’d worked her whole life as a clothes washer, a maid, a serving girl. She was a nobody, but this was her one shot at becoming a somebody. She had to get through this training.
"Shiro and Kira."
Wait, what? She was with Shiro, that arrogant b*****d? No chance. She looked at him, his stance was lazy. His back slouched and his eyes half shut, he looked asleep. His blonde hair fell into his eyes, he  blew it out of the way. She sighed and walked over to him. 
"Sire." She spat. "Let’s spar."
"I like this one, she knows her place." He joked to the smaller, brunette boy next to him. "She’d be a good servant."
Kira’s dislike for Shiro turned to pure hatred in that instant. She lashed out at him, her fist connecting with his jaw. She kicked his knee and felt him give. He fell to the floor. 
"Guess you didn’t see that coming, Sire." She laughed. 
A solid smack dropped her to her knees. She looked up, Alexander stood over her. His fist was solid and he’d hit her squarely. She shook her head, her vision blurred. 
"My head…" She moaned.
"Who saw what happened?" Alexander snapped. The brunette boy raised his hand. "Tell me what you saw."
"Sh- She came over and said something to him. Calling him ‘Sire’ and… and then she hit him." The boy stuttered. 
"Unprovoked?" Alexander asked. 
The boy nodded. "Totally."
Kira was aware of the whole class looking at her, wondering why she’d struck him. She held her head and moaned slightly. Blood was running underneath her fingers. Alexander was wearing a gold Guardian ring, it must have caught her. 
"Get up." Alexander nudged her with his foot. 
Kira clambered to her feet. She dropped her arms to her side and stood still, waiting for either his next harsh sentence or his next strong blow. 
"Go to the physician. Take the wimp with you." He motioned towards sprawled out Shiro. "Out that door, to the right."
Kira looked at Shiro. She kicked his foot. "Get up, Sire." She walked across the room, her vision stabilising as she walked. She heard whispers as she walked out of the room. 
"She’s bleeding." The brunette boy said to Alexander. "This guy’s fine compared to her… She’s hurt and she’s not making a fuss."
"I know." Said Alexander. "But she’s too impulsive. Pick this one up and take him to the physician and then come back here. Your partner will be waiting."

--

"Alexander."
"Yes?"
"How is the girl progressing?"
"She’s strong… She knocked out that pompous Sagami boy and took a blow from my right hand."
"Really?"
"Yes, she’s fast. Good and strong."
"Good. Report back to me tomorrow.

--

"Good morning Recruits." Alexander said, his voice sharp and unyielding. "After yesterday’s… incidents I hope we can move on."
"It’s her fault." A sharp whisper came from Shiro. His blonde hair was brushed back and there was a nice purple bruise on his cheek. It was barely there, it’d be worse by the end of the week. Kira took some pride in that. 
"Again, we’re pairing you up. Your abilities will be tested and you will all then be ordered."

Hours later, sticky and hot, Kira walked out of the training room. It was lunch time and all the other recruits were eating their lunches in the mess hall. Kira couldn’t think of food at the moment, her stomach was a knot of fear and worry. She walked out on the campus. Everywhere she went there were men in armour carrying things, lifting things or being decorative. She wandered out of the main campus square. There was a ring of foliage around it, a sanctuary from the noise of the daily routines of the Guardians.

She wandered through the old trees, she knew she’d have to go back soon. A small smile crept across her face as she saw a small fiery red fox run in between the trees, carrying a chicken leg in it’s mouth. 

"She’s here somewhere."
Who was that? Kira stopped still. Someone was looking for her. Someone close. Kira stopped moving. She took a deep breath and let her body relax. 
"Where's somewhere?" Another voice whispered. 
"Somewhere means somewhere. I don't know where." 
There was a loud crack as someone stepped on a branch and caused a few birds that had been nestled in the trees to fly away. 
"Shut up!" The first voice called. "Just stop!" 

Kira almost laughed. It was that blonde boy and his idiot friends... It must be, no one else would ever try to find her. Or be so obvious. She decided that, although she would like to get into a fight, it was best to avoid the boys and head back inside the building to continue her training. 
She slipped through the trees, the piles of dead leaves beneath her feet crunched softly. The boys in the forest were making too much noise themselves to hear Kira. She reached the edge of the trees and turned around. There. She saw a slip of dark blue, that must be someone's clothes. 

Silently, she walked back through the courtyards and into the training room. There were a few boys, 16 or 17, packing up the equipment used last session. They were dressed in black, baggy, suits. 
"Can I help?" She asked, her voice almost drowned out by the wind she'd let in as she opened the door. One of the boys looked up, but at a sharp signal from another he dropped his head. 
The boy that had looked up was tanned to a dark brown, his hair was jet black and his eyes a dark colour that Kira couldn't make out. The other one was tall and lean with pale skin and light blonde hair. 
"Hello? I asked if I could help you?" She said, confused by the boy's actions. 
The boy that looked up a second before kept his head down this time. He just shook his head and continued packing the wooden dummies away. The other one, however, stopped packing and walked towards Kira. 
"Go." He mumbled, not opening his mouth fully. "Out." He pointed to the door. 
Kira looked at him properly, his skin was pale and there were faint scars around his mouth. It looked like someone had attacked his face. 
"Your - Okay, I'll go." She turned around and walked out of the door onto the terrace.  On the terrace Kira had a nice view of the courtyards in front of the training buildings. It was still not halfway through lunch, what was she going to do for another hour or so?

He sauntered around the corner, his gait slow and leisurely. He was dressed in the same black outfit as the men inside the training hall. He caught Kira's eye because he was as relaxed amongst the training men as a man wandering around town on a Sunday afternoon. 

"Excuse me." He said, his smooth, sickly voice seemed to wrap itself around Kira's senses, initiating some primal fear in her. "Why are you waiting here?"

"I - I... I'm training here." She stuttered, unsure of how to answer this man. "I just wanted to... help a few boys in there but they sent me out." 

"Oh, excuse my men. They're not as accepting as I'd like them to be." He said, his brown hair flopped over his eyes as he nodded his head to her. "I'll talk to them." 

"Okay, I guess." She smiled softly, the smile not meeting her eyes. She turned back to face the courtyard. Her mind consumed with the past week, all so hectic and rushed. And these men, boys, what were they? That boy's scars were no accident. And this man had called them his men.

There was a muffled shouting coming from the training room. No doubt the boys were being punished for not being courteous to her. She didn't blame them, they were just doing their duty. 

She sighed and turned to walk around the courtyards when the doors behind her opened and the black suited boys walked out in single file. They were an arms length away from her, her eyes picked up faint bruises or small scars on their faces. Just like the boy that had spoken to her. 

"Sorry." Mumbled that blonde, pale boy. "We were rude." 

Kira shook her head and said, "Don't worry, it's fine." 

The man that had the control over the boys sauntered up behind her and placed a single hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry about them, they've understood what they've done wrong." He turned her around to face him, his face was scared close up. His nose had been broken a few times, not set straight at all, he had a scar running over one eye, stubble on his chin and the beginnings of a small moustache on his lip. He wasn't pretty to look at. "But, if you want to talk about it... I'm always here." He offered, his breath hot in Kira's face. "I live here. Room 22C. You'll find it on the West Side of the Castle."

"Okay." Kira muttered. "If I need you, Mr..."

"I'm Wain, Wain Eti." 

"Well, Mr Eti, if I need you I'll look for you." Kira smiled, stepping backwards. She almost tripped over the blonde with the scars. "Oh, I'm sorry..." He caught her shoulders and steadied her, but left his hands lingering on Kira's skin.

"I am -"

"Nobody. These boys are nobodies." Wain snapped. "Nobodies that mean nothing. Forget them." Wain's fists had clenched and his eyes were cold, angry, Kira could even say they were ruthless. The blonde pulled his hands back to his shoulders. He backed into the line of men in black uniforms. 

"Move." Wain snapped. The line of black moved at his order. "I'll see you later, ma'am." 

Kira's eyes danced over the gathering recruits. None of them knew what had happened at lunch. Did they? None of them knew about the scarred nobody boys that tidied up for them after they'd trained in that room. No one knew about them... So who could she ask about them? 

"Attention recruits. I will be splitting you into groups of four and you will train for the rest of the afternoon..."

"Wain." 

"Itami..."

"What were you doing at lunch?"
"Talking to my men and a recuit..."

"No, you were flirting with her. You're sick. You're double - if not more - her age." 

"So, a guy can't have fun any more?" Wain grumbled, Itami irked him intensely. Itami was younger, smarter, stronger, faster, better looking... just better then Wain.

"Not with her. She's been booked by the Cap'n for Special Ops." 

"...Fine." Wain agreed grudgingly. "I just wanted some fun." 

Itami made a disgusted noise and spun on his heel, he shouted over his shoulder, "And your men get double rations tonight, Cap'n's orders. You're not to touch them for the next week either." 

Wain stood speechless. Nobody that knew about his treatment of the Nobody Boys ever objected. What had changed?