Alexus couldn't wait for her class to end. Kneeling on white mats that covered the stone floors, the only piece of furniture in the spacious room, she couldn't imagine she was the only one who thought that way. But, as she glanced around at the other pupils in the room, they all had their attentive eyes on the Sister of Light.

Being that she was in the third row, she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face as it shone through the window beside her and noticed the particles of dust dancing in its rays; the only movement visible in the room. Like some kind of abomination in such a pristine place. A bit like her, she thought.

The Sister of Light, reading from a leather-bound book, stood in her sky-blue robes in front of the class. Her raspy voice grated Alexus' ears as it resounded in the room, no longer smooth and youthful, as she preached her lessons. Her face, predominantly covered in wrinkles, was proof of the time she spent on earth- and of serving the Goddess of Light. Her silver-gray hair frayed around her head as it reached her mid back showed that she did not know of the struggles of the land she talked about as she peered at them with hard green eyes that'd turned hazy.

Alexus sighed inwardly and wondered, yet again, why she had to be here. She already knew majority of the lessons by heart as she was raised in the temple. There wasn't much for a young girl to do here, so she'd sat in on lectures occasionally, hoping it'd ease her boredom.

A cool breeze came through the window giving her relief from the heat. It carried with it the clatter of the workers and fresh air that cleared out the fragmented stale air of the room. She wished she could be out working the fields along side the Brothers of Light. She couldn't stand the stillness or the long lectures. It was tedious and dull. She ached to be moving, to be part of the world outside- not to be stuck inside like a preserved statue.

Alexus could almost imagined the feel of dirt and grit beneath her hands. The way soul gave beneath the soles of her feet, comforting to the aches from a hard day's work. She'd watch the seeds sprout, green little stems that'd grow into food, nourishing her people. Sweat would be dripping off her skin as the sun radiated down, coloring her darker than she already was. All of it a reminder that she'd accomplished something, which was more than she could say for being stuck inside all day.

"Alexus, please pay attention. You will be wise to not let your mind wander, doing so will only cause trouble. In addition, it is considered a sin to daydream, letting your mind stray from the Goddess. Dreams are for the wicked." She stared pointedly at her. "Those who cannot be satisfied with worldly possessions. It will be your chore to clean out the stables for the week," Sister Amila reprimanded Alexus, interrupting her thoughts of working with the Brothers in the fields.

"Yes, Sister Amila, it will be my honor." Alexus answered, her voice laced with sincerity. Although she wasn't sincerely sorry, she knew that it was the only way to get the Sister to leave her alone. Majority of the Sisters and Brothers of Light treated her differently than the other trainees: they were harder on her. They pushed her to learn more, to uphold all the values of the Light, and to behave as if she were the Goddess herself.

She didn't know the reason behind it, of why they were so strict. She wondered if it was because they raised her from infant and expected more from her, or if there was something about her they didn't like. Either way, she was sure of one thing; she certainly wasn't what they were hoping for, as she'd always came up short in disappointments.

Sister Amilia continued to stare intently at Alexus before nodding her head and went on with her lecture. She talked about the dangers of the world which laid beyond them, of how corrupted mankind had become because of the weakness in their hearts, desiring what was not theirs.

With Sister Amila distracted in her teaching, Alexus glanced off to the side, seeing the other trainees grinning at her being scolded, yet again. It was inevitable that she'd get into trouble at least once a day, if not more. She was seen as a joke to them; a misfit. Ignoring their smirks, she tuned back in on the Sister's preachings.

"Thus, it was easy for the darkness to seep into their hearts, creating more followers of the Dark. The Sons and Daughters of Darkness grew stronger. There was bloodshed. Infants were slain in cribs, mothers died from grief of their loss. Husbands and fathers watched helpless as their wives and daughters were raped. Villages, towns, and cities were torn apart. In replace of that, the Courts were put into order."

Then, Sister Amila branched off into more explicit details of the wars. She told of their strategies and tactics; the how's and why's they went after certain places before moving on to the next. Of how they were able to defeat certain cities, and how the effects of weather had played in it.

Alexus couldn't help but to doze off in another daydream as the Sister's voice droned on. She fantasized about traveling the lands, seeing wondrous and fascinating sights. She'd meet new and interesting people- even make a friend.

Of course, she'd be out there saving people's lives and bringing them back to the way of Light. It'd be more than what the Sisters and Brothers were currently doing. She couldn't possibly conceive the world in which the Sister described. Tucked away at the Temple of Light it all seemed so unreal.

It was hard for her to think the world so cruel of a place. The Sisters and Brothers of light should be out there helping. They preached about helping those in need. Instead, however, they'd done nothing but hide in the safety of the temple. She wanted to be out there, to be where she was needed. She wanted to meet new species and gain life experience, to be able to grow as a person. It wasn't right to let innocent people suffer while they remained safe.

The Temple of Light happened to be in the middle of the city of Gala, protected by the Galaian Mountians and the Mithian Forest. The city was a thriving nation. The land and water rich and nutrient; they had no need to trade with other cities. Though, they did get the rare traveler that'd pass through.

Finally, Alexus noticed Sister Amila had stop speaking, snapping her back to her surroundings. She'd let the tension release from her body after kneeling on the mat for three hours. She supposed she should be more grateful. After all, the Sisters and Brothers of Light had taken her in when she was a babe- saving her life.

She rose with the rest of the students to leave the room, grateful to stretch her legs. A smile crossed her face as she thought of her next class. She'd get to see Brother Joseph, one of the few good things she had to look forward to. He'd always been kind to her, treating her like she was his daughter. He'd become family to her.

Alexus walked down the open hallway with windows on both sides with a light bounce in her steps. She passed a couple of doors, some which held classes currently in session, before turning right where the hall ended and headed towards the court yards.

The Sisters and Brothers thought it'd be best to teach their pupils the means to defend themselves. Times had changed. The world was a dangerous place. The Courts ruled unfairly; practicing slavery, war, and high stiffs. They loved war above all, making up excuses if they'd to, in order to go to war; always a true conqueror.

She had her training session next, not that it'd do her much good being stuck at the temple. Still, they were taught with swords, sticks, daggers, and hand-to-hand combat.

Alexus knew she was the best in her training class. She was fast, cunning, and agile. She studied her opponents, knowing by their slightest movement which way they intended to strike next. She had a slender frame and used it to her advantage. Which all added to her favor for the class.

"Lexus, I heard you had your head in the clouds again. Getting a little old for that aren't you?"

Hearing her nickname, Alexus looked up from the ground; a habit she'd picked up to avoid the looks of anyone who happen to be about, and grinned. She was greeted by her favorite person, Brother Joseph, who was wearing his navy-blue robe, which was accustom for the Brothers of Light. She'd to look up at him as he was tall, not to mention, muscular from his years of training. His brown hair kept well trimmed, letting his kind brown eyes, which glinted with gold specks, to be visible.

"I am only as old as I feel." Alexus stated, then smiling mischievously she added,"You taught me that."

Bursting out in laughter, he spoke, "That I did, figures that'd be the one thing that stuck in that head of yours. Now get out there with rest of them and start your drills."

" Aye, wouldn't want me to get full of myself now would you." Alexus said, her light voice carrying the sarcastic remark.

"Aye. Now on with you before I decide to take you on myself. Then we'd see who was full of themselves."

Grinning, Alexus walked out into the open court yard. The wind kicked up dust around her leather boots as she moved. She'd join with the rest of pupils, only welcomed by the sun that burned down on them.

There was no resistance as more dust kicked up when she pushed her feet against the ground while she ran through her routines, quickly warming up. Ever grateful for the breeze as sweat begun to drip off of her face. She wished she could discard her violet robe to cool off, however they were always required to wear them.

Shortly after, Brother Joseph went about pairing them up. Next thing she knew; Alexus stood face-to-face with the tallest, bulkiest, boy there. She groaned inwardly. Couldn't he have at least given me a challenge? She wondered while looking at him. He was all muscle and no brains. She didn't think her day could get any better.

David happened to be the second born son; fifteen years old, marking him of age to be sent to the Temple of Light, the standard custom for the City of Gala, to train as Brother of Light. He'd not been at the temple for long, a couple of months at most.

Looking at his hazel eyes, she saw the smirk plastered on his face. That was mistake number one, she thought to herself. She'd already knew he was cocky. Knowing he was going against a girl, he no doubt thought he'd an easy win; his second mistake. There were only a small handful of girls who elected to take part in art of defense, and they were expected to be treated the same as the boys.

They bowed to each other before beginning the fight. David was first to straighten, lunging after Alexus. Mistake number three, Alexus thought. She quickly stepped aside, catching him off guard. Weight and gravity worked against him as he fell to the ground. Pivoting around, she had her sword at his back.

"Rule number one," she said looking down at him, "don't underestimate your opponent." She lowered her sword, reaching out with her free hand towards him. Begrudgingly, he grasped it, as she helped pulled him up.

Then, the two went back to fighting. There were several more rounds of swords, a few of which he'd best her at, before they were paired off with new partners. They'd practiced other tactics, and maneuvers of defense.

Hand-to-hand combat was her weak point. Her small frame and weight were a disadvantage in this. Though she was fast, that did little when trying to get your opponent on the ground. Her backside met with the ground more than she'd cared to admit. So bruised and sore she gazed up at the sky, stretching her aching muscles. The sun had lowered, nearing sunset, marking the end of the session. Brother Joseph had them practice vigorously today. She knew she'd still be sore tomorrow.

"Bye, Brother Joseph. I'll see you tomorrow as I've got stable duty and won't be at dinner." Alexus said, heading back into the temple.

"Aye, give them a hello from me. Bye, Lexus."

Smiling, she walked quickly to the kitchens to grab a quick bite to eat. She'd hoped to clean the stables before the sun sets, which wasn't giving her much time.

She reached the kitchens at the far end of the temple, and her stomach started to rumble from smelling the food being prepared. It looked like roasted stew and apple pie was for dinner, one of her favorites. Despite her disappointment in missing out on her favorite meal, she was happy she won't have to listen to the mindless chatter at super, so it wasn't a complete lost.

The Sisters were hustling and bustling around the kitchen in order to prepare dinner as Alexus hastily scavenged the kitchen, doing her best to stay out of their way. They were chopping vegetables, baking bread, and slicing apples, and she didn't fancy losing a finger- or a limb. A pot of stew was simmering over the fire on the far side wall, and counters were all cluttered with spices and ingredients needed for the night's meal.

She managed to snatch a golden apple, a dinner roll, and a chunk of cheese that she had quickly wrapped up in a cloth. Then headed out to the stalls, glad to be away from the smoldering heat of the fires and the swarm of Sisters scattered about like a bunch of hens.

She ate her bread and cheese as she made her way down the dirt path to the corral. By the time she reached the stables, she'd started eating part of the apple. Upon entering she smelled the horses, leather, and hay; smells she'd welcome any day, as it'd smelled like home to her.

She'd always felt more at home here, preferring the solitude of the horses to the company of Brothers and Sisters of Light. This was the place she came to get away. It was her safe haven; a place where she could relax. It was where she could be free to talk of her dreams and not be criticized.

She walked over to the brown mare, giving her a pat on the head, as she leaned over the wooden stall door.

"How is my girl doing today? I brought you something." She held her hand up with the apple, holding it in the palm of her hand. The horse ate it eagerly.

After giving the mare her treat, she wiped her hand off and went about her task, letting the horses loose into the gated pasture. Once all the horses were out, she went over to the shovels.

She began to shovel the manure and dirty hay out of the stalls while her back and arms burned from the extra work after her training session. Brother Joseph, you just had to make us train so hard today didn't you? She went about her work gritting and bearing through in silence.