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Kel had always hoped for the best, hoped that the training master would overcome his hate for change and let her stay. But Kel was wrong, and that day after her probationary years ended, lord Wyldon had called her to his office and said with all the force she had grow accustomed to that she was to leave the palace, she would not be able to finish out her time and become a knight.
Kel fought hard to keep her face Yamani Stone as she hugged her friends good-bye. Kel was strong, or at least in the presence of others she slipped on her Yamani face she walked out of the palace filled with hate, pain, and pride. Pride to prove to others that she would not crumble nor would she let one stuck up prick ruin her passion for fighting. Kel rode home as fast as she could to see her mother about her plans.
Truler Hiden, the Shang Panther, practiced his punches and kicks in the dawn light of an abandoned courtyard Mindelan. He was handsome and young; only in his early thirties. His shoulder length hair, pulled back into a small horsetail, was the color of a raven's wing. His face was dark and a sensitive with determined chin, softened by full lips and high cheekbones. His eyes were an unusual shade of green-blue. It was enough to make any woman swoon.
Coming out of a graceful combat dance to catch his breath, Truler glimpsed gold brown hair flashing in the sunlight and a pair of hazel eyes peering at him from behind the corner. Truler grinned when he recognized Kel.
"So, I've been talking to your parents. They want me to take you in as my student in Shang," Truler called. Remembering her manners, Kel walked out from her vantage spot where she had been watching the Wolf's dawn practice and bowed.
"I'd be very much obliged, sir, if you did take me in," Kel replied. Gathering up her courage she went on hastily, "My Yamani training with the glaive and their martial arts would help me," taking a deep breath she continued, "also my... page training." Fury and sorrow crossed Kel's usual Yamani stone look.
'Poor thing, thought Truler, 'she's so young and already denied her true destiny of knighthood. That Wyldon scum!' Out loud he said," Keladry, if I were to take you in as my personal student in learning the art of Shang, will you work very hard in training and upholding your honor?" Kel nodded vigorously. "Will you never surrender or give up?" Kel nodded fiercely. "Do you promise to fight for good, to protect those weaker than you? Do you promise to never neglect your duties as a Shang warrior?"
" I promise, sir," Kel said solemnly. They shook hands and Trulen went off to tell Kel's parents he had accepted their offer.
Kel stared off into the distance. 'I'll show them- the king, Wyldon, everyone! I'll show them all that Keladry of Mindelan doesn't need to be a knight to be a legend!'
" Mom, I want to know if I can go back to the islands and train with the Shang." Kel's voice held no emotion as she talked except for the clipped and icy tone. Kel's mother stared at her but nodded knowing that her daughter would be amazing if some one gave her the chance.
Kel nodded and left the to pack. Soon Kel stood on the docks in breeches and a shirt as she waited for the ship to leave. She told her parents goodbye and gave her father the letters to deliver to the pages at the palace she also gave him one to take to Pirates swoop for the Lioness. With one small smile, Kel turned to her mother. " Mom, Listen I won't be back for a while and I know you don't really want me to go. But I think this is the best way, I need to do this, I promise I'll come back." With out waiting for her mother to respond Kel strolled up the gain plank and on to the deck of the large merchant ship that would bare her to the Yamani Islands.
** Palace ** Neal could not believe Kel would leave that quick. He knew Lord Wyldon would never let her stay but Kel was a fighter she would never give up so easily. Yet, the letter in front of him said that she was leaving, going to join the Shang. All he could do was pace his room as he wondered what would be come of everything now.
** Pirates Swoop ** Alanna paced back and forth as he husband George watched her. Usually it was him who paced and her who watched, but today was strange. Two letters arrived earlier one from the king saying that Keladry of Mindelan had been kicked out of the palace, the other from the girl, Keladry, herself. This is the one hat caused Alanna to begin the roll change, in short the letter had said ' I'm sorry for disappointing you, I have always looked up to you and I hope I will do something that will please you even if I'm not a Knight.'
When George read it he sat down and began to consider what had transpired. According to Lord Wyldon, the girl had been I unable of keeping up with the boys, but George considered that no reason to kill some ones dreams He could do nothing and Alanna was still not speaking to the King. What a day, thought the Baron with a sigh, what a day?
***Yamani Islands (Shang training grounds six years later)*** Kel practiced day and night. Punches, kicks and rolls. ''Someday I'll show them all just how fragile girls are.' She thought furiously. The Shang Panther looked at her, full of pride. This girl had been denied a chance of a lifetime, but over the past six years, she had done well; very well. She had strength, spirit, and determination. He wondered, 'What rank will she be in when she takes the Ordeal of Shang in the season of the sun?'
In just two more months, Kel would take the challenges to determine her as a Shang. Immortals and mythical beasts were the best. Kel strived a mythic, practicing against greater Shangs, and always improving. She sometimes found herself wondering if she was doing this because she really did want to be a Shang for the rest of her life or she just wanted to throw it back in Wyldon's face when she became a mythic. She decided it was both.
Kel mentally scolded herself for this. 'You haven't gotten mythic rank yet! You might not even get that rank. It's highly possible! Just because I beat the Griffin twice In a small practice doesn't mean anything. She was probably just having a bad day or going easy on me!' Still Kel hoped for mythic rank. Not a day passed when she didn't want it.
Weeks past and turned into months, Kel's Ordeal was coming up. Kel had begun to beat the Panther more and more instead of an occasional I-beat-you- but-it-took-me-five-minutes-to-do-it round. Being challenged, Kel even beat the Wildcat. Eda Bell congratulated her and wished her luck for her upcoming Ordeal. The first-year girl she had taught was doing well. Better than her. Truler Hiden realized, as he had for months, that Kel would be a very good Shang. Her rank would reach to the immortals. She would show everyone what girls could do.
Upon remembering her Ordeal of Shang, Kel practiced harder than ever. The many weeks of hard practicing-had come when Kel would take the challenges to determine her as a Shang.
The hour long ride to the Ordeal's taking-place was almost too much for Kel. It was quiet, which let her think-exactly what she didn't need to do. What if she didn't do well? What If she never made it to immortal rank? How could she show her face to Truler Hiden again, knowing that she let him down when she swore when she was ten that she would work hard and not let him down?
She remembered Wyldon dismissing her, Joren and his cronies laughing and making remarks, she remembered hating the King and Lord Wyldon and the whole male-overrun world. But worst of all, she remembered saying goodbye. Leaving behind her friends, Neal, Cleon, Faleron, Roald, Seaver, Esmond, Owen, Peachblossom and Lalasa had been the hardest thing she ever did. Kel had then returned to the Yamani Islands in rage, fury, betrayal, sadness, anger, and homesickness for her rooms at the palace.
Finally she had arrived at the shi chi, which was a fire ring, which she would have to enter. If she survived the pain of the fire, both emotional an physical (it fed off fear), her Shang animal would be burned into her left shoulder blade.
When she entered she saw a fiery phoenix and felt a burning sensation on her back. The Phoenix was born once more.