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History

Our story begins with the meeting of Kuramiya Hisoka, and his future wife, Gilal.

The Kuramiya family was known for its loyalty to the emperor. Although not the most prominent family among the Legion, they were proud, noble and fierce warriors. Hisoka was no different in these aspects. He rose quickly but quietly through the ranks of the Imperial Army, and was noted for his stoic attitude and brilliance as both a fighter and a tactician. He was often sent into the field, either subtly gathering information or working with fellow Legionnaires to fight the small but growing threats of a faction known as the Nobles.

It was on one of these expeditions that he met Gilal. Part of a traveling caravan, Gilal Bachman happily cooked meals for the merchants she worked with. When the Legion squad Hisoka was in came across them, it was Gilal who forged friendships and made a meal for soldiers and merchants alike. Together the squad and caravan traveled back to the Imperial City, where they planned to go their seperate ways. However, Gilal had grown close to the silent Hisoka and when the merchants' caravan left, she stayed behind.

It wasn't long before they settled and were married, and soon they were blessed with a beautiful daughter. Brought up in the Kuramiya household, little Rivka picked up on many of the high-class views and priorities that Hisoka's parents and other relatives had. She was soon joined by three boys, all of whom showed great resemblance to Hisoka and his family. Then came Asa, the quiet, sweet boy that won the hearts of almost everyone he met. He was followed by the rowdy Tadashi, and then the couple were blessed with a second daughter, Jolene.

Jolene, unlike most of her older siblings, did not spend much time with her father and her father's relatives. Her father was promoted to Captain not long after she was born, and he was constantly away on work. The Nobles grew stronger by the year, and Hisoka was sent out more and more often to fight off rebellions. Gilal was left as the sole parent in the household for much of this time.

Although Jolene didn't remember much of it, Gilal had several large arguments with Hisoka's parents. Jolene's grandparents wished for her and their other grandchildren to be given to the care of other nobles, ones who had both parents readily available. However, Gilal stood her ground and refused time and time again. Hisoka soon discovered that his homecomings were a point of dissatisfaction for his parents, as Gilal was relieved of any pressure of putting her children in the care of others.

By the time Jolene was four and had two younger siblings, war was breaking out all over the Imperial City and Gilal was being run ragged trying to keep her nine children safe--and in her care. Finally, Hisoka came home from a rather lengthy excursion and created a solution to his poor wife's dilemma. Without telling anyone, Hisoka sent Gilal and the children to the home of Gilal's mother, Deborah, out in the country where they would not be bothered by the war or his parents' overbearance.

And so Jolene grew up in a small village far from the Imperial City, raised among the children of local farmers, seamstresses, potters, with the occasional interaction with passing merchants. The village's elderly adored the bright, spunky little girl that delivered food to them from her mother--and protected the goods with vigor from rowdy boys wanting a free treat. Deborah, assisting her daughter in the care of the nine children, guided each one towards their potential with a gentle hand.

Jolene soon adopted her mother's great love and talent for cooking, and it wasn't long before the goods delivered to the elderly villagers were often her own. However, Gilal soon found that her second daughter was not following the same, ladylike path that her eldest had chosen. By the time she was six, the girl was fascinated by her older brothers' warrior training. Her two eldest brothers, Hiroki and Shoji, patiently allowed their little sister to watch and later practice fighting around them.

While her brothers were away at the Academy to train, another unladylike trait appeared: her love of blacksmithing. Both the tolerance of heat and physical strength needed for the task were met in the young, eight-year-old. It took quite a bit of convincing, but eventually the local blacksmith gave in and let her apprentice under him. Jolene proved to have a talent for it and was able to improve greatly over the next several years. Although Gilal was hesitant to allow it, she did not interfere with her daughter's work at Deborah's request.

It wasn't long after her introduction to fighting that Jolene found that there was more to war than battles. After graduating from the Academy back in the Imperial City, Hiroki surprised some of his Legion-based family by pledging allegiance to the Noble cause. Shoji, meanwhile, slipped into the traditional Legionnaire uniform. Although the two brothers and Jolene dealt with the decisions well, the rest of the family was thrown into chaos. The third eldest, Qayin, soon joined Shoji among the ranks of the Legion, and Tadashi followed after him. The family was nearly torn apart by the division of views and loyalties, and only the love of Gilal, Deborah and the pacifist brother, Asa, were able to hold them together.

Jolene was soon forced with a similar choice regarding loyalty. Although most of her family were devout servants to the emperor, she found her sights drawn to the more free-minded Noble group. As she had discovered on many trips with her elder sister to the Imperial City, those who lived in the light of the emperor and his traditional way of life did not approve of a female blacksmith. So when she enrolled in the Academy herself, she became the second family member to pledge loyalty to the Nobles. Her younger brother, Joshua, soon joined her, and the pair began a new life in the city.

Being so far from home and out of the good graces of her father's family, Jolene began having trouble keeping herself afloat. Hiroki, after discovering his sister's predicament, conferred with his new fiancee, Hua Fenfang. The daughter of a prosperous baker, she had been working in the shop until Hiroki's proposal. With her absence, there was room for another worker. Jolene was offered a job there, and eagerly took it. With the help of both Shoji and Hiroki, who often praised their sister's workmanship in the way of their swords, also convinced a blacksmith in the city to allow Jolene to work for him. Although he was even more reluctant than the blacksmith at home in the village, the man could not turn a blind eye to talent. Jolene was now busy with two jobs and her Academy studies, but she was used to the work. She and Joshua currently live with Hiroki on the edges of the Imperial City.

Comment Box

Ok, I'm open for reviews! ^-^

I swear, I'm gonna make it prettier.

Feel free to shred my history to bits with your criticism.