Dhala

Dhala's father, रझ॒षकओऋ Duke Rajha Sakaori had spent a long time designing a purpose for each of his children and in Dhala, he had seen the potential for something truly ambitious. He had closely followed the brewing racial conflict and he knew the value of sound strategic information when it was needed; thus, he decided that Dhala would serve her people as an infiltrator and spy - winning favour for her family while doing so. Yet such a plan was highly dangerous and adequate preparation would first be required. Taking Dhala aside one morning, he informed her that she would be moving to the capital and placed under the instruction of a certain mentor - an army veteran and close family friend. Without truly understanding the reason for this decision, Dhala nonetheless accepted her father's rule and departed soon after.

Residing in a comfortable, secluded estate, Dhala's new mentor appeared to be a calm and unassuming man - yet he was no simple teacher. Far from an ordinary education, he had been tasked with sharpening his young protege into a sly and dangerous individual. Whatever subjects she had previously studied were twisted towards a new and sinister purpose. Prior knowledge of botany was steered into the territory of poison use and manufacture. Calligraphy became a means for crafting ciphers. The pleasantries of etiquette were broken down and rewritten as rules of engagement. And when it came to other 'trivial' subjects, such as agriculture or fine art, Dhala was permitted to learn only as much as was necessary to fake an understanding; excess was stripped away.

This gruelling curriculum was carried out under the strict law of her mentor, a man whose racism and paranoia was unparalleled. Far more zealous than perhaps her father was aware of, he constantly warned Dhala of the need for violence and he made it his goal to ensure that she would be ready to use it if the need arose. Conventional martial arts practice became a regular staple, equipping Dhala with the techniques to defend herself; while 'psychological hardening' was conducted to ensure that she would have the will to use them. Inflicting suffering upon animals was deemed as a suitable method to build up an indifference to violence but such traumatic lessons would lead to a sense of discomfort around fauna that would never truly abate.

Duke Rajha had been explicit in his orders that no aspect of spy craft was to be neglected. Interpreting this as he saw fit, Dhala's mentor convinced her that even her sexuality was therefore to be weaponized. Prefacing that such behaviour was only to be employed in the most remote circumstances, he still took it upon himself to 'train' her in this area. Despite the improper nature of such a relationship, whatever actions occurred between them were always justified in the name of education.

As the weeks rolled on, Dhala gradually drifted away from the naive girl she had once been and during her rare visits home, her sisters came to detect a certain reservation in their sibling. It was not that she was less sociable than she had ever been - if anything, she had grown into a more outgoing individual - but there seemed to be a calculated nature to her behaviour; an insincerity that had never existed before. But these concerns were not shared by her father, who simply viewed her transformation as an integral part in his plan.

Dhala remained with her mentor for almost four months before her father provided her with new instructions. Despite the intensive and sometimes barbarous training that her mentor had put her through, she somehow left his home on good terms. But that chapter of her life was at a close and leaving that shadowed manor behind, she departed for ढघण (Dhaghana) to fulfil the next step in her father's vision.