The flame burned well, but it lacked control. Only able to hold the form of a bending tail for no more then seconds, after, half of the structure of fire collapsed onto ground, sucking the air away from anything near Megan while doing so, herself included. Astral watched the crumbled tail burn, a piece still attached onto her hand and around her shoulder, still dancing as before with an odd amount of calm despite it’s might. By the time his eyes had found the fallen flame and portion still linked to the girl’s palm, any breath that remained had already left his lungs. And by then Megan's eyes had gone blank, oblivious, though her legs had yet to give out. Without thought his body set in motion, but the effort was unneeded. Only after a step was made Megan, like the lower half of her elements collapsed. Both sections of flame becoming soundless air as a cloud of dirt rose above her still figure.

Astral lifted her chin and checked her pulse the moment he reached her, a sigh in relief promptly following. "And she says we keep too many secrets." The comment came with a snicker. "Enjoying the scenery, little one?" Astral said as he eyed the girl in his arms.

After some time, the puzzled Sue realized he was speaking to her. She stood eyes forward with a foot in and outside the doorway. Her confusion strayed to slight anger. The air around her spoke it, though still she stood quietly. "How much did you see?" he said as he faced her. Both their grey eyes meeting swiftly. "Almost everything," she replied with a too calm tone. "Almost? I see." Astral smiled as Sue’s eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" It felt odd hearing the words aloud. His smirked vanished. Lips straightening just as much as his voice, eerie was the word that came to mind for her. His sudden shift eerily reminded Sue of Crow from the day before.

"I do not answer to the weak, girl." Sue quickly tried to step backward, forgetting she already stood a step away from inside; her foot clipped the door frame, while late, she caught her balance fairly easy. Clumsiness was not the issue, what provoked her brow to tighten as she scanned her hands and legs. She was more so shaken by the way her body had reacted, again.

Before, Sue had tore from sleep only after feeling the warmth of Megan's hand across her forehead. But by the time her eyes opened, her sister had already shut the door at the head of the room. She didn't know why, but something baited her not to call Megan’s name yet. Instead, follow the girl, to where ever her trail led.

So far, the destination was put on hold just outside their home. Sue peaked her head out the left open front door, making sure to check left ... then right, before forward. Megan was still forging the path, back to the door, head low beneath the stubborn night. Figuring enough was enough, she began to call for the girl’s attention- until she came to a abrupt stop.

Sue watched, wondering why the girl was just staring at her hand in the dark. Until it happened, dots of blue appeared from nothing upon her finger tips. Casting awe in the girl’s large eyes as she pieced together what had occurred. With the feeling that she hadn't blinked for minutes. Not aware that the next would flustered her even more. She closed her eyes, and within that, that fraction of a second; the air felt different, without comfort, and harder to breathe. What the hell had happened?

As her eyes reopened, her jaw lowered. There fear and relief took over her mind while gazing at what Megan had created. The relief came from the fact nothing alive had touched it. She had never seen fire like that before. Fractions of the body slipping between blue and white. It’s movements giving Sue the impression that it was alive. Where as her fear stemmed not from Megan or the flame, but the emerging Astral. Now standing directly in-between her and the indisposed sibling. Where he came from, she had no idea. But that was only a inch of the cause, his reaction, that was what made her heart skip.

In a situation where death was real, or even the lone possibility, he did what not even a killer of dozens would have done. He smiled. That single act told her more about him, or whoever, then living with him, sleeping beside him, and eating with him for who knows how long. And that did more then scare her, that terrified her. Before she would have thought it was one of the other two, but now her mind had grown undecided. Who is standing before me? She questioned.

When Susan woke from her day dreaming, Astral still had his back turned to her. For a moment silence was king. Disregarding her legs, her attention readjusted. This was her first time seeing anything unnatural with Megan. But unnatural it was, at the very least. What was almost just as, was that it seemed Megan knew the candle-like flame would appear before it happened. Sue was the first to admit she wasn't an expert on any topic concerning majik, but by Astral's continued silence it was clear something was off. In light of the topic, instead of Megan, her growing suspicion of Astral still out weighed the girl with red hair’s interesting secrets she had kept close to herself. Susan would remind herself that a conversation would be had at a later date.

"Did you know she had any control?" Susan asked. Astral eyed the sleeping girl. As if he were wondering about the same thing. "It is nearly impossible for a magi to use majik without intent, and that is after one has been taught how to use their gifts." Sue’s eyes lowered to Megan in his arms. "That alone is it’s own mystery. What came after, that should have never happened-not for a long time." What was that anyway? She had started to ask, but this was the first time one of him or Crow had given her a answer. No use in asking a question she knew would be denied.

The red sunrise started to bring the sky to life. A much kinder blue growing brighter by the minutes. Seeming to put his questions to the side, Astral scooped Megan up in his arms and adjusted her into a piggyback position. "Come, it's time we find Crow." Sue nodded, shutting the door behind her and jogging to catch up. She rubbed Megan's back in a slow circle while watching the sunrise far ahead. "Does he know what you know? Can he Feel what you do?" she said, attempting to do the improbable twice in two days. Astral continued forward. "Is that the question you are owed?" Sue held her glare to the sun, forcing her body and eyes not to face him. "I only get one?" she said with a inch of innocence. Astral closed his eyes. "The boy sleeps. Just as you and I." Susan hesitantly nodded, slipping her hands in her pockets. His lips formed a smile, still a little dry from Megan's surprise performance. "There’s something I still don't understand—" A small voice spoke. Pulling both their attention. "What are we talking about?" Megan whispered. Both turned to the girl. "Just get some rest, we can talk later, when everyone is ready," said Astral.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Okay" Megan replied softly, while falling back into her dream state. Sue smiled as she ran a finger through Megan's curly red hair. Already beginning to transition like fall to winter.

•

The boy's voice fit the appearance of a child. That alone helped Crow separate it from the original, and to be clear, the awareness was welcomed. Because head to toe, height and size, it was him. Although the boy’s voice was child-like, when speaking the intellect could be recognized immediately. But in a different way then the boy he knew. What sat beside him held the kind that would more so fit an ageless scholar rather then a seven year old child.

The two conversed on a few topics, matters frankly only they were aware of in Lafeya. The trembling balance between politics and blood thirst across Idyll and above. The growing outside factions spread deep in the freelands, the same that seemed to gain more strength and influence by the year, and could one day tip the scale when the inevitable future bended from near to here. It is well known to citizens just as those with power, and is connected directly to why so many choose not to use words such as change. Whether to not give the wrong individual ideas or simply deflecting the truth: that change in this world is absolute, regardless of when, and one day it will erupt throughout this static world of theirs. Above and below. Maybe conversation wasn't the ideal term, in truth it was the child speaking and Crow listening in silence. But during their discussion on King Leo's curious situation, he found himself confused.

Up and down he scanned the outsider. Why? The boy had held his tongue for some time after not being bothered by Crow’s lack of participation. But soon he spoke again. But now of a more present matter.

"We’ve waited so long for this day. Why not tell me ..." the boy said, tugging both ends of his coat and his head tilting. "How does he look?" Crow somehow wore a blank face, but couldn't keep the side of his nose from twitching. Once was all it was, quick as a blink, but that was more then enough to give the child a smile. To tell him such effort was not for nothing, and Crow knew while watching his grin widen, just as he would a pile of manure. His thoughts shattered as footsteps approach from his left, the way he had come earlier.

"It seems conversation has ended early," said the child, turning to the direction. Astral’s eyes widened as he viewed the boy. "Crow …" The man in black hesitated, but turned to the voice at his left. The sight of the little ones brought him back, like Ms. Clark’s slaps on the wrist. He stood, walking toward them without offering another glance to the boy, whose smile slowly weakened.

"You wouldn't believe the morning we've had," Sue said while throwing her arm over a groaning but thankfully standing Megan. Conveniently blushing after hearing Sue’s words. Crow smiled and laid a hand on both their heads. "Tell me all about it later." His voice was lower then usual. They noticed, but nodded anyway. He turned to the the one next to them. "Are you alright?" asked Astral with a rougher tone then the thin air seemed to expect. "I'll live." Astral eyed him. "You are a fool," he added. Crow returned his eyes to the girls, both still looking up to him with interested eyes. "I know," he admitted before turning to the lone child still sitting on the stone bench. His eyes finding the two girls. "They've grown rather quickly. You must be proud," the child said before glancing to Crow, before quickly inching his sight to his right, on Astral with lowered brows. "May I ask who you are?"

"No," he replied. The outsider placed a hand onto his chin. "Hmm, I remember the boy. But I do not recall him having grey eyes." Astral didn't bother to respond. Only offering a simple look. One that did not share motive.

"Not a talker, eh? That's fine. Truly, but I must ask, do any of you enjoy riddles?" Crow and Astral replied with silence. Until now Sue had failed to understand why such tension soaked the air dry, but now it seemed her amount of comfort was fading. Megan grabbed her hand while still looking forward, the focus in her eyes somehow speaking, warning her the situation could grow dire.

As the boy uttered his riddle, Astral began to prepare himself. The boy’s chin lifting to the blazing red sky, as a poet would for flair. "There once was a family, adored and praised. It was common knowledge they held many secrets, some ancient as the holes that filled their sky. Plenty would kill to own one, while others would maim to hold none. Whispers say one is tied to the reason they began their hunts. A new thing to do or obsession, true. But they did not search high and low for trite prey as you."

"Was it deer?" Sue interrupted blandly. The boy laughed as Astral scoped the sky, dark clouds were beginning to blind the rising sun. "I'm afraid this prey numbered no where as many. Finally, after time, the youngest asked why. The oldest claimed balance. Stewing the young one until unhinged, before vanishing beneath the quiet. Despite their differences the family begins to rush, now that death has spun, time for idle ticks now none. A truth, there is a time when prey grows a tooth. Tooth to fang that can open family veins. Reshape blood into fear, a future that draws near. Answer the first riddle: What do they fear?"

Megan was reluctant, but spoke surely. "What all life fears. Death."

"Is death not also apart of life? As such, what would death fear?"`

"What cannot die."

"Which is?"

"The immortal," Crow answered blankly.

"And what do you think the eternal fear?"

"What can kill all," Megan answered with a whisper. The boy’s sight turned to her. "What is the family?"

"Deities," Susan answered. The boy's voice strained until it resembled that of an old man.

"What can eliminate even the Gods?" Megan’s voice was just as low when she spoke. "What the prey becomes." When the boy’s lips pressed into a smile a sudden shift blew in the wind, and darkness once again covered the sky. It grew clear to the girls that this was no boy.

"What is the prey?"

The silence in the air could have drove a scholar mad. Crow and Astral eyed the lone one calmly while Susan and Mae seemed lost in breath. Swallowing hard as the riddle’s puzzle pieces started to clip together. His expression was totally blank. The boy's voice remained of` old as he chuckled. "Run little ones, for as long as you can. Someone has caught whiff of your trail." At the very moment they heard his laugh each of them turned to the boy in an instant, but he was gone.