I floated in the darkness of my mind, listening to sounds come and go, the soft steps in the house, a flip through a book’s page, people talking outside.
All the sounds were coherent as I drifted from dream to dream.
“Young miss? It is time to wake up.” A gentle voice called out.
I took a sharp intake of breath and opened my eyes, seeing Miyako standing near my bed. Upon seeing me awake she gave me a wide smile and I smiled in return.
Miyako quickly helped me get dressed properly, a nice white dress, alongside footwear.
“Miyako, when will we be eating?” I gently asked the beastkin maid.
“Soon, young miss. Would you like to know what will be served?”
I nodded and she started to give details as we made our way downstairs into the first floor. We walked through the decorated hallway and stepped into the living room.
Mother was sitting on a red, comfy looking couch, reading an old looking book.
Miyako bowed towards her. “Good morning madam.”
“Morning Miyako.” Mother greeted back and laid down her book. Looking at me she gave a warm smile. “Good morning Eleanor, did you have a good sleep?” She switched her speech to elvish.
“Yes mother.” I answered simply and went to hug her, which she returned lovingly.
“Miyako, please go and continue with making the food, tell us when it’s ready.”
“Yes, madam.” Miyako bowed again and exited the living room.
I tracked Miyako’s footsteps with my ears until Mother’s book caught my curiosity, simply because I had never seen it before. Although the pages of the book were yellow, the cover of the book was made out of green leather, and the title was golden. “What are you reading, mother?”
Mother raised an eyebrow at me and smiled. “Ballad of Vianola.” She answered and absentmindedly caressed the cover of the book. “I always return to read more of it, every once in a while. Ever since I was a child. Since my mother told me the story. ” Her eyes softened as she mentioned grandmother.
The sound of a page turn caught my ears, but not from Mother’s book. It was from a different room.
He must be reading in his room. I thought to myself.
With nothing else to do, I turned to the big bookcase nestled in the living room, picked a book and started reading in silence. The book was not something that I could describe as interesting, it was a history book, detailing the habits and traditions of the elven people since they were brought to Inyslian by the dragons after the great cataclysm.
But, with the alternative being staring at the wall until the food was ready, I couldn’t find a good enough reason not to read the book.
“Breakfast is prepared.” Miyako said from the kitchen.
As Mother and I made our way to the dining room, Miyako was already putting the last platters on the table, her black thin tail was strapped to her back with the band of her apron, as if to not lay her hair by mistake on the food.
“I will be coming in a few minutes. You may begin without me.” I heard Father’s soft voice from his room.
Miyako’s black ears twitched. “Understood, sir.” She answered and without delay made the final preparations.
Without delay Mother and I started to eat the delicious food. Breakfasts were always tasty and light, and by the end of it, Miyako always tended to bring me dessert.
Before Father even got into the room, Miyako bowed in his direction. “Good morning, sir.”
Father didn’t look in her direction, instead, he took a seat at the table, and gave Mother and I a small glance. “Morning, wife, daughter.”
“Good morning my love.”
“Good morning father.”
He too, started to eat. We all sat in silence and ate.
When the food was finished, Father wiped his mouth with a table cloth. “The food was splendid, well done.” He said without looking in Miyako’s direction.
She silently bowed and I tried my hardest not to show plain shock on my face, Instead I kept eating from the small tasty desert she served me.
After breakfast, Mother began with her usual teachings in my room. History, geography, math, human tongue, elvish tongue, dwarvish tongue, and some small lessons about magic, debate tactics and overhaul current politics of Inyslian.
With small breaks in between lessons, five hours had passed. My mind was blank and overworked as it often was. If it was in society’s norm to flop on the ground and blackout, I would have done it. However, it wasn’t, so the best I could was to pass my fingers through my golden hair.
“Was it too much Eleanor? Would you like to do shorter lessons? Or perhaps do them later during the day?” Mother came to my side and fixed my hair.
“No, there will be no need to change anything, I can do it.” I answered back, resolved.
“You say that, and yet you look as if you are about to flop onto the ground at any given moment.” Mother placed her hand on my cheek. “I would prefer to teach you while you have energy, that way you will learn better.”
But at the same time, I need to do better, to show an example as a proper elf, not to disappoint Father, to know better. I thought to myself, and I started to gently bite my lips.
“Don’t bite your lips Eleanor.”
“Yes, mother.” I stopped biting my lips. Instead, I faintly pressed them together.
“It is important for you to know your limits, daughter. Trying to break through them could cause you harm.” I heard Father speak from a different room. This time I allowed myself to raise my eyebrows at his sudden interest. “Perhaps, you could divide the history lesson, half to Inyslian as a whole, and the elven history could be learned from poems and ballads. It might be a lighter and more interesting way to learn our history.
“That sounds like a splendid idea my love. What do you think, my little sun?” Mother asked gleefully.
Sounds… A bit less taxing.
“I could try it, see if it’s better.” I said with a smile which Mother beamed back.
With the studies finished I had free time. My mind instantly jumped to Dante, my human friend, my best friend. But as much as I wanted to meet him we didn’t really say we would meet today. Which meant that I would need to go all the way to his house, or find him in Koll’s smithy or Amara’s shop.
I walked into the living room and stared at the giant bookcase, my eyes darted to the giant, big, hunk of a paper book. Also known as the history book I read earlier.
If I’ll have to read anymore about history, of any kind, I’ll explode. Literally.
“Mother, could we go out today? Perhaps, go through Koll’s smithy or Amara’s shop?” Although Mother wasn’t in the same room, I knew she could hear me from wherever she was in the house.
But instead of Mother’s voice, I heard Father speak. “Don’t get attached to the human child.”
A chill ran down my spine and I stared into the air.
Remember, stay cal-
“Why?” I quickly asked, with a bit too much passion in my voice. I stopped myself from saying anything else.
Gentle footsteps rang out, and in a moment I saw Mother stand in the doorway. I held myself from gulping spit, or looking down to the floor. Instead I acted as Dante would, I looked at Mother and tried to put as much resolve as I could into my gaze.
But when she made her way to me and put her gentle hand to my cheek, my resolve nearly disappeared, nearly.
“We are elves, my little sun. We live longer, much longer, more than you may understand. It is better to cut the roots that are bound to rot from our life - And , we, Know that he is your friend and that he helped you and that he makes you happy, but at the same time we know he will one day pass. That is why you shouldn’t get attached.” She finished and hugged me tightly. “Though I see no reason why you shouldn't go and see him. Time is not that quick.” She whispered in my ear.
I, in turn, hugged her back and tried my best not to cry or sob, even though I felt my eyesight go murky from tears.
Mother robbed my hair. “You are so strong, my little sun, I know that this is hard, I know. We walked in your shoes, once, in the past. One day, when you grow up, we will tell you mo-”
“Freda.” Father said Mother’s name and she stopped talking, but she didn’t stop comforting me until I calmed down.
Mother let me go and wiped my eyes gently with the tip of her sleeve. “Miyako, please go out with Eleanor today.”
“Yes madam.” I heard Miyako answer and I looked up at Mother with my eyebrows raised.
“Me and your father have some things to discuss, so I won’t be coming with you today, my little sun.” She said gently, but I could hear a bit of coldness enter her tone. She turned her back to me, presumably walking away to wherever Father was.
After a moment of wiping my eyes, Miyako came to my side, prepared for going out.
Wordlessly we made our way through town towards Koll’s smithy, considering his place would be where Dante decided to go today.
“Young miss.” Miyako caught my attention along the way. “Though, I know that it is not my place to say or intervene in such things. I hope that you do know that your parents do love you and only wish the best for you.” She said solemnly.
I didn’t react in any noticeable way, but I could feel her words sink deep into my chest and make it lighter.
I knew that Mother loved me. I could feel it. But Father was distant and cold.
When I was younger, we used to go through the town together, and when people stared at my cut ears and scars, he used to bring me closer to him.
And when I first created my core, Father smiled and hugged me together with Mother. He said that he was proud of me, and that he expects great things from me.
Those were the warmest memories that I had of him. Anything else was coldness and expectations, expectations to be better than the other races who had done nothing but harm our people.
I accepted those expectations. If it meant that he would be proud of me, I would strive to go beyond them.
But Dante is off the table. I thought to myself, pushing away what Mother and Father had told me about not getting attached. For five entire years we have been friends, and all of a sudden they tell me to not get attached to the only friend I have. That. Isn’t. Fair. Facing away from Miyako, I bit my lip.
By the time we made it to Koll’s smithy, I managed to calm myself and put up a smile.
Koll was sitting outside on a disheveled chair, all by himself. Spinning his pipe in his hands. When he saw us from afar, he looked up from his pipe and grinned. “Tha brat ain’t ‘ere today little missy, ya should go to tha old hag’s place.” He quickly dismissed us, waving his had at us.
I kept a smile on my face, and tried to keep it under control from widening. “Good morning to you too, Koll. How is business today?”
Koll turned his neck back towards his smithy.
His empty, smithy.
He grunted and turned to look at me. “Better than ever. Now go on, get out of ‘ere, oh, and try not to mind tha brat’s behavior as o’ late. From what I’ve heard from Amara, ‘e's been havin’ really bad nightmares.” He said while rubbing his black ringed beard.
My smile wavered. “Right.”
“As I said, try not to mind it. If ‘e sees that yer troubled by it, it will only make ‘im feel bad ‘bout it.”
I nodded slowly and faintly pressed my lips together. “Then, we’ll be on our way now. goodbye, Koll.” I said as shortly as possible and waved him goodbye. In return he waved me off and frowned when Miyako bowed as we left.
I ignored his expression and with quick steps, I started to make my way to Amara’s shop together with Miyako.
“Young miss.” Miyako started to talk, and while I did listen to her, I kept looking and moving forward. “Excuse me if the question is too per-”
“Out with it.” I ordered coldly, But stopped after a few steps, my words early sounded like Father’s. I took a moment to breathe. Miyako, on the other hand, stopped as well and stood behind me, her hands held together in front of her at waist height. She waited patiently, gently looking at me and searching my eyes for something.
The words that I said rang in my mind and I felt my chest drop. How would Dante react if he saw me act like this?
“I apologize for my rude behavior, Miyako.” I slightly bowed my head towards her, but not too much as if to let the townspeople who were walking around to get the wrong idea of the standing between us. “Please, speak.”
“There is nothing to apologize for, young miss.” Miyako bowed with a small gentle smile. “I seldom hear about your friend Dante, mostly when you talk of him with the madam, but I had never heard of those nightmares.”
The mention of his nightmares made me want to frown, they were new to me and Koll, Only Amara and Dante’s parents knew of them for a long period of time. I focused and held a stoic expression. “And? You ask of plain curiosity?” I inquired with no specific tone.
“Perhaps your parents know of them somehow? Which is why they suggested not to be attached to him?” Miyako suggested with a natural tone.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
I went over her reasoning in my mind. Mother had tea parties with Amara and Charlotte, in which they usually spoke about anything that came to mind.
If Mother heard about the nightmares, she would probably tell Father about it all. But why would they try to distance between the both of us? Because they are worried that he is a bad influence? And what does any of this have to do with the fact that I will live a bit longer than him?!
I bit my lips, and took a deep breath, calming myself. All the while Miyako stood diligently, waiting.
I focused my thoughts and, like Mother taught me, I made sure that what I was about to say had reason to it. “While I appreciate your opinion, I believe your reasoning is flawed, Miyako.” I stated and looked up at her. “Why would they go at such a roundabout way to ward me away from him? One or two more centuries to my lifespan, and to the lifespan of every other normal elf, doesn’t keep us away from making friends with the humans, or the dwarfs, or any other race. Mother’s and Father’s claim was wrong.”
Miyako stilled and I noticed. I swiftly went over my words, trying to understand what unsettled her all the while looking at her with a stoic expression.
“You… Have good reasoning, young miss. However, I believe it is best to talk over this entire situation with the madam and sir.” Except for a slight hesitation, Miyako didn’t let any trace of emotion lace her words.
We both looked at each other, Miyako’s smile receded into a natural expression while I tried to understand what unsettled her. I was about to ask her about it when distant voices started to talk about something peculiar.
I turned around to look at the source of the voices. While they were out of my sight, I knew where the majority of them came from. The entrance to the town.
Miyako stepped to my side, looking between me and where I was looking with a concentrated look. Until her ears twitched and realization came upon her. “More refugees? I thought that they had already caught the bandits half a year ago?”
Dante wouldn’t like this. I thought to myself and started to walk fast to Amara’s shop. As we walked I thought about what Miyako said. “That’s what happened about a year ago, and nearly two years ago, and even three years ago a month after the first refugees arrived.” I said looking ahead at the crowds of people who didn’t even know that another village had been raided.
Just as Mother and Koll say, as soon as the civil war ends, the Inyslian council could focus more resources on the smaller problems. Not only routing out the bandits, but making use of the large chunks of unused lands and enhancing the means of travel.
Instead of letting the large portions of lands be used by hiding brigands and only rely on the scant portals managed by sages to travel large distances.
By the time my mind started to think even more about what I’ve been studying and learning. We reached Amara’s shop.
The people on the street already knew what was going on at the gates of the town, and most spoke to each other in hushed voices. Frowning faces weren’t uncommon, and a few even had a grim air to them the longer they spoke.
Miyako opened the door for me and I entered.
Amara sat on a desk rubbing her temples as she looked up to me. “Oh, Eleanor. Miyako.” She sighed. “I’m afraid you’ve just missed him, you see, he didn’t want to see the refugees come through.” Amara stopped rubbing her temples and closed her eyes. “Or worse yet, have one of them come to the shop and start breaking down to tears.”
I freely let my chest fall and my shoulders to slink. There was no one else beside me but people I already knew, there was no need to keep up appearances. “Do you know where he went?”
“He said that he’ll go to Koll, it will be better for him considering the fact that he is at the edge of town.”
The door to the shop opened and James, Dante’s father, came in. The moment he saw us he brightened and greeted us. “Amara, where is he?”
“Koll.” She answered back simply. “Shouldn’t you be with the guard?” She eyed him.
“They are currently right at the gates. Going through a big registration, I pulled in a little favor with one of my buddies to get out of that mess. How did he take it?” James' carefree demeanor turned serious as he looked at Amara.
For a split second, Amara side glanced at me. “Maybe it's best you go and ask him yourself James.”
James nodded with a little smile and turned to leave. I was about to ask him if we could come with, when Amara called out. “Child, There is something I want to talk with you about.”
I stopped at my tracks and watched James leave without looking back, his steps hurried.
I stopped myself from biting my lips and looked to Amara, who tapped a nearby chair. “Come and sit.” I did as she said while Amara sat in front of me. “I think it is best if you let Dante a week or two to get a hold of himself.”
Stay ca- “You have to be joking. What? Why?” I bursted out and Amara raised her eyebrow. As I sensed small wisps of mana twirling around me, I realized that I lost a bit of control and took a deep breath.
Amara waited, and tilted her head.
“Father and Mother told me today to stay away from him. They said that because we are elves, it is ‘better to cut the roots that are bound to rot from our life’” My voice raised towards the end.
“Oh my.” Amara put one hand to her mouth. “That isn’t…” Amara stopped mid sentence and her eyes hardened. “I guess it was Aubree who said it?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped.
“Right…?” Amara looked at Miyako
“It's… A part of what the madam said.” Miyako confirmed and Amara’s eyes bored into her. “But they mainly wanted her not to get attached. They didn’t say not to meet up with him anymore.” Miyako surmised.
My jaw slaked open and I looked up to Miyako. “But that’s the same thing! If I’m not attached to you, or father or mother, what does it turn us all into? Nothing but strangers! They are basically telling me to hang out with him but not be his friend anymore!”
“Freda said it?” Amara asked, her tone quiet. “That is…” Her face twisted as if she tasted something foul for a moment only to degrade into a small frown. She took a deep breath and sighed.
“If I may speak.” Miyako spoke. “I believe that this matter should stay between the young miss, and the madam and sir.” She didn’t wait for permission and her face stayed natural.
Amara closed her eyes, took a small breath and shook her head. “Child, what your parents said is wrong. Yes, elves normally have two more centuries to their lifespan compared to humans. But that doesn’t mean that they should distance themselves from everyone. It’s the same with dwarfs who live a century more than humans. From how they make it sound, we should all just distance ourselves from each other, I would no longer talk to Koll.” Amara clenched her jaw. “And I would no longer have tea parties with Freda.”
“Exactly!” I smiled, feeling light hearted. “I understand that father has a strong… Opinion, on the other races, but Mother?” I stopped, understanding that I shouldn’t speak so freely about Father’s or Mother’s wishes, nor should I go against them. “Nevermind.”
Amara still held her eyes closed, deep in concentration. “I’ll talk with Freda, the next time we meet.” She opened her eyes and for a moment, she looked softly at the air. “But nonetheless, I still suggest you give Dante some space, he needs it alright?”
The mention of not meeting Dante felt like a weight on my heart, but I knew that Amara wouldn’t simply suggest such things without reason.
“I think it would be best for you to return home, child.” Amara looked at the door of her shop. “It’s going to be a busy day.” She said tiredly.
I paused and looked at Amara. Compared to how she looked when we came in, she seemed much more tired. “Then… I’ll see you in a couple of days? You could give me another one of those little lessons in alchemy.”
Amara gave a small smile and nodded.
After exiting her shop. I basked in the ongoing voices of the distant crowd. Surprisingly, a large portion of the town seemed to be in the entrance.
“Lady Amara didn’t take lightly what the madam had said.” Miyako hinted, dragging me out of focus.
“Didn’t take lightly?”
Miyako glanced at the shop. “She must think that the madam doesn’t view her as a friend. If the madam said to not get attached to Dante because of the lifespan difference, what difference is there between the madam and lady Amara?”
I opened my mouth to object. But I couldn’t. It was a reasonable way of thinking. Instead of saying anything, I glanced at the shop and remembered how Amara looked and acted.
“...I don’t really want to return home, yet.” I Admitted after a moment of silence.
Miyako looked at me and bowed slightly. “As you wish, where would you like to go, young miss?”
I heard a couple of shouts ringing from the gates of the town. Something about waiting until everyone is registered. “Let’s go to Koll.” I said and started walking.
“Young miss?”
“Saying hello to him won’t kill him.” I retorted and started walking to the edge of the town. “I’m simply going to say hello. Koll’s smithy is also close to home, so we won’t be wasting so much time.”
“As you wish…” Miyako’s ears twitched as the distant shouts intensified. “Young miss.” She completed her sentence and followed me as we made our way. My steps were hurried and light, I knew that even if Dante had nightmares, even if he was feeling bad, I could make it better for him.
Just like he did for m-
Screams broke out in tandem from the direction of the town’s gate. I didn’t need my elven ears to hear them, and the few people who stayed on the street turned their heads to look toward the distant source of the commotion.
“Miyako what’s ha-”
Miyako held my hand and for a moment I looked at her hand with wide eyes as we started to walk faster in another direction.
Home.
“Miyako?” I looked up to her as she turned her head back every couple of steps towards the intensifying screams. Her expression was serious.
“I don’t know, neither do I want to know. Best we’d be on our way to the house and figure it out from there.” Miyako started to swiften her steps as she looked at some of the other people around us who started to run. Their expressions twisted in confusion and fear.
Even though the screams overlapped each other, I could still hear faint coherent sentences.
‘Bandits’.
My heart started to beat faster, Miyako started to run and I ran with her.
Remember, stay calm, deep breaths, in, and out. I focused on taking control over my breathing. That is until we passed a street corner into another, which sight had made my heart stop.
A smell, which I could only extinguish as a sickening smell permeated the air. Surrounded by what seemed to be blackened husks of people on the ground, the man, who had ragged clothes, like that of a villager stood with a wide smile. A fireball made of mana floated atop his stretched hand.
At the first sight of the man, Miyako pulled us back into the former street corner and started to run. As I sent a brief look back towards the corner, I saw the couple of other people who ran with us, standing at the corner, their eyes wide.
For one moment, some of them took a step back, only for all of them to be engulfed in flames.
A body couldn’t endure such heat. Such heat would melt the eyes and make the insides boil. Another intake of air, and the wretched smell of burned bodies entered my lounges.
I stumbled and puked on the ground.
Miyako picked me up like a sack and ran as fast as she could towards the only other place possible, which didn’t include a pyromancer. Koll’s smithy.
“Everything will be alright young miss. I will protect you.”
In my disoriented state, I tried to grasp the focus of anything, anything at all.
Father and Mother had helped me get used to the overwhelming sounds in my younger years. But the screams pierced my every thought.
Every single thing that Mother and Amara taught me about calming the mind or thinking rationally was thrown into the wind, as my bowel felt empty and my tongue was covered in acid.
But Dante’s and Koll’s training had helped me grasp just a small amount of focus, of will power, just small enough to sense an intensifying amount of mana on the other left of the street, hurl toward the path ahead of us.
“Miyako stop! Stop now! I command you to stop!” I roared at her and clenched her back with my hands so hard that I almost feared her flesh would tear.
But Miyako didn’t stop.
And a loud sound of something breaking and snapping sounded out.
The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. An entire wooden house was torn to shreds by what seemed to be a giant boulder that was embedded inside one of the houses on the right side of the street. The street was filled with the shattered and broken remains of the house. Both the wood, and the torn and crushed limbs of dead townspeople.
Miyako was behind me, I could see a broken wood protruding from her leg. I forced my trembling body to get up, feeling something warm drip from my forehead.
As I stumbled towards her, I could sense large portions of mana nearby and far away in the town. There were mana users everywhere, and the strands of uncontrollable mana started to drift through the air. “Miyako?” I called out, but she didn’t move.
She was breathing, and she seemed to hit her head, though it only left a small bump on her forehead, she didn’t bleed.
I crouched at her side and tried to shake her, only to see blood drip on her face, my blood. I was bleeding.
I don’t feel any pain. I might have a concussion. In truth, everything almost felt numb, my body was shaking, and the rampant mana only made it harder to sense the faraway portions of mana.
As I tried to shake Miyako one of my arms gave out and I collapsed on her, panting heavily. “Miyako please, wake up.” I pleaded, only to snap attention on the direction from which the boulder came from as my ears managed to hear the sounds of footsteps.
From the path of the destroyed building, came a woman. She too, like the pyromancer, wore simple clothes, like that of a villager, although hers were bloodied. She glanced at us, smiled, and slowly made her way towards us.
Whatever tiredness took hold of me, or whatever numbness plagued my mind was cleared by a fastening beating heart. I grabbed Miyako by her clothes and shook her. “Miyako, wake up.”
“What’s wrong little girl? Afraid?” The woman asked, her melodious tone was full of delight.
“Miyako wake up!” I shook her harder and harder yelling her name, only to freeze when I realized that the woman was right behind me.
She crouched to my height, and smiled. “Say what, I shall give you a choice, you can leave her and I will give you a minute to run. Or, you both die here.” Even with the chaotic mana around, I could sense her mana. I could sense her delight.
My heart froze, and I found myself shaking. The entire world seemed to encompass only her wicked gleeful smile. “...Please…”
“Wrong answer.” The woman lifted her hand towards me, mana swirled into a bolt made of stone. She opened her smiling mouth to say something but instead her eyes dashed to the side. In a blur, she jumped back and someone took her place.
“Regain your focus, daughter.”
I heard Father’s voice and looked up, his figure covered me from the sun and his mana swirled around him turning it air, making his clothes float as if he was underwater.
I gaped at him. Before I could say anything, a gust of wind greeted my face, and bolts of stone were shot at the ground all around us, breaking and tearing the floor of the street. “Eleanor, focus.”
I took a breath and stood up. The woman, who stood in front of us Had a thin red line on her neck, dripping with blood. She let down her outstretched hand which was pointed at us.
She no longer smiled.
“Eleanor, use your mana, and run home. If you hear anyone approach, stop using mana and hide until they pass. Go.” Father didn’t spare another word as he stopped toward the woman, mana forming a short sword which looked sharper than anything I had ever seen.
Father’s mana gushed out of him and the woman smiled.
“Good.” I heard her speak with her melodious tone.
My heart was still beating fast, but I could feel it calm down a bit. I did my best to push away the numbness that fogged my mind and used mana to help me take Miyako with me. As I stood with Miyako held in both hands in a weird princess carry. As an adult she was much bigger than me. But with mana she almost felt like a feather.
Almost.
As I took the first step away, I heard the struggle. And I flinched, as more stone bolts made holes right near my feet.
“Don’t walk! Run!” Father roared and I started to run. Hearing metal crash into stone, feeling gusts of wind pushing my golden hair, and seeing a few more stone bolts crash into the floor of the street.
As I ran back, I didn’t think. In truth it was hard to think, I just had to run, to reach home through the only other route that was left towards home.
So when I ran back, only to see another person, a familiar looking ‘villager’, strolling calmly, with blackened clothes, blackened with ash. I wanted to cry and curse myself altogether.
I stopped and started to run towards Father, away from the pyromancer. “Father!” I screamed as I ran, seeing him float to the air as the woman made spikes of stone rise from the ground.
Father didn’t spare a look. Instead he used wind to divert the stone bolts that were thrown at him, and made a gust so powerful aimed at the woman that she flew into a wooden building, making a hole in the building.
He spared a glance in my direction, returned to look at the hole, only to snap his head in my direction. This time however his eyes widened at the pyromancer who walked calmly after me.
Still floating in the air, he swiftly lifted a hand towards me and I simultaneously heard the wind howl, saw my surroundings brighten, and felt my back grow hot, as if I was exposed to a furnace.
I yelped and looked back to see flames surrounding everything that was behind me, except for the pyromancer, who looked up at Father with disdain.
“Eleanor! Leave Miyako, run to the blacksmi-” Father was cut short as a giant boulder whirled in the air towards him. He tried to get away, stepping on the air, he managed to get half of his body from the range of the boulder. But it still managed to clip him.
I froze, I only managed to see him for a split second, but I saw him swirl along with the trajectory of the boulder. The sleeve of his clothes was torn off, but his arm looked alright.
Father dropped to the ground, and lifted his arm again in my direction. I heard the wind howl again and saw flames spill from behind me onto the buildings and street floor. This time, it seemed to be liquid flames.
Miyako started to feel heavy in my arms and I realized I lost my focus and slowly stopped using mana. I tried to refocus , but at the same moment, I saw my father kneel to the ground, a contorted expression on his face.
The woman who manipulated the rocks, stepped out of the hole of the wooden house. She was bloodied, and one of her arms looked dislocated. “Got you.” I heard her say through the crackling noise of burning wood and distant screams.
Father lifted his hands in both directions, mine and the woman’s. A stone bolt hit him somewhere making him grunt, and a sea of flames that came from behind went right above me, as if blocked by some sort of dome, and fell in front of me, turning into a wall of flames that blocked between me and Father.
Something seeped inside my heart, and at the bottom of my soul, I knew.
I was going to die.
My legs trembled and I fell to the ground.
I looked behind me, only to see the pyromancer smiling. His eyes were full of mad delight.
By the three dragons, shield me. I prayed as he stepped closer and closer, a flame dancing between his finger tips. My heart thumped louder, and louder.
Through the constant thumping I heard a voice in the dwarvish tongue. “Death from below!” Koll yelled from beyond the flames. And a second later, a small figure, too thin to be a dwarf, jumped through the flames.
His snow white hair glowed in the flames, almost like pure light.
He got past me and stood between me and the pyromancer who’s smile widened at the sight of another child. The child lifted his hand, gathered mana in it, and without touching the floor, he swiped a line on it. Condensed air gushed out of his finger tips and made a line on the ground. “If you hold your life dearly, come no closer.” Dante’s voice sounded low and near quivering.
And yet, his back was straight and unwavering.