The Anthology of Erythis Firestorm: Three

The Anthology of Erythis Firestorm

Three

Sub-Tags:[Funeral][Fire][Erythis][Melathara][Katsin][Braedin]

Their solemn faces passed like stones skimming a river, approaching the alter and then submerging from sight. They payed their respects, each and every one of them, for their beloved duke and duchess. The alter was far from dismal: made of solid gold, and surrounded with roses, and the brightest of flowers. There were paintings made- murals, and dedicated portraits. Valora was spared from being remembered as a sickly magistrix, and was painted in such a way that rivaled her true beauty. Her husband, Maris, was depicted just as regal and at his wife's side. Horns and trumpets blared in salute, but there was no rejoicing among the Firestorm family. Katsin, the eldest son, was out of his armor and wearing a suit of charcoal black. His face, stoic, stared into space as an arm held to his younger sibling. Erythis Firestorm, the family prodigy, tried to retain a calm visage. Though as hard as she tried, she could not control the tears spilling down upon her cheeks. For the poor girl was still in shock, and with it, came a sorrow she had never yet felt in her youth. The black she wore did little to reflect the loss of innocence she felt in her heart. Melathara, holding to her infant sister, Lilliana, looked upon Erythis' tears with contempt. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     "Erythis!" Katsin Firestorm looked skyward, into the branches of a tree. Sitting upon one of them was the young, robed magistrix, swinging her legs to and fro. 

     "You don't have to yell, I can hear you."

     "Get down from there, Ery. You're going to hurt yourself." 

     "No I'm not."

     "Then come down for me?"

     "Alright, alright. I'll jump." Katsin roared in a panic.

     "No, no. No jumping! Climb down, and carefully." She stood, dusting the fabric she wore with her hands. 

     "Relax, that's what magic is for." Like an elegant bird, she floated herself downward, landing on one foot and then finding her balance, as a ballerina would. "Ta-da! Why did you want me to come down, anyways?" Katsin sat a gauntlet-clad hand upon her head, ruffling those lengthy scarlet locks. 

     "There's someone I want you to meet, Erythis. I think it's important that you make new friends."

     "Why, because mother and father are gone?" The knight bit his lip for a moment and then sighed. "Well, yes and no. Yes, you need some playmates to lift your spirits. But you are also of noble blood, Ery. You need to have connections with people." The youthful mage lifted her head proudly and smoothed her robes out over her arms. 

     "Yes, but of course. I understand." Katsin laughed. 

     "You sound so posh. Just like mother, you know. But you don't fool me for a second."

     "What do you mean?" He grabbed her then, digging his fingers into her sides lightly and making her squirm.

     "N-No! Stop that!" She roared with laughter, wriggling in his grasp and giving youthful giggles. "Stop it, Kat! Stop it!"

     "Don't you forget that you're still my little Ery!"

     "Okay, okay! I won't!"

     "Promise me!"

     "Hn-...! I promise, I promise! Stoooop!" And so he did, and her laughter subsided. She jerked from him then, giving a playful, 'hmph.' "I'm going to go and change before I meet this new friend. Who are they?"

     "Braedin, the eldest son of House Highspire. He is of your age." Erythis turned her head and quirked an eyebrow at her brother.

     "It's a boy? Why do I need a boy to play with when I have you, big brother?" Katsin smiled and put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "One day, you will have to marry someone, Ery. Someone of noble blood. And it would..., warm my heart, if you were able to marry someone with whom you get along with. So perhaps the young Braedin will meet your fancy. For now, as a friend, at the least." 

     "Why can't I marry you, brother?" The knight paled for a moment, and then laughed. 

     "I am your brother. You and I love each other, but not in a way a husband and wife do. It is..., different. I know you do not understand it now, but you will, one day." The younger sibling takes her brother's hand in hers, smiling up at him. 

     "I still made you a promise. I will always be your sister, and I will always love you. More than anyone else." He wasn't sure what else to say, but the girl's words had melted right through his armor and penetrated his heart. He scooped her up, and she, with a giggle, clung to him. 

     "Come on, Ery. Let's get you out of those robes and into some formal attire. Promise me, also, that you will give the boy a chance at becoming your friend."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     Sitting in front of her vanity, Erythis Firestorm allowed her hair to be brushed by one of her handmaidens. This one was new, as her previous had met with an unfortunate, 'accident,' and was deemed too unsettling to continue on in the manor. "Tell me...- Saeri, right? What does love between a husband and wife feel like?"

     "Oh, little lady. You're much too young to be worrying about such things."

     "But, they're having me meet with a boy who I might marry one day."

     "Let me..., put it to you this way. Love like that is kind of hard to describe. You'll feel your heart race, and butterflies in your stomach."

     "There's going to be butterflies in my stomach?" The handmaiden laughs.

     "No, child. But you'll feel like your insides are fluttering."

     "That sounds..., unpleasant."

     "You'd be surprised. Your body will feel hot, and then you'll feel something..., wonderful."

     "Wonderful?" Saeri sets the brush down, beginning to dress the young mage in a dress of deep purple. 

     "Like magic."

     "Magic..." Erythis' thoughts wandered to the feelings she had when she assaulted that gorilla with fire. That rush, that surge of energy that filled her so- that waswonderful. "What if I don't feel that way with the boy?"

     "You probably won't, right now. But one day, with someone, it'll hit you. Not until your ready; you're not a woman yet, little lady." Saeri tightened the bodice of the redhead's dress and sent her on her way. All dolled up, the Firestorm heiress walked out onto the terrace: one of the many balconies overlooking Felo'Danil. She waited for the boy she was asked to meet; she looked like a young princess, waiting for her prince charming. What she eventually saw, however, was her younger sibling accompanying the boy as they approached. She overheard them talking, and perked up an ear.

     "Oh, that sounds marvelous. Surely, you will tell me more of your adventures sometime! I'd love to hear about them!"

     "Yeah..., sure..." The boy gave a hesitant smile. He did indeed look about the age of the young Firestorm twins, dressed in an ornate vest, slacks, and black boots. There was a small, sheathed sword at his hip, one of ceremonial purpose. And then, tugging at his attention, was the young Erythis. His eyes widened, cheeks reddened, and he pulled from the arm of Melathara eagerly. "Who are you?" She smiled at him cordially, extending an arm to offer her hand.

     "Erythis Firestorm. I'm pleased to meet you."

     "Erythis? But I thought-" Her turned, looking to the identical twin he had walked beside with a small bout of confusion. "Oh, I see, I see! You are the sister. I heard about you." Melathara frowned a bit, looking somewhat disturbed. The boy shifted his attention to Erythis, approaching to take her hand. "Braedin Highspire. I'm so glad to finally meet you! You look really beautiful. I mean- lovely. Your dress is-..." He grew flustered. "Shall we walk?"

     "Yes, let's walk." She gave a soft chuckle, as if to ease his mind. Hand in hand, the two children walked across the terrace, leaving behind a trailing murmur of pleasant conversation. 

     Melathara Firestorm was fuming. She left the terrace and entered her room, closing the drapes behind her and collapsing on her bed. She started to cry with frustration, visibly trembling. "The second he saw her he couldn't wait to get rid of me..." She layed her head upon a pillow, choking over her words. "It's not fair..., it's not fair! What if I want him? I want him! He should be my friend! Mine!" Sitting up, the young Firestorm shot a small ball of fire from a palm in her rage. "Oh, crap-...!" It collided with a table, knocking over a vase and several other objects, causing the wood to ignite and start spreading fire along the floor. "Crap, crap, crap, crap!" She bolted, running down the hall and screaming. "Brother! Brother!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     "Can I show you my favorite place?" Erythis looked to Braedin with a sheepish grin.

     "Is it far?"

     "Only a jump away, really. As long as you don't mind your dress clothes getting a little dirty."

     "I practice with swords. Getting dirty is sometimes inevitable." The young sorceress stood a few paces away from him, extending her arms as she brought forth a portal. The little lord stared in awe, not having yet been exposed to such magics. "Woah. How does it work?"

     "You just-..., go inside. Come on!" She took his hand and attempted to drag him.

     "Hey, wait!" Despite his protests, he was pulled through the portal. Blink or two of the eye and one very odd sensation later, the two were in the middle of the jungle. The wildlife was noisy, plants swaying in the evening breezes. 

     "Perfect! The sun is going to set soon, follow me!"

     "This is so cool!" And so the little explorers set out on a trail, running uphill and through the foliage. When they emerged at the top, they found themselves on stone ledge, overlooking a waterfall. "Neat!" The boy walked up to edge as the orange of the sun penetrated the sky and left a view to behold. The two stared at it, watching a large ship sail across the ocean. "I've never seen such things!"
     "Do you like it?"

     "Do I like it? Of course I do! You're so cool! Can you teach me how to make one of those holes?" 

     "A portal? Well-..., I can try! It took me a long time before I could do it. If you do it wrong it can go badly. You could end up somewhere weird..., like stuck in a wall." Braedin laughed, seeming amused by the thought of someone stuck inside of something solid. 

     "That is weird. We better go back though, what if someone finds out we left?"

     "Where's your sense of adventure?"

     "You're pretty cool, for a girl. Can we hang out all the time?"

     "Come on." In just a few seconds, the mage opened another portal and the two went through. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     Emerging from the portal and returning to the Firestorm manor, the two appeared on the terrace. However, smoke shrouded the air and the stone beneath them crumbled. A scream was heard; the young Erythis Firestorm fell. When her vision focused, she realized her arm had been grabbed. The only thing holding her in place was the arm of the young Braedin Highspire. "Hold on!"

     "Don't let me go!"

     "I won't!" Her hand started to slip, but he tightened his grasp on her. She gave another scream. There was fire churning beneath her- the entire tower had been set ablaze. Gritting his teeth, the young boy pulled up with all his might. "I won't-...let you fall!" With a loud grunt and a jerk, he pulled her up onto the terrace. The young sorceress let out a soft cry and buried herself into him, and he hugged to her. 

     "It's okay, don't cry. Let's go get-" He was cut off by the sound of rushing water. From all sides, watery elementals began to shoot torrents of water upon the flames, working to douse them. Before long, the smoldering flames became naught but the remnants of smoke and ash.

     "Erythis!" Katsin yelled as he raced over to her, accompanied by a robed woman. 

     "Braedin!" The woman ran to him, scooping him up in her arms. She was, as it would seem, his mother. 

     "Mom, you're squishing-..."

     "How dare you put my boy in danger!" She roared at Katsin, and he shook his head defensively.

     "This was no fault of mine! It was a freak accident- the boy is alright!"

     "Were it not for my elementals, they'd be burnt up by now!" As the two yelled, Erythis clung to her brother's leg. 

     "We are very grateful, Lady Highspire. But I assure you, the boy will not be in any further danger. It was just-"

     "He's not coming back here again." She set the boy down, turning and walking a few paces forward. "Come along, Braedin." The young boy moved to follow his mother, but gave a look back to Erythis. The young sorceress sniffled and looked at him with watery eyes, but with another yell from his mother, the two were gone. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     Melathara Firestorm, in tears, hugged her brother. "It was awful! Saeri called me names, and she-...she took my candle and threw it at me! When I moved out of the way, it caught on my bedsheets and then, there was, there was..., f-fire, everywhere...she cursed the name of our family!"

     "I did no such thing, my lord! I would never-...!" Angered, Katsin backhanded the handmaiden with a snarl. 

     "Leave. You are no longer welcome here." Cupping to the side of her face, she ran out of the room and sobbed violently. 

     "It was so awful, brother..." Katsin hugged to the young Melathara. "It's all over, now." Whilst he comforted her, Erythis stared at the window. She looked out at the ash covered pillars, and let out a heavy sigh. Just as quickly as her new friend had entered her life, he had left.