In war, fairness is a myth—at least in this world.

Odessa trudged through three feet of snow, her boots sinking with each step. Much to her dismay, bodies don’t bury themselves.

November marked the beginning of the resistance’s plan. By now, Queen Morana’s forces should be half-frozen, their limbs sluggish, their reflexes filled by the cold.

Odessa’s orders were simple: lead a small legion, ambush the unsuspecting enemy…and when the chaos settled—if all went well—let the freshly fallen snow bury their bodies beneath its quiet, unmerciful weight.

After days of negotiating, I scowled, still unwilling to give in to Isolde’s plea for an alliance, even if it was temporary. She sounded so desperate, which made it annoyingly hard to ignore her and Storm off.

“Caliban, please-“ Isolde’s plea echoed through my mind, sticking like a parasite. But the way her voice broke like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I can’t believe I’m saying this, the vulnerability she laid bare in that plea pulled at my heart strings.

Forcing myself to turn away, I growled, “Stop trying, Isolde. It’s pointless and a waist of breath.” I said in a low, warning tone.

“My clan is dying-“ she insisted, unrelenting. her voice was hardly more than a trembling whisper, laced with desperation, and her legs seamed ready to give out under her.

“Yours will be next. It’s inevitable-“ Isolde continued, wiping her tears. It proved futile, however. They were streaming down her face too fast for her to keep up.

I looked back at her with slightly less reluctance than before, which I tried not to show. What did she want me to do? Suddenly break the norm and agree to unite the clans?

Suddenly, while I was still contemplating everything, I reacted on instinct when Isolde collapse, her body unable to support her weight any longer. My arms hooked under hers, catching her before she fell. Her sudden fall took me by surprise.

She felt limp. Her skin had grown pale, her breaths came short and labored, and her body was trembling. And to my own surprise, it worried me.

We remained like that for a few more silent moments, my arms supporting her weight. Her vulnerability was slowly chipping away at my reluctance. Besides, if what she said was true, I’m not cold hearted enough to let an entire clan die off, rivals or not.

If I did turn a blind eye to this, if the clan did die, would it not be partially my fault? Wouldn’t their blood be on my hands too for not taking action while I still could?

“Alright,” I relented with a sigh, surprisinging myself at the gentleness in my usually cold toned voice. “Please, Isolde. Help me understand. What exactly is threatening you and your people?” I asked, trying a gentle approach, hoping to coax the details out of her seemingly fragile form.

“We’ll try to unite the clans,” It wasn’t a promise, and yet it wasn’t a rejection either. And Isolde seamed to accept that. She managed a small nod, her tear stained face downcast as I continued to support her limp form.

(Not my best, but hey. Its something.)

All Juno could hear was screaming ringing in her ears. She couldn’t focus on what Aistis was saying beside her. The screaming filled her mind, her ears.

Snap out of it. It’s gone, it’s done. The battle is won.

“Hm?” Juno asked, looking up at Aistis. She hadn’t heard him at all. Her gaze fell on his bandages that were showing signs of his wounds still bleeding. Concern flashed through her for a moment.

“June…are you going to be okay?” He asked gently, reaching to touch her. His hand brushed her arm and she reflexively jerked away.

“Sorry” she said softly. “It’s okay.”

Blood. All she could see was blood on her hands, seeping into her eyes, obscuring her vision.

No. Stop. It’s over. It’s done.

The blood won’t go away. The screaming won’t stop. Juno rested her head in her hand as she sat by the fire, trying to breath, to ground herself. That only made it worse, let her thoughts run free.

Blood, screaming, death. It was like a cycle never ending in her mind, a replay of the devastating consequences of war.

Olorith is a beautiful place despite the sorrows and tragedies that take place on its grasses and beaches. The forests echo with life, both ordinary and magic.

The northern shore of Thera, one of the most important kingdoms, holds the most Serene waters known to man. Storms don’t dare to pass by, and the water is constantly crystal clear.

The kingdom of Oraria holds Olorith’s most prized location. The Yolinth, the most sacred waters of them all, touched by the goddess of the seas, Serenity, herself thousands of years ago.

Olorith’s northern mountains, the largest ones on the entire continent, were “blessed” by the god of tricks and chaos at the same time as Serenity gifted the land with The Yolinth. The mountains give out in seemingly flat, safe valleys for travelers to rest in. The moment one travels on its surface, the stone and snow gives out below them. When it’s done, the ground returns back to its original state. A twisted joke to keep Halleen amused.

Now traveling below the continent’s surface is yet another spectacular phenomenon. The Fallen People live below the humans. The natural caverns filled with large crystal formations that illuminate the passageways serve as their homes. The people who live here are mysterious and keep to themselves, though their history is woven with the humans who now suffer from their own actions above them.

[welcome to the world of my WIP novel series]

Aistis and Karyan had the moment under control, Juno could see from her perch on the castle wall. The plan was simple:

Infiltrate the castle, check Get to the castle wall, check. Sit on the wall until the signal…in the works.

Juno was getting quite bored. She couldn’t hear what the king was saying, though she could guess it was something along the lines of, “you will die and so will your so called heir of Thera,” aka her.

The heir picked the non-existent dirt out from under her finger nails, dangling her legs over the edge. She looked back at her friends and the king. She had been up there for hours already and couldn’t sit any longer. Change of plans.

Dramatically get down from the wall, And the rest would be improv.

Juno was much happier with this plan. It would accomplish the same goal as the first: proving that the heir to the Theran throne had survived the massacre thirteen years ago, and that she was strong enough to take down the Orarian king and place Aistis on the throne.

So, unable to wait any longer, Juno jumped off of the wall. The people gathered, including the king, saw her and turned their attention to the crazy girl who had just jumped off of a wall. She guessed that they all assumed she was committing suicide. But, she wouldn’t splat on the ground. Juno spoke to the river surrounding the capital city, asking it to catch her. The water came at a slow pace just as she had intended. It swirled under her feet just before she reached the ground and held her aloft.

She would be lying if she said that the look on the king’s face wasn’t amusing. After giving him a smile, she touched the ground right beside Aistis who was giving her a, are you serious right now? look. Juno countered his silent disapproval with a grin.

“Majesty,” she said sarcastically, bowing lower than anyone else would. “A lovely day, don’t you think?” She asked while she formed a dragon behind her. When it was finished, she let it sail over the heads of the people around her, droplets of water dripping down from it like a light rain. She willed its claws to become ice and sent it straight towards the king. He held his ground which Juno had to give him credit for.

When she made the dragon slice a thin line on the side of the king’s face, however, his anger and the slightest bit of fear tward her abilities appeared on his face for a split second. He held a hand against the cut after Juno let go of the dragon, letting it turn back into regular water. When he dragged it down to inspect the damage, he scowled. The blood was smeared all over his hand. The claw had gone a little deeper than she had intended apparently. She didn’t particularly care though.

Karyan was staring at her. The assassin gave her a look that said, I am both very proud of the chaos, and am so going to pummel you after this, princess,

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a kingdom to return to. Oh and don’t worry, we’ll be meeting again very soon, Majesty,” she finished with the same sarcastic voice and bow before turning away. Her smile grew while the people gaped and whispered. Let them assume things about her, but they would soon learn what happened to those who defied her the right to her throne. The king would die within a fortnight.

✨[part of my WIP book. Is a series :> ]✨

After Loreley and Aran finally finished baking the apple pies, she was sent out to their humble little baking stand to sell them. Aran got to work on preparing the other dishes that Loreley had not mastered well enough to help with. When she neared the door, she grabbed her jacket and slung it over a shoulder. She let herself out and closed the door behind her.

“Try to be back in four bells,” Darius called to her from the vast yard he was cleaning Peril in. She gave him a nod and ran to the stand across the street. She still didn’t understand why she had to be back so early all the time. She could sell so many more pies if she stayed for seven bells but she wasn’t one to argue.

“Restocking?” A regular buyer asked, hauling five full grocery bags with her. Loreley slowed down to a jog. Even in the fall weather, the running was making her boil.

“Yup!”

“I’ll stop by in a few. Have to drop these off at home first.”

Loreley gave her a quick wave, continuing with her fast pace. When she finally reached the stand, she practically collapsed, setting down the load of pies on the counter. She slumped into the chair, letting herself catch her breath. She was still breathing heavily when a middle aged man came up and held a silver coin. It was hard to muster the self control to not snatch it from him and gawk at it. Instead, she took it slowly with a pleasant smile. The fallen king and queen had been stamped into the pretty silver and was in stunning condition. She pocketed the coin, not wanting anyone to steal it from the coin box she had on the desk.

“Thank you. How many, sir?” She asked.

“Just one will be fine,” the man said with a smile, his eyes sparkling.

“I’m sorry, just one? But- but this could cover all of them. It’s simply too much. I cant accept it,” she shook her head, pulled the coin back out, and held it out to the man who took a step back.

“No, I am well off. I simply enjoy giving to small family businesses like yours. You people are in need more than some others,” damn this man was kind, too kind for his own good. The amount of people who would take advantage of his generosity had to be somewhere in the thousands.

“Thank you again. But are you sure you don’t want any more than one?” She tilted her head.

“No. Me and my wife won’t be able to eat them all before they go bad. One is enough,” the man confirmed. Loreley picked the pie on the top and handed it to him over the counter.

“What is your name? I would like to remember you. And, of corse, to suggest your services,”

Loreley hesitated. Names were precious in the town. Giving yours could either mean your success, or your downfall.

“Lillian. My name is Lillian,” she lord. Actually lied she didn’t do it often, hated it in fact. After the man left, Loreley set to organizing the stand, but stoped short when she heard Darius’s voice.

“Holy shit, you have no idea that you just saved your ass by giving that man a fake name,” he said, clearly out of breath. He never swore, not unless it was for something important.

“What?” Why was she of all people significant?

“I’ll explain on the fly. Come on, we have to tell Arab and then haul ass out of here,” he said, grabbing her by the hand and leading her behind the closet building where she found Peril sitting patiently. She hauled herself up and held on to Darius as they took off, letting go once they were airborne. … “Aran, saddle Kaida. We need to get the hell out of here,” Darius slammed open the front door, Loreley too steps behind him. She reached into her pocket and held the coin out to Darius. … Her face was stern as she held the coin infront of Darius. He watched her closely, standing completely still and silent. The eyes of Ellowen stared back at him, not Loreley.

“Why do I recognize them,” she asked in a low voice too much like her mother’s.

“Because they’re the fallen king and queen. Everyone recognizes them,” he tried. He could keep it a secret for a bit longer.

“No! Why can I hear a siren’s voice when I look at queen Ellowen? And why do I hear a warm, weak coming chuckle when I look at king Dannon!” She demanded, waving it in front of him.

Shit. Shit. Shit!

“Why can I see their faces as if they are looking down at me, wearing pleasant smiles? Why do I know them!”

Aran had walked in after hearing the yells. she stared at him. And he caved.

“You know, you sound just like her. And look like her too. You have Dannon’s stern look though,” he laughed to himself. Loreley seamed to real back her temper and looked down at the portrait of her parents on the silver.

“That’s why we’re running, isn’t it?” She asked, her voice small.

“To keep you safe,” Aran confirmed.

The smell of burning metal wafted up Loreley’s nose as she passed by the forge with a basket of oranges, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and apples swinging in her hands. She could hear the clanking of metal on metal from inside the forge and many men’s voices. She placed her basket down on the dirt road, stopping to braid her dark hair. An animal’s shriek split the sky a few moments later. No one walking the streets jumped. It was a familiar sound that occurred every day at this hour. Darius and his blood red wyvern landed a few steps away from Loreley. The thud of the landing reverberated through her.

“I know I know, aunt Aran needs the basket at this very moment,” Loreley said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She bent down to retrieve the basket, rearranging the apples so that they didn’t tumble out. A hint of a smile showed on Darius’s face when she turned to look at him again.

“Need a lift?”

Without a word, Loreley stepped tward the wyvern, his massive head leaning down to let her stroke his face.

“Have you still not named him?”

“I usually just call him living Peril but Aran doesn’t find it as fun as I do,” Darius explained with a small shrug of his broad shoulders.

“Personally, I think you could shorten it to Peril but ‘living’ adds a little more flair,” Loreley nodded in approval. Darius chuckled.

Peril raised his wing as he usually did, offering her an assist to climb on. And as usual, she took it. She stepped up onto his wing, walking until Darius could reach a hand out and haul her the rest of the way. … “I’m back!” Loreley called out to Aran. She placed the basket down on the dining room table and took off her coat, hanging it on its rack.

“You’re going to help me with the apple pies, right?” Aran called back.

“Sure”

Aran lifted the swaddled baby from Queen Ellowen’s arms. Her old friend said nothing. Dannon’s face was solemn as he watched his daughter be transferred from her mother’s arms to Aran’s. Loreley stirred in her sleep. Her big, golden eyes opened when Ellowen bent down and laid a kiss on her forehead. Loreley worked her arm out of the warm blankets sheltering her from the bitter cold of winter, placing her tiny hand on her mothers face. She looked up at Aran. Her lip began to quiver. She worked her other arm out and reached for her mother, her cries breaking Aran’s heart. Darius kept a stone cold expression beside her, his hand clenched around the pummel of his sword.

“I’ll protect her with my life,” Aran whispered, meeting Ellowen’s golden gaze.

“You better,” the queen said with such force that Aran found herself wanting to bow down.

“Arantaxa Nightingale and Darius Koll, can I trust you to do what is right for the only heir of Thera and Fire Stone?” King Dannon asked, raising his chin so he had to look down on them.

“Yes, majesty,” Aran and Darius said in unison, bowing their heads as a sign of deep respect.

After a moment of silence, Aran mounted her grey blue wyvern, looking back only once to meet the solemn expression on the king and queen’s faces.

“Fly Kaida,” Aran whispered to her mount, kicking her heals against her sides gently. Kaida took to the sky, the darkness acting as a blanket shielding them from any unwanted attention. Darius and his blood red mount took off two heartbeats after Aran and Kaida, following close behind.

(Read the prologue I posted before this post for some background information)

Ellowen rocked from side to side gently and slowly, the baby in her arms cooing at the motion. She felt her daughter caressing her dark hair like she always did as she drifted off to sleep. Ellowen found it adorable. She began to sing to her daughter, her voice rising and falling like gentle waves on the sea. A siren’s voice, her mother had said before. The young princess’s tiny hand fell and dangled over Ellowen’s shoulder, telling her she had fallen asleep. She finished the song and practically floated across the room on near silent feet to the crib. She laid her daughter down slowly and gently. She drew in a breath and stayed completely still when the baby’s golden eyes fluttered open for a moment. As quietly as she could, Ellowen walked backwars tward the ancient wooden door. when she could reach it, she pushed down on the handle and let herself out, closing it behind her as softly as she could. As she did, she whispered, “sweet dreams, Loreley,”

“You put her down much faster than yesterday,” Dannon, Ellowen’s husband, said from behind her. Ellowen jumped and made a startled sound.

“Can you please not sneak up on me like that!” She whispered, hitting the side of his arm gently. He chuckled, the sound warm and welcoming. Ellowen crossed her arms, looking up at him.

“Your eyes are so beautiful in candlelight,” Dannon whispered, smiling mischievously at her.

“Leaning on flattery and compliments to help you now, are you?” Ellowen asked, returning his mischievous smile.

“Slightly now and then. But how else am I supposed to redeem myself after doing such sinful things such as sneaking up on you, my love? We both know that you could easily burn me from the inside and turn me to ash,” he said as he turned and began walking down the short hallway to their room. Ellowen followed. She let fire dance at her fingertips as she smiled at him.

“I suppose you’re-“

There was a crash and the sound of broken glass scattering on a floor.

“Loreley!” They said at the same time, running to their daughter’s room. Guards were already running up the stairs to inspect the commotion. Ellowen had blasted the door open with a gust of flame before she had run halfway down the hall. She focused on creating a barrier around Loreley’s crib, the golden flames beginning to snake around it. The princess was awake and giggling at the sight of the golden light. Ellowen saw her stand, or atleast attempt, and raise her fingers to touch it. It wouldn’t hurt her. She was immune to her fire.

A man wearing a midnight black coat stood inches away from the baby. Had Ellowen been a second too slow…no, she couldn’t think like that at the moment. The guards poured into the room from behind her, their spears and swords poised to kill. In a gruff, unpleasant voice the man said, “My mistress will possess The Fire Stone. No matter what you do, wear you go, or where you send her, she will be found,” and with the raise of an arm, the man was gone in a plume of smoke.

Dannon looked at her expectantly, knowing they were thinking the same thing. Ellowen’s old partners would know what to do, how to protect her. Here, she was an easy target. With tears welling in her eyes, Ellowen nodded.

“I want every soldier on high alert. Don’t leave any of them un-armed. This room and the rest of the city will be guarded with mine, and your lives,” Ellowen heard the voice of a warrior, and saw the face of a mighty king while she watched him.

Rain. She could hear the rain. It fell lightly beside her ears. It pelted her face next. She still couldn’t move, could barely breath. She couldn’t remember her name…

She could feel her fingers twitching as she tried to close her hands. She could feel and hear the deep breath she took, gulping down the fresh, life giving air. She willed her hands to close, begging her muscles to agree with her. Her mind was empty, only a simple numbness dwelled there. She could hear nothing but the rain. It made it hard to command her body. Finally, when she could get her hands to work, she tried to open her eyes. She struggled for a moment before her eyelids parted. The grey clouds above peered down at her, soaking the red substance off of her. Blood, she realized.

As slowly as she could, she forced herself to roll onto her belly, bracing her arms on the dirt in front of her. After taking three more deep breaths, she pushed herself to her feet, wobbling as she did.

“Whoah Whoah Whoah, hold on now,” came a voice from her left. She turned her head to look and found a beautiful woman looking back at her. “I haven’t finished fixing you up yet.”

She let herself try to think, to remember anything that had happened….Juno…that was her name. She had fought alongside the revolution. It had been a bloodbath and a disaster. That was all she could recall. The woman was kneeling beside her now, tucking the loose strands of blood soaked hair out of her face.

“Please, lay down. It’s for your own sake. What good is a dead queen?” The woman asked. Juno stiffened at the title.

“I am no queen,” she whispered in a rasping voice. “I abandoned my people when they needed me most. I am no queen,” she repeated, lips trembling with cold.

“Well majesty, I guess we will have to agree to disagree then,” the woman said with infinite gentleness as she slowly turned her around and layed her down on the soft, cool grass. Juno hadn’t realized how tired and in pain she was until a few moments later. Lucky for her, she was out cold soon after the woman began to clean and wrap her wounds.

(I’m tired, it’s 2 am, and idk why I torture myself by doing these late at night)