Clouds covered the sky, breezing over the autumn day. Leaves drifted to the ground from the trees, landing on the soft playground floor. Avia had been waiting here for twenty minutes already, watching over Lila as she played on the swing, her firey red hair blowing around as she swung back and forth. She had been looking after Lila for a week now, the nine year old didn’t know much of what was going on. She seemed completely oblivious that her life was blowing up around her, didn’t seem to question why she was there or why she kept having to move from place to place.

Everything had changed a month ago when her mother died. No one even knew about Lila until that day, her mother had been protecting her, keeping her secret until she had a visit from an old friend that ended badly, very badly.

Avia had been friends with Lila’s mother years ago but no one had seen her in ten years. Now she knew why.

Metal whined as the gate to the playground opened. Avia turned to see figure dressed in all black enter, his light brown hair was trimmed short, but still long enough to style and sweep back. His face was solem, his features sharp, he looked to be in his thirties but Avia knew better. She knew the Sorcerer to be well over three hundred years old, his aging stopped by the magic flowing through his veins.

She watched as he strode over to her, glancing to Lila who was still obliviously playing on the swings, her light airy laughter breaking up the seriousness and dread of the conversation about to happen.

Avia had called Orune the second she had learned of the child. It had taken them a few weeks to hide any traces of her and keep people from finding out about her mother. She had kept Lila secret from her heritage it seems and the girl knew nothing of the magical world she belonged to.

‘You look well.’ Orune stated.

‘As do you.’ Avia replied, obliging by the polite greeting customs she always found so tedious.

‘Is that the girl?’ He motioned to Lila who’s feeling pointed to the sky before she swung back down, her fiery hair flowing into her face.

‘Yes.’ She paused. ‘She doesn’t know anything of us, of her heritage and she has never met her father. She doesn’t even know what he looks like for what his name is. Her mother never told her.’

‘Well Sierra knew what she was doing to keep her secret, I’ll give her that. Don’t tell a child about thier heritage and they’ll never go looking to find out more. She was right to hide her.’ He spoke of Lila’s mother, the blonde haired sorceress with glowing golden eyes. She had been powerful, almost as powerful as the ancient magicians that lived thousands of years ago and used to wreak havoc on the mortal world.

‘We need to keep her hidden.’ Orune continued. ‘If he founds out about her…’ he paused. ‘I don’t know what he would do, wether she would be welcomed or hunted. The king has been hunting for Sierra for ten years as it is, if he found out she had a daughter too.’ I don’t think any reason would enter his mind.

‘How are we suppose to hide her, her mother has just died and now she’s surrounded by people that claim to have known her mother but she’s never met. She will start asking questions.’ Avia said.

‘I know it’s a lot to ask but.’ He trailed off, not wanting to voice the question. ‘Can you take her, you should be able to claim her as your distant niece, you can stay in the isles. They’re distant enough from the kingdom that you shouldn’t have much questioning from anyone and I can try and throw the kings direction elsewhere. If we hide any evidence of the child having existed then hopefully the knees of Sierras death with end his hunt.’

‘But what if someone finds out about her, she’s not exactly subtle with that fiery hair and golden eyes. Two very distinctive traits to define her parentage.’ Avia pointed out, they looked at the girl, her red hair flowing around her, the same as her fathers. The fact that no one had discovered her before was astonishing.

‘Just keep her hidden as best you can. Teach her about her heritage, and make sure she knows to keep herself secret. I can sense the magic in her already, she’ll need training to control it, and to bury it deep. Her magic could rival the kings, I don’t think he’d let her live. Even if she is his daughter.’ Orune finished.

Orune was second to the king. An advisor of sorts. The king with his fiery red hair, the stretch of magic etched deep into his bones, making him one of the most powerful sorcerers there had ever been. He had been in love with Sierra, her golden hair and golden eyes singing of her own power, almost matching his own. No one knew why she had disappeared, or more likely fled. She had been to see the oracle one day, a tradition for everyone to go and find out their future once every three years. Most of the fortunes told were meager and not worth knowing. Since he had learned of Sierras death he had gone to the oracle. He had learned of what she had told Sierra ten years ago, what had caused her to flea the king. The oracle had said that the pup of the king would kill him, her power to rival the gods, feared and cursed. The pup pursued and hunted, a rival to all.

It had taken him a moment to comprehend what she had said, the reason she had left, hidden away for ten years. The child, more powerful than anyone, and a threat to the king, even if she was his own daughter. Sierra had known that, she had known what her would do to the child, born more powerful than him, a rival to his throne. He would have marked her for death the moment she was born. It was now up to him to keep her secret. If the discovered she was that powerful or that she was the kings daughter and if the king found out, it could destroy the entire kingdom.