Astrea's Ghosts (Ash Princess fanfiction)

Chapter six: Malla

Malla and her family had lived in Astrea for generations, but her parents had feld when the war came to Asrea. They met in the Sta' Crivero refugee camp. Basically a living nightmare, but at least they had each other. However, among the mud, raw sewage and near-toxic waste, Malla's mother caught a disease which weakened her so much, that it would one day kill her during child birth. She had died 15 years ago, but Malla's father had prevailed, fighting through not just war, but grief. He was a carpenter now and the two of them lived in the little village that was over looked by the Talevra estate. There, he worked, safe in the old stone house that had weathered many a storm. Until today.First, came strong winds. Then, blackened clouds rolled over the land, casting heavy shadows across the village. Next, came the thunder. Then cam the storm.A vast, spiralling column of wind torn itself from the landscape and came crashing down to earth. Chaos and destruction followed in its wake. Whole trees were ripped out of the ground, chewed up and spat out, rolling through buildings like wrecking balls. Roofs were snatched off houses and debris hurtled through the sky. Malla huddled behind the roof-less walls of her house. Or alt least, what used to be her house. She peered nervously through the broken gap where the door had once been.She was looking for her father. He had been out when the storm had stuck, trading in the market. She feared greatly for him. If he could just get back to the house...She caught sight of a young man with light brown skin, a hard jaw and brown hair that just brushed his shoulders. He was utterly gorgeous, and he cut a striking figure against the storm, seemingly unfazed by it. Then he leapt, shooting up into the sky, seeming to walk on air. He struggled against the wind, heading for the eyes of the storm, but her kept getting pushed back by sudden gusts of wind. Then a woman descended from the sky, crowned in lightning with her long, braided hair suspended in the air like each lock was a snake. Poised for attack.She worn ragged clothes, a torn white shirt and trousers. She looked very, very striking. And very, very powerful.The town began to talk, argue even. Malla could not hear their voices, but she could feel the wrath and emotion in their speech. The woman seemed to grow and angry and jerked back, arms through wide, back arched in a dramatic curve. Her steely eyes closed and lighting shrieked down form the sky, missing the man by an inch. But the man was undeterred. As the woman, arched back and closed her eyes, readying for another attack, he darted forward, tears in his eyes, knife in his hand, and drove it through her heart.There was a deathly silence. But it was broken by and unearthly scream.And then the storm was gone.The woman was gone.The boy was gone.And all was still.