𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞

𝐎 𝐍 𝐄

𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬

Kelrose already had plenty of celebrations in line for the Spirit Festival. But four of its brightest and most mischievous students had promptly looked those plans in the eyes and said 'fuck that'. Briéa had been biting down on her tongue for the past five minutes in an effort to temper her laughing, an attempt made in an abundance of vain.

Her older sister, Aesira, leads the way. She's easily the most nimble of them all. It's not uncommon for Briéa to call her Kitty after the ease in which her graceful movements come to her. Everyone follows her lead when she sidesteps fallen branches and shrouded pits, tripping into one of those is the quickest way to a twisted ankle and an hour-long chastisement from Mistress Ennell. But all that grace and elegance was hoarded by Aesira. Briéa was not made for sneaking and stealth, not even from the day she was born. When Aesira was born, the midwife feared her to be stillborn when she came out silent. Briéa though, her poor mother couldn't get her to shut up for the first month of life.

So the three follow the eldest of them all, hoods of their cloaks pulled tight around their faces. As if anyone's going to see them. No reason to hide at this point. The lights of Kelrose get smaller and smaller with each step, farther away from any guard or mystic that might stop them. Tonight fewer guards were stationed on the grounds anyway, most preoccupied with maintaining the order of the party inside. Briéa was admittedly disappointed getting past the walls was so easy. She hoped for more of a challenge.

Despite the ease of their escape, the air around them is thick with the excitement of rebellion.

As they get farther away from Kelrose, they grow closer to Hanada, the nearest town within five miles. Kelrose was built long before Hanada, there are stories of old mystics who devised antics designed to scare the original Hanadans enough that they would leave and find a new place to settle. Even went as far as to concoct legends of ancient wraiths and wandering spirits to explain the strange occurrences. They didn't take the bait. They still settled, much to the annoyance of the mystics of Kelrose supposedly.

Eventually, they learned to get along. For the most part.

Still, Kelrose is tucked far enough away to avoid any prying eyes. That and the stories told by the old mystics still hold strong in the town. Most are too afraid to dare seek and find what's hiding behind the Mystic Wood.

Luckily for Briéa, it's still close enough that sneaking out isn't too much of a hassle.

They reach the crest of the hill that blocked Hanada from view for most of the trip. Briéa skids to a stop. The town glows. An eruption of light and music and laughter. Daskel, a tall and skinny boy, more limb than anything, and the person she trusts more than anyone, comes to a stop beside her. He looks over at Briéa. "Wanna bet I beat you to the bottom?"

When will the poor fool learn he's never going to beat me?

Briéa grins, devilish and wide. "Loser buys sweet pudding." Daskel returns the smile.

"You're on."

The two take off down the hill, leaving only a trail of dust behind them. Briéa hears Aesira and Reihan shout after them, but they're nothing more than buzzing flies in her ear. Legs pumping, this is what Briéa was built for. Speed. Strength

Her hood falls back, the wind tangling her hair as it weaves through. Beside her, Daskel pulls ahead, laughing as he passes. His bright red hair is the only thing she sees of him in the night. For a moment she considers throwing something at his back, his fault for never specifying the rules. And right before she readies a gust of wind, she spots a precarious path of rocks across the river that cuts through the land. It would put her right at the entrance to Hanada. Briéa turns on her heels, her sprints unrelenting, only speeding at the thrill of victory. She leaps onto the first rock. Her foot slips, but she's already onto the next before she falls into the rushing waters. Bounding from slippery rock to slippery rock, she stumbles over her first few steps back on solid ground.