Forsaken: The Chosen Trilogy - Book One

Chapter One

Ca'erlyssa (Old Tongue) - heaven

KRYSSA

The Rose Farm, Northwestern Valory

19 Vikos, 563A.F.

The autumn afternoon sunlight was golden as it slanted through the window, turning the dust motes to fairy dust. I watched them dreamily as my mother brushed my hair. Brannyn played quietly with a ball in front of the fireplace as Lanya slept in her basket at my feet.

My mother gasped, the brush stilling on my hair. I squirmed on my stool, turning in time to catch her wince as she pressed her hands to her swollen belly. "Are  you alright, Mama?"

"I'm fine, dear heart." She smiled at my worry. "Your brother or sister is just being more active than usual, that's all."

I reached out and placed my hand beside hers, grinning in delight when I felt a thump. "Tell me again, Mama. About the vision."

"The vision," she murmured. Then her gaze sharpened and her voice rose. "Brannyn, stay out of the fire."

It was a familiar warning. I glanced at my brother as he retrieved his ball from the flames. He dusted the ashes from his hands and went back to playing.

I had already lost interest. "The vision, Mama?"

Her expression softened, her eyes far away as she saw something I could not. "It was beautiful, Kryssa. The Gods showed me the Grand Design, woven into the Eternal Flame. It was as if Destiny Itself spoke into my ear. It was just a small piece of it, mind you. Just my place in it. Six children. My children. You were all so brilliant I scarcely dared to look."

"And I'm one of the six?"

"Yes, dear heart." She touched my face gently. "You and Brannyn and Lanya and the child I now carry, and the ones that will come after. You have a great future ahead of you. It is an honor to be the Chosen of the Gods."

"Does that make you Chosen, too, Mama?"

"Mmm. I suppose it does, in a way."

I smiled, my mind filled with the dreams my mother had painted for me, of being a hero like in the stories she told us before we went to sleep at night. 

"Brannyn!" Her voice rose again, the dreamy look vanishing. "Out of the fire!"

My brother pouted as he reluctantly crawled back out of the flames. 

My mother sighed. "Gods grant me patience as They have granted me Faith."

The prayer was even more familiar than the warning, one she often used with us. Though it was aimed at me as often as it was my brother, I still felt smug that I wasn't the one misbehaving, and smirked.

Brannyn frowned. "Stop it, Kryssa."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Mama, Kryssa's making faces at me!"

"Am not!" 

Our mother frowned. "Children-"

The front door opened with a burst of cool air, interrupting our growing argument. Brannyn turned faster than I did, his face lighting up. "Papa!"

Brannyn and I raced for the man at the front door. He grinned as he saw us, bending to scoop each of us into an arm before hoisting us into the air. "Hello, my little demons. Have you been good for your mother today?"

"Yes, Papa," we replied in unison.

He looked at both of us, then at our mother. "Is that right?"

"Other than a few mishaps," she agreed. She rose to her feet gracefully and walked toward us. "Although Brannyn was playing in the fire again."

"Did he?" He frowned at my brother. "We talked about that, didn't we? Fire is dangerous."

Brannyn squirmed and looked at the floor. "I just wanted to see the pretty pictures."

"Brannyn."

"Yes?"

"Don't do it again."

He sighed. "Yes, Papa."

"If only they listened to me as well as they do you," Mama murmured, but she was smiling as she leaned between us to give our father a kiss.

"It's a gift," he replied with a shrug, then glanced down. "And how are you today?"

She pressed a hand to her belly. "He's restless today. But the Crone says it's a good sign, that the baby is healthy. Or babies. She suspects it might be twins."

"Gods preserve us," my father said. Then he grinned. "Or maybe that's Their intent. Fulfill your vision all at once."

"Perhaps. Though that takes all the fun out of it." Her smile was wicked as she leaned in to kiss him again. "Go wash up, Rava'eth. Dinner will be ready in a moment."

"Yes, Estaur." He dropped a careless kiss on the tops of our heads, then set me and Brannyn on the floor and went to wash.