𝓢𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓮 (𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓸𝓫𝓪𝓴𝓾/𝓑𝓪𝓴𝓾𝓽𝓸𝓭𝓸)

Chapter 1

The late afternoon sun streamed through the leaves and made dappled spots on the forest floor; illuminating the area with a soft glow. Birds called to each other in the treetops, and the wind rustled the undergrowth. All in all, it was a much more peaceful and welcoming place than the palace.

Shoto picked his way along the path, dodging tree roots and the occasional hanging branch. It was always easier for him to think out here; where he wasn't constantly surrounded by fawning servants, overly nosy guards, or the crushing weight of his father's expectations.

"'As my heir, I expect you to behave appropriately!'" he mimicked under his breath, smacking away an offending branch with rather more force than necessary. "'Appropriately', he says! Well, if being 'appropriate' means acting like him, I want no part of it—Ow!"

He yelped as the branch sprang back and smacked him in the face; backing up and rubbing his nose. Sometimes, he wished it was plants he had an affinity for; not ice and fire. It would certainly make his wilderness treks easier.

Then again, anything would be better than his fire.

Picking up his pace again, he finally found the small brook he was looking for and started walking along it to its source: a slow-moving, shallow river ending in a small waterfall. With the slightest of smiles, he hopped across, waving a hand and creating small platforms of ice on the water's surface; creating his own stepping-stones. Once he was on the other side, he nudged some saplings aside and entered a small clearing, where a tower of rocks rested. Nestled in a crevice was a tiny painting of his eldest brother, Toya.

I hope he's doing alright, wherever he is.

He kneeled in front of the rock and pulled out a candle from his belt pouch, lighting it with a flick of his finger and setting it down beside him. This was one thing he never minded using his fire skill for.

In all of his memories, Toya was aloof and unhappy, and hated their father with every cell in his body.

(Not that Shoto blamed him; as soon as he was born and his dual affinity was discovered, their father had passed the role of crown prince to him, skipping over Toya entirely despite the fact that he was the eldest.)

But he'd never been a bad brother, just the opposite, in fact. Whenever he could, Toya would sneak them both out of the palace and take him on walks through the woods, pointing out all the different plants and animals they saw. He always seemed much happier in the woods, so it didn't truly come as a surprise when he ran away.

If I could have, I would've followed.

He rocked back on his heels with a sigh and stood up, stretching slightly. When he looked at the sky, he winced. It was much later than he'd anticipated; the sun was almost fully below the horizon. He'd have to hurry back if he wanted to get home before his father realized he was gone and sent out search parties.

And that would be the end of my escapes. No, thank you!

With one last glance at the rock tower, he snapped his fingers and extinguished the candle (no use starting a forest fire) before turning and leaving the clearing. He made more stepping-stones to cross the river, then started to pick his way back along the river.

It was much trickier as the shadows lengthened, making it harder to make out roots and stones in the path. So it wasn't a surprise when his foot caught on a root and he toppled over.

"Ouch!"

He groaned as he propped himself up on his elbows, catching his breath. Then he sighed and waved his hand to summon a small ball of fire. He wasn't going to make it home without a light to see by, and he hadn't brought a lantern with him (a decision that he was deeply regretting).