Fall From Glory

Mistake

"I have nothing to do." Orion whined one sunny, cool morning. He was lying in a position that faced the brightly-lit sky.

"Go gather some more berries." Sophie joked as she stretched out on her back next to him with a glance at Aura.

Aura didn't reply, her gaze on the few clouds breezing through the sky, her expression concentrated.

"I already did that," Orion complained, seemingly oblivious.

"Climb a tree."

"Did that, too. Thrice."

"Practice your abilities."

"Done."

"Skills?"

"As well." He sighed, closing his eyes.

Sophie echoed his sigh and shut her eyes as well. Silence drifted, calm and thoughtful.

"Emery!" Aura's shout cut the silence to ribbons, just missing Orion's patience.

"What? Where?" Sophie was on her feet in a second, flames at the ready. Seconds later, Orion had a firm grip on his bow.

"No, he's not here. I just figured something out."

"What could it be that has to do with that pompous pinhead?" The Stargale snuffed out her flames and sat back down cross-legged.

"He was the mysterious Visitor!"

At their looks of confusion, she elaborated, " He was the one who visited myself and my friends in capture. I should've recognized that stance."

"Emery? Emery? High Councillor Get-Off-My-Throne? He was the one to visit you in PRISON? And he did nothing to help you?" Sophie spat out the flurry of questions, fists curling.

Orion's brown dug into his forehead, morphing deeper. "If he's such a good Councillor, why wouldn't he help you?"

"Zenith and Lucian toyed with him, lied to him. Either he believed them or didn't give a crap." Aura answered, eyes steeling with fury.

"Idiot." The Stargale hissed, rocketing up to a sitting position.

"Indeed." Orion agreed as he copied her movement at a slower pace, swinging his legs around in front of him comfortably.

"No wonder he mocked me. I passed it off, but never returned the thought after the following events," Aura mused. "That's why he chose then to say that."

"Pompous jerk." The copper-haired elf traced something on the grass with his finger.

"Imagine if he and Fintan ruled the Lost Cities." Sophie cracked, purposefully distracting her siblings. "Not sure who'd run it to the ground faster."

"Don't even joke about that. It'd be the end of the world." Orion said dryly.

"Literally," Aura sighed and turned back to cast her gaze at the magnanimous sky.

"C'mere." Sophie extended her arm towards Aura, who was sitting a distance away.

The Elementic complied, scooting over and resting her head on Sophie's shoulder.

"Room for me?" Orion piped, leaning his head on Sophie's other shoulder.

"Sure."

"I'd only wish I'd known when I was face-to-face with him. I could've nailed him right in his smug face." Aura lamented, her mind likely imagining such a scenario.

Orion, too, was daydreaming of punching Emery straight into Dimitar's shamkniv.

"It would be satisfying for both Dimitar and you to kill Emery, would it not?" Sophie's grin spelled all kinds of evil glee.