THE ARCHAIC SKY

CHAPTER: THE HIDDEN WARES

The red maple dyed court was bound to be in a royal palace. An ever silent scene of falling red leaves. Perhaps the nightmares of the past hid behind the red veil only to dissipate into the veins of the world and coalesce into a time to come. The koyo trees have slowly illed into the colors of flames, a fitting representation for the family of fire. And it seems their uncrowned prince have gone to hunt for maple leaved trees in the momijigari court.

There between the rustling golden and bronze curtain of foliage. There where she could hear the softening shrill of cicadas meet, lies a corner of the garden that's open yet surrounded by a dense amount of tall trees. A small windswept meadow that was hidden from the sight of those who passed by.

there Amara hid behind a tree, hearing the ramblings of a young boy. The last son of the family. naïve and innocent, he was the furthest thing from a Hirai. He did not belong at all, and yet he's still there facing blissful early days that for Amara has long past. times that Frey has a chance to experience.

And it seems Frey will experience it with the youngest Hirai. "let's do something fun" Frey stretched about on the strong and thick tree branches. The young prince, the young lordling, played in the ground, the tall grass uncut and beautiful. The sunlight peeked through the red leaves, the shadows holding the autumn maple hue.

"I can't, I'm waiting for my brother, and he's the funnest!" the prince raised up the beautiful maple leaf he held into the sun. the veins of the leaves now visible. "what's your sister like?"

"she's annoying, and boring, and lazy" Amara rolled her eyes. that little brat really doesn't know how to hold his tongue when she's around? "she's the worst person in the world..." he jumped down on his feet, standing above the boy. "and she's still better than your brother" his older sister stifled a laugh that was already hidden between the sound of rustling leaves.

"no way! My brother is the coolest!"

"my sister has an entire army following her command!"

"Yato onii-san has a battalion of samurai too!" Amara tilted her head slightly, her ears picking up that his brother was about to spill something interesting. "he goes on these long trips that are in far away places. Hiro onii-san said it's because Yato is capable... but I feel like he's just trying to get rid of him because he likes to cause trouble... which is no fun at all!" does Hiroshi not like Haru? Or, the way she hears it, is Haru that expendable? "kasai onii-san isn't here anymore so yato is so busy now... But he still takes time to dote on me"

Frey fell to his back, now laying down on the grass. "my sister does that too... it's just..." The herald sighed. He's always like this and yet when she wants to spend time with him, he always pushes her away. He's too much like her for his own good. "it gets lonely"

"which is why I'm here. with me, you'll never be lonely," the young Hirai giggled himself silly. The laughter of a child, so innocent and pure. Amara can see why Haru dotes after him so. He's a good child, he doesn't belong in a family like this. "speaking of which," the boy placed on a puzzled look, his tone already making Frey sit back upright. Legs crossed like a butterfly. "who is your sister?"

huh?"

"who's your sister? I'm curious... do I know her?"

"it's better you don't know her"

"why?"

The wind began to pick up, pushing Frey away from the little prince while the lordling remained still. It too pushed something into the court, other than leaves and debris. "keito? Who are you talking to?"

With the breeze, Frey disappeared before the uncrowned prince's eyes opened again. His hair and skin became one with the misty wind of the nation of sun. the wind swirled, a wonderous view for the little prince. As if he was in the eye of the blaze. The cat then appeared beside the herald, silent and guilty as he avoided looking to her eyes.