Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Prologue

Morningside

87 years into the Vayana-Rulin Alliance, 5 years into the reign of Queen Solara

The knock at the door roused Darian out of his paperwork, causing him to blink as the late afternoon sun caught his eye. He had worked straight through lunch, which meant that he would have to take time with his daughters that evening. He would be leaving again in the morning, taking the Foxglove on a diplomatic mission to their trading partners in Dromea.

"She's snuck out of her lessons again, m'lord." The steward gave him an exasperated look, arms crossed over her chest.

"Have you checked the stables? Last time, she tried sneaking on board the Comet when I was going away." Darian stood, though, stretching his back and starting toward the door as the woman shook her head.

"I believe she's in the receiving hall."

Darian walked from his office down into the more public part of the Morningside Manor, smirking when he saw two of his knights guarding the hall's door, watching whatever was going on within.

There was the sound of wooden sticks hitting one another back and forth, and the impassioned yelling of three girls echoing toward him as he strode forward. He stopped beside his knights, however, and watched Valencia and Tisaso chase after the trouble maker in question. All three girls had wooden swords and were giggling and screaming their approximations of war cries as they chased each other around the receiving hall.

Val and Tisa were fast friends, had been for years, and were both six years older than Darya, the precocious four and a half year-old who was dead-set on doing everything with them. She was also dead set against lessons in reading and protocol that would prepare her for life as a noble. Not that she had anything exceptionally strict at her age, but she was already proving to be rebellious and opinionated.

Darian wouldn't have it any other way.

Tisa stumbled, dropping her sword, and Darya managed to hit the weapon out of her sister's hand, grinning triumphantly. "I am the best knight!"

Val's cheeks flushed, and she scowled at her younger sister. "You can't be a knight. And you can't be our friend. Leave us alone."

"Valencia." Darian stepped into the room even as Darya's eyes began filling with tears, sighing softly. "Go to your lessons with the sword master now."

"Come." One of the Knights stepped forward to usher the two older girls out of the room, leaving him to walk over to his youngest, who was glaring stubbornly up at a picture that had been painted long ago.

A battle scene, with mythical characters, some with wings, some with power in their eyes. A Rakier was included in that painting. A heavy standard to live up to. Though not as heavy as the Oath that was represented by the broadsword above it. The broadsword that had not been used since his father's time, whose magical stone had stopped flickering long ago.

"I don't want to be a stupid knight, anyway. I want to be a pirate, like auntie." Darya sniffled, tears running down her cheeks.

Darian crouched down beside her, but gave her space, knowing she'd seek comfort when she was ready. "A sailor. Aunty wasn't a pirate. She was a captain until she got injured."

"Then I'll be a Captain, like Auntie and momma." Darya offered a shrug, glancing at him, then glancing back up at the wall. "I dream about being a knight with the sword though, daddy. Val says it's hers cause she was born first, but I'm a knight and I fight monsters and bad people."

"No one uses this sword anymore, darling. But when you're big enough to learn how to fight, you'll get your own swords. And you're a Rakier, I suppose you were born to keep people safe and fight bad people, but that doesn't always have to be with a blade."