Flames of the River

Chapter 1

"Focus, Mora! Your flames are the strongest in this room. If you don't focus, you can burn us all to the ground." Amman chuckled to himself as he walks around the room, hands behind his back, head raised high.

Mora almost rolled her eyes. Her dear uncle knew that wouldn't happen. He'd been personally giving her lessons to ensure that no matter how distracted she became, she could ensure her flames didn't burn every member of her family to the ground. Only he, her best friend's mother, along with Mora's parents and personal guard, know of her private lessons. Can't have everyone know the princess is on her way to becoming the most powerful queen in their history. Not just the first queen in their history. She knew the real warning behind his words. Behave Mora. Focus, Mora, you're the heir to the throne, future queen. Act accordingly, Mora. Don't mess up and bring doom to the Mollo family, Mora.

She lifted her hand to eye level, bright yellow-orange flames dancing atop her open palm. The flames radiating a comforting warmth she'd been born to welcome without discomfort, without pain. She was free to act however she wanted outside that particular class's walls, the only class she had with the people that could threaten her future as queen. Even if the class was boring her to death, she had to keep her eyes on the flames, on pretending to hit every target without burning the rest of the wooden dummy- or her cousins and the room- down. She was way ahead in the class, she could expand and retract flames of any size at will, and make sure when she hit her target, her flames consumed only them. She never had any accidents and she cold fight like a royal guard.

No one else in the Mollo family was taught combat, at least it had been like that until a year ago. Her cousins had never had much reason to learn. They had protectors always surrounding them, people willing to die for them, if the need ever arose. Such a need never arose. There was so much peace in the kingdom; Mora almost found it too boring. Nothing ever happened, and so for generations, relatives of the king had had no reason to learn how to create a force with their flames powerful enough to rip the head off a wooden dummy from a distance. Only the heir to the throne had needed those lessons, and to Mora, it had all just been for theatrics. Even when her mom explained that her throne wasn't safe, Mora couldn't truly see the danger.

She stole a glance at her younger brother next to her as she bent her fingers, her palms facing each other to form a circle, moving slowly around the ball of fire in the space between them. Cal looked just as bored as she felt. The boy was thirteen, more interested in the earth powers of his mother that he didn't posses. That she didn't posses. Mora knew he couldn't wait for his next class, Phytology, the most boring class in the history of classes. Mora felt the ball of flames strengthen and grow hotter, developing a weight that had once been foreign and frightening but that she'd grown to love. The weight she felt right before she punched a hole through the chest of one of their dummies she could pretend were real threats. They would never face a threat. She would never have to set someone alight in fear of her life, but the practice was fun. It was delighting seeing just how much power she carried.

The ball of fire floated above her right palm a second before she flattened her palm against the air and pushed. The flame flew by in a flash, embedding itself into the stomach of the wooden dummy. Mora took a deep breath and the flames shrank in size in response, slowly dying down until all that was visible was the soot dark crater in the dummy's belly. She smiled proudly to herself. A feeling of relief washed over her, her muscles relaxing.

"Good, Mora." Amman nodded with a smile, his arms still folded behind his back. His long red robe swept the floor as he walked. Mora never understood why he dressed like that; if he wore his cape with the royal emblem it might make sense but the robe did nothing but give the kids more reason to tease him.

As one of the king's nephews and the only combat teacher entrusted with the education of the heir to the throne, he was owed some form of respect. However his skinny limbs, short height, and baby fat that clung stubbornly to his cheeks did him no favours. Amman opened his mouth to make a comment or shout an instruction but a piercing scream cut him off. The whole class jerked their heads towards the back, where Mora's cousin Misha was running around like a headless chicken. His back was on fire, and he was flapping his arms around, barely touching the floor as he seemed to float in his panic. Everyone stared with widened eyes, their jaws hanging open.

"Misha! Misha!" Mora's cousin didn't seem to register the voice of his teacher and cousin. "Misha for the love of the skies you are a child of fire, control the flames, snub them out."

Mora didn't need to look at Amman to know that he was rolling his eyes. She straightened up, the shock melting from her face as an amused smile tugged at her lips. Misha was looking ridiculous, like the marionette dancers that entertained passersby in the streets and markets.

"Misha, these are your flames." Amman sighed, sounding defeated as he walked over to his younger cousin. Once he was a meter away from the boy seemingly attempting to turn into a bird, he snapped his fingers and the flames disappeared from Misha's back. He continued running around and yelling.

"You can stop running now, Runi." Zanelle snickered. The joke, comparing Misha to their four year old cousin, seemed to lift the tension from the room. Mishelle, Misha's twin sister, was the first to burst out into laughter. Everyone immediately followed along, throwing their heads back, falling into each other as Misha stared down at his feet, his cheeks turning the bright color of the red moon flowers in the vase by the window.

"That's enough." Amman lifted a hand, his back still to the rest of the class. The laughter slowly began to die down but Mora smiled as she noticed Amman's shoulders trembling in his attempt to hold in his own laughter.

The cardin flew in just then, the tiny bird fluttering its wings gently before it settled on the windowsill. It began to perk on the wood of the window, it's beak opening slightly as it began the melody all the red birds were taught to signal the end of lessons. The song reminded Mora of the lullabies she'd been to by her nanny as a child.

"Well then," Amman turned to face the rest of the class, barely shielding a still flustered Misha from their view, "that's the end of class then. I'll see you all tomorrow, and please, no more setting fire to yourselves."

Mishelle and Zanelle snickered and Mora pursed her lips to avoid joining in. She looked around the class. Everyone looked terribly exhausted or was about to burst out laughing. Mora shook her head, wondering if those were really the people her mother swore she had to be careful around. People that set themselves on fire, something they learned not to do from the moment they learnt to walk, couldn't be a threat to anyone, let alone her.

"Can we leave now?" Zanelle asked, looking expectantly at Amman.

"Huh?" He looked back at her confusedly before blinking rapidly as enlightenment hit him. "Oh yeah! I have to permit you to leave. Well, you're permitted."

Cal was the first to shuffle out of the class. Combat was the only class they had together, so you'd think he'd want to take advantage of the little time they had together walking to their next classes. Once upon a time he'd adored his older sister, but since he'd reached his thirteenth year, he'd seemed to find Mora... was embarrassing the right word? Mora looked at the disappearing back of his short hair and sighed. If she had an older sister that was heir to the throne, she would find her the coolest person in the kingdom and never want to stop hanging out with her.

"Let's go, your highness." Zanelle playfully mocked her with a curtsy and Mora shook her with a laughter, walking out of the room and excited to see her friends in the next and final class.

Okay I have never written anything fantasy like before and this is basically part of an idea I had in the seventh grade but bear with me I promise it will get better. I hope you liked this first chapter though and that you will love the rest of the book. Lots of love from me to you!❤️❤️😘😘