The Age of Aries

Prologue

"Hello, mother."

Only the rhythm of rain meeting the soft earth answers me.

"Happy birthday."

My words dissolve into the sound of steady pitter-pattering from the rain. Streams of water trickle down the bridge of my nose and drip in a constant train of droplets. The morning is crisp and chilled enough to see the faint wisps of condensation drawn from my mouth every time I exhale. The rain was a pleasant surprise, and I let my clothes stick to my tired body.

I stare at what's left of my home. My home, once a sanctuary, was now a blackened pile of beams, twisted and broken. The smell of smoke still lingers, as if the flame has never really left, and the silence around me is deafening. The absence of life and warmth that once existed here makes my heart ache. How long had I dreamt of coming back to this place?

"Thank you, my darling," her soft voice whispers back, so fragile I hold my breath for a moment scared its warmth could shatter it. "I wish I could be there with you."

I look up into the pale grey sky and close my eyes, feeling the light shower dance about my face. My mouth opens, and I stick out my dry, shaking tongue. The raindrops coat the top of my tongue, and I let the cool sensation fill my mouth, staying there until it spills over the edge of my lip. A mild, pure taste of the clouds washes down my throat. It has been a few days since I've had fresh water. I quickly unhook my canteen from my belt and wait for the water to reach the top, but I only let it get about halfway before guzzling it down."You don't think it's strange," I ask in between gulps, "that I still talk to you like this?"

"Of course not," she argues, her voice seems firmer.

I roll my eyes with a gruff chuckle, "You're just saying that."

"You know it is not me who is saying it, Crius."

"I'd rather you not remind me of that."

"You are reminding yourself."

I sigh, my breath mixing with the rain. "I know," I admit softly, the admission taste bitter on my tongue.

There's a moment of silence, and I'm afraid I've lost her. It's difficult for me to conjure her essence, and even when I do, I know it's not her. She doesn't stay for long when she's here, no matter how hard I try.

"You didn't have to travel all this way," my mother's voice breaks the silence. My shoulders relax, but the relief that floods my body sends a sad pang in my chest that reminds me of the pain of her being gone. "Shouldn't you be villages away from here if you want to be at least a week's worth out of their reach?"

"I'll be okay," I assure her as well as myself. They aren't far behind me, probably closer now that I came here. But I've never missed her birthday. As long as I reach the Fields, they won't be able to find me.

"Why must you stand outside while it's raining? You'll fall ill," she states matter-of-factly.

"Because it's a special day today."

She sighs dramatically, "No, no. It just means I'm getting older."

I let out a small, breathy laugh. "Now, I suppose, you'll never age."

"I don't miss your humor." A smile in her voice.

A wave of anger floods through me, threatening to drown me as I see our family's tapestry torn and hanging from a half-burnt window, the faded colors mocking the memories they cling to. 

But I miss you.

And then everything around me turns red. Red like her blood spilling across the white of her tunic, seeping deep into the fabric and staining it forever. It pools on the ground, unstoppable. It's everywhere. I look down and see it staining my hands. Her scream echoes in my head, shredding my ears from the inside. My body burns as the sound of my heart beating pounds in my head. 

I scrape at my hands, desperately trying to wash the blood off with the rain, but it's gone. And so is she.

A sob rips through me as I fall to my knees, the weight of it all being too much to hold. I'll kill him, I say to myself in my own voice. I will burn his world with fire and blood.