✶|𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺|✶ 𝘈𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘐𝘐 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘦𝘯

✶𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 14✶

――✴✯✴――

Not a Usual Birthday

――✴✯✴――

Year 129

Westeros

Starfall, Dorne

The sun hung low over Starfall's vast gardens, casting long, golden shadows over the isolated training grounds. Serena stood in the middle of a small clearing, her fists clenched at her sides, facing a row of straw dummies arranged in a semi-circle. The air was still, save for the occasional rustle of leaves as a light breeze drifted through.

Cassian stood a few paces behind her, arms crossed and his usual composed expression in place. His blue eyes, sharp like a blade, flicked from Serena to the targets. 

"Alright, my lady." He said, his tone calm but firm. "You know what to do. Ignite them, but remember, control is everything. The fire answers to you, not the other way around."

Serena nodded, taking a steadying breath. A flicker of flame danced in her palm as she raised her hand. With a quick snap of her wrist, a stream of fire leapt forward, engulfing the first dummy in a burst of heat. 

The flames roared for a moment, wild and bright, before Serena took another breath and clenched her fists. The fire snuffed out instantly, leaving the dummy charred but no longer ablaze.

Cassian stepped closer, nodding approvingly. 

"Good. You're getting faster. Again."

She turned to the next target, repeating the process. This time, the fire flared a little too wide, scorching the grass around the dummy. Serena winced as Cassian sighed.

"Focus..." He said, stepping forward. "You're letting your emotions creep in. The fire mirrors your state of mind, Serena. If you're calm, it's calm. If you're scattered, it's uncontrollable. Try again, this time, steady yourself first."

Serena closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. When she opened them, her hands felt surer. The fire hit the target precisely, and she extinguished it almost effortlessly. A triumphant smile flickered across her lips as she turned to Cassian.

"Better?" she asked, a note of hope in her voice.

Cassian gave her a small, rare smile. 

"Better. But we're not done yet. That was only two dummies. Let's see if you can manage all three without losing focus."

Serena groaned but nodded, turning back to the targets. She focused harder this time, launching flames at the remaining dummies. 

Each one burst into fire before she quickly snuffed it out, her movements smoother and more deliberate. When the last dummy was extinguished, she let out a long breath, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Cassian gave her an approving nod. 

"Not bad. You're learning."

"Not bad?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "I hit them all, didn't I?"

"True," he said, his tone light, "but now you have to do it without setting the grass on fire. Again."

Serena inhaled deeply and focused, her hands glowing faintly as she conjured the flames again. This time, each dummy was set alight and extinguished with precision, and the grass beneath remained untouched. She turned to Cassian, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.