Fire in the sky's

1 Diana

The young girl sat in a pitch black room, surrounded by candles and demonic figures, chanting an ancient and forbidden incantation. Her short, raven black hair framed her pale face and her crystalline green eyes glinted in the candlelight. Wax dripped down the candles and their flames shook and shivered in pure darkness. The wail of the wind could be heard outside the curtained windows and the creaking of the ancient wooden building filled the air. The light waned and flickered uncertainly, then went out as the room grew frigid and darkness descended. Her chant continued, her voice never wavering nor faltering as she marched forward through the damned ritual. Suddenly light flooded through the room as the gas lights went on and she was picked up by the collar of her riding jacket.Her brother opened his mouth to speak, "Diana Avantin, wha-"
She made shushing gesture and looked at his tailored dress suit. "Sshhh, you look very pretty." She said, a smile on her face.

Bryan Avantin ran a pale hand through his coal black hair in exasperation as he deposited his sister back on the floor. "Diana, what are you doing?" He asked tiredly, looking at the symbols drawn on the walls and the large leather bound book surrounded by candles. "Summoning demons!" She sang, skipping around her bedroom in a very childlike manner.
"And why, exactly, is the eighteen year old sister of the heir to one of the most influential family's in Arcada, doing summoning demons on the day of his twenty first birthday and the day he is to meet the other heirs and leaders of the other family's?"
"Because I'm booooorrrreeeed! There's nothing to do but wait for hours until the party starts!" She groaned.
"The party starts in fifteen minutes." Bryan stated blankly.
"Oh," she said quietly, "I wasn't paying attention to the clock."
Bryan walked towards her closet and took out the dress she was going to wear at the party. "You should start getting dressed."
The dress was in the Avantin traditional colours, bright red, dark grey and pure black.

"Why can't I just wear riding pants? This'll be so uncomfortable!" She whined.
Bryan rolled his eyes and let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Please just wear the dress. Mother and father will kill me if you run in looking like a hooligan. And where's your maid?"
"I let her off for the day. She works soooo hard, and it's not like she would be needed for the party." Diana said, smiling brightly. She was a very kind, gentle, cautious soul. When she was five, she found a half dead rat in the winter snow. Her brother and parents urged to kill it and end its pain, while instead she raised it back to health. Diana even kept it as a pet until her brothers cat finally killed it. "Then- I'm not even going to ask. Just get dressed. I'll see you in the gallery in ten minutes." Bryan said a short farewell, and left the room.
"Party's and politics, politics and party's. That's all they ever talk about." She moaned, then started getting dressed.
The dress was tight around the waist and flowing. Her hair was in a simple braid and there was a white rose pinned to her chest.

The sound of cooking could be heard from the kitchens, even from her room as the other family's arrived through the summer rain and the leaves of the forest. Flags of all creeds and colours could be seen. The gold crown of the Carrengs, the ship wheel of the Devorans, the pick axe of the Brighams ( black gate of the Boradans was missing since they couldn't leave the Black Gates) and the pile of sugar and the cup of tea of the Lorants. Diana dashed excitedly out her room to the stairs leading to the gallery.
This would be the first time she would meet the other family's. She entered the gallery just as the huge mahogany doors opened, spilling an assortment of nobles into the high ceilinged room. She could see the dusty haired and sapphire eyed King George Carreng walk into the room. King George and Queen Christina smiling with their daughter, Cilla Carreng, walked in with proud smiles on their 'better than you' faces.
The chocolate haired and grey eyed Patricia Devoran with her husband, Johnathan Devoran, sailor couple without an heir smiled with wind beaten faces
The flaming red hair and tan complexion of Tristan Brigham could be seen as he towered over the other family's. The Boradans weren't attending since they had to watch the Black Gates.