Painted Lines (work in progress)

Chapter 1

The two suns slowly descended behind the hills, painting the Aetheran sky in brilliant hues of gold and orange. Elion watched from his usual spot in front of the piano in the study of his mansion. The glass walls allowed the sunset to wash the room in its colors. The study was on the top floor and overlooked much of the hilly landscape of Aethera. As the suns continued to set, the many white houses that nestled together in the valleys of the green hills turned on lights in their windows, dotting the landscape with squares of yellow.

Elion sighed and waited for the lights in the study to switch automatically on with the setting suns. Sure enough, the room was illuminated by the elegant, crystal chandeliers hanging from the glass ceiling. He tore his attention away from the scenery and back to the sheets of music before him. His golden eyes scanned the notes again the song played itself in his head. It was a new piece of music, but he was determined to learn it, even if that meant playing into the night. He gingerly placed his hands on the keys, noticing how his silver skin shined under the light of the chandeliers, and let them dance.

Music filled the room, and Elion was no longer on his home planet of Aethera. He was floating among the stars, gliding from planet to planet on the bars of the music. Each note, a shooting star that took him far, far away from Aethera. He did not have to rely on his crutch to limp around as the music swept him away. His lame leg was strong in the song. He ran from measure to measure without restraint.

He was free.

A voice latched onto his right leg and pulled him downwards. Slowly, he was no longer able to run freely, and the Aetheran gravity enveloped him once more.

"Elion!" the voice said.

Elion blinked and lifted his fingers from the keys. Sitting next to him on the piano bench was his best friend from childhood, Voterra.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, hello? Welcome back to planet Aethera, your highness." Her voice was heavy with sarcasm, but her violet eyes were shining. She too, had silver skin, a mark of the Aetherans. Deep crimson hair fell in cascading waves down her shoulders and to the middle of her back, hiding her long, pointed ears. Her hair framed her round face, which was usually smiling. Although she and Elion had been friends for as long as he could remember, he found her strikingly beautiful. Her features were so opposite from his own. Whereas her face was soft, curved lines, his was hard and angular. He had high cheekbones and a square jawline. Her nose was small and curved softly downwards. His was straight and jutted outward. Perhaps it was her stark contrast to his own face that he found so attractive. He hated his face. He looked too much like his father for his own liking.

"You get so into your music," she said, a warm smile on her face. Elion wanted to fall into that warmth. "I was trying to tell you that it's pretty late and I should go."

Elion nodded and chuckled softly, brushing his white hair out of his eyes. "Sorry. Yeah, I suppose it's getting dark now, isn't it? Here, I'll get an escort for you." He swung his left leg over the bench and used both of his hands to lift the other. Voterra was at his side immediately and supported his weight until she handed him his silver crutch. He tucked it under his arm and muttered a soft thanks.

He couldn't help the flush of heat to his face as she released her grasp on him. No matter how comfortable he was with Voterra, he would never stop being embarrassed whenever she helped him. It was a weakness. It was a defect. It was imperfection.

"Sorry for keeping you so late," he said as the two of them moved past the glass walls of the study.

"You're worried about tomorrow, aren't you?" Voterra asked as they approached the glass elevator to take them to the ground floor.