Falling Shadows (The Ellocea chronicles) [#Wattys2016]

Six

Sun burst through the grand windows in Zahni's room, bouncing off the crystals that hung from the chandelier in the centre of the high ceiling. Zahni's eyes fought their way open to see a dozen concerned faces looming over him, he grunted in surprise and they seemed to collectively jump back as they realised he was awake.

"Nice to see you again Zahni," He'd know the velvety tone of his first brother's voice anywhere and turned to see Ashkir's amused expression as he sat lounging on the chair beside his bed.

"What?" he grumbled, "You got nothing better to do than watch me sleep?" He yawned, stretching out his well rested muscles.

"Nah, I was just waiting for you to wake up so I could remind you that you fainted over talk of a girl" Ashkir could barely contain his laughter and snorted with the effort. Zahni looked over to the window to see his father standing with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Hey!" he exclaimed wanting to wipe the amused expression of his brother's face with a thump, "I did not-"

"Zaaaaaahhniiiiiii's awakeee" a high pitched voice squealed, interrupting the quickly escalating brotherly spit, as he was attacked with kisses and hugs from his youngest sister Halina, who'd come running in and jumped on the bed with the speed only an overexcited four year-old could muster.

"Yes, I'm awake." Zahni replied laughing throatily as she stood on the bed, hugging his neck reaching to the same height as him as he lay reclined against the plush pillows.

"Taavi said you were gon' die and that he was gon' take your room-" Halina's tone rising as she became more and more distressed. Zahni gazed over at his unashamed third brother who sat grinning cheekily in the corner, Taavi's twin sister, Nuala gasped and shot up from her perch on the bed as she rushed over and swatted him on the shoulder causing him to retaliate and the two descended into their usual bickering.

"Hey you two, not in here, your brother's just woken up don't give him another reason to lose his breathing again!" His mother gave him a mischievous grin and turned to his younger siblings, ushering them out of the room. It often amused Zahni how his mother's faint Skylle accent always seemed to show through when she was scolding her children. She smiled warmly back at Zahni as she had to almost drag some of her children out of the room.

 The twins left the room sparring with each other, reluctantly followed by the other three siblings that had come in to see him as he woke. It was only Halina, who Eliora had tried to ask to leave but who had refused to let go of her eldest brother,  Ashkir and his parents that remained in the room each looking expectantly at Zahni. Zahni felt more than confused as he felt them looking at him as if they were waiting for him to work out some kind of problem. He was about to ask what the patient faces were waiting for when it dawned on him that it must be morning. And that would mean that tomorrow would be today. And if it was tomorrow today then it meant that today was his Age day. His eyebrows shot up to the top of his head as his mouth made an 'O' shape. Looking up at his mother with a childlike look of astonishment on his face. Gently detaching himself from his sister and moving to get out of bed, he calmly said,

"Well, I'd uh... better get dressed."