The Casperian Chronicles: The Flight of The Phoenix

Chapter 3- Return

Astella couldn't wrap her head around what happened the night before. How the moon shone brighter, the stars sparkled just a little more. But most of all, how she managed to escape. With the strange continuous heat from her hands, she managed to melt the chains. She'd never learnt anything related to magic before. Of course, she's always heard the stories, the legends of Myra, and how she made dealings with gods and banished this world's, along with many other's, demon spawn. It was all very exciting, but at the same time, terrifying.

She didn't think, any of them were real, save for the gods. Shoving the thought away, she thought of poor Aaya, and whether they would punish her. Maybe they would do even worse things to her, like rob her maidenhood. According to Astella's mother, your virginity is your choice, not theirs. Thinking of her mother, she felt saddened, but a small piece of joy. She would reunite with her once again! But what if this was the wrong way? Maybe she would get lost.

Walking forward, trying to fight away the cold, she had too much in her mind. As she walked, she wasn't paying attention. Her consequence, she stumbled into a tree, falling face first into the snow. When she looked back up, she saw that this tree had a red mark. Strange, this seems very familiar. She lifted herself, getting back up, brushing off the snow on her clothes. She was getting really cold. She just, couldn't handle it anymore! Her fingers were freezing, her clothes were drenched, and all in all, she felt like she would collapse.

When she looked at the tree, she saw the same red mark. It was shaped like a pinecone, drawn on really messily. A symbol she knew to be all-too familiar. It was the pinecone team. When she and her friends were younger, they would all go the forest. There, they would have different teams, and a tree base allowed to each. This was pinecone team, the team that always lost, and so, according to her, when she was young, the team she never wanted anything to do with. It was quite ironic this was the tree she stumbled into, marking that she was close.

She was getting closer to home. She knew the forest routes from here and walked on one of them. As she walked, she noticed that the snow was starting to get significantly less, and after what felt like hours if walking, at one point, the snow stopped. She realized that the snow starts to fall in Meliéa much later than in the wilderness. When she saw the familiar route, she started to walk that path. After a few minutes or so of walking, up until she recognized the cobblestone path. With a smile on her face, she started to run, happy that she would see her mother again.

She slowed down and looked up. The sun was well past noon, and she was starving. She felt exhausted, her energy depleted after a long day, and those chains melting, that took a lot more willpower than she thought. At first, she only saw the road up ahead. Then, the familiar glint of rooftops in front of the sunset came into view. She was here! She broke into a run again, shouting for her mother, who would surely be there, waiting.

Her shouting stopped when she saw the town into full view. It was dull and bleak. The once wooden roofs were now broken, chipped, and in places, thatched with leaves, straw, and reeds. She could hear little children crying, and dogs howling. She knew, deep in her heart, that she had to go back.

***
When she reached the first thing she noticed was the scent. It was rancid, smelling of death. On the sides of the once paved cobblestone walkways were now little red with dead vermin, flies, and old, rotting meat. She remembered, when the fragrant aroma of the sweets, freshly baked, would be strong, and linger long enough around her nose to go and buy something sweet. As she passed the same shoppe, it seemed to be lifeless, and the ovens looked cold, abandoned.What was strange, was barely anyone was outside. Everyone seemed to stay indoors, away from the outside.

As she walked, she heard footsteps, walking across the cobblestone walkways. "OY! Who's there lurking about? It's past curfew!" This male voice didn't sound friendly, so she found the nearest alleyway, and slipped into the darkness. She could hear the footsteps go past her, and after waiting there, for five minutes, fear building up, she ran out as quickly as she could, following the route back home. After everything she witnessed, she needed to see a familiar face.
Ma.
****
When she reached the farmhouse, she went through the back door, wondering whether her mother was still there. When she entered, the warmth that usually filled the house was gone. She looked at the fireplace, obvious to see the timber hadn't been replaced since she was gone. It was only after a few days. How could everything change so drastically?
When she entered the common room, she found her mother's rocking chair. In it, seated with blankets all around, was her mother. She was shivering, her face covered in dry tears and fresh ones, too. She was sobbing, murmuring one word. "Astella... Oh, my poor dear. Why? Astella....."