The Iron Heart

Chapter One - The Disappearance

It had started out as a normal day for the Fae. Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming, and the sun was shining vibrantly through the thick leaves and branches of the trees. Lyra was enjoying the day as she always did on amazing days like these. She was on a stroll through the forest, fluttering her wings as she walked. On days like these, her wings itched with the need to fly, to soar through the branches.

The young Faerie loved to feel the wind between her wings, loved the feeling of being weightless. However, her wings were underdeveloped, they were still growing and getting stronger. If she had tried to fly, it would only tire her out, and she needed to find her Uncle. He had told her something about wanting to have a quick lesson soon, meaning he was going to teach her some crap magic she could care less about and be on his way. So much for being the different, special one of the family. Her twin brother, Icarus, got to be normal at least.

None of the other Fae picked on Icarus. He wasn't the freak as they put it. The others tended to avoid her, thinking she would make them a freak as well. She would shrug it off as jealousy in an attempt to make herself feel better. Most days, like today, it worked. Lyra smiled to herself as she walked through the trees into the clearing she would practice with her Uncle in.

The sun's rays shone through a break in the blanket of leaves and branches, shining on Lyra's azure and fuschia wings. They shimmered in the sunlight, and faint specks of lavender and purple could be noticed. Her long, chocolate brown locks fell over her shoulders and down her back, hugging her wings and making her bare back feel warm. Her pointed ears stuck out from the sides of her head, though mostly covered by the thickness of her hair. The dress she wore, though plain in design, was basically strapless save for the threads tied around her neck. The dress went to her feet and was a magnificent lavender colour, though caught in the sunlight and one could see hints of different blues.

Upon not seeing her tutor, she wandered off into the trees again to locate him. She explored deeper into the forest than she had ever gone, getting closer to it's uninhabitable center. The brunette could feel the brush of magic taking place, and not just any magic, Sam's magic. Curious to discover just what it was that her Uncle was doing, she ventured closer.

The older Fae flared his wings out to their full glory from fear and surprise, an instinctual tactic used by them to make themselves look bigger and more threatening. While all Faeries have the ability to use magic, the few that have the inept ability and affinity for it are usually born with a sort of mark on them to show for it. Sam's being born with cat eyes and Lyra's being a birthmark of The Harp constellation on her upper arm. Even though Lyra hadn't said a word, the magic signature each Fae had spoke to each other, letting one know when the other was nearby. She ventured closer to her Uncle to get a better view of what he was doing. There was a pile of debris and other items, and he was uttering some sort of spell she had never heard of. Assuming her Uncle was just getting rid of it, she moved closer so she could hear just what he was saying.

Sam couldn't stop the spell once he had started, so he couldn't tell his niece to move away for it was dangerous. The spell caught up on Lyra, grabbing ahold of her and drawing her to the center of the pile. Her green eyes were quick to fill with fear as she struggled to escape the magic that pulled her in. She knew it was pointless, Sam's magic was much stronger than her's. Closing her eyes and beginning to accept her fate, she could barely hear her tutor's voice, saying, "I'm.. I'm sorry! I'll come find you! Just don't leave from wherever you land! Okay?"

She had no time to answer before consciousness slipped away from her and her world became black.

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Sam had no idea what to do. He knew he had to go find her, gather his things and ask the Seelie Court for permission to leave the island. Then he would have to locate her, tell.. He had to tell his family. Icarus would be devestated to hear the bad news. Their parents would be as well. They would probably not allow him to see her anymore, even though he's the only one who can teach her. I hope she didn't land in the ocean. It's a known fact the Fae can't swim.. He thought bitterly. It was going to be a long day for him. He just sat down to work out how he was going to tell the family.