Glistening Embers

Chapter 4: The Lost Family

Author's Note: Posted on time this week! Yaaaaaay! Probably posting over spring break, but don't get too mad if I don't. Well, here's a chapter! Read, vote, comment, do what you want with it. Glisteen stared at the portraits. She and Yilasia looked so much like them. And the man had the same last name? There was only one explanation...  they were her parents.
Glisteen was outraged. Who had done this? Who had the audacity to take her and Yilasia away from their parents? Who took them to the worst orphanage in the whole world? Glisteen clenched her fists and walked straight to the captain's quarters.

She stormed into the room, slamming the door open, even angrier than before. "You know there's a thing called knocking?" Hepas said, looking over some kind of map, of all things! Glisteen was too mad to give him a snappy comeback. All she wanted was to confront the person, or people that had left her an orphan.

"Who did it?" she asked, in an angry, deep voice.

"Ah, I see you found out." he replied, barely glancing up at her.

Glisteen took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Tell me." she insisted.

Hepas finally put the map down. "Well if you're so eager to know, you should ask-"

"Me." a low, cold, but definitely female voice growled.

Glisteen whirled around. If there was one word to describe this woman, it would be deadly. Her hair was black as obsidian. Her eyes were crow feather black. Her skin, though, was unnaturally pale. It was the color of alabaster; almost white, but with that odd greyish tinge. "Who are you?" Glisteen asked, her anger returning.

"My name is Showda." Showda replied.

"Well, what do you know?" Glisteen replied.

Showda scowled, but proceeded to tell the story, motioning for chairs. They sat across from each other. "It was a long time ago, 20 years, I think," Showda began, "Your mother and I were friends, best of friends. She had the Gift of nature. Then there was Erif. He had fire powers. Your mother, Uterna, was head over heels for him. That year, two could win. And they both won-"

"Won what? What am I here for?" Glisteen demanded.

"You haven't told her?" This time, it was directed at Hepas.

His ever constant smile seemed to fade away. He cleared his throat. "No, I haven't. I thought it best-"

"You're here to fight, to win, and to kill." Showda interrupted.

"Not exactly," Hepas said. "You fight until one submits."

"And if they don't?" Glisteen asked.

"Well... Then you can kill." Hepas said, returning to his map.

"May I finish?" Showda asked in a voice much more authoritative than the question required.

"Of course, Madam." Hepas said.

"Now," Showda said, "They both won and they were both so happy. I lost. I won the next year, though. Well, anyways, then they had two children. You and I'm guessing, a little blond sister out there."

Glisteen nodded in reply. "Yilasia."

"Oh yes, that's it! But alas! With great power, comes great challenges! Challenges your parents could not face."

Glisteen felt a cold knot of foreboding begin to tie itself deep inside her. "What happened to them?"

Showda gave what must have been her saddest look, but it really looked like she was mocking Glisteen. "They were found in their room, each holding a knife, each knife in the other's hearts."