Way Back When: A Backstory Tale

4

Mephisto
Yesterday was quite possibly the best day ever. Sure, I've had a lot of days like that, but it's not every day you learn how to fly!
Today though, Prax and I are practicing flying and our spells. To be honest, we're doing more flying than spells, but that's because it's so awesome!
Praxina flys down to meet me, giving me a weird look as she landed.
"Why are you just standing there? We're supposed to practice," she tells me in an angry tone.
"I am practicing," I shoot back. I even do a spell to prove it.
"Whatever," she mumbles before flying away.
I roll my eyes at her. She may be my sister, but she can be such a pain and we fight constantly.
Before I try to fly, I review what I have to do in order to be successful. Father told us that we must have complete focus, something Praxina had no trouble mastering.
When it came to spells and flying, she catches on faster than I ever could. It's not fair, but at least I catch on eventually. I just take more time.
I reposition myself so that I'm ready to fly, focusing as I did so. Soon I was flying just as Praxina had. I smile in triumph as I raise higher in the air. Flying is so awesome!
I look up to find Praxina and I find her. She's very close to going above the trees, as father was yesterday. What the hell?
I fly up to meet her, I need to remind her of the boundary father told us not to cross, the trees.
"Hey, you can't go any higher than this you know. Father will be angry."
She looks at me. "So? Its not like he's here anyway. Its fine."
"Oh really?"
"Yes really!"
"What if father comes out and you get in trouble?"
"Oh please, like that will happen."
"It could," I challenge her.
"But it won't!"
"It might!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Enough! This is ridiculous!"
Praxina flies higher, above the boundaries.
"Hey!" I cry.
I rise higher to meet her level.
"Fathers not going to be pleased," I say.
"I told you, it's fine!" she shoots back.
I raise my left brow at her, she sighs back at me.
"You are such a pain."
"Me!? You're the one disobeying father!"
"Not anymore!"
Praxina flies back down to the ground faster than I can. I frown and fly back down to meet her. I soon reach her and stand beside her.
"Geez, sometimes I wonder if we're even meant to be siblings," I say.
Praxina smirks at me.
"Of course we are, little brother," she replies.
I stuck my tongue at her, and she does it back at me.
I may be younger by like five minutes, but that doesn't mean she has to brag about it! She constantly reminds me that I'm younger, even though our parents constantly remind her not to tease me about it.
"Yeah, well I'm still taller than you!" I shoot back.
"By a few damn inches!" she says.
"Still!" I say.
She growls at me then flies off, leaving me alone. Not that I mind, I'd much prefer to be alone while I practice. It helps me focus without Praxina's unhelpful and sometimes harsh comments.
I raise my left hand to form my green, snake symbol magic circle, covering my hand completely in green light. I closed my eyes, focused, and....
"Crystal collidum!" I cry.
A small green crystal appeared in mid air, falling to the ground immediately. It shattered when it hit the ground, leaving little green remnants behind.
The spell didn't work. I let my circle fade and my hand fall to my side, sighing as I did so. This was one of the spells Praxina was able to master right away, meanwhile I'm still struggling to do it right.
I raise my hand again and prepare myself to try again, focusing harder this time.
"Crystal collidum!"
This time, I got a slightly bigger green crystal, but it still shattered when it hit the ground.
I sighed again, and decided to try another spell.
My father told us that we should always try again until we master the spell completely. He also said to take breaks if we needed.
That's just what I'm doing. I'll get the spell eventually.
"Just not today."

Gramorr
Looking for proper minions is harder than I thought. As of now I have watched fifty three sets of brothers and sisters, friends, and family pairs. None of them are fit to serve me.
I sigh as I flick away an image of two girls that were utter failures to me.
"Seems this search will be elongated further," I say to Banes. He responds with a flick of his tail.
I flip through more moving images of people who are of no use to me, hoping that someone will catch my eye.
"This is useless Banes. Everyone on this damned planet is abs-"
I stop at an image of a young boy and a girl, they are flying high above the trees and seem to be arguing with each other. I play the image and listen in to their conversation.
"Oh really?"
"Yes really!"
"What if father comes out and you get in trouble?"
"Oh please, like that will happen."
"It could."
"But it won't!"
"It might!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"
"Won't!"
"Will!"

"Enough! This is ridiculous!"
The girl flies higher, making the boy angry as he flies up to tell her off. I'm no longer listening to them, instead I'm admiring their flying abilities. I had never seen anything like it before.
Eventually they both fly down, argue some more, then the boy is left alone. I don't bother to see what the girl is doing, I just continue to watch the boy as he attempts at some spells. He's not very good, but maybe he could be useful.
When I see what the girl is doing, I see she is also doing spells, only she is much more successful then the boy was.
I sit back in the throne and think. These two have great potential, I can see it in them. The boy needs work but the girl is nearly perfect. I would need to teach them dark magic, but that would be no problem. If only I could get them on my side.
"Maybe," I say to no one in particular, Banes flicks his tail.
"Just maybe."