The Kingdom of Ash

Chapter 2

My mother lay on the ground, completely in shreds. A creature was standing in front of the bed-side table. The creature was grey with sunken eyes, the canines where twice as long as mine, down to the creature's chin, it looked like it was peeling, and from where the skin was peeling away I could clearly see the white and black bones of the disgusting creature. The mouth was half ripped open. Mave's scream rang out through the whole castle, and she pulled me away from the door in a complete panic. We ran like the creature was right behind us, which it wasn't. We searched the castle for my father, but he was no where to be found. Mave decided it would be a good idea if she sent a messenger to the Emperor of the Shynada Dynasty Empire, he refused at first, complaining that it was too cold, I felt the urge to sass at him and tell him how I spent three days out in the forest, but I held it back. After learning my mother's fate, he only then left – reluctantly and grumbling about it like a two year old, but he left.

Without knowing how, we got ourselves locked into a dark, small room, the smell overpowering, like rotten meat. Mave freaked out, and let out a little yell.

"Mave, it's ok calm down," I said trying so hard to be calm, it wasn't an ok situation, and we were probably going to die before we get out of the castle, but I needed to calm her down. I grew a flame from my palms, and she did the same. Using our light as a guide we walked around the room, it was a tiny 3 metres by 3 metre room, and it was completely trashed and dark, with ripped up wooden posts, and ropes twisted as if they served as a leash, not a noose for executing, but an actual leash. I shivered, although it wasn't cold causing my deep blue, black and white fire to flicker unhappily, the colours of the flames reflected my mood well, upset, and the denial that my mother is truly dead. I collapsed to the floor and teared up, Mave collapsed next to me and wrapped her arms around me as we both sobbed, our fires died down leaving us in pitch blackness. I felt Mave Shiver, and she whimpered in fear before calming down, and burst into tears. I hugged her, and together we cried.

"What should we do?" Asked Mave, almost too quietly for me to hear.

"I was thinking we burn the door down, it's a wooden door, right?" I suggested.

She nodded, and stood up. I stood up after and made my little fire again. We strode towards the door carefully, and combining the forces of our fires, we burned half the door.

"No need, it's really weak, we'll tire ourselves out if we keep our fire going for too long, if we push against it it'll break easily." I said as Mave put her burning hands towards the door again. She let her flame blow out and we pushed against the door into the dark hallway of the castle. It took me a while to get my bearings, and when I did I pulled Mave with me outside to where the stables lay.

"What now?" She asked.

What now indeed? We need to find my father, but that creature... I shook my head, she took it as an 'I don't know.' And we went to the stables. Fresh hoofprints lead away from the castle towards the town, not Flame's as we went towards the forest and came back from the forest. We searched the stables, and sure enough my father's horse was missing. I looked in the pasture, thinking that the marks were probably from the messenger and that he took my father's horse, the gelding wasn't there. Night was closing in really fast, so Mave and I decided to go back inside, we went to the dining hall where I had shared my last meal with my mother.

I sat in my mother's chair and looked at the long table, it was just Mave, seated in my seat, and I. As we discussed what we should do the chef made us some wraps, two each, an egg and a chicken wrap. He sat down with us and ate.

"Glad you could join us to eat, Maleic we need the company and I'm sure you do to." I gratefully said.

He smiled at me, "Just as nice as your mother," he replied voice laced with grief. He looked at Mave and smiled at her, she shyly returned the smile blushing. I giggled. I turned to the wall to my right, the wall I was thrown at by my father's magic and internally cringed. I looked at Mave who looked at me with a big smile on her face. I created a little flame, and as I finished my second wrap, I stared at it, putting to mind every good memory of my mother.