Land of Fire - The Elemental Forces

Burning Flame

It was a dark night in Ignis. The moon and stars shone brightly above Earth. Every thing in the land of fire was at peace. Not one sound could be heard: only whispers of the breeze brushing against dead leaves. 

 A flicker was barely noticeable in the shadows as a hooded figure ran swiftly on a cobblestone path leading to the gates of a majestic castle. Large polished iron walls made it as intimidating as the beasts who roamed its underground. High towers emerged from the ground like the spikes on a dragon's back. Frightening gargoyles perched from balconies and windows, all which dotted the obsidian walls. 

 Though the castle might seem like a dark and dangerous place, the queen who ruled over it had the beauty of a goddess and the fierceness of a lion. Despite it all, she was a fair and confident ruler, though often stubborn and cocky. When becoming queen at only the age of 12, she mastered the element of fire. Some tell stories of her power and others are afraid of it. 

 The castle was different than any other, it was surprisingly quiet. There was no chatter of maids in the garden and no guards who stood at designated posts. It was as if the building was abandoned...  Knocks on iron broke the silence of the night. The mysterious hooded figure waited at the front gates, but nothing happened. The knocks echoed against the iron walls once more. The doors suddenly opened, magic was most likely involved.

The individual stepped inside the great hall of the castle. Using their slim fingers, the unknown guest withdrew the hood that hid their face. It was the face of a small girl. She had fair skin, defined cheekbones and a small nose. Her ears were as pointy as an elf's. She had messy platinum blond hair which barely covered her shoulders. She was average height and slender. She appeared innocent and ruthless at the same time.

The girl walked down the dimly lit hall. She barely heard the piano. Someone was playing soft music somewhere in the castle. But where? The girl stopped as she found herself in the throne room. The music was still playing dimly. She looked around the large room. There were not many pieces of furniture, only a few couches and tables. In the middle of the room stood a black throne. It was tall and empty. Red silk pillows laid across it as if they were awaiting someone. The girl observed the details. How the edges were neatly sharpened and how the black obsidian reflected the light from the chandelier. The head and body of a dragon was sculpted around the bodice of the massive throne. Its scales looked like an oblivion.

The girl shrugged and listened closely to the piano. She ran up a few flights of stairs until she could clearly hear the sonata at work. She walked blindly through the halls. Tapestries with illustrations of fire covered the walls. The music notes were her guide as she looked for the source of the melody. The music was vibrating through the chords of the instrument. The mysterious girl walked until she heard the music as clear as glass. Reaching the end of a hall, she came to a stop in from of a half-opened door. Inside was a large music room. She silently slipped into the room while observing her surroundings. A huge collection of instruments from brass, strings and woodwinds laid across the floor. Turning towards her right, she found a woman, her back was facing the girl. She was playing a red grand piano. Like all the other pieces of furniture in the castle, the piano was large and majestic. It was breathtaking.

The pianist played her final chords. She waited a few seconds and put her hands on her thighs. Her back was straight. She wore a simple black dress which fell to the ground over her feet. Her shoulders were only covered by her long brown curls.

"Can I help you?" The woman said without looking backwards.

"Yes, my name is Celeste and I need to speak to the queen. Would you know where she is?" The girl said, stuttering a bit at first, but recovering quickly from her shyness.