Kingdom Fall (Ethereal #1)

- Chapter 1-

The maid and the sword

Sapphire

Sparks flew up the open night sky, rising like a flock of Night-birds while the world was in an orange glow; heat radiating off from the inferno in front. Flames flickered over the wood, scorching it in black as smoke rose into the air.

The house, hence, burned.

And it was beautiful.

Sapphire had never seen such a spectacular sight. Everything was glowing red, like a flower in motion. She had seen fires a lot. There was always one inside the chimney. But this one was different. It was big. It consumed her home. The home she had spent her life in. She did not know why, but she felt sad. She knew her home won't be the same. The wood which fed the fire inside the chimney never remained the same. It turned black and brittle, and once you touched it black powder would stick on your hand.

Her house wasn't the only one burning.

Shrill cries and wails echoed through the night. Men screamed and roared. Swords clashed. Sapphire felt all her senses sharpen at everything that was happening all around her. She felt footsteps quickly approached her from behind. Slim arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from the fire.

'Sa-phire!' A muffled voice said. Sapphire looked up, her eyes meeting bright green ones with tears dripping down the owner's check. She could smell smoke, blood and the scent of the dill flower. It was the smell her mother carried.

'Papa is inside,' said Sapphire, pointing at the house.

'I know... We.... We can't stay here. We have to go.'

'But papa_'

'We have to leave!'

The women hoisted the girl up into her arms and looked around, searching desperately for someone, something. Then her gaze lingered on the house. The thatched roof fell in with a crash. She knew it was hopeless. No one can survive inside that. But then again, the place where it used to be the entrance opened and the silhouette of a man emerged.

'Edward?'

She was met with bright glowing blue eyes. Sapphire's mother backed away, muffling her own scream. The man in front of her stared at her, like a predator. Blue sparks ran around his body, some linking itself on to the ground.

'Papa!' Sapphire cried, stretching out her tiny arm. But her mother ran. She ran away from the house, from her husband and Sapphire didn't know why. Something roared like a wild beast. Lightning ran along the ground. Men with armor and swords ran towards where her father stood, heaving like a beast.

'He's lost control, secure the perimeter! The Etherean must not leave alive!'

Sapphire heard her mother sobbing as she ran towards the woods.

'Papa?'

Sapphire felt fear creeping in and she wrapped around her mother's neck. Everything was a blur as the world jumped up and down. The pit of her stomach bounced, threatening her dinner to come back out again. The fiery light from the villages slowly disappeared behind her as the darkness consumed them and the stars started to shine overhead once again.

Feeling tired, her mother stopped next to a tree and leaned against it. The forest was silence, expect for the sound from the distant village.

'We'll be safe... for now.'

But the peace didn't last long. Blood-mongrels snarled and howled from the distance. The pounding feet of war-cats filled the air. Again, Sapphire found herself carried away. From behind, she could see small agile fast four legged creatures chasing after them. Large golden eyes stared back at her and the figure of a large cat appeared under the moonlight.