Under The Starry Night's Sky

Chp 2: Red Memories

Ruby looked up to the sky, admiring the colourful streaks of pink and orange as the sun set. It was a breathtaking sight and she wanted nothing more than to head home for a cup of tea while admiring the scenery. But no, she was stuck sweeping the classroom along with the vile Dawson children. 

"Keep sweeping" barked Lia, the younger Dawson. "I want every speck of dust swept up."

"And what of your duties," Ruby answered continuing to sweep the wooden floor. 

"Oh I've finished," she chimed.

"As if you did," Ruby rolled her eyes.

Lia got the easy job of wipeing down the small wooden desks and then stacking them and the cusions the children used for seats. Althought she probably skipped the wipeing part, thought Ruby.

"What!" called Draven, the elder Dawson, from outside. "Then pick up a broom and help me finish sweeping the yard. Mother will scold both of us if we don't return soon, and scold us even more if she knew we were kept back for troublemaking."

"First Lia must finish wiping down the tables," said Master Morrison walking into the room. "And your mother has already been told to expect your late arrival least she worry."

Lia sighed and picked up the cloth, then started to unstack and wipe the tables. Draven cursed under his breath as he picked up his sweeping pace. Ruby simply chuckled while continuing to sweep.

"And Ruby, you shouldn't look to keep picking fights." sighed the Master as he walked out of the classroom and into his study.

Ruby cringed. She knew where his comment stemmed from, the fact that she had gotten into yet another fight with the Dawsons that morning and from the fact that she had no friends. Master had always urged her to try and be kind to those around her, mend the broken bonds he had said. But it wasn't that simple. 

Having no friends didn't bother Ruby. In fact, she liked it that way. None of the other children liked her or bothered her, and she was fine with it. Mostly because they were either rotten on the inside, scared of her or, their parents had demanded them to stay away. Once, a few years ago, when her 10th birthday came around, Marie, a small quite girl gifted her a handmade, woven bracelet. Ruby was warmed by the gesture, but then next day she asked for it back with a bruised hand and could not meet Ruby's eyes. The Dawsons were chuckling a lot that day, probably because they told on her to her parents. 

She hated the Dawsons most of all. Even when Ruby's parents were around they would throw taunts at her, break her belongings and cause all sorts of trouble. They would never dare try fight her though, even two on one. She was top of the class is both magic and bare combat. But about a year after her parents had past away, they finally broke her cool by targetting Leo instead. 

"Your parents aren't around to protect you anymore... No one will care what will happen to you," they had said. 

And Leo was a softy. He never talked back, never got angry, and would continue to be kind to everyone no matter what they did to him. We are so different, Ruby thought to herself as she swept the corner of the classroom. 

Ruby's thoughts lingered on that day. The day she lost her cool. It was shortly after school ended. Most of the other children had gone home and Ruby was finishing talking to Master Morrison. He was kind, and when her parents past away he said that if she ever needed anything, she could always seek his help. Master was the one who brought the news to her gravely. He was fond of her parents too as he taught them their work, and he took it upon himself to raise her and the others careully. But that wasn't enough to lighten her empty heart. 

Ruby had then headed outside to find Leo and to go 'home', which was to their horrible Aunt's house. Their Aunt treated them like slaves, saying that she was so kind to be helping them and that they should return the favor. 

"Children are expensive," she claimed, always counting the income her husband brought home as the village baker. 

But Ruby felt that it was her parents' wealth that her Aunt had her eye on. Her parents were both professional mages, masters in fact. They held the same title as Master Morrison. Except, they didn't spend their days teaching children, they took on professional jobs and helped many people. They were both admired and frowned upon in the village though. Those feelings had also passed on to Ruby and her brother but after that incident, their hate and fear was fuelled even more. 

So Ruby needed to find Leo and head home. But when she went outside, she couldn't see Leo waiting for her. This never happened and worry filled Ruby. So she took a deep breath and closed her eyes searching for the presence of her brother. She spread her awareness across the village, passing the minds of many others but nothing that ressembled her brother's. Confused, she tried again but to no avail. She then spread her awareness behind herself, around the small school, the field, her old home and the woods... The woods! She'd found him. That warm red spark of her brother but he seemed troubled and with other presences around him. 

Ruby ran fast as she could plunging into the forest at the edge of the village. She didn't have to go very far until she saw her brother, lying bloodied and bruised at the base of a tree with the Dawsons laughing over him. There was blood trickling down the side of his face and a fat natsy bruise forming on his eyelid. 

What Ruby remembered from this point were flashes of memories. She remembered her rage swirling up inside her, an uncontrollable beast which she unleashed onto the Dawsons. She remembered knocking them back and throwing her magic and fists at them with all her might. Then she remembered Leo, stopping her fist and urging her to calm down. And then a figure (which she later knew to be Master Morrison) knocking her on the head.