The Midnight Flare

Backstory

My name is a name that some people fear. Some hate it (that's what most people do). And some love to hear that that name is of a person who lives to see tomorrow. My name is Pyrre Frost (pronounced like Pierre). And I'm the most wanted criminal in both the known kingdoms. Why? Because I'm unique. Yeah, that harsh.

But first, let me tell the story that gets told to all elven children when they're old enough to understand. There are three known kinds of elves. Flareblooded, which can wield and manipulate flames of any kind (which is why we don't use candles, lanterns, or torches). There are also the Frostwielders, which can wield ice in any way, shape, or form. Then there's people like myself. Misfits. Outcasts. Either you're poor like most, or you're on the run, like I am. But I'm on the run for a specific reason. People call me a mutation. A hybrid. A monster. And all because I can wield both fire and ice.

Most used history to describe this. There's a story that long ago, there were only three sibling elves. The first, and the only brother, was a hothead, and could wield fire. The first sister was the complete opposite; being able to wield ice was her specialty. Then, there was the youngest sibling. She was small, and could barely stand up to the shoulders of her older siblings. And, on top of all this, she couldn't wield any elements. She was always caught in the middle of her siblings arguments. And most of the time, those arguments led to her getting made fun of for just being alive. So, one night, she got out of bed and snuck into their bedrooms. First, her sister's room. She snuck in, grabbed her bow, and killed her in her sleep. Then, bow and quiver on her back, she snuck into her brother's room. She lifted his sword, which was left on the floor, and slit his throat with it. Upon doing this, she absorbed their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. But it was a burden she couldn't bare. So, she created images of herself and her siblings, and passed the powers on to them, making sure that very few were like herself. Then, she made three temples. One for her brother, in which she put his sword, sealing it within the walls. One for her sister, in which she put her bow, sealing it under the earth. And finally, one for herself. She sealed herself inside, and put a curse on the temple. Anyone who would enter the temple without both the bow of her sister and the sword of her brother would die instantly. After placing the curse, she joined her siblings in the afterlife.

At least that's what the history teacher tells you. They don't tell you the juiciest details, like the bloodshed. They don't tell you that the sister didn't ever find her siblings in the afterlife. That she didn't get a proper afterlife. That she's a wandering spirit, forgotten within the sands of time. They just say to go to the library. Look it up. Find it somewhere else.

Well, I'm a descendent of that special sister that slaughtered her siblings without a second thought. And people hate my kind. They lock them up as soon as a sign is shown. They leave them to rot in a cell, unable to escape.

After your fourteenth birthday, they give you a test to see which kind of elf you are. If you can turn the water to ice, you're a Frostwielder. If you turn the water to steam, you're a Flareblooded. If the water starts to shift forms, they handcuff you and give you to the only prison. Mount Yveer. The natural border between the country of fire, Silmthyr, and the country of ice, Nytmerius. Most people get sent straight there. But some escape before they even get close to the testing room.

As soon as I saw the water go from solid to liquid to gas and back again, I bolted. I made a run for it. And it worked. I first disguised myself by taking a black cloak from a shop. Then, I waited for nightfall. When people slept, I would take food. I was trained in stealth by my father, back when he was alive. I was orphaned at twelve. Anyways, I would do this every night for two years

One night, I had just finished collecting food and was going into an alleyway to sleep. I put the sack of food into a hole carved into the wall. Just as I was about to lay down and fall asleep, I heard a noise at the other side of the alley, towards the entrance. I took the sack with me, just in case, and walked towards the rustling noise. Inside a dumpster, a girl who looked a couple years younger than I was scrounging for food. I walked slowly towards her. After about five steps, she turned and looked at me. Her hair was short (it didn't go past the bottoms of her ear lobes), and it shone a bright blue in the moonlight. Her eyes were a shade of violet (possibly from contacts). She was covered in dirt and ash, along with random scraps. She was surprisingly wearing what looked like a torn dress, which appeared to be silver. She jumped out of the trash can and started tried to run, but tripped and fell onto the concrete.

"Jeez, kid, don't have to run. I'm not gonna kill you. What's your name," I said, putting on a smile and holding out a hand to help her up.

She grabbed my hand and stood up. "My name is Demi Kristaline. Now can I go?"

"If you want, I have some food here though, if that's what you're looking for" I respond, holding up the bag.

"Wait, you're just going to give me some?"

"It's all stolen. If necessary, I can snatch some more. But, I have plenty, so that won't be a problem."

"Ok. Thanks." We both sat down and started talking about our past. Apparently, her house burnt down and she was the only one to survive. She had been getting ready to go to a ball of some kind, but someone lit her house on fire. She was searching for food in the dumpster because she didn't get out much and didn't know where to get some. It made sense to me.

As the sun started peeking over the horizon, we both got up. "Well, if you want, you can travel with me. I can teach you to fight if you want. Whadya say?" Her response was a simple nod.

Flash forward another year or so. Now our story gets interesting.