The Embers of Nethremis

Chapter One: Grey Hair and Strong Limbs

I am sprinting like a cheetah pursuing its prey and the cold air whipping my frozen face is not helping. The frigidity of my surroundings and the steady pounding of feet gaining up on me makes my heart beat rapidly. I hear the wind howling and leaves crunching under my fast feet as I try to find a tree or rock to hide behind but there are none in this barren place. Exasperated, I slow down and turn to face my opponent and as he reaches me I try to go for a punch but he holds my fist, shoves me back and takes a step forward. I am quick to get back on my feet and aim for his stomach but I'm thwarted as well. Every punch, kick and strike is blocked until I am too exhausted and my throws turn sloppy. He's just having fun I thought ruefully. "Why aren't you hitting back?" I ask angrily to which he smiles mischievously. "Get up Nalia" he says rather happily. I try to calm down to use my head and in those few precious seconds, my feet are swept from under me as I am suddenly tackled to the ground. A gunshot clearly permeates the howling wind and I see the lights go out as darkness closes in.
Lying flat on my back with my chest heaving and my breaths fast and shallow, the lights come back so brightly that I am temporarily blinded. "I can't believe a grey haired man beat you Nalia" my brother Hafmal says while chuckling amusedly. I glare indignantly at his dimpled face and ask him to help me up as sweetly as I can through clenched teeth to which he guffaws loudly. "That trick is way too old sissy" he says knowingly and I glare even harder. "Break it up you two" comes the deep baritone of my slightly balding, fair faced father as I undo the straps on my hands. With his caramel coloured eyes, crooked nose and shaggy beard, my mother always says he looks like a caveman. I look up to see him holding back his laughter while trying to admonish Hafmal and I narrow my eyes between them. "Sometimes being the only female at training hurts" I say seriously and they both laugh heartily much to my own dismay. "Dad, why was my training at level 9?" I ask referring to the simulation I just went through. "I thought we both decided on a humid atmosphere in a marshy environment" I say stressing the "both". With a twinkle in his kind eyes, he says "Always expect the unexpected. Focus and patience, Nalia" "Yeah always expect to get beaten by a grey haired guy" Hafmal interjects to which I glare even harder." "You were not supposed to chase me too and there was supposed to be a tree or large rock to hide behind" I grumble almost incoherently but he hears me and pats me on the back. He walks over to Hafmal to talk more about our training simulations while I look around the training room. The room though very spacious and circular gives off a homey aura or maybe it's because I spend so much time here. The ceiling painted the bright colours of sunset calm me down whenever I look up to it. On one side of the room are various obstacle courses of different stages of difficulties that stimulate the body and mind of the trainee with a large rack of meticulously placed weapons beside them. My personal favourite weapon, the spikers; a collection of small yet lethal knives each no longer that an index finger with a small button on each. The button when pressed elongates to a weapon about an arm's length; beautiful yet deadly. It's blade though a deceptively blunt colour is in reality sharp and lethal. The other weapons; crossbows with electrical arrows though we never used them, axes, spears, guns and others I am too lazy to know the name of were just as deadly. On the other wall, a ginormous screen connected to a computer which sits on a dais is responsible for the simulations. Hafmal and I always fight for the dais because it makes us feel dignified in some way even though I prefer watching the simulation live rather than on a screen behind the actual action. This machine we call the "Changer" could transform the whole training room to whatever ambiance needed and created sufficient holograms for barriers. I still often wonder how Dad got it to our training room.
"I'll beat your score sissy" says Hafmal confidently disrupting my thoughts. I grin happily as I form a dubious plan in my head and skip to Dad. "Dad" I sing song pleasantly and he eyes me warily while trying no doubt to decipher my sudden cheeriness. "Can I sit here and watch Hafmal's simulation?" "Sure" he says unsurely. I look at the computer as he types in Hafmal's profile details and chooses the level 9 difficulty. I smile and distract Dad for a minute by telling him Hafmal is having difficulty with putting on his straps and I watch him walk towards my brother before choosing "Wolves" as his opponents, the No Barriers option and clicking on the Start Simulation option just as Dad comes back.
The training room's temperature suddenly drops and the ceiling turns to a stormy grey. The floor turns snow like and crunching effects can be heard with every step he takes. The distant howling of wolves coupled with eerie silence and bleak land gives the room a creepy mood. Wind picks up abruptly and panting effects are heard slowly as holograms of two wolves start chasing Hafmal. He shrieks like a girl to my amusement and Dad's even though he tries to not show it. He runs around for some time before they catch up to him and the lights go off just as a second gunshot is heard.
The temperature turns normal and as the lights come on, I meet the face of an angry Hafmal and I can't help myself and say "Guess who just got beaten by grey wolves?" "Run Nalia" my father says just as Hafmal gets up to chase me. I run towards the door and clamber up the ladder but I can feel him catching up. I reach level ground and open the door to the living room and shut it in Hafmal's fuming face as I scan the living room before me hastily for places to hide. I look around at the eccentric room for a few seconds with the star shaped light bulbs, mismatched sofas, a few haphazardly placed lavender poufs and the pastel pink walls all the work of my mother's odd interior designing and sprint even faster towards the kitchen. There I find my mother; a middle aged petite woman with thick raven hair tied up in a ponytail and a kind plump face with bright green eyes wearing a floral apron while humming a soft tune as she cooks dinner. I quickly hide behind her smallish frame just as Hafmal bursts through the door panting. "You made me fail my training you- ""Hafmal Ivara Woods don't you dare finish that sentence if you know what is good for you!" my mother cuts him off sternly and I snicker cheerfully but the smile is wiped clean off my face as my mother turns her piercing gaze on me. I cough timidly, smile sheepishly and try to think of an excuse but Hafmal beats me to it. "Mami she started it" he says whiningly. "She tampered with my training just because she can't accept the fact that her little brother could beat her" he continues sulkily. "What do you have to say for yourself Nalia?" Mami asks while narrowing her eyes. "Well ah you see Mami" I start while scratching my head nervously. "What happened was just a little mistake and I'm sorry dear, sweet little brother for acting on my instincts because you made fun of me" I finish off in a sickly, fake sweet voice. "Apology accepted big sis" he says evilly just as I turn to show Mami his wicked grin only to find her back turned, oblivious to our little exchange as she resumes her soft humming. I seriously have to watch my back carefully I think before going to the dining and waiting for dinner while carefully examining my brother's every move.

I wake up to light streaming through my windows the next morning and I vividly recall closing them shut before bed the previous night. Hafmal, the little sly, fox is up to something I thought angrily while muttering a few expletives before stretching and getting up. Looking around my purple and white toned room, I try to see if something is out of place but everything looks normal. From the different shades of purples stripes on the wall, the starry night themed ceiling, and the white computer desk to even the lavender bathroom door seems nothing out of the ordinary. I open my drawers to find them empty except for an ugly vomit coloured shirt and a horrific neon pink pair of jeans. I almost scream but hold myself back in order not to satisfy Hafmal's evil schemes. I take my towel and check for any abnormalities before heading to the shower. I crank the heat up only to feel ice cold water hit me with full force and grit my teeth so hard that I am almost afraid of breaking my jaw. Next I check the soap and shampoo suspiciously but find that the smell and colours are still intact. I wear the appalling outfit and try to tame my wild raven curls before skipping down for breakfast oddly happy. "Good morning beautiful dwellers of Nethremis" I say cheerfully to my family to which they all exchanged confused glances. "Why are up this early Nalia?" Dad asks. "It's a wonderful day" I answer simply. "That reminds me," Mami starts. "I need you kids to go to the Barzz and get us a few more supplies". She says referring to the "market" at the city square where every family gets its portion of supplies every month. We have always been taught to appreciate our government's kindness and how after the gruesome war, they reconstructed the salvageable parts of the earth and saved the remaining human race from extinction. This government body consisting of sixteen officials called the Couthers who live in the upper state are responsible for all the affairs of Nethremis. The upper state, though I have never seen it is said to be a glamorous place filled with wonder and beauty. I always personally stereotype them as pompous brats even though I have never met one. "I call dibs on the levitators" says Hafmal pulling me out of my thoughts and I scowl at him. He goes to get the levitators; discs attached to the shoes that allow the wearer to hover a few inches above the ground and puts them on all the while smirking at me.
I walk while Hafmal hovers and I can't help but gawk at the beautiful architecture of Nethremis. The grey buildings, mostly circular with dome shaped roofs and wood markings around the sides are arranged in a humongous star with the Barzz at the middle accessible by small trains from each side of Nethremis. The collection of mansions on the first tip of the star being the upper state buildings. With its deceptively beautiful lifelike flowers and scenery, Nethremis truly is astounding. We hop on a train and reach the Barzz bustling with boisterous people and curious little children. We get the supplies after filling in our names and head back home on foot; a two hour long journey if you make detours. "Do you realize what you are wearing Nalia?" my brother asks while grinning. I look down at my outfit and mentally face palm at my unobservant nature. "Well people wear clothes worse than this". "True but I am sort of sorry for taking all your clothes and dyeing your favourite black shirt bright gold". "Wait what?" I ask incredulously "But would you be if not an annoying little brother?" I finish on a sour note. "Oh right, don't use your shampoo or toothpaste." "What did you do?" He asks horrified. "You don't want to know baby brother." I answer evilly.
As we near home, Hafmal tugs my shirt and says he feels weird. I tell him that it was probably exhaustion from being so evil to which he says while removing his levitators: "Race you to the door and loser does, well I will think of something when I beat you" "Game on" I respond fiercely and we race to the front door with both of us ending up on the floor at a tie. Both groaning, we stand up and head inside and the sight that greets us is one that will haunt me for the rest of my life. From the precise second I stepped my foot into the house, I realized that my life had changed forever and that I was never going to be the same.

Uhhhhhhhh Snaaappp! Tell me what y'all think will happen next. Would love to hear your comments. So I am kinda nervous. Is it too long? Boring?Good? Bad? Tell me what you think in the comment section.
Vote, Comment, Share and eat cookies my oysters❤