Atalia: Regent

by Fell Skyhawk

edited by Colleen E. DeVeau, Ellen DeVeau

V- 1.8

"Do not go gently into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

-Dylan Thomas ("Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night", 1951)

Characters of Note:

Emily Elizabeth Skyhawk- Human Female, Former Regent

Fellipe Scott Skyhawk- Human Male, Former Grand Admiral, Knight

Jake Robert Skyhawk- Human Male, Knight

Kale Jacob Scutarie II- Human Male, Emperor

Jayden Kaylia Smith Scutarie- Human Female, Witch

Gareth Mark Scutarie- Human Male, Prince

-

Beta Centauri System, Centauri Prime
Wednesday, February 13th, 128 AW

-

Emily quickly gathered some clothes and threw them into her tiny backpack. The children of Fell Paul Skyhawk had grown accustomed to disappearing with their mother for the day while their father was in one of his moods. But this time, Emily knew something was different. Her mother was unusually nervous, and her eldest brother, Fellipe Scott Skyhawk, had a hope-filled gaze. Since she knew her brother had been imploring their mother to take them all away, never to return, Emily had a good guess as to what was different this time.

When Emily shared her suspicions with her slightly older brother Artie, he rejected her intuition, saying, "You're just a little kid, what do you know?"

"I might be little, but I not blindeded like you. Daddy is hurtful. He hurt me, and he hurt mommy, and he hurt Fillypie."

"Fellipe is a punk, you're a brat, and mom's a nag. You all deserve it," Artie replied.

Jake shushed them. They all knew to fear waking Father.

They quietly exited their room and joined the others near their apartment's main door. Jake picked up Emily as they opened the door and began to leave.

But from behind, they heard a noise. Jake turned to look, turning Emily's face away.

"Hurry," Fellipe urged.

Jake backed toward the door, shielding Emily. She could feel his tension, his fear became her own. Curses flowed from the living room. Their father was awake.

Emily screamed as the sound of a thousand doors slamming shut echoed in the hall. Jake shielded her head to keep her from seeing what had happened. She could hear her father ordering something, but the ringing she heard kept the words hidden.

Jake carried her back into her room and laid her in her bed. As her hearing returned, he said, "Don't cry, sweet Emily. Everything's going to be alright. Try to sleep, and be brave."

If there was one thing Emily knew how to do, it was how not to cry. She learned early on that crying brought punishment, either on herself, her brother Fellipe, or her mother.

She nodded, and closed her eyes, trying to be content with Jake singing her lullaby. Only Mommy and Fellipe were able to wield the magic of that song to lull her to sleep. She was grateful that Jake was trying though. It did little to comfort her; she knew something terrible had happened to mommy.