Filled With Fire ✔️

"You Will Always Have Me, Elizabelle."

twenty eight

...Quite some time ago...

The oldest Mikaelson was taking a much needed break from his father's 'training.'

Leaning against a tall tree, mid autumn, deep in the thick, surrounding forest, Finn was sitting with his arms folded, his ankles crossed and his eyes closed, just enjoying the cool air of a late afternoon.

Sore he was from the sword activities with Mikael and annoyed of arguing and putting up with the tomfoolery caused by his younger siblings. Not to mention how much his mother was irritating him, pushing to find him a wife and having him exercise his magic until he could not think straight.

They were all just a bit too much sometimes.

The warlock was positive he would pay more attention to his children, not letting them act out because they were not receiving enough of his time.

He took in a deep breath, held it then let it out slowly through his nose before his eyes flew open when the soft cries of a girl met his ears. The Mikaelson used the tree to heave himself to his feet and began to follow the miserable sound.

A few moments later, Finn found the cause.

There, curled up in a ball and hiding under a mess of red curly hair, was a small girl who looked to be about the age of seven or eight. The Mikaelson recognized her slightly, only having seen her for a short second in the next village over.

What was she doing here, so far away from home?

"Pardon me, young one."

His deep, soft voice must have startled her because she jolted and peered up at him with wide, scared eyes that were big and beautiful, a glistening golden colour that resembled the sky as the sun fell claim to the moon.

Tears were still tumbling over high cheekbones, her heart shaped face, a picture of hurt, her pink lips still quivering with sadness. She sniffled, then wiped her cheeks with a stuttered inhale, "Yes, Mister?"

Finn sat down on the leaf littered ground, legs folded, not too close but not too far away, to hopefully comfort the poor girl, "What troubles you, child?"

The redhead looked down so her hair fell in front of her face, "Mother told me not to talk to strangers."

"And she is very right-"

"No, she is not!" The young girl snapped at him, a tiny flicker of silver flashing through her eyes. Finn didn't mention anything about it, but his own did widen only the slightest.

"No?"

The girl shook her head vehemently, red curls flying everywhere, then peered at him curiously, "My name is Elizabelle."

The man chuckled lightly and reached out his hand, which she took, "Finn. Strangers we are no longer."

"You can call me Liza," a wide grin spread across her face and she crawled over to him to slip her small hand into his, then shook it, "It is very nice to meet you, Finn."

"A pleasure to meet you, my lady," The Mikaelson kissed her fingers, making the girl giggle cutely, "Can I ask why you were in the woods, crying?"

Elizabeth's smile dropped off her face and she slipped her hand from his. Tears started to well in her eyes again and the redhead then did the exact opposite to what Finn thought she would do. Instead of retreating back to her tree, the young girl practically leapt forward and tucked herself under his chin, sitting in his lap.

The man froze for a second until an odd emotion unfurled in his chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around the shivering redhead, rocking them both back and forth, shushing her.

"M, my mother..." sniff "s, said I was n, not allowed t, to..." whimper "talk to Miss B, Bennett anym, more..." Elizabeth sobbed into his shoulder.

Finn nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek, "Why, sweet Liza?"

"She s, said that..." whine "wh, when I first b, bleed, I, I have to take a l, life."

The Mikaelson's arms tightened and he gulped, "You're a..."

Elizabeth rubbed one of her eyes then clutched his shirt in her hands, "A tiger."

If his father ever found out...she would be slaughtered.

"There is more, is there not?" Finn softly stroked her fiery curls and holding her closer.

"M, Mother said to me that M, Miss Bennett only t, talks to me..." sniff "b, because she wants t, to use me to make her m, magic stronger..."

"What?" The man was confused and the small tiger cub finally calmed down, resting the side of her head on his shoulder, playing with a bit of his hair.

"There are so few of us left, Finn. Witches use us because we have magic that we can not access. If they use too much of our magic, we burn alive. Mother lost her sister to a coven of witches that used her to make contact with the Other Side."

"Perhaps you should listen to your mother then. She does not want to lose you as well because she loves you so much. Besides," Finn leaned back so he could look her right in the eyes, "You will always have me, Elizabeth."

:3

"Finn...."

The oldest Mikaelson was sprawled on top of the leaf littered ground, the blazing fire that his mother had lit at his back and the goblet she had given him, that had a strange liquid in it, had rolled away. The pain in his chest was unbearable from the sword driven through it by his father.

But that was nothing, compared the absolute horror that flooded his soul, seeing his little tiger shifter, choking on her own blood with her throat slit and staring at him with those teary, golden eyes filled with terror.

"Help me..."

"Liza..." was the only thing he could say before the darkness of death swallowed him whole, wet gurgled sobs being the last thing he would ever hear as a human...