The Eternal Flame

Chapter 3

We stood just outside the gates of the palace. The guards guarding the front gates bowed as we approached, we nodded to them. They were in usual guard attire. One male one female. There three colors to their uniforms. Light blue, dark blue, and white. The colors showed their rank and station. Light blue was for the guards where just starting their training, dark blue was for old and more experience guards. White uniforms symbols that they were not only masters but depending on if there was silver in their uniforms symbolized that they were part of the royal guard. I studied them for a moment. The woman, who was only an inch shorter than me, was in a dark blue uniform. A dark blue shirt, with a high collar that fastened just above her collarbone and was tucked firmly in to her pants. With long black boots that looked almost seamless with her black pants, so you couldn't tell where the boots began, and her pants ended, with little moons going up and down her boots. The male guard almost mirrored her, except his shirt was a light blue, his boots were smaller. Though they also had long black sleeves to go with their uniforms it was optional to were them. The newer guards were always paired with the older. To teach them the ropes and hopefully keep them out of too much trouble. But we didn't go inside.

"We might as well go inside and see Father," Ula said as she walked passed me, sighing, I followed. It wasn't like I was afraid of seeing Father; it was just that I did not wish to hear him lecture to us.

"I don't either, but it's either now, or later. And I plan to get it out of the way so that I can get some things done." Ula said as she continued to walk in front of me. Sighing again, I walk a little faster so that we were walking side by side. The palace was quite grand. The palace had 300 hundred bedrooms, 100 of which had an overview of the city and the beautiful scenery behind it. Ground keepers tended to the flowers and the trees. Servants came to and from, both walking to the palace and from. They all bowed at us as they passed us.

We finally reached the door. The door had our Goddess Satara, with a long flowing gown that extenuated her every curve. Her long ankle length hair blew to the right of her face. Her eyes were closed; a soft smile graced her gorgeous face. Her hands folded together in a prayer-like motion.

Her partner, her lover, her mate, God Kenward stood on the other side of the door. He looked dashing in his armor. His sword on his hip, his long hair was tied in a ponytail, which looked as if it was swaying in the wind. He looked so brave and strong.

The door opened, and we walked right in.

The moment we step through the door, all we heard was.

"Lunaaaaa!" A moment before I felt something slam into me with such force that we almost fell over. I laughed.

"Well, hello to you too little sister," I said as I pulled her away from me. I have three siblings. My only brother who is older than all of us, Lachukoo, my older sister Nixlaka, and my younger, Renlada, who was currently standing in front of with a huge grin on her face, which turned quickly turned into a frown. Her eyebrows knitted together. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mala, her Guardian, who was also a Wallee.

"Father wants to see you. What did you do this time Luna?" She asked me, her pale blue eyes bored into my royal blues. I gave her a smirk in return.

"Nothing much little sister," I said as I tugged on one of the loose strain of hair that escaped from her tight bundle that she wears when she is practicing. Unlike me, she prefers her hair to be tight and out of the way; me? I don't mind it much. She batted my hand away.

"Father is really mad this time Luna," Ren said seriously. I swear the girl acted as if she was my older sister instead of the other way around.

Maybe if you stop acting so childish- Ula started but I cut her off with a grunt.

I looked Ren up and down. Her hair is a dark blue with a few strains of silver, which was coming out of the tight bundle, I turned her around and undid her hair, and it fell like water upon stone. Then used the tie she placed in her hair and put her hair in a low style, keeping it out of her face.

"Thank you, but Father still wishes to see you." I sighed.

"Yes, yes, dear little sister, Ula and I will be right there," I said as Ula and I began to walk past them and up the many steps to go to our room when Ren grabbed my arm.

"Father said to bring you immediately, sister." I moved so quickly, Ren nor ­­­Mala, had little to no time to react. Grabbing her arm with such quickness I was neither seen nor heard as I had swept her legs from under her and had her flat on the ground, knee in her back, and an ice blade at her throat in a matter of seconds.

"Lesson one: Always expect the unexpected. If you had even considered what I'd do to you, you wouldn't have been so eager to try and stop me. Lesson two: Never, ever let your guard down. Even here in the palace, it will get you killed or worse. Am I understood?" I asked her, digging the blade a little dipper so she got my point.

"Yes!" She snapped. I rose, and she quickly followed. I looked over to see Ula pinning her sister down, teeth in so deep it could draw blood on her throat. She rose and stood by me. I would often give these unexpected lessons to her to keep her skills sharp. Looks like I shall need to increase them. She was far from ready to go into a fight. Which I hoped she'd never had to do.

I agree. Ula said through the bond.

"Learn this lesson quickly child. Every second counts'. I could have killed you and you could have done nothing about it. My Keeper could have killed yours. You should have moved the moment she did. You felt the danger but were to slow to react. Next time; don't be." The young child bowed her head to her sister, a show of respect and acknowledgment of the older and wiser female.

"Yes, of course." You could hear the unhappiness in being beaten so easily in every word she spoke.

"Come on, best not keep Father waiting, you know how he gets," I said as we began to walk up the stairs once more.