Behind The Elf - Gethen (a kotlc fanfiction)

Chapter Two - Part One

The frigid twilight air blew handfuls of pastel pink petals around the two cloaked councillors and their child. All three, Owen snuggled in his mother's arms, sped silently past several of the other councillors shimmering houses. That night, if their circumstances had been different - they may have stopped to admire how each shard of moonlight reflected, like a rainbow, off every opalescent crystal facet - the product of such an illusion meaning each house appeared to glow.

~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~˚◊˚~

Oralie's insides churned. Each step forward, along the pavement, meant, in the end, another precious second less without her child. Cloaked by more than just her clothes, she finally gave in to her sorrow, and so from out her minds graveyard, she unearthed a golden key. This key rippled - it's existence wavering, it knew she didn't want to use it.

Anxiously she guided it to the darkest abyss of her brain, where sat a chest, bursting full of emotions. Inside, lay her ability to feel, to love, to care - but also, to cry, to hurt, and, feel guilt. Guilt is a dangerous thing for elves, too much of it and their sanity shatters. Guilt condemns an elf to a life of madness. Knowing nothing, but feeling everything.

She slid the key into the lock, her conscious wrapping itself around the box - soaking up every last emotion as they erupted from out their jail. At first, nothing happened. Then, she fainted. Oralie's eyes fluttered shut, and her grasp on Owen went limp. Kenric spun round, bile rising in his throat, as his heart began to pound. His hand shot out before his brain could even process the situation and his index finger managed to catch the baby's cape, but, Oralie continued to fall.