Sounds Of A Generation

Chapter 1- Armaya

Armaya blinked the sleep out of her eyes. The sun streamed in through the small round window.

Oh no. Armaya thought. I'm late! And late she was.

"Your first day!" her father said to her angrily. "You told us you were going to be responsible! No more adventures, no more sneaking out, and here you are, your hair unbrushed, your dress a mess!"

Armaya tried to open her mouth to speak, but her father cut her off.

"No! I don't want to hear any excuses. Go in the kitchen and work with your mother. I won't be requiring your help today."

Armaya's face fell. She didn't mean to go out again. She knew that she had promised her parents that she would stay inside. But that didn't stop the voice in her head. The voice that poked and begged and whispered to go see the magic girl. Oh, the girl. She was beautiful, deep raven hair down to her waist, except for one streak in the back of her head that looked as if it was made of moonlight.

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Armaya remembered the night like a dream. And perhaps it was. She couldn't remember how she got to the woods outside of town, but there she found the girl of magic. Kneeling beside the pond, creating the most wonderful sparkles and small fireworks. Armaya never spoke to her, because once the magic girl saw Armaya, she ran away, farther into the woods than Armaya had ever went.

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"Armaya!" a shout from her mother shook Armaya out of her reviere. Stop it. She told the voice in her head. I can't go out there. I shouldn't even be thinking about it. Certainly not about a girl made of magic. How ridiculous is that? But she could not get the girl to leave her thoughts as she worked beside her mother, preparing stew and bread for the dinner rush that was sure to come to the inn.

Soldiers need to eat somehow. Armaya thought bitterly.

The army had been dispatched to her little town to "keep the peace", to quote the message the leader of the soldiers gave the day they came.

Rumours had been spreading of a coup to take over the Nobles, as the ruling class was called. And with good reason. The Nobles' iron fist was causing families to starve, all to fulfil the new income quotient.

People began to spread stories of the old times when dragons roamed and the elves and faeries filled the fields with unending wheat. When the Sentients were common, and a bond was unbreakable. Before the creation of evil magic.

A knock spared Armaya from the rest of her thoughts. My treasonous thoughts. Armaya thought, knowing that the town would slaughter her if they were ever spoken aloud, no matter how much the people agreed. They would have to.

"Hey." A deep voice accompanied the knock. A tall man stood at the door. He ducked his head to get under the arch that lead to the kitchen, and stepped in the room with a familiar ease.

"Uncle Aster!" Armaya ran into his arms without pause. "How are you? You haven't stopped by in forever!"

Aster's eyes were dark and stormy, different from the happy green they normally were. "I can't talk now, sweet girl. Where is your father?"

Armaya pointed worriedly over her shoulder. "Behind the bar, as usual. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Aster laughed. But it was not his rolling, deep belly laugh. It was the laugh of a man who had suffered too much injustice in the past hours to remember how to laugh like that. "Something is a word you could use to describe it," he said bitterly.

Armaya began to follow Aster out of the door, but he turned right before entering the main room. "Not right now." His brow furrowed as he looked at her long and hard. "Promise me, whatever you hear, whatever is whispered. You stay with your father, and you pretend to know nothing about the dragons."

It was odd advice coming from Aster. Her father's younger brother had taught her everything she knew about the ancient race. When she was smaller, she fantasized about having one as a pet, but Aster was quick to smash that dream.

"No, little one. You cannot own a dragon. They are wider than the skies, older than the earth. They, along with the fae and the Sentients, were formed from the Magic of the Deep itself. The dragon are not fickle, like you or I. They would protect a trusted friend to their last breath."

The memory was one of Armaya's fondest. Her uncle was one of the most wonderful people in the world.
"Of course, Uncle Aster."

"I really haven't visited in a while! You sound like my stuck-up brother!" He stuck out his tongue at her and winked to let Armaya know he was joking. She flung her arms around him.

"Perhaps it's for the best. Then there'll be two of us keeping you in line!"

Aster rolled his eyes. "I really need to speak to your father, love."

"Sorry. I should get back to work. Come visit when you're done, yeah?"

"Of course." Aster smiled, his eyes calmed to a deep forest green with flecks of gold, and walked through the door of the inn.

A/N - so... how we liking aster?? he IS her uncle. This a gay fic you pervy bastards. It is coming btw, yk what I'm talking about. Gimme a couple chapters, set my scenes, and I'll give you some cute soft stuff as a reward, yeah? Awesome.

Also, I dont do like pics of the characters here, check out the worldanvil for that. Link in the desc. Theres character descs, maps, timelines, and more. That and this is a WIP so NOTHING is completely done. Have fun reading and sorry for the long ass a/n