Axion's P.O.V.
The day starts so very unlike all the others I've woken up to. All of yesterday and last night had been clear of clouds. Not a single one in sight as far as the eye could see. The Elder had predicted it to be sunny today, but that was not the case. Elder Ryo has never been wrong either. We've had storms before. Massive storms lasting a few days that turn into tornadoes. Ones that have ravaged our town and left a huge line of debris, but this....this. I could not even fathom what caused such a storm to appear.
The clouds are a dark black-purple. They roil around like they are alive. Like beasts prowling, weaving and moving closer all around their prey. The sky is covered with these clouds. Not a patch of it open to let the sun that is hiding just behind it in. It looks thick. It's swirling slowly in a very wide arc. The eye of it is centered over the Elder's Castle. Inside the storm, there are patches that light up a brighter purple and red.
"Honey, are you up?" my mother calls from downstairs. The sound of clanking in the kitchen along with a distant sizzling tells me she's cooking breakfast. The smell of fat and meat makes my mouth water. Mhmm, bacon.
"Yeah, I'll be down in a sec," I reply. I go into my bathroom to start my quick morning routine.
I brush out my hair first. It's long and brown, like mahogany. It doesn't tangle as bad today so I let it tumble down to the middle of my back instead of putting it up. I suppose I can deal with it getting in my face for one day. It is my birthday after all. Finally an adult.
As I pass my window to my closet I can't help but get this really odd feeling. This storm is just so unusual. The Elder can send it away if he wanted to I'm sure. He's never let harm come to anyone in Cobblestone. We'll be fine, I tell myself. You worry too much. I laugh out loud at my foolishness. It's just a storm. Cheer up! I am eighteen now!
What do I wanna do, though, now that I'm an adult? I can become an apprentice. How
come I never thought of these things before? I have my life ahead of me and I don't even know what I want to do, to become. I've been focused on getting through each day and yet I somehow forgot to think of my future. Jeez, I am so going to need to decide on that soon.
I open the closet door and immediately pull out my favorite pair of clothes. I throw on my most comfortable pair of black leggings and a black tank-top with a blue plaid button down shirt. Blue being my favorite color.
On my dresser, I notice a gift from mum wrapped in a fancy gold paper. I tear off the wrapping and open the small box. In it is a single glove. The one I wanted at the market the other day. It's made of that thin blue material that slides easily over my hand. It's not just any blue though, it's my most favorite color. A color that is hard to find on the market, I call it icy-sky blue. I remove my worn black glove, replacing it with the new one. I catch a glimpse of the black mark on my hand. For a second, I feel like there's something unusual about it, but it looks the same as it has for the past eighteen years.
I put on socks and boots before heading down. My footsteps are light on the wooden stairs. Moco, our small white Yorkie, is lazing peacefully on the couch. He perks up as soon as I enter the room.
In the kitchen I find mum. She has two plates of eggs and bacon already set out on the table. "Happy Birthday, Axion!" mum says as she gives me a big hug. "How do you like the glove?"
"I love it, it's awesome," I say, stretching my fingers and making a fist for her to see.
"I'm so glad. The salesman gave me a discount when I said it was for your birthday. Eat up! The bacon just got delivered."
"So is the Elder gonna finally tell me what this mark means today?" I ask curiously. I pick up my fork and taste a bite of eggs. Then the bacon, which is perfect. It's crunchy and fatty. Normally I'm not supposed to ask about it, but I feel like today I have the right to ask.
"Axion, how many times do I have to tell you, even I don't know about that," She waves her spatula at me. She's right, I do know, but that doesn't mean I can't hope. My mother has tried to get it out of the Elder many times, but he finally made it a rule that I couldn't ask because as our leader he would make the right decision to tell us at the right time.
"Aw, alright."
She cleans dishes as I eat. We make small talk about the weather and the local gossip. Apparently someone's cart got raided on the way in from the Silver Mountains. The man said it looked like a ghost or something. Could've been a little tipsy at the time, though. There's never been a ghost in the mountains. Or even in our town.
As I cleaned the scraps into Moco's food dish and slipped the plate into the soapy dishwater there came a harsh knocking on our door. When mom goes to check she's met with an out-of-breath Rick, the Elder's apprentice. I stand back in the doorway of the kitchen to see what it is.
"The Elder has advised that everyone get to the castle right away. You must both go now," Rick says in an official tone. His voice is gruff.
"What? Why?" my mother questions. I come to the door at this point.
"This storm could be very dangerous. You must leave now." He ushers my mother out the door into the cobblestone road and he makes to grab my arm but I jump away. "Where's Moco? Let me get her first."
I go to the living room, but he's not on the couch. "Moco!" I yell and in the kitchen. Not there either. Then I hear a bark from the backyard. He's staring into the forest. "There you are, Moco come here. Moco!" He ignores me and starts barking at the trees. Then he dashes into the bushes, out of sight.
"No, you both need to-" Rick starts.
A sudden crackling races through the sky, interrupting him. A bolt of lightning strikes the house next to us. The hay and wood roof lights easily with fire and it spreads fast. It catches on our house and the one on its other side. Rick tries grabbing for my arm again, but I run through the house out the back door after Moco. "I can't leave Moco!" I try and yell over the thunder, but it's drowning out our voices.
He yells for me to stop and turn around. I hear mum's voice calling to me and then there's a crash. I spin quick and see the middle of the house cave in with burning wood and flames.