"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." —Marcel Proust.
~~
It was a thousand years back. Things were not as colonized and developed as it is in the future, but things are decent and not as problematic as what people might think. With the help of the Deities and management of the three families of sorcerers, everything was prosperous and lively. They work together to maintain balance for the world as for their creator's orders.
The sorcerers were named the disciples of the Gods, and each head of the three families of sorcerers was the reigning King or Queen for the central kingdom of three Lands. The 16th generation heir of the powerful family at the Land of Night was born, and she was named Penelope. She was admired for her high strength and power at such a young age, and so caught the Deities' interest. Eternal life was blessed for her as a reward and received their holy seal, which the sorceress took big pride on.
Things were standard at the start, but as time goes by, the eyes of people turned towards power than glory for their Gods. Taking envy on Penelope's blessing than do what's should. As a result, the war has begun.
~~~
Catherine woke up, gasping for breath and her cheeks covered in wet tears. She was woken by a scenario in her dreams, crying, yet she felt no fear and pain. It was no nightmare, but she stirs in tears. Catherine rubbed the salty liquid off her face before turning to look at the clock. It was three in the morning, and it made her brows furrowed as it was unusual for her to overslept. She got out of the bed and opened the closed curtains. The sun rays entered the room, and it made her eyes sleepy eyes hurt slightly. Her eyes narrowed to keep less light from entering her eyes as she looks around the garden. She was greeted by the flowers as usual and welcomed them back with a smile.
Her morning went on and finished her usual activities. She completed her books then roamed around the garden without Lucas, sadly. Instead of spending most of her playtime in the yard like she used to, she headed towards the place where she met Ezio, the fields of dandelion flowers.
Catherine arrived in the fields; thus, her eyes immediately glanced around the area. There seems to be no one around. Catherine walks through the ground, and the flowers shook as she walks past them swayed, and its seeds flew gently in the air. It danced through the wind around the innocent little lady, and the sight of the fluffy white strands of seeds amused her. She ran past the flowers, enjoying the scene of them fly and unaware that the flower seeds growing back at the dandelion head as she touched them. She giggled and played 'till she reached the hill while panting from exhausting running. She searched her eyes around once again, but Ezio seems to be not in the area. She walked to the tree and leaned her back on it, taking a short rest from all those jogging and playing.
Her energy appears to stimulate after a few minutes, and she finally caught her breath. Catherine was still waiting for the friend to come, and so to pass the time, she walked away and glanced at the area. She was walking backwards when she bumped onto someone else's back. She stepped away in surprise then turned around to see that it was Ezio. Their eyes met when he turned around. "Oh!" they uttered synchronously.
Catherine laughed, and Ezio smiled at her. "Jinx," he said. "What brought you here?" he put down the hamper he was carrying beside the foot of the enormous tree. A white blanket was covering the top of it, so it's hard to see what's inside.
"At this time of the day, I don't have any more things to do, so I thought I should visit here." She balanced herself on the thick roots of the tree that's sticking up the ground. Catherine hopped down and landed in front of Ezio. "Let's play," she said energetically.
"No," Ezio immediately rejected her flat.
"Why not?" Catherine frowned when he refused.
"That's for kids." He sat down under the tree and glanced around the fields of dandelion.
"We are kids!" Catherine puffed her cheeks as she started to get annoyed.
"No, I'm eleven," he answered and met her hazel and green eyes with his diamond blue before answering, "not a kid anymore." He pointed at himself, using his thumb. Catherine's shoulders droop, so she just sat beside him as he refused to play with her. "I only come here to train. You should, too."
Catherine tilted her head to the side, clueless of what he significate. He noticed her reaction, so he grabbed a tangerine inside his hamper and started peeling it. It wasn't for a snack, but instead, Ezio only grabbed the seed and handed it to Catherine. Uncertainty was drawn to her face as she observes what he was doing. He signalled for her to open her palms, which she did, so he then set the seed on. In a split second, the seed unfolds, then suddenly sprouted out, grew roots, and a leaf. Catherine got startled that it would happen, so she shrieked and leapt in fear then threw it away. Ezio burst out laughing.
The little girl yet felt apprehended as she stares at the tangerine seed, which just grew. "What was that?" Catherine wide eyes and pale looked at the seed.
"What do you think?" Ezio stood up from sitting down. He popped a piece of tangerine inside his moth while still grinning from the prank he pulled. It's not actually a prank as it was Catherine's power that activated unconsciously.
"Is that some kind of magic tangerine?" Finally, she calmed down and looked at him, bewildered.
"No, you did that."
"How?" The little girl cluelessly asked.
"With your magic." Ezio opened up his palm, and blue sparkled showed above it, then it formed to droplets of liquid.
Catherine's eyes twinkled in excitement and wonder as she gapes at the liquid levitated above his palm. It increased in size and volume then Ezio controlled it above their heads. He used another hand to move the water then glides his hands swiftly towards the field. The water trickled through the dandelion field. The wet grass beamed under the Day Sun, and the raw seeds of the dandelion flew. It was a gorgeous view. Catherine cried out in joy as she jumped up and down from amusement.
She turned towards Ezio, then asked, "How did you do that?"
"I train," Ezio answered, a proud grin was plastered on his face. Catherine still doesn't get how a human can manipulate and create water by only training, but the question got pushed out of her thoughts by the admiration for his magic.
"Let's play with those!" She pulled him down the hill while giggling. Ezio has the look of protest, but he gave in anyway. Using magic while playing with her means training while doing what she requested, so it will still please both sides, so he didn't mind.
"Try to catch me with your magic!" Catherine sticks her tongue out before running ahead before him. Ezio shook his head sideways before running after her. Their legs shook the stems of the dandelions as they rand and made the achenes dance around them. While Ezio ran, he moved his hands in a circular motion then stood still to target her. He first made sure that the water he created was gentle when struck before he stepped his left foot forward then pulled back his hand. Ezio then threw the water towards Catherine's way with just enough acceleration to reach her.
Catherine's hair whipped back when she turned towards where Ezio is. The boy was a little afar from her when she saw the ball of liquid coming towards her. She gasped in alarm then tried to guard herself using her two arms crossed in front of her face. She closed her eyes shut as she prepared for the impact when the next thing she felt was a gust of hot air passing through ger and the sound of steam hissing.
Catherine opened her eyes. She looked for the water which was rushing towards her, but it doesn't seem as it hit somewhere else. The smell of burnt grass and dandelion filled the air, but there's no fire in the area. Just a trace of dark burned up plants before her and steam rising above. Ezio looked disappointed as he turned towards the direction where somebody stopped his enchantment. Catherine turned towards there, too, and they see a pair of red eyes with an orange hexagon pattern on it. His eyes were bright and shining underneath the dark shadows of the trees. He finally stepped out to reveal Solaris, who has his arms crossed while eyeing them similarly.
"Solaris!" Catherine called out and waved with a smile.
"Tsk!" Ezio snorted at him.
"Yo!" Solaris walked towards them, letting out a carefree aura around him.
"Where did your attack go?" Catherine asked Ezio, who was looking at the burnt area of the field.
"That fellow released fire to stop mine," Ezio answered, then furrowed his brows at Solaris. "What do you want?"
A severe tension filled the two. The field became silent, and the dancing achenes were gone as it was blown away somewhere by the wind. Ezio started at Solaris, who remained his laid back attitude unwavering. Just then, Catherine walked towards the burned area then asked as if she was utterly unbaffled by the two lad's glare at one another, "So, Solaris made this?" The two boys snapped back from their scowls then they shifted towards the girl.
"Sure, I did." He smiled proudly.
As soon as Catherine's foot stepped onto the burnt up ground, it healed like magic and ultimately turned to its natural colour green and dandelion's fluffy white. She stepped back in surprise as she witnessed them transform. Ezio grinned as he observed while Solaris wide-eyed confirmed his assumptions as he looked at her with pride and excitement building up his chest.
"The moment I saw you, I knew you had that ability!" Solaris jogged up to her and smacked her on the back lightly. He laughed in joy while Catherine stares back at him, addled.
Ezio walked towards them and pulled Solaris by the back of his shirt's collar. "Stop it, you creep."
"I'm just happy, dude. Don't spoil my fun." He was smiling from ear to ear as he told Ezio, who just scoffed at him.
"Well, nothing to be overjoyed about," Ezio said.
"Umm..." Catherine let out, trying to take a chance to slip between the two boys' exchange. "Sorry, but I'm confused." She creased her eyebrows at them.
"Kiddo, you're special," Solaris answered then pats her on the head.
~~
After a while, Catherine went home and left the two boys bickering at one another. Apparently, Solaris has been bugging Ezio to train with him since they first met and he also invited the little girl yo join them. Solaris was persistent even though he was being rejected, so Catherine left the two there alone to escape from further trouble. Well, it's almost time for dinner, anyway. The little girl was going down her path home, kicking pebbles she sees in front of her while she ponders on the words Solaris told her. She wondered why she only noticed just now her ability and whether her father knew.
Catherine's thoughts continue to drift somewhere else until suddenly, she saw a figure that appeared at her peripheral vision. She looked at it and met eyes with an old lady, wearing a black cloak and was grinning at her. It was the lady who Solaris told was the rumoured sorceress. The sorceress' face was shadowed by her black hood, but it is not dim enough to cover her face. The little girl shivered at the sorceress' creepy face and her vicious grin is enough to give the little girl goosebumps.
The old lady stepped forward towards her whilst her smile spreading wider; then, a wicked laugh escaped past her lips. Catherine froze in fright. The girl's face was pale white and her heartbeats faster from uneasiness. Somehow, she recognized that face, but they haven't met each other yet besides there in the library.
"How fascinating. I never imagined that you will have such an adorable odd beauty in a human form, grace," the sorceress said as she slowly closes their distance which terrifies the child even more. "Though, you're better with no face just like before," the enchantress continued. Still, before she can get near her, Catherine screamed in fear. As a result, her power flowed uncontrollably. Her magic moved the vines, grass, and branches around her in a rampage. The dense roots of trees grew and wrapped around the sorceress' body, but her face remained her unpleasant evil grin. The old lady laughed in delight as she saw the little girl scream and cry in fright. Strong mixed up emotion build up inside Catherine's chest, which she doesn't even know what but the most abundant she felt was the pain.
Just then, Solaris came up rushing towards their location, far back behind him was Ezio. They dodged the growing plants launching towards their direction, the panic was written all over their face. Solaris ducked at the branch whipping towards him then he when raised his head up, he saw the sorceress's face staring directly at Catherine and enjoying her sorrow. Same as Catherine, he felt a rush of emotions mixed concurrently. Memories flashed before his eyes which he hasn't experienced yet in his lifetime. Everything he recalls was vivid, but a definite feeling was left overpowering inside his chest... Betrayal.
Solaris' brows met, and his eyes flared with anger. He sprinted towards the sorceress then stepped onto a tree trunk and jumped, lunging towards her. Focusing the heat onto his palm, his hand flickered with flame sparks until it formed to a big ball of fire and threw it towards the obducted sorceress. The aged lady's eyes turned towards Solaris, and her smile fades when she saw the massive ball of fire headed towards her way.
The sorceress screamed when it struck her, flames and sparks flew out everywhere and burned the wooden roots wrapped around her. The fire spread out through the plants and bushed, eating everything it touches. Catherine gasped when she finally came to her senses. Her watery eyes search for the sorceress, but she was no longer in sight as she was engulfed by the continuous immense fire.
Ezio reached them and angrily snapped at Solaris who also just came to his senses while looking around what he did in the woods, "you fool!"
He created a big ball of water and spattered it everywhere in a rush. He tried his best to stop the expanse, but some of the fire was only pushed from the impact, resulting in it to lick more surfaces and make things worse. The three children panicked, notably Solaris, for he was the one who caused the forest fire. Solaris gritted his teeth when even Ezio can't stop it, and he knows that any minute now, they will also get harmed, too.
"It's futile, water boy! Let's go!" Solaris grabbed Catherine's wrist, which was ice cold from fear and Ezio by the back of his collar. Ezio protested to go, but Solaris was more durable, so he does not have any choice but let him lead them out.
They ran away from the raging heat of the fire, and the place is starting to get covered by the dark smoke, so it's harder to see. As they flee, they coughed up the inhaled smoke and their eyes narrowed as the gasses start to hurt their eyes. Catherine hurled the fire faster to chase due to her leaking hysterical power drying up the natural environment wherever her feet touch. It's making things more flammable.
The little girl's heart race from fear and worry and the fire's heat is getting to her, making her sweat like bullets. She can't breathe rapidly to give enough oxygen for her body or else she will just sniff more carbon dioxide. Her lungs are burning from pain, and fatigue makes everything more terrible. Finally, they see her house only a few meters away. Bastian was outside and has his brows furrowed from distress. The thick black smoke rises from above, and Bastian can see it from home. They reached the front of her house and finally fled the inner forest. Their home was in the middle of open space in the jungle so the fire won't reach them there, but that does not mean that they are safe.
Catherine and Solaris stumbled on the ground as weariness came to them plus the throbbing pain inside their chest. They coughed out smoke, but Ezio remained standing and has his hands on his knees. He was glad that they can finally breathe in the fresh air, but their problem is not solved yet. Bastian ran up to them and crouched to rub Catherine's back.
"My, what have you kids been doing?" Bastian asked as he continues to comfort Catherine. "We need to get outta here. The fire would get us!" Catherine nods, but Ezio refused as he faces the flames.
Ezio released his magic and attacked the fire launching towards their direction. He tried his best to stop them so that the flames can't range at their location. Bastian watched him wide eyes as Ezio continued to release and put out the blaze. When he was sure that it won't proceed at their area, he ran to the other sides to stop it further.
Bastian was amused that he came upon another with such ability, but his attention turned towards Solaris when he spoke, "it was all my fault," he said, his tone guilty and down. Solaris sat on the grass carpet and looked at the ground, his shoulders slumped.
"What happened?" Bastian looked at the two kids with a worried look. Catherine remained silent. It looked like she was traumatized after all that happened so Solaris spoke up. The sorceress was gone, but they are not even sure if she's already burned up then became ash in that forest or she used some kind of sorcery to elope. They are unsure since the flames pretty much covered up her figure and she was gone.
"Oh, heavens..." Bastian said after hearing the story and realizing that even Solaris has a skill.
Ezio came back, and they noticed that the fire has stopped spreading, thankfully. But, the lad was wobbly and looked drained. There were also a few burns on his skin. He fell onto the ground, so Bastian and the two ran up to him. "Hey, young man, hang in there!" Bastian shook his body, but he gives no response. His breathing was ragged, so they took him in to care for his wounds and for him to rest.