"Amiera: Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserve and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won"
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YEAR: 1213, SOMEWHERE IN THE MONTH OF MARTIUS, OF MERIDITH'S LUNAR CALENDAR.
KINGDOM: DREADVOWS
AMIERA'S POV:
FLASHBACK 8 YEARS AGO.
"Monster"
"Take her away from my eyes."
"Father..."
"No, I am not your father. I am not. You cannot be my daughter. You were not born with my powers. I must kill you."
"No ahhhh" The scream filled the area.
"Shh, darling don't worry. I will always protect you."
"But mother why am I so different?" Why does my father dislike me so much?
"You are different because you are special. You always have been. And our father loves you. He just... I hope time will heal everything Amiera. But promise me you'll never use your power to harm anyone!"
"Okay, I promise!"
Flashback after a few days
I was sitting by the window and thinking about what I did to make our father so angry with me. As far as I could remember he used to love me. But something happened. He changed. He somehow hates me the most now. And I have no idea what did I do to make him such angry with me.
"Look that is the monster" A few kids stopped by as they looked at me in fear. As soon as I look back at them they run away.
"Wait..." I shouted. "I am not a monster." I tried telling them, but they ran away as fast as they could. I hated being here. I was kept mostly inside. Locked away with my powers. I was not allowed to use my powers unless it was ordered.
I felt suffocated. The fire in me wanted to burn, wanted to ignite, wanted to get free, but there was no way.
And that causes me to get angry more often.
I ignited my powers as I lose my control over it and it hit a few of them who mocked me a few days ago. I don't really know what to do unless a hand stopped me.
"Amira!"
It was my mother. Her deep eyes stare at mine. "What are you doing?" she asks still bewildered to see that I was going to attack people. But I had a reason.
"They mocked me, I have a right to -"
"But you cannot just kill them. Besides, you promised that you'd never use your powers again!" she cried. I couldn't understand why does everyone hate me and my power so much. Even though they knew I was the strongest.
FLASHBACK TO A YEAR AGO
I helped my mother to arrange the table for the sanctum of my sister. Her picture stands in the middle of the room with flowers and fruits as offering to her. Naya and I had beautiful memories of childhood. We laughed and cried together. It was like she was my best friend. Even when others would make fun of me, she would protest.
But that was it. Suddenly she disappeared. I remember I would cry for her till late at night. I missed her. Later I found out she had died. I was hurt to know that my sister was dead. My mother wouldn't tell me the reason behind her death though.
"I hope you find peace, my dear!" Mother cried before her picture. I stood by her side, hoping somewhere she would be still safe.
The door burst open when my father entered. Drunk.
"How can you put up with such an act?" He questioned at mother who was surprised just as I am. "How can you call yourself a mother when you've actually stayed with your child's murderer?" He questioned. His legs were wobbly and his eyes were filled with tears. The pain he was in was palpable, but I couldn't stand the way he kept insulting his mother.
"Father... You are..."
"Stay away you little bitch. It is you who have destroyed our family." He spat angrily. I could just stand and listen.
"Marcus! Stop! It was not her fault!" Mother tried to tell him, but he was not ready to listen.
Wait what is going on here? Did I perhaps kill Naya? But how? I don't even remember.
"How can you say that? She burned her!" he said while breaking down into tears. I froze at my place, not wanting to believe a word he was saying. I know he is lying. Right mother? "How? How can you do that to me Fraya? How can you turn so selfish?" he cried more emerging from the ground. Mother began to console him.
And I- I just stood there processing every word he was saying.
"If it was not for you, this wouldn't had happen. We could have our child with us today! She killed her. She is a monster, Freya." I cried in her arms. "We should never have brought her!"
"Mother..." My voice quivered in shame and fear. I wouldn't believe it was me who killed her. My beloved sister. How can I? How did I end up killing her?
"Amiera. You need to leave here right now. I will come to find you. Now go" She ordered. But I couldn't move really. I need to know the truth. Did I really kill her?
"Tell me, Mother, did I really kill her?" I asked finally. I could feel the lumps in my throat from the tension.
"No, No honey, it was just an accident-"
"It was not an accident you monster, you burned a dragon shifter with your Phoenix fire. The fire that never stops! You are a monster" He said while standing up. I involuntarily took a few steps backwards. I could feel the rage in his eyes.
"Fath-"
"Don't you dare call me that? I am not our father. I never was. You are not my blood. Freya took you in when your parents abandoned you. And you wretched woman, you repay us by killing our daughter? "You don't deserve to live any more," he said as his hands reached my neck.
I could feel his strong grip around my neck now. It was hurting. Tears fell from my eyes as I saw how my mother was struggling to save me. But his rage was not stopping today. My breath began to struggle with each passing time.
Am I really gonna die?
No, we are not dying. Let me take over. Nobody would harm you after. Someone in my head told me. I was not sure if I was hearing things or if I was near death. But something happened. I couldn't control it. Something inside me pushed my skin to be set free. And before I could know anything there was fire everywhere and I passed out.
BACK TO THE PRESENT.
"Hey look there is a weird girl!" The kids in town yelled at me and began to throw stones. I ignored. I have to ignore it in order to conceal my powers.
"Go away!" I shooed them. I generally do not come to town, but it was just that my mother was sick today, so I came to make some shopping.
"I am back!" I yelled.
"Oh, I thought you had lost!" My mother yelled back from the kitchen.
"Uh no Mother, I survived." I mocked as I came inside. She was sitting by the oven making us lunch. "Hey, you could have rest today," I told her. She never usually takes rests. This is probably why she gets sick often. She never leaves a space to take care of me. As if I was the most valuable gem to her.
"Ah I am okay, it is just a fever!" She replied turning towards me. And I could still see her half-burned face which apparently couldn't suppress her beautiful smile. Although it kills me every day to see her like that. The scars that were given to me.
"Amiera! What happened to you?" She asked warily looking at the slightest blood on my forehead. Which I tried to hide, but failed miserably. "Amiera, tell me," she asked making me turn to her and keep eye to eye. She knew I couldn't lie to her. "Did you...?"
"No Mother I haven't used my powers on anybody." I could see her sigh after my confession. "It was the kids who threw stones at me."
"Oh dear, I am so sorry."
"No, you don't have to be sorry. It is not your fault. It is mine. After all, I am a monster." My eyes fell on the portrait of my sister and father. They both are dead now. The funny thing is that I killed them.
FLASHBACK TO THAT DAY
All I could remember was the fire taking over the house and all I could hear were the cries and screams. Somewhere I enjoyed it. When my fire was burning down his filthy body I could feel my smile.
"Stop!" My mother's voice came to my ears. But it was too late. I count take it back I do not know how to do that. Dragon shifters were generally the strongest. But one thing that was their boon and curse, was the fire.
And my father told me, I don't have dragon fire, rather it was phoenix fire. That never ends.
That day I saw how I had killed my father. Followed by incident I remember it was the middle of the forest where I and my sister were running. Someone was chasing us.
"Amiera keep running. Don't stop!" She said. We were too young and I could feel the fear in my heart. Whoever was after us, they were trying to kill us. And that is when I lost it. The Phoenix fire took over me for the first time. And before I would know it had burned down the whole forest.
My mother never told me that. She tried to hide so that I didn't feel sad. But sadly I do. I feel guilty. But all I have now is my mother. And I was ready to take down anyone who'd come to harm her.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hello guys, hope you are all doing fine. It's been almost winter. Make sure you take care of yourself. Thank you for reading this book, please don't forget to vote and share <3