Her body tensed. Her nerves recoiled, dislodged and cramped. Icicles formed in between her joints. She watched her brother with narrowed eyes. Memories and vivid gory images tried to escape the road block in her mind. To force past the barrier shielding the rest of her well being.
"Mother's favourite, fulfilling the part as always." His smooth voice rumbled through the air. The tension congested Maya. "Too bad she isn't alive to see what a disappointment you are." Despite being four years older, Maya still had to look up to view her brothers face. His eyes. A gray she'd seen for thirteen years on her mother. The colour was soft and tender, loving. It sparkled when she was happy, it always sent a rush through her. But her brother's eyes were hard, cold. Almost evil, watching for signs of weakness.
"Your need for mother's attention still hasn't left you. I thought big boys don't need their parents approval." Maya mocked. Confirming it, his pale face flushed. He shook a hand at her, his face still flushed.
"I do not need mothers approval! She was merely someone who saw something in you that wasn't there and shell regret her misled decisions." Her face remained lined. These words now felt more like food she had to eat than insults.
"Unoriginal as always, your insults are worse than they used to. Try harder." his face flushed more. She merely watched him in his heated rage and embarrassment. She folded her arms over her chest.
"Father was angry about the news of your win." He began, a smile in his eyes. She watched him with a bland look. Still, deep inside she couldn't help the rage that growled when any mention of her father came round. She forced the memories back into that tiny vault, beyond the sealed door. One escaped and flooded her mind with a small image that immersed her deep in the memory. Singed flesh. Chills ran up and down her spine. She pushed it back and pried back to reality.
"-they were so-"
Maya began to walk away. Her head prowled with clumsy thoughts, all jam packed together. She could hear her brother shouting something but she took no heed. Her thoughts criss-crossed her mind. Father was angry about her win, as expected. A little part of her thawed from the pain of that statement. All the ties, she had with most people was of resentment and anger. A word came to mind that brought back memories. A nick name given to her because of her anger. Furiosa. Tumbleweeds of images, spiked down the hill of her mind.
Her small frame hovering over another childs, bloodied and bruised. The sound of the clip clop of her boots muted in the sand. She looked at the sky. It was mid-day, the sky sloshed with the colors of a wide ocean blue that high tailed whitish patches of clouds that wandered the sky. The sun stood as bright as ever, radiating the goodness of the day. Even as she passed now, she could feel the lingering stares and whispers. She understood their caution, the guilt from those memories had taught her to not lose her temper.
She'd succeeded. In the five to six years that had passed, no single incident had taken place. But of course, their view on her still remained the same. They still saw her as the girl whom came home covered with blood at least three times a week. They still saw her as the girl whom got into a fight with everyone and had to have her parents consoled on how monstrous their child was. She remembered the severity of all the punishments she'd received from her father. Her urge to leave this isle had since increased. All she could remember when she thought about her life here, were the horrible memories. Most, whether the punishments or the fights, were thrusted into nothing but blood, guilt, anger, sadness and resentment.
She looked up and found Alia and Ajax's house, that was a splitting image to the rest of the houses. The hustle and bustle of life continued. The atmosphere pulsed with happiness while she was the dark cloud of gory themes that took that all away. The gate was unlatched. She stalked towards the door, the sound of her boots accompanying her in the silence. She felt bone tired all of a sudden. Her knees quaked as she latched onto the door. Her chest spewed with pain. She breathed in deeply, pushing through the pain. The sooner she left, the better.
The smell of lamb broth wafted past her nostrils. She opened the door slowly, it creaked as it went. Alia stood with her back to her as she turned the broth with a wooden ladle. She closed the door and it knocked against its hinges loudly. Alia turned, her eyes softened slightly.
"How was it?" she asked as she watched Maya kick off her boots.
"Same old, same old. Exchanged a few words with Amelia," she winced slightly, feeling guilty for telling her off when she was just looking out for her.
"We're all just trying to help." She said as she turned back to the broth. "I know its been hard since your mother died and worse thanks to those insufferable males," she carried a knife and chopping board that hung off one of the row of tiny poles. She carried an already peeled onion from a small basket.
"And believe me, if I had the chance I'd gouge their eyeballs out. Those two males, don't even deserve anything good. How I haven't done anything to both of them is still beyond me." She said this all the while cutting the onions as if her father and brother were the onions themselves. The tang of onions filtered through the kitchen. Maya coughed, her chest wheezing from the stench. Her eyes watered. She gave Maya an apologetic look. She cleaned her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic.
"You know, Ajax wouldnt be too be so happy about you talking about his king like that? Plus, you could be beheaded for such fowl words." Maya snickered as Alia rolled her eyes at the mention of her husband. She carried the chopping board to the pot and allowed the onions fall into it.
"I will never understand how that man still has an ounce of respect for those those ogres. I lost it all after they said I was a demon breed because of my eyes. And our king doesn't have the spine to behead any one." A bitter taste vaulted through her mind. Her stomach churned as a foul feeling creased her system. She coughed and looked away, her mind lost. She shook it off. Her dark thoughts and emotions took the back seat, back in their hollow vault. Maya smiled, happy in a sense that she had someone that understood how she felt.
"Insult number nine? I've heard that so many times that I'm confused whether or not I should laugh or pretend to be angered. I still see they have a lot to do in the insult department." Alia's head swung back in a quick laugh. Strands of her wavy hair snuck out from her loose ponytail, accentuating her exotic features.
"Gav-"
"Do not speak his name," she shuddered involuntarily. "That boy is on my already filled blacklist. He's father's boys facade is infuriating-"
"You know that Diane also falls into that category." Maya sat down on the stool. Her belly grumbled softly. The aroma licked her nostrils invitingly.
"Well Diane's is.. natural. His is artificial." Maya watched as she grabbed a bowl from the line of drawers that covered the bottom as well as the top.
"That makes no sense."
"I am your elder and whatever I say is right is right." She scooped some of the broth into the bowl. The ceramic immediately heated up, she rushed to drop it onto the table. Maya raised a brow.
"But you said-"
"Doesn't matter! My lapses have nothing to do with this." Maya shook her head, sometimes it felt like they were both sisters. Of course, the gap between their ages was eight good years. But sometimes, she could see a little piece of her mother in her every day. She felt happy. Her worries, guilt, pain, they'd had their moment. She allowed herself to soak in this bliss of a moment. Minutes passed by and soon her bowl was empty. Alia offered to help her clean it immediately. Maya smiled in thanks, feeling tired once again. She walked down the corridor. The single door to her left was closed. Amelia's room.
Since Amelia's parents died, she moved to different houses, as tradition in this isle. She'd chosen to stay with Alia, two years after. At that time, Maya only came here when her father had punished her so severely that she couldn't stay at home. She'd always run here for refuge. In the arms of her wrangling teacher and his wife. She reached out to the door knob. It was cool.
Their relationship had been strained at first. To say, Amelia was frightened by her was an understatement. Although, she hadn't engaged with Maya at all, the rumors from school and the other islians had her shaking from fear without her speaking a word to her. But slowly, she'd warmed up to Maya. As she'd put it, seeing her, doing things like a human being made her realize that she didn't seem so bad. Of course, also seeing the results of her father's wrath first hand had also played a part. Maya could still hear the accusatory tone.
Most of the other islians knew of these altercations. If it were someone else they'd have stepped in but it was Maya. A bitter laugh escaped her throat. She deserved worse, they'd all said. Maya shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Guilt washed over her from earlier today. She knew Amelia wasn't around so she turned away. She headed to her room, feeling the tiredness wash over her. She lunged at the bed, tackling it. Her eyes flickered about, drooping slightly.
She rubbed the golden trinket. Her throat lodged. A distant song from a memory filled the corridors of her mind. The melody lulled her into a dreamless sleep.
***
Maya awoke two hours later. Her eyes no longer sagged with sleep. She clambered out of bed, when she heard the creak of Amelia's door. She walked out of her room. The corridors were darker, the musky scent of lavender filled the corridor. She could hear the hums and shuffling from the other side.
She pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, stopping all the sounds. Maya found Amelia seated on a small stool, a mannequin stood before her. A gorgeous gown hugged its body. It was a green mermaid gown. Tarps of white silk entwined through the seams at the waist of the dress before curling down the seams at the side. Tiny little diamonds dotted the line of its hem, before rising up to the centre of the dress. The long sleeves flayed down the dress, several inches long, encrusted with the same designs as the bottom.
"You have that competition in the bag." Maya said watching her as she lined the heart shaped neckline with white strips of cotton. She stopped then beamed at Maya.
"Thanks, ireallywanttogotoCentralitdbenicetoknowthattheresachancethatIcouldbelikeLadyJules." Amelia said quickly, Maya barely hearing thing. Amelia's eyes widened, her eyebrows raised.
"Oh. Sorry I got excited." She wrung her hands together as she said this. Maya smiled at her. Silence encased them. She then took a deep breath.
"Amelia, I'm sorry about to-"
"No its fine. No need to feel guilty." She said with a genuine smile. Maya sighed.
"Its not," she sat on the stool next to her." I shouldn't have said all that I said. I was sad and I acted selfish by saying all those things. Heck! You also lost your parents and you don't go about complaining. I...." Maya trailed off, not entirely sure of what to say next. Amelia stood up, the sun starting to set. The room was splashed into semi darkness. She took a small lamp and lighted it quickly. The orange glow shun the darkness away. The flame cackled as she hung the lantern on a pole.
"Its fine. Really, I understand why you were angry," her once happy voice lost its glee. "I can't imagine what its like to be in your shoes." Her glum face brightened once again. "All's fair in love and war." Despite the mood, Maya snickered slightly.
"Before you go about showing off your wealth of knowledge, check up with Diane." Not sensing the insult, she smiled brightly. "Will do!" She then sighed dramatically.
"What would I ever do without you?"
"Murder English himself." Amelia's face turned to one of horror.
"Why would I do such a thing?!" Maya rolled her eyes at her. The sound of a bell from a distance rung. Amelia clapped her hands excitedly. She jumped off the stool and grabbed Maya's hand. Their footsteps echoed down the room.
"Taling time!" Amelia said in a sing song voice. Maya rolled her eyes as she let her be pulled away before muttering how taling was not a word. They both rushed out of the house. Amelia and Maya stopped at the gate, wary of the children that filed down the walkway. A few, nonchalantly, looked in their direction. On seeing Maya, their faces morphed to one of fear and they muttered something to their friends. They were soon running down the walkway.
Typical. Maya rolled her eyes. She suddenly felt a sharp tug on her hand. She flinched as Amelias small yet coarse hands dragged her down the walkway. They'd almost tripped into a couple of adults, that stood at the gate of a little hut that reeked of flowers.
"Why do we have to go for this? It's for children." Maya reminded her, sensing she'd forgotten.
"It'll be fun." She called back as they swerved through the remnants of people that still littered the already dusk surroundings. They jumped away, some stuttering on seeing her.
"Then my idea of fun is different from yours." She muttered under her breath even as she ran side by side with her. They managed to not fall over the staircase which was a miracle. The environment cackled with excitement. All the logs of wood laid against the sand. Children sat on them, chatting loudly. The howl of the wind ruffled their hair.
In the middle of the circle was a woman; older than most. Her withering body sat against the rocking chair. An air of wisdom circled around her. Her gray hair was tied back in a neat bun. Her wrinkled face exuded her old age. She pulled herself off the seat with a force that she looked like she didn't have. The cane she held, slumped down on the sand. The sound was muted yet, it calmed the talkative children. Elder Dorothy. Maya's face turned grim.
Amelia pulled them both to a log that had a scrawny little boy seated. His chestnut hair fell down his face. They both sat, the log dipped at the weight. The boy had raised his head and locked eyes with them. Fear flashed in his dark eyes, soon he was up and walking briskly to another place. Amelia nudged her, she looked up. She pointed at a log, a few feet away. Deserted.
They walked to the log and sat down. They watched the woman.
"Welcome you- " her voice had faded as quickly as it came. She placed her hand on her legs, blinking. She cast a glance at Amelia who looked on in excitement like the children did. A child in a teenager's body.
She tuned in again "-The Elementalists-" Ah, the classic. Maya could still recall the tale. Although, she'd flunked her politic classes, her history was almost spot on to the surprise of most.
The woman continued, her pale finger wrapping around the cane. "They're beings believed to be able control the elements of nature. To be able weave the fabric of Mother Nature. Legend had it that at the dawn of time," her voice echoed through the silent environment. Children stared at her, starry eyed. "The creator and his two sons came down from their thrones in the Otherworld and looked upon the vacant earth. The baby earth pulsed at their entrance, awakened by the visitors that came to its abode. The creator left his two sons on the earth with a parting gift each." The children perked up on the logs.
The backdrop of the blackened sky cushioned by the shadows of the furry clouds that once lay. The moon stood dimly, watching them in his stoic sentence.
"The younger was given the gift of curiosity. Inquisitiveness that knew no bounds. A crater that pushed the brother to seek out answers to the questions of this new world. The older was given the ability to manipulate the elements of nature. To control the nine members of the earth herself-"
"That's not fair!" A little boy shouted. Murmurs broke out. The woman raised a hand. Silence befell them once again.
"Well you'll all find out soon enough that life just isn't fair." She cleared her throat. "The man was the very first elementalist and his younger brother was the first human. Their father had sent them wives from the Otherworld and they had their families. Peace besieged these people for generations- " the log they sat on dipped slightly. Maya turned away, the words becoming background noise. A girl, their age, sat at the corner.
"The activities I'd planned thus far have been done so, I have a little time to spare." Maya raised a brow. Amelia watched the older woman at the front, tuned out of their conversation.
"I'm honored that you could spare some minutes from your tight schedule just for me." Maya drawled out. The girl gave Maya a look, her blue eyes darkening. Her voluminous dark brown hair was pinned up to a tight and neat bun. She was dressed in a long blue gown that accentuated the blue of her eyes.
"This is for you." Maya now noticed the dark satchel that rested against the girl. With a light heave, she brought a canvas from the satchel. She carefully lifted it and passed it to Maya. Her brows shot up slightly in slightly masked awe. The painting was of a woman seated by the ocean side. Bits of orange and red sided by the the greyish white cloud that enveloped the sky violently. The woman watched the bluish waters with dazzling gray eyes.
Her fiery hair bathed in a mix of orange and light red. Her hair flew back behind her. Her chest bubbled with sadness. She softly touched the woman. Her hand grazed over her, watching her as if she were there.
"Diane, you should've given it to me earlier." Diane sighed, before a small smile graced her lips.
"If I did, the painting would not have been dry and knowing you, it would have turned to a mess before you even set foot in the Graveyard." Diane said with her arms clasped. Maya took a look at it again, dazzled.
"Seriously though," She scanned it again "The fact that your parents can't notice the depth of your talent is almost painful." Maya said that with a slight wave. Diane looked on passively.
"They are my parents, they know what's best for me. Their wishes come first." Before Maya could say anything else, Diane got up. She dusted her dress quickly.
"I have to get back to my studies, the final healing test is tomorrow. Have a nice evening." Diane dipped her head slightly. She lifted the bag up and began to walk away. It still surprised her that they were friends. They were so different. Maya watched her walk down the expanse of sand until she could no longer see her. She felt Amelia's head on her neck. Her faint snores passed through her ears. She rolled her eyes. She'd have to carry her back then.
***
"The plans?" The abrasive voice said from the depths of the cloak. The figure's face was shrouded by the hood. The man across from the figure on the round table nodded. The man's hand hovered the pocket of his tights. The plans. Right next to it, his sword lay sheathed. He could end this now. He scanned around the room. Five people, of varying heights sat among the chairs pushed to the far side of the room. The same black cloak kept their identities hidden. The room looked like an abandoned bar. Cobwebs covered the ceilings. Two flight of stairs rose up from the sides of the room before meeting at the centre onto a slightly raised platform. More tables had been toppled over. Ashes covered the floor, an occasional splinter of wood peeking out from the darkened mess.
The flame of the torch at the far side of the room wilted. He looked back at the door. A few feet away. Sweat broke out on his brow. If he made a run for it, he could make it. From what he'd made out after he was ushered into this place, no one stood at the outside. The heavy scent of singed flesh disturbed him.
His throat lodged. His heart hammered. He looked at the figure from his periphery. The hooded cloak stretched down the entirety of the body. A pale hand stretched out from across the table. Commanding. He could do this. Six against one would be a major undertaking. He reached down. He smirked slightly. He'd have to do this quickly.
He shot up. The shuffling and tumbling of chairs told him they were running to him. He gave them no heed. He unsheathed his sword in mid air. The scraping of steel slashed through the atmosphere. His legs pooled down on the table. The crash of it assaulted his ears. He shot forward again, his legs twisting in mid air. Dust rose up. The figure remained still. His smile widened. He raised the sword, gripping it tightly. The sharp blade glinted wickedly.
Time seemed to slow. The temperature dropped. Heat from his body slowly drained. He felt a chill up his spine. Suddenly, dread gnawed on his heart. His momentum lulled. He saw the midnight blue of her eyes. Cold. Icy. Merciless.
"Your sacrifice has been acknowledged. Goodbye human."
The cloaked figure struck again. I want to thank God for giving me the Grace to write this. This was longer than normal but I think it went well in the end. Vote and comment if you like.