*

Smoke filled the sky, the ash and debris filled air made it so hard to breathe. The figure of a small girl laid sprawled on the floor, her tangled brown hair covered most of her face. Her fawn skin was cover in soot and ash, she coughed loudly and tried to clear the air. Her eyes burned and started to sting from the smoke. She let out a low groan of pain and forced her eyes to open. She tried to make out what was in front of her but it was hard to make anything out through her blurry vision.

She shook her head with a bit of force and re opened her eyes to take a look. Her eyes blinked furiously as they tried to focus, when they did there stood the large figure of a man. His blue eyes were wide with panic his mouth moved but no words were coming out.

He continued to wildly gesture with his hands and his mouth moved frantically. His eyes held so much desperation as he continued to give her pleading looks.

"Elu." He called out. His voice filtered through her head like a familiar tune. A voice she remembered but she couldn't recall who's voice it was. Like a puzzle with missing pieces she couldn't quite put together.

*

"Elu! Elu! Elu-" a new voice shrieked, calling her back to reality and stirring her from her sleep.

Elus eyes shot open and her heart dropped when she jumped awake, her head spun from the harsh movement making her let out a small yelp.

She turned her head sharply, her face dropped into a scowl and she glared at the person who woke her up from her nap.

Wild white hair and a pair of dark pink eyes looked back at her. His head was slightly turned to his right side and he stared at her curiously.

She bit her tongue harshly to quench her anger and to avoid reaching out and tugging on his slightly pointed ears.

"Was that a nightmare?" His voice was so soft, he gently moved to sit next to her. She blinked at him curiously, soft and Kaene don't mix very often. Rather than start a fight she jumbled her thoughts and tried to figure out the nicest way of telling him to shove off. When she couldn't think of anything she gave him a curt response instead.

"No." She mumbled, turning to look away from him. She couldn't find it In herself to make eye contact with her half brother.

"It's nothing like that Kaene. You can go, I'm fine."

"If you say so."

He rolled his eyes so naturally she almost missed it. He gave her a shrug and stood up giving her a small smile in the process. With one final look he turned and fled back to where he came from. Back to his sword lessons with his mother and younger sister.

Elu watched him leave and when he was out of sight she laid back down fully. She wondered who the person was in her dream and what he was trying to tell her. More importantly though she wanted to know why fire and smoke filled the sky.

She couldn't think of anything besides the dream being nothing more than a dream. Instead she pushed the thoughts away and sat back up again. As much as she wanted to take a small nap she was curious to see what Kaene and Vanorie her half siblings were up too.

She turned to watch Kaene practice with his mother. Kaene was only two years older than her and at only 14 he had already surpassed their oldest brother Daliar at swordsman ship. The maids often gossiped he would probably become the leader of the royal knights when he got older. Or something along those lines.

She scoffed 'he has elf blood in his veins so of course he's going to excel in fighting.'

Kaenes mother was a Warrior from a elf tribe just outside the empires borders. She was originally a prisoner captured to be executed and set as an example to her people. The Empress Eilonwy didn't like the idea of spilling blood and insisted on the emperor taking her in as a concubine to possibly create a treaty with the elves.

Concubine Rhedyn is tall, very tall, as tall or maybe taller than the emperor. From what she had heard Rhedyn had lots of muscles when she was first brought to the palace but now she's just slightly toned. She had long white hair that reminded her of freshly fallen snow. Her skin is a tawny color, like the fallen orange-brown autumn leaves in the fall. Her eyes a cool sage green color that put even the freshest herbs to shame. And her ears were long sharp and pointed, like a dagger she kept strapped to her right leg.

Vanorie her youngest sibling was only four years old. She looked like an exact carbon copy of her mother, white hair, tall, tawny colored skin, and long ears, except her eyes were a deep shade of red that rivaled their fathers.

Kaene was almost the opposite of both of them his ears were almost normal but still had a little point on them marking his elf blood. His hair was the same shade of white, with tawny colored skin, and he was tall like his mother. His eyes though were a deep dark pink that were often mistaken as red.

She frowned internally, Vanorie was easy to get along with because she was so young and eagerly received attention and affection from anyone. Kaene on the other hand held was difficult to get along with. He did as he pleaded not caring about consequences; he knew their older brother would take the blame and punishment for him.

She stood up and angrily kicked at the dirt in front of her, out of all her half siblings she disliked him the most. His personality was so trashy and unpredictable.

Deep and unforgiving like an ocean; one minute he's kind, thoughtful, playful even or pulling harmless pranks. Like a storm that appears with no warning the next moment the once calm seas become raging waves dead set on drowning you. His eyes steel over he's abrasive his words are harsh, he's irrational and easily irritable, he lashes out and it's impossible to get though to him. His hatred for the world clouds his vision and he loses his better judgment becoming exactly what the nobles want him to become.

A reason.

A reason to get rid of him and his family. Elves aren't very welcomed in the kingdom and despite them having the Emperors blood they are still not taken seriously. Even the Empress Eilonwy struggles to keep the nobles at bay against them.

She watched him so intently she was sure her eyes would dry out from the lack of blinking. There he stood in the sun laughing, he swung his sword and turned to flash an evil grin at his sister.

He mocked a swing at her causing her to laugh and swing her small wooden sword in rebuke to his. He playfully dropped his sword and feigned hurt as he dropped to the floor causing Vanorie to giggle even more as she tackled him into a hug on the floor.

He jumped up scooping her up with one arm, and swung his sword like he was in a duel with his free hand.

His mother stood off to the side watching the two of them with a smile on her face and pride gleaming from her green eyes. Her white hair that matched her two kids swayed In the wind painting a perfect serene family portrait.

"Forget our sake but for your own sake," her voice was breathy, she closed her eyes and sent a prayer to the wind that was slowly picking up,

"I hope the seas stay calm brother."