I Am Lightning

A messenger greeted me when I walked out into the hallway. He bowed to me, nodded at Nova, then recited his message. While I had seen people living in my Realm with brown eyes such as his, they still stood out to me as very strange. He told me breakfast was ready for me in the great hall, and that I should make my way there. The man then skittered away for some other errand. I was already feeling pretty wound up by the fact that there was no-one here I knew, and that I was in an alien place, let alone suddenly with servants to do everything for me. I couldn’t stop thinking about my mum and dad, and how much I missed them already. And now I was asked to go to the great hall when I had no idea where it was. What should I do? I started to panic a little just as Nova crouched down in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder. His shockingly violet eyes stared into mine.
“Would you like me to lead you to the hall, Master Kari?” his voice was deep and calming. Relief flooded through me, and I nodded, swallowing back my tears. He stood and waited for a moment, then started walking away. I quickly caught up to him, walking at his side. He had just called me Master Kari. But I wasn’t a Master yet, no way. Years of training went into becoming a Master. But I was supposed to become the Master, that was true. It was the whole reason I was here.

As we passed through a hall, I spotted a mirror on the wall. A fifteen year old girl’s face pocketed with scars stared back at me.

Pain surged through my body and I screamed, fingers curling to fists, heart pounding. My eyes flashed open to find strange faces with magenta eyes staring back at me, shock and fear their only expressions. My body seemed to move of its own accord, and darkness swirled about me. I tried to move my hand, my arm, but a sharp, searing pain flowed through my limb, and suddenly I was screaming again. I could hear shouts and yells around me as black slowly started to obscure my vision.

Suddenly I was looking in a mirror, and a child’s face blinked back at me. Panic still surged through me, and my arm tingled, but when Nova looked back at me with those violet eyes, I calmed. I trotted along after him.

We reached the great hall ten minutes later. The Masters sat at the high table, and many elements sat at six others tables in the hall. Nova walked beside me as we made our way to the high table where a chair waited for me at the end. I found myself sitting next to Sirius, who had smiled at me and pulled the seat out for me as an indication for me that this was right. I was in the right place, sitting in the right seat. Servants brought my breakfast, and I noticed that my own personal servants were being served by others at one of the tables below.

“Master Sirius, can I ask a question?” I said, looking at him. I saw a smile upon his lips. He turned to me, eyes of deep purple swirling.
“You have just asked me a question, but you can ask another,” he said with the smallest of winks. I saw him give Nova a nod and a smile, too.
“Why is it that my servants down there are being served their breakfast? Isn’t it strange for servants to be... served?” I asked.
“Ah, good question,” he replied, looking at me with keen interest. “You are bright for one so young. To serve is not a dishonour here. It is one of the highest honours here to be a servant to a Master- or one who will become a Master,” he added. I thought about this. Things must work differently here. Back in my Realm, we didn’t have servants, but if ever one person did serve another, the servant was looked down upon, not glorified. I looked down upon the servants, and spotted one girl who looked around fifteen. Her bright yellow eyes glanced up at me.

Once again my eyes flashed open, and all around me was darkness. Current surged through my body, and out through my hands, creating light. I heard a noise, some voices, and suddenly magenta eyes surrounded me, staring at me. Someone was speaking to me, but I couldn’t understand the words. I focused on one of them, and their black hair and magenta eyes reminded me of something, someone...
Darkness found me again.

Nova was looking down at me, but the distance was not so far now. I stood at the foot of my mother’s grave and laid flowers down for her. Carnations of yellow or even daffodils may have been appropriate, but instead the red of poppies winked at me. I stepped over to my father’s grave and laid down the same. The wind howled about me, blowing autumn leaves across their graves. The orange and yellow of the leaves mixed with the poppies spoke to my mind of fire; of things burning away before the flame. I was in my 300th year, yet still their memories wracked my heart with woe. I had spent so little time with them. Was it really okay for me to have been training through all that time to become the Master of the Lightning Realm when it had been the only time I could have spent with my parents? Why didn’t I ever consider that? I was too absorbed in becoming powerful. Too worried about becoming fit to lead my people, and protect them. I mean sure, aiming to protect my people was admirable, but it was something I could have done later, or while still setting aside time for my parents. Now it was too late...

I screamed and sat up, pulling at invisible bonds. Once again people charged into my room, their magenta eyes alarmed, and started yelling things at me as I fought. Were these my captors, holding me down, preventing me from escaping? Pain invaded me once more and I screamed, arching my back, wanting it to end. I threw current from my body and the pain lessened slightly, and I managed to get one leg off the stone slab I lay across. Then a tendril of darkness wracked its way through me and slammed me back down again.

Back down into my memories.