Transcendence
Merciful
“Sonia,” I whispered, “How could you?”
She said nothing, only stared at the destruction she caused. The castle and the surrounding village below quickly became engulfed in her wrathful fire. It licked at the trees and bellowed in the wind that assisted it, helping it travel further. She extended her arm and examined her hand; fire revealed itself at the tips of her fingers. She wiggled them playfully, looking at me now. “Look at me sister.” She demanded, cradling the fire mischievously between both of her palms. She played with it and feigned throwing it at me. I glared at my little sister grudgingly as she laughed in my face. She had wanted to see me flinch, but I was not afraid. The fire disappeared and she suddenly regarded me with seriousness. “We have to leave again.” She stated.
I clutched my crystal necklace, Aqua Pura. “No,” I said stubbornly. “We have nowhere to go. They will come for us.”
“Then we kill them.” She said it with ease, this small girl who looked to be no older than fourteen, like the words were meant for her lips. Her maroon eyes became a brilliant red-orange, like the fire she wielded.
“You have done enough!” I yelled, standing up, and towering over her petite frame. Thunder flashed, illuminating the night for a moment, and rain began gushing from the sky. I looked up in despair. What now? I thought. “What now...?” I whispered. Just then, Sonia snapped her head to look behind us, her eyes fiercely glowing the same color as the fire forming in her hands. My ears picked up motion behind us in the woods. I sucked in my breath, suddenly aware, and looked at the blackness. An arrow whizzed towards my sister. In one single motion I caught the arrow before it hit her in the arm and broke it in two, throwing it aside. Sonia pushed me out of her way violently, perhaps thinking she can fight herself; but even more harshly, I grabbed her arm, and put her behind me.
“Why must you keep interfering?” His voice boomed angrily, reloading another arrow into his crossbow. Sonia tried leaving from behind me again, yet I pushed her back protectively making him snort in disgust.
“You still protect the little wench after what she has done?” He took aim, waiting for me to step aside. I wondered why he hesitated to kill me despite his knowledge of what I was. I suppose I seemed more humane than my sister. Though I had sympathy, I was still defensive.
“That little wench is my dear sister, mortal.” I hissed.
“She must die.” Before he can react, Sonia hurled a ball of flame at his clothing, making him panic. The rain was already making the flame diminish, allowing him to regain his confidence quickly. He still shot his arrow and she caught it, hurling it back so fast that it pierced him in the chest. “Agh!” the force from Sonia's throw caused him to fall over. He was on the floor and Sonia wasted no time - she was already running to him, ready to pounce. "No!" I gasped, pulling her arm and shoving her behind me. I ran to his side. All my hate for this man – this Slayer - suddenly had disappeared; no one had any right to take another's life.
“Sister!” She growled, stomping her foot into the mud. “What are you doing!” I shut my eyes, not knowing what to do. Mother would have done what was right, but one shouldn't defy the needy Sonia. Her voice was screaming now, high pitched. She was throwing one of her tantrums. “He tried to kill me!” She shrieked, and stomped her foot. I looked at her now, with disappointment. She glared back. “I know that look; pity. Stop it! You are the pitiful one– you are the one that I will look down on!” She jumped off the cliff then, running away to have another tantrum. The fall wouldn't hurt her; she was an Immortal. The last I saw of her was the end of her crimson hair. I thought of all the people she killed, all the humans who never had a say, and the village and castle below the cliff.
I ripped out the arrow from the man's chest and cradled him in my arms as I did with mother when she died. For years, his clan has been searching ours. They have killed most of my kind, as we did theirs. We were natural enemies, both hunters in our own way, us immortals and slayers. After what was done to us by the slayers and their king, we would never forgive them, and yet, the humans solely believed it was us who committed a crime. The crime of living forever, something we couldn't control. I wondered if he knew that what I was, isn't what I want to be. He was panting now, looking at me with determined eyes. “Go on, finish me.” He breathed. The way his eyes looked right at mine was something I would never forget. They were too bright for a human; an apple green, with gilded specks.
I wiped the wet blond hair from his forehead, and watched the blood pool onto the grass. Desperately seeking an answer, I asked, “Why do you hate us so much?” Could he have hated us because he wanted eternal life, like the rest of them? Or could it be something deeper than that? He seemed too strong-willed to hate us over something as petty as wanting immortality. I looked at him with softened eyes, implying that I would not harm him. His eyes widened in return, wondering why I was sparing him. He shoved me away violently and quickly grabbed his crossbow. We both stood up at the same time and he stared at me for a moment with confused and hostile eyes, but then, he turned and limped away, clutching his wound. I bowed my head, the rain getting harder now.
Even though I was one with the element water, I still found it discomforting to be in the rain. I was all alone again, as was the slayer, and my dear sister.
She said nothing, only stared at the destruction she caused. The castle and the surrounding village below quickly became engulfed in her wrathful fire. It licked at the trees and bellowed in the wind that assisted it, helping it travel further. She extended her arm and examined her hand; fire revealed itself at the tips of her fingers. She wiggled them playfully, looking at me now. “Look at me sister.” She demanded, cradling the fire mischievously between both of her palms. She played with it and feigned throwing it at me. I glared at my little sister grudgingly as she laughed in my face. She had wanted to see me flinch, but I was not afraid. The fire disappeared and she suddenly regarded me with seriousness. “We have to leave again.” She stated.
I clutched my crystal necklace, Aqua Pura. “No,” I said stubbornly. “We have nowhere to go. They will come for us.”
“Then we kill them.” She said it with ease, this small girl who looked to be no older than fourteen, like the words were meant for her lips. Her maroon eyes became a brilliant red-orange, like the fire she wielded.
“You have done enough!” I yelled, standing up, and towering over her petite frame. Thunder flashed, illuminating the night for a moment, and rain began gushing from the sky. I looked up in despair. What now? I thought. “What now...?” I whispered. Just then, Sonia snapped her head to look behind us, her eyes fiercely glowing the same color as the fire forming in her hands. My ears picked up motion behind us in the woods. I sucked in my breath, suddenly aware, and looked at the blackness. An arrow whizzed towards my sister. In one single motion I caught the arrow before it hit her in the arm and broke it in two, throwing it aside. Sonia pushed me out of her way violently, perhaps thinking she can fight herself; but even more harshly, I grabbed her arm, and put her behind me.
“Why must you keep interfering?” His voice boomed angrily, reloading another arrow into his crossbow. Sonia tried leaving from behind me again, yet I pushed her back protectively making him snort in disgust.
“You still protect the little wench after what she has done?” He took aim, waiting for me to step aside. I wondered why he hesitated to kill me despite his knowledge of what I was. I suppose I seemed more humane than my sister. Though I had sympathy, I was still defensive.
“That little wench is my dear sister, mortal.” I hissed.
“She must die.” Before he can react, Sonia hurled a ball of flame at his clothing, making him panic. The rain was already making the flame diminish, allowing him to regain his confidence quickly. He still shot his arrow and she caught it, hurling it back so fast that it pierced him in the chest. “Agh!” the force from Sonia's throw caused him to fall over. He was on the floor and Sonia wasted no time - she was already running to him, ready to pounce. "No!" I gasped, pulling her arm and shoving her behind me. I ran to his side. All my hate for this man – this Slayer - suddenly had disappeared; no one had any right to take another's life.
“Sister!” She growled, stomping her foot into the mud. “What are you doing!” I shut my eyes, not knowing what to do. Mother would have done what was right, but one shouldn't defy the needy Sonia. Her voice was screaming now, high pitched. She was throwing one of her tantrums. “He tried to kill me!” She shrieked, and stomped her foot. I looked at her now, with disappointment. She glared back. “I know that look; pity. Stop it! You are the pitiful one– you are the one that I will look down on!” She jumped off the cliff then, running away to have another tantrum. The fall wouldn't hurt her; she was an Immortal. The last I saw of her was the end of her crimson hair. I thought of all the people she killed, all the humans who never had a say, and the village and castle below the cliff.
I ripped out the arrow from the man's chest and cradled him in my arms as I did with mother when she died. For years, his clan has been searching ours. They have killed most of my kind, as we did theirs. We were natural enemies, both hunters in our own way, us immortals and slayers. After what was done to us by the slayers and their king, we would never forgive them, and yet, the humans solely believed it was us who committed a crime. The crime of living forever, something we couldn't control. I wondered if he knew that what I was, isn't what I want to be. He was panting now, looking at me with determined eyes. “Go on, finish me.” He breathed. The way his eyes looked right at mine was something I would never forget. They were too bright for a human; an apple green, with gilded specks.
I wiped the wet blond hair from his forehead, and watched the blood pool onto the grass. Desperately seeking an answer, I asked, “Why do you hate us so much?” Could he have hated us because he wanted eternal life, like the rest of them? Or could it be something deeper than that? He seemed too strong-willed to hate us over something as petty as wanting immortality. I looked at him with softened eyes, implying that I would not harm him. His eyes widened in return, wondering why I was sparing him. He shoved me away violently and quickly grabbed his crossbow. We both stood up at the same time and he stared at me for a moment with confused and hostile eyes, but then, he turned and limped away, clutching his wound. I bowed my head, the rain getting harder now.
Even though I was one with the element water, I still found it discomforting to be in the rain. I was all alone again, as was the slayer, and my dear sister.