Old Memories
The little girl walked down the hallaway, dragging a soft pillow behind her. Behind her a young boy followed, his face a mask. Barefoot, they walked towards a small room where the voices of two people could be heard, one female and the other male. As the children reached the door, the boy put his hand on the girl's shoulder, holding her still for a moment. She turned to look at him, half-asleep and uncomprehanding.
"You're going to leave her open wide, Takuma! You can't do that!" the wail plaintive and whiny.
"I can and I will, Serulina! Naoya needs to learn that her actions will have consequences!"
"Why... why can't she choose her own path?" the woman's voice was unsure, childish even.
"Serulina..." he hissed her name, "There are certain things that I will not tolerate. Not from her, not from you. Duty must be fulfiled!"
The woman did not answer immediately. Peeking, the two children saw her sitting on the chair in the center of the room, dressed and holding herself as a queen. For a moment they were in awe of her, as they had always been whenever they met her. The little girl held her pillow closer to her, frightened, while the boy's eyes widened.
The woman was dressed like a Chinese Empress, her golden hair braided and adorned with multiple hair ornaments that created a kind of halo shining from the back of her head. Her makeup, while obvious, was not thick, serving to draw attention to her clear sea-blue eyes that looked at the other in cold fury. Her lips were painted a soft, inviting pink, complementing her fair skin and inviting one to kiss them. They were pursed together now though. Her red robes were decorated and embroided with the golden silk therad, with phoenix motifs all over them. The long sleeves obscured her hands though, which would have been an indicator of her mood.
The man standing across her was, in stark contrast, dressed in a white shirt and long black slacks. His hair was wavy and layered, combed to give it a slightly more neater look. His cuffs were diamond links though, and he simply stank of money. His dark eyes clashed with the lady's, and the two children did not like it one bit. They did not like the man for his manner towards the woman, but neither could they interfere for they were merely children after all. He seemed confident that what he asked for was to be granted.
After a long pause, the lady spoke. Her voice was cold, no longer childish.
"Things you will not tolerate?" She laughed, a little bitterly. "I am the Princess of this House. If you choose not be with us, so be it, but do not tell me what I can or cannot do."
The man looked at her, his jaw dropping. Serulina stood up, the ornaments clinking softly as she moved in one fluid motion. She took two steps towards him and he fell back in horror, terrified. There was a cold smile on her face. "Who are you to tell us what we can, or cannot do? You are merely a man. Be gone from my sight, and be glad that I did not kill you," she turned on him, going to the cradle behind her chair.
"You... You.. You're going to save her!" It was an accusation.
Serulina picked up her daughter from the cradle and answered him, not bothering to look at him. The two children tensed, for the man seemed to have more up his sleeve than they liked.
"She's my sister, after all."
"And I'm your elder brother!"
"Brother. You are a male. Nothing more."
"Why you little whore..!" He raised his hand towards her, gathering the forces of wind towards his hand.
He looked quite surprised when the wind suddenly took on a reddish tint, smelling faintly of blood, and then he felt heat burning him up. Looking down, he saw that his pants had caught fire, and the blue flame was spreading. Quickly. His horror merely heightened his senses, not dull them. He looked around for his assailants, and saw instead Serulina walked stately to the door, her daughter in her hands. She pulled the rice-door open to reveal two children standing there, glaring at him.
"Xis, Ku, that's enough. Celeste will not gather him tonight. Come, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. It's time to put Su to bed."
"He threatened you, Aunt Seru!" the little girl looked up at her aunt, her pillow forgotten on the floor while she clutched daggers just small enough for her size.
"And he will regret it. Ku, lay off a bit, hmm? You're going to give him first-degree burns and we need him awake," Serulina spoke to the five-year old in a very gentle, kind manner.
"Hn." He was not reproached this time for his cursing, but he stopped the Blue Flame and turned towards Serulina, taking her hand. Xis picked up her pillow, her daggers disappearing. She held on to Serulina's skirt as they left the man screaming his pain in the room.
"Take care of him, Shae." Serulina instructed one of the Priestesses as they walked back up the hallaway.
"Yes, my Lady. How intact did you want him?" she struggled to keep a grin off her face.
"Lucid. That's all."
"Understood, Miakan Serulina!" Shae ran off to do the Lady's bidding.
Serulina walked away, taking the three children to their nursery not too far away.
"You're going to leave her open wide, Takuma! You can't do that!" the wail plaintive and whiny.
"I can and I will, Serulina! Naoya needs to learn that her actions will have consequences!"
"Why... why can't she choose her own path?" the woman's voice was unsure, childish even.
"Serulina..." he hissed her name, "There are certain things that I will not tolerate. Not from her, not from you. Duty must be fulfiled!"
The woman did not answer immediately. Peeking, the two children saw her sitting on the chair in the center of the room, dressed and holding herself as a queen. For a moment they were in awe of her, as they had always been whenever they met her. The little girl held her pillow closer to her, frightened, while the boy's eyes widened.
The woman was dressed like a Chinese Empress, her golden hair braided and adorned with multiple hair ornaments that created a kind of halo shining from the back of her head. Her makeup, while obvious, was not thick, serving to draw attention to her clear sea-blue eyes that looked at the other in cold fury. Her lips were painted a soft, inviting pink, complementing her fair skin and inviting one to kiss them. They were pursed together now though. Her red robes were decorated and embroided with the golden silk therad, with phoenix motifs all over them. The long sleeves obscured her hands though, which would have been an indicator of her mood.
The man standing across her was, in stark contrast, dressed in a white shirt and long black slacks. His hair was wavy and layered, combed to give it a slightly more neater look. His cuffs were diamond links though, and he simply stank of money. His dark eyes clashed with the lady's, and the two children did not like it one bit. They did not like the man for his manner towards the woman, but neither could they interfere for they were merely children after all. He seemed confident that what he asked for was to be granted.
After a long pause, the lady spoke. Her voice was cold, no longer childish.
"Things you will not tolerate?" She laughed, a little bitterly. "I am the Princess of this House. If you choose not be with us, so be it, but do not tell me what I can or cannot do."
The man looked at her, his jaw dropping. Serulina stood up, the ornaments clinking softly as she moved in one fluid motion. She took two steps towards him and he fell back in horror, terrified. There was a cold smile on her face. "Who are you to tell us what we can, or cannot do? You are merely a man. Be gone from my sight, and be glad that I did not kill you," she turned on him, going to the cradle behind her chair.
"You... You.. You're going to save her!" It was an accusation.
Serulina picked up her daughter from the cradle and answered him, not bothering to look at him. The two children tensed, for the man seemed to have more up his sleeve than they liked.
"She's my sister, after all."
"And I'm your elder brother!"
"Brother. You are a male. Nothing more."
"Why you little whore..!" He raised his hand towards her, gathering the forces of wind towards his hand.
He looked quite surprised when the wind suddenly took on a reddish tint, smelling faintly of blood, and then he felt heat burning him up. Looking down, he saw that his pants had caught fire, and the blue flame was spreading. Quickly. His horror merely heightened his senses, not dull them. He looked around for his assailants, and saw instead Serulina walked stately to the door, her daughter in her hands. She pulled the rice-door open to reveal two children standing there, glaring at him.
"Xis, Ku, that's enough. Celeste will not gather him tonight. Come, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. It's time to put Su to bed."
"He threatened you, Aunt Seru!" the little girl looked up at her aunt, her pillow forgotten on the floor while she clutched daggers just small enough for her size.
"And he will regret it. Ku, lay off a bit, hmm? You're going to give him first-degree burns and we need him awake," Serulina spoke to the five-year old in a very gentle, kind manner.
"Hn." He was not reproached this time for his cursing, but he stopped the Blue Flame and turned towards Serulina, taking her hand. Xis picked up her pillow, her daggers disappearing. She held on to Serulina's skirt as they left the man screaming his pain in the room.
"Take care of him, Shae." Serulina instructed one of the Priestesses as they walked back up the hallaway.
"Yes, my Lady. How intact did you want him?" she struggled to keep a grin off her face.
"Lucid. That's all."
"Understood, Miakan Serulina!" Shae ran off to do the Lady's bidding.
Serulina walked away, taking the three children to their nursery not too far away.