( A/N: I recommend reading the prologues because if you didn't, they introduce the world, a little bit about it's history and the protagonist's situation, but if don't want ir, don't worry: the important informations in there will be shown litlle by little in the novel. Anyways, good reading!)
__________ / _____ / __________
Time.
A single word, but with multiple effects.
It brings death and ruin with it: flowers witter; people age and turn to ashes; kingdoms and empires fall.
Still, it also can bring healing and life. The trees regain their leaves after winter; animals, plants and people are born every second; new reigns rise to replace the fallen ones.
I saw it all, multiple times. Still, there is one that I always like to tell my visitors. They all come to me to hear a story of the past, and I believe you also came here for this reason, right?
Let me, The Guardian of Past, tell you one that I believe you may like: a history of a girl who saved herself and, by consequence, the whole world.
__________ / _____ / __________
Year 20211 A.F.C. Fiamma Clan
The sun was rising slowly, iluminating the twilight sky and giving it pink and orange colors. The red, orange and yellow trees gave an impression of Autumn, though it was only the normal colors of these plants, even during the current winter.
Normally in such a southern region, there would be a strong storm around the clan and a little bit of snow acumullated during the night, but today was a very confortable climate to enjoy.
But it didn't include a girl in the Fiamma Mansion, on top of the tallest moutain. She was sleeping in the last floor in a simple room: it was a little bigger than a normal hotel room, with simple white decorations and furniture, but of good quality. What gave life to it were paintings directly made on the walls and ceiling: the walls were picturing animals and nature, while the ceiling showed the sky, dividing itself into night and day.
Right on the left side of the chamber and under the night ceiling, layed a little girl that was sweating and moving intensely.
Her hair was golden white like a living sun. A small and faint white aura surrounded her, almost like a layer of mana trying to protect her in a sacred blanket. Finnaly, her eyes burst open in fear, and for a moment they were the same type of light than her hair, iluminating the room.
It was barely a second. Her hair and eyes lost their light, showing their real color, a simple dark brown.
Her white night gown was soaked in sweat. Whith a sigh, she got up from her single bed and went to her marble bathtub, trying to clear her mind.
She pressed a magic blue button near it, and cold water began to fill the white object. She undressed herself while looking at the body mirror next to her, examining the black hand marks envolving her back. It slowly disappearead like an ilusion, but the pain still remained, like a burn injury.
Examining the mirror, she payed more attention to her appearance, a look of dissatisfaction in her face.
She wasn't ugly. With eight years old, she was a cute child, the type any normal adult would want to poke and kiss the cheeks of. She had the whole package: a chubby face, big eyes and a small mouth with full lips, giving a heart shaped impression, adding to the cuteness.
She was tall for her age, reaching 1.45 meters ( 4'7 feet), a normal occurance in the major branch of the Fiamma clan like her. She still wasn't creating curves or anything, but it would probably not take long; Alice, her nanny and teacher, told her that her mom and aunts began to change at nine.
This, added to her tanned skin would give her a stunning appearance when she was older. But it didn't matter to her, and obviously, all these good characteristics were not the reason why she faced the mirror with displeasure.
No, what really bothered her was the color of her hair and eyes: a common and simple brown.
All people in the clan had a least a tint of red tones in their hair and eyes, gaining intensity trought the level of Fire Magic in them. As the daughter of the deceased Matriarch, it was a must to be red-haired with bloodshot eyes, or a least an obvious redish-brown with subtle reds in her iris.
But no. Just a normal dark brown hair and eyes. What pained even more was that people said she was born with hair and eyes like fire, diminishing their tone after her mother dyed and finally, becoming a common brown in a short space of a day.
It never happened before in the clan. With subsequent tests, they discovered she had absolutely nothing of magic in her, which was even more shocking. Healers always said that they didn't know how she was still alive, as magic was an essencial component for life: every being had it, even if it was just a little.
Except her. A mistery to science, magic and the common sense. And to most people, probably the reason why her mother died at birth. And she agreed with them.
She entered the bathtub slowly, while trying to remember what happened on her nightmare. They started four years ago, and Alice tought they were just simple nightmares, telling the girl that everything would be fine; however, they started to become more frequent and make strange hand dark marks on her body that would disappear soon after she woke up.
Helena felt -no, she knew- that someone was responsible for it. She was almost certain that her older brother was involved in this, but couldn't exactly prove it, or prove that her nightmares had a magical cause, as the hand marks soon vanished.
What made her believe it was her brother behind everything was the memory that remained: the voice that talked with her. It seemed to toy with her, and even if she didn't remember what it said, she knew it was tormenting her someway, just for the pleasure of it.
'It is exactly what he likes to do...'
Her toughts and her bath were interrupted with a knock on the door, followed by a feminine and mature voice:
- Miss Helena, it is me. May I come in?
- Yes! - the double doors opened and closed fast and swiftly, while footsteps echoed in the silent chamber, indicating Alice's entrance.
Helena streched her neck to look behind her, seeing the blonde and white woman in a white dress with golden flames enbroydered on her skirt. Her old brooch of golden flames was still on her left chest, contrasting with her emerald-like eyes; her initial expression was cold as ice, but her eyes softened and a little smile decorated her lips upon seeing the little girl.
- Miss, you decided to start bathing without me? You know it is my job to take care of it.
Helena made a funny grumpy face while pounting.
- I said a million times already, stop calling me miss! And I am turning eight years today, I am old enough to take a bath alone!
Alice almost smiled with her reaction, while reaching a nearby hair comb, ignoring her.
- Well, it is good to start slowly. Let me at least take care of your hair. Remember that the last time you tried it alone, it became a bird's nest?
Helena stopped bathing herself and pounted even higher while crossing her arms.
During the passing of time after Iruna's death, Helena's mother, Alice continued to be a housekeeper, which was equal to a buttler in lords and nobles houses; all of this while raising and educating Helena in almost every mental discipline since her fourth birthday, becoming her nanny and teacher, which was the reason of her changing attires.
She didn't know why Alice assumed everything by herself, but suspected it was because she wanted to protect her the best way possible. After all, it was after her last birthday party that Alice assumed her education fully.
"Being the daughter of the Matriarch attracts all kinds of attention, good or bad. Still, the ones who treat you well aren't always good people. So remember: only trust the ones who aproach you when you have nothing to offer."
That was what Alice told her that day, when she was crying; she never forgot the woman's words. This memory resurfaced now, looking at how gentle and caring Alice was.
She slowly brushed Helena's hair, almost like a massage that slowly relaxed her tensed muscles. She started to dry Helena's hair and after some time in peacefull silence, the woman spoke up.
- Did you sleep well, little miss?
Helena hesitated, looking at the place where before the dark hand marks layed. She knew that Alice would understand if she told about the return of the nightmares and how dangerous they were, but... she couldn't say it out loud.
She couldn't admit out loud that she was so weak and needed help. So she lied.
- Yes, like a baby! -she smilled brightly, hoping that her nanny wouldn't notice.
But she did, just pretended not to. Her past training was more than enough to notice such an obvious lie.
Alice was a person that didn't pry further in other people's business unless it was extremely necessary. So she just tried to reassure the kid and make her know that she could talk about things when she was ready.
- Alright. Just know that I really care about you...
'Crap, she noticed!'
-...which is why I was the organizer of your birthday party this year.
Helena never had a birthday party again since that day, so she barely remembered how it was. They always spent this day toguether doing something fun, so she was very confused as to what her nanny meant. Did her father finally aknowleged her and would give her the same attention as her brother? She was kind of excited on this possibility.
The girl was still trying to process her thoughts and the sudden information, when her hairstyle was finished as a built-in baid with a red ribbon. When she was going to grab a towel and ask more, something unnusual happened.
An oval rainbow-colored portal the size of a man was opened in the middle of the room, and Alice entered in it for a split second. Soon, she came back with a red and fresh dress, pants and numerous packages that seemed like gifts, all toguether on the ground.
-Happy birthday, Miss Helena!
Seeing no one getting out of portal as it soon vanished, she realized that the idea of a real party with her father participating was just a fool's dream. Although dissapointed, she already expected that.
A black case among the presents picked her curiosity, but Alice stopped her incoming hand with her own.
- Start with the others, this one is a surprise.
Helena dressed her new red dress and pants, and started to open her gifts. This time she didn't receive any educational book that her father used to send, but only things that she liked: new painting materials (she used them all last year painting her room with Alice), new magical toys that moved alone, new pants and most importantly, lots and lots of her favorite foods.
She forgot the black case for a second while starting to eat desperately some red macarons with chocolate. Alice was opening a box that contained a big chocolate cake with strawberries and eight candles, putting it on a table -that she apparently also brought along from the portal- , and lit up the candles.
Helena was tempted to just launch at the cake, but her pilled up curiosity about the black object got the best of her. Looking at it on her nanny's hand, she picked it up
'It's heavy...'
But she was able to carry it anyways. She put it on the table next to the cake, opening it slowly. Inside it, a red velvet lining accomodated a long and big katana, with black handle and sheat.
'It is what I think it is...?'
Her heart started to race faster, as she carefully picked the sword and unsheated it. The blade was all red from start to end; the sword edge seemed to be catching fire with orange and yellow flames.
Helena started to tremble, holding the black handle with both hands. When she did it, she felt something inside of her waking up, finnaly at peace; it was a strange but pleasant feelling.
At the same time, if someone paid attention, a faint white light began to apear on the sword edge above the flames. Alice noticed too, quite puzzled at the unnusual sight.
' It happened in the history books once before.... don't tell me...'
The housekeeper train of toughts stopped when the girl while holding the sword carefully, exclaimed with a smile on her face:
- Alice, it is the clan's sword Athanasia?! Thank you very much!
Athanasia was the name of the sword, an old inheritance of the clan since they established themselves in the Crimson Peaks; the sword passed down to each Matriarch since then.
It enhanced the Fire Magic of the user and it was said in stories that the users with Sun Affinity were almost immortal; whether it was true or not, it was sure that the Sun Magic was also enhanced with this sword, even more than Fire Magic.
She launched herself to Alice's chest and gave her a strong hug. Alice was a small woman to the clan's standards, only with 1.65 meters ( 5'4 feet), so the girl didn't had to strech herself too much to do it.
The woman was not expecting it, but accepted it gladly nonetheless. She returned it with another hug, smiling brightly for the first time in a while.
While still huging her dear nanny, she asked with a hopeful tone something that crossed her mind:
- Does it mean that father finnaly aknowleged me as the official heir?
Alice's smile froze and almost instantly dissapeared, giving space for the casual stoic face. She looked bellow her and saw the puppy eyes staring back, and her stoic expression was dismantled to some similar to pity and sadness.
'Now is not the time to tell her... Maybe if I make it clear that he will never pay attention to her, she will process the truth better latter.'
She innaled deeply while looking at the puppy eyes in front of her, and kneeled down to be on a similar height than her. She grabbed her hands gently but firmly before saying:
- I will not lie to you, little miss. The reason that you received this sword was because I saw that your brother received an modern one, forged by Dwarves and enchanted by Elves; so I offered to your father that you could receive your mother's sword after I related your progress on war estrategy. So no, he didn't accept you as the heir.
After years giving her all to studies and etiquette, enduring her father's indifference,the physical abuses from her former sword teacher and the emotional torture from Aidan to not be considered weak, nothing mattered. All her efforts to be the perfect daughter, the perfect heir, were for nothing.
Maybe nothing that she did would matter. Maybe the best that she could achieve was being a Commander on the Frontier or a Counselor of War.
She always wanted to prove herself to her father and slap it to her brother's face, honoring the clan's traditions and her mother's wish for her to lead the clan, as Alice told her.
Still, she was tired of giving her all and receiving scraps in return. What else could she do to be recognized and fulfill this dream?
She put aside these toughts for now, trying to focus on the happy celebration with Alice for the day.
Noticing the worrying gaze the half-elf had, Helena came back to reality and made a weak smile.
"Alice always says that I am young. There is still time..."
- I see. So, if he gave me the sword, it means I will go back to the sword classes with Mister Pietro?
She tried to be calm as possible, but her hands trembled while saying this name.
Pietro was a very famous swordsmanship tutor of the clan, who served the noble families for decades, even teaching her brother during his childhood, and teached her since she was five.
Although very talented, he was very strict, hitting her during classes for no reason and even neglecting her training.
One day, almost a year ago, he went too far and broke her right leg; it was impossible to hide the abuses, and then he suddenly vanished. His brother received a new tutor, but she stopped her sword training since then.
Hearing the girl's question made Alice smile while stroking her hair gently.
- Don't worry, he is not going back, Miss. I also gained the permission from the Patriarch to choose a new instructor myself. The bad things will not happen again, I promise.
Hearing this, a wave of relief washed toward her. Before she could ask about the new instructor and his personality, Alice spoke once more.
- Why don't you blow up the candles and make a wish now? But don't forget to keep it a secret, otherwhise it might not become true.
Helena nodded, thinking for a little second, before preparing herself.
'I want to live happilly, forever.'
She blew up the candles and ate some cake before feeling sleepy. The nightmare didn't let her rest, and soon she fell asleep on Alice's arms. The housekeeper smiled while carefully putting the girl in her bed, covering her with a blanket.
Seating in the white wood desk in the room, she created another portal and took paper, pen and paint, starting to write something.
After a brief moment, she sealed the letter with an green aura, preventing it to open to anyone that wasn't meant to read it. She also opened her golden portal and pushed the letter there, as it started to fly like a bird and dissapear in the golden light.
She cleaned up the pen and put up everything back at the drawer, picking a brown book and starting to read it to pass the time, with her eyes sparkling in anticipation.