Flame of my soul <Fire Nation>

[xin]

The silence of her solitary room brought the lady no comfort… The very shadows seemed to reap her soul bringing her to a frightening lonesome place. Heart racing the woman sat up holding her head in her hand while in the other a small controlled flame glittered emitting light about the room. What was it about the late hours of the night that ran chills down her back and brought tears to her eyes. In her distant visions that some would call dreams she only saw carnage and rubble. Was it of the firenation? Most likely not, but the things she saw haunted her non-the-less. “By the grace of Agni I wish these nightmares would cease. . . ” Black hair fell over her shoulder as she dropped her head lightly honey brown eyes searching the rich crimson sheets for answers that were never there to begin with. Carefully removing the covers she let her body guide it’s self off of the bed. Her pale feet touching the cold marble floor first, she was able to stand and move for the lamp which she was able to light easily.

“If only there was something I could do. . .” She was born in a favorable month, she had suiters her parents adored though she would say nothing against them, and she disliked each of them. They were like her younger brother, cruel and wicked. It wounded her deeply to know there were so many who supported the attacks on the earth kingdom. She wasn’t a prophet but she could tell the balance was disturbed. In the streets there were whispers of the joke of an avatar. More than whispers about the foolish general and his nephew who would be better off dead, rather than scarred and sent on a fool’s errand. Xin closed her eyes focusing on the flame, firebending was a man’s task, she was allowed to learn no more than self control and mere tricks but still she practiced. The fire filled her mind letting all that troubled her fade away. From the candle the flamed danced and moved, bending themselves to her whim. Her bare feet moved along the floor a dim reflection making its self known as the flames grew. Around the girls body she wore a purple silk kimono, almost translucent with a black obi hugging her body. With the fire about her she felt so free, the heat from the flames only accented the natural heat the excitement bending brought her. Wrapping her hands about her body she smiled softly with her cherry blossom pink lips her thickly lashed eyes closed contentedly. In this world it seemed as if none of the problems with the war existed and the world was still at peace. Her hair was still wild from sleep and curled against her body and face flaunting her natural beauty only for the shadows to see. Once more her heart was racing, but now from pure joy instead of fear.

[xin]

This girl was not the painted proper lady of the court the day forced her to become, now she was herself, honest and raw. With no one to tell her what she was doing would be considered shameful or even embarrassing. Wind entered the room from her window and her dance began to slow as she walked out to her balcony. Hesitantly she looked about to make sure no one had seen her. The flames drew back into the candle and her cheeks remained flushed from the possibility of being seen by someone in this state. Her sleeves purple with black hem fall against her fore arm softly while her legs could easily be seen through the kimono. Pulling back and drawing the doors shut she let out a small sigh. A lady should never let herself be lost that easily, still the lingering feeling of the fleeting freedom brought a contented smile to her face. From the wicker cage two bright eyes peered out at her and she blushed forgetting she did indeed have an audience.

“oh Xue’ . . .” She carefully opened the latch and held her hands out to the white hamster kitty which gladly crawled into her hands. It rubbed its eyes from the sleep it was aroused from. The dancing flames made it hard for the small creature to sleep but since it was his master, then it was fine that he was awakened. Sitting back on her bed she carefully ran her fingers though it’s soft fur, she always marveled at the small creature. How could somewhere that bred such animals be so evil? “ Why is it that fire burns the world and yet it feels so good?” Of course there would be no answer from him either. She seemed to be full of questions this night. Her honey eyes grew soft and tired once more. Shifting against the sheets she said a prayer to Agni in hopes there may one day be answers. Xue’ ran from her lap to beside her pillow making a bed out of it. This made Xin grant him with a soft smile, he would be allowed to sleep outside his cage this once. Once he was asleep she rose again from her bed moving along the floor. Since she was up she needed to check something, sliding her door open she ventured down the hall a flame dancing in her hand.

The room of her youngest brother came first. Silently moving in she brought the covers which had been kicked off back to his chin and placed a small kiss upon his forehead. She ran a hand along his face smiling, he was alright and asleep. Under the protection of his elder sister no harm would befall him. The solace began to fill her heart she went to check on the middle child, the elder of her two brothers. He as well was asleep through fitfully. No doubt it was because of his growing malicious intentions. As his sister she could not give up on hope for him. That he would come back, not as the monster he was but as the kind boy she once knew him as. Solemnly she closed the door to his room and made her way back to her own. Peace was fleeting in her mind, she wasn’t as calmed knowing her brothers were safe as she thought she would be. Laying back to bed she found herself surrounded by her own thoughts starring dully at the ceiling. Her pale leg fell off of the bed slightly and her black mussed hair hung about her in every direction. This time she closed her eyes and they did not open, allowing sleep to steal her away. Through everything she had thought about nothing touched her resting mind this time, save the soft breathing of a white ball a fur curled next to her.

[xin]

The next morning, earlier than usual the sleeping noble was brought from her sleep blinking half heartedly into the light eye day, Sensitive brown doe eyes took time to respond to the light and the words of her father. When her pale feet touched the cool marble floor the words earth kingdom had sunk in. With the first two being ‘move to’. Her eyes went wide when she looked at her father slightly shocked. Behind him her two brothers peeked in the doorway listening carefully, they apparently had already been told. Her father coughed into his hands looking up at her quietly.

“While we are lower nobles here by moving to the new earth kingdom nations we can be high society, you should be pleased, moving up in status, possibly even marrying one of you off to the current nobles to solidify our status….” The mans black beard was trimmed and short, his clothing looked more formal than usual as if he had come straight from a meeting for this. The teenage girl nodded numbly her black hair mussed from sleep and the hamster kitty in her bed scurrying around unhappy with the movement. Placing a hand softly on the sheets it ceased its commotion.

“b-but… so suddenly…?” Attempting to not be polite she re worded her initial panic hoping her father wouldn’t take it the wrong way. As much as she disliked the firenation’s involvement in the earth kingdom… she didn’t want to go there. Though she could help the change would be drastic. Did she honestly believe that the citizens were barbaric and ghastly as the soldiers described? It couldn’t possibly be… but the images painted of sadistic earth benders painted the scope of her mind causing her to clutch the silk sheets of her bed tighter in her thin unmarred hand.

Her father cast her a dark look telling her that he indeed had taken it the wrong way. “This move is what is best for your family, be prepared to leave within the month. Be happy this chance has fallen upon our family.” With soft clicks on the floor he left and the dumbfounded girl nodded oblivious to the movements of her younger brother to enter her room and sit beside her.

“I don’t want to go either…….” He offered relieved slightly when his sister began to smooth his hair affectionately.

“This… is for the best….” Xin nodded roughly not believing her own words. How were they expected to take this so suddenly, surely her own parents knew of it beforehand, but because they never spoke to one another it was a shock for the younger member of the family?

The next few weeks were filled with packing and organizing the things they needed from the things they would need to leave behind. For such pampered children the decision was a hard one, almost impossible to handle on their own. Sooner than they had imagined the time passed forcing them to take to the sea…. And a new life in a world they never knew.

-xin has left this thread-