of Sword and Flame

Kyra let out a sigh as her bag thudded to the ground. She stared at her new room, with its clean white linens and the smell of cotton wafting from the bed.

Apparently, Pierre had exposed her living situation, and that caused the king to order a room prepared. It was promptly organized in a swift fashion, and Kyra had been living in it since a few days before the trial.

It was set up exactly how Kyra expected Azuran guest rooms to be: aggressively clean and neat. In the corner of the room was a desk, complete with drawers, a chair, and a mirror. Against the side wall was a bed with a dozen different linens and comforters, and Kyra had learned very quickly that it swallowed its host whole. She couldn't understand how people could enjoy such a sensation as being eaten alive by a bed.

The strangest part of the room, however, was that she was given a little balcony. She'd seen the rooms with small balconies before but figured they would be saved for more important guests.

Kyra's thoughts went back to the king's office. After he'd asked her to plan an attack, they were interrupted by the captain of the guards, alerting the king that the people were still in a frenzy. That caused him to rush out of the room immediately, off to console his beloved citizens. He left Kyra and Ren there, staring at his shrinking form that eventually disappeared down the hall.

"Well, I think that was enough for today. I'll take Prince Kana off to bed. You should do the same." Ren held out his arms as Kyra transferred the little prince to him, doing their collective best not to wake him.

Kyra had agreed, and they went their separate ways, splitting off as they both avoided the ongoing frenzy.

And there she was, in the pristine room. Unsure of what to do next.

But fate had a funny way of telling her what to do, she discovered, as a loud clicking sound caused her to jump with fright. She watched as the door to the small balcony swung open, and the wind came rushing in. The curtains danced through the air, catching themselves in the sparkling moonlight. They shimmered with a magical image, capturing the culprit of the open door as they stood with their back to the sky.

Kyra watched as delicate wooden fingers swept the curtains away, their shimmer parting like the sea to reveal the mysterious intruder. She stood with her back to the night, hair glowing like a thousand stars. It floated about her as she took another step inside, snow boots patting delicately against the gray floors.

Whatever breath Kyra had was stolen from her as she searched for something to say. She watched as Eryssa approached her, her soft green eyes trained on the stunned assassin.

"Eryssa..." Kyra managed to say as she took a few confused steps forward. Eryssa came to a halt, her white dress floating about her ankles as she stopped.

Kyra had half the mind that she was hallucinating. The girl in front of her looked like a ghost or an angel. Either way, her silhouette was practically glowing against the moon, and it was hard to tell if she was truly real.

What Kyra really wanted to do was reach out and feel her skin, to see if her hands would go right through or if they would find soft, warm life beneath their tough gloves.

As Kyra approached, Eryssa reached out. Then, with one quick motion, she grabbed Kyra's bad shoulder and sent her knee into Kyra's stomach. Kyra keeled over, coughing, and sunk into the floor beneath them. Eryssa watched on with a glare as she stared down at her, hand still gripping wildly to Kyra's bruised shoulder.

"I still hate you, Phoenix. You know that?" She seethed as Kyra slowly but surely looked up to meet her eye. She certainly looked like she was in pain. "What I did today doesn't change that. But I couldn't bear the idea of that boy being harmed for trying to save you." The word was bitter and hateful, but after it was said, Eryssa found it in herself to lean down and brush the hair from Kyra's face.