The Fire Ball

“Who is the maiden with the golden hair,

With tears of crystals,

And a heart of flowers,

Whose kindness has no end,

It’s good that our Princess Genesis has,

Yet every Reaper will cower in fear

When this torch of fire erupts.”

I smile at the last verse, thinking about the bard was making to commemorate my birthday today, while also paying respect to my previous self. My scarlet flowy dress riffles by the midnight desert air, I look up to see the full moon shining, reminding me of my old home. It has been months since I have been found, I was alone and separated from my adoptive family, and eventually, I found out I have royalty in my blood.

“Are you doing okay Genesis,” My older cousin Blaze asks, with his mischievous smile. He is dressed in a red and black suit that rivals a groom in a wedding, and I notice that his freckles and red hair add a childish feature to him, although he is about a few years older than me. I wrap my arm with him, and we are both walking together to a portal just on the outskirts of the Empire’s capital.

“I am doing fantastic, “ I reply, my smile still remaining. “I never have been to a ball before, although I have heard fantasy tales about them. This is the perfect time to find out, and especially learn more about the Onyx Griffins you told me about.”

He laughs simply, and reminds me, “Remember Genesis, you have to show your status, those Griffins like to learn about the royalty. Since your mo-previous form I mean, had a beneficial relationship with the Griffins, they would be ecstatic to meet the one who is the descendant of their good friend.”

“I have heard they have a prince who is my age, Addax of Aquila I think.”

“Correct you are Genesis, I may warn you that he might be a little difficult. He is a year or two older than you, but he has the anger span of a spoiled toddler. However, since he is going to be here tonight, I am sure he will try to flirt with you, I suggest you be careful.”

I reassure him that I will, the truth is that I never had a boyfriend before, only to have them as my friends. I have learned how to take care of myself when boys try to steal my heart, thanks to my adoptive father Connor who is a werewolf, I have learned hands-on combat. I marvel at the white marble portal with the swirling that looks like a water whirlpool, with close examination, I notice that on the other side is like a large room with tables and people who are walking about. Without hesitating, I walk through the portal,  with the sudden wave of coolness hits my body momentarily. The moment I appear on the other side, the room, it’s beautiful. Drapes of such vivid colors descend from the arching windows like capes, the tables decorated with the silk-like cloth that holds the plates and roses in bottles, and the room has the size to fit in a family of whales.

“Welcome to the Lunar Ball Genesis,” Blaze said to me, smiling at me possibly from my reaction. “It is an honor that the two of us will have the opportunity to meet the royal Aquila family once more.”

I nod, once again remembering about the Aquilas and their Griffins. From what my servant Dawn told me, the Onyx Griffins are a proud war-like people who have been long-termed allies with the Phoenixes, enough that there are several times where the two groups team up and fight against any troubling army that comes into either the Phoenixes’ or Griffins’ territory. I follow Blaze across the room, observing all the other members who are eating, talking, or dancing with their mate. A sudden feeling weighs down my heart watching the couples dance, a wish that I secretly had for a while only my servant knows, the type that most of my new family wouldn’t approve of. Eventually, I turn to find a tall, burly-like man with tan skin and blond hair standing before me.

“Princess Genesis of the Ruby Phoenixes,” The man purrs, taking my hand and kisses it with such grace that I can feel the heat in my cheeks. “I am Prince Addax of the Aquilas, it is truly an honor having you in our ball. I must say, from all the women in this room, you are the loveliest. It is true that you are a Red Diamond Phoenix, you are rare and beautiful than all the other women in your empire.”

I turn to Blaze with a jerked eyebrow, this is the man Blaze was telling me who has a temper-problem if so, he doesn’t seem that type of person. His eyes roll as if he is inaudibly telling me that what he said is nothing that matches his personality. He lets go of my arm and crosses his own, “Hello Addax, it has been a while, I might ask, where’s your father? Our Queen needs me to discuss with your King on certain matters.”

Addax turns to Blaze, his sly smile melts to a disgusted sneer, “Oh, hello Prince Blaze, Father is still in bed sick. I wouldn’t recommend going there, his daily coughs involve a lot of blood.”

“I can handle the gore Addax, now if you excuse me,” Blaze replies, then looks at me with a smile. “Have fun Genesis, if you want to leave, just say the word.”

I nod, in a finger-snap, Blaze’s wings erupt behind him and he shoots to the ceiling like a bullet. The wind brings my dress up, I quickly put my hands down to prevent any perverted male to peek at me. Addax, however, notices it and smiles as if what has happened pleases him, but he didn't look down at my dress, only at my face. I only notice because I almost was going to wack him with my flail I summon from my back tattoo, his eyes were glued to my eyes, not at my dress.

“My, I am right, you are the loveliest,” He said with a smirk, then he takes my hands with his. “May I have this dance with you?”

I smile, deciding that I will give this man a pass for not asking permission to take my hands without asking: a very improper move men should avoid when it comes to greeting a woman. All of sudden, the sweet yet gothic organ notes ring through the room, I turn to see an older woman playing on the pipe organ, the vampiric music soothes my ears, only for a sudden click in my heart. I turn to my side because of a feeling that someone is behind me, only to see an image so shocking that I scream the loudest shriek I ever made. It is a man lying on the ground, with his green and brown camouflage that makes me consider this man a soldier based on his stature. The worst is that I see the man’s face, it is pure shock and fear that his mouth is wide open with no sound coming out. I walk toward him, though the man is dead, but then the man stumbles and tries to walk backward from me. I tilt my head, why is he afraid of me? A growl rumbles behind me, I turn once more to see even a more shocking surprise, it is a lizard-bird hybrid monster that is smiling weirdly that sends complete shivers through my spine. It is looking not at me, but behind me, I slowly realize that this monster must be the one to kill the man.

The monster simply breathes green fire, passing through me, I jerk my head to see the man screams blood-curling that I watch the man’s flesh burns, the smell punches me that my breath left my lungs. A voice suddenly whispers close to my ear, “You killed him, you let your Mutant side to take over and kill an innocent man, even though he was using the captives to cure a disease.”

I shake my head, no, I don’t know this man, I would never kill someone. As the fire starts to depart, my eyes go wide, by the display of the man with camouflage clothes burned where I can parts of his body I don’t ever have the desire to see. Half of his face has turned to a complete scorched skeleton while the other half stares at me blankly as if he has something I can’t see. His mouth is still open as if the air left while he is burned to death. I look down for some reason, only to gasp and find myself in another body that is chunkier than myself and have blood in my hands. Tears fall down my face, no, it’s not true, I didn’t hurt him, it’s not true, I would never harm someone.

“You did kill him, you know deep in your bigotted heart that it is true,” The voice sneers at me, and then adds. “Not to mention that you failed those you cared so much.”

I look up, the dead man disappears and in his place was two men: one elder on the hospital bed with a young red-haired man kissing the elder’s forehead. Inside, I have a feeling that the two have a bond far more than what it looks like a father-son relationship because the two don’t look like other. In a matter of watching them, the machine behind the elder starts to make rapid beeps that the elder is coughing and gasping for breath. Nurses and doctors start to dash in and try to resuscitate him. The red-hair man has tears falling and starts to cry out his name, with his hand clutching where he heart would be at. Eventually, the elder starts to relax and fall lifeless to the bed, nurses and doctors walk away with their heads shake, and the red-haired man coming to the elder and cry that I can see the tears forming two long rivers directing to me.

The man then stands up and looks at me directly to my eyes, where his eyes would be at rivers pouring that is falling to where the tears land. The rivers even flow stronger than before, covering my feet, even more, chillness goes through my spine but then the tattoo on my back probably stops where the coolness goes.

“I thought I could trust you, you were my friend,” The man speaks with the voice I had heard when the army man died. “You would’ve saved my love, but you did not do anything. I hate you, you promised you would do the same to Spencer as you did to me. I am forever going to be alone without my Spencer, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I WILL FIND YOU AND MAKE YOU PAY!”

“No, this isn’t real,” I whimper, my hands clutch my head and I fall to the ground, my knees get cold. “Calm down Genesis, it’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real! Breath, breath, breath.”

My breaths go in and out, slowly turn to fog. Eventually, my hard beating heart slows down with my hands stop trembling, but as I look up to see if the man is still there, my heart almost stops. A werewolf, mermaid, vampire, and dragon look at with their eyes of navy, sea-green, cerise, and gold that bores into mine like a drill to a piece of wood.

“You left us, Genesis, you left us without even saying goodbye,” The four creatures speak in the same voice, each word that comes out goes through me painfully like a bullet. “You betrayed us, we loved you, and you now left us to be taken to your father. We hate you now Genesis, don’t come back, we don’t want you, we hate you, we hate you, we hate you.”

I face back to the ground, with my tears now joining the water. I notice that the water is now going to my stomach’s level, slowly rising. I breathe in and out, watching my reflection, surprising me to find an older woman’s face who looks exactly like me. I close my eyes, the words the voice is whispering is weighing my heart down even more than making me feel pain, the cold sensation raising to my neck. I open, only to see that I am surrounded in water, with a long metal chain attached to my slender leg to the deep dark abyss. I look up, my mouth now closed and has my breath holds in my chest, a burning sensation that I ignore. The surface is now far above me, I try to swim up, but the chain is keeping me from going up. I glance back to the chain, I have my hand touch the chain that is locking my leg with chain. With a thought of fire, I see nothing, wait, I am underwater, that means I can’t do anything. I look back up and I extend my hand to the surface in the hope I can be set free, the breath in my chest escapes from me. I watch the bubbles go away from my mouth and reach to the surface, lucky. I scream with all I can, my vision descends to blackness as fast as my wings of fire would come at my command.

************************

“Hey, are you okay?”

I spring up from the ground, my eyes open to be amazed by what I see. There is a tall dark brown-haired man with a golden mask looking at me with his deep chocolate with mint eyes. He has his arms wrapping around me and our faces are closer than ever, my heartbeat is now going even faster than ever.

“I-I am okay, s-sorry, I just pass out,” I stammer, my eyes going from his face to the rosy-red suit that makes him look fancy. “T-thank you, I am feeling better.”

Without a moment of silence, the corner of my eyes notices a shine. I turn to find a small woman walking towards us with a blue gemstone that is causing the shine, her expression of awe and happiness rolled into a small smile that is on her wrinkled face.

“Why, Princess Genesis looks like you have been favored by the Cupid’s Tear. They say two souls would bond and favor by the Cupid’s Tear no matter how far the two are, they will remember to stay faithful to each other. ” The woman said with her hand extended that to me.

After she said her description, the sapphire suddenly levitates from her hand and goes towards me. The stone splits in half and one goes to the man and I. The sapphire then goes to my neck and makes a necklace with the string and gemstone look blue and crystal-like. The man’s sapphire goes to a dog tag, and that surprises me greatly, the only person I know who likes dog tags is a middle-class Phoenix, he wouldn’t be here. The lights go down, with a soft blue light shining on the two of us, we gasp in unison. Then the man gets off and offers his hand to me. My hearts beats, I gaze upon his tough hand and then take it. I get up, the man then has his right hand together with mine, and his left hand on my side. I almost jump by the touch, it is warm and gentle, then I put my hand on his shoulder instantly. The two of us sway and twirl, with my eyes gazing upon his face once more, a smile growing on my face, my heart flies away, as if no matter what happens in the future or happened in the past, I will enjoy this moment. The man then takes off his face, quick enough for me to see a familiar face, I gasp in the realization that I know this man: it’s Adrian, my close Phoenix friend who writes for a living. What surprises me is how he is able to get in the ball considering he is a middle-class Phoenix and not of royalty. I want to say something, but holding hands with Adrian silents my voice for the first time. In a matter of seconds, I am in Adrian’s arms. His warm breath scorches my neck that when his lips are close to me, I turn and connect our lips like two destined puzzle pieces. I can tell Adrian almost fall back, but then he has his hand on my cheek and takes off the mask I’ve worn during the entire ball. The mask lands with a clunk, and I did the same, his gold mask joins with my dropped mask. Our lips share a sweet taste of lustrous ice cream, the taste that can cause tears in my eyes because of sending me a bittersweet memory of my past family, the family I may never get to see.

“Adrian,” I moan, but I was cut off from Adrian. He kisses me deeper than before, I can hear someone calling my name in happiness, possibly Blaze, but I don’t care. Adrian and I are sharing a moment together, no-one will separate us, the sapphire proves our love and loyalty. It’s funny how I used to laugh and mock the fairy tales for being so fake, that there is no time or development in their love. For me, this ball may as well make Cinderella jealous in her glass slippers.

“Happy Birthday Princess, hope this makes up for not being with you today.” He whispers, his voice causes me once in a long time, to make my real smile, the one that I will set free from my chain to the surface and finally breathe.