Key-
Ukranian=Aurellan
Icelandic=Baurian

The room was dark, a singular fly buzzed around it, filling the void of silence. Pyre could hear whispers outside of his cell, how the hell had he ended up here? The last thing he remembered was waking up in his room and going out to meet a Aurelle spy in the eastern woods. Pyre swore under his breath, someone must have gotten him as he waited for the spy. He sighed and went back to taking in his surroundings, his main goal was getting out of wherever he was now.

The Room was dirt, maybe he was in a cave. There was a tiny bit of light streaming down from the ceiling. The one sky light had been blocked with iron bars. If the iron bars did not stop pyre, the metal chain that anchored him to the steel post driven into the ground did. Pyre walked over and tried to tug it up from the soft soil. As soon as his fingers brushed over the raised surface fire pushed him backwards and he went tumbling over. Pyre cursed and the voices outside the wooden door stopped. A wood slat slid back and a pair of eyes looked through. The wood slat closed once more. This time pyre listened more closely. His ear immediately picked up on the language they were speaking. It was Baurian. The dialect of the Baurai family. Pyre smiled and called out to them, "Hey, fjandmenn, af hverju ertu ekki að velja einhvern annan." In simpler terms, Pyre had just told the men to leave, but in a much harsher way. There was a slight laugh, then, they called back to Pyre. They did not speak their own dialect though, they switched to Aurellan, the Aurelle dialect. "Ви перший ублюдок" They called out. Pyre let out a laugh. They had called him a bastard, and in a sense he was, he did not know his father. Pyre switched to direct questions, "Hvers vegna er ég hérna? Hvað ætlar þú að gera? Ég verð ekki skilið að sjá andlit þitt?" He asked. He wanted to know why he was here, what the Baurai planning, and why would the men not come in. The two people outside talked quietly for some time before they spoke in Aurellan again, "Вам не потрібно знати сволота, ви дізнаєтеся досить швидко, насолоджуйтеся часом гниття." They called out. Pyre swore, they had basically just told him that he would have to wait and he didn't enjoy it.

Pyre slid down the side of the dirt wall and occasionally called out to the men in Baurian, calling them nasty things. These times they did not gratify him with a response. Pyre sat like this for some time before the door finally swung open and a women paraded in. "Привіт дитині, Hello child." She said. Pyre rolled his eyes, "Af hverju endurtakarðu, þú veist að ég veit hvað þú ert að segja. Why do you repeat, you know i know what you're saying." He said, repeating himself as well. The woman shrugged her shoulders, " I thought it would be fun."

516

The woman was tall and blonde. Her eyes were black. She wore leather armor, a chest plate was the only steel armor that she wore at the moment. A steel spear was strapped to her back.

The woman crouched down and fiddled with the dirt. "You Aurelles think you have been sneaky, don't you? You think we don't notice that you move? We notice? As soon as we dropped out of existence we watched you rally your forces and send out your scouts." She said. Her common speak was poor, but not terrible. Pyre smiled, "If you weer so hidden, how did I find you a few weeks ago?" He asked. The woman smiled, "Heppni." She said. "Luck?" Pyre repeated. At least the woman was speaking her own language now. "If it was luck, I would have stumbled upon you. You don't clean up your path as well as you think you do." He countered. The woman gritted her teeth, the Baurai family were not good at hiding anger. The woman bit her tongue though, she did not retaliate as Pyre anticipated her to. The woman spoke again, "Our feud has gone on for years, every once in awhile one of us makes headway, but it rarely lasts for long before the other catches up quickly. Don't you think it's a bit futile?" She asked. Pyre laughed, "Ідіот, your people brought this war against themselves. If you had just minded your business when our families were still kingdoms. If you had been a true and just country, this millenia long war would never have existed. In my eyes, you are the guilty, you are the ones in the wrong." He said, Pyre poured hate into every war. The woman's sneer appeared in a second, "Your so called kingdom was nothing but a mere village compared to the vastness of the old Baurai empire." She said. "Old being the key word. Ever since you went quiet, the Aurelle family has conqured 90% if your existing land, We now control most of your land. You are barely even an invisible kingdom anymore, you will be a dead kingdom soon." Pyre said. The woman didn't hold her anger back this time, kicking Pyre square in the jaw. Pyre's head cracked back and he swore. "Hugsaðu vandlega næstu myndina" The woman said. Pyre smiled, he loved it when they called him bastard, "Як тільки ви навчитеся не боротися когось сильніше." He said. With his comment about strength lying in the air Pyre lunged at the woman. Grabbing her feet and thrusting her against the ground. She yelled something Pyre couldn't here over the blood in his ears. Pyre quickly moved behind the woman, Wrapping his chain around her neck and clenching it, cutting off air flow.

The door swung open, both of the guards stepped into the room, swords in their hands. The one on the left spoke, "You wouldn't hurt her, you know you're in a bad position." He said. Pyre recognized his voice. "Oh! So you're the one that called me bastard." He exclaimed. The man grimaced.

515

No one moved, the woman scratched at her chain. Her constant struggling caused pyre to clench the chain tighter until the men stepped away from him and the woman stopped struggling, "Smart move you three." Pyre cooed. "Now, this is how we are going to solve all our problems, because, none of us to seem happy with each other. You're going to escort me out, then we won't ever have to talk again. The blonde lady spoke, "That wont happen fool, this is a compound, and we're in the deepest part." Pyre looked up at the light, "Then how is their sunlight? Don't lie to me, I'll just kill you slower." He said. The lady let out a pitiful laugh, "You aurelle are so dense, mirrors idiot." She said. Pyre let out a curse. "Okay, new deal, you tell me what's going on and we make a deal so I can leave and I'll give you something that you want." He said. Everyone remained silent for a moment. "You have yourself a deal small child." The blonde lady said. "We will barter here." She said. Pyre didn't release her yet. "I want a sword and to be released from the chains" He said. The lady gave her men a look and one handed him a sword and the other unlocked his chains and cuffs. Pyre gave a sarcastic smile and rubbed his wrists. "I guess we should start out with the simple, My name is Pyre Aurelle, great grandchild of Quora, and scout master of the Aurelle family." Pyre gave out his full title. The blonde woman smiled, "My name Is Moyra Baurai, Mistress of war in the Baurai house." She said. Pyre slightly expected a statement of lineage, but his memory told him that there were no lists of lineage in the Baurai house, no one was told their mother and they were all raised for a certain title, Moyra was clearly lucky.

"Well Moyra, can we get a table, I'm here to negotiate, let this be the first talk between our families in over three centuries." He said. The two guards dragged the table from outside, as well as two chairs. Pyre sat down and gave a courteous smile and beckoned for Moyra to sit down. She pulled out her chair and placed her hands in her lap. Pyre shrugged, "It looks like I am the one who is called to go first. My first question is, why have you disappeared?" He asked. Moyra laughed a tiny bit, "I should have expected that to be your first question. As you can assume, we are planning something, though I am not at the liberty to give you that bit of information to you. You are not Baurai, so you don't learn anything. This negotiation is futile, nothing will come of it. You are in a bad spot to negotiate, except that you will be used then executed. Except your death Pyre Aurelle, except you fall, it will come soon."

500

1500 words total

Pyre let out a shrill laugh, "Ви думаєте, ваші загрози лякають мене? Я забивав членів вашої родини один за одним, я знаю, що ви говорите в темряві, ви не лякаєте мене." He said. His words were threatening, he had told them that he wasn't scared and they should be scared of him. " We will never be scared of you." Moyra said coolly.
Pyre sighed, "You may have gathered your troops, but the Aurelle control so much of our hidden countries that you are at a major disadvantage, we could surround you and wipe you out. I think I actually have a better spot in this negotiation than you do Moyra. I think you should be the one scared. If our war is coming to its long awaited climax like you say, I think you are the one on the losing side. My family has honed every one of us to hunt your family, we are ready to kill you. I will hold your head in battle one day." Pyre said. His voice was cold, Moyra was staring death in the eyes. The men in the room shifted uncomfortably. Moyra grunted, "Your threats hold no way, if you wish to negotiate, drop the threats, tell me what you have to offer, and maybe i'll kill you quicker." She said. Pyre gave a smile, "So cordial Moyra."

"I'm assuming you have my papers?" He asked. Moyra nodded, "May I have them?" He asked. Moyra snapped her fingers and the men dragged in his bag and dumped its contents on the table. Pyre thanked them and shuffled through his papers until he pulled out a map. "Moyra, Look here. We control all of this area, we've replaced you in your underground actions in every major city, you have cut yourself off financially. I can negotiate with my grandmother to allow some cash flow if you agree to call off your attack and release me." Pyre said. Moyra remained quiet. "I never said it was a military action, why would you make that assumption." She said. Pyre laughed, "Bullshit Moyra, and you know it. The tiny bit of info i gathered leads exactly to your family gathering its troops here, in the woods. Im just surprised you managed to keep them all cooped up in here. Hell, I'm surprised I didn't know of this compound before. But anyway, we both know the outcome if this battle comes to fruition, it will end badly on both sides. You give us what we want, and you get what you want." Pyre offered. Moyra scoffed, "We do not want peace, we want to make steps into the future. We need to make steps towards ending this feud. The only thing you can offer is your families surrender." She said, her tone was dead serious. Pyre scratched his forehead. "You're dead set on this war aren't you Moyra?" He asked. "Quite." She said. Pyre sighed and scratched his head a tiny bit. Then, in a quick motion he beheaded Moyra with his sword.

500

WC: 2000

Pyre grabbed her spear and impaled one of the oncoming guards. He used his free sword to end the other knight. Pyre darted out of the room and checked to make sure that there was no one out there. He was alone for the time being. Pyre reached his hand under his shirt to where the lily tattoo was. Using his nail he drew blood down the lily tattoo. Everyone would know where he was, the tattoo was only to be used in dire situations and this was one of them. Pyre drew a horizontal line as well to alert the rest of his family to the terrible situation they faced. In a matter of hours the Aurelle would descend on the compound.

Pyre sneaked down the long hallway, he had to find his way out of here to greet his family, this war was finally going to have its turning point. This battle had been sitting at bay for years. This would be a blood bath and Pyre was slightly unsure if there would be a winning side. A knight came strolling down the cavern tunnel. Pyre hurled Moyra's spear at him and pierced his neck. The man let out a gargled noise before collapsing. Pyre searched his body for a map of any kind, his search was fruitless. Pyre dragged the man's body away and continued on down the tunnel. The next opponent was a wizard, lightning crackled around his body as he summoned a spear to hurl at Pyre. It let out a crash as it hit the wall behind him. Pyre's sword silenced the man in a matter of moments. The crash would alert people to Pyre's presence. He had no Idea if they had seen him enter, but stealing armor would be a good idea. Pyre quickly removed the clothes from the dead man and put them on himself.

As Pyre walked down the empty hallway he thought he would never hear voices, but he finally did. "Alexis, hefur þú fundið escapee ennþá?" A masculine voice asked. Pyre swore, they knew he had escaped. He had no idea if they knew what he looked like, so his best bet was to try and walk by slyly.

Pyre strolled from around the corner, catching the eyes of the group of soldiers. "You! Have you seen the escapee?" The head one asked. Pyre shook his head, "No sir, I just came from there, I didn't see anything." The head soldier sighed. "Moyra will have my head for this messup." He said. Pyre walked by quickly. -She'll need her own first- Pyre thought. His ruse seemed to work for the moment. Pyre continued to walk deeper into the compound, he didn't have a single clue as to where he was.

By the time Pyre began to hear whispers of the escapee being disguised he was deep into the compound, there were plenty of people he could blend in with, he would have to be careful. But he could pull this off. He had to.

506

WC:2500

Pyre was no where close to an exit of any kind, and he couldn't ask. It wouldn't be long before people knew what he would like and be able to pick him out of a crowd. He needed another hostage.

Pyre changed his course of action to find another high ranking individual. Moyra had been the mistress of military, one of the Buarai's head positions. The Baurai had an oligarchy, a head of military, head of wizardry, head of scouts, and head of the family. They ruled together as a body, neither one had more power than the other. Their operating body was different from the Aurelle who had something kind of close to a constitutional monarchy. Except, its monarch still held some power. So closer to a partial monarchy in Pyre's mind.

The tunnels were becoming larger and taller, just how big was the compound. Pyre assumed he had already spent close to an hour outside his cell and yet he was no where close to getting out or finding a private room.

By now many Aurelle would be gathering outside of Magnolia, in pubs, in the bath house. If the Baurai didn't notice their sudden presence they would soon. Pyre Could not be inside when they stormed it. He needed a hostage and a way out soon, otherwise he would die in the culling with the rest of the Baurai. Pyre searched for hidden doors, hallways that looked like a normal soldier should not be in. And lucky for him, he was head of the scouts and he was built for this stuff.

After a long time searching Pyre slipped down a inconspicuous pathway that was certainly meant to look like a janitorial closet, but a janitorial closet was a great place to hide something. Pyre tested one of the two doors. One gave way to a janitor closet, the other was locked. Pyre sighed, looked left to right, then broke the handle off with his knife. He slid through the door into what looked like a meeting hall. He was in the upper terrace that went along the ceiling and looked down into the center where two men and a woman sat. "Moyra is dead for god's sake. Garth, this is no joking matter, we are without a master of military. If the scouts reports are right, the Aurelle have just suddenly moved. Our weapon might be strong, but will it save us." The man with the dark hair said. The man who was supposedly Garth spoke, "I am the master of wizardry, are weapon will certainly wipe out their forces, you don't need to worry Mars." Garth said, he was trying to comfort Mars. The singular woman piped up, "Moyra isn't here to command our army, she was the one with the military mind to operate our military when it was pinned down in one spot, Garth, you are putting to much faith in your weapon." She said. Garth slammed his hand down on the table, "You all need to trust me, I know what I have made, we will be protected."

500

WC: 3000

The woman growled, He bright red hair could be seen raising all the way from the balcony. Mars scratched his head, "As master of the Family, I do not think our operation is safe anymore, were pinned down, this will end badly. Yovanna has provided us with the information of her scouts, we will fair, we should evacuate." Mars said. Garth sighed, "Neither of you understand, we can't anymore. Even if we wanted to, we might be able to get out of the compound, but we're surrounded by the Aurelle, we either put up a fight or we are going to die, there are two options. And both of you can agree which is the better one." Garth said. Yovanna sighed, "As mistress of the scouts, I'm the closest we have to a master of military, I'll try to get our military organized." she said. Yovanna excused herself and walked out a lower door. Garth sighed, "I'm sorry Mars, I know you didn't like this outcome, but hey, we are close to ending this." Garth said. "But will it be in our favor Garth?" Mars asked. Garth sighed, "I'll go ready the weapon." Garth said. He left swiftly. Pyre took his chance and hurled the spear at Mars, impaling his coat to the table. Pyre landed on the ground with a thud and pressed Mars into the table. "Nice to meet you Master of Family, Mars. My name Is Pyre Aurelle, Head of the Scouts." Pyre said. Mars laughed, his tone heinous instead of the worried that it was moments ago, "Look who showed up, how are you bastarður?" Mars asked. Pyre sighed, "What is with your love for the word bastard, none of you know your fathers either." Pyre remarked. Mars laughed again, "We have progressed past them. Why are you here bastarður?" Mars asked. Pyre smiled, "What is this weapon Garth spoke of." Pyre asked. "Like i'd tell you?" Mars said incredulously. Pyre sighed and used his sword to sever Mars' hand. "I hope you didn't need that." Pyre said. Mars let out a howl.

"The weapon is a lacrima, it removes spirits from the area, thus rendering your magic weaker." Mars said. Pyre sighed, "Thank you Mars, I'll make this quick for you." Pyre said, before he impaled Mars with his sword. Pyre walked out of the room. He couldn't leave now, he had to destroy that lacrima. If the Baurai used that, they could sway the battle out of the favor of the Aurelle.

Pyre followed out the hall that Garth went through. He had to find that Lacrima, he crossed his fingers that this hallway lead him directly to where he needed to be. The hallway wasn't as well lit, it was eerily dark. A hand grabbed Pyre's hair and the buzz of electricity could be felt in the air. "Well hello there, I should thank you for dealing with that thorn in my side, Mars. But you did make a move against my family, so I must say goodbye."

500

WC: 3500

Pyre could feel Garth summoning lightning to try and end Pyre quickly. Pyre yanked his head forward. He lost a good chunk of hair, but Garth had lost his grip. Garth growled and the giant sphere of lightning in his hand had grown dangerously large. The sphere morphed into the shape of a boar, with had pure white eyes and it crackled dangerously. Garth Raised his hand to set the boar free but a hand came from behind him and slit his throat. The spell ceased and a dead Garth fell to the ground in a puddle of his blood. Behind him was Yovanna.

Pyre stood stunned, Yovanna walked towards, "Come, I'm here to aid you." She said. She grabbed Pyre's hand and dragged him along the dark hallway. "My real name is Joanna, I'm a rune knight. I was sent to end this war." She said calmly. Pyre raised an eyebrow. "I thought the government mostly stayed out of our affairs." Pyre said. Joanna nodded, "we tend to, but my boss noticed the change in action and called me to act. So I killed the real Yovanna and replaced her about three months ago. The lacrima is this way." She pulled on a torch and the dirt fell away to reveal a large lab.

Garth developed this awhile ago, he came up with the idea after your last skirmish in which the Baurai lost badly. The lacrima was a pillar carved out of white crystal, runes were carved into the rivulets of the pillar. Joanna produced a hammer from her robes, "I have wanted to smash this thing for months." She said. Joanna raised her thing and took a hefty swing at the pillar. The crash was deafening, pieces of the lacrima went flying across the room and a large cavity was left where the hammer had connected. Joanna handed Pyre the hammer. Pyre smiled, "Thank you." He said. Pyre raised the hammer, he liked the way the wood felt, he liked how this was going to feel. Pyre brought the hammer back and released it with a mighty swing. Another large crash came and the rest of the Pillar fell down upon itself. Joanna shielded her face from the crystal.

Once everything had settled Joanna walked towards the door. "Pyre, I was never here, The outcome of this battle is up to your families now. The only thing that the rune knights wish to happen tonight is that this feud ends here, tonight. Pyre nodded and Joanna disappeared out the door. Pyre sighed, He'd likely never see here again.

Pyre dashed back out the door and back down to the hall, he knew there was an exit there, he had seen the emergency exit labeled.

By now, the Aurelle were close to acting. This battle was about to start and the millennia long war was about to end. Pyre had no Idea how they would keep such a large battle hidden from the eyes of magnolia. He was Curious to find out.

500

WC:4000

Pyre came out of the tunnel behind a tree. He dumped the fake armor and headed towards town. He remained vigilant, watching the trees for people gathering. It didn't take him long until he saw people a small group of people in a clearing.

In the clearing were the Aurelle. And lo and behold, his great grandmother, Quora. "Great-grandmother!" He called. Quora looked up, her face remained cold. "Where were you Pyre? You were the one that put out the signal." She said. Pyre smiled, "there is a massive compound underneath us, filled to the brim with the Baurai. I was just in there saving our asses. And as you should now, every leader of the Baurai family is dead. We have the upper hand. I suggest we take it now. They are likely going to have new people in that post shortly and the Baurai are extremely loyal. They will act quickly, we must act first." Pyre said. Quora sighed, "You act like I'm a child, I know exactly what I must do." Quora said. She turned to a man in silver armor with auburn hair, "Tyran, call the rest of the military to converge on this point, we attack in half an hour." Tyran left quickly and walked into the woods. Pyre sighed, "Quora, we might not have half an hour, their mistress of military has been dead for almost two hours now, they will find the bodies of the others soon, we must act quickly." Pyre pleaded. Quora sighed, "Youngling, we have the upper hand, we will be the winners in this war, do not fret." She said. Pyre sighed, this was going to be a bloodbath, his great grandmother was underestimating the sheer man power of the Baurai. There were hundreds of Baurai down there, likely thousands. Pyre sighed, "Gr-" He was cutoff. "PYRE, STAY IN YOUR PLACE, WE WILL BE FINE!" Quora yelled. Pyre clenched his mouth shut and stood quietly.

Fifteen minutes passed, and nothing happened. Pyre had to assume there was a new master of military, and maybe the other positions had been filled. They had waited too long, they were going to die. This war was going to end poorly. Pyre fiddled with his hands. He had worked so hard to improve the likelihood that the Aurelle family would win. But why did he, his grandmother had just publicly humiliated him, and likely doomed their family. Pyre placed his face in his hands, both of these families were a shit show. Pyre could not believe that he had not noticed it earlier. They weren't a family, they were nothing better than a government. This was going to end poorly on both sides. Both families had screwed themselves over, this fight was going to be a turning point, but not in the way the families wanted it. Pyre sat on his log and waited for the battlecry to begin. He would wait out the battle here, he would help the wounded, he wouldn't fight for other side. Both families had torn the lives of too many people away from them.

500

WC:4500

There was a explosion, the Baurai had blown up a major cavern, dozens of Aurelle soliders fell in and were likely dead. Pyre crawled into the dust and pulled out one of the surviving men. Dragging him out of the cavity and into the ferns. He checked the man's pulse, he was alive, Pyre quickly treated his wounds and wrapped his bandages. Pyre removed the man's armor and through it away. He left the man hidden deep in the forest, among the ferns. The man would likely wake when the battle was done.

After treating a few other soldiers, both Aurelle and Baurai Pyre made his way into the cavern, he would help as many people as he could tonight, he wasn't going to let everyone die tonight. He clambered down into the pit, treating to the few living men that hadn't been slaughtered already. The Baurai and The Aurelle were going to kill each other off tonight. Joanna would get her ending, and Pyre's own thoughts on the situation had changed, he knew it was for the better that their families no longer continue, but he could not let people die. He would find a way so their feud would stay ended.

After Pyre had made his way into the more hidden parts of the compound he had gotten away from the battling, though he could still hear the screams of the battles. A small part of him wished his great grandmother died, she had put these to people to death? Hadn't she? Pyre broke down into tears, so had he. He was the one that had sent out the signal. This idiotic feud had killed so many people, stripped away the freedom of thousands, it had killed his mother. "Родина сімейства." He said under his breath. -Bastard Family- He repeated in his family.

Pyre dragged himself up, he was going to make sure that when this battle was over, no one would remember that it ever happened.

Pyre dragged himself to the lacrima laboratory and began sifting through the large amount of lacrima weaponry that the Baurai family had developed. Pyre rubbed his eyes, his adrenaline was gone, he was running on an empty tank, he had to finish this fight that he had helped start.

Some of the Lacrima were transport ones, others bombs. No ones that could erase the minds of hundreds. Pyre sifted through everything for awhile. Pyre's hand drifted over a book, opening he found a list of rudimentary ritual symbols. Maybe there was something in here. Pyre flipped through every single one. There was nothing about memory erasing. Pyre let tears slide out of his eyes, the screams had died now, was everyone dead? Pyre picked up the book and wandered out into the halls. Everywhere was lined with dead bodies. There were still a few people left groaning and bleeding. Pyre was right, there was no winner, both families were gone now, they were all going to die here in this compound tonight.

500

WC:5000

Pyre sat in the tunnel for a little while, running his finger across the book cover. In A desperate attempt to fix this mess, Pyre opened the book a second time. The pages were soaked with blood, he had let it sit on the ground next to him. Blood was everywhere, nothing could escape it. The once white pages were all now a deep red and had a strong metallic spell. Pyre flipped through the book tiredly, every page felt useless and limp in his. Pyre slowly tore each page out of the book as he went. Tears were streaming down his face, he had failed everyone. The blood soaked paper was scattered around him. Pyre clenched the next piece he was ready to tear out, but a tremor grabbed his body and Pyre shook violently as tears streamed down his face. When it finally cleared he looked at the piece of paper that he was clenching. The ritual was there to summon a heavenly being.

Heavenly played on repeat in Pyre's mind. Maybe they would help fix this. Maybe an angel would descend on their battlefield and wipe away the pain. Pyre drew the circle on the ground. He then placed a six pointed star in the middle. In the center of the star, an eye. Pyre stood outside the circle, a torch in hand. He spoke out the incantation, "Angelis, ut voco te. Obsecro te pro meo audire vocat. Die obsecro me." He leaned down and placed the torch in the center of the eye in the pupil. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, the torch shook violently and the flame turned a bright white and burned all the way down the handle and lit the entire circle on fire. Out of the ethereal flame a being of light emerged. "Human, I sensed your pain, why did you call?" The being asked. Pyre collapsed and tears streamed down his face. "Angel, please, we have failed. We went down the wrong path. Please, erase this atrocity from here and wipe the memories of the survivors. Make this feud nothing more but whispers on the wind." Pyre asked. The ligh being was quiet for a moment, "And what of you?" It asked. Pyre was quiet as well, " I was part of this atrocity, do as you wish." Pyre said. The being of light nodded and snapped its fingers.

Pyre gasped for air as he shot up. He was in bed, sunlight streamed in through the window, catching the dust as it did so. A note sat on the bedside table.

Human,
The woods of magnolia remain pristine, those who have survived your battle now will live on with no recollection of their past. You, are the only one who will ever remember what happened, your families are nothing but a smudge in history. Human, do as you wish the physical evidence of your family. But I trust you to stay loyal to your wish of peace?

The rest of the note remained blank.

500

Wc:5500

Pyre sat in the old Aurelle house in magnolia. It was nothing but a small town house that acted as a outpost. Pyre gave a small smile. The freedom that had been stripped away was now returned. The strife that had been made, was now over.

Pyre turned his gaze on the pile of paper and files on the floor. The seraphim had left them all here. Pyre had checked, every Baurai and Aurelle record were there. Pyre was told he could do whatever he wanted with them. He could keep them as a reminder, but he knew he wouldn't do that.

Pyre sipped the tea that he had made. He felt as if he was on the precipice of something brand new, and he knew he was. Few other people new anything happened last night except Pyre. Pyre found this concept kind of interesting. Pyre finished the tea quickly.

Standing up, Pyre began to pile files into the fireplace. Pyre paused to read some, but most just caused him to tear up. After he had filled the fire place to its safety max, he tossed a match in and watched history go up in flame. Pyre continued on this trend for the rest of the day, only stopping twice.

The first time is when he stumbled over a file about his mother. According to files on her behavior she had shown dislike for the actions of the Aurelle. "Sorry mom." Pyre whispered. He knew she had tried to keep him out of the Aurelle grasp initially, but he ended up there anyway. He tossed her file into the fire as well. he watched the edges curl up and turn black. He watched as the paper tore itself apart into bright orange embers that floated up through the chimney in the arms of hot air into the cold wintery outside. Pyre never wanted to look back after this.

The second time Pyre stopped was when he found the oldest documents. The writing was barely legible, it was a decree that there had been a disaster, but the kings were still alive and they weren't going to stop. Pyre sighed, those kings forever ago had sentenced their descendants to a life of involuntary devotion and assured early mortality. Pyre lit another match and let this document burn in his hand, It was amazing, watching the beginning of a history disappear.

Pyre stared at the last document that were available. They were his letters. Pyre was about to end an era, part of Pyre thought it might be the good idea to let these live on as a lesson of what not to do. But the better part of himself knew that this part of history had to be gone, physically. It could only exist in whispers, it had caused too much pain. Pyre placed it in the fire and he was hooked until the last word was consumed by blackness and drifted up into the sky as an orange ember that no one would ever recognize again.

500

wc: 6000