The Red Heart (The Krystal Knights 1)

Chapter One

I see huge mountains covered in every imaginable shade of green and all sorts of animals. I hear the waves of the ocean's song clashing against one another. I see the sun setting upon the horizon, turning the sky beautiful shades of red and orange. A sunset so marvellous and like nothing I've ever seen before. I can picture the sound of my friends and each of their laughs.

It's a peaceful thing, being able to escape from the world and to just exist among so many other magnificent things and go unnoticed.

Sadly, my peace is disrupted by the sound of two of my best friends trying to make me come back to the real world.

"Kali, you okay?" This comes from Nailah. Princess Nailah-Grace Asteria of Angelcrest is the type of person you go to the ends of the earth for because you know that no matter what she'd do the exact same thing. She is one of the kindest, most loving and genuine people I know –which is ironic as her talent and speciality of sorts is poisons.

"I'll handle her this time, Nai." My other best friend Aaliyah clears her throat and shouts, "Obviously she's in her dreamy land again, wishing she was anyway but with the best people in the whole world!" "Aaliyah! Stop, she hears you, oh my Gods. Mind you I would say the whole kingdom heard you." They both laugh at me and Aaliyah's huge mouth.

I laugh, "Sorry guys, I was just looking at the sunset."

Aaliyah stares at me like I've lost my mind. "Kali we know you were looking at the sunset. Her royal politeness and I have been setting up the picnic while you were over here daydreaming." She gestures behind me where they have indeed finished setting up.

I hold up my arms in surrender, "In my defence, I made most of the food so I feel like I get a pass on this."

Neither of them can cook for shit so they just shrug as if to say 'Hey, it's not our fault we don't have basic life skills.'

Nai smiles, "Regardless of how useful Lia and I are in the kitchen, the boys should be here any moment now so maybe we should just enjoy our last moments of silence before they arrive, and then tomorrow-" "The annual Autumn Fete celebrations shall begin!" Lia interrupts dramatically and pulls us into a hug and dragging us to the ground.

We are all in hysterics still enwrapped in each other on the grass when we hear footsteps. "Aw, looks like we missed all of the fun." Phoenix, my brother in every way but blood says.

I jump up and tackle him right down to the ground. Aaliyah jumps on top of us and I'm sure it just looks like a pile of limbs and dark hair.

When we all calm down, we compose ourselves to greet the boys properly. Aaliyah gets up first and fixes her already flawless hair. "Alistar, how do I manage to look so gorgeous even after I've been brutally dragged through the first like a rat by our little Kali here?"

Alistar drags a hand across his short black hair and his dark skin glows in the sunset as he shrugs, "Oh I don't know Lia, maybe because you are quite lovely and perhaps you were the one doing the dragging. I mean come on our little Kali is only tiny. How would she even be able to reach up to drag you?"

As I begin to protest I stop myself as I remember I am inches shorter than all of them. Al is the tallest of us, reaching 6'4and Nai is the shortest besides me at 5'9. I'm 5'2 and maybe 5'3 on a good day.

I turn to the forever silent remaining man and bow dramatically to him, "You grace, what a pleasure it is to have you dine with us this evening. I feel so honoured that you cleared your busy schedule to make time to see us, peasants."

"Come on Kali, you know he has nothing better to do than hang out with us, I mean who else would put up with his constant brooding?" Al laughs as he says this.