The Descendant Of Light | Original Story

02.

    Iris didn't remember falling back asleep. But by the time she woke up, it was broad daylight out. Cassie was standing in the doorway, dressed in a flowy white dress with black flats and her hair pulled into a ponytail. 
    "Sleep well?" Cassie asked. 
    Iris let out a yawn as she nodded her head. She winced as she stretched out her arms over her head. As she began to become more and more awake, Iris could feel a coolness on the back of her head. She glanced down at her pillow and saw that the once light green pillowcase, now had a dark patch on it. So I did take a bath, she mused to herself. 
    “Very good,” Iris said, rubbing her eyes. 
    “Good. I was thinking we head into the town today? Maybe get some cinnamon bread?” Iris’s eyes snapped open and she whipped her head to her Cassie. She had a playful smile on her face. 
    “Really?” Iris asked in disbelief. 
Cassie nodded, softly laughing. A big, excited smile spread across Iris’s face.
      “Yes really. But you need to get dressed. I have to visit Roland too. He and I need to discuss trading plans.” Iris’s smile fell at the mention of Roland.
      Roland, was the Keeper, or Lord, of Mauvers. He ran the town and made sure everything was kept under control. Iris hated him with a true passion. All the women within Mauvers, including Cassie, had some sort of thing for Roland, which Iris didn’t understand. There was so much that was wrong with him.
     “Do we have to go see him?” Iris whined. She began to get out from under her covers. Iris made sure to take it slow while getting up, despite all the pain in her legs. 
      “You don’t. But I do. I don’t have any authority over you, remember? You merely live here with me.” There was a subtle venom in her words. 
Iris’s eyes narrowed, but disregarded her sister's comment. “I’ll meet you out there in a moment. Just let me get dressed.” 
     “Make it quick. I don’t want to get the fresh loaves this time,” Cassie rushed, closing Iris’s door as she walked out. 
     “Yes ma’am.”

▪︎▪︎▪︎

    Mauvers, despite the size of it, was a bustling town. It was the one town known in the region that was filled with only demi-faes. Though, that's what Iris was always told. Only three known creatures were living within the Gelowyn region. There were; Faes, demi-faes, and mortals. The mortals usually were found in Ferrowyn, hiding away from demi-faes and faes themselves. Which to Iris, always made sense. 
      Demi-faes were also known as halflings, though not many liked to be called that. They had mostly the same abilities as Faes, such as the enhanced hearing. The enhanced hearing was Iris’s saving grace. Especially when it came to hiding away from guards or angry townspeople, or even hiding from Cassie. 
      Faes were the most superior creature living within this region, or they liked to think so. They typically looked down on mortals, but some looked down upon demi-faes as well. Especially after the purge of those who weren’t full-blooded fae. 
The busiest part of Mauvers was the marketplace. It was filled with all kinds of foods, trinkets, and clothing. But the best part of the marketplace was the bakery. Freshly baked bread and other goodies could be smelled from miles away. Iris’s mouth watered at the thought of the cinnamon bread. 
     Cinnamon bread was another famous item within Mauvers. The baker, Finn, refused to ever tell the recipe. But some could guess the ingredients. The bread was always soft on the inside and a bit crispy on the outside. The cinnamon and sugar mix always lingered in one's mouth. The bread was almost always warm in the mornings. But the best loaves were always the first batch. 
     "Did you bring money?" Iris asked.
    “No Iris, we’re going to get the bread for free,” Cassie said sarcastically. 
    “Well, considering the way Finn thinks about you, I wouldn’t be shocked.” Cassie didn’t speak for a moment, prompting Iris to look over at her. Iris smirked. “Cat got your tongue.”
    Cassie glared at Iris before looking ahead. “Finn doesn’t think anything of me. He won’t give us free bread Iris.”
    “I mean technically, I could get us free bread without him knowing.”
    “Don’t you dare,” Cassie growled. “Do you understand how much trouble you could get for stealing?” 
    “None if I don’t get caught,” Iris said with a smirk. She let out a laugh as Cassie rolled her eyes. Iris playfully nudged Cassie. “I’m only joking.”
     “No you’re not,” Cassie grumbled. 
    Iris shrugged, her attention turning elsewhere as they entered the market. Unlike other towns, Mauvers didn’t have many buildings other than Inn’s, Houses, Taverns, and a Bakery. Little pop-up shops were set up to line the cobblestone streets, leading to the town circle, which was where The Silver Flame could be found. A lot of action within the town happened in either the marketplace or the town circle. Usually, street dancers and children would lounge around the fountain in the town circle. Iris tried to avoid it at all costs, considering the children in Mauvers were, as she liked to put it, “little heathens”. 
    As Iris and Cassie began their trail through the marketplace, Iris found herself constantly getting distracted. She stopped at a jewelry booth, examining the various accessories that laid on a silk cloth.
    Iris carefully picked up a small golden chain necklace that had a small onyx jewel hanging from it. The jewel, and chain, sparkled in the hot morning sun. 
    “Fifty golden coins for that,” the owner of the booth purred. 
    Iris glanced up, brows knitted together. “Fifty?” she asked.
    The owner nodded, running a hand through his oily looking hair. “Though, for a pretty face like yours, I can drop the price.”
    Iris chewed on her lip. She leaned over the table, a mischievous glint in her eyes. The owner leaned forward, waiting for what Iris would have to say. 
     “How about, you give it to me for free?”
     “And what would I get out of it?” The man asked, licking his lips.
     Iris grinned. She opened her mouth to speak, only to feel a smooth hand, harshly grab her arm. She let out a yelp as she was yanked back. It didn't take long for Iris to realize who was dragging her away. 
     “C’mon Cas,” Iris whined. The necklace was still held tightly in Iris’s hand. Quickly, she stuffed it into her pocket before her sister could see. But her joy was short-lived.
     “Hey! Give back the necklace!” The shop owner yelled. He was already running towards Iris. 
      She softly swore under her breath and yanked her arm out of Cassie's grip.
     “I’ll meet you at the bakery,” was all she said before running off. 
      There was a string of swears and protests that came from Cassie as Iris ran. Iris sharply turned down a corner of the marketplace, glancing over her shoulder. The owner was gaining speed. Iris looked back, her eyes going wide. She couldn’t stop herself in time as she ran into a random stranger, sending both of them falling. Both of them groaned. 
Iris pushed herself up, looking over her shoulder again. The owner was closer now. Iris whipped her head back to the stranger she fell on top all. All she caught was a flash of their gold eyes before she was scrambling to get up. 
     “Sorry!” Iris yelled over her shoulder as she ran off again. 
     To Iris, she felt like she was reliving last night. Her eyes wildly looked around until she spotted an alleyway. Without thinking, she turned and ran for it. Her heart thundered in her ears. Iris found herself huddles behind a trash can, trying to keep her panting quiet. Her body shook and her legs throbbed. Iris’s body was bound to give up on her at one point. She wondered if it would be now. 
     Iris strained her ears, waiting to hear the man's footsteps pass. At first, his footsteps were loud, signaling he was too close for Iris’s comfort. But then the footsteps began to fade. Iris waited until she didn’t hear him before she stood. Her legs wobbled. 
     She swore under her before stepping out of the alleyway. Iris glanced both ways before walking to the bakery. Thankfully, it was near. But Iris made sure she was discreet. Her hands drifted to the pocket that held the necklace. She grinned as the cold metal touched her fingers. Carefully, Iris pulled it out and clasped the necklace around her neck. 
     Iris chuckled to herself as she reached the bakery doors. She swung it open and was met with the furious face of her sister. Iris chewed on her lip and let the door close behind her. The baker stood behind Cassie, a worried look on his tan face. 
     “Hey,” Iris sheepishly greeted.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

    “I can’t take you anywhere!” Cassie exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Anywhere we go, you always cause some kind of trouble! Why can't you just act like a normal citizen for once?"
    "Calm down Cas. It was just a necklace," Iris said with a dismissive wave. She walked up to the counter with a tired, lopsided smile on her face. "Hey, Finn." She greeted. 
    "Good morning Iris," Finn greeted with a thin smile. "I see your morning has already started off...interesting." 
    "That's one way to put it," Cassie mumbled. 
    Iris rolled her eyes. "Yes. My morning is going quite well actually. I got a new necklace." Iris flashed the jewel around her neck.
    "No. You stole it," Cassie corrected. "And you'll give it back too." 
    "Oh Cassie," Iris said with a laugh. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "That's quite funny of you to think I'll give this back." 
    "You can't just steal things, Iris!" Cassie exclaimed.
    "Oh, but I did," Iris said, a mischievous smile on her face. "It wasn't anything harmless. Don't worry about it." 
    "Don't worry about it," Cassie mocked. "You know you always say that, and every time I continue to worry. It's like dealing with a two-year-old!" 
    "How many times will I have to say this? You aren't my mother!" Iris whined.
    "I'm your sister," Cassie said. 
    "I told you last night. We aren't related."
     "Wait what? You guys aren't related?" Finn cut in, the confusion clear on his face. 
      Iris and Cassie shared a look, their lips wobbling as they tried to stifle laughs. 
     "It wasn't obvious?" Iris asked. 
     "No," Finn said. "Anyways, are you two here to argue or order?" 
      "Both it seems," Iris said. 
      "We'll just take a loaf of cinnamon bread," Cassie ordered, tossing a glare to Iris. Cassie fished out a small satchel of coins before tossing them on the counter. 
      Finn snatched them up, flashing Cassie a crooked grin. Iris didn't miss the blush that crept on Cassie's cheeks. If there was one thing Iris was certain of, it was Cassie and Finn's feelings towards one another. It was dreadful for Iris to watch the two. 
     "Any plans for today?" Finn asked, walking over to the small oven in the back of the shop. 
     Iris leaned on the counter, fiddling with her new necklace. She looked over at Cassie, waiting for the girl to answer. 
     "Well, we're going to see Roland today. After that, I'm not quite sure," Cassie said. "What about you?" 
     "Well, I have to stay here almost all day. Kind of my job," Finn said, walking back with a fresh loaf in his hands. He had it wrapped up in a dark green rag. Iris made the motion to grab for it, but Cassie quickly snatched it from Finn. 
     "Hey! I wanted it!" Iris complained. 
     "You can wait," Cassie teased. She looked back at Finn. "Well, do you need any help? I'm sure I can come after seeing Roland."
     "That would be wonderful! You could help make the dough for tomorrow's batch!" Finn exclaimed.
     "Great! I'll see you after then,” Cassie said.
     "Yes, that's great. Cassie, give me the bread," Iris cut in, reaching for the bread. 
     Cassie stopped Iris in her tracks with a simple glare.
     "I said you can wait." she curtly said.
Iris pouted, but let her hands fall to her side.
     Cassie looked back at Finn with a smile. "I'll see you later." 
     Iris followed Cassie towards the door. Iris opened it and impatiently waited for Cassie to walk out. 
     "Bye girls!" Finn called. 
     Iris gave him a small wave before walking out behind Cassie. 
     "Are you sure baking is what you guys will be doing?" Iris asked in a playful voice. 
     A grin crept its way onto Cassie's lips. "Shut up."