Mischief in the Stars

A Saving Grace

There was something about fire that made you mesmerized. There was something about the red and orange flames dancing in front of you that made it impossible to tear your eyes away. Maybe it was that something so dangerous was so close to you. That something so chaotic and unpredictable could be contained to be right in front of you. Playing with fire meant walking a fine line with danger trailing just behind you. Too much fire could get you burned. But with just the right amount, when you're balancing just enough on that fine line, the feeling of fire could give you a rush of exhilaration like no other.

Fire illustrated that not all light was good. Some light could hurt you. Some light could deceive you and be a mask for something darker. If you were not perceptive enough to see through the deception, you could get hurt. The world wasn't nearly as black and white, as some people think. Good and evil were one and the same; it all depended on which side you were on. Nothing was necessarily sinister on its own- nothing could be simplified to good or bad. Fire was a force to be reckoned with. It was flames flickering in the grey area.

Eira was that force to be reckoned with.

As she landed with a loud thud on the ground, Rory could get a better look at her. The details on Eira's skin were now flaming red, no longer glowing white as snow. She could see the color moving in the details, a great fire roaring under her skin, waiting to be set free. Her dazzling bright wings were giving off an enchanting aura, a flaming orange trailing around her. Her wings were slightly see-through, they were shining so brightly they were nearly neon- fire flaming on the edges of the wings.

"Eira..." Rory breathed out in amazement, her grey star-filled eyes now reflecting the gorgeous lights radiating off of her friend.

"You know, I heard a saying once..." Eira began in a firm voice, staring at the entire coven who is watching her in awe. Rory distantly wondered if pyraves were a rare creature on Thera. "The saying was 'what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger'... but I think I might tweak it a bit."

She paused, her lips twisting into a snarl.

"What doesn't kill me better run- because now I'm pissed."

With that, the rest of the windows shattered.

A silver-haired girl stood on a metallic platform. Saffire levitated the metal down to the ground, wearing a fierce expression. She stepped off the platform, tearing the metal apart and surrounding herself like a shield. A barking sound filled the air, making Rory's heart soar.

The amicordas.

One by one, the animals of Thera piled into the destroyed ballroom. Aliya floated with her tails surrounding her, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she seemed to find Rory in the crowd. Her amicorda landing on her, wrapping herself around her shoulders protectively. Iris and Birch were both reunited with their amircordas, sitting comfortably on their backs. Her brother's animals were standing in the front of the rest of them, leading the amicordas into the fight.

"There's no version of this that you win. The scorchers are on their way, you have nowhere to go. They'll come in here and then guess what? You're all off to Ironward! See how this is playing out now? You lost," Eira shouted, flaring up her fire for good measure. Rory assumed the scorchers were a form of police, perhaps their army. She could only guess that the Ironward is a prison of sorts- it didn't sound particularly inviting.

"You think they scare us? That pathetic excuse for an army, policing their way through Thera as if they have any actual authority!" Caeler spat out, his words thundering through the room. "None of you are a match for us!"

Eira seemed to have had enough. She whipped her hands out to the warlock. A gorgeous bright fire soared from her arms. They spiral brilliantly as they pummeled towards him. Caeler didn't seem prepared for her attack. Having no time to guard himself, he hit with her fire. He flew back from the force of the hit, his body turning multiple times as he flailed in the air.