Beneath the Crystal: The Fireling Reign (SEQUEL)

Chapter 3: Demanding Change

Ignus climbs up to the top of his balcony with the help of Kala. "Are you sure I should confront my mother?" He asks his friend, peering over the balcony railing to stare at her.

She grins up at him and nods. "Of course! Show her what's right! Do what your heart says is true."

The two firelings' ears perk up high when guards start to round the corner. Kala smiles nervously while waving to Ignus. "I should go now. Remember what I told you, Ignus! Go for it!" She whisper-shouts, jogging out of the castle sneakily.

Ignus smiles a little and waves back to her before sighing once again. "Do what my heart says is right, huh?"

He taps his chin in thought and nods. "I'll ask her in the morning," He announces, walking over to his bed and crashing out.

~

Mavra sits in her bedroom, writing down a long letter to Thurma.
"Hopefully, she'll consider the deal of splitting our lands just for a while." She sighs deeply while putting her head in her hands. "This will not end well at all."

She rolls the letter up and sticks it on a tube. She walks over to one of the scouts waiting outside her door and hands the tube to her. "Athena, please take good care of this letter and make sure it makes it to Queen Thurma. I don't want any mishaps or accidents."

Athena bows respectfully while nodding. "Yes, your majesty." She then spreads her wings out and takes flight, leaving the Castle and flying straight towards Mount Thranir.

Mavra stares out of the balcony of her window anxiously, hoping for the better.

~

Ignus puffs out his chest while fixing up his royal robes. The wisp from earlier yawns while crawling out of Ignus's satchel. Ignus doesn't notice the wisp and grins confidently. "Let's do this." He marches out of his bedroom and down the many halls and stairs, unaware of the tiny wisp following him around cowardly. Ignus travels around the Glass Castle, asking some of the guards where his mother is.

"That information is confidential, your grace. My apologizes."

"I've been sworn not to tell you at the moment. I can relay a message to her if you'd like."

"Shouldn't you be reading your books?"

Ignus groans loudly sitting down on a bench in the galleries, playing with the bruised plum in his hand that he'd stolen from the kitchen. "Great. How can I confront her when I can't even find her?"

The wisp pops out from behind Ignus, sniffing the air. It stares at the plum and coos in a sing-song voice—diving down towards the plant and stealing it. Ignus gasps and stares up at the wisp. "You again! How'd you get in here?!" He exclaims, attempting to snatch away the fruit, and failing.

The wisp cackles while flying away from him once again. Ignus growls under his breath, flames popping out all around his frame. "Come on! Again?!" He stands up and starts to sprint after the wisp, down the stairs and through the halls. He finally cups his hands around the wisp, tumbling to the floor clumsily, but making it back on his feet with a confident smirk.

"Hah! I win once again!" He sighs and keeps the frantic wisp cupped in his hands. He pauses for a second when he hears his mother's voice echoing down the hall. He turns his head in the direction of the sound and smiles. "There she is!" He lets the wisp go and continues to walk down the hall. The wisp cheers happily, digging into the plum and sighing in content. It looks back up at Ignus's retreating figure and grows nervous. It didn't like being alone in this huge castle.