Astrid Blu: Orion's Curse

Crystal Rain

Astrid was taken aback by him. Magic. Really? What is he going to do? Show her magic? She just stands up, but hesitates to take his hands. The boy somehow seems to notice it and draws his hand back to himself, clearly embarrassed.

"Let me prove you wrong." His gaze met her blue eyes.

Astrid didn't understand anything. How was he going to prove something like that? Was he a wizard? Is magic really real? No way.

Arthur walked out of the room, with Astrid following him. That's the first time she was getting out of the room. Astrid was stunned by how majestic the whole place was, the moment she stepped out of the room. It was a palace in every way. It looked like a palace and had a vast corridor with curtains hanging on the walls. She was sure that the huge curtains were hiding a bigger and better view of this beautiful place. It even smelled like a palace. It smelled exactly like how she used to imagine how a palace would be when she was a little girl, dreaming of being a princess. It smelled like vanilla with a mixture of something that can only be described as the 'smell of the rich'. It intimidated her. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable being in such a big place with rich people. Even though the boy seemed friendly, she cannot help but feel distant. They are totally different. He was rich, lived in a palace, had everything he ever asked for. And how can she forget the fact that he grew up in a place that is not even earth. Astrid was an orphan, that suffered most of her childhood in a house that never felt like a home. Both of them were like the two poles of the earth.

They kept walking until they reached a big hall. Maids can be seen cleaning and sweeping the enormous hall. It was even bigger than the whole Little Mary's home. With long and wide windows on the sides. They were not covered with thick curtains like the other windows.

The dark wooden floor of the hall made noise as the boy led the way. That waswhen Astrid noticed that she was not wearing any shoes. She took it off before the boy came inside the room. Walking barefoot was comfortable, so she lets it slide. Her feet were not making any noise, like how the boy's feet clad in a brown boots, made. Astrid followed him around like a lost puppy, while still enjoying the beautiful views the palace was giving her. You don't get to see a palace everyday. So just enjoy it to the fullest when you get the chance. Even while knowing that this is not earth, and the boy walking in front of her is going to prove that magic is real, she still enjoys every moment of it.

There was a big door on the other side of the hall. It was bigger than the door to the room in which Astrid woke up. And it also had wooden engravings. Shield shaped engravings along with beautiful roses. There were also large portraits of people, placed on the walls. She stared at the unknown faces. A family portrait comes into her view. A man and a woman standing along with a girl in her 20s, with a little boy with bow tie on the side. Astrid immediately recognized the boy. He was none other than the person walking in front of her. Nothing changed about him. He was still adorable just like he was in the portrait. He grew up, but he still had the chubby cheeks and innocent eyes. His beautiful hazel eyes. The girl must be his sister. And the others must be his parents. His father looked like a king. A man with robust chest and a beard. His clothes were just like Arthur's. It can be seen from the picture, that the man is very strict and stern. His mother was beautiful. She was beautiful even when she had wrinkles around her eyes and lips. Her hands were elegantly placed on her husbands shoulders. Astrid didn't realize that she was totally into the photo until the boy called her.

"You ready?" He questions, with a proud smile on his face. He is already looking like he just proved her wrong. Astrid nodded before walking towards the boy who was now standing near the huge door, with his hands on the round handle. Astrid nodded her head, even though she didn't have the slightest idea about what's going to happen next. Arthur turned the knob of the door and pushed it open, revealing a beautiful ground with green lawn spread all over it. It was empty. Though two people were there cutting the grass and watering it.

"Allow me to introduce you to the Rosenheim grounds" he said while bowing down slightly and motioning with his hands as if welcoming her. Astrid stepped out of the huge doorway, onto the green grass. Arthur stepped outside behind Astrid. It was big as a stadium. But there weren't any goal posts or baskets. If they don't play games, what do they do with this gigantic ground.

"So, are you ready?" Astrid blankly stares at the boy, who is now rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt, revealing his veiny forearms. He combed his hair away from his forehead. And walked to the center of the field. Astrid stands right next to the door. She was somehow scared. Scared of not knowing what's going to happen. She moved closer to the door. Incase something weird happens she could run back inside.

"Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you." He assured her.

Astrid threw a thumps up to him and folded her arms. There's almost 50 feet distance between them. But she could clearly see Arthur's minute movements. He cleared his throat and shook his head. He was trying to concentrate by calming himself. He was quite nervous as his legs are not staying still. He was shaking one of his legs in a nervous manner. Astrid smiled at how adorable he looked. He acted like he is super confident a minute ago and now he is standing there sweating like a nervous boy in front of his crush.

He finally takes a long breath and claps his hands in front of his chest. His expression suddenly changes from the nervous wreck to a smug smile, with one of his eyebrows raised. His palms are still glued together in front of his chest, which is slightly heaving up and down. Astrid is still staring at him, not understanding what's happening. Arthur carefully opens his palms.

Astrid's mouth slightly parts at the scene in front of her. In between Arthur's palm is a levitating ball of fire. He opens his palm wider making the orange ball bigger. He increases and decreases the volume of the ball multiple times, making Astrid's mouth go wider. He proudly smiles at himself, after seeing her reaction. She was beyond stunned. She was spell bounded, not understanding what's happening in front of her eyes. How did he do it? He plays with the levitating ball of fire. Astrid is looking nowhere other than that little ball which changes its size as the boy plays with his palms. Before Astrid can say anything, he throws it upwards. It goes up with a whistle. Astrid's gaze follows the ball as it goes up. It goes incredibly high and explodes.

It explodes into a beautiful orange firework with a pop. A thousand crystals shatter down onto the ground from the sky like rain. It looks like glitter dust. It falls all over the place and on top of Arthur. He laughs as the crystal particles kisses his face gently. He throws his arms up, enjoying the little magical dust rain he created. As it falls on the ground it disappears like bubbles. And the next moment its gone. Everything's gone. Arthur just stands there, eagerly looking at Astrid, whose mouth is still wide open. She couldn't make out anything.

Arthur walks towards her and stands in front of the dumbfounded girl in front of him.

"Well...what do you think?" He says with a smirk on his face.

****