The steps to my room creaked with weight and I assumed that the Flame Preeminent was coming back up to rush me along. Instead a tiny plump woman with a sweet smile appeared in my door frame. Terra, the Stone Preeminent.
"Miss Aurora, I came up to see if you needed anything. I know this is your first time serving as the Transcendent. Are you doing alright?" Her voice was soft and caring like how I've always imagined a mother's would be.
My cheeks flushed at her kindness. Most of the Preeminents are stuffy old women who find my age and inexperience to be little more than a burden, which to be honest, has never really surprised me. If your birth was considered an affliction you don't suddenly become a blessing just because you have an "important" job to do.
"I'm quite well, Thank You." I focused hard on steadying my voice and making the statement believable. Her concern brought with it a wave of reality. Everything I'd been pretending wasn't really going to happen, is happening. This past week I'd distracted myself in every way possible but I couldn't do that any longer. The Zenith is here, and as the Transendent there is a lot of pressure on me to play my part despite my past.
"Okay dear," Her eyes smiled as she spoke, "If you've gotten yourself together we really need to get going. Meet us downstairs at the Porcallius. She reached forward and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, as she did her eyes drifted to the mirror behind me. As soon as I saw her face, I recognized her expression. She'd caught a glimpse of the godforsaken ass bow. Her lips curled around her teeth in an attempt to stifle her laughter but she failed and before long she was "throw your head back,hold your gut" cackling. It was a contagious sort of joy that left Persephone and I no choice but to join in, despite the fact that I was definitely not amused by being forced to wear this taffeta monstrosity. When the laughter subsided she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at me again, before she turned to head down the stairs with out another word.
All my bags had been packed the night before and delivered by my monkcio, . They're a breed all of their own, neither human nor celestial of any kind. They live to serve the Elementals and have strong bonds with their sodality. My monkcio, Fletcher is one of oldest friends, and I vividly remember a time when he was my only companion at all. He's been by my side since before The Vaniteux ever came calling for me. Fletcher is my family. My mind trailed, engulfed by the harsh memories that somehow brought me comfort.
"well, alright, lets hurry up and get this over with." I shook my head to bring myself back to the present. I turned to Persephone who was already making her way down the stairs. I gathered the miles of fabric that pooled at my feet and followed suit, praying that I wouldn't trip and make an even bigger fool of myself.When we got downstairs it was dead quiet. The Porcallius had been flipped which meant someone had come through to our side, something was wrong. I reached for the closest thing to me and brandished it as a weapon. I pushed Persephone behind me to shield her from whatever had entered our home.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" I slowly walked forward to peep around the corner.
"Aurora? Is that you?" I man's voice called out and caught me off guard. I turned in direction of the sound and started to swing until I made contact with something solid.
"Ow! What the hell, Aurora!"
"Sebastian? What are you going here!" My eyes rested upon the man in front of me. He was taller than me, but only slightly. He had curls the color of chocolate and eyes to match. There was a red blemish on his cheek from where I'd swung at him. He rubbed his face for a moment and bust into fits of laughter.
"Aurora , just what kind of damage did you intend to inflict with a wooden spoon?" He grabbed it from my hand and lightly bopped my forehead with it before setting it on the counter and drawing me into a hug. I couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of me crouched down holding a mountain of pink fabric in one hand and brandishing a wooden spoon in the other.











