A waxing crescent moon gave the falling snowflakes a glint of bronze color while they fluttered effortlessly to the roof of a small cottage, along with blanketing the clearing around the cottage and the tree line surrounding that. Small clouds of condensation escaped the shadows to be revealed by the bronze moonlight; unseen eyes intently watched at the brightly lit interior of the cottage through the windows.

  A baby’s cry erupted from the bedroom.

  A large man stood at the window, the bronze moonlight shining off his bald head and revealing his reflection in the glass; a thick mustache coupled with strong features and a square jaw.

  “I guess the baby can sense it too,” stated the large bald man while peering out the cottage window, “I’m sure you do, Lynette.”

  “Yes, Abel,” Lynette replied, solemnly rising from her chair and spoke, “The murderous intent has encircled us.”

  “I’ll put up a barrier to cover the aura’s signature so you can save the children,” Abel stated.

  “You know I must seal their powers,” Lynette cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, “They will live terrible lives, shunned by society.”

  “The seal will keep them away from the Black Locust and their Thorns,” Abel consoled her, wrapping his arms around her; kissing Lynette’s pitch-black hair then released her, “Go to them, give them our love and send them away.”

  Lynette wiped the trail of tears from her cheeks and retreated to the bedroom; where two younglings slept silently while a fussy infant shifted in his crib. Lynette quickly began bundling up her two-year-old boy and her yearling daughter, she paused picturing a place of safety then concentrated on that place. A shimmery pool began to form beneath each child; tears rushing from her closed eyes, knowing her children would be send to separate ends of the country. Lynette opened her eyes to an empty room, taking notice of the bright wall of flame surrounding her home before exiting her bedroom; almost as if in slow motion the last few moments burned into her mind. She found Abel standing in their living room, deep in concentration until Lynette placed her arms around her husband’s waist; Abel twisted around in her arms, meeting her gaze to looking into her broken blue eyes.

  “I’m ready my love,” she stated knowing Abel would end her pain, “You must end me so no one will know where they are.”

  A single tear descended Abel’s cheek as he struggled to remove the dagger in his belt, the blade tremble in his hand at the thought of what he had to do.

  The fire wall surrounding the cottage dissipated, leaving a solid wall of steam around the cottage allowing the shadows to advance.

  Lynette gripped Abel by the wrist yanking him and the blade inward, causing the blade to thrust into her chest as she wrapped her other arm around Abel’s neck.

  “I love you,” she whispered into his ear with her last breath.

  Abel caught Lynette’s body as it fell lifelessly and slowly lowered her, gently placing her body on the floor. He roared in pain as his tears landed on her face, causing his own body to burst into flames; the flames covered every inch of his body though did no harm to him or the clothing upon him. He rose covered in flames; breathing heavily while advancing to the door, each footstep leaving small flames on the cottage floor. He gripped the door handle causing the door to ignite with fire before he ripped it open.

  The cold winter air rushed past along with snowflakes as Abel stepped out into the clearing; cloaked figures enclosed the cottage in a half circle, their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods.

  Abel roared causing the flaming aura surrounding him spiked in size and temperature.

  “You’ve come to fight,” Abel shouted over the roaring flames consuming his home and wife, “Then I’ll give you one.”

  Abel took a step forward; the cloaked figures moved their hands in unison to a defensive posture; suddenly the ground itself, growing around Abel’s feet then hardens instantly leaving him stuck in place and struggling to free himself.

  “Water casters, move in,” commanded a deep voice and several figures on each side of the half circle advanced with floating orbs of liquid in their hands.

  They quickly dashed to the ensnared Abel, forming a four-person square around him; in unison they yelled “Water Prison”; the orbs of liquid shot forward like a jet stream and began to form building layers of fluid encasing Abel completely, Abel’s flames attempting to burn the fluid away, but the fluid suppressed his flames along and oxygen.

  “Hold it men,” the deep voice commanded again.

  “Yes sir!” they shouted in unison.

  Abel released his last breath while the commander approached, removing his hood as he reached the ensnared Abel; the commander’s face showed signs of burn scarring over half his face along with a wicked misshapen smile as Abel took water into his lungs. Abel’s eyes darted around for an escape to no avail and shook violently for a few short moments before becoming still then fluid encasing Abel suddenly lost its manipulation, falling to the earth along with Abel.

  “Throw his body on the pyre,” the scarred commander demanded.

  Men from the half circle came forward, grabbing Abel’s corpse by its limbs lifting it off the muddy earth; they proceeded to heave his body into the roaring flames that claimed the cottage and Lynette’s body.

  “Was the midwife a liar?” the scarred commander questioned.

  “We won’t know until the fames are put out, sir,” the subordinated replied.

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  “Then put out that fire!” angrily yelled the commander before retreating away to the tree line, “We need to find those children.”

  ******

  A toddler’s cries pierced the whine of the mountain winds; a young woman awoke to the cries along with her black hair over her blue eyes and quickly rose from her bed dressed in her nightgown. She opened the door to her chamber; by the sound of the muffled cries, she knew the source was outside. She raced down the corridor to the main entrance of the monastery, pulling the door open to discover a small boy on their first doorstep.

  “Gredo!” the dark-haired woman yelled, picking up the toddler.

  She brought the child into the monastery, sheltering him from the biting cold outside; heavy footsteps signaled the woman to Gredo arriving behind her.

  “What’s wrong, Lilith?” Gredo questioned, taking notice of the child in her arms.

  Gredo placed the back of his hand on the child’s forehead, finding it to be shockingly cold and stated, “We need to warm this child up.”

  Gredo stepped to the fireplace and reached into it, using is power of combustion to ignite the logs instantly, while Lilith held the bundled child closely. Father Gredo moved a chair next to the fire then took the child from Lilith and took his seat next to the fire.

  “Don’t worry we’ll get you warmed up,” Father Gredo spoke softly to the child.

  ******

  Deep in the Dragon’s Spine; a beggar turned down a dark alley, out of sight of the Ironborne patrolling the streets. The cooing of a toddler girl echoed softly down the tight alley, capturing the curiosity of the beggar, he walked down the alley searching for the source; locating the cooing origin next to a trash bin behind a local shop in Melrock.

  “Oh goodness,” the beggar stated kneeling down and picking up the bundled child, “You’ll catch your death out here.”

  With the child in his arms, the rag draped beggar strolled down the alley until arriving at the end to a bustling street, full of color and magic lights. Lamp posts lined the side of the street with yellow lumos crystals glowing brightly while Melrock’s residents strolled about the street before the beggar.

  “Fortunately, I know exactly where to take you,” the beggar said smiling at the child.

  The beggar turned up the street, making his way through the dense crowds with the child in his arms; the further and further he traveled up the street, the thicker pink haze the mountain fog created with pink lumos crystal lamps posts illuminating the street. The beggar arrived in front of a stone building that stood three stories tall; each window displayed emerald velvet curtains along with clover patches growing in window planters around the outside of the building.

  The beggar approached the steps, halted by a darkly dressed man with a gruff demeanor.

  “Leave, peasant,” he stated sternly, “You couldn’t afford what’s in there.”

  “I have a proposition for the madam,” the beggar declared as the man stepped forward.

  The guard eyed the beggar skeptically until he took notice of the small child then looked back to the beggar.

  “Wait here,” the guard commanded before turning and proceeding up the steps to the front door.

  The guard knocked in an odd pattern and the door opened a few seconds later, light poured from the interior of the building and the guard motioned the beggar to approach.

  “Follow the young woman,” he stated as a dark-haired girl no more than eighteen come into view.

  Her fair skin was draped in emerald and gold silk that hugged her form tightly, the beggar eyed her devilishly as he entered the building while the guard shut the door behind them. After gawking at the young lady’s rear, the beggar took notice of all the green and gold that covered the interior of the building, awe struck, as he continued to follow the attractive woman upstairs to the next story then down the hallway until she halted in front of a door that resembled all the others they had passed.

  The young lady gave a seductive smile before opening the door, allowing the beggar to enter then closing the door behind him. Before him stood a large desk made of deep green stained wood and gold casting; an young woman sat behind the desk, her fiery red hair stood out against the gold and green.

  “So, you have something for me, beggar?” she questioned while removing a small white stick from a gold case then lit the end with her finger.

  “Where are my manners?” the fiery haired woman exclaimed, “Welcome to the Gem of the Mountains, The Emerald Clover.”

  The beggar bowed slightly recognizing her stature.

  “Please come and sit,” she demanded seductively, gesturing to the chair in front of her desk.

  He advanced to the desk and carefully took a seat in the comfortable chair with the child in his arms, which began to fuss.

  “This is what you’ve brought me?” she questioned coming around the desk, heels clicking against the hardwood floor until she was able to lean against the front of the desk.

  The beggar examined the slit that running up from the floor to her hip.

  Yes ma’am,” the beggar stated, “But for a price of course.”

  “Well of course!” the madam declared; the door behind them opened and the same dark-haired woman entered the room, “Would a night with this young lady suffice?”

  “That would but I prefer gold,” the beggar countered slyly.

  “Then I will sweeten the deal,” the madam stated pulling a small pouch from her large bosom and dropped it on the table.

  “Then it’s a deal!” the beggar declared, rising from the chair then handed the child off to the madam.

  “I do have a few questions of my own,” the madam stated as the beggar retrieved the pouch of gold, “Does anyone else know of this child?”

  “Only you and me,” he replied moving to the attractive young lady, placing his arms around her; the madam gave a nod and the young lady thrusted a blade into the chest of the unsuspecting beggar with a smile.

  ******

  A middle-aged woman resided on the floor bloodied and beaten

  “You’re trying my patience,” snapped a man as he kicked her leg.

  She moaned in pain, unable to move away from her attacker when suddenly an infant’s cry erupted from a back room.

  “Looks like you weren’t lying after all,” the long-haired male stated hovering over the woman.

  The woman released a breath that came out gurgled as through she as relieved, the man drove his sword downward through the woman’s back into her wooden floor.

  The assailant pulled his dark cloak away from the pooling blood on the wooden floor; he moved away from the scene while sheathing his sword in the process. The cries led the man to the mid-wife’s bedroom; he pushed the door open discovering an infant boy. He retrieving the infant boy from the bed, the murderous man held the infant in his arms swaying him to silence its wailing.

  “So Abel and Lynette had a child,” he stated staring at the child, “We’ll take the world.”

  Smiling down at the child devilishly, the man proceeded to carry the infant out of the house in his arms into the twilight.

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