Axvion

A door creaks shut, and the cold breeze is cut off. There is a shaky breath, as a family huddles in the entryway. Around them looms faded brick walls, dimly lit by the chandelier dangling above.

"Mama?" A quiet whine breaks the silence, a young girl curled up in her father's arms. He tucks the cloak tighter around her with a low hum.

"Shh, shh my dear. It will be better soon." Her mother croons, quickly following the words with a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Don't lie to her. We don't know where we are, how are things going to get better?" The man sounds annoyed, and the girl peers up at him uncertainly.

"Hush. Come and get her settled by the fire, before she freezes half to death!"

The family begins to move, and the girl dares to look around. Never in her admittedly short life has she stepped foot in a building such as this.

The castle seems too pristine, even with a visible layer of dust on the furniture and stairs. How odd, that while lost they managed to find a haven.

"Are we not going to question the blazing fire, in a place covered in dust?"

Her mother tuts at her father's words. "Raoul. The Gods protect their followers. I have told you this before."

A scoff. A girl focuses on the flames.

"Be quiet, Emelyne. The Gods don't exist, not anymore. I refuse to allow you to fill our daughter's heads with lies."

The quiet weighs heavily upon the girl's shoulders. None of them dare to speak for a moment, and even the fire seems to have muffled itself.

"I'm hungry." Finally, she dares to whisper the words.

"Oh, you poor thing. Here. I do believe I have some bread and honey left over." Emelyne pulls her bag closer to herself and digs inside. Sure enough, a small jar and half a loaf wrapped in a cloth are pulled out.

"Thank you, Mama." Small hands take the soon to become meal.

"I prayed last night, Raoul. To Axvion. To Nelene." The words are hushed, murmured over the girl's head as if she didn't have ears. There is a sharp inhale.

The girl knows those names, from whispered stories told before bed.

Her mother follows them, the Old Gods. Her father tells her to ignore them and that they have abandoned this world.

"You brought a book with you." His words are flat.

A quiet hum. A gentle hand brushes over the girl's hair. She dares not look up.

"My prayers were answered, Raoul. How else would you explain this?" Emelyne continues softly, tucking her cloak tightly around the girl.

The girl tries not to listen, her eyes beginning to droop. She finishes the last bite of bread, wiping her hands carelessly off on the cloak.

"Emelyne, you have brought danger to us all! How could-" Raoul begins to snarl, a tone the girl has never heard come from her father's mouth. There is... A bitterness to him, so unlike the warm and loving man the girl knows... Knew? So much has changed, ever since-

"Enough." For a moment, the only sound is the crackling of the flames. For a moment, the girl swears she can hear a quiet laugh from the rafters above them.

She makes a groggy noise and lifts her head. Two pairs of striking eyes meet hers, their figures hidden by the shadows far above. The girl blinks slowly, struggling to make out what she is seeing.

"Hush, my sweet girl. Sleep, Nysa. Your mother and I will keep you safe." Her father's arms bundle her close to his chest, and that is the last conscious thought the girl has.