Of Ashes and Wind

Lyra and Lynx

There was a scampering of feet echoing off the halls of Eostrun's Palace.

A pair of children who were identical in every way except their eyes and hair. The girl had eyes that shined liked lilac and her hair as dark as the velvet night sky. The boy's eyes shined a brilliant blue and his hair was kissed by the moon.

Lyra pushed open the door to her parent's bedroom, Lynx quietly snuck in.

The two pounced together on top of their sire and mother who were still sleeping soundly together.

"By the gods, what did I do to you both?" Their sire groaned out, she sat up glared at both of her children.

"Maybe they wouldn't be so energetic if you didn't sneak them that extra bit of dessert last night." Their mother somehow dodged the twin's initial assault.

Phoenix Stroud Elatoris glared at her wife, she ran a hand through the side of her dark hair that was mussed from their sleeping. She had aged finely to thirty-four summers in the sense that Phoenix retained a lot of her youth. The scars at her hands wore down to the point they negligible.

Eiriell Stroud Elatoris didn't look a day over her twenty-first summer.

"It's our special day!" Lynx announced.

"You said we could go flying for our Name Day!" Lyra added on.

"Did I?" Phoenix pondered, but it was all for show because she did remember such a precious promise.

"Sire!" Both twins exclaimed at once.

"Stop picking on the children." Eiriell leaned up to shove Phoenix by her shoulders, "Go take them flying."

Phoenix wrapped Eiriell in one arm, the twins sat on her lap and grabbed at the other, "Hey love, you made this promise too. Otherwise, Lyra and Lynx will simply have to wait on the ground while the other takes their turn."

"Please Mother!" Lynx begged with his beautiful blue eyes.

Eiriell hated how her son picked up that she couldn't say no to such a look. She blamed Phoenix for allowing her son to have such an inconvenient ability.

"I did, didn't I." Eiriell sighed, she wouldn't be able to sleep in much more now, but today was going to be a light day in terms of her Queenly duties. Her advisors and council were going to take care of most of the matters so that she could spend time with her children for their Name Day.

Wren and Valyria were about to spoil their grandchildren rotten today, and Phoenix wasn't going to be any better – especially after promising a morning flight to them.

Ryosuke and Kieara with their daughter of twelve summers were also present in the Palace, the family arrived last night through the Great Gate but were undoubtedly sleeping still since it was still so early.

Reina and Ike were due to arrive in the late morning, the two didn't have a child yet – their focus was on improving Tetran first. But from their latest conversations, she knew that Reina wanted one of their own to run around soon.

Orion and Yggdrasil were overhead the Great Elven City of Eostrun – no doubt he would come out once Phoenix and Duke would fly by his great castle in the sky. Lyra and Lynx loved playing with Loki, the three of them together was something anyone had to be wary of.

Natasha and Fredrick had been in Eostrun for a few days already, the two were still Adventurers that were famed throughout Aldernan.

Eiriell saw the longing look on Natasha and Fredrick's face when Lynx and Lyra greeted the two.

By the time they made way to the Roost, Duke and Liona stood proudly, the massive beasts gently leaned down to allow the twins to pet them. Duke was almost as big as Liona now – while Liona was about the same size Lionheart had been.

Lyra took to Duke and Lynx already tried to start climbing up on Liona.

Eiriell smiled at the sight of Phoenix helping their son onto the gryphon, how the wind teased his silver hair and his gaze went skyward. Lyra's amethyst gaze brightened once her sire helped up on to Duke, her dark hair being teased in the breeze the same Phoenix's would.

The Elven Queen wanted to burn this in her bones forever.

How beautiful her family is.

Her beautiful family she created together with Phoenix.