she burns down kingdoms

Prologue

In everyone, there is a monster waiting to be awakened. Enid closed her eyes, breathing in as intensely as she could and feeling seafoam spray on her face as she rocked back and forth. The moon shone down on her, and after awhile she opened her eyes again. She watched as the waves crashed against the shore ten feet below her and wondered what it would be like if she just flung her body over the edge. She was ten years old, and a small wispy thing that no one would’ve seen, even when fully immersed in moonlight that night.

Enid stared up at the moon. It’s semblance to a big, watchful eye, unnerved her as a small child. But still, she felt safest when she was under it. “Why did you curse me?” She asked the moon. The moon never answered, and it never would, but she would keep trying to get an answer from it. “Why did you give me magic? I don’t want it.” She said. The world around her was silent as she sat on the rocky edge of the small pier a few feet up from the sea.

She almost didn’t notice the shift in the air and water as she sat. She didn’t notice the girl in the water that stared at her for a good five minutes before clearing her throat so Enid would look down at her. Enid didn’t scream, just looked down at the girl in wonder. “Who are you?” She asked the girl.

“Who are you?” The girl said back.

“I asked you first,” Enid sniffed, absent-mindedly fiddling with a rock in one hand.

“Right,” The girl didn’t have any real features, she looked as if she was completely made out of water. Her voice reverberated in Enid’s mind as she spoke though. “I don’t think you would know me, child. But you can call me Ara, Goddess of the Seas in this area. I heard your pain.” Enid didn’t say anything, just sat there. “Unfortunately, I could not come to you in full form. At the moment, I am weak and I’m not sure when I will be able to get better. But I needed to make sure that I could do whatever was in my power to help you.”

“Did you give me magic?” She asked. The girl of water shook her head no, and Enid’s face fell.

“I know who did, though.”

“Who?”

“My sister.”

“Who’s that?” Any normal god might’ve been offended with the fact that a child didn’t know their name, but not Ara. She knew what had been happening throughout the Kingdom for the last few months. The magical purge in the Kingdom was getting worse and worse as the day went on, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Her name is Shula, Goddess of Fire and Flesh, mother of Dragons.” Enid squirmed uncomfortably when she heard that name. “She’s not as scary as she sounds.” Ara assured her. “She quite cares about her kind, but you’re the only one left.”

“Because of the purge?”

“Because of the purge,” Ara confirmed. “But I just need you to know that the powers you have are not a curse. They’re a blessing. Not a lot of people get to have this gift. In time, you’ll learn to appreciate it.”

“How can I appreciate it when everyone in my village is scared of me?” Her voice was nothing but a quiver, scared to say something that would anger the goddess.

“This village is nothing but a place. It isn’t your home. You know that.” Enid pressed her lips together and looked behind her. The torchlight from the village shone bright, but not as bright as the moon above her.

“I don’t want to stay here anymore,” She said. “I heard my mother talking about handing me over to the jailer here to be shipped off to the capitol.” Enid turned back to the goddess in one last desperate attempt to gain some information. “Do you know where I can go?”

“There’s a camp, out west in the woods. It’s about a days walk.” She told the girl. “You can find some druids there, they’re nice people.” Enid got up, bowed, and then turned. The last thing she heard from the goddess was a succinct, “Good luck.”

She ran back to the village, trying her best to stay hidden as she made her way to the woods on the other side. She remembered getting in and out of her house with a bag of food when she was stopped. “Where do you think you’re going?” It was the town elder. Enid cringed at the grating sound of the man’s voice. “I’m talking to you, girl.” Enid turned around, clutching the bag that she’d stolen from her mother’s house with one hand. She needed to be ready to book it.

“I was just taking a walk, sir.” She said. “Nothing more.”

“What do you have in that bag?”

“Just a little snack.”

“You know the curfew is midnight,” She took a step backwards. “You shouldn’t be out and about. There’s wolves.” She could feel all of the color drain from her face. She needed to leave. Enid remembered a strong pang of fear building with in her, it was strong and silent, it’s strength increasing in waves until something in the air popped. The town elder turned to see one of the wheelbarrows near his home catch on fire.

Shouting and yelling broke out throughout the village, and Enid used that as her split second that she needed to escape.