The wind seemed colder than it usually was.
And usually it was freezing.
Lilliandara Morgossa stood at the castle window, staring out at the foggy horizon. Talii was laying at her feet, the crystal city glowing slightly as the sun rose. It was quite a beautiful sight, all the buildings glowing. Old lizards would tell you the source of the light was fairies who blessed certain family's homes. The most intelligent of the snow elves would tell you it was because of a fluorescent chemical suspended within the crystals.
But Lillia was neither race. She turned away from the window, her thin tail dragging along the floor and leaving a small trail of ice. Her teacher Miss Wila was an old Laerosi witch (although she preferred the term 'sage'), and she had told Lillia she had an ingrained aptitude for magics, and that if she wanted, she could go to school for it some day. Her father quickly shut down that idea, and Miss Wila was escorted out of the castle soon after that. Lillia's father would never let his prized daughter leave his sight.
Lillia left her bedroom and wandered through the halls to the Great Hall. Some rooms, like her bedroom, were made of an opaque crystal, so that allowed her minimum privacy at least. But some rooms had simply clear walls, not leaving much to the imagination. Most of the castle was made of the same luminous crystal as the rest of the city, the walls breathing with a cold iridescence. Lillia entered the Great Hall, and all heads turned to her. She immediately smiled at the sight of her family, the Council. Lillia had an honorary membership as the harbinger of peace, and would become a full council member when she came of age. The council consisted of six Laeros and six Kirkos, representing the ancient treaty. Lillia took her seat beside her father as the meeting began. He gave her a stern nod. Her father was King Jarvos of the Kirkos Legion, and he was a heavily built red lizard getting into his older years. His eyes glowed a low orange incandescence, and he breathed deeply as he talked.
"Members of the High Council, Laeros and Kirkos," he began. "My wife has taken ill and the demon of Talii has escaped. The Laeros fear she will attack the city, and the Kirkos fear her escape has unleashed the dark fairies from underneath the city, upsetting the cosmic peace." He explained, referencing the Kirkosi fairy worship. The lizards were brutes, and yet they believed in fairies that blessed or cursed houses. Lillia was a strong holder of this faith, she had a fairy stone that always hung around her neck. She didn't think her sister had released any dark force, though. Her father continued.
"My city is at risk, and this demon has rained down this hell upon us. It will not stop until she is dead." He stated bluntly. Lillia couldn't believe it. He couldn't kill his own daughter. She was the only one like her on the entire Continent.
"We will send a team of beast hunters. The Sept will surely contribute." He said. The Sept was the church of Talii, but they ran an underground beast hunting service. They were practically assassins. Lillia couldn't listen to this any more. She stood, and bones snapped as everyone looked to her.
"How could you say these things!?" She began, addressing her father directly. He gave her a wide eyed look of surprise. "Saaria isn't just some demon! She's like me! She's your daughter, and my sister! Who are we to hold her here!?" She screamed. She has never disobeyed her father before, and had certainly never yelled like this before.
"You are nothing like her." He said flat out, a certain sadness and anger in his eyes. "That demon is no child of mine." He declared. The room went silent.
"Then neither am I." Lillia promised, and turned again, leaving the room quickly, a trail of frost gracing the ground she walked upon.
And the peace was broken once again.
