A delighted yell echoed through the empty Manor. The sound was immediately followed by a shushing sound that sounded even louder then the yell as the sound vibrated through the manor like a slithering snake. The kitchen door leading out into the gardens squeaked shut and two shadows hurried from each carefully trimmed tree to the next, keeping in the shadows as much as possible. The full moon made it hard for the two small figures. The silver rays reflected on the hair of the slightly taller figure lighting it up in an eerily silver glow, like a halo. The smaller shadow's curly mass of black heavy hair swallowed up the light like a black hole. No reflection, no silvery halo, only darkness and shadows. The curls shook as the small child giggled. The taller child didn't shush his sister this time. They were outside and safe from the concerned looks and worried restrictions laid down by their mother.
She is too afraid. The boy thought. We are kids. We need fun. And if she doesn't let us have fun any way, we will have it our own way. He glanced to the side at his sister seeing only the shaking curls on top of her head. He loved this little human next to him with a fervour that surprised everyone in their small family. He enjoyed having a playmate and study partner almost as clever as himself. Of course, she couldn't be better than him, she was a girl after all. He shifted the broom he was carrying from his left hand to his right to avoid a branch sticking out from the trimmed tree, poking the little girl in the process.
"Hey, watch that thing." The curls mumbled and flew in an arc around her impish face as she glared at him.
"Sheesh. Was an accident, Belle." He smiled down at her. She laughed and stuck out her tongue.
"Let's see if I can catch you today!"
"Haha, you wish Slowpants." He grinned. "This is ok, let's go, go, go." The impatience was clear to hear now. He just wanted to fly already.
After a few seconds, he was grinning at the little girl who was still on the ground tying her hair into a resemblance of a ponytail.
"Careful, brother. Don't want to be scraping you of the ground later. Would be a shame to squash this beautiful flower patch with your mangled body." She leaped into the air and took of surprisingly fast headed straight towards the boy.
"Oi!" The little boy started laughing as he took off after the offender. "Come back here."
"Hah, come catch…" The rest of the shouted response was carried away by the wind as the two shapes started looping around each other and trying to catch up with the other one. The laughter carried down to the little temple hidden behind the little stream some way further into the garden. A dark large shape tore itself away from the temple and ducked behind the big fir trees right behind the red structure.
The oblivious children started tossing a ball between them. The shadowed figure on the ground continued watching between the branches. The silver headed boy was elegant in the air, gracefully swooping up and down like a born hunter. There was no rush in his movements, only a calculated change form one position seamlessly into the next. The black-haired mess was pure chaos. She did somersaults and loops and reckless manoeuvres that made the little boy wince a few times and shout something at the little girl. She seemed elated by the attention and continued with her flying tirade. The wind carried them towards the temple and now they were right above it. The moon caught the teeth of the shadow as the creature bared his teeth in a grimace resembling a grin.
The plan was going almost too perfect.
Oooooh juicy. No – remember the plan. The plan! Not the girl, not the girl, not the…
The children grew tired and even the little black chaos slowed down somewhat. The girl threw the ball a bit too much to the side and the tired boy didn't react fast enough.
"Ugh, you go get it Belle. You threw it too sideways." The boy protested as he halted his broom midair.
"Uhm, you missed the shot though. You go get it."
"Aww come on. That's unfair and you know it.
"It's not."
"'Tis."
"Not!"
"Is."
The boy remained calm as the girl's curls bounced in frustration.
"Breathe Belle. You gotta keep that temper down." He said soothingly as he started gliding down towards the temple. "Notice where it fell?"
The little girl glided behind him, her chest rising with the overly exaggerated breaths she was taking. The method their latest tutor was teaching her worked it seemed. She would have to tell him. And thank him, she remembered like her Mama told her. You thank people for something nice that they do for you or give you. Even though he is well paid. So technically she didn't NEED to thank him. He's only doing what he's told. Ok, no thanking.
She landed in front of the red temple and leaned her broom against the stairs. She never liked this shrine-like building. One of their tutors told them stories of some Angry Gods who could be only appeased by temples and shrines and this temple was supposedly modelled after one of such temples.
Maybe someone will build a temple for me one day. I bet it's not that hard to get some followers and start a revolution and then get some temples and houses and gold with no work involved. Evolution through revolution.
She laughed at the phrase. A different tutor tried explaining a notion in a book to her and used it. She looked the words up in a dictionary and liked what it said. Make the world better by making it more how I want it.
Like the Dark Lord. She smiled. She liked her Pa's stories about those times. Suddenly she was interrupted in her thoughts by her brother's voice from the side of the temple. She walked around and saw him standing there, broom in one hand, ball in the other, grinning wildly.
The shadow pounced. The damned girl screamed, making the little boy turn around and swing that blasted piece of wood around. The silver-haired boy was thrown away as the creature swiped a massive paw at him. It's brain got fuzzier as the girl continued on screaming.
"Run Belle!" The boy screamed wildly as he tore off in her direction. She snapped and started sprinting as fast as her short legs would allow her. The beast leaped behind them and in two big bounds caught up with the fleeing children, swiping his paw at the boy again. The boy went flying taking the little girl with him as they slammed into the stairs off the temple.
"Broom!" The girl screamed but the wolf – it was a massive wolf she now noticed when her brain seemed to wake up - the wolf was already on the stairs of the temple, tongue out, as if enjoying smell of fear in the air.
"Jump over there," the boy growled to the side "and get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving you." She resolutely backed away from the creature with him, snatching the boy's hand in process and holding on for dear life.
So this is how I die. And a little voice in her head replied I'm scared. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. The boy's face was scrunched up as he positioned himself in front of the girl.
"Then we BOTH die. Get the broom and GO!" He hissed, his heart beating chaotically as his brain froze with terror.
"NO!" She screamed and the wolf jerked at the high-pitched sound pouncing on the threat as his wolf brain registered it. The impact knocked the girl down as his teeth sank into the shoulder of the little body. The boy was sent flying through the flimsy wooden rail. The girl howled incoherently.
"Arghhhhh. RUUUUU-aaaaaggggh- NNNN!" He batted a heavy paw at the little creature's face to stop that excruciating sound that pierced his brain. She squirmed in pain and he bit into the nearest limb which happened to be an arm, his paws holding down the little bundle of blood and meat and … The wolf stopped - and sniffed. It's pupils widened slightly as it stepped away and looked down at the girl properly.
The beast was flung from her with such force that he broke one of the pillars holding the temple and slammed into the trees behind it.
The girl continued howling in pain as somebody started muttering spells and waving their wand all over her body. Her eyes focused one last time on the silver halo illuminated by the moon from one side and forced out: "Da..".
The world turned black and cold.