An empty night.
Kirae removed her heavy helmet and let it fall to the ground. She raised her hands and lifted her left leg. Her back was a perfectly straight line, just how she learned. Then she started to dance.
She opened her eyes. Something had disturbed her meditation.
Someone was screaming. The young breton girl lifted her head in surprise and tried to figure out where it came from. It didn't take long. She jumped up and sprinted towards the source of the noise. Her light feet took her quickly over the rough ground of High Rock, she easily dodged the few trees in her way while running down the hill.
She had an awful feeling that she knew who had been screaming. Sarya.
Kirae's movements were swift and graceful, like those of a swan flying through the air. Her body was covered in flames, their colors matching the beams of the evening sun. Sparks were flying through the air like little fireflies. Kirae was one with the fire. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the touch of the upcoming wind of the night touching her face.
Sarya was laying on her back, eyes closed, one hand on her stomach covered in blood, the other clenched her dagger. Her beautiful red dress was full of dirt and a brown mess was everything that remained from her usually astounding hairstyle. Kirae ran towards her older sister and kneeled down besides her head. "Sarya!" she screamed with tears in her eyes. Sarya slowly opened her eyes and smiled. "Little sister."
"Sarya what happened?" Kirae sobbed.
"Kirae you have to run home, now! Warn the others." Sarya was interrupted by her own heavy coughs. Blood was running down her lips.
"They're here. I'm lost, save the others."
"You won't die." Kirae cried. "You can't!"
Sarya slowly raised her trembling hand and touched Kirae's cheek. One last sigh left her lips and the life in her eyes was gone.
Kirae wiped away the tears in her eyes. Not that it would help much, her sight was still blurry. She got up and ran towards the direction her family's home was located. It was well hidden. Was. In order to find it, someone would have had to walk down the canyon all the way without being seen. Someone must have betrayed them, Kirae had no idea how else they could have discovered the hideout. Now she just hoped she would be faster than whoever attacked Sarya.
Kirae's open hair drifted through the night. Was it the wind of the night or her magic that was moving her hair so graciously? A bystander wouldn't have been able to tell. The fire around Kirae began to run down her body until it hit the ground and formed beautiful red and orange flowers around her. When Kirae moved, the fire did too and so they danced together through the night. The sun was completely gone now, only the mage's light still fought the darkness.
Kirae raised her hands once again and water took form between her arms. She took it with her right hand, still dancing, and slashed it through the air, used it like a whip that lashed around her. The water and the fire behaved like additional dancing partners, always coming close to each other but never touching. Drops of water and little sparks left the lonely competition and made their way into the night sky.
When Kirae arrived, the house was already burning. Men in blue colored armor and with gruel masks filled the whole area. They looked like a Daedroth had married a human and they were the results. Kirae saw her five cousins fighting at the stables, throwing fire and ice at the enemy that slowly made their way towards them. Screams of pain filled the valley, Kirae's uncle was already laying dead on the ground. She ran towards the house. Her parents should still be inside, she had to help them.
Suddenly someone grabbed her by the shoulder from behind and threw her down to the rocky ground. It was one of the blue armored warriors. His red mask brutally grinned down at Kirae, the tip of his spear now resting on her breast. "I think I got the right one." he shouted. He grabbed Kirae at her hair and dragged her towards a group of other warriors. Kirae screamed and put her hands on her attackers arm to try removing it, but it only hurt her more. "This should be her." her capturer proudly announced. The warriors stepped aside to make room for a much taller one who was carrying a huge saber on his side. His armor was black instead of blue and his mask was picturing a wolf. He looked down at Kirae for a second, then let out a derisive laugh. "This is the wrong one. Again. We'll keep searching, you can execute that one."
Kirae's capturer let out a grunt and lifted her up so she was sitting on her knees. "So be it." he sighed while watching the other fighters walk away. "We'll see each other in Aetherius, little girl." With these words he raised his spear.
With a quick rotation of her body, Kirae casted the water into the sky like a reverse waterfall. The fire underneath bathed the water in orange colors. The breton woman placed her left foot behind the right, spread her arms and performed a perfect bow. Suddenly the water froze while still in the air and exploded. Little flakes of ice fell to the ground, covering Kirae's armored back and shoulders in innocent white. Out of this stance she did a cartwheel and landed on both feet, her hands above her head. Electricity crackled around her gloves.
Kirae growled and grabbed the man's spear. He laughed. "Don't make it more difficult for yourself. I'll make it quick, promise."
But Kirae didn't let go. As an answer the warrior kicked her into the stomach and pulled his spear towards his body. Since Kirae still didn't let go of it, she was right in front of him now. Her opponent let out a surprised scream when Kirae's hands were suddenly on fire and reaching for his face. He used the end of his spear to strike Kirae into her side, luckily underneath the ribs, thrusting her across the rocks. "Stupid girl!" the man shouted. "It will only be more painful this way!" he lunged out his spear and jumped forward.
Then, while he was still in the air, he was knocked away by a Guardian. A Guardian is, just like the Dance of Magnus, a unique technique only members of House Emaria, Kirae's family, know the secrets of. Guardians aren't normal Daedra that are forced to support their summoners, they are more like actual allies. Kirae's great grandfather Kurim had once made a pact with Sanguine, to give his family the opportunity to take three of these Guardians into service. It had led to many debates within the family whether or not this had been worth for Kurim to sacrifice his very soul for the three allies to support his descendants, but for Kirae it definitely was right now. The Guardian, this one's name was Ryyuka, dealt with the completely overwhelmed warrior rather quickly and immediately walked over to the breton girl. "I want a good bottle of ale for this task." the creature professionally stated. Kirae hissed, her side and stomach screamed in pain. She limped towards the burning house. It was already collapsing here and there, the heat was almost unbearable.
"Hey!" Ryyuka shouted behind Kirae. "What do you think you're doing?"
Kirae continued to walk towards the fire. Everything she loved was gone. Her sight was still blurry but her thoughts were clear and sharp. Revenge.
The first part of the Dance of Magnus is the fire. Taming a force of destruction to use it in a controlled manner.
The second part is the water. Taking the gift of life to unleash its power and make it a messenger of death.
The third and last part is controlling pure chaos.
Kirae danced through the night, shooting electricity in all directions. She was a whirlwind. A storm. A force of nature.
Then it was over and Kirae was alone with the silence once again.
"Talk to me." the Daedroth demanded. "What are you trying to do?"
"Extinguish the fire." Kirae muttered back.
"For what reason?"
"I need my armor and my weapons and then I need to kill these bastards, wherever they are now!" Kirae cried.
Ryyuka placed a hand, if you could call it a hand, on Kirae's shoulder. "Little one. I was BORN in the literal fires of Oblivion. How about you let me get your stuff real quick, alright?"
Kirae nodded and sat down to the ground. Her whole body hurt and she felt awfully tired. Her eyes wandered around the valley. The attackers were gone and lifeless bodies were laying around everywhere. She knew she should search for survivors, maybe someone managed to fight off all the enemies, but deep down she felt that all hope was lost. Nonetheless she got up and checked every body laying there. It was terrifyingly surprising how she didn't really care about the fact she was touching dead family members, her thoughts were completely rational in these moments. After a while Ryyuka came back with Kirae's heavy armor and her sword. "I found your parents and your grandfather." he casually mentioned with the harsh, careless voice of a Daedroth. "Dead."
Kirae clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "Can you bring them to me?"
Ryyuka smirked. "Yes. But after that I'll be gone for now. I need to recharge my powers, this awful place really drains me."
Kirae walked up the hills to get Sarya's corpse. Even though Kirae was strong it was incredibly difficult to get Sarya down to the valley without damaging what was left of her. She continued to carry all the members of her family together, none of them were missing which was weird considering the attackers had obviously searched for someone. Kirae was too exhausted to actually bury them, but at least they were laying together now. When Ryyuka arrived with the corpses of her parents and her grandfather she nearly started to cry again, but forced herself not to. "Stop it. Emotions are useless burdens." she thought to herself.
Ryyuka stretched his arms and looked down at Kirae. "I'll leave now. You know how to summon me."
The Daedroth disappeared in a blue portal that closed itself as soon as he stepped through. It hadn't been pleasant to look at the corpses with the blade and spear wounds, organs hanging out and limbs missing, but seeing her parents was even worse. Their skin was burnt extensively and their bones crushed, probably by falling roof beams.
Kirae started to put on her armor. For a split second she spotted her reflection in the steel of her blade. Her face was stained by ash, dirt and blood. Only the tracks her tears had left behind pierced through the soil.
She looked unpredictable. Good. It was time for a lot of people to feel her unpredictability. Kirae gave her old life one last look, then she turned around and made her way up the canyon. She would have to make a mask for herself, something the ones who destroyed her peaceful life would learn to fear.