Ohtoku City looked like a toy town from her lofty view on Ohtoku Mountain; it always had done. Not that she knew any differently. She had barely spent any time outside there, save the few times she, Neona and Mirei had sneaked out of the Pavilion of Air during one of those insufferable services on holy days. And now Neona was gone. She missed her fiercely.

Elbereth tapped impatiently on the edge of her teacup, earning her a reproachful glower from her uncle. She quickly folded her hands in her lap and glanced back out of the window. Tea time on Ohtoku Mountain in the residence of the Light Master Rutsu was, to Elbereth, the most dreadful task of the week. Izuma Rutsu was a busy man, barely around most of the time, but Elbereth's sole legal guardian since her mother's unannounced departure, seven years ago. As such he made an effort to spend at least an hour or so a week to talk to his niece, effort being the operative word. He didn't like her. She knew it too. Even the servants and guards knew. They all knew exactly what Elbereth meant to him. She was the living proof of her mother's disgrace to the family. Ever since she was a small child, she had watched as Rutsu coldly decried his sister and her bastard daughter in front of any who would listen to him; often in their presence - or, especially when they could hear him. She didn't hate her father for running away. As her mother had patiently explained to her when she had questioned it as a small child - it might even have cost him his life to be around. All he had done wrong was fall in love with her mother. All she had done wrong was fall in love with him. And Rutsu had always seemed determined to punish her mother for it.

Rutsu pursed his lips and watched as Elbereth picked languidly at the rice cakes on her plate. She didn't want them but she was served them anyway. Like so many other things she had protested against in her life that were 'for her own good'. She knew he was stopping himself from saying something especially scathing to her, that look on his face always gave it away. Elbereth hated him. She scowled and prayed inwardly he would announce she could excuse herself from the table and go. Nothing was said.

"I won't be around next week," Rutsu finally broke the sullen silence. "I'll have much to do with the planning of the Festival of Light this year."

"Oh," Elbereth replied flatly. "Mirei too I suppose."

"She's got far better things to do than mess around with you," Rutsu set his teacup down on the saucer with a stern clatter. "She is the Divine Maiden now - she has a purpose in her life. Still..." he began, raising his elegant, slanting brows, "we may have use for you yet."

Before she could ask him what it meant, he swept his tall and wiry form out of the chair and walked to the door. As he made to leave he half turned back and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Keep out of trouble - and my way," were his laconic words of parting.

Elbereth scowled at the door after him and shoved her teacup and saucer across the table moodily. With Neona gone and Mirei busy she had no friends any more. None of the other Sisters liked her. They saw her family relation to Rutsu as something to either fear or be envious of; neither of which earned her many well-wishers. Soothed by the satisfying sound of her teacup sliding across the table and smashing to the beautiful wooden floor, she rose slowly from the chair.

The maid waiting at the doorway inclined her head, but not before she hid the growing smirk. Elbereth smirked back at her and shoved her uncle's still half full teacup on to the waiting floor as well, leaving the maid to mutter curses under her breath as she cleaned the mess up. Yeah, she thought, she was a brat but so what? She wasn't exactly loosing points with any of them anyhow, they disliked her regardless.

Her room was on the western wing of the airy residence, two doors from Mirei and across from where Neona used to sleep. The windows were large and often left open in the temperate Neudaiz summers, blowing the light sheets of dreamy muslin that covered them. Elbereth hurled down onto the bed, balling her fists and slamming them repeatedly into her pillows until she was out of breath. Then she sat back and sullenly surveyed the room - the pictures, the stuffed animals. The room was a very definite pink - her favourite colour. The bed was canopied with a pale peachy lace and the room was dominated by a large, beautifully made dressing table. It was white and decorated with pink roses - an ornate frame of roses surrounding the oval mirror sat on top.

Then she rose and sat on the pink dressing table stool and glanced in the mirror. Her sulky, sixteen year old face gazed back at her. She had large expressive eyes and the typical elongated ears of a Newman, and the trademark jet black hair of the Rutsu family. Pretty as she was, she often spoiled her looks by scowling or sulking. Then her eyes chanced upon the photo frame sitting on the dresser. It was face down so the picture inside was hidden.

Slowly, almost reverently, she reached over and touched it. She felt the puckered texture of the plastic backing and then turned the frame upright, standing it back up. The image of herself beamed back at her. Neona had her arms thrown about Elbereth and Mirei, all faces turned to the front in an unwavering grin. Elbereth's raven hair contrasted starkly with Mirei's ocean blue and Neona's soft blue-lilac hair. She studied each exuberant grin in turn, lingering last on Neona's. Her eyes were a deep blue and always smiling. That had been taken last year - when Mirei had turned sixteen. It wasn't long after that things had started to fall apart. Her Uncle Izuma had announced Mirei should begin taking on her duties as Divine Maiden and they started seeing less and less of her. She herself seemed a little unhappy, but her father Dohgi, and Rutsu didn't notice. Well - either didn't notice or didn't care. And then there was what happened to Neona... She would have been enthusiastically planning her sixteenth birthday by now. She had often expressed how jealous she was at being younger and left behind her two best friends, and vowed hers would be the best birthday party ever. But that morning, the morning when they came and told her that Neona was found lying dead in Agata somewhere, she'd always remember vividly. Izuma Rutsu was nowhere to be found that day. She was told by others he barely flinched when he was delivered the news of his only daughter's death. Elbereth remembered how she had screamed and swore and cursed his name. She had slapped anyone within reach, thrown things at those who weren't. Dohgi had kept the news from Mirei until she had finished her visit to Dagora City on Moatoob.

Setting her mouth in a tight line, Elbereth rolled off the bed reached for her pink and denim backpack, pulling out her mobile communicator. She selected 'Mirei' from her list and, as expected, it went straight to her static messaging service. Somehow she was still a little disappointed.

Hours later Elbereth was shaken by one of the attendants. She'd been reading and had fallen asleep on the bed.

"What do you want?" she snapped rudely, slapping the hand away.

"Sorry to disturb you young Miss, but you are requested at Lord Rutsu's dinner table this evening and to wear something suitable."

"I already spoke to him today, what could he want now?" she spat testily.

Her stomach was a mixture of tight knotting and then butterflies. Had she done something wrong again? The last time she had been summoned to his dinner table she remembered, it didn't go well. She had been thirteen, and messing about with a bunch of kids hanging around near Shitenkaku on the day of the Holy Light Festival. She had gotten into a fight with one of them. The boy was older and much bigger than her and had been well and truly kicking her backside, when some of Rutsu's guard showed up to save her. Rutsu had summoned her to his dinner table that evening and quietly told her that he didn't care who started the fight; she should have acted as their better and ignored them. He told her she was likely to bring shame on the name of Rutsu, just like her mother had. He told her the next time she got herself into a fight she could jolly well get herself out of it, because he would accord her no further protection. He had told her she could go and get herself killed for all he gave a damn. He had yelled his last sentences at her with all the force his voice could muster. Elbereth was accustomed to his sarcastic remarks and scathing comments about her, but she had never heard him raise his voice before - and never did after. It was also the only time he ever raised a hand to her. Once he had stopped yelling, she had stared back at him with a shock-induced defiance and made a rude gesture with her hand. He had flown out of his seat, sending his cutlery and food flying in all directions, and landed the back of his hand across her face with a resounding slap. The force of the blow had sent her flying. It was the first time she'd ever been afraid of him.

"Miss!" the attendant was staring at Elbereth, and she suddenly realised the woman had been speaking to her while she was brooding.

"What?"

"Will you need anything pressing or preparing while you wash?"

"No..." Elbereth retorted, rolling her eyes, "I'm going in this."

"But... you've been sleeping in that, and ..." she trailed off as Elbereth stared at her.

"I'm going in this. Now get out," she finished.

"I... I'm sorry... " replied the woman, turning tail to flee. "I'll inform him right awa... OH! Excuse me!"

Elbereth turned to the door to see who the maid had bumped into. Rutsu stood in the doorway glaring at her. The maid slipped away swiftly. Elbereth clenched her fists tightly under her legs and stared at him blankly.

"If I don't see you in my dining room in twenty minutes wearing something ladylike, I'll make sure you don't see the outside of this room for a very long time," he said in a low, menacing tone. "It's about time you started acting like an adult, Elbereth." Then he turned and slammed the door shut.

Twenty minutes later and wearing a demure blue dress, Elbereth came into the dining room. There were several other people sitting around the large oval table this evening, including Dohgi Mikuna and his daughter. A place was reserved for her next to Mirei. Elbereth's face split into a huge grin as she saw her childhood friend.

"Elly! Surprised?" Mirei said warmly. Elbereth nodded dumbly, still beaming. "I'm going to be home a few days, so we can catch up a little," she smiled around the table. Dogi allowed a single, distracted half smile but otherwise nobody seemed bothered by the girls' buoyant moods.

Elbereth bounded over to the chair and flounced heavily down into it. Rutsu shot both of them a warning glare and Dohgi muttered something under his breath to his daughter. As they settled the meal began. Under the muted chatter of the men at the table, Elbereth turned to Mirei and whispered.

"I tried to call you earlier."

"I know" Mirei nodded. "I was going to call you back but I thought I'd surprise you here. Although... Elly - I need to talk to you later, after lights out..."

"What's wrong?" Elbereth said, immediately contrite. She gazed at her friend's face in concern. The carefree expression fixed on her face was a forced one – she knew Mirei enough to know something was on her mind.

Mirei simply stuck her finger to her lips as Elbereth's name was called from her uncle's direction. Both girls looked around.

"This is her, Ando," he said to the man sitting next to him. "My niece Elbereth. Elbereth - this is my friend Ando Nagakiri. He is on the board for Yohmei Corp. Maybe you should talk to him a while; I think you could learn a lot from him."

Ando was a Newman male, with a rounded face and pronounced Newman ears. His mousey hair was thin and the hairline high on his head, giving him the impression of having a large forehead. He looked to be in his thirties and had a humourless air about him. As he smiled and extended his hand across the table, Elbereth watched his green eyes. They stayed as flat and humourless as his handshake.

"Hello there Elbereth!" he said with a distinctly fake enthusiasm. Elbereth looked him over and said nothing. Slightly fazed, Ando coughed and looked to Rutsu.

"Ando isn't just a businessman, Elbereth," Dohgi cut in. "He was instrumental in the final designs on the Tesbra. You use one yourself, do you not?"

"Prefer my Psycho Wand" she murmured with a sideways smirk.

"Ah - well - Kubara have the edge when it comes to rods for now... " Ando replied. "But we'll soon catch up - we've got a plan or two in the pipelines right now. Your Uncle Izuma tells me you're quite the Fortetecher. Perhaps you would like to come to the Yohmei headquarters one day to look around? I'd be most happy to show you."

"Sure thing," Elbereth replied nonchalantly.

The rest of the meal was spent conversing about photon reactors and their problems in the higher grade wands and the trouble with powerful technics wearing them out - which bored Elbereth half to death. She herself treated the whole affair with her usual teenage nonchalance, but Mirei was downright pale throughout the whole thing, which bothered her. Elbereth could have even kissed her uncle in gratitude when he bade them go to bed.

The usual procedure for meetings after lights out was that whoever called the meeting hosted it. In her white nightgown, Elbereth crept across the hallway and slipped into Mirei's room. Then the both of them sat quietly under Mirei's duvet on the floor by the side of the bed. Mirei switched her lamp on and placed it on the floor beside her.

"So what's..." Elbereth began.

"Shhh!" Mirei interrupted, grinning. From a drawer in her bedside cabinet she drew a small wrapped parcel and began gingerly opening it. "First of all – this!"

"Ah!" Elbereth exclaimed in quiet delight as she saw what was inside. "Where did you get that!"

"Someone gave it to me as a gift when I was visiting a school on Parum," she replied. "I knew it was your favourite so I saved it for coming home."

"You're the best! I love you!" Elbereth whispered, picking a square of the rich gourmet chocolat out of the wrapper. "What's wrong?" she asked when she caught Mirei's sudden downcast look.

"I know I'll be in a lot of trouble for telling you this Elly, but I can't just let him... " she trailed off.

"What - let who do what?" Elbereth urged.

"Well - you know that Ando Nagakiri man?" She stared at her square of chocolat absently, then set it back down and licked her finger.

"That boring old fart from the dinner table, yeah?" Elbereth scoffed.

"Rutsu is giving you to him."

"Mirei - what does that even mean?" Elbereth shrugged. A slight cold pain entered her stomach, as though she had just swallowed a heavy, cold glass marble.

"It means," she said flatly, "that you'll be getting married in a month or two."

"WHAT!" Elbereth yelped, standing up out of the cover of the duvet and flooding the room with light from the lamp. "He can't do that!"

"SsshhhHHHHH!" hissed Mirei. "Quickly!"

Elbereth sat back down and they placed the duvet over them once more. They sat in silence for more than five minutes, listening for signs they had been heard. Elbereth's mind raced and boiled with the information she had just been given. Finally, after she could bear the agonizing silence no longer, Elbereth spoke.

"He can't really do that, can he? Are you just messing around here, Mirei? Tell me you are?"

"I wish I was," Mirei's voice crackled with emotion. "I'm... you - you've got to run away, El!"