Rorei Alistair was alone. Nothing could compare to the feelings it gave her when she learned this. She Sighed happily dragging her feet through the murky water below the crystal encrusted rock formation she sat on. Her hair whipped in the wind as she focused her thoughts on her newfound silence. Where had it come from? Where was the comforting sound of her little sisters laughter? Or her mothers trainer shouting orders at the family to prepare them for the subrapture? Where was her life? It was all too unfamiliar, the silence. It sickened her. She could feel the red thick liquid dripping out her ears onto her pale ebony skin. She could hear the faint ringing sound that came with silence. She could hear it but of course it didn't truly exist. All that filled her was silence and loneliness.

As she grew acquainted with this new object of inquiry in her mind an uneasy feeling settled in the base of her stomach. Her instincts told her to surface. That something horrible was happening above. She did not think to listen until a body fell down the stone steps, a gleaming silverstone arrow protruding from his chest. His mouth was open and overflowing with blood, the thick sacred liquid pooling underneath the lifeless head. Without a second thought Rorei was up unsheathing her Damidajerei, a long crooked blade with iron spikes protruding from a long wooden base pole, and fled up the steps to the surface. Rorei stood in the suns mocking heat a cold winter settled in her heart. This was not silence.

No, this is the shattered broken remnants of a scream. A scream so bloodcurdling that death fed upon its very existence. This was not silence. This was war.

Rorei's point of view

I stared at the scene before me with remorse. My thoughts fled the scene the very moment I opened my eyes upon this sight. My village, the place that birthed and raised me, was in flames. I could barely make out the meaty figures of Saosin warriors as they swarmed through the town taking lives as soon as they could leaving black smoke and remnants of horror behind them. My mind suddenly cleared as I realized what was happening. Invasion.

The Saosin were a nomadic tribe that moved through the east valley, only in the summer. They rivaled any villages there including my own, Windslynn, taking land, lives, and hostages with them as they desperately tried to conquer the coast.

I fled quickly dodging stray arrows and bullets as I made my way towards my home. I could see death hurriedly making its way through my friends and family. I had reached the edge of our property line before I realized that the Saosin were close to finish. All I had to do was make sure my family was fine and I could hide away in the cellar. Wait out the end.

I made it to the front door my silvery hair flaring out behind me. I shoved it open listening to the loud bang that was created as the metal door handle hit the stone wall. I made my way to the tunnels yelling out the names of my family members as Ii went. Finally as I made my way towards the cellar I heard a deep throaty voice followed by a high pitched scream.

" Let her go! Please, I'll do anything please!" I heard my mother’s voice plead.

I hid myself away in an cavern as I heard the man with the deep voice get closer. The sharp high pitch screams continued as a Saosin warrior and a flurry of charcoal hair and fists fought against it. The warrior laughed asshethrew the object down onto the dirt floor. I gasped tears trickling down my face as I recognized the gir lshe had thrown down. My little sister Raya slumped against the wall as the man went to bind her arms and legs.

My mother’s screams followed the sound of chain being wrapped around Raya as she begged the warrior to stop.

The warrior flung himself gracefully around as a sphere of blue magic swirled in between his hands

"Silence!"she shouted throwing the ball at my mother, her wretched sobs instantly muted. I looked in wide eyed horror my weapon trembling then dropping from my hand onto the dirt floor.

I stood that way until the grinding sound of chains stopped and the heavy sound of the Saosin warrior faded in the higher tunnels. My sister was gone.

And, somehow I felt the warrior had cursed me with silence because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't speak.