Aphmau

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"Keep your balance steady," Vincent snapped. "If it were up to me, you wouldn't be allowed to fight battles, your stance is so poor."

I growled softly. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," I muttered.

"What was that?" he asked sharply. "Were you insulting me behind my back? What were you saying, I have no skill? That's not very good leadership, if you ask me."

"Why must you make everything so personal?" I asked hotly. "You didn't even hear what I said!"

"Getting testy, are we?" he taunted. He smacked up my elbow. "Come on, woman! You are one of the worst fighters I've seen, and I've been around for 100 years!"

I stopped my stance. "Please, oh wise and benevolent teacher," I said dryly. "Tell me what battles you've fought in that you actually won."

He smirked. "Well, I fought in the battle of Majorca near the border of Den'vok and Fro'zek, I was the one who started the fire of Aethera..."

My heart stopped beating momentarily.

All I could see in my mind's eye were blackened bodies littered around the village.

Markus and Ian...

Jory...

Ramizue...

Pure, uncut rage took over my body. "You. Did. WHAT?" I seethed.

He stopped and stared at me. "Which are you talking about?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement.

I stormed over to him, my vision full of red. I grabbed him by his neck and lifted him effortlessly into the air. His eyes widened as he struggled to get down.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I screamed. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"

"W-why should I c-care?" he gasped. His face was slowly turning a fiery shade of red.

"Because I," I said defiantly. "am the LORD of Aethera!"

He was silent, his eyes wide.

"Aphmau!" Cadenza shouted at me. "What are you doing?! Put him down!"

I grimaced and tossed him to the side like a ragdoll. I spat in his general direction. He scrambled away from me.

"You will never know what it's like to see your loved ones burn!" I roared at him. "You see their bodies and all you can do is scream!"

"...Aphmau?" Cadenza said softly. "Are you alright?"

My rage subsided, and tears prickled at the corners of my eyes.

"Cadenza," I said, loud enough for her to hear. "Have you heard of Aethera, and the legend of the Wailing Woman?"

"...Yes," she said after a pause. "Why?"

I sighed. "Let's go inside."

~.~

"I was born on October 16, about 28 years ago." I began. "My parents' names were Oberon and Asha Shalashaska, and, as such, that is my name too. Aphmau Shalashaska."

It had been so long since I had said that name. It felt so foreign on my tongue.

"Wait," Adam interrupted. "That's from Final Fantasy. That's where you got your Youtube name!"

I stared at him. "What's a Youtube?" I asked.

He sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind."

"Anyways," I continued. "I had a sister named Lily, who later on married a man named Aaron. I married a man named Michael when I was 20."

"WHAT?!" Cadenza exclaimed. "That's wonderful! Why haven't I ever met him?!"

"He..." I trailed off, then shook my head. "I'm getting to that point. Anyways, about two years after we married, I found out that I was pregnant. With a girl."

There was complete silence. Cadenza stared at me with wide eyes.

"Then, three weeks before she was due, Michael was murdered by a Shadow Knight."

Cadenza gasped in horror.

"You can't be serious." Ross said in disbelief.

I nodded sadly, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes again. "I lived in despair for about a week, when news of Falconclaw came. Aaron, Lily's husband, was the Lord of Falconclaw. Aaron was actually Michael's brother. All the news was was a letter that just said: 'All of the people of Falconclaw were found dead, including Lily, my sister, and Jacob, her son. There is no sign of Lord Aaron. It is believed that he either killed them all, or was not present at the village.'

"I never brought myself to believe that he killed them. Aaron was a wonderful man who truly deserved my sister."

I stopped and wiped my eyes with my hand.

"Then, my daughter was born. She was a healthy baby girl with black hair and green eyes."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"She died two hours after she was born. She lived long enough for me to name her 'Sora', which, in Den'vokian, means 'Child of Hope'."

Adam covered his mouth in horror, and to my surprise, started crying.

"I'm s-so sorry," he said, his voice shaking. "I j-just..."

He said nothing more, and continued to cry.