19 years after Flames...

I stood at the edge of the precipice, looking down into the canyon below me. Stalagmites poked up from the bottom of the cave, blackened by years of chemicals that had been dumped out onto them by the city. A hollow path snaked through them, carved into the canyon's floor by a long-gone river. 

The canyon was named Nemesis Drop, after me. This wasn't the only reason that I enjoyed visiting it. It was hollow. Dead. Utterly devoid of life. It was such a perfect contrast to the lively city, that I found it quite satisfying to stand at the edge of it, contemplating how close we all truly were to death. Just one step forward, and I would tumble into the abyss below, never to be seen again. I was literally inches away from utter and total destruction. 

And that was exactly where I liked to be. It made me feel unique and powerful, a being capable of tempting fate and living to tell the tale. Although, I knew for certain that I was not. 

I had never in my life felt or looked special. My straight, black hair was always pulled into a tight bun, and I wore simple, black and blue clothes. This was ironic, indeed, because I was the heir to the city, and a Princess of the Lessaenite Empire. However, I was not quite sure exactly what or where the Lessaenite Empire was. I had never left the city of New Glaisse, tucked in the cavern and hidden under the rocky sky. 

Although I had heard tales of something called the sun, which provided light during the day, and the moons, which did the same during the night, and of a sky that rose upward forever, peppered with stars, I did not believe these whispers. To me, they were mere stories. I would not accept something as a true fact until it was scientifically proven before my eyes. This was not possible, because it was obvious that I was very, very far from the magical land of suns and moons- if there was one, at all.

What I did know was that my grandmother had somehow been cheated out of her throne, and that New Glaisse was named after a city in the Lessaenite Empire, called Glaisse. My grandmother never liked to answer questions about Lessaenes. She scolded me whenever I asked them, telling me not to meddle with things that didn't pertain to me. What I didn't understand was how my family's past could possibly not pertain me. 

"Nemesis!" A powerful voice echoed through the cavern. It did not sound at all pleased. 

"Yes, Grandmother?" 

"Get away from there, Nemesis, dear! You'll fall!" 

I stepped closer to the edge in defiance, using my Aura to balance myself. My grandmother wasn't like others' parents. When she told me not to do something dangerous, I knew she was actually daring me to try it. Even in her old age, she was a remarkably brave woman, who had spat in the face of death and fate several times before.

She stood on the opposite site of the cavern, a black cloak concealing her features. It was late at night, and most of New Glaisse had gone dark. It was time to confront her about a question that had lingered a long while in my mind. 

"We aren't just the Keepers of New Glaisse, are we?" I asked. "I'm a Princess, and you're a Queen! Why do we live like this? Why do we hide in a cave? You've always taught me to be fearless, but our existence itself is awfully fearful!" 

"I was a Queen," Grandmother spat, lifting the hood of her cloak to reveal her shining, violet eyes. "I brought you here to save you from those monsters who call themselves your parents and the rest of their idiotic minions. We are not hiding- we are waiting until the time is right to attack. This is a skill that you, Nemesis, must work on. You are a great warrior...now, learn to think like a great leader." 

"Yes," I nodded. "But, who are my parents? What is the rest of our family like? Are they alive? Are they in the Lessaenite Empire, whatever that is?"

"They are very much alive," Grandmother nodded. "And yes, they are on Lessaenes. However, they think that the two of us are dead. It's better for things to stay that way. I will not tell you more, or you will know everything."

"Do you mean to say that they are up in some Empire while they leave us to slowly suffocate in a stupid cave?!" I yelled. "This is an injustice! Just tell me where they are, Grandmother, and I will destroy everything they are and ever were. I want to watch as the life drains from their eyes. I want to decimate every remnant of their existence until not a single living soul remembers their names!" 

My grandmother chuckled, floating effortlessly across the canyon atop her Aura and landing beside me. "Like I said, you are a warrior. Learn to be a strategist. The time will come for us to reclaim what is ours...but that time is not now." 

Then, unexplainably, she began to laugh loudly, throwing her head back in an effort to suppress her guffaws. 

"What's so funny?" I frowned. 

"Nothing," she shook her head. "I'm only imagining Viviana's face when she sees me, alive and in prime, Iceheart condition." 

"Who's Viviana?" I inquired. My story must have been a lot more interesting than I had originally thought it was...

"Someone who doesn't matter," Saralee shrugged. "Anyway, it is long past your bedtime, darling. Why don't you go back to Stalactite Hall and rest up?" 

Grinning, I dashed off in the opposite direction. 

.......................................

A/N: You knew that I loved Saralee too much to let her go. How did she survive? Who is Nemesis? Where exactly are the two lovely villains? You shall find out very soon...