Relm

“Grandpa Strago, where are mama and papa goin’?”
  “Relm, keep your voice low, the soldiers are out there again. Your parents went out to fight. Don’t worry though, they’ll be back. Just stay quiet and wait till they get back.”
  “Okay Grandpa.” I walked up the stairs to my bedroom. I hate it when there’s fighting outside. There’s always death. Mama and Papa always head out for the fighting and come back tired and haggard. The only way I can tell what’s happening is by looking out the window, but even that doesn’t give me enough view of what’s going on.
  I’ve seen this all too many times. I hate those soldiers that keep trying to take away our island we live on. They always tell us that the Emperor wants it for it’s prime position for another base, but we won’t give it up. They insist on fighting. Why do they have to be so rude? We’ve never done anything to them, have we?
  Blasts of fire shoot at their air assaults as streams of ice shoot towards the troops approaching on the ground. Amidst the magic are the shrieks of pain, the pure helplessness they have against our power.
  As it grows later the surges of magic die down. People are going back to their homes and others carried to the inn to be taken care if injured. But where are mama and papa? I don’t see them coming back anywhere in sight.
  Down the stairs I go until I reach Strago, “Grandpa, where are they? They’re not home yet! What if something happened to them?!”
  “Don’t worry child, they’re probably on the healing duty tonight. Let’s go to the inn to check to see if they’re almost done.”
  I had to try my hardest not to just pick up the old fool so I could get their quicker, but I restrained myself. Within 20 feet of the inn I ran ahead into the inn. Inside I heard a part of a conversation, “Yeah, one of our best victories so far! Only three dead tonight, though sadly two of them were a married couple. Heard they left a daughter behind, poor soul. So, what are......” Everything else I heard just washed over me. It started to get hard to breath.
  “What’s wrong child, you look so very pale, maybe you should get looked at while we’re here, you look as if you’re catching something.” The voice, distant. My grandpa kept trying to yank me out the door talking about how a nice night of sleep would get me going when morning comes around. It was nothing though, just more to increase the confusion streaming through my head.
  “Gra-grandpa.....I th-think they’re d-d-de.....” I couldn’t even speak it, the words would not pass my lips.
  “Oh, don’t be silly child, you just haven’t seen them yet. Maybe they’re taking their time to get back?” Once again, nothing was comprehended. I ran forward to three beds with bodies covered on them. Gingerly I pulled back the sheet of the first one. Phew...some guy. Now, the two are left. Slowly I pulled down the sheet and gasped.....my father.
  “It can’t be! It can’t be him! NOOO!!!” I stood there shaking, too scared to pull the last remaining sheet down. Mechanically my arm went up and yanked it down. There laid my mother. So beautiful, too peaceful to be alive, that I know. As tears streamed down my face I looked at her hand to see that her ring was missing. How could that be? It was her favorite ring, she’d never go anywhere without it.
  In a panic I ran out of the inn towards the field where the battle was taking place, with the worried yelping of my dear grandpa behind me. I can’t listen to him tonight, his words are just a pest to me. I hear nothing. I feel nothing but despair.
  I run through the blood streaked grass searching frantically. Nowhere in sight! Where could it have gone? It has to be out here somewhere. It has to be.
  In front of me something shone. Nothing more than a brief sparkle, but my only thought was the ring, and nothing else. When I reached it I found that it was just somebody’s tooth that had been knocked out during the fighting. Once again, I saw another sparkle upon the grass.
  This time when I came upon it, I had found the ring. I sat down right there in the field and wept for my dead parents. I will never see them again, they will just be pictures in my mind. Later to be forgotten ever so gradually, but so sadly. Than an idea flickered.
  Getting up from the grass, I tried my best to clean myself off, though the rivers of blood in the field would forever stain my memories. That wasn’t what was on my mind though.
  Racing through the town I get back into my house. Shivering from the cold of the night and the losses which I got that night, I walked my way slowly to my parents room. Strago was already in there sleeping in a chair, most likely waiting for my return. I’ll keep him asleep if I can though, no use in waking the old man.
  My mom’s easel was there just how she always had it, with all her paints and brushes organized. She normally let me play around and paint there, and she also taught me to paint. Tonight would be my final lesson in painting. I quietly laid out a fresh sheet of paperand readied all the supplies.
  I put everything I could into this painting. I tried to recreate everything that I could remember about my mother. I felt like I was adding life to the picture. It was like I could see my mother taking breaths and watching her hair blow in the breeze.
  Nearly complete, I hear stirring behind me. “Wah, huh? Relm what are you doing? No! Relm stop!”
  It was too late, I added my final touch to the picture when all of the sudden the ring began to glow. The clear gem encrusted in the center had a dim shine to it. Within seconds though it was a bright flare, burning the picture into my memory. Looking away from the light bcak at the picture, I see the hair is rustling about upon my mother’s silken face. Before my eyes I witness my mother walk out of the picture and stand before me.
  “Relm my daughter, you are more lovely than I ever believed to be so. Your father was right when he told me that your beauty would surpass all. Your heart, it has so much pain though. Don’t let that get in the way of your dreams Relm. Clear your heart of the grief and sorrow. It was not your fault that I am not there to put you to bed. Relm, live your life. You will make many people happy Relm, but above all, please don’t forget to be happy yourself.”
  With her last words her mother reached out and brushed my cheek. So soft I could barely sense that she was touching me. I closed my eyes and felt happiness for what seemed like forever. Opening my eyes though, I saw that she was not standing there, and the picture was back to how it was, except for one thing. A luster in her eyes that I could not have done with the paintbrush.
  My grandpa was just standing there wideeyed at the painting before he fell back into the chair in a dead faint.
  Enough excitement tonight for me. I go across the hall to my bedroom and lie down. A difference has taken over me though. The pain is now gone, and something else has taken it’s place. A yearning.....a yearning to live. With that, I kiss my ring, and fall asleep to be woken up with a new tomorrow.