As the sun started to sneak over the horizon the following morning, the throne room began to come alive as stray beams of light struck the crystalline structures. Although it was early, Feli was standing before the dais, his polished weapons catching the rays.

"Sacri was out again last night," he reported to his parents, the king and queen of Riko, each wearing half of a perfectly divided cloak. The gold hung from the queen's left shoulder and the silver from the king's right. Their crown held a similar synchronicity about it, twin crystal circlets that mirrored the differing color of their eyes, identical in every other way but that. Like the cloak, it, too, would be a perfect match when united together. "He was once again dabbling in his black magic."

King Díer and Queen Lonus exchanged tense glances from their indistinguishable thrones, the only expression they dared to risk showing before their youngest son. But telepathically, they were sharing the worry, the fear, which they were both feeling for their eldest and for their country.

"He is home now?" Queen Lonus queried.

Feli nodded. "He is, unless he has snuck out again this morning."

King Díer nodded. "Thank you, Feli. I see you have appointed yourself your brother's keeper."

"He's endangering the kingdom," Feli said evenly. "Someone has to protect Riko against the danger and dark rituals he flaunts like some sort of exotic pet."

The lash, although calmly spoken, struck its intended mark. Lonus and Díer didn't outwardly flinch, but they shared the pain felt through their mental connection. Feli was angry with his brother and their seeming lack of action against him.

His anger came from knowing there was little that actually could be done. The delicate peace existing between the Solar Elves and the Lunar Elves made action difficult, especially when Feli and Sacri had both been blessed by different deities.

"Your anger is not going to save the kingdom," Lonus told Feli softly. "It will only drive us apart."

"Perhaps not," Feli retorted, yet his tone was respectful. "Perhaps we may be closer united by rooting out this menace."

"Feli," Díer said warningly. "Remember your place."

"Always," Feli spat, turning and stalking out of the throne room. The anger and concern that had rolled in with him stayed behind, building up in the throne room as the king and queen allowed themselves to sorrow for the fall of their eldest.

Feli left the confines of the palace for the gardens, striding off into the thick patch of woods to try and lose his anger. He already knew this would be hopeless, but he had to try. He had to allow himself to calm down before he began to concoct his own plans for the salvation of Riko.

For Riko was in a carefully balanced state of power, the Lunar and Solar castes still growing used to being equal and allies instead of fiercely opposed. Lonus and Díer themselves were of different castes, mixing the blood of the monarchs to ensure that both peoples would be represented in the governing of Riko.

But when Sacri, who would inherit the throne as both a Lunar and a Solar, had opened his eyes after birth, it had become apparent matters wouldn't be that simple. Feli's birth had only confirmed that.

Birds twittered in the branches overhead as Feli slowed his pace, lifting his face up to the thin rays of sunlight filtering down through the thick leaves. He came to a stop, stretching his arms out as he took in the sheer peacefulness of the trees surrounding him.

While his brother slept away the daylight hours like a bat, Feli was able to see the real beauty of Riko. The land that had slowly grown into something beautiful during the years of tenuous peace was threatened by Sacri's steps into darkness. And Feli simply could not allow that threat to linger and thrive.

When he finally left the woods, his head was clear and he knew what had to be done. Sacri must be made to quit the dark art he had learned or be destroyed.

Cyren Neptu was waiting for Feli at the entrance to the palace, responding to the message conveyed through Feli's Streaks, hands clasped behind his back. Dressed in green, Cyren stood out from most Elves not for his red hair, but for his reddish eyes that seemed to glow at the strangest moments. With him, Sacri, Feli, and Cyren formed a triad of rare, potent power, displayed through the color of their eyes.

For the color of an Elf's magic was determined by the color of his eyes. The shades of brown, green, and blue that were the norm for an iris' hue in the Elfish species all had similar strengths. But three other colors indicated a much greater power than normal, and the eyes that displayed such colors were rare.

And for the first time in Riko, and the first time in millennia, those shades had been bestowed on three specific Elves.

The golden power of the Solar's sun god had been given to Sacri. Feli possessed the silver color of the Lunar's moon goddess. And Cyren had the volatile essence of the fire deity of the Demar, the third caste that was denied permission to settle in Riko. Hunted down and killed on sight, Cyren was the only one of his caste who had citizen status in the Elfish society, and that had partly to do with the fact that he was only half Elfish.

Cyren tilted his head as Feli approached him. "Prince Feli. You summoned me?"

"Yes, I did," Feli answered. "Tell me, what are your feelings with regard to my brother's midnight practices?"

Cyren raised an eyebrow and hesitated. "You know my standing in the court, Feli. You know my position."

"Please," Feli said insistently. "Answer the question, Neptu."

"I am against it," Cyren replied quietly. "But my allegiance lies to the king and queen of this land, and to their heir. Not to you."

Feli glanced off into the distance, towards the buildings which Sanas was comprised of. "Sacri needs to be stopped," he said softly. "And nobody is willing to risk their status over it."

"If you intend to elicit guilt in me, Prince Feli, you are wrong," Cyren told him. "I serve the throne and the future possessors of the throne. And you are not one of them."

Feli returned his gaze to Cyren. "What if the one to inherit the throne is unworthy?"

"That is not for me to decide," Cyren said firmly, his eyes growing hard at Feli's insistence. "That is for your father, and your mother, to rule on."

"They sit and do nothing," Feli flashed. "They allow Sacri to do as he pleases and care not for the outcome! They do not think of what he will do to this country!"

Cyren calmly extended his hand and Feli fell back, forced to the ground by Cyren's strong magic. "You dare to speak of your king and queen that way?" he hissed. "Queen Lonus and King Díer made great sacrifices to bring a lasting peace to this land. You cannot speak about their dedication to this country waning just because they do not do what you wish!"

Then Cyren turned and strode off angrily, leaving Feli behind.

/**/

So there's Feli's first narration. What did you think of him?

Thanks for reading; please comment and vote!

Skylar Wittenborn