chapter one-a beautiful flame

Sika and Aleda looked at eachother, and Sika replied "err...I have some
bank stuff to uh take care of, see ya later!" and she ran off. Aleda
followed after Sika into the bank, leaving Callisto awe struck for a
second. Finally Callisto ran into the bank as well. "What did she mean by
'your niece doesn't know I'm a vampire'?" she asked as she caught up with
Aleda. Aleda looked around for an open teller and said "You know, she's a
vampire silly. We already went through this."

Callisto caught Aleda in her hands "You know what I'm talking about. Why
did she call me your niece?" Aleda let out a long sigh. "Alright, alright,
alright, I didn't want to give you so much information in one day, but.
Yes, I am your father's half-sister. He is part Fairy." she whispered.
"Well, why couldn't you tell me that?"
"Because it's a secret. The queen ordered it to stay secret because fairies
and mystics are not supposed to date, much less have children. It worries
the other mystics, because when you put two different types of magical
beings together and they procreate, well, the child could end up with
ultimate power."

Aleda cleared her throat, and she led Callisto to some benches far away
from the people waiting in the teller lines. "Now, your father's power
wasn't so powerful because of that, he was really just that talented, but
at the time the queen wanted to protect Phoenix. Plus, the mystics were
already starting to worry about him being so powerful, and mortals,
mystics, vampires, fairies, trolls, and furies alike all creatures that is.
They tend to fear or even sometimes hate what they have no understanding
of. The mystics worry that if a child of two magical beings is born, that
it may become evil, and that it will destroy this realm and take it over."

Callisto leaned back and let out a deep sigh. "Don't worry though, we just
need to keep that our little secret, as to keep you safe. I mean, you
already have enough of a reputation due to the visions your father had.
Now, let's go get some money so we can get our supplies!" Callisto smiled
and as Aleda made her way back into the lines, Callisto followed her.
Though she was not with one of her parents, a blood aunt was good enough
for her, and she felt as though everything was going to work out, for the
first time.

The line seemed to go much faster in this world than any line Callisto had
ever been to. It took only a few minutes to get to the front of the long
line, and when they stood before the bank teller, some kind of sack was
already sitting on the desk waiting, as though the teller somehow had read
Aleda's mind. The woman behind the desk suddenly spoke up and said "Yes, I
can read your thoughts" and she smiled and gave a wink as Aleda pushed
Callisto out of the way. "Vampire tellers" she said as though it were a
natural thing to be elbow to elbow with vampires.
Callisto followed Aleda outside where a stone statue now stood where she
had first seen Sika. She shook her head and continued following Aleda.

Aleda led Callisto to what looked like a tavern out of some kind of
Princess and knight type of movie on the outside. As they walked into the
building, which seemed bigger on the inside than it had been on the
outside. Callisto asked Aleda about it, and Aleda just replied with "That's
how we save space in Ariland." The inside was gorgeous, and looked like the
inside of a fancy resturant. The only difference from the mortal world
fancy looking resturants, seemed to be the people and the food. It was if
they served anything you could ever dream of.

A short older woman with a flowery robe on walked up to them, wand in hand.
"Just the two of you eating tonight?" She said with a sickeningly sweet
voice. "Unfortunately yes Elda" Aleda replied. The older woman looked
confused, but she led them to a table. "How did you know my name young
lady?" Aleda laughed "I can't believe you don't remember your favorite
employee ever!" "Orabella Sona?" replied Elda. Aleda raised an eyebrow and
said "Err...No, I'm talking about 25 years ago." Elda laughed "I'm just
kidding with ya Aleda, of course I know who you are. I'd have to be some
kind of nut to not remember the singer who brought in all my business in
the good ole days!"

Elda and Aleda seemed to go on for hours talking about the old days.
Finally, Callisto cleared her throat. She had not meant to seem rude, she
did not even realize she had done it, and even looked around thinking
someone else had joined into the conversation. The two women looked up, and
Elda seemed to look a bit annoyed, but she cleared her throat too and took
their orders and went off to the back.

Aleda brought the bag out. "This is some money from your personal account
in the 'Blodd Bank.' Your father had started it five years before you were
born. He and your mother were not even together yet, but he foresaw your
birth. Anywho, you have access to it now, unlike in the mortal world. The
mortal world seems to think they have to put an age on adulthood, but we
here in Ariland have decided that adults are made not aged. Since some
people grow up young, and others never grow up, we just pretty much erase
the whole age limit thing."

Things got quiet for a while as they waited on their dinner. They sat
listening to the musician on the stage. A harp stood next to the woman, the
strings vibrating without being touched, and the woman sang a beautiful but
somewhat sad song.

"this is the Tale of the beautiful flame
the most beautiful flame in Ariland
and though the evil breeze came
It only made the fire expand

The most beautiful flame set out on a quest
to sabotage the hard blowing wind
though power and strength it possessed
The evil one was quite chagrined

Most beautiful flame has quite a chance
Against the strong opressing air
All could be disordered by a secret romance
leaving all of ariland in dispair

The sisters of foresight seem to disagree
About that most beautiful flames fate
But all will know the glorious story
Of the Ariland fire the wind seemed to hate"

Aleda laughed as the people around them applauded. "What's so funny?" said
Callisto, who clapped along with the others in the crowd. Aleda stopped
laughing and looked at her, as she realized Callisto seemed to like the
song. "Well, it was a beautiful story, it's just...well, it was terribly
written. And it was more like that woman tried harder to rhyme it than to
actually tell the story!" she replied finally.

"Well, I liked it! So" said Callisto sticking out her tongue at Aleda. They
both ended up laughing as Elda walked up giving them strange looks. Elda
tapped the table and for the first time Callisto realized there had been
plates floating behind her. The plates set themselves down onto the table
in front of them. Aleda and Callisto both thanked Elda and she went back to
serving plates at other tables.

"Besides, you really should be getting some of those tips she is getting."
said Aleda after taking a drink from a cup of some mysterious foaming
beverage. "Why's that?" replied Callisto, taking a bite of her food. "The
song is about your father's prophecy. It is what your name means in this
world. 'Most beautiful flame'."