Siblings

The ash appeared quite ordinary, akin to any other. Had it been found anywhere in the house, one might have instinctively reached for a broom to sweep it away, never realizing the true nature of what they were discarding.

"This is essentially the remains of a divine beast," Kael thought, a sense of unease creeping over him as he examined the ash. It felt wrong to keep such a relic close, especially near his family.

As the family intently observed the glass, the Al'Shalin was the first to speak. "Pyrathas… I've heard of this divine beast before," she mentioned.

"A truly graceful creature," added Ammar with a nod of acknowledgment.

"Normally, its ash disintegrates upon contact with the living," Ammar continued, "The life force of the Phoenix is passed on, whether to wood, grain, or, in rare cases, humans. Not everyone benefits from the ash, but I've met a man who claimed to be a hundred years old, kept alive solely by the ash of the Phoenix."

Ammar raised the glass, allowing the flicker of torches to reflect upon it, encasing the black ash in a soft glow.

"However, this batch was captured directly from the air and securely stored in dead glass. Its power isn't lost, but there's a strict prohibition against keeping more than a small amount of ash. What we have here is a unique gift from the Farani, for the Phoenix must relinquish a significant amount of life force to regain it."

Kael's eyebrows rose. If the ash truly possessed healing capabilities, it would indeed be priceless. Yet, the feeling of uneasiness remained. His sister, on the other hand, seemed less impressed.

"A dead thing capable of healing? Please, Ab'an, you've made better jokes," Lyla remarked, her laughter carrying a note of scorn.

Ammar's expression shifted slightly as he lowered the glass. "This is no joke, daughter. Pyrathas is a divine beast, just like Sirocco. Their powers can perform true miracles."

Lyla shook her head, unconvinced. "Sirocco is not just any divine beast. He is the embodiment of Atherion's will. Are you suggesting Pyrathas has been accorded the same honor?"

Kael turned to his sister, joining in the conversation. "Why not?" he queried, his shoulders shrugging lightly, "If our god can bestow power upon Sirocco, why can't the gods of the Farani do the same?"

"Because their gods are not as powerful as Atherion. They're weak," Safiya responded sharply.

Lyla turned to her daughter with a stern look. "Who taught you that, Safiya Adar?"

"What?" Safiya responded, lifting her hands in a gesture of innocence, "our teachings say so. Praise be to Atherion, the True, the Eternal Flame, the Supreme, the Alpha and the Omega."

Kael frowned. It was true that the teachings of the Al'Shalin instructed people to worship Atherion, but they never encouraged disparaging other gods. They never even mentioned that there were other gods out there.

It seemed his mother shared this view, as she now rebuked her pupil. "Enough of these outrageous remarks, Safiya! Atherion is both our god and theirs, even if they don't worship him. But that doesn't give you the right to belittle their faith."

His mother now wore the expression Kael only saw when she was serving as an Al'Shalin in the temple. Kael disliked this side of his mother. It was cold, calculated, and dangerous, characteristics every Al'Shalin seemed to share without exception.

But Safiya was also on the path to becoming an Al'Shalin, and she had adopted the same stance as their mother. Kael was continually surprised by how much his sister had changed. She seemed far ahead of him in life.

"It's not forbidden to me either," she said, turning to point at the ash Ammar still held in his hand. "Thank you, Ab'an, for this wonderful gift, but it's nothing more than burnt earth."

Sudden anger surged within Kael. His father was often away, which pained him, yet he always made an effort to be there for his family, bringing back stories and gifts from distant lands. How could his sister demean him like that?

He blurted out something uncharacteristic, driven by his frustration with his sister. "Perhaps Atherion isn't so great. After all, Talak is also a divine beast, and a very useful at that, yet it's not blessed by the eternal flame. Why can't Pyrathas be the same?"

Safiya turned to her little brother, a momentary look of surprise crossing her face, which quickly vanished.

She sighed, "Well, Kael, maybe one day you'll understand," she said, shrugging.

Kael immediately flushed with anger. Whenever a serious topic was being discussed, phrases like these were a common reaction to his words. His family didn't take him seriously, as if he were still a child unaware of the big, bad world outside. While there might be some truth to that, it felt as though everyone looked down on him.

But he composed himself. Getting angry would only reinforce those views. Instead, he calmly posed a question.

"I'm just not convinced that Atherion is superior to all others. I don't doubt the eternal flame, but you don't really know the other gods and their traditions. How can you be so certain?"

The truth was, Kael really didn't care. Wether Atherion was the only god or not, or the most powerful or the most whatever, it didn't truly matter to him. He had always had this attitude towards religion, even with two priestesses in the family.

What Kael really wanted was to challenge his sister, as he had many times before. He knew it was childish but couldn't help himself. Unfortunately, Safiya was well aware of his thought process. After all, this wasn't their first argument.

"Questioning the eternal flame is also questioning me as an Al'Shalin, Kael," she said, defiantly raising an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips as she dared her brother.

Kael, however, didn't back down. "You're not an Al'Shalin. You're just a student. You didn't even pass your final trial yet." he retorted quickly.

Safiya's smile vanished. She knew her brother didn't mean it when he questioned Atherion; she knew that he understood its magnitude. But attacking her future as an Al'Shalin was different. This was personal.

"And what are you, little brother? Don't tell me you're jealous, like my other petty classmates. Or are you actually a girl down there?" she said, now with a hint of malice in her voice.

Kael snapped, and before Lyla or Ammar could intervene, he let his anger out. "Maybe you just enjoy mocking everything that doesn't fit into your perfect little world of teachings! Not everyone can be as disrespectful as you!"

As Kael grew angry, Safiya's smile widened, but she was visibly upset with his words. "You're the last one to talk about respect, Kael. Standing here like a madman, trying to convince a future Al'Shalin that her teachings about the eternal flame are wrong. Do you even know what you're saying?"

Kael's brow twitched in anger. Arguments with his sister were a common occurrence in his life, but today he wouldn't allow himself to be belittled like this. Unfortunately, this wasn't a situation where he could simply punch the problem away. That would've made things easier.

"You still talk as arrogantly as if you were the Al'Shalin of the Queen herself!" he countered, spitting out bits of salvia in the process.

"Cease it, both of you!" said Ammar, but his children didn't seem to hear him. Or they just ignored his words in their heated barrage.

"At least I know my place! What about you? What do you have? Ash? You wander the dunes as if the whole world were your playground. When was the last time you considered who you want to be, hm?"

Safiya's biting remark pierced Kael's heart directly. She had no idea how much he pondered over his future. Who he was and who he wished to be. Safiya had their mother, thus her path seemed clearly laid out for her. But for Kael, there was no such clear direction. His father was always away, with no time to teach him anything substantial. He wasn't good enough for scholarly pursuits in school, nor had he the right training to become a craftsman.

So, what was he supposed to become? He had no clue. In just about a year, he would be of age, making matters even more pressing. Everyone else in the village had taken up their parents' professions, yet he remained undecided.

"I don't know yet," he said slowly, then louder, "but I'll find my way, without belittling others just to feel a bit better about myself!"

His sister snapped back sharply. "You're a lost little brother. Easily provoked, you fall for it every time. What will become of you-"

"SILENCE!" suddenly bellowed Ammar Adar with a threateningly loud voice, causing both siblings to flinch.

"There will be no such childish quarreling in my house, and certainly not within this family!"

Safiya turned away with a scoff, but not before casting a triumphant glance at Kael.

Kael felt an urge to leap at her. Instead, he also turned and swiftly exited the house. What did his foolish sister even know! He dashed through the front door, hearing his father call after him. He didn't stop, continuing on his way.

The eternal flame had already set, and night's darkness had arrived.

Back inside, Ammar, Lyla, and Safyia looked towards the wide-open front door. The house had grown quiet, save for the cool evening breeze that could be heard.

Ammar sighed and slumped back into his chair. He set the glass of ash down and rubbed his forehead.

"Why did you do that?" he asked Safyia.

She looked at him with a faint smile. "What do you mean? I firmly believe Atherion is the only true god."

Her father shook his head, "Not that, daughter. You know very well how easily your brother gets infuriated. Besides, you couldn't have meant it."

Safiya huffed, but then her expression softened. "Yes, you're right. I didn't mean it. But Kael is too hot-tempered."

Ammar gave her a disapproving look. "That's no excuse to hurt him this way. You were too harsh."

But Safiya disagreed. "I love my little brother, but you both are too gentle with him. Umm'an feels bad for spending so much time with me instead of him, so she allows him too much."

Now, Lyla also wore a look of disapproval, but Safiya continued, "And you, Ab'an, are mostly away. He practically has no one to guide him. That's why he feels so lost."

Sighing, Safiya sat down too. She looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't want my brother to wander blindly forever. That's why I try to provoke him a bit. If he's not made of sand, he'll survive and maybe find motivation in it. And if not, at least he'll want to prove me wrong. That's more helpful than just pitying him."

The Adar family was silent. The situation with their youngest son was by no means simple, and they all knew of his self-doubts. He just didn't show them often, or maybe they just saw him too seldom.

In the end, it was Lyla Adar who stood up and walked towards the door.