“Neo where have you gone now?!”

I could hear mother calling me as I was hiding nicely in the closet in order to head to the edge of town to meet my friends, the town kids where not up this early but the animals where. So as soon as my mother left in search of me, I dashed out of the house as the sun was coming up to meet with the foxes.

I reached the edge of the forest just as the sun had completely risen. To my surprise Zillah was standing there as if she was expecting me.

My little sister Zillah was actually stunning if she could ever stay clean. With her jet black hair that reaches all the way down to her waist. With white porcelain skin underneath the layer of dirt that covered her. My favorite feature though would definitely be her eyes, they look to be the color black at first glance but they are actually a deep purple.

I on the other hand possess dirty brown hair that is slightly wavy, my skin had a slight tan to it.

Honestly not sure if that’s from always being outside or if it’s my actual completion.

My only "unique" quality that I possess is that my right iris of my eye is a deep red while my left is a ice blue. When I asked my mother why my eyes where two different colors she explained to me that she is from the white kingdom originally. While my father on the other hand is from the red kingdom, so I got the traits of both.

Zillah and I possess entirely different physical quality's due to the fact my family took her in when she was very young. Even though we are not biologically related we treat each other as if we were.

“Good morning Zillah, what bring you here so early?” I said with a hint of sarcasm.

“You know very well that mother was looking for you, and you decided to run off. I have come to capture you Neo.” She proceeded to stand in a stance imitating a knight.

“Dear little sister you act as if I’m some criminal?!”

“Shall we fight then if you won’t come willingly?” She said with a dark look.

“Oh but it’s not fair for me to harm a young lady as yourself.” I said with a smile.

“Neo you only call me a “young lady” when you are avoiding a battle.”

Sadly it looked to me the Zillah was not going to let me go easily if I resisted. Even though she was younger than me by a year, she was not easily beat. At best I might be able to win but at the cost of being entirely covered in bruises for the next week. So I decided to forfeit.

“Alright, alright I’ll come back. I’ll apologize to mother as well.”

“Good that’s what I expect from my older brother” she said with a sarcasm.

As we started walking back I decided that a race would be a better way to go all the way back home.

“You up for a race?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? You think you can beat me Neo?”

“Alright let’s make a bet then? If I win you have to show me how you get to the forest faster then I do. If I lose I will ask you permission to leave the house for a week?”

“Alright make it a month and we have a deal”

“Ok, deal”

We got ready, we decided on the route we would take home in order to show that just shear speed and maneuvering would be the only way to win. We decided the finish line would be the door home. And the first one to touch the doorknob would be crowned champion.

“Alright ready, set....go”

BAM instantly Zillah got in the front of me, though I was not surprised. She always had the most instant energy but I know I have more stamina.

Though when I look up Zillah was far more in front of me then she should be, that’s when I realized she must has used a support spell in order to get a even bigger jump ahead.

“Damn it, Zillah I never said we could use magic!” as soon as those word escape me I see my sister with a devilish smile.

“You also never said we couldn’t.” her smile growing brighter.

Even though I am older then my little sister she has a wider knowledge of spells then I do. She must of gotten this knowledge from her previous family because just getting a couple of spells from my mother and father is like pulling teeth. Still I know the basics because my mother thought it could help me if I ever got in danger.

I know support, protect and emit.

So I immediately support my feet in order to get the much needed boast. That moved me closer but I was still about 200 yards away. I realized I would need something bigger than usual to make up that distance and if I’m lucky get me up ahead. That’s when I thought why can I use emit behind me and let the aftershock propel me forward? I could use protect while being propelled so I wouldn’t take any damage. I have never tried this before and also never used all three basic spells simultaneously but I decided it was the only way.

As I was sprinting forward I had kept support on my feet in order to have more control in the air. I also cast protect over my entire body and strengthen it even more on my back. I jumped forward and in the instant I used emit. Which caused a huge sound and even though I was protected the push forward caused me to lose my breath for a instant.

As soon as Zhillah heard the noise from emit she turned with concern, and then she saw me flying above with a huge grin on my face. She instantly turned around trying to maintain her lead, but it was no use. Because my plan had worked better than expected, I was having trouble maintaining my upright position initially but not long after I got accustomed to flying through the air. It felt almost natural. I quickly flew over my sister who looked at me with astonishment and anger. She though using magic would only benefit her. That’s when I realized I was still very high in the air when I passed over my sister, who was initially 200yards in front of me!

Oh no! I didn’t think it would be too powerful and there is no way I can slow down! the best I can hope to do is maintain my position and I’m flying right towards the house. Shit....

BAM I landed right into the door, luckily I had maintained protect or else I would of had a broken leg or maybe two...The door was shattered and in a couple of minutes Zhillah was above me yelling, while mother stood there confused.

“Are you a idiot or something? You could of gotten yourself killed, for a race!”

“Well I’m fine aren’t I.” Maybe that would of been believable if I didn’t have trouble getting to my feet.

“Look at you, you can barely stand! Neo are you going to be buying a new door?”

As she was continuing yelling at me I realized I still had not touched the door handle. Zhillah was to angry to notice as she immediately started yelling at me as soon as she arrived.

In that instance I lunged and took hold of the door knob that was no longer attached to anything.

Zhillah looked at me in disbelief.

“Neo are you kidding me?! I am here telling you, you almost got yourself killed for a race and you reach for the door knob??”

“Well we hadn’t finished the race” I say with a small chuckle.

She was fuming, I swear I saw steam escape her ears. That’s when she lunges at me with the intent to kill.

At that moment my mother decided to intervene. She had used a spell to that cast a small bubble on both of us and pulled the two of us apart.

“That enough you two. Zhillah I asked you to help me find Neo and it seems you succeed. Even though I would like to see my children without the cost of my door.”

As she said this she looked directly at me with dagers in her eyes.

A shiver ran down my spine.

“I’m sorry mother, I didn’t mean to break the door my spell was just stronger than I expected.”

As soon as I said that I immediately regretted it.

“You used a spell?! Neo I have told you to only use spells when you absolutely must. Until you are old enough to truly study and understand what you are casting.”

Zhillah immediately looked at me and all her anger drained from her face and was replaced with a look of pleading. I already knew why, she always wanted to be on mothers good side and if mother found out she not only used a spell but initiated it she would be distraught.

“Why did you use a spell Neo?” She looked from me to Zhillah.

“We decided to have a race on the way home and I was losing to Zhillah and decided to use a spell in order to win.”

“You are grounded. We will re-learn the importance of only using magic when in a life and death situation.”

well that took her a long time to decide...

Zhillah was immediately relieved, I could see a twinge of guilt but not enough to confess. Probably because I didn’t necessarily lie. I just carefully decided not to mention how Zhillah had gotten in front of me.

“Neo you will also work with the wood worker in order for us to have a new door. Until you complete that you are not ungrounded.”

That instantly got my attention. “WHAT?!”

I had expected the re-teaching of magic but the wood worker! We lived in a very small village and the wood worker was a good mile away from us. He never smiled and didn’t usually talk though him and my mother got along quite well. So I knew her threat was something she could ask of him.

“ You heard me Neo, that’s the end of the conversation. Now both of you clean up this mess.”

After mother left the room, we started picking up the pieces of shattered wood from my collision.

“Thank you Neo”

“It’s fine, though I didn’t expect mom would make me go to the wood workers house.”

She looked up at me with eyes like black dark deep pools, as if overflowing because she seemed about to cry.

“HEY, it’s okay really! I’ll be fine, besides what are big brothers for” I said with a smile.

She pushed back the urge to cry after that comment. We both knew Zhillah acted far more mature than I did, even though I was older.

“Don’t forget about the bet, I did win after all.” I said chuckling a little.

Zhillah hit me on the shoulder and we cleaned up the rest of the splintered pieces in silence.