Staring out the window, tears ran down her cheeks. It was the cloudiest day of the year, it was so dark and gloomy. The fog hung thick in the air and the overcast showed no signs of breaking anytime soon, these were the types of days that the children waited for, the types of days that caused them to stay outside from dusk till dawn. Yet, there she sat stuck inside, seated in a chair much too large for a child her size. A pencil was held in her hand and a few books on various scientific subjects were scattered on the desk before her. Behind her on the large stone top table were several beakers and viles, some with liquids in them, others empty; waiting for her next experiement. Her legs were curled up beneath her and she sat on her knees leaning up over the desk, her upper body restings on her elbows as she stretched to see out of the window, the heavy drapery having been pulled back. The pencil tapped loudly on the desk top and then she saw the other children run across one of the yards, obviously enjoying their game of tag. Crying harder and screaming in anger at the fact that she was not out enjoying the sunless day, she threw herself back into her chair so hard that the chair flipped backwards and she tumbled out of it, smacking her head on the stone table behind her. She yelped aloud, not because of the pain that it had caused but because of how loud the crashing of the chair had been. Scrambling, she picked up the heavy chair, something that should have been much too heavy for her to lift, yet it was done with some ease and then she grabbed her pencil and quickly moved to climb back into the chair. The sound of heavy footsteps fell in the hallway and then the sound of a key in the lock of the rooms door startled her. She was caught.

The door flew open and she turned with a yelp. One hand rubbed over the back of her head, the other gripped the pencil tightly, shaking so badly that it was making squiggles across the paper before her.

"Alystrianna?"

She dipped her head in greeting and then set down her pencil and wiped at her face, trying to free it of the tears that had been staining it all afternoon.

"Yes, Father?"

"What was that noise young lady?"

"I...I... the chair.. I accidentally tipped it over."

"And how did that happen if you were sitting there studying like you were supposed to?"

She shrugged her shoulder and shook her head, her mouth gaping open slightly.

"I asked you a question and I expect an answer."

" I wasn't studying Father, I was looking out the window."

Her Father moved across the room so quickly that he was a blur, even her own eyes having trouble tracking him as he went to the window and looked out of it. The drapes were yanked closed so quickly that it blew out the candles infront of her and the breeze caused her papers to blow off the desk. Wrapping her arms around her frame she sank back into the chair shaking.

" Alystrianna! You know the importance of our studies! You are very important to our people, you posses wonderful gifts, if only you would apply yourself! How do you expect to help one day, lead our people if you are not properly prepared? You must take this seriously, your whole life you must train both mentally and physcially for the tasks that you will have come before you. "

"But Father, I am only a child! I am eight years old. Why do the other children get to be outside on such a beautifully dreary day and I am here studying science and chemistry?! Why cant I just be a child?"

" Because, my dear, you know. You are not like the rest of them. You know the gifts you have, you will not be like the rest of them. You will be royalty. You will lead us. You will help fight for us. You will find ways to save us, help us thrive, help us evolve. Your mind is beyond that of a child, why would you want to waste it by spending your time playing silly games? "

"But... "

"No more delaying, you will finish your studies and I want to see your hypothesis before it is meal time tonight. I don't want to come in here again and find you not studying and without notes."

He picked up her papers and glared at them and then they were placed back on the desk. His hand lightly ran over her cheek, wiping away the tears she had missed.

" You know that I love you my child. You are a wonderful gift and brilliant mind."

Leaning down he kissed the top of her head and then patted her shoulder. He quickly pulled away, not one to show large amounts of emotion. His jaw was once again set tight as she straighted up.

" I'll be back when it is time for our hunt."

With that he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him and locking it with the key from the outside. Aly sniffled softly and looked around in the darkness of the room and then grabbed the two large candlesticks and carried them to the fireplace, lighting them once again and carrying them back to the desk. Her papers were organized and spread out and she sat back down in the chair, her posture perfect and rigid as she began to read.