Earthly Desires

Parlassa Part 1

Parlassa was mid-cartwheel on the balcony, the snowy ravine stretching endlessly below, when her mother, Fullmassa, suddenly grabbed her by the legs.

“Why do you question the wisdom of the war with the humans?” Fullmassa demanded, her voice sharp as ice.

Parlassa opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak, her mother released her grip. She tumbled forward, landing hard on the grass mat covering the balcony. The cold sting of snow-dusted wind bit at her cheeks as she scrambled to sit up, eyes flashing with equal parts fear and defiance.

Fullmassa’s gaze bore into her. “Your hesitation could cost everything,” she said, voice low but filled with menace. “Remember that every action—or inaction—shapes the fate of this world.”

Parlassa clenched her fists, struggling to steady herself. The balcony seemed narrower now, the drop to the ravine below a stark reminder of the power her mother wielded—and the dangerous path ahead.