This is a spin off story to the story Elemental Wizardess (Heart). It'll make a lot more sense if you read that story first. Cursed Wizardess (Heart) is a branch of what I call the Elemental Spiral, which incorporates all the stories in the Elemental universe. For a more detailed explanation, please visit my author page. :)

Philyra = Fi-lie-rah

"No one dare

Disturb the sound of

silence."

—Simon & Garfunkel

Prologue

All her life she was nothing but a nobody. Keep silent. Make a sound and you're dead. Act as if you don't exist. Don't cause any trouble. One peep and you're in for it. We're warning you.

She was a curse. In a town that feared and hated strange, unnatural things, she was secret.

If the townspeople found out she had these strange, unexplainable powers, she was dead.

If she spoke, she was beaten.

It was her voice that had the curse. She quickly learned that if she didn't make a sound, she'd be mostly left alone.

Sure, the other kids would still taunt and terrorize her. Sure, the two little children who were her siblings would still be forbidden to go near her. Sure, she was ignored.

But if no one noticed her, if no one heard her, she was safer. She wouldn't be killed. Silence meant the hits and blows lessened. Meant less bruises and bumps.

Less pain.

Yes, in her world, Silence was salvation. It was either silence, death...or slavery.

She chose silence.