“You look exhausted, Snihde. Did you break a nail or something?” Bernard asked, setting down a crate of tulips.
“It wasn’t the best of days,” Vora sighed wearily. “People get injured too easily. Why can’t they be careful and attentive like me.”
Bernard laughed heartily. “Hilarious. Whoever got hurt will be fine. Tell them to ask a Chime for some sparkle-ringing magic. Brass weirdos can at least do that.”
Vora’s Eoa had been pushing her all day. She absorbed the pain of everyone within a mile since she woke up. The teen girl experienced torture she couldn’t escape. Her gift was her normality since being oozy, bloody, and having her first cry. The fact she hadn’t gone insane after all these years was a testament to her tenacity. Now that she’d awoken her Eoa, that pain became an intensifying energy inside her—the perfect night for her debut as the Monarch and to practice her Eoa on Soot.
“I’ll finish up the inventory, Snihde,” Bernard said after he realized the sun had abandoned his shop thirty minutes ago. He plucked the notebook Vora was writing on out of her dainty mitts. “Tomorrow, Ember Days starts, but I want you in the next two days because of the massive demand. After that, I’m closing shop till Ember Days is over. I don’t want to hear any complaining, princess.”
Vora made a shooing motion with her hands. “Why would I ever complain? Have a lovely evening, Mr. Bernard.”
After his young employee left, Bernard talked to himself. “Wonder how long the meeting will be this week,” Bernard pondered. “I bet that restaurant with the cute waitress is still open. Could get some late-night grub there….” he mumbled to himself until he closed shop.
***
In an alleyway, Vora put on her hooded cloak. Like a monarch butterfly's wings, it was black, white, and orange.
I’m thankful Maive and Albeit let me use their sewing room. I positively appear like a mysterious, dangerous—but underneath lovely—witch. And Klev made me this nice mask. Vora popped the false face onto her fleshy one. The craved wooden mask was black with white dots. I’m only doing this until I have complete control. Or I can be rid of this.
Vora left the alleyway and patrolled the night like they would on the MP. For a good thirty minutes, she ran around aimlessly before coming across a Soot. This Soot was one she’d seen many times: Puggly.
“Hey, Puggly,” Vora said sweetly. As he exited the trash and approached her with his thin arms and legs, Vora warned, “Listen, I need to get a handle on my powers to keep those around me safe. And the only way I can do that is by practicing it on Soot. It’s nothing personal, honestly.”
Puggly drooled stupidly at her as she held out her hand and created lovely crystal butterflies. She made only three to start with. It was manageable.
She breathed deeply, then while revealing her face to the Soot, she stated, “Ah. I can’t do it to you, Puggly. You’re just so ugly that I find you overwhelmingly adorable. Plus, I’ve watched you eat garbage since I was a child.”
Upon recognition, Puggly drew close to her, and she threw a strawberry chew in his snaggle-toothed mouth.
“Maybe we could help each other instead. I imagine you tire of the trash, and I need a guide around the underside of O’Landra. I feed you proper food: you help me find Soot. How’s that?”
Puggly breathed rapidly, whimpered—presumably in agreement—and motioned her to follow him. Vora absorbed the butterflies, slipped her mask back on, and followed.
***
Puggly had led Vora to a brand-new apartment complex. So new that no one lived in it yet. He pointed a bony finger toward the open doors to the lit complex, and Vora went on first with Puggly closely behind.
There were unfinished wooden floors and exposed wiring in the main hall. The hallway carpet smelled sterile, the lights were without shades, and there was leftover equipment from, presumably, a plumber. At least the oak and brass paneling walls were fabulous.
After adjusting her cloak, Vora saw the pale-skinned creature she sought hanging off the ceiling. The Soot resembled a spider, but its legs were humanoid arms. It was chewing on a concrete block.
“This is ironic,” Vora pointlessly explained to Puggly. “Or is it coincidental? Either way, a butterfly’s first opponent is a spider. Hey, thing! Move around a bit so I can get proper with this.”
The Soot snapped toward Vora with a hiss. It had a woman’s head with eight eyes and mandibles coming from its mouth. Its clammy ivory skin nauseated Vora. The spider Soot hissed and shot webbing at the Monarch, wrapping her up and yanking her in.
“Ahhh!” Vora panicked and formed a thin, sharp crystal in her hand as she was yanked ceilingward.
She was able to cut the thread, but not before nicking herself. Fortunately, her Eoa couldn’t backfire, so it sliced her like any ordinary knife. That cut wasn’t impactful, but her back smashing the floor and knocking the wind out of her was. She rolled over, spat some gunk, and drooled before wiping her mouth.
Screw controlling my powers; I may die on my first night practicing.
Puggly made concerned groans while Vora sat up. She created three butterflies and sent them at the Soot. One barely grazed one of its legs, while the other two missed. The Soot screeched as the wound cracked its flesh. Furious, it propelled down, landing many feet from Vora in the big main hall. Vora formed more Eoa crystals, this time in the form of caterpillars, and tossed them on the ground. Unlike ordinary caterpillars, these crawled at meteoric speed. They jumped up the Soot’s arm-legs and burrowed inside like parasites. Its charge turned into a tumble and a squeal.
“They’re adorable. And far easier to manage.” She stared down at her palm and concentrated on making that knife again. But to a welcomed surprise, she created a sword instead. A crystal sword of vibrant colors and sparkles. The front of the edge was curved and smooth, while the back was serrated. “This will work better,” she stated, closing the distance and taking a hard swing.
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The Soot evaded, and Vora tumbled. The pale creature with silver eyes grabbed Vora’s waist, lifted her like a cat held by its scruff, and tossed her at a window. Vora shattered through it and lay defeated on the ground beneath the dark sky—save for the Burning Bell’s flame that appeared like a star past the clouds.
Vora moaned, and a severe pain emerged behind her left eye. Her chocolate soul-window whitened and cracked. “No, no. You’re not coming out tonight,” Vora declared, covering her eye. “I’m cutting my losses before that thing happens. This was an utter failure…”
She limped for home, patching herself up along the way.
***
It was Ember Days, the week when the Burning Bell sprinkled its holy flames onto Ruth. It was a beautiful event where dim sparks fell from the sky like light snow; sparks that were benign to living creatures.
Throughout Ruth were churches, and within them were furnaces that held the holy fire of the Bell. Kindlers spent this time gathering tons of heavenly embers to refill the furnaces for the year. Energy from the furnaces went into the electrical grid, and any ungathered embers nestled and fertilized the earth.
Humans, on the other hand, used this time as a country-wide holiday. The grouping of family and friends, parties, events, sales, and much more. During this time, stores were overbearingly busy, and the Bekkan family store was not among the exceptions.
Klev came from the second floor of the Local Love general store. His father was bustling to get everything for the inevitable influx of patrons. There were a couple of Chimes helping out. One had four arms, and the other tentacles. Klev went back upstairs to change his clothing.
Klev’s father answered the ringing candlestick phone. “Local Love. Mmmm? Yes. Yes, he’s here. Of course. Klev!” his father called out.
“Yes?” Klev came back down.
“Someone’s on the wire for you.” While handing his son the phone, he grinned and added, “It’s a girl.”
“What? Uh.” He fumbled with the phone. “Hello?”
“Greetings, Klev. This is Vora.”
“He-Hello. What do you need?”
“Tonight: what are you doing? After your store closes.”
“I was going to meet up with my friend. But nothing else.
“I’m adding to your plans. After I’m done with work, we’re meeting in the park.”
“But. I…”
“See you there at eight. Bubye.”
Klev was left dumbfounded with a dial tone. “A girl… called me. A girl called me!” He smiled giddily and held that feeling while the store became swamped.
***
Maiden Sympha oversaw all her Kindler’s work across every church in O’Landra. The same was being done by the twelve Bearers across the country. She was watching Kindler Cherub’s church in the suburbs during midday.
Cherub appeared like a toddler with little wings, a little blue dress, rosy-red hair, black shoes, and a big bow at the back of her head. She was hyper in both speaking and movement, contradicting her slow, careful superior.
“Have you finished already, Cherub?”
“Yes. Absolutely. A Year's worth of ember. Year's worth of power. I get it done. Can’t wait. Do you need something, Maiden? What do you want? I can smell it. Is it cake related again?”
“No… I want to gather the Bearers in order to discuss the Dowsers and the divide between Chimes and humans. I would like you to be the bridge and—”
“Be the messenger. Got it. Understood. Confirmed. Just give me the message, and I will go.”
“Tomorrow then. I also wish to make an event out of it. A welcoming event building a strong relationship between O’Landra and the outsider Bearers. Maybe a parade? I do love parades. I haven’t seen one since…” After silence, Sympha broke her reminiscing. “I apologize. Carry on.”
“Yes. Of course. Confirmed.”
***
Vora saw the blonde boy sitting on a bench in the park. Normally, the park would only be lit by streetlamps, but during Ember Days, it was much brighter thanks to millions of smoldering sparks raining down. Vora came from behind Klev and ruffled his hair.
“Your blonde hair grayed. How long have you been a statue?”
Klev leaped off the bench, startled. “Oh. Not long. My friend left ten minutes ago.”
“Let's go to the path of arched trees.”
Vora went to the path that was like a round tunnel made from nature. The trail was long and ended up at an odd-shaped rock. Young lovers would go on dates here, but Vora hadn’t considered that when she asked Klev to join.
“So, I had my first night of practice.”
“How did it go?”
“Awful,” Vora frowned. “I got thrown out a window, and I could barely control a few butterflies.”
“Out a window!? Vora. Isn’t there another way to practice?” Klev sighed. “I realize I’m wasting my words.”
“You need to have greater faith in me.”
“Eh…” Klev groaned, averting his eyes.
The two reached the rock. No one was around. Vora sat on the rock, winked at Klev, and insinuated he joined her. After hesitation, he did. They watched the embers flutter to the trees, lighting them up like festive lights.
Suddenly, Klev goggled in remembrance. “When I was five, my mother and I watched the sky like this during Ember Days. She mentioned the sky was beautiful, but she would trade that beauty for the plain blue sky—one without the Burning Bell and its chains. Can you keep a secret?”
“Nope.” Vora grinned with white teeth.
“My mother was a dowser. I watched her die at the hands of many Chimes and a large Soot. I didn’t know what to think of her after that. My mother was a heretic, a cultist, but she was kind and loving.”
“I imagine she had the best intentions from what you’ve told me about her.”
“She always did.” Klev smiled softly. “Wish you could have met her. She probably wouldn’t have approved of trouble you cause, but she’d like you.”
“Naturally. Wait. What trouble?”
“I keep the phrase she always said in the back of my mind. ‘If you're ever in pain, just smile…’ She always smiled, even during the worst times. That’s what Dad told me.”
“That’s what will help me gain control,” Vora realized, her excitement rising. “And have a normal life. Rather than fear the pain, smother it with emotion, and make it my own.”
Vora leaped off the rock and breathed deeply. Dozens of butterflies fluttered from her body, and joined the embers in the air—glowing crystals of blues, reds, and yellows, all under Vora’s complete control.
“You’re a genius, Klev.” She turned around, placed her hands on either side of Klev’s legs, and had her softly lit face close to his. “Absolutely brilliant. I could kiss you—” Both were silent, and the darkness was enough to hide their cherry cheeks. Vora grew closer and asked, “Well, do you want me to, blondie?”
“I, uh. Like on the lips? It’s—"
“Ay, Klev! You there?” came a boy’s voice.
“Ye-Yeah? I’m over here,” Klev instantly responded while separating from Vora. It seemed he begged for an excuse to escape the violet-haired girl.
Vora sighed. He dropped opportunity at his feet. Coward. The butterflies returned to Vora’s body.
A boy walked through the trees—the stone could be reached without taking the path. The boy was Klev’s friend, and often teammate in football, Luis Sakcro. He had brown hair, eyes sharp like a cat's, and was much taller than Vora and Klev. He’d hit puberty before the purple and blonde pair.
“We accidentally swapped decks.” Luis held out a brick of football trading cards. “I wasn’t going to wait to get them back.”
“You’re right,” Klev said, looking at his own stack. “Oops.”
After they exchanged cards, Luis glanced between Vora and Klev suspiciously. “Are you close with Vora Snihde?”
“Well, I know her a bit, yes.”
“Mate. You’re so lucky. There are boys who pray to the Bell every day just to talk with her.”
Vora, who could hear them, thought, Why? Just talk to me. The sheer awe of my beauty shouldn’t deter.
“Wait.” Luis put together many puzzle pieces in his mind. “Are you two dating!?”
“No way!” Klev responded with a fluster. “We’re not… doing that. We’d never do anything like that.”
“Why not?”
“Well. Uh. You see. She’s incredibly vain,” Klev answered with the first thing that came to mind.
Vora furled her brows and stomped between the two boys. While she sharply poked Klev, she growled, “While that may be true, you don’t have to be rude. And I don’t ever want to hear that from, nor ever date, a boy with a yellow belly so bright that the Burning Bell would blush. Also, nice to meet you,” she said to Luis, but still with an angry tone. “Goodnight!”
Vora went home cross, but she developed a skill that will help her control Eoa.