Getting settled into Chad and Jess’s house was more difficult than she originally thought it would be. For the first week or so, Lux didn’t leave the house at all. Her body was still in rough shape and was too weak for her comfort. Tara was a great help with her recovery on that front, leading her through a set of complicated stretches and exercises that helped her limber up and strengthen her disused muscles. Tara also taught her more about the society she lived in.
“At the lowest caste are us Coals,” she explained while Lux struggled with the pose she was contorted in. Tara was also doing the pose with Lux but was not having the difficulty the Lux was despite her bulkier frame. “We do everything that the other castes don’t want to do. Stuff like mining, construction, menial labor, the works. Some Coals have it better than others of course. The local lord is given a lot of freedom to run their land. This area is actually pretty good compared to others, from what I heard. We at least get paid and get homes. Next.”
The pair shifted into a different pose and Tara continued.
“Rusts are a step above Coals, but certainly not a big one. They are allowed to own shops and typically are wealthier but are really not much better off. They also have schools, and work as servant for lords and other nobility. They also typically think they are better than the Coals, and love to rub it in our faces.”
“Are they?” Lux managed to get out as she struggled to breathe.
Tara scoffed.
“Of course not. They are barely treated better than the Coals, but they are told they are better, so that’s what they think. Relax your core, you are getting stiff. Steel is where you start getting into real differences. They act as guards, soldiers, administrators, and basically anything that the silvers and Platinums deemed too important to leave to a Rust or Coal. Magic also get a lot more common with Steels, and a lot more powerful. Relax, we are done with this set.”
Lux fell to her back with a grunt. She missed the smirk that Tara give her.
“And finally, we have Silvers and Platinums. I don’t know much about them if I’m being honest, only rumors of rumors. The only thing I am sure of, is that they are pricks that don’t give a shit about anyone else,” Tara said, grabbing a towel and dropping it on Lux’s face. He voice was full of bitterness and anger.
Lux used the towel to wipe the sweat off her face as she pondered Tara’s words. According to Tara, she looked like one of the Platinums. A worm of fear crept into her heart. What if she was one of those people? Someone who looked down on others solely because they were in a different caste?
“Come on, don’t just lay there or you will get cramps. The baths are open today and Chad managed to snag us a spot,” Tara said, her voice growing fainter as she made her way down the stairs.
Lux pushed her thoughts away and stood with a groan, following the taller woman down the stairs.
“Baths? What do you mean? We just bathed not that long ago,” Lux asked as she followed Tara down the steep steps. Usually, the family bathed every other day in a small room by the kitchen, taking turns. There was a tub that was filled with water from a pump in the room. The water was then heated by dropping a small crystal that pulsed with red light. When Lux had asked what it was, Chad revealed that it was a firestone he had smuggled out of the mines. He explained that it held fire magic and would warm water when it was submerged. The small crystal fascinated Lux and she had spent a while examining it when it was her turn to use the bath.
Tara chuckled before explaining.
“I mean the public baths. Families can reserve a slot to bathe together. Chad reserved this slot ages ago,” Tara said.
When the two reached the bottom of the stairs Chads family was already waiting for them.
“Finally!” one of the twins, Megumi, groaned.
“We are going to be late!” the other twin, Hikari said with the same exasperated tone.
“No we aren’t, and you two know it,” Jesse scolded them, bustling over to Lux and handing her a long coat and a long, thin piece of cloth. Lux looked at them with confusion.
“To hide your tail and hair,” Jesse explained, seeing Lux’s expression, “Ill help you put the wrap on. Come now, sit.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Lux sat in one of the kitchen chairs and Jesse wrapped the cloth around her head in well-practiced movements, explaining that coal women covered their hair when they were pregnant, and the wrapping that she was putting on Lux was the one she used when she was expecting with the twins. Lux felt strange having her ears covered, and she had to make a conscious effort not to move them too much.
The long coat was put on over her normal clothing, and it covered he tail from view.
“Usually, its illegal to completely cover your hair and tail,” Tara explained, “But there won’t be any Steels around where we are going so it should be fine. We can’t really hide your eyes though, so try not to meet anyone’s eyes.”
With their preparations complete, the six of them headed out for the baths. It was the first time that Lux had been out of the house, she found herself relaxing slightly. Lux had started to feel cramped in the house, even though she spent most of her time on the roof.
Chad led the way, deftly making his way through the maze-like streets while holding Jesse’s hand as they walked. The twins held Lux’s hands and talked to her as they walked, pointing out their favorite places to play in the area. Lux quickly lost track of the twists and turns and was glad that she had Chad and the others to guide her. As the family walked, several other people waved and said hello to Chad, Jesse, and Tara, who returned their greetings with waves and small talk. Lux was surprised by the number of people who recognized them. Several questions were asked about Lux, but Chad just deflected the questions, simply saying that she was a friend who was staying with them.
After walking for several more minutes, lux began to hear something in the distance. It was faint still, but as they walked, it solidified into a melody. It was far away, but the notes echoed through her mind, and her heart ached for reasons she didn’t fully understand. She stared in the direction of the music, her brow creasing as she strained to pick on more notes.
“It’s the market,” Jesse said at her side, causing Lux to jump and snap her head towards Jesse.
“There is always singing at the market. Coals like us don’t have much, but we make up for it with our songs that have been passed from generation to generation for as long as anyone can remember,” Jesse said, pride tinging her voice, “The steels may have swords, and the Silvers and Platinums may have power, but no one can match our songs.”
The wind shifted at that moment, and the notes it carried were taken elsewhere, leaving Lux with a hollow ache in her chest.
When they reached the bath house, they were waved in by a bored looking man with red hair. The whole family nodded respectfully to him before continuing. He didn’t even raise his head. The inside was simple, just a room with two rooms. Jesse, Tara, and Megumi went to the right, Lux being pulled along by Megumi, while Hikari want with chap to the left. Inside were shelves with baskets in them. The others started to disrobe. Lux hesitated for a moment before following suit, taking the off the clothes she had been given by Jesse. She watched as the others, after taking off their clothe, pulled a simple white shift from the baskets in the wall. There were various sizes, including one small enough for Megumi. It fell to their knees, covering most of their body.
Lux had taken longer to strip due to the extra layers and was just pulling the shift out of the basket when she heard Jesse gasp from behind her. Lux looked over her shoulder to see Jesse and Tara staring at her back with shocked expressions. Megumi’s face was filled with wonder.
“What?” Lux said, confused.
“Look at your back in the mirror,” Tara said, pointing to a small vertical mirror on the wall that Lux hadn’t noticed before.
Worried, Lux walked over to the mirror, twisting so she could see her back, only to freeze at what she saw. Between her shoulder blades was a crimson red tattoo, contracting sharply against Lux’s pal skin. It was made of several circles and lines in a strange vertical pattern unlike anything she had since she woke up. She had never seen it before since Chad and Jesse didn’t have a mirror in their home. For a while, she simply stared at it, before the tension was broken by Megumi.
LuxTat [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/7ad4504a-b897-4c8f-9aba-f8afd21b77c3/df3mlqb-4d2d5837-11f8-44b3-a16a-cb151f942bc3.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzdhZDQ1MDRhLWI4OTctNGM4Zi05YWJhLWY4YWZkMjFiNzdjM1wvZGYzbWxxYi00ZDJkNTgzNy0xMWY4LTQ0YjMtYTE2YS1jYjE1MWY5NDJiYzMucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.s48D_L2zFemuOuXtxVjZ3xMnKQnhCkyza1F2z_eVd2k]
“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed, and the adults chuckled nervously.
“Well, put on the shift, and let’s go in, I haven’t been to the baths in a long time,” Jesse said with forced cheer.
Lux followed for advice, and once she was dressed, she followed the others in.
About 3 minutes later, Chad’s family was on their way back, looking refreshed and happy. The baths turned out to be a natural hot spring, and the warm water had felt amazing on Lux’s sore muscles while leaving her skin feeling smooth and refreshed. Megumi was excitedly telling Hikari about Lux’s tattoo in hushed tones, both twins staring at Lux’s back as she walked. It caused her back to itch between her shoulder blades.
For her part, Lux was mulling over what the tattoo could mean. She had no memory of getting it, obviously, but she assumed it meant something. She couldn’t imagine she would get something like that without good reason. The lack of anything feeling or glimpse of memory frustrated her to no end.
Over the wind, lux caught the sound of music from the markets again, briefly, and a shudder ran down her spine. So far, besides the sword, that music had been one of the only things that had stirred anything inside her. She had to get closer to that music, tonight. Unseen to anyone else, Lux’s eyes briefly glimmered with ruby light as her resolve hardened.