ã€ŠIn the City of Wisteriaã€‹


 The Beginning of the End

    ?I once had a dream where I flew over the city. I passed by the castle and the king waved to me. I dropped down to the market and the shop keepers threw me some coins for good luck, and I caught them all. I once had a dream that I was loved by all that saw me. I was like an angel, nobody even thought of being cruel to me.

    Ah. What a wonderful dream.

    Ah, how far it is from reality.

    ¡°Take this you piece of shit,¡± the tall man gruffed. His foot swung into my stomach. I coughed, my stomach¡¯s contents threatening to come up and spill over.

    ¡°Please,¡± I begged. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money right now, but I¡¯ll get it to you.

    Another man smirked, ¡°You know, she doesn¡¯t have that bad of a face. If we let it heal for a few days we might be able to get our money¡¯s worth from just selling her.¡±

    My eyes widened when I caught his meaning, ¡°No.¡± I pleaded, groveling, ¡°No, please, anything but that.¡±

    He said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have any room to talk. Your parents are in our debt, and that means we expect to be paid back. But since they¡¯re no longer here, it looks like you¡¯ll have to pay for their misdeeds, whatever that may mean.¡±

    My mother and father skipped town about a month ago, and since then, this had been an often occurrence. They left a note, apologizing and said they needed to do some soul searching. Whatever that meant. But I was stuck here, taking the hits for them. I still don¡¯t know why they left me behind.

    A man in the background laughed, ¡°Ha, she¡¯s so scared, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to see her pee her pants.¡±

    The man who kicked me picked up my chin, his breath smelled like cigars and rum. A pirate. I noticed the piercings they all wore, the sign of pirates. Of course, noblemen often wore earrings as well, but these men were not nobles, not at all. ¡°Don¡¯t go stinking up the place girlie, I don¡¯t want to be cleaning up after you.¡±

    I shivered, ¡°Please.¡±

    They all laughed, it was a group of about five men, though I couldn¡¯t tell if there were more from my low position. I was on my butt, sitting like a fool in the middle of an alley. The humid air clung my rags to my skin. Rags, I was wearing rags, I was out on the street, and they somehow expected me to give them back their money. Wasn¡¯t it obvious I didn¡¯t even have enough money to feed myself?

    A towering man I hadn¡¯t noticed before pushed his way through the group, his black hair well groomed and his clothes were nicer than the other men¡¯s. One of them saluted him, ¡°Captain.¡± Captain, huh? Pirates, no good scum. Of course, if the men were like this then the captain was no better.

    I stood tall, he still towered over me, but I took my hand from my side and slapped him across the left cheek. ¡°How dare you!¡± How dare you try to sell me. How dare you try to take away my rights. How dare you let your men treat me like this. There was so much I wanted to say, but my mouth stopped moving. My breath stopped coming.

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    His hand was around my throat, I tried to take a step back but he followed, pinning me to the wall. He came in close, a mere whisper in my ear, ¡°I like my girls feisty, so I wouldn¡¯t fight so much if I were you.¡±

    I gagged as he dropped me, sucking in air as fast as I could. I glared up at him and he chuckled. If anyone looked like a nobleman, it was him. He stood with regal, like he owned the alley and the men and knew they would be loyal to him until the very end.

    ¡°Take her away,¡± he ordered. He stepped out of the alley, his men making a pathway for him.

    One of the men picked me up, holding me in a fireman¡¯s carry. I squirmed but stopped when he spanked me. I blushed hard. People in the streets just watched on without a care. They had hard hearts, frozen from the empty bellies they¡¯ve all had and from the knowledge that if they stepped in, they¡¯d likely die. These people were probably raising families, I couldn¡¯t expect them to help me.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. The tree. The faraway tree. The heaven¡¯s tree. The one that broke open the sky and led the people to the gates of heaven. The tree itself grew in the capital, Wisteria, but it could be seen throughout the country. It was taller than any mountain, wider than any lake. It certainly was a marvel. The capital city was built around the tree, in the tree, on the tree¡¯s branches. There were cities within the city, thanks to that tree. Though, only one person managed to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

    I clasped my hands together, remembering a fairy tale from when I was very young. Back when my mother didn¡¯t hate me. She used to say that the tree would grant wishes, but only to those that deserved it. I think right now was the perfect time. So I prayed silently. I prayed for the power to protect myself.

    I didn¡¯t know how the tree would give me that power, I had no aptitude for magic and I was a weakling. But I needed power. Some kind, of any kind. I needed to be able to get away.

    Then I was struck dumb. What was I going to do after I got away? I couldn¡¯t just run my whole life. That would be a waste of a life. I needed a purpose. So I prayed for that too. I prayed to find meaning in my life, to have a destiny, because surely, my destiny couldn¡¯t be this. Sold off to slavery, made to work or be someone¡¯s toy. I wasn¡¯t the type that listened to orders well either.

    I pried open my eyes, hoping to find my situation changed. But nothing happened. I was still riding the shoulder of one of the pirates.

    ?I looked at the tree, ready to call out at it. To curse it where it stood. But I noticed something that took my breath away. The tree was glowing.

 To Be Loved

    The the glowed brightly, becoming all that I could see. Shouts could be heard all across the town, gazes swaying towards the tree. My captors halted, looking for the cause of the commotion. The one that held me turned, causing me to no longer be able to see the tree.

    A heaviness fell over my head. The man that held me shouted something, but I couldn¡¯t hear. There was a buzzing in my ears. Nothing could heard over the buzzing. It was the ringing of bells on the old church tower. But louder. Like it was in me. I struggled to breathe, there was only darkness in front of me.

    Then, like the rushing of a river, the buzzing was swept away. A gently voice soothed the screams I didn¡¯t know had been coming from my mouth. It said, ¡°When you wake, darling, you¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

    I opened my eyes, a canopy swayed over my head. A gentle breeze caressed my face. The window was open. I turned to look, all I could see was treetops and a bird flying into the leaves. I watched for a long time until a body storing next to me took my attention away.

    ¡°Camellia?¡± My younger brother rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out from them.

    I smiled, kissing his head. ¡°Good morning sleeping bug.¡±

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    We both raised out of the bed, stretching. This was the normal routine before- before what? I thought for a long moment. What happened that stopped this?

    Callum pulls me from my thoughts again, ¡°Camellia, it¡¯s time for breakfast, get up!¡±

    I chuckled, saluting him, ¡°Sir, yes sir.¡±

    Callum was the next head of the house, being the only male heir. I was to be his most loyal supporter, a position I was proud of. Was proud of? Is proud. My smiled stuttered, something was missing.

    We walked to the dining room in our sleep clothes, my mother greeted us at the door. She picked up Callum and rubbed my head. ¡°Good morning you two.¡± Tickling my brother, she asked, ¡°Did you sneak into your sister¡¯s bed again?¡±

    Callum laughed, squirming. I hadn¡¯t seen her this happy in a long time, I thought. I paused, no, she¡¯s always this happy. Suddenly a thought struck, ¡°How old am I?¡±

    My father laughed from the table, ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to be a genius but I do expect you to know your own age. You¡¯re sixteen for heaven¡¯s sake!¡±

    Sixteen. I was sixteen. I smiled wide. It was all a bad dream. Callum never went away. Mother and father never got fasted out. They never left me behind. I grinned and sat at my place at the table, on mother¡¯s left side.

    I dug into my food, looking at my plate. While staring at the toast, I watched it slowly morph into steak. The piece in my mouth change from bread into the meat as well. I looked up in shock, finding that the room had become dim. I looked at my mother, finding anger on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received a letter from your school.¡±

    I gulped, knowing what was coming. We¡¯d had this fight in my dream. She yelled at me because I couldn¡¯t use magic. No aptitude the teachers had said. They put it nicely that I was just one of those that couldn¡¯t use it, that it happens, but mother bore down on me.

    ¡°They say you can¡¯t use magic. What kind of child are you? You aren¡¯t mine!¡± She gradually got louder and louder until her voice was shrill. I could feel the tears start to run down my face. Mother was a nice woman, always a perfect woman. She never raised her voice, nor worried the small stuff. She threw parties that our neighbors were always envious of. Mother was a kind woman. Mother wasn¡¯t this.

    I looked to my father for help, but found his seat empty. When I looked back at my mother, she bacem a pillar of smoke before my eyes. I cried harder, looking to my brother. He sat in his seat, his throat slashed. I screamed, touching my face with my hands. I could feel slickness on my face and pulled my hands away, they were covered in blood.

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    Then I heard the voices.

    You did this.

    How could you do this?

    He was your own brother.

    I tried to scream back, no! No, it wasn¡¯t me. I loved him! I didn¡¯t do it. But the voices fell away, leaving me at the table to stare at my brother. I wept, crying for him, calling for him.

    He went rigid, his pale face looking up at me, ¡°Why did you kill me Camellia? Did you want to be the Baron that bad?¡±

    No. No, I was fine. I liked my job. I loved you. But the words wouldn¡¯t come. I couldn¡¯t scream. I couldn¡¯t do anything but cry as his words accused me, stabbed me, struck me dumb. I closed my eyes against the words, trying to block them out.

    Then his voice fell away.

    I opened my eyes again, finding a very different scene playing out in front of me. The pirates all wandered around. I tried to move but I found my wrists and ankles chained. I tried to call out for help but just like the dream, no sound came out.

    One of the men saw my struggling, ¡°Someone fetch the captain, she¡¯s awake.¡±

    My throat burned, I clawed at it, finding the skin raised on it. What happened?

    ¡°We took your voice.¡± The man from earlier said, the captain as the men called him. He entered my line of sight, a smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, you won¡¯t need it.¡±

    I glared at him, his men coming up behind him. A few of them snickering at my state. I brandished my hands, wanting the chains off. He motioned to one of the men and had me released, ankles too.

    ¡°My name is Ruben,¡± he tilted his head, ¡°think of me as your new king.¡± His smirk was infuriating.

    I was trembling, anger coursing through my veins hotter than any liquid. The men laughed at me, whispering amongst themselves. That¡¯s when I spotted her. An angel sitting on Ruben¡¯s shoulder. She smiled at me, only her voice could I hear above the rest.

    ¡°My name is Lily, god has sent me to be your guide.¡±

    Guide to what? I asked, I clutched my throat, remembering that I could not speak.

    She chuckled gently, ¡°Worry not child, I can hear you just fine.¡±

    The men threw insults my way, as well as Ruben telling me the rules, but I couldn¡¯t hear them. I was focused on the woman. Clad in white with light brown hair and green eyes, she looked just like a vision. Like an angel. Are you and angel?

    She laughed, but it wasn¡¯t like the laughs I was used to hearing, this one was soft and sweet. ¡°I am, little one.¡± She floated towards me, grace in every step. She crouched in front of me and the light she gave off almost blinded me for a moment. ¡°Open your eyes little one, let me show you what I can give you.¡±

    I opened an eye, afraid to be blinded again. The scene in front of me had changed, it wasn¡¯t men that stood in front of me but an adoring mass. People of every size, shape, color, and race stood in front of me. Cheering for me.

    ¡°You saved them,¡± the angel whispered to me. ¡°From destruction and a king that burdened them with cruelty. Now you¡¯re their queen.¡±

    How do I get that? I asked, eyes wide. This, the love I felt from these people, I wanted. I longed for that feeling of being loved that I used to have. That my parents used to give me. Before it all went down hill.

    ¡°Simple,¡± she said, ¡°follow what I say, I am your guide after all, and I will grant you numerous things that your heart desires.¡±

    I nodded, blinking, finding I was back with the men. They all looked at me funny. Did I say something weird? I asked the angel.

    She sat on my shoulder and said, ¡°You agreed to be sold to the highest bidder.¡±

    I gulped, Shit.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

 The Great Escape

    The men looked at me with wide eyes, Ruben just smirked. Apparently most chose to stay with the men they knew rather than be sold to the highest bidder. I tried to laugh, but no sound came out, only air. It was an unusual feeling.

    Ruben grabbed my chin, ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t rather be my woman?¡± He whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you gently.¡±

    I guess this is where most fall for his charms, the sweet whispers, the dashing look, the well groomed appearance, the allure of being with a pirate. But the men behind him all snickered and I knew something was up. I glared at him and wrestled my face away.

    ¡°So feisty,¡± he laughed. ¡°Put her down in the cargo hold after we set off, we¡¯re off to Velaroross.¡±

    The capital city? Is it really so corrupt that people are sold there? I asked Lily. I looked for her on my shoulder and found that she wasn¡¯t there. Instead she was by the door, an ear pressed against it.

    ¡°Yes, it really is I¡¯m afraid. The king is the most corrupt of them all. He enjoys keeping slaves and torturing the innocent and spending money on frivolous things.¡± She pressed her face closer to the wood. ¡°Now shush, I need to figure out how much they think you¡¯re worth. After all, where you end up is where we¡¯ll have to start our journey.¡±

    What if we escape from here?

    She turned to me, her eyes bright, ¡°What a wonderful idea.¡± She floated over to me, much like the pixies from legend. But she was no pixie, pixies were evil, mysterious, and liked to play cruel tricks. Lily was an angel sent from god. She undid the rope tying me to the floor, ¡°Next we have to figure out how to get you out of those chains.¡±

    Did god¡­ I started, did god grant me anything?

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    Like the power to defend myself? Or maybe clairvoyance? Something so that I can take down the king? I knew I couldn¡¯t do that with power I currently had, my inability to do magic was a major disadvantage.

    ¡°Oh! Yes yes. Clumsy me, I forgot.¡± She knocked her head against her fist in a playful manner. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still new at this. I forgot to give you your power.¡±

    So I really do get something?

    ¡°Yes, you get the power to create light, to bend light, to use light in any manner you see fit.¡± She twinkled brightly and I closed my eyes to fend off the light. A warmth settled over me and I opened my eyes to find myself glowing just like her. ¡°Now let¡¯s see if you can get out of those chains yourself.¡± She smiled widely at me.

    Light. Light. What could I do with light? I thought about the metal in the chains, I could melt them. How do I use the light? I looked up at Lily.

    ¡°As you would use any other magic.¡±

    My face fell and I almost started to cry. I can¡¯t use magic.

    ¡°Silly, everyone can, but people use it in different ways. You just don¡¯t think you can because the way you were taught was not the correct way for you.¡±

    I smiled, You mean it? Mother would be so happy to hear that.

    ¡°Remember though, you can¡¯t be doing anything for anyone else while I¡¯m with you. Only look out for yourself, otherwise you will fail to reach your full potential.¡± I nodded. That seemed easy enough. She sighed in relief, ¡°Good, now let¡¯s teach you how to use magic.¡± I felt the ship sway and almost fell over, ¡°Oh no, we¡¯re setting sail. It¡¯s going to be a lot harder to escape from the cargo hold. Let¡¯s do this fast.¡± She fluttered around in front of me, ¡°Pretend you¡¯re breathing in mana from the air.¡±

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    I tried, filling my lungs up with air.

    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t actually breathe in air. For this to work quickly, you¡¯re going to need to not breathe at all. It¡¯s the breathing that gets in the way of feeling the mana that comes from the earth.¡±

    I held my breath and tried to feel the tendrils of mana that the earth made. I felt nothing. The longer I held my breath, the more desperate I became. There was no feeling of magic, or energy, only the struggle to not take in air. I finally let out the air I¡¯d been holding.

    ¡°Ah. Okay. If that way doesn¡¯t work, we can try a different way.¡± I nodded, trying to regain my focus. My head was so light yet so heavy at the same time. ¡°Try laying down, like you¡¯re going to go to sleep. Let the energy come to you.¡±

    I did so. I followed along her instructions as she spoke, to close my eyes, take deep breaths, and relax. A part of me was dubious, thinking this couldn¡¯t possibly work.

    But then I felt it. Like energy rushing into my body, swaying around my insides, becoming a part of me. It felt like something I had lost. I felt a tear run down my face. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Lily cooed, ¡°that¡¯s the sign of the first successful cultivation.¡±

    Why?

    ¡°Because long ago, humans used to be magical beings made up of mana. As the mana of the earth diminished, humans slowly let go of the mana and became the humans they are now. It feels like you found something, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve often heard it described that way,¡± Lily said.

    Now what do I do?

    ¡°Now that you know how to cultivate it, you can do it without laying on the ground. Sit up and start to melt those chains! We need to get out of here!¡±

    I sat up and focussed on the chains. One little spot, I could worry about actually getting them off later, I just needed to be able to run for it. I could hear footsteps approaching. Desperation sunk in, I focussed hard on the chains.

    ¡°Hurry.¡±

    I know. I could feel something in me grow, a fire. An anger. I took hold of it. The chain started to become yellow in the place I was looking. Taken a little aback, the chain exploded.

    ¡°Nice, next time let¡¯s be a little more subtle about it, but there¡¯s no time, so good job.¡±

    Ignoring the hot metal that sunk onto my bare arms, I focussed on my feet and the chain that connected them. The same thing happen again but there was no explosion. I had managed to control it better, to heat it up real quick and when it broke, to cool it down instead of heating it up more.

    I stood up and ran for the door, so when it opened I could hit the guy who opened it. The door creaked and opened, the man started to speak. ¡°Girlie, I¡¯m here to get you!¡± That just sounded weird. I hit him over the head with the chains still around my wrist, and I booked it.

 The Great Escape part two

    I ran as fast as I could, knocking into people and tripping over things. But I never fell down. I kept running. I had no experience on a ship, the thing was like a labyrinth. I kept heading up though, I knew that much at least. My body slammed into a door, causing someone to make an ¡®oomph¡¯ sound on the other side. My eyes grew wide, I was about to apologize, but then I saw his eyes.

    Ruben was on his butt, rubbing his forehead. His eyes were glaring daggers into my soul. No. I took a step back, fear intoxicating every fiber of my being.

    ¡°Never go back.¡±

    I realized what she meant, I was running. Running away from my problems, as I had been all my life since Callum. But now was not the time to run away, it was time to face them head on.

    Determination set itself in my bones and I charged forward. Ramming into the door. Ruben was knocked out of the way and I ran to the side of the ship. The railing was the only thing keeping me from the water. Ruben approached slowly, his hands out in front of him. Like he talking someone off the edge.

    ¡°Hey now. Where are you going?¡±

    I snickered, knowing there was no way I could answer. He¡¯d had my voice removed and he expected me to talk? Talk about a man with high expectations. I pointed to the water.

    He shook his head, ¡°Those chains are going to take you right down to the bottom. You jump and you die.¡±

    I made a face at him.

    He laughed, ¡°At least you aren¡¯t dead if you stay with us. Tell you what, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re well taken care of. Just come away fromt he side.¡±

    I looked him dead in the eye and jumped over board. Never go back.

    Bubbles swam out of me. My throat a passageway for the air to escape. I forgot to hold my breath. I dropped, the water enveloped me quickly. What do I do?

    Lily passed by me, ¡°You need to get those chains off.¡±

    I focused my energy on the chains. I could feel the heat begin to sink in and the water bubbled around the iron. I kept at it even when it stung my skin and brought tears to my eyes. Not like the tears could fall anyway. Finally one of the brackets came off.

    ¡°Hurry!¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Can¡¯t die here, I thought. I repeated that to myself as I took the rest off. I have a destiny to fulfil. I can¡¯t die here.

    Lily chuckled as I swam to the surface, ¡°You¡¯re right. You can¡¯t die yet. That¡¯s why swim fast little one. Swim hard. The surface is right there.¡±

    I could feel myself slowing down. No lungs in my air. No that wasn¡¯t right. No air in my lungs. I swam as hard as I could. Willing my arms to work and my feet to kick. But there was a haziness that was swallowing me. The light on the water¡¯s surface twinkled and for a moment, I forgot to move. I smiled, the bliss of being underwater was not one I was aware of. I felt myself slow to a stand still.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lily was practically shrieking. She tried pushing on me, but her effort had no effect.

    A mass swam in front of my eyes, green like a lush meadow was all I could see. Suddenly air filled my lungs. Like a breath of old air. I gulped it down readily, finding renewed strength in my limbs. I swam, breaking the surface.

    I huffed and puffed, filling my lungs with the fresh air. I chugged the air in and sighed in relief. The water broke next to me, Ruben popped out. He gave me a smirk, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got those chains off, but I swear to the gods, you are the most reckless person I know.¡±

    Giving him a grin, I swam for land, leaving him behind in a storm of kicked up mist. I turned back once to see him staring at me from aboard his ship. I knew that technically he saved my life, but he wouldn¡¯t have had to if he hadn¡¯t taken me, so I put us at even. I made a silly face at the distant ship.

    I reached the beach and tried to wring the water from my clothing. I looked for Lily, she fluttered around me. ¡°You can use the light to dry yourself off, just amplify the heat and it¡¯ll dry faster.¡±

    Ah, good idea. I did as she suggested. Now what¡¯s the first step to the goal?

    ¡°Well, first we need money, then the fun will really start.¡±

    How do we get money? I asked. Surely if obtaining money was that easy I would have paid off my debts long before this situation ever happened.

    ¡°Lucky for you, I happen to have clairvoyance.¡±

 The Gang

    It turns out that the path to being queen is laced with crime. I, in just a couple days, became a ringleader of a small crime circle. I had three children working under me. Given that I was only a child myself, it wasn¡¯t child labor. We formed a pretty good team. I was the look out, while the other grabbed all they could. Thanks to the help of Lily, I always knew when to get us out.

    Today I stood before them, issuing orders. Caleb, my second in command, stood humbly at my side. Caleb was fifteen and the second oldest, as well as the most loyal, despite being the previous leader. He¡¯d lost a lot in the time before I knew him, and I only made his life better.

    Hailey spoke up, taking her attention away from the chores I had assigned them. ¡°When will we get our spoils?¡± Hailey was only ten, but far more mature for her age. She had great athletic skills and an amazing amount of flexibility.

    I eyed her carefully, she was the skittish type, not the kind to confront me directly. It¡¯d been about a month since I became their leader. She must be in dire straits if she was asking for her share now. I stepped towards her and offered for her to walk with me. I made a face for her to tell me what was wrong.

    Lily sat on my shoulder, unable to be seen by anyone but me. ¡°When she tells you, you have to act understanding and benevolent.¡±

    I nodded both to Lily and Hailey. Hailey filled me in about her mother, how she had suddenly come down ill and couldn¡¯t work. I nodded understandingly and made a few noises. It was the best I could do but it seemed to resonate within the girl.

    I handed her a single gold coin, enough to pay for a family of four¡¯s living expenses for a year. Hailey looked at me with wide eyes, ¡°But this is part of your share too, you can¡¯t give me this.¡± I waved her off with a smile. She ran back with a wide grin, already telling the others of my benevolence.

    ¡°Good job, now they¡¯ll trust you even more.¡± Lily smiled wide.

    What do I do after I get them to trust me?

    ¡°Easy, you give them instructions to grow your enterprise, then, when the taking is ripe, you sell them out to the king to earn his trust.¡±

    I nodded, Doesn¡¯t that seem cruel though?

    ¡°Not as cruel as the lives these children were living before you came. They made enough to fill their bellies once a blue moon. Now they have everything they could ever want, thanks to you. It¡¯ll be paying you back when you turn them in.¡±

    Behind me I could hear the children whispering. They seem to think I myself am a messenger from god and am communicating with her whenever I go off by myself. Little did they know, I was relying on the real messenger for help.

    I will lead them well until it is time for us to part.

    ¡°I know you will, you¡¯re a being chosen by god.¡±

    I smiled and made my way back to the group. They all looked at me with loving eyes. I shivered under their stares. Yes. This is what I wanted. I gave them all a big smile and wrote down on papyrus what I wanted them to hear. It took me a couple minutes but they never stopped eagerly awaiting.

    Caleb took the paper after I handed it to him. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to expand our operation, include some more children and grow our foundation. We can grow to rule this city if we play our cards right.¡±

    There were murmurs in the small crowd. I made a sound and they all quieted. I turned my face to look at Caleb and they all did the same.

    ¡°Do not doubt me, I know what I am doing.¡± Caleb had a cheshire smile, ¡°I will never steer you wrong. Have I ever?¡±

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    The last bit was Lily¡¯s idea.

    The small crowd raised their fists and shouted ¡®no¡¯. I grinned, knowing they were impressed by my ability to know they would doubt me for a moment. I wrote up another note and passed it to Caleb.

    ¡°Increasing our network means more money in our hands, instead of in the hands of corrupt merchants and business owners. We can be noble vigilantes, ready to strike at the heart of evil. If you follow me.¡± I knew such grand words would sway their hearts. Children are children after all, they all dream to be heros.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± Lily whispered. ¡°Better than I could have done.¡±

    I smiled at her compliment.

    The children gathered around me, one raising his hand. I pointed at him and he spoke. ¡°How big do you plan to expand our gang?¡±

    I took a moment to write out my answer.

    Caleb took it and read. He took a moment and then spoke, ¡°First, we¡¯ll start out small, only a couple new people that can be trusted. Soon we¡¯ll rule these streets. And then we expand again, until we rule the neighboring towns. Then we expand again, until we are ruling this country.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow at him. He¡¯d added his own words, I said nothing about the neighboring towns or the country. Though, I do admit, they were good, he¡¯d done more than I¡¯d said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to punish him later,¡± Lily said, ¡°put him in his place and all.¡± She floated around the group, laying on her side. She cleaned her ear with her pinky, then took it out to examine it. ¡°We can¡¯t have anybody thinking they can do this without you.¡±

    I nodded at the smiling crowd, knowing what to do. Caleb beemed. When he looked at me, his smile faltered, but he kept it up for the children before us. He was a strong willed boy, he knew not to let the children see his distraught.

    I tapped Caleb and beckoned him to follow me. He did as I said.

    We walked through the bunker, it was a cellar created by a previous tenant, though the blacksmith now rented out the place. When I batted my eyes at the old man, he gave in to my request to make this place our base. He just told me that if we got caught, he had no idea we were here.

    The last room, farthest from the door, was my room, the command room, the war room. There were two other rooms besides the main room. Those rooms were used by children that didn¡¯t have a home or needed to get away for a bit.

    I shut the door behind us.

    Caleb gulped, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have added words of my own, but I felt like it was necessary, they felt good.¡± I just nodded understandingly.

    Lily flew through the lock on the door, shouting, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to deal with this.¡±

    Caleb surged on, ¡°I used to lead this group, I know what moves them. I know I said that I would pass the title to you, but honestly.¡± He hung his head, ¡°I¡¯m not ready for that.¡± I knew what he meant, it was hard to hand over power after having a taste of it. That was what was so wrong with the people in the council and in royalty.

    I would make a fine queen, I¡¯d had a taste of that power, being the daughter of a baron. My word had held sway. Now, I would make the entire nation sway.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± An idea seemed to struck him. His face lit up, ¡°Say, can we be co-leaders? It¡¯ll work out. I¡¯ll be in charge of the handing out tasks and you can be a field commander, leading the troops.¡±

    What should I say to that idea? What would Lily say?

 The Gang part two

    What would Lily say if I took this offer? I tilted my head, imagining her reaction. I could picture her, her hands on her hips, her blonde hair swaying around her arms as she shook a fist at me. She¡¯d say, ¡®Idiot! First of all, never make such decisions without my guidance. Second of all, why would you take such a shit deal?¡¯

    I laughed, but it was more of breathing air out of my nose. I shook my head at Caleb.

    His face distorted into anger. ¡°Well I¡¯m not willing to just let you play leader.¡± He shook, he wanted the power, the trust, the love. He grabbed me by my hair, pulling me towards the door. ¡°They just see your lack of failure as a sign, but it¡¯s not real!¡±

    He was shouting at me, I tried to scream but no sound came out.

    ¡°You¡¯re not sent from god! You¡¯re just like us! And this little game you¡¯re playing is only going to get us all killed!¡± He was screeching.

    I managed to pull myself away, to the dismay of my hair, just as Lily flew into the room. ¡°Are you going to let him treat you like this?¡±

    No.

    He bellowed, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know your trick. You¡¯re only human.¡±

    No, I was chosen by god.

    Lily cooed, ¡°That¡¯s right Camellia. You¡¯ve been given a gift.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a fool if you think you¡¯re special! You aren¡¯t fit to run this troop. They are mine.¡± He seethed. I didn¡¯t understand. How could a person keep in so much hatred? ¡°Do you understand, you bitch?¡± The door to the room creaked opened, the children piling around to see what was going on, like they¡¯d been listening in. Caleb looked at them with wide eyes.

    Each one looked at him with surprise and something like ruin in their eyes. They¡¯d seen their fearless leader stoop down to the level of the men that walked all over them.

    A lone stone was thrown. It hit Caleb in the leg. It was a weak throw, probably a small child that threw it. Then another came, it came fast and hard. It nicked Caleb¡¯s face, drawing blood. He touched his face with tentative fingers. His face was cloaked in shock.

    A single word rang out over the silence. ¡°Who?¡±

    The anger unleashed something in the children, who charged him.

    ¡°How dare you do that!¡± One hissed.

    Another growled, ¡°How could you treat her like that!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s our angel!¡± I glowed at that one.

    Their cries gave me joy. The way they mercilessly beat at him, filled me with a kind of happiness I couldn¡¯t put into words.

    Lily sat on my shoulder, ¡°This worked out well. By the way, are you going to keep up the gracious and benevolent thing?¡± She gave me a sidelong look, like she couldn¡¯t care either way. After all, it was my decision.

    I cleared my throat.

    The children stopped and looked at me, waiting for my direction. I pulled each one off and gave them a hug and kiss on the cheek. They beamed at me. Finally I pulled Caleb to his feet.

    He stared at me, whispering, ¡°Why did you stop them?¡± There was a sadness in his eyes. Like he wanted to die. I felt his pain. Those days on the streets had wrecked me. He pulled me up by my collar, ¡°What are your motives?¡±

    I gave him a grin, To be queen. But, of course, he couldn¡¯t hear me. Lily laughed.

    A large kid, but only of the age of ten, pulled Caleb off me. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡±

    I gently touched the kid¡¯s shoulder, I didn¡¯t even know his name. Not that it matter. Maybe I¡¯d make him my second after this. Next, I turned my attention back to Caleb. I slapped him, not too hard, but not too soft. Then I pointed to the door. Caleb sulked and walked out the door, hopefully he would never come back.

    ¡°Nicely done. A deed fit for a queen.¡±

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    I smiled at the group, her compliment reaching home. I took out a piece of papyrus and began to write. Everyone crowded around, then I handed it to a girl, the skittish one with the ill mother. She smiled so broadly at me, I thought her face would rip.

    ¡°Thank you all, I had no idea that Caleb was hiding his true face. I can¡¯t put into words my gratitude at your actions. I would like you all to forgive me though,¡± her face faltered.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lily asked. Her own voice became shrill.

    The girl looked at me, when I nodded she kept going. ¡°After this incident, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fit to lead you. As Caleb has pointed out, I¡¯m just a person.¡± Tears started to fall from her face, I¡¯d only been with them a month, but I could tell they loved me. ¡°And you guys need more than a person. You need a savior.¡±

    There was a long pause as she read the rest. She looked at me again to see if I was sure. I nodded at her.

    ¡°You need a queen.¡±

    The children wiped their tears. The youngest, whose name I think was Jaren, hugged me. He only reached my hips, but he held me with all his might. ¡°Don¡¯t leave us. You can be the queen of our troop, shouldn¡¯t that be enough for you.¡±

    I knelt down to him, wrapping him in a hug suitable for any saint. I tried to make the sound come out, but only air wheezed out. I clawed at my throat, the bump that signified my loss.

    ¡°I can give it back to you, but only for a short time. And it¡¯ll hurt a lot when it¡¯s gone again. Do you want to make that deal?¡±

    What will it cost me?

    ¡°Only a year of your life.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even need to think about it, Sounds like a deal to me.

    I felt a burning in my throat, I coughed. Then, with a voice that was scratchy and out of use, I said, ¡°What you need is not a leader, what you need is a savior, to clean out the corrupt and wash the streets clean. Someone who can give you a better life that won¡¯t end in an early death. What you need is a ruler that can change this country.¡±

    The girl spoke up, ¡°Your voice.¡±

    ¡°I made a deal with an angel, I only get it back for a short while.¡±

    ¡°You truly are a chosen one!¡±

    I nodded, ¡°An angel has granted me the power of light. She says that I have a destiny to follow, to fulfill. And I¡¯d like your help.¡±

    ¡°Anything!¡± They shouted, ¡°Anything at all.¡±

    I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m leaving, to go to the capital. I will become the king¡¯s seer, and then his most trusted official. And then, I will show the people of this country his corrupt nature. And when he has be overthrown, I will take the throne for myself.¡±

    The girl spoke up, she gently placed her hand on my arm, ¡°But, won¡¯t that be dangerous?¡±

    ¡°It will and I might not even make it that far, so what I¡¯d like you all to do is grow. Grow throughout the land and make the people aware of me. Make them want me to be queen, so when the king is overthrown, they will look to me to lead them-¡±

    I coughed. The burning in my throat was back. I looked to lily.

    She shrugged, ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡±

    I smiled at the children, giving them each a hug. There was more I wanted to say, but I said was enough. I packed up my things and left, after I appointed the girl as the new head. I couldn¡¯t have them fighting internally after all.

    Where to now? I asked Lily.

    She flipped around in the air and then pointed west, ¡°To the capital!¡±

    I gazed at the giant tree, knowing that it was truly a sign from god.

 The Sand Sea

    You know, it¡¯s a lot easier to communicate with a voice. After all, there¡¯s no way to speak with your hands. Maybe I should invent a method. Like a letter for a symbol. I looked at Lily, she was fluttering around me.

    ¡°That would be cool. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s actually invented a language.¡± I had offered her a lollipop, but she turned it down. Something about angels not needing it nor having a sweet tooth.

    And you know, I could talk to people, that¡¯s something.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± she didn¡¯t seem interested.

    Currently, we were thirty miles outside of the city in which I grew up. My father used to own the land, he was a baron after all. But after he was removed from his office, a new duke was risen to the status of baron and placed in charge. He was a skinny man, frail and bad tempered. Always ready to challenge another person to a duel.

    Honestly, I was glad to be away. There were a lot reasons. For one, I was fulfilling my destiny, which is always exciting. Another was that I was finally travelling. I always told myself I would when I was older, for diplomatic reasons and what not. But It always interested me to see the world. The whole kingdom couldn¡¯t be a desert like this. There must be more to see.

    Lily, is there anyone besides me that can see you?

    She was silent for a long moment before coming to rest on my shoulder. ¡°Only other chosen ones should be able to see me.¡± She twirled a piece of my black hair between her fingers. ¡°As well as the overly sensitive.¡±

    What about priests?

    ¡°Nah. They don¡¯t believe that angels come down. They think that heaven is close.¡±

    That made sense, given the teachings.

    ¡°Oh!¡± I turned to Lily. ¡°Do you see that? It looks like a caravan. We should join up with them.¡± She paused for a moment and her eyes got a glassy look. I knew that look, she was seeing something. ¡°Yeah, tell them you¡¯re a seer. They¡¯ll accept you.¡±

    What did you see? And do I need to make another deal in order to talk to them?

    ¡°I saw.¡± She paused, then shook her head to ¡®clear the fog¡¯ as she put it, ¡°It was hazy, but I saw warm meals for you and safe passage through the desert. So that¡¯s a plus. But there¡¯s a girl.¡± She zoomed in close to me, her entire body was the length of my head, ¡°You stay far away from her, there was something not right about her.¡±

    What about the sand beasts? We¡¯re entering their territory.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, the caravan has guards. As long as you fill them in on at least one attack, they¡¯ll keep you around and protect you. After all, a seer is very valuable.¡±

    I nodded.

    I approached the caravan, a guard took notice of me. ¡°Look, it¡¯s a lone girl, judging by statute.¡± He meant to whisper I think, but it seemed that he was a loud speaker. I took a step towards him but he held up his hand. ¡°Halt.¡± Definitely a loud speaker. ¡°State your business.¡±

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    I pulled down my hood and undid my scarf. The wound on my neck was pretty prominent, I was sure he could see it from the distance.

    ¡°Ah. Do you have a notepad on you?¡±

    I nodded and he alone approached me. I pulled out the notepad and scribbled down that I was a seer looking for work.

    He called for his companion, made him run to get the owner. ¡°I know it¡¯s a waste of paper, but what¡¯s your name?¡± He looked into my blue eyes, like he could hunt the truth in them. I wrote and showed it to him. ¡°Camellia, huh? You don¡¯t see many of those down this way. One of your parents must have been from the south.¡± I nodded though I honestly didn¡¯t know.

    A overly healthy man joined us, his large belly made me think that he really enjoyed eating.

    His voice sounded rather jolly, ¡°So you¡¯re a seer? I could use someone of your talents.¡± Exactly as Lily had said. ¡°What are your rates?¡±

    I wrote out that just food and protection was enough. I also explained that I would only be with them until the capital, as that¡¯s where I was heading.

    The man laughed, ¡°Sounds perfect to me, we aren¡¯t heading this way again until this time next year.¡± He lead me deeper into the caravan, actually it was quite a chore catching up. I really don¡¯t understand how someone his size was able to jog so quickly. ¡°You came at a good time. We were thinking of hiring someone in Candoes, but we couldn¡¯t seem to find someone.¡± He looked at me, and then his face looked stricken, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I keep assuming you can speak, but you can¡¯t.¡±

    I only nodded. It was hard on both of our parts. I gave him a reassuring smile.

    He sighed, ¡°Would you like to ride in the carriage with me? It¡¯ll be best to you can rest and use all your energies on seeing what awaits us.¡±

    ¡°Take it, I¡¯ll keep an eyes out and warn you.¡±

    I nodded again and the man clapped me on the back. ¡°Excellent, by the way, I¡¯m Phillins, the owner of this caravan and many like it. You¡¯re lucky I happen to be with this one. Usually I don¡¯t come out this way at all. I prefer to avoid the desert. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡± And he talked, and talked, and talked.

    I was about to fall asleep when something I could answer was finally said.

    ¡°What are you heading to Velaroross for?¡± I handed him the papyrus sheet bound together. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re going to see the king. Can I ask what for?¡± He gave it back.

    ¡°Just tell him you¡¯re going to be offering your talents to him,¡± Lily said. She sat on my shoulder.

    ¡°Oh!¡± He looked at the notepad again, just to make sure he was seeing it right, I guess. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the gift but I¡¯ve heard that the king already has a seer.¡±

    I shrugged, knowing there were ways to get rid of people in the way.

    Phillins laughed, ¡°Pretty confident, ain¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a beast heading straight towards us!¡± Lily screeched in my ear.

 The Sand Whale

    I stood up fast, almost falling over, and took the notepad from his hands. He looked shocked at my sudden actions but I ignored him and quickly wrote down everything that Lily was telling me. It was coming from the North, it was about seven knots away. Approaching fast. It looked like a sand whale.

    I saw his eyes light up with horror as he read the note. He jumped out of the carriage and sounded an alarm. I held my ears against it. It was loud.

    When he hopped back into the carriage I stared long and hard at him. He was talking again. Probably a nervous chatter. Mother was like that. He was saying that I should hold on as we¡¯re going to be heading straight into battle.

    He was not kidding. I fell into the left side wall, hitting my head pretty hard. I held it in my hands. Phillins offered me a handkerchief and a worried expression but nothing more. I dabbed my head with the cloth, not surprised when it came away red. I did take a small chunk out of the wall.

    Mother always said I had a hard head.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that, tell him to heavily guard the south. It¡¯s going to go under the caravan and pop up on the other side.¡± Lily was yelling harshly in my ear. I winced but wrote it down. He immediately sounded the alarm again, informing the guards outside of the situation.

    The guards lined up, just as the surface of the sand rippled. A screeched pierced our ears, louder than the alarm, it shook the surface under us. The closer it got, the more the earth beneath us shook. The sound came closer, closer and almost matched the thud of our hearts in our ears. Until it suddenly ceased. Like a wind over the sea it had passed as quickly as it had come. The guards stayed tense as a powerful silence now enveloped the air.

    I have bad luck when it comes to seas. Lily just rolled her eyes and nodded. I retreated into the carriage, watching the scene play out through the windows. No need for their future queen to die here.

    ¡°Where-¡± One of the guards began to say. The sand burst upwards into a colossal mountain of tanned skin that seemed to swallow the sky. The whale was a majestic thing, brown and gold, glittering in the sun light. Sand cascaded around it, dripping off it like water would. With another cry, the Sand Whale plummeted towards us- the air itself shaking as death rushed towards us.

    ¡°Move!¡± One of the guards shouted. The group scattered like insects. The men stood back for a moment, then charged as a group just as the whale¡¯s teeth sunk into one of the carts. The wool horses whined, being lifted onto their sides as the whale dragged them under the surface.

    I watched in horror. Will it go after the carriage?

    ¡°It prefers larger targets that contain food. And see as it¡¯s a herbivore, you are not food.¡± Lily floated around without a care. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be worried about such a creature. They know when to take and when to stop.¡±

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    Oh good.

    The sand now became like a tidal wave, sweeping towards us as though it was possessed. Two more screaming guards were caught in it and sank under the shifting earth, never resurfacing.

    The whale broke the surface with it¡¯s might head, the beast wasn¡¯t even breathing hard after its first attack. I could only stand in awe at a creature so great and terrible. One of its amber eyes shifted to me with a kind of intelligence in it. As though it understood what I was thinking.

    I am not food. I will be queen. I thought at it.

    The silence was once more broken. This time by a guard with an axe who- with a shout- ran towards the whale. Axe raised and gleaming against the sunlight he swung at its side¡­ only to watch the weapon shatter.

    The whale¡¯s gaze broke from mine and I released the breath I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been holding. With another cry that seemed to rock the very earth beneath us it twisted towards the man with a speed that a creature its size would not naturally have. It snatched up the guard in its jaws before leaping up once more; vanishing back into the sands. Its powerful tail smacked the sands before vanishing under them- creating another wave that we could not avoid.

    ¡°The seer!¡± One of the guards shouted as the wall of sand consumed the carriage and me along with it.

    The glass shattered quickly, All at once the world became a blinding razor against any exposed skin. I couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t see. I couldn¡¯t scream as the sand left little cuts on my bare cheeks and arms. It built up around me all at once, like a tomb. And I let the darkness swallow me.

    I sucked in a breath, feeling the needles come down my throat, twisting and cutting. Piercing.

    No, not here. Not like this.

    I willed my eyes to open but all they saw was darkness. I could hear Lily¡¯s voice from somewhere, somewhere far away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you give up, they¡¯re coming for you.¡± Every word dropped worry like a liquid. ¡°There¡¯s no one to save you like last time. Hold your breath. They¡¯ll make it to you.¡±

    But I felt myself slipping, the pain becoming all of me. I tried to scream, I¡¯m always trying to scream it seems. But the lack of my voice and the sand that enclosed around me made it impossible. My mouth quickly filled up with sand. I gagged, but even the contents of my stomach was sand.

    I felt something though. That fire in my gut. That will to live. I took hold of it, used it. This was my time, my destiny, I would not die here.

    I tried to burn away the sand, but more just came down to take its place. I tried to breathe, but my lungs were nothing but a part of this sea. I tried to move but the weight of everything coming down on me was too much to bear.

 My (Almost) Death

    Light beckoned, like a ray of hope. I turned up my eyes, to see faces looming over mine. Then I heard one whisper, ¡°Holy hell, she¡¯s really glowing.¡±

    Someone shoved him aside, ¡°Quick, get her up.¡±

    It¡¯s too late. There¡¯s too much sand in my lungs. I thought. I am made of sand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think that little one.¡± Lily was fluttering about, almost as if she had wings that were furiously beating back to air. She was frantic and I smiled at the scene. It was a blessed change from her usual demeanor. ¡°Stay with me Cam,¡± I almost blushed at her affection. But I couldn¡¯t. Not right now.

    I was choking.

    ¡°Step away from the body!¡± A young voice called out over the crowd. A girl pushed her way through the crowd, her orange red hair gleamed like starlight in the sun.

    But I was dying.

    Suddenly her fist slammed down on my stomach. I coughed, the sand coming up as she pounded on my stomach.

    Lily screamed, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    And for a moment it seemed liked the girl shushed Lily. ¡°Breathe, damn you.¡± The girl was practically seething as she beat me. Which was weird because I didn¡¯t remember doing anything to her. Perhaps her place in this caravan was rocky and now that I was here it was even more so. The reason escape me.

    I puked the sand up. The pre-glass evil things that they were. Gaging, I could feel my lungs emptying themselves of sand and debris.

    The girl sighed, almost like in relief, ¡°Oh good.¡±

    Phillins peered over the crowd, ¡°Good heavens, miracles do exist.¡± I tilted my head at him. Though every action hurt. ¡°You¡¯re glowing child! It must be the grace of god!¡±

    My mouth formed an ¡®o¡¯ as I understood what he met. I looked down at myself, a grimace on my face. ¡°You¡¯re using your power. Though it¡¯s a good thing you did, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have found you.¡± Lily bounced up and down on my chest, I guess she was trying to help with the sand.

    I released the tether of light I was holding on to. I searched my cloak for my notepad. Phillins took it from my hands, shouting, ¡°Get her some water!¡± I readily drank up what a guard brought, feeling the liquid bring me back to life.

    ¡°Are you okay now?¡± The girl offered me a hand, lifting me to my feet. I nodded and she beamed. I couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of her. What was her end game? Everyone had an end game. I knocked the sand out of my clothes and stood tall, offering everyone a curt bow as a thank you. A couple laughed and patted me on the back, others stood back.

    Why are they so far away?

    ¡°You were glowing, dear. There¡¯s no magic known to them that makes a person glow. As far as they know the only thing that can do that is god, they are fearful. They must be sinners.¡±

    Can you not just tell if someone is a sinner or not? The caravan started moving on, it seemed the sand whale swam away after taking one of the carts. Phillins filled me in on what I missed while I was under. Apparently there was an epic showdown in which he was the hero, but that sounded like b.s. to me. I think I saw a guard or two roll their eyes when they heard his tall tale.

    I laughed and encouraged his story telling while talking to Lily. I was getting pretty good at this whole ¡®sweet child¡¯ thing I had going.

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    Lily, seemingly bored now that the danger was gone, floated around my head. I guess she was still kind of worried otherwise she wouldn¡¯t be hanging around so close. ¡°I¡¯m weakened from being away from heaven for so long. I can only use my clairvoyance to see the crucial things.¡± She patted my head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t do more.¡±

    It¡¯s fine. What you do is enough.

    She smiled, ¡°I¡¯m going to check out if I can sneak a fruit.¡±

    Okay.

    Phillins waved over a guard, ¡°Will you take Camellia over to passenger car, she¡¯ll be safest there.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    The guard placed his hand on my lower back as he escorted me towards the back end of the caravan. There seemed to be a passenger car towards the back. I eyed the man, hoping that bad intentions were not on his mind. Usually men didn¡¯t put their hands on girls like me unless they wanted something. Girls like me meaning the ¡®deformed¡¯ as I sometimes heard whispered.

    But the guard just stopped in front of a long carriage. It was about twice the size of a regular carriage in length, but width wise, it was just the same. He opened the door and I climbed in. I heard him holler that everyone was settled in and it was time to move. I looked around the space, finding an elongated ¡®u¡¯ in seats. Three women, all of varying ages, stared at me.

    The girl from earlier patted the seat next to her. ¡°You can sit here.¡±

    I did so as the other two women did not look very welcoming. The old one, looked at me with glaring eyes. Like I was evil. I guess some would see me that way. See the power they did not understand as a sign of the devil. But the young will see hope in my presence. I grinned inwardly, especially that king.

    ¡°My name is Devin.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow in a silent question.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a boy¡¯s name, but it¡¯s the one I got. I didn¡¯t get to pick, ya know?¡±

    I nodded, trying to be as kind as possible. This girl, no matter how brutal, did save my life and all.

    ¡°Can I braid your hair?¡±

    I nodded again and turned away to let her work. She did very fast work, quickly making a fine braid that pulled from the top of my head. I think it was called a three-strand under braid. It looked very nice, I gave a curt head bow and a smile in appreciation. She had talked the entire time she was doing it though, which was quite a bore. It seemed she harrold from a town much farther south than my home town and was heading to the capital to make a name for herself as a magical creature tamer.

    Lily had flown in just before she said so. She immediately turned to me, ¡°Ask her about that, any information you have before hand is helpful in the long run. Especially such a rare job like that.¡±

    I took out my notepad, keeping an eye on Devin. It seemed earlier like she could at least hear Lily, but she made no sign indicating that she even sensed Lily¡¯s presence. So I wrote down that I wanted her to explain what that job would pertain. She happily obliged.

    Much to my dismay.

    I did not want to hear her talk anymore. Her voice was grating on my nerves as much as the excess sand in my body was grating on my lungs and stomach. I tried not to roll my eyes while she talked, I think I was successful.

 The Beast Tamer

    The days travelling were quiet. We didn¡¯t stop at night, just kept chugging along. At first the women in the cart found it hard to sleep around me, finding that their distrust of me went so deep, I opted to walk the journey with the guards. Phillins always tried to get me to go back inside, but given the accident that happened earlier, I wasn¡¯t inclined to listen.

    Truth be told, I was scared to sit in the carriage.

    A guard, whose name I never got, was currently telling me a story. Something about his great strength and valor. I smiled at him and nodded when appropriate. I took in the important details, goblin attacks in the western continent, dragons in the eastern continent, the blessing of the Great Tree.

    What¡¯s the blessing of the Great Tree?

    Lily grinned, ¡°Why, it¡¯s what you yourself have. You see, the blessing is protection against monsters and invaders. So, you¡¯re unlikely to get very harmed in a monster attack nor get sick. Congrats!¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel like there was anything to be congratulated for. I was chosen. This was my path.

    Lily must have seen the thoughts on my face because she came to sit on my shoulder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell this guy to bugger off and we can go chat in the back.¡±

    I nodded to her, and bid my goodbyes to the guard. He seemed genuinely displeased at my absence. He must be one of the ones who thought my glowing was a sign of god. I stood for a short bit, letting the caravan pass me by until I was in the back. There was nobody here, spare a guard that had to hang back a bit. It was the perfect place to be alone with my thoughts. Or with Lily.

    What did you want to talk about?

    [¡°That girl that you got so chummy with in that long carriage, she¡¯s the one I warned you about. I¡¯d advise you to stay away from her.¡±

    Do you know why I should stay away? I had to ask, she seemed okay.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what but something about her, and her being in my vision. It¡¯s all hazy but there¡¯s something off about her. Like I said, I won¡¯t just tell you not to get along with her, ultimately it¡¯s your decision.¡±

    Maybe this is where I should keep my enemies close.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope she doesn¡¯t become our enemy.¡±

    Something about her voice made me shiver. Like there was something lurking under her words. A warning I just wasn¡¯t getting.

    The cart in front of me rattled. I peered closer, walking on my tip toes to look over the boxes. Laying there was Devin. This was suspicious. Why would she just show up while we were talking about her. Though, there¡¯s no way for her to know that I was talking to anyone.

    She glanced up at me and smile widened itself on her face, ¡°Hey there Cam.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at her affectionate name calling. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t mind it when people called me by my nickname but people I didn¡¯t know and was suspicious of shouldn¡¯t be calling me anything. I tried not to let anything show on my face as I gave her a small grin.

    ¡°What are you walking back here for?¡±

    I shrugged, mostly because it was as hard as crap to write while walking. I hope that was enough to get my point across.

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    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice you back there. I haven¡¯t been here long. Want to come up here?¡± She patted the boxes next to her. I doubted they made a comfortable place to lay on but I offered my hand and she took it, hoisting me up on to them.

    ¡°Remember what I said.¡±

    Yeah yeah. I couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat at ease around Devin. Something about her soothed my soul and made me want to be around her. I wouldn¡¯t disregard Lily¡¯s warning though, I was smarter than that.

    Devin grinned up at the sky, ¡°I have a proposition for you.¡±

    I closed my eyes, feeling the warm breeze.

    Suddenly there was a weight on me. I opened my eyes to see Devin¡¯s face very close. In a quick movement she slammed her lips onto mine, my face blew up in pain. I pushed her off me, wiping away anything she might have passed to me. What does she think she¡¯s doing?

    Lily watched from the sidelines. ¡°Wow, this chick must be psycho.¡±

    Devin got more aggressive in her pursuit of me, lunging, trying to pin me down, coming at me with her lips puckered. Does she realize I¡¯m a chick?

    ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t care.¡±

    I managed to keep Devin at leg¡¯s length while I pulled out my notebook, flipped to a clean page, and started to write. First, I asked what in the name of god she thought she was doing. Second, I asked if she would kindly never do that again. I wasn¡¯t into people like that, let alone chicks.

    She read the note quickly, then crushed it up and ate it. I looked on with a mix of horror and shock.

    Does she know how much I spent on that papyrus? If she did, she wouldn¡¯t have eaten it.

    Devin looked at me with wide eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know nor care if you¡¯re a saint or what, but I think we could be the perfect couple.¡±

    Lily rolled her yes, ¡°Everyone thinks that. A saint¡¯s job is to inspire feelings in people.¡±

    I took out another sheet, I handed it to Devin and she read it aloud.

    ¡°What makes you think such a stupid thing? Rude.¡± She looked up at me, ¡°I¡¯m a beast tamer, I told you that. I know that the pixie that¡¯s been bothering you.¡±

    My eyes went wide. Lily only laughed, ¡°Worry not Camellia, there¡¯s no way that she can see me. I¡¯m not a pixie. I told you, I¡¯m an angel. This girl is just stupid.¡±

    Devin whirled on Lily, ¡°You shut up!¡± Lily fell to the ground, sitting there dumbly, as if she couldn¡¯t keep herself up.

    Lily blinked wildly. ¡°There¡¯s no way you can see me, I¡¯m an angel. Not some beast.¡±

    Giving the angel a dirty finger, Devin came back over to me. Her hands gripped my arms, like a forceful hug. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. I can get rid of her. You¡¯ll never be bothered by her again. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±

 My Decision

    No.

    Devin must not have seen the hard look on my face, she persisted. ¡°I can make her go away, along with all your troubles. There¡¯s no need to bind yourself to her, she¡¯s only making you drown.¡±

    Such tall words.

    ¡°I can free you.¡±

    ¡°What a high horse,¡± I said in my own voice. It was scratchy and gravelly, but it was my voice. A heat washed through me, a relief. Lily gave me a wide eyed look. I ignored her for now.

    She tilted her head, ¡°You can speak?¡±

    ¡°Not usually. But that isn¡¯t important. What¡¯s important is that you come back down from cloud nine,¡± I shoved off her hands and took her by the collar, ¡°And you get real with me. Right now.¡±

    She gave me a lazy grin. ¡°I¡¯m always real with you sweetheart.¡±

    I dropped her and she grunted. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste my time, so listen closely. I¡¯ve been chosen by god and that angel you claim to be a pixie is my guide to reach my destiny. I need her so you can go ahead and screw off.¡±

    I turned on my heel, ready to jump off the cart and keep walking, when Devin grabbed at my cloak. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re being deceived. There¡¯s no such thing as god.¡± I turned around. She kept talking. ¡°Everybody knows that god abandoned us years ago. There¡¯s nobody looking out for us anymore. Now it¡¯s just those that deceive that run amok. That pixie included.¡±

    Kicking her off, I said, ¡°I¡¯m a saint but I still get angry.¡± Using her stupor as a chance, I hopped off the cart and started to walk. Devin took one last glance at me before she picked her way over the cart and somehow ran all the way to the carriage. Apparently she was embarrassed.

    The nearest guard was pretty far away, enough so that I could get away with talking to Lily without being heard. After all, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve last used my voice, I wasn¡¯t one to waste an opportunity.

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    Lily sat on my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m glad you know that Cam. For a moment I was worried about whether you would believe her or me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been with me for longer.¡± I said it simply and with a shrug, but I could tell that it meant a lot to Lily. Her face softened and she leaned her head against mine.

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    ¡°I¡¯m glad god chose you.¡±

    ¡°So he hasn¡¯t given up? On people I mean. He¡¯s still there, watching over us.¡±

    Lily sighed, ¡°Of course Cam. That¡¯s god¡¯s job. He¡¯s always there to look out for us.¡±

    I stretched my arms above my head, wanting to hop back onto the cart and sleep the rest of the way. That was only if there were no attacks from sand beasts. ¡°I thought so.¡± After all, I couldn¡¯t be a saint if there was no god granting me power. ¡°I thought so.¡±

    ¡°How did you get your voice back?¡± Lily muttered.

    ¡°I thought you gave it to me¡­¡± I tried to look at her but she flew away, like there was something that she didn¡¯t want to hear or say. ¡°Bye then,¡± I mumbled at her retreating figure.

    I walked with the Caravan, watching guards change shift and Phillins occasionally come out and asking me if everything was clear. Lily wasn¡¯t around but I was sure she would tell me the moment her senses picked up something, so I told him that all was well and that we should arrive at the capital without much problem. When he invited me back to his carriage I kindly took him up on the offer. Lord knows I needed some rest.

    There was a city in between my home town and the capital. It was Vella. Vella was a merchant city, close enough to the port city Veminora to profit from the abundance of trade and commerce. This caravan was going to stop there then head to the port city. It seemed that this is where I leave them. Good riddance. I don¡¯t think I could have handled seeing Devin again so soon.

    I waved them goodbye as I went to find myself a hotel room. It seemed that the blacksmith¡¯s guild had a heavy presence in this town. There were at least three blacksmith shops on the main street. As well as small building that boasted being the adventurer¡¯s guild building. It looked more like a home than a branch of the mighty adventurer¡¯s guild.

    Perhaps I should stop by there.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea. Our money is running out too.¡±

    I jiggled the coin purse and it was getting rather light. Okay, the the adventurer¡¯s guild we go!

 Gerald and His No Good Face

    The lady at the front desk was very kind. She had a smile on her face and the good grace to pull out a piece of paper as soon as I approached. It seemed that wounds like mine were not so uncommon. Perhaps it was an everyday occurrence that girls escaped from pirates with their voices missing. The lady handed me a quill and ink bottle, paper too. It seemed that this city still used quills even though pens were pretty popular. Maybe it was budget cuts.

    ¡°My name is Margie, what can I do you for?¡± Her accent said she was from the north, the clean cut annunciation. She was far from home too.

    I wrote out that I was looking to sign myself up as an adventurer and looking to find some people to party with. I was in need of money and a map of this town.

    ¡°I make maps of the city, so I¡¯ll be happy to give you one. It will cost you a copper.¡±

    One copper? This lady was running a charity for christ¡¯s sake! The paper cost at least a bronze to buy. This lady was scamming herself.

    My face must have shown my shock because she quickly responded, ¡°Honestly, I do it as a hobby so the amount doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I happily handed her a silver coin. She raised her eyebrows, ¡°This is too much. I can¡¯t accept it.¡±

    I shook my head, raising my hands. I wrote that she must as it was a gift from me to her. After all, she¡¯d been so kind thus far. I could spare the change anyway, seeing as I had three golds in my pouch, which was enough to stay at a decent inn for a week. But once I got to the capital, I was sure the prices would sky rocket.

    Margie sighed, then replied with a smile on her face, ¡°I understand. Thank you very much.¡± She handed me a map and I found it to be very detailed. Much better than any map I¡¯d ever scene. The inns were specified, which ones had the best food for the best price were marked. The areas of town I should steer clear of were marked. She giggled at my face, ¡°I do try my best you know? Nothing to be that shocked over.¡±

    I nodded my appreciation and was about to leave when she stopped me.

    ¡°I know a small party that¡¯s looking for one more member, perhaps you can join them?¡±

    I turned back to her and readied myself. I¡¯ve never worked well with others in the past but this was a whole new experience. When you partied with someone it was almost like you had to entrust them with your life. You were putting your life on the line after all.

    ¡°They should be coming in tonight, so why don¡¯t I sit you down with some tea and when they come in I¡¯ll point them your way, does that sound good?¡± I nodded. ¡°What are your skills?¡±

    I approached the counter again and wrote on the paper she had already placed out. I wrote that I was a seer with some magical support skills. I wasn¡¯t lying per se. I could use the light to blind enemies or coat the group and make us invisible. There were many things I could do, all that mattered was if I had the imagination.

    ¡°A seer, huh? Kind like you are pretty rare.¡± Lily smiled at that, her chest puffing up with pride. Margie continued, ¡°Any party worth their weight is looking for someone like you. Don¡¯t let anyone use you though.¡± I waved it off with a smile. Margie yawned then apologized, saying it had been a long day.

    I decided to press her about it, asking her to tell me about it.

    ¡°There¡¯s this guy that I know,¡± she started with a roll of her eyes. Margie, despite her name, was rather young and looked beautiful with her pinned up hair and fancy dress. She also had big eyes that she accented with dark kohl. ¡°He¡¯s been pressing me to marry him lately, but I hardly know him!¡±

    I nodded understandingly, but honestly I didn¡¯t care. Lily snickered. So while Margie droned on, I had a secret conversation with Lily.

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    Can you by chance read people¡¯s minds? Or perhaps auras?

    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not that skilled. I¡¯m still a newbie angel and this whole thing with being so far from home really puts a damper on my powers.¡± She floated around Margie¡¯s head, making faces.

    I thought as much.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    I was hoping you could tell me if my future party members had any ill intentions.

    ¡°If I had such an ability, don¡¯t you think I would have sensed it with Devin?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think that she had bad intentions though, I think she thought she was doing the right thing. Though I didn¡¯t voice such thoughts. I forged on, leaving out my discrepancies, Right. Well anyway, will you be on the lookout? Maybe listen in on some conversations, tell me what they¡¯re saying behind my back?

    Lily saluted me. ¡°As you command, Captain.¡±

    I snickered and Margie laughed, thinking that I was laughing at her situation. ¡°Well, what do you think I should do?¡±

    I simply wrote, Feed him to the wolves.

    Margie didn¡¯t have time to comment, though I honestly don¡¯t know what she would have said to that. A group of chattering young souls walked in. I only knew they were ¡®young souls¡¯ because that¡¯s how Lily described them. Apparently, I was an old soul, and was a saint in a past life. Though I honestly don¡¯t remember any of it. Margie clapped her hands, ¡°Gerald, this is Camelia, a new adventurer just like your group. She would like to join.¡±

    Gerald was a boy only about eighteen years of age. From the looks of him, he was strong. His muscles bulged under his shirt. He seemed like the type that knew what he was doing with his life. For many reasons. But his beady eyes looked me up and down, like he was estimating my worth. Something about him made me think he was older than he was.

    ¡°She¡¯s no good,¡± he finally said.

    Margie spoke up for me, ¡°She¡¯s a seer with some support magic.¡± She looked a little stricken, I guess because she was the one that suggested them to me.

    ¡°If she can¡¯t even defend herself there¡¯s no use for her.¡±

    I stomped my foot. I¡¯m a freaking saint.

    Lily cooed, ¡°That¡¯s right baby girl.¡±

    I pointed to my throat then pulled out my notepad. I wrote out that I didn¡¯t have a voice, I had support magic that was useful in a variety of situations and I didn''t take crap from anyone. That included him and his stupid face with his stupid beady eyes.

    Okay, that was a little childish, but he deserved it.

    He appraised me again. "Perhaps you will be useful."

 Okay, Maybe His Face isnt that Stupid

    There¡¯s this little feeling that you get when everything is going to go to shit. And right now, I am experiencing that. Gerald looked at me with cold eyes, saying again, ¡°She¡¯s no good. Can¡¯t even speak, how can she warn us of danger?¡± He didn¡¯t even bother to read my childish note.

    I looked at Lily as she giggled. ¡°It looks like this route is a no go,¡± she said.

    Don¡¯t patronize me.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t patronizing anybody,¡± Gerald said aloud. I looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°I was just stating facts.¡±

    Lily stared in wonder, ¡°We best be careful around this one. He can read minds.¡±

    So you can read minds, so what? That just means you can hear me warn you of danger, I thought, raising an eyebrow.

    He snickered, ¡°Okay, okay. I concede there. You have a lot of sass. I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± He put his hands on his hips and took a step towards me. I offered my hand, knowing what he was going to say. He clasped my hand and shook, ¡°I guess you¡¯re part of the team.¡±

    ¡°Sweet!¡± Lily twirled.

    Gerald chuckled and walked away. Realizing that while he couldn¡¯t see Lily, he could hear her, I immediately made a motion to shush her behind his back.

    The other group members had a short discussion with Gerald. Then they walked up to me and patted me on the back.

    There was a small blonde girl with big brown eyes. Her name was something like¡­ Cornelia or something. I didn¡¯t remember. Besides, I hated looking at girls that were prettier than me, and she certainly was.

    Another girl had deep red hair and a fire blazing in her green eyes. She was also very attractive in the curvy kind of way. Something I was pretty jealous of. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not as flat as the blonde but I certainly didn¡¯t look as good in travel gear as this redhead did. Her name was Joan.

    A boy, by the name of Tim, was burly and big. He was bigger than Gerald. He also had great posture. So good on him.

    And finally, a boy with straight black hair and dark eyes, Geneth. He stood back and didn¡¯t offer direct praise for joining the group. Instead he offered me a thumbs up from a distance. I think he¡¯s what you¡¯d call an introvert.

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    But I was pretty much welcomed after that whole ordeal. Margie gave me a smile and returned to her duties.

    I stood in front of Gerald, What¡¯s next?

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s some wolves that are terrorizing a nearby town. Apparently they¡¯re brazen enough to attack during the day. We were going to head over there next. What are you abilities besides seeing?¡±

    I can make us invisible.

    He looked surprised, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of support magic such as that?¡± Was that really a question?

    The small blonde pestered him, ¡°Hey, what did she say?¡±

    ¡°She said,¡± he turned back to glance at me again. I only nodded, I didn¡¯t make a mistake boy. ¡°She said she can make us invisible.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± the group said collectively.

    I know, I¡¯m impressive.

    ¡°No need to get arrogant. There¡¯s a long journey ahead of us. You better be ready to face life and death situations.¡± He had a haughty look that made me want to punch him. I let him continue though. ¡°There¡¯s lot¡¯s of dangers, especially for girls like you. Can¡¯t even protect yourself.¡± He said the last part with a shake of his head.

    I grabbed onto his arm, feeling an anger building up within me. I could feel his skin heat under mine, not yet enough to burn but enough to be uncomfortable. Do you want to see if I can defend myself?

    ¡°I got it, I got it,¡± he conceded again. He raised his hands in defeat. ¡°Was that fire magic? I¡¯ve never seen magic used like that.¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    I held a finger to my lips, Trade secret.

    He sighed, ¡°Well, anyway, let¡¯s start heading out. We¡¯ll pay for a carriage ride out there and then take a carriage back with the spoils. It should take us about two days to get there so everyone prepare for a journey.¡± He called it out loudly. Like he was herding cattle. We all collectively moved out and into the open air.