Embers of the Past

by Bethany Atwood

  “Ooh, sorry if I startled you Kags, I know how jumpy you can get… Still, it was an interesting lesson, if anything, your mother’s a good teacher.” Seeing that it’s just Mer’ania, the first person she should’ve expected yet someone who surprised her regardless, Kagura sighs and tugs the elastic tie off of her hair, letting it down from the high ponytail she had it in for combat class.

  “I’ve never liked hearing about the war, I doubt it’ll ever stop being painful… I’m sure mom knew ahead of time she was going to be teaching us about it, couldn’t she have just, like… Warned me or something?” Kagura’s complaints are met with giggling from Mer’ania, who settles beside her and lightly embraces her with an arm.

  “Maybe she thought you’d pretend to be sick to get out of class and avoid the lesson, like you tended to do last year when you didn’t want to learn about something that bothered you. I think she knows you better than you anticipated, if she’d warned you then you may have done something to avoid class.” Mer’ania’s astute observation is met with a defeated expression from Kagura, who begins to stare at the floor in dismay.

  “I’m hopeless, Mer… Everyone understands me better than I understand myself much of the time, I can hardly pretend to be sick without it being found out that I’m just trying to avoid lessons…” She whines out, more giggling coming from the demoness before a kiss is pressed to her forehead.

  “You aren’t hopeless Kags, you’re just… Not a good liar, even when you try to be, and believe me I’ve seen you try. Come on, let’s get some food, I know that always helps you feel better, and afterwards we can relax in the courtyard. There’s a cozy spot under a tree that has a beautiful view of the setting sun in the evening. How does that sound?” Kagura debates Mer’ania’s offer for all of five seconds before nodding, a small smile forming in place of the frown she had been wearing.

  “… That sounds nice, I’d like that Mer.”

  Chapter 4: Present Tense

  September came and went as if no time had passed at all, with students gradually settling into their class schedules and falling back into usual habits and tendencies or developing new ones. Just as quickly as September came to its end, October burst into existence with a renewed sense of energy in the school. When students woke on the morning of October the 1st they came to see the usual seasonal décor in place, Solenim fittingly decorated to look less like it’s normal self, a more festive and spooky appearance being favored for the month.

  As always with this time of year, joining the school’s changed appearance is nature following suit, with the leaves changing colors, the days finding themselves increasingly shorter with each passing one, and a drastic shift in weather, sunny days no longer bringing heat but instead a crisp coolness to the air. Considering these changes many students began to shirk the outdoors in favor of staying inside, the school’s interior bearing a comforting warmth that contrasts the chill of nature.

  Students begin crowding the halls as classes let out for the day, making their way to their dorms, the courtyard, common areas, wherever they desire to spend their free time. Considering it’s presently Friday afternoon, many students plan for what they’d like to do for the weekend, aside from any assignments or other school work, though a certain few look as if they’re searching for something, conversing as they look through the halls.

  “So you don’t know where she is?” Demetri asks as he trails along behind Mer’ania, the demoness shaking her head before sighing.

  “She had an appointment earlier, so she was excused from lessons for the day. I figured she would’ve been in our dorm but she isn’t. If I had to guess, though, she might be in the courtyard.” As she responds Mer’ania turns down the next hall she comes to, Demetri looking out towards the courtyard ahead as they approach. Passing through the doors the two are immediately greeted by a slight breeze and chilled air, the pair beginning to look around, the first students in sight not the one they’re seeking.

  “Hey… Isn’t that her?” Demetri points towards a tree upon noticing a brown-haired girl visibly seated underneath it’s shade, presently fast asleep while being supported by the trunk. “Why is Kagura out here sleeping? I would’ve thought the dorm beds are more comfortable for naps.” Mer’ania offers no more than a shrug in response before striding over to Kagura, the demoness slowly kneeling before grasping the smaller teen’s shoulder and shaking her lightly.

  “Hey, Kags, wake up sleepyhead.” As she’s shook Kagura lets out a tremendous yawn, only slightly muffled by the dark green plaid scarf bundled up around her mouth and neck, her eyes gradually drifting open. A hand reaches up and rubs at them for a few moments as they’re half lidded, green orbs focusing on the demoness once she is fully able to see.

  “Oh, uh… Hey, Mer…” As she speaks Kagura adjusts her scarf a little, working to obscure the blush growing on her cheeks while her gaze falls off to the side. “Mm… I fell asleep…”

  “That much is obvious, silly. How did the appointment go?” Mer’ania seats herself beside Kagura before lightly brushing off her skirt, watching the brunette as she grips her scarf more firmly and closes her eyes.

  “It went fine… As fine as always…” Mer’ania sighs softly after looking to Demetri for a few moments, picking up on Kagura’s discomfort through her mannerisms yet preferring to not commenting on anything. Instead, she simply just wraps an arm around her shoulders and tugs her in close.

  “Is there any particular reason you decided to fall asleep in the courtyard?” She asks before grinning slightly, “Or did you just want to enjoy the weather?”

  “It’s cold out here… It feels nice…” Releasing her scarf at last, Kagura sighs and looks over at Mer’ania, electing to pretend Demetri isn’t presently listening in. “And… The cold helps with the pain… It doesn’t hurt so much…”

  “I get that, sometimes during the autumn and winter I like to step outside for a little if my leg is aching me, it helps a bit, and I can’t say I mind how beautiful nature is this time of year. C’mon, we should head inside, dinner will be soon and I don’t want you to catch a cold.” Mer’ania stands up before suddenly and unceremoniously lifting the smaller teen to her feet, Kagura roughly shoving her left hand into her jacket pocket while the gloved right grasps Mer’ania’s.

  “Heyyyy Grins.” Demetri cheerfully says in greeting, Kagura huffing quietly as she looks up at him, her focus soon falling towards the ground.

  “Hi Demetri…” She sighs out, unable to mask the pain present in her voice, though as she begins to walk with the two she mutters to herself, huffing out “All my friends are taller than me… Why do I have to be so short…” The trio make their way into the warm confines of the Solenim, Mer’ania subtly reaching up with her free hand before making an attempt at tugging down Kagura’s scarf, the teen quickly pinning it in place while lightly shaking her head from side to side

  “Please don’t, Mer… I’ll show you later, just… Not right now, okay?” A nod is given before the demoness releases the scarf, her hand settling at her side while continuing to walk. The smell of food and the hum of chattering voices becomes apparent to the trio as they step into the grand hall, Demetri glancing around momentarily before looking back at the two girls with a grin.

  “I’ll catch you guys later, I’m gonna have dinner with some of the guys from restorative magic, we have an exam coming up and I want to review some things we learned. And hey, Grins, cheer up, yeah?” He says before turning and walking off, Kagura rolling her eyes and huffing softly once more.

  “I’d like to see him deal with this, see how happy he is… Cheer up, please…” She says, mockingly uttering the last few words, Mer’ania chuckling quietly while guiding her to a table. The scarf is finally pulled away from her face before gloves are removed and pocketed, a savory vegetable stew being decided on with Mer’ania selecting the same, but adding some pepper to it for taste.

  The whole time the two eat the demoness’s gaze remains fixated on Kagura, watching h
er carefulness, her occasional grimaces, all of which are joined by sparse whimpers of pain, a familiar occurrence yet not one she’d gotten to witness this term. Normally Kagura would go back for seconds, or even stick around for dessert, but tonight she simply finishes off her single bowl of stew and fits her scarf around her mouth once again, the demoness following in her lead and heading back to their dorm once finished herself.

  “Alright, Kagura, please, stop with the scarf. You don’t have to hide anything from me.” Once inside the room Mer’ania turns to face Kagura, arms crossing over her chest before she speaks further. “I know it hurts, but you know I won’t laugh at you, I never have. I just want to see, please?”

  “Fine, Mer… If you want to see, then fine…” Kagura sighs in annoyance as she grasps the edge of her scarf, the soft article being unraveled from around her head before it’s carelessly thrown onto her bed. Her gaze falls to the side while she forces a smile, lips parting to reveal gleaming metal lined teeth, the demoness leaning forward slightly and looking over the dark green elastic ties lining them.

  “Cute.” A single word, uttered with a smile, and Mer’ania strides over to her bed, Fluff being scooped up into her arms before she sits. “Hey, Kags? It’s getting dark out, and I know curfew is in about an hour… Let’s go for a walk, okay?” Kagura raises an eyebrow before lightly shrugging, that forced expression fading into a more neutral one while she scratches behind Seraphine’s ears.

  “Any particular reason Mer, or do you just want to get out and enjoy the Autumn evening?” While speaking Kagura grabs her coat, the tawny green, faux fur lined garment both soft and warm, ideal for cool days and evenings. Mer’ania offers a non-committal shrug in response before depositing Fluff onto the bed once more, her gaze following the brunette the whole time.

  “Change into your pajamas, we can get away with saying we were out for some fresh air if we’re caught walking in our pajamas, but if we’re wearing our regular clothes someone might think we’re up to something.”

  “Are we… Not up to something, though?” Kagura questions while sifting through her dresser, coat draped over the end of her bed within arms reach. “As far as I know, we could be, but we could also not be.” Mer’ania once more gives an unsatisfactory shrug as her response, neither confirming nor denying her girlfriend’s words, Kagura pouting momentarily before retreating into the bathroom. Upon stepping out minutes later, now clad in her dark green nightgown and slippers, she immediately moves over to her bed and pulls on her coat before looking back over at Mer’ania, who is dressed in her pajama pants and shirt, alongside slippers and a warm black coat.

  “Alright, bring Seraphine with you, I’m gonna bring Fluff, it might be nice to have the added warmth, and… Fluff makes me feel safe.” Fluff scampers up Mer’ania’s arm and perches herself on the demoness’s shoulder once she falls silent, Kagura letting Seraphine onto her own shoulders. Once her familiar is settled she takes Mer’ania’s hand, following the demoness out of the room, both gazing across the considerably active common area.

  The two make their way to the stairs, lingering near the walls to ward off attention, slowly descending while a watchful eye is kept out for staff. With only the moon’s light illuminating the darkened halls, the two weave their way through the school, exiting out onto the grounds near the combat classroom after a few minutes.

  The biting chill of the evening air stings against their faces as they walk through the grass, Kagura continuing to let Mer’ania guide her along while the two walk further out from the school and towards the large expanse of water surrounding the island. As they near its edge the saltiness of the water becomes prevalent in the air, Kagura sighing wistfully as she savors the familiar scent.

  “I’ve never been out here before…” She softly says, looking over the ocean once she and Mer’ania fall still. As far as the eye can see there is water, save for off in the far distance where a faint tract of land is visible under the moonlight.

  “My siblings told me about this, how they’d sneak out of their dorms for a late-night walk, head to the water’s edge, and just enjoy the view and the fresh air. I know the teachers don’t like us being out here unattended, especially at night, but… I just couldn’t resist showing you at least once.” Mer’ania steps over to a large rock in the nearby sand before leaning against it, her gaze drifting up towards the sky.

  And then she blinks. And blinks again.

  “… Hey, uh, Kagura? Look up, please.” As Mer’ania quietly voices a request, Kagura obliges her and looks up, seeing what appears to be a bright light some distance above the water. The light ebbs for all of thirty seconds before fading, leaving behind a person that promptly falls straight downwards. Just before the moment of impact they send out a gust of wind to slow their descent, this inadvertently knocking back Kagura and sending both familiars yowling as they’re thrown back a short distance.

  “Wh… What was that? Was… Was that a person?” Kagura questions once she recovers from her fall enough to gaze out over the water, propping herself up against an arm while Seraphine scampers over. Mer’ania rushes to Kagura’s side and helps her to her feet, the two quickly returning their attention to the water as the fallen figure pops up above its surface.

  “That… Is a person. But how did they get here? It’s kind of a bad idea to teleport above the water, and most people don’t care for an evening swim in autumn.” Pondering the presence of the person in the water and where exactly they came from, the demoness picks Fluff up and holds her close, Kagura looking towards the school and seeing two figures rushing over, a frown forming as she realizes who one is.

  “… Ah crap, it’s mama…” She mutters, Seraphine gazing towards the approaching Professor Melangreve before looking to the other person, the tall, elven Headmistress Amethyst. Even in the dark of the night the headmistress’s short golden locks are visible, lighter grey skin contrasting with the lighter colors in her attire while amber orbs peer about with worry.

  “Kagura! What are you two doing out here?!?” Rebecca addresses her daughter with a disappointed frown forming, Kagura shrinking back out of nervousness before glancing towards the water.

  “Me and Mer’ania wanted to get some fresh air, so, erm… We went for a little walk… And then we saw this… Light, up in the air, it faded, and a person fell from where it was, they’re in the water.” Rebecca looks over their attire, and seeing that the two are dressed in pajamas and coats, she deems her daughter’s story plausible, a sigh escaping before she looks out to the water.

  “This was very reckless of you both, you know you aren’t supposed to leave the common areas this late at night, much less venture out to the water. As it so happens, we too saw the light, so we decided to come investigate, as we neared we came to witness the falling figure, and the both of you here as well. Please, go back to your dorm now, so long as you both agree to never do this again, you won’t be in any trouble.” Both teens nod in agreement before turning and running back to the academy, Rebecca looking over to Amethyst with a worried expression.

  “This can’t possibly be one of them, can it?” Her question is met with a sigh, Amethyst stepping close to the water’s edge before raising her right hand. The water directly in front of her freezes into a bridge of ice, this serving to trap the mysterious person simultaneously, Rebecca beginning to employ dual handed gestures that guide the trapped person to land atop waves of water. Once the captive is atop land, Amethyst gestures straight at the ice with her right index and middle fingers pointed forward, a gust of powerful flames bursting forth just long enough to expose the grinning face of the person within.

  “Ha… Hahaha… We did it… We finally did it…” The male begins to laugh maniacally as he looks between Rebecca and Amethyst, an unsettling malice in his tone, joined by the most uncharacteristically malevolent smile either had seen quite in some time. “You thought yourselves safe… You thought you could hide… Oh no, not anymore… We’ve learned.”

  “… Rebe
cca, please alert the other staff of the current situation. We have an Earthener in our midst.” Despite her every nerve telling her to do otherwise Amethyst speaks with a calm tone to her voice, Rebecca scowling slightly before nodding and snapping her fingers. Upon snapping her body fades away in a flash, reappearing within the school in a mere instant. Once the professor is gone, Amethyst looks back towards the frozen, grinning male, the fingers of her right hand curling inward as if she were grasping something, a small ball of darkness forms within its clutches. The ball is promptly thrust at the male, impacting with his forehead, his very being shimmering for all of a few moments before he returns to normal.

  “There, now you can’t teleport away, though I doubt you desire to do so.” She murmurs before conjuring more focused fire, the male soon freed of his icy prison before he is pulled to his feet and lead to the academy.

  “You think I wish to leave? No no no, I am right where I’m needed. It’s only a matter of time, you know.” The Earthener speaks with an unsettling joyfulness in his voice while he’s forced along into Solenim, sounding as if he had won a long sought after prize in a contest. Amethyst guides him along to her office, immediately forcing him into a chair and restraining him with a binding spell and yet... The man never once loses that grin, looking up at Amethyst with not a care in the world.

  Kagura and Mer’ania step into their dorm before the brunette swiftly locks the door, their respective familiars departing their shoulders and leaping to their beds. While Mer’ania looks no worse for the wear, the same can’t be said for the smaller teen, who looks more than frazzled as thoughts race through her head.

  “Hey, Kags? Is everything alright? You don’t look so well.” The demoness quietly asks while approaching Kagura, who leans against the nearest wall and clenches her eyes tightly shut, painful memories rushing back into her head.

  “Mer… That… That person… He… He might be from Earth…” Kagura says through clenched teeth, disregarding the pain she’s putting herself through. “He… He looked like he didn’t expect to be here, but he seemed happy, too… Earth mages don’t know how to teleport, that magic… It was developed through a combined effort between all the races, remember? We learned about advanced magic in class last year…” Mer’ania stares at Kagura in shock as the realization dawns on her, a hand coming to cover her mouth before she gasps.