Embers of the Past

by Bethany Atwood

  “Wait… If that person really is from Earth… Then that means they’ve learned teleportation magic… But they aren’t skilled with it…” Mer’ania glances down at her right leg while voicing het thoughts, growing slightly pale though not something easily noticed through the redness of her skin. “Sanctus is hidden, though… We were taught that Sanctus was hidden long ago to keep Eartheners away…” Kagura hardly finds herself able to do more than drag herself across the floor and slump against her bed, tears threatening to spill forth the whole time.

  “It… It can’t happen again… They said we’d be safe… I was told I was safe… They… They can’t do this… Not again…” For the first time in many months, Kagura begins to panic. As anxiety swells within her, her heart begins racing and her breathing grows heated. Finally, just as hands pressing to her eyes, she gives off a pained wail, tears finally bursting forth and spilling down her cheeks. With no hesitation, unable to bear seeing Kagura like this, Mer’ania pulls her into a tender embrace, applying a firm, consistent pressure the whole time as she holds her girlfriend in silence. Despite a level of anxiety building up within her, the demoness can do nothing but think about Kagura, the smaller teen keeping her grounded and unwilling to succumb to nerves.

  Kagura offers no resistance as she’s lifted off her feet, Mer’ania slowly carrying her over to her bed while she sobs. Fluff bounds up onto the dresser as Mer’ania settles onto the mattress with Kagura being laid at her side, a gentle brushing of finger tips against skin moving hair away from the brunette’s forehead. A tender kiss is pressed to now bared skin before she looks towards Seraphine, this silent gesture all that is needed before the feline leaping to the floor and up onto the bed, Fluff following suit to join her companion.

  “I know you won’t want to sleep, so you don’t have to, and I won’t make you… I won’t leave your side Kagura, not for a single second, just as I know you won’t leave mine. You, and me… We’re safe. We’re here, and we’re safe, that’s all that matters right now. Just you, and me.” Mer’ania whispers assurances into Kagura’s ear as fingers stroke along her scalp, the comforting gesture proving to have a noticeable effect on her.

  Her body begins to visibly relax before long, if only slightly, hands eventually lowering away from her face and to her sides before Mer’ania pulls the blankets over both her and herself. The two feline familiars gently clamber up onto their companions and curl up against their abdomens, providing a familiar, comforting presence that aids both greatly while they rest in silence, unable to sleep yet unwilling to talk.

  Chapter 5: Out of the Dark

  Despite every attempt by the teachers to contain it, by the next morning all of Solenim was abuzz with the news that an Earthener had appeared on the island. Because of this unforeseen event the student populace reacted in varied manners, from confusion and nervousness to fear and anger. A single question began being asked of the teachers, yet regardless of how many times the question was voiced, no definitive answer was given, the staff just as clueless as the students in this matter.

  How did the Earthener arrive?

  Days gradually passed, and lessons carried on as usual, yet many students found themselves unable to focus, but not for a lack of trying. Indeed, many of the teachers too shared a similar inability to focus, so it was decided that all lessons would be postponed as Friday rolled around, allowing both students and staff to rest, clear their minds, and make an attempt at dealing with the recent events. With October’s chill gradually increasing in intensity, not yet at the point of discomfort, many students began to wander the grounds with friends, or even alone, the bright sunshine and changing nature at the very least pleasant to behold.

  “Kagura, please, we’re worried about you.”

  “I’m fine, Mer’ania, seriously. Just because I’m having trouble sleeping doesn’t mean I’m not fine.”

  “Kagura, you are not fine and you know it. You’re sleeping poorly, you aren’t focusing in class, and you hardly even eat. I know you’re stressed out because of what happened, but it’s not healthy to neglect yourself.” Mer’ania desperately pleads to Kagura with a visibly worried expression, the shorter teen responding by giving off an annoyed sound and crossing her arms over her chest. “I know your mother is worried too, we don’t like seeing you like this.”

  “And I don’t like feeling like this, Mer’ania!” The brunette angrily snaps before clenching her eyes tightly shut, a hand pressing to her forehead within moments as she feels a headache forming. “I hate this… The last time I’d felt like this was before I started therapy, I thought maybe I’d gotten over it, that what happened was in the past… And then this crap happens, some Earthener prick arrives here, catching everyone off guard, and I’m panicking… Why am I so hopeless, Mer…” Mer’ania places a hand on Kagura’s shoulder as a soft chuckle rumbles forth, her worried frown fading into a more reassuring smile.

  “Kags, you aren’t hopeless. You should try looking around sometime, maybe you’d notice you aren’t alone. Many of us were on Earth during the war, you aren’t the only person who lost something there, nor are you the only person worried because of what happened.”

  “I… I know, Mer… I guess I just forgot…” Unable to hold back a pained sigh, Kagura turns her gaze towards the grassy ground only to immediately tense up as she finds herself suddenly embraced.

  “Forgot, or maybe stress just took over and distracted you. It happens to the best of us” Mer’ania hums out while keeping Kagura held snugly to her chest, the demoness beginning to slowly sway from side to side after a few moments. “I know it may seem like all of this isn’t bothering me Kags, but… It is, I’ve just learned to hide my feelings and not let others see what’s really going on with me. After I lost my leg, I wasn’t sure if I could ever move on… I had mom, dad, and my siblings there to help, but it felt impossible because I just didn’t feel whole anymore.”

  “… How did you then?” Kagura carefully shifts against Mer’ania so that she can gaze up at her face, the demoness’s smile softening while she turns her gaze down towards her girlfriend.

  “I had people to support me, silly. When I received my prosthetic leg, I had to learn to walk again, to get used to the feeling of a false limb, yet… It was surprisingly easy, given how advanced these are. It feels just like my leg did before I lost it, I can wiggle my does, flex my foot, it feels natural, right, you know?” As she speaks Mer’ania lifts her right leg and wiggles her foot slightly, showing just how versatile the limb truly is.

  “I lost a huge part of me during the war, but my new leg gave me a second lease on life. I still had my dream to become a mage and attend school here, and gradually, as I adapted to the leg and how natural it felt I began to move just as I had before. After I started here I met you, this confident girl who always found herself driven towards a purpose, whatever she set her mind to she could achieve, if only because she didn’t believe in things being impossible. Always full of energy and spirit, you greeted each day with a smile, enjoyed the hell out of every class, studied like your life depended on it, and always, always lived your life the way you wanted.”

  “Y… Yeah, well… That was the old me…” Kagura murmurs before quietly sighing, a slight mistiness forming in her eyes, “I want to focus on class, on the things I love, I want to go back to the way things were, but it’s hard… My mind keeps racing, I can’t stop thinking back to Earth, to what happened, I…” A pained sigh finally leaves her lips just as a tear escapes her right eye. “I’m afraid, Mer…”

  “Afraid of war? I am as well, Kags, I can hardly imagine how things will be if the Eartherners actually manage to come here in full force… We’ve had peace for years because we cut ties with Earth, but now they know how to come here, so it could be just like last time…”

  “Not entirely true, Mer’ania.” Professor Melangreve interrupts before either teen could succumb to anxiety further, approaching the demoness and her daughter with a calm smile visible, “As far as
we’ve determined they have learned to teleport, but just barely, I hardly think most of them are presently able to do so. As well, if they do manage to invade, this isn’t Earth. They know nothing of Sanctus, nor it’s people, it’s lands, or the native species. All of this is foreign to them, should they be foolish enough to attempt a second war I can hardly see it going in their favor.” Kagura glances over towards her mother with a slight frown, one not as forlorn as her former expression, Rebecca’s words assuring both her and Mer’ania, though she finds herself not entirely convinced just yet.

  “That man… Did end up a hundred feet in the air above the water, it’s like it was his first time teleporting, and he wasn’t exactly sure where he was going to end up…” As she mutters a reply Rebecca nods, her smile widening the slightest amount.

  “Precisely. The people of Sanctus developed teleportation magic in a joint effort between our resident races, which is why we are so skilled in its use. Many of Earth’s magical communities, especially the war mongering ones, reject demons, angels, elves, and the werefolk, those who’s knowledge was vital to the development of teleportation. We figured it was only a matter of time until they learned of this magic, but of course it is no surprise to us how woefully unprepared they are in using it.”

  “How did he know where Sanctus is though? In second year, we were taught that Sanctus is hidden, that it and its star system are in a… Pocket dimension, if I remember right? How could anyone possibly find us when they don’t know where to look.” Mer’ania’s question is met with Rebecca’s smile faltering slightly, the professor glancing between the two before a sigh escapes.

  “That is something we do not yet know. It’s true, Sanctus and its star system were hidden many hundreds of years ago, after the leaders of the five nations and the dragon council realized that the problematic communities on Earth weren’t going to change.” Once more sighing, Rebecca brushes back her hair and glances off to the side, unable to hide her present worries as she would have liked.

  “We had always been watching them, hoping they would learn from their mistakes and wrongdoings, and that it would one day be safe enough for us to come out of hiding, yet… That never came to pass. All we know right now is that someone from Earth is here, and it is likely there are many others who know how to come as well.”

  “At the moment we have this person secured away, and have bound him so that he cannot teleport, though we strongly doubt he desires to leave, or that he even has the means to do so, so there is no cause for alarm.” Falling silent momentarily she presses a hand to Kagura’s shoulder before crouching to her level, a more reassuring smile forming as she looks her daughter in the eyes.

  “That means everything is okay, darling. Mer’ania told me about how you can’t sleep and refuse to eat, I know this is hard on you, and so many others as well, but please, sweetheart, you need to take better care of yourself. At the very least try to eat, I know restful sleep isn’t always easy to come by, but please don’t starve yourself, I hate seeing you this way.”

  “… Alright, mama… If you’re sure things are alright, then… I guess I shouldn’t worry so much.” For the first time in days Kagura manages to smile, a small upturn of her lips but a smile nonetheless, Rebecca hugging her tenderly upon seeing this.

  “That’s my girl… I need to get back to preparing for next week’s lessons, so go ahead and enjoy your weekend, relax, try to have fun, okay you two?” The brunette nods to her mother as she parts from the hug, a hand reaching up and gently adjusting her headband for a few moments afterwards while Mer’ania nods as well. The demoness then steps over to Kagura and snags her by the shoulders in a one armed embrace, her mood bettered thanks to her efforts in helping console her girlfriend and the comforting words of the professor.

  “You’ve got it Professor Melangreve!” Mer’ania’s cheerful reply and playful mock salute draws out a wider smile onto Kagura’s lips, which soon part to expose her braces most of the way.

  “Y… Yeah, we’ll make sure to do all that mama. You, um… Go have fun planning for classes, and stuff.” Rebecca can hardly resist chuckling in response to her daughter’s awkward response, a wide smile forming before she turns and retreats back into the school. Both teens watch her leave before Mer’ania clears her throat and speaks, lightly squeezing Kagura’s shoulder in the process.

  “Let’s head inside, lunch is soon and I’m sure you’re hungry considering you haven’t eaten much in the past few days.” Her suggestion is met with Kagura shrugging away from the embrace and grasping her hand as she often does, a comforting squeeze being given once she’s holding it.

  “… Alright, I… I suppose I am more than a little hungry… Though I probably shouldn’t overdo it, mom wouldn’t appreciate me making myself sick.”

  “I’ll make sure you don’t go overboard, then afterwards we can go for a walk around the grounds together, okay? I don’t explore all that much, so I figure us getting to enjoy the weather together could be enjoyable.” As the two converse they reenter the school, focused on nothing but each other and their destination. The halls gradually begin filling with students also on their way to the grand hall, which then begins to empty while students occupy tables and food fades into existence.

  The two teens settle in near the end of a table closest to the doors, soon finding themselves joined by Malchion and a dark-haired demon, the pair of males seating themselves across from the girls with smiles noticeable.

  “Well hey there Malc, long time no see.” Kagura teases in greeting before serving herself a decent sized portion of a savory spaghetti with meatballs, the angel merely grinning towards her before looking to Mer’ania.

  “Hey yourself you two. It certainly has been, classes have just been dreadfully exhausting, and we’ve hardly had any time to socialize with you guys.” As he speaks both he and the demon serve themselves bowls of a Tal’vedanian spicy meat and noodle soup.

  “Hi Malchion, Ser’avan, good to see you both.” Mer’ania greets the pair with a smile of her own before digging into a bowl of the same soup, the wafting aromas making Kagura grimace and wave a hand in front of her nose.

  “Oh god, the smell burns…” She mutters before wincing, Malchion and Ser’avan laughing while she retorts by sticking out her tongue out and crossing her arms. “Hey, you try being human and being around this intense spice, much less actually trying to eat…”

  “Ease up on Kagura guys, Kags can’t tolerate this spice as well as we can. I convinced her to try a bite of spicy mango chicken one time, and, well…” Mer’ania glances off to the side before rubbing at the back of her head nervously, a dry chuckle given off just as she does. “She didn’t speak to me for a week afterwards, which I deserved, her face went fully red the moment she felt the spice kick in.”

  “Mer, please, don’t remind me of that day… I had to go to the medical ward for burns on my tongue…” Kagura grumbles in annoyance before turning her focus back to her meal, scooting a few inches away from Mer’ania as she does to put a little distance between herself and the spicy soup. Idle chatter picks up as everyone enjoys their lunches, the topics ranging from school life to the Earthener, and even their respective relationships, this last topic making the brunette blush a rather rosy shade of red.

  “So Ser’avan, how long have you and Malchion been dating?” Mer’ania asks her fellow demon, Ser’avan gaining a wry smile before looking to the angel at his side.

  “Oh, since second-year, we’re dormmates so we’ve had time to grow closer, but it wasn’t until halfway through second year that Malchion popped the question and I accepted. Since then we’ve been happily together.” He cheerfully says, grin widening when Malchion leans over and kisses his cheek.

  “Aw, that’s really sweet. It reminds me of how me and Kagura got together. We’re dormmates as well, and honestly spend a lot of our time together, but we didn’t start dating until, well…” The demoness pauses for a few moments to look towards Kagura, who nods silently before burying
her face in her hands and giving off a nervous whine. “It was a few months before the end of last term, I knew she was going to be away for the day for an appointment, but when she got back she was just miserable. You’d hardly believe you were looking at the same girl you’ve known for years if you saw her, she was just all tears.”

  “That was… The day she got braces, yeah?” Malchion questions, Mer’ania nodding while Kagura whines much louder and presses her face to the table.

  “That’s the day. After classes let out I spend the rest of the afternoon doing nothing but holding her in my arms and letting her cry her eyes out as long as she needed… After she calmed down and I coaxed her into taking pain relief elixir, we went for a walk around the island together, and… That was when she asked me to be her girlfriend.” Mer’ania reaches over and lightly strokes along the continually whining teen’s back before looking to Malchion again, her smile growing the barest amount.

  “I never knew she had feelings for me, she’d always been rather secretive about her feelings aside from visible expressions of joy and frustration. It was surprising, given that I shared the same feelings in secret myself, but… Well, maybe she found the courage to ask me out after she saw how much I was willing to do for her.”

  “Merrrr… Pleeeease… You’re embarrassing me agaaaain…” Kagura complains amidst laughter from the two across the table from her, Mer’ania merely giggling and giving her cheek a peck while Malchion speaks.