Chapter Twelve
Eilir’s Payment
He was silent as he walked towards me, his eyes serious. I opened my mouth to scold and leer, but his eyes stopped me. I looked away. He moved past me without a flinch, bending to pick up the discarded box.
‘Great timing, the happy couple want to set off this afternoon.’
I felt a pat on my shoulder, jerking at the touch.
‘Are you coming in? I haven’t seen you in ages.’
I gulped as Aaron walked towards the Inn, grinning back at me.
He’d actually touched me.
The eating room was empty as we passed through, tables littered with dirty, empty plates. I grabbed a few as we continued into the kitchen.
‘So, how does it feel?’ Aaron asked, grabbing the plates from my hands and dumping them in the wash bucket.
‘W-what?’
‘Your skin! I mean, it looks really cool, even with that white layer over it, but does it hurt?’
I gaped at him.
He tapped my arm, hearing the hard echo it produced.
‘Man, I bet a knife couldn’t pierce that.’
‘I-’
‘What’s wrong? You look kinda sick. Does it hurt?’
‘H-how can you be so calm about this! Look at me! I’m a monster! My own father said I wasn’t human.’
Aaron shrugged, his grin gone but his body still relaxed.
‘No offense Dint, but your dad has always been an idiot. You seem pretty human to me.’
‘Look at me!’ My head was in my hands, my nails clawing at my impenetrable skin.
Aaron grabbed my upper arm.
‘Dint, look at me.’
I shook my head, ugly sobs bursting from my mouth.
‘Do you want to know what I see? I see my best friend who went through a lot to bring his family back together and had it thrown back in his face. But you’re strong, and whatever is happening to you, you’ll do something amazing with it. Like not bleeding when you accidentally slice your arm trying to cook.’
A sob broke into a humourless chuckle.
‘So forget your dad, I bet your mum doesn’t think you’re a monster, or that little sister of yours. Just you wait, in a few weeks people will be at the fabric stall, raving about wanting the same look as you.’
He fell quiet and began the washing up, letting me sob to myself.
It won’t be that easy. I thought bitterly. Yet his voice had been so convincing and sure of itself.
By the time he’d finished my breathing was even again.
‘I doubt it,’ I whispered, as though no time has passed. ‘It doesn’t hurt much anymore, but it really itches.’
Aaron burst out laughing, making me jump. He laughed so hard tears streamed down his face.
The laughter died away, but the tears didn’t.
‘Well, this was bound to happen when you pick at it all the time.’ Mum sighed, dabbing cream onto my weeping arm.
‘But it really itches! I can’t sleep it’s so bad.’ I moaned, ‘So I thought if it came off-’
‘Dimi, this layer is like a scab, you can’t pull it off until the skin underneath has healed. How about you get a bath? That should help the itching.’
I stared at the angry, bleeding arm and sighed.
People want this skin? Aaron has no idea what he’s saying.
‘This is so unfair!’ I burst, throwing my empty water pouch on the floor. Annie looked up, alarmed, and quietly bent to rescue it.
‘What’s wrong with you now?’ Aaron asked, for once helping me with deliveries. ‘Trying to scare your sister to death?’
I glared at him, conscious of the people staring all around. They were staring before I’d even spoke.
‘Have you ever seen a lizard get overheated?’
‘Um-’
‘How come I do then? I’m going to die of over-heated itching soon.’
Annie let out a giggle, a little of my anger slipped away as I smiled at her.
‘Maybe because they’re cold blooded? They need the heat or they’ll get too cold and die.’
‘Great, so either I should move or hope my blood turns cold.’
‘Maybe you can find something to lower body temperature when you go trading.’ Annie said, putting a hand out to stop me walking, letting Aaron deliver the final groceries to Felicity’s house.
My anger began to bubble again.
‘What makes you think I’m going trading?’
‘…Because Daddy was right, I think you need to. You started changing because you went there.’ She gave me a sharp look, a reminder I hadn’t told her about there yet. ‘If you go back maybe the itching will stop.’
My gaze dropped from hers. I frowned in concentration.
‘What happened?’ She asked.
‘There was this dream I kept having, but it felt real. A-’
‘Hey!’ Aaron burst in. ‘Don’t be revealing your secrets without me! We’ve finished here, so why not go back to your place and you can tell us the whole story, alright?’
I hesitated at first, so used to pretending the things that happened were nothing. But why? Father had told me to be quiet, but look where that had led everyone.
‘Wow, you really did tell the whole story.’ Aaron said.
I shrugged. ‘I thought it made more sense to explain about Ignatius as well.’
‘So there’s a real person in those caves? I always thought it was a statue.’
‘A statue? But you must have known about immortals before.’
‘Well, yeah, but most people see them as a myth.’ Aaron squirmed in his chair, hands resting on the kitchen table.
‘What? But there’s-’
‘Dim!’ Annie shouted, her face pale but an excited twinkle in her eyes. ‘You really met elves? And a dragon?’
‘I didn’t meet a dragon. And the elves are all insane.’
‘Of course it was a dragon; she must be dying and searching for someone to be her successor.’
‘For what? Dragons are rarely seen, let alone do anything.’
Annie just shook her head.
‘You’ll have to ask her. If Laven is the only place you can hear her you have to keep going back. I think it would be dangerous if you don’t.’
I clutched at my hair, groaning.
‘Are you saying I’m going to become a…’
‘I don’t think you can completely. How could you sprout wings from nowhere? But it looks like you’re getting some…qualities.’
I snorted.
‘It has to be formed from something already there. The scales…they were made from your blood.’
‘Great, sounds like I’m going to have tons of fun.’
‘Her magic will help your body adjust to the scales enough for your dead, human skin to-’ she stopped, biting her lip.
‘Shed?’
‘Cool! Can I keep it after?’ Aaron jumped in. ‘I wonder if I can use it as an ingredient.’
I would have glared at him, but Annie did a better one.
The sun was starting to peek above the horizon when I reached the fire caves, twitching from the effort not to scratch.
If I don’t go back I’ll go insane.
I clutched the pouch of herbal medicine, waiting for it to take effect before entering.
Mum would kill me if she knew I brought this. But it should help me not to care about the itching as well.
Father stepped out of the cave entrance when the sun had risen. A look at my blank face made him nod in approval.
‘Good, I don’t want any trouble on this trip. We’ll go and come straight back.’
‘I need to stay at least one night.’
He didn’t answer, storming past into the dessert.
‘Father,’ I called out, his sleeping gear set out four metres from me. ‘I know you’re leaving on my birthday, but…are you still going to tell me about marriage rituals, like you promised? Iris mentioned it once.’
His glare shot across the distance, clogging up my throat.
‘I don’t think you need to worry about such things now. No woman will ever want to touch you.’
He turned his back, lying down. I swallowed, grabbing for more of the herbal tea.
‘My, don’t you look magnificent.’
I grinned back, too relieved to get annoyed.
‘Feeling better already?’ Lance asked, stepping back as I moved off the lift platform.
‘Yeah. As soon as we entered Line Woods the itching faded. Now that I’m in Laven my skin is tingling.’
‘Glad to hear it,’ Lance glanced up, seeing Father still on the platform, as far away from me as he could get.
‘Are you well, Dimitri? You must be busy preparing for your return to Firo.’
Father just grunted, stalking over and dropping the bag of ash by my feet.
‘I wouldn’t want to disappoint them by doing my job. They want you.’
His eyes brimmed with a hate so fierce I took a step back, feeling Lance’s hands on my shoulders.
‘You’re welcome to spend the night, as always.’
‘Don’t bother,’ Father spat. ‘I’m going back now. He can make his own way home.’
He stepped past, heading towards the main street.
‘What’s he doing?’ I choked out.
‘To leave here, you need the gift of a certain elf. He can be returned home in five minutes compared to the three days walking takes.’
‘What?’
‘It’s how you were returned last time, though you won’t remember, being unconscious.’ Lance patted my shoulders, releasing his hold. ‘Still, did you never wonder how your father only took three or four days on his trips when it takes three days alone to get here?’
I felt my face grow hot, feeling stupid.
‘Well, never mind, you’ll see how it’s done when we send you home. In the meantime you should get to work. A lot of people want to trade today.’
There were four ribbons on the main street. Lance whistled.
‘The most I’ve ever seen put up was two,’ he smiled. ‘Already you’re attracting attention.’
I scanned the street, seeing the yellow ribbon from before there.
‘See Eilir last; he’ll be busy.’
He patted my shoulder again and moved past me, footsteps silent. ‘I’ll wait for you at home.’
The first ribbon was a pale lilac, tied so precise it was symmetrical. The vine door parted, the ribbon falling to the floor.
I sighed and picked up the ribbon, rubbing it for comfort before stepping into the hut.
‘Hello?’
The main room was dark, a figure waiting near the centre.
‘Welcome, Firo’s chosen.’ An orb of light lit up in the figure’s hand. I blinked. ‘We have waited for this time to begin.’
Her eyes were old. I swayed from side to side, shutting my own eyes to steady myself.
‘The ash-’
‘I wish to bestow my blessings on you.’
I opened my eyes again to see her frown, studying my face.
‘I will use the ash to do this. Open the bag.’
I shivered, dropping the bag on the floor and bending to open it. My fingers stumbled on the knot under her pale lilac gaze.
‘Don’t touch it,’ she said, her voice calm but I flinched anyway. A slight ruffle made me look up, seeing her bent down in front of me, placing both hands into the open bag. I frowned, remembering last time they’d only wanted me to touch the ash.
‘As the one chosen by fire, I offer you my aide. As long as our protection holds, you will not draw your last breath.’
Her fingers were smudging a symbol onto my face, something oval. The skin touched by her responded, tingling harder. I sighed, my shoulders relaxing.
‘It is done.’
The light touches ceased. I sighed again, opening my eyes to see the woman elf smile.
‘Welcome to our world, young one.’
Eilir stood waiting at his hut’s entrance, holding his yellow ribbon. I held back a wince, imagining a fourth round of smudging symbols on my body.
‘I see you saved me for last,’ he turned and entered, me reluctantly following. ‘You have already received some blessings?’
‘Three,’ I said, entering the main room and opening the ash bag. ‘On my face, back and chest.’ I felt my face warm up at the reminder. All three had been women, but I hadn’t dared to argue when the last two wanted my shirt removed.
‘Mine only requires you roll up your sleeves,’ he smiled, ‘But first, I have my payment from last time.’
He pulled a necklace from around his neck, the chain unlocking with his touch. He dangled it in front of my eyes, its swaying lulling my mind.
It was silver, designed in the familiar vine style popular in Laven. They were tangled and twisted together, shaping a leaf form.
‘This was given to me by the real Eilir before he disappeared.’ The elf said, bending down and grabbing my hand. ‘I was given the privilege of his name because of this necklace. He entrusted me to guard it until you appeared.’ He lifted my hand, palm out, and placed the necklace there.
I gasped, feeling a presence, a comforting warmth of protection. It felt like her, but there was something more to it, another person?
‘It will be a great asset for you.’ Eilir said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Do all elves do that?
‘Now, shall I bestow my blessings on you?’
I sighed in relief when the dream began. It came out as a puff of smoke.
Are you well, young young?Her tired voice drifted to me.
I’m confused. Why did you chose me for this? What’s happening to me? What’s happening to you?
I’m sorry, little one. It had to be you.
Are you dying?
There was no answer.
Am I supposed to save you? Please let me help!
That necklace.
I looked down, catching a glimpse of Eilir’s necklace around my neck, the chain longer than in reality to fit round my dragon body.
An elf in Laven gave it to me.
The red blur moved in the distance, growing bigger.
I’m glad.
A sting on my head made me look up, seeing the ash falling. I shivered.
Do not fear, little one, it will soothe you.
Ash fell on my tense body, a thin coat that stayed unlit. It drifted to my neck, following the necklace’s chain to the leaf symbol, and melted into it. The more ash that entered the more warmth spread through me.
I will save you, I vowed. I promise I will.
Scribbled Thoughts 