Ishtar

   “Raiju said that we shouldn’t go this far,” said the seven-year-old Cay for the thousandth time with a thickly accented use of the standard language.

The four year-old me replied, “It’s fine besides I sense something weird and I want to see it.”

Beside me Gael said, “I agree with the halfling. I smell blood and do not believe it wise to continue.”

The Donacelli sisters souls’ got out from the crucifix around my neck and Sister Maria said, “If there is blood, then we must see if there are any injured and tend to their wounds.”

Isabella retorted, “The kid’s only four and you want her to tend to some random person’s wounds when they’ve never done so? Jeez, sis, and you say I’ve got problems.”

“Ignore her. You are never too young to aid one who is in need. Why, I, myself, started preparing medicne at three and performed my first surgery at nine.”

“Yeah, but we were born during the start of the war. It's been over for at least 500 years and officially over for a few months now.”

Sister Maria glared at her sister and said, “Young Ishtar, as one who is passing on my knowledge unto you, I encourage you to see what has happened and mend the situation if it is within your power.”

“Please don’t. You are only making my job harder,” interjected Gael.

I said, “Sister Maria says it's okay so I’m still going. Are you three with me or not?”

Isabella, Cay, and Gael sighed collectively and said, “With you.”

I smiled and said, “Great. Gael lead the way and no lying.”

Gael rolled his eyes as he said, “Yes, child.”

After walking for a while, we were lead to some ruins and Gael said the smell is coming from there, leading towards a building that had caved in.

Gael said, “The smell is coming from in there.”

I said, “Gael, Cay, let’s move it and see what’s happening.”

They nodded and Gael started moving rubble with his mouth while Cay and I pushed some of the stones away together. After everything had been removed, two dirty hands reached out and Cay and I pulled out a dirty and cut up boy about my age with crimson hair and crimson eyes.

                                                                ***   

 I woke up to a feeling of violation in an unfamiliar room with the thought, How odd. I normally only dream about the future, but this time I dreamt of the past. Maybe it's a sign that Gabriel really is here.

Looking down at the luxurious bed (And Cay says I’m extravagant), I was surprised to find that my body was nude underneath the sheets.

I felt my face flare up because despite the numerous advances that have been made to me by both men and women of various species from my occupation, I had always stayed true to Sister Maria’s teachings. That is to say, that I intend to wait until I can meet someone I can spend the rest of life with before engaging in carnal activities.

It was then that the events of this afternoon came flashing back. At the thought of that accursed abomination, I felt slightly ill, but thankfully did not vomit, but that could have been due to the fact that there was nothing left in my stomach to vomit with.

I harshly whispered, “Gael!”

My tattoo glowed and out came Gael.

He said, “What is-Why are you naked?”

Blushing, I exclaimed, “Shut. Up. And. Find me some clothes.”

At this he laughed and said, “Oh, I see. It must have been those two you saved. I always knew that nun’s teachings would backfire, one day.”

At this, I threw a pillow at him.

He said, “All right, child, I’m going already” before making himself invisible to everyone except me and looking for some clothes.

Taking the sheet, I wrapped it around my body to see if there were any stains on the bed or if I felt any soreness like Isabella said I would. Seeing none and feeling perfectly normal, I breathed a sigh of relief that at least my virtue was safe. After, I went to the window to try to figure out how long I was asleep for. It was just after moonrise so not too long, but I would have to figure out where I was going to spend the night after Gael got my stuff back.

When he returned with underwear, brown pants, and a white, button-down long sleeved shirt, I harshly whispered, “Gael. Where. Is. My. Stuff?!”

He answered, “Yeah, about that. Knowing you, you’re not going to abandon it, but you’re going to have to get it yourself. Just promise me that you’ll grab your stuff then get out as fast as possible and oh-you should summon your sword before going in.”

Confused I asked, “What’s going on?”

Gael only looked at me sadly and said, “I can’t tell you, but just promise me.”

I replied, “Ok, I promise,” but remembered our earlier conversation and told myself that I would get the truth out of him one way or another.

With my promise, Gael sighed in relief and turned back to a tattoo, wrapping up my neck.

After I changed into the ugly clothes (God, I can’t beleive city-dwellers wear this stuff),  I chanted:

                                               Blade of my blood

                                                Sword of my kin

                                            Return to thy master

Immediately afterward, my sword was returned to me, fully intact. This was one of the only spells that I could do with one hundred percent accuracy because of how often I had practiced it as a child. 

Now to retrieve my bag. 

Gael wasn't lying when he knew I wouldn’t abandon it. It had the money Cay gave me before I left, my diary-Crap! It has my diary!-my clothes, my shoes, my jewelry, oh and did I mention...my clothes!  

Among my jewelry were my arm bands. Not only were they pretty, but they had special gems put into them by traders that gave off a special aura and made locating my bag a lot easier.

As I snuck through the mansion that I assumed I was in the only thing that kept running through my mind was, clothes and diary, like a mantra. At the door that held my stuff, I heard the voices of the twins talking. I pushed back the guilt that arose from not keeping my promise to Gael and started to listen in.

“...you did not do anything to that girl, sister?”

“Well, brother I prefer my partners to be awake, and for the first time, I’d prefer it if we do it together.”

Brendan chuckled and then said, “Yes, sister, but I do wonder how someone so beautiful had escaped our radar for so long.”

I thought, That creepy way of talking sounds really familiar-Curse my stupid habit of never remembering the faces of those that try to kill me! They’re those psycho twins from yesterday!

Brendan said, “But this one is interesting. It makes me wonder what expression she’ll make at her lowest.”

Sarah wistfully said, “...Yes, oh Angel, I wonder what the color of your blood is...”

At the last two sentences, I felt a chill and decided that now would be a good time to barge in so I kicked the door open and made a beeline for my bag.

Seeing as their faces were stunned with shock, I thought, What the hell, and chanted:

                                     Oh wind, free and wild

                                    that leaves me beguiled

                                    Create for thine master

                         A path that makes my escape faster

Of course, with my luck, it ended up being a bust so I just ran and jumped out a window, even though I was in the third story.

With the figure of a raven in my peripheral vision, I manipulated the wind to gently put me down and flipped facing the mansion while attempting another spell:

                                 Wind that cuts like a knife

                                               Full of rife

                                    Destroy mine enemies

               So that their existence be in mine memories

This time, it worked and the wind cut through the entire building. After the first wind hit, I didn’t sense the twins’ presence, but thought, Dear Lord in heaven as the wind would not stop cutting through the mansion.

At the destruction, I ran and jumped to avoid getting hit by wayward stone and rubble that resulted from my wind.

As I ran, I saw a tall asian boy around my age coming towards the mansion and grabbed his hand while shouting, “We have to run!”

“Wha-”

“Now!”

When we were far enough away that I thought we wouldn’t get hit by any flying mansion pieces, we sat and stared at the destruction that was still going on.

I sat in a crouch and ruffled my hair angrily while yelling, “Why does this always happen?! Every single time!”

The boy exclaimed, “You mean that was you” while pointing at the ongoing destruction.

At my nod, he gave me a pointed glare and I hurriedly said, “Don’t worry. I can fix it.”

The boy crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me with eyes as black as obsidian in the same manner that Raiju would whenever I destroyed something with my magic.

I thought, Dear Jesus, is this guy really a teenager?

After the wind had finally died down, we walked back to the rubble and the boy crossed his arms again before saying, “Well, I am waiting.”

I made a quick prayer that this would work, put my hand on the rubble and chanted:

                             Earth with strength mightier than a giant’s

                                           Older than mankind’s science

                                      Return unto me what once was lost

As I stepped back, a giant vine rose up from the ground and this vine was soon followed by tens of others.

I exclaimed, “Oh no” and grabbed the boy’s hand as we ran back to safety.

The boy said, “Now, why are we-What did you do?!”

I yelled, “Yell at me later! For now, more running, less talking!”

When we got back to safety, both of us tried to catch our breaths. When we were done, we looked up to find that the mansion had been transformed into a giant tree. The boy looked at me and I swear, he was giving me a lecture with just his eyes.

Scary. It's like seeing a young, human, teenage version of Raiju when I do something stupid.

Suddenly, the boy's eyes hardened back to obsidian and with cold authority, he said, “My name is Jam Jing Wai. As the heir apparent of the Shadow Clan, you are hereby under arrest for the destruction of private property of the inner city of Kapala.” And then he held out his hand and a black shadow bound my hands in front of me as he led me away. 

Next Chapter: Chapter 6