Her mother traced the small, sword-shaped mark on her back. Sighing, the midwife looked at her mother and uttered the words her mother dreaded; "It marks the child as the vessel for a Milletian soul. You'll have the child for 10 years before her soul fully awakens, and no more."

Her mother shoved her away into the arms of the midwife, and broke into wet, angry tears. "Take it away. Please, get rid of it."

The midwife looked at her, and then at her mother, shock evident on her face. "You're sure? She would still be-"

"No, it won't still be my child. Take it away, for the love of the gods. Kill it, for all I care. One less Milletian in the world would be a good thing."

The midwife's mouth pressed into a thin line, and she nodded, swaddling the child in her arms and gathering her supplies. "As you wish, milady."

The rain that night came down in droves, driving the midwife back to the church with more haste than she normally employed on return trips from elsewhere in Tir Chonaill to the church. A small girl hopped down out of the window where she was watching, and hastily opened the door for the midwife, her nightgown fluttering wildly in the wind.

"Airé, how did it go?"

The midwife patted the small girl on the head. "It went well, Endelyon. Right up until the end." Airé sat down her basket and pulled back the top of the blanket held in her crooked arm to reveal the pale flesh of the child with tufts of wine-coloured hair and a face too round to be elven, but ears too tapered to be human.

Endelyon gasped. "Why did the momma give up her baby?"

Ainé sighed and ushered the small girl further inside and helped her to close the strong, oaken double door of the church. "The child is marked as a Milletian."

Endelyon frowned. "Why are there so many of them? What are they gonna do?"

Ainé frowned and shook her head. "I don't know, child. There were no vessels being born until a few years ago. We will just have to wait and see what the arrival of their destined souls brings. Guide them on their way into the world."

The infant shifted in the crook of her arm, and Endelyon stood on her tip-toes to better see the child. "What did the momma name it?"

Ainé looked at the child. "She wasn't given a name."

Endelyon's eyes went wide. "Can I name her?"

Ainé nodded. "I don't see why not."

Endelyon wrinkled her nose and frowned in concentration. "Emm-ah...Emm-er...Emm-er-een? Emerinne? Is that good?"

Ainé smiled. "It's a wonderful name. Emerinne it is."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Emerinne giggled and dropped down out of the tree and ran towards the graying woman standing by the church door holding a basket full of food.

Her voice tinkled through the air like soft bells. "Lunchtime, Momma?"

Ainé nodded, worry etched on her brow. "Yes, dear. Now, turn around and let me see that rash."

Emerinne sighed and turned, crossing her arms and pouting as Ainé examined the small, enflamed, sword-shaped mark between her shoulder blades. "This isn't what I had in mind for my birthday, Momma."

Ainé frowned and tapped the child lightly on the head. "You think I was expecting you to have a rash on your birthday? No. Now shush your fussing and sit."

Emerinne plopped down onto the grass and smiled. "What's for lunch?"

Ainé sat and opened the basket. "Bread, a nice cheese, and some sausage."

Emerinne smiled. "Tasty!" She grabbed the sausage and a knife and deftly began slicing the smoke-cured stick of meat. She exclaimed suddenly as she nicked her thumb with the knife, dropping the sausage and knife into the folds of her dress before grabbing her head.

Ainé looked at her in worry. "Are you alright, Reenie?"

Emerinne shook her head gently. "My head is killing m-"

She blanched mid sentence and her eyes went wide with shock before her eyes fluttered shut and her body went limp, leaving her to collapse on the ground. As Ainé moved to check on her, a fierce wind tore through the field next to the church, forcing Ainé to recoil and cover her eyes.

When the wind subsided and Ainé opened her eyes, Emerinne was gone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Emerinne looked around at her surroundings. Stark white marble with impossible architecture stood seemingly in the middle of nowhere...no ground to be seen, only clouds and the sky. She walked around a little bit to try to he hear bearings, jumping in shock as someone called her name.

She turned and stared in awe at the older girl standing in front of her sporting a slightly too-tight, but nonetheless stunning black China dress and soft, white pigtails.

The older girl called her name again in the same warm, kind alto, and Emerinne hesitantly approached. "Yes?"

A soft, silvery fog swirled around her and coalesced into the form of a young teenage girl with pale skin, a horde of freckles, warm, green eyes, and a tangled, curly mop of red hair.

Emerinne stared in awe. "Who..."

The older girl with white hair smiled. "This is your soul. It needs to merge with your body now, Emerinne."

Silver eyes grew wide as Emerinne slowly began to back away in fear, but it was too late. The silvery shade surrounded her once more, and slowly began to enter her through the small, sword-shaped mark she had borne since birth. The world began to fade around her, and her body grew heavy...so heavy. She slowly sank to the floor, laid her head down, and succumbed.

When she awoke,she found her past life to be a vague blur, a few major events sticking out in her mind...but overtop of that, she discovered a newfound wealth of knowledge and memories, far sharper and clearer than her own memories. These new memories...they were her own as well, and yet...not.

"Feeling better, Emerinne?"

Em jumped back in shock and stared once more at the white haired girl.

"No need to be alarmed. Welcome to the Soul Stream, Emerinne. My name is Nao."

Emerinne hesitantly let her guard down and nodded softly. "Hello."

Nao smiled and spoke softly. "You remember the land of Erinn?"

"Yes..."

"Is there anything you want to know about our world, or what is going on?"

"So I'm a...Milletian?"

"Yes."

"What are Milletians? Why are we here? What are we supposed to do?!"

Nao sighed. "Milletians are souls brought from another world to help maintain the balance of Erinn, and protect the natural denizens from the fomor horde. You aren't able to die...only get knocked out. This is what makes you the best opposition for the fomors."

Em blinked. "What's a fomor?"

Nao nodded. "A being from another world. They wish to claim Erinn for themselves."

Em blinked again. "So I'm a soul from one world pulled into another world to protect it from the beings from yet another world?"

Nao nodded. "Essentially."

Em sighed. "But I don't know what to do."

Nao smiled. "I'm going to send you to a friend of mine in a moment. First, however, you must tell me what talent you want to have. What skill set do you want to excel in above all others?"

Em stopped and stared at no particular spot in general on the ground as she thought. "Well...I'm not really much of a fighter. And I'm a huge klutz. But I'm really impatient. I remember the woman that raised me though...Ainé...could I maybe be a healer like her?"

Nao nodded. "Cleric it is. Here, take these...a wand to help you on your journey to becoming a master cleric, a guide for new Milletians, something to eat, a few soul stones to call me for help should you be knocked out, and a letter of introduction for you to give to a friend of mine so he can help you on your journey."

Emerinne stepped forward, her eyes wide. "Wait! Do you know who my parents are?"

Nao smiled sadly. "I do...and I'm afraid that you'll meet both on your travels. But I cannot tell you."

Emerinne sighed. "Fine. Send me to Erinn, please."

Nao nodded and smiled softly, raising her hands as she muttered an incantation under her breath. The world began to spin, slow at first but growing more rapid every second. Emerinne closed her eyes tightly, the spinning making her nauseous, and as she stood there, her eyes squeezed tight, she felt a moment of weightlessness.

Her weight returned to normal, and her nausea subsided. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.

"Hello. I'm Tin. You must be Emerinne. Fresh out of the Soul Stream, huh?"

Emerinne sighed, nearly dropping one of the cluster of things in her arms as she did so. It was going to be a long day.