To Vanilla- Nidas is Leo. Without spoiling it, other characters will be referenced/show up, but not yet! And I hope you like this chapter! I had to do some tweaking, but I did my best!
Just to clarify- a shift is an hour, a quarter is a week, a moon is a month and a winter is a year.
Bibi poked Okia's temple, frowning. Her sister stared back at her with bleary, unimpressed eyes. Bibi poked her again.
"Stop being ill."
"Stop being mean."
"As your older sister, it's my duty to be mean. As my younger sister, it's your duty not to be contagious."
"I'm not contagious." Okia's protest cut off with a rough bout of coughing. Bibi sat back in her chair, covering her mouth and nose with her hands. "Oh, shut up." Okia wheezed. "You're the wrong nature to get this."
"Not taking any chances, hermana." Bibi considered her for a moment, eventually poking her again. Okia sighed. "Get better, this has been going on for, like, a million quarters now."
"No, it hasn't. Not even been a full quarter yet." There was a wicked giggle behind them. Before they could turn, Char hopped up onto Okia's bed, sitting astride her lap.
"You awake!" He beamed, throwing his hands up. Okia coughed into her fist and he recoiled, drawing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face in his hands. He peeked at her through his fingers. Okia sighed.
"By the moon, I am not contagious. Mama!" She called. "Mama, they're being horrible!" Isa stuck her head in moments later, raising a brow at them. Okia jolted her leg and Char fell backwards, squealing and giggling. Isa shook her head, smiling.
"Out." She ordered. "Let Okia rest."
"But she's been resting for aaagggeeeess." Bibi complained, rising. Char flourished his hands and she picked him up, perching him on her hip. "Come on, Char, let's leave the germ bag to her contagion." They stuck their tongues out at Okia. Isa waved them out, playfully flicking them both in the head as they passed.
"You OK?" She asked, once they were out of earshot.
"I'm not contagious."
"Only ta other earth imps." Isa agreed. "Ya look a bit better though, less like shit."
"Thanks, Mama, love you too."
Two quarters had passed. Every sunrise, Bibi checked her wrist. Yep, that marking was still there. She kept it covered now, using some of her mother's old gauntlets to 'accentuate her new look'. Isa didn't mind, as long as Bibi kept up with her training. She tried to, but she was hesitant to return to the forest. When Isa offered to give her some extra one-on-one lessons on shooting and Bibi didn't jump at the chance, Isa immediately became suspicious.
"Why?"
"Well, I just… um…" Bibi floundered. "Don't want to?" She eventually decided, squeezing her eyes shut and hunching her shoulders. "Oh, sorry, Mama, I do but…"
"But what?"
"Um… I just, uh…"
"Has somethin' happened?"
"No, Mama, I-" Isa frowned. Bibi startled, taking a step back.
"Ya can tell me."
"I know." Isa waited. When her daughter didn't explain further, she shrugged.
"OK. What'd ya wanna do then?"
"Um… I think I should practise my close combat a bit more. I've only really been up against Okia, but she's still not right, it's not fair." Isa hummed, thoughts drifting to her second daughter. It had only been the past quarter Okia was walking about again, but she insisted on catching up on her training, despite their protests.
"OK." She eventually said, still mulling over something. A question simmered behind her eyes, but she never voiced it. Bibi looked back to the village, only a stone's throw away. Ward waved at them from his doorstep, where he sat whittling yet another flute. Isa sighed. "He's been makin' 'em for so many winters, but can't ever play 'em."
"As long as it doesn't affect his tea making skills, it's OK." Bibi shrugged. Isa smiled and waved back. She stayed quiet, watching the village. Nidas and Ferd- an earth imp- appeared, debating something, in the square. A dozen houses stood around the small square, a path they were never allowed to use winding into the forest on the other side of them. The forbidden path was manned by two Imp Guards at all times- well, supposedly. They were often missing for long periods of time, which gave Isa ample opportunity to sneak out. The forest was thick and heavy with magic of many, many creatures. It was their prison walls. Isa used it to bring extra food into the village, proper meats, berries in the warmer moons, extra wood for when the winters drew in.
Nidas flailed his arms, smacking himself in the forehead. Ferd threw his hands up in protest. Isa sighed.
"What d'ya wanna bet it's over somethin' stupid, like how many pinecones they can fit in their mouths?"
It wasn't pinecones. It was acorns. Bibi zoned out as Isa listened to the pair of them debate it all over again, distractedly watching another of their neighbours- Crazy Lady. They didn't know her real name, and she was a little strange. A small, hunched imp of fifty or so winters with greying jet black hair. Her markings were cream over her dark skin. A rarity- a mind-reader. Except, she had no control over it. She had never found someone to help her learn. The intrusions of everyone's thoughts had driven her around the bend. The final straw was when she refused to spy for the Council, spilling rather scandalous and bloody secrets to the general population about several of the Council Members. She now stood at the well, muttering to herself as she lowered her bucket, her right arm twitching every few seconds. She looked up, fragile brown eyes staring straight into Bibi's eyes. A cold feeling washed through her- Crazy Lady would know about the fairy.
Bibi quickly focused on her father and Ferd, repeating their words quietly back to herself. Crazy Lady tutted and went back to the well.
"And that is why you would never be able to beat me!" Ferd finished dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest. Nidas tipped his chin up. Isa held her hands out, pushing them back a few steps.
"I'm sure you'll both be great at chokin' ta death on acorns 'n' I'm so glad you're usin' ya brains productively." She fixed them both with a firm glower and they were immediately contrite. Ferd took another step back.
"Sorry, Isa. Your husband is an idiot."
"I'm aware. He is my husband, after all."
"She married me for a reason, Ferd." Nidas blew a raspberry. Isa rolled her eyes, planting her hands on her hips. Nidas smiled innocently and Ferd took yet another step away. Bibi marvelled at her mother, at the authority she wielded over the two men. Would she be like that one day? Just a simple look, a change in stance, and the idiots stopped talking? She could only hope.
"Small child!" Crazy Lady warned, pointing across the square. Char barrelled in, seemingly from thin air, his hair encased in bright orange flames. He laughed wickedly, brandishing long sticks, one in each hand.
"I will slay the beast!" He declared, swinging the twigs around wildly, with all the force he could muster.
"Slay the beast?" Isa repeated. She and Nidas shared a glance. "By the moon, Oti better not be tellin' him stories again."
"At least he's encouraging a creative imagination." Ferd pointed out weakly. Isa raised a brow at him and he moved back three steps.
"He's encouragin' a walkin' headache 'n' jumpin' off roofs to slay the beast." Char yelled defiantly and ran at Crazy Lady. She stared him down, calmly tipping the contents of her bucket over his head. He spluttered, skidding to a halt. The fire in his hair was gone, replaced with steam and a loser's pout. Crazy Lady set her bucket on the edge of the well, one hand on her waist. She bowed to look him in the eye.
"Young man, you'll need more than some sticks to take me down."
"Bigger sticks?" He asked.
"Bigger than you by far." She chortled. Char held his sticks out for inspection, frowning at them. He tossed them to one side and shook his head, flicking water in all directions.
"Char!" Isa called. "What'd I say 'bout attackin' people?"
"Kick them hard where it hurts!" He beamed, stomping his feet and practising his kicks. Isa hung her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"No, mijo!" Nidas laughed. "That's only bad people!"
"People all bad! I am small!"
"Yeah, my bad." Nidas grimaced. Char raced towards them, crashing into his mother's legs. With a flick of her hand, the water was dispelled from him and his fire returned, a cheeky yellow. He held his hands up, making grabbing motions at her.
"Hug please!" He requested.
"Don't put anythin' down my shirt." Isa warned. Char froze, pursing his lips. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly lowered his left hand, fishing rather muddy moss from his pocket. He threw it to one side and his hand shot back up, demanding to be picked up. Isa shook her head, trying not to smile. He laughed and kicked his legs as she scooped him up, flinging his arms around her neck.
"This is your son." She told Nidas.
"Again, my bad."
A third quarter passed. Bibi couldn't sleep one night, the moon full and Char talking in his sleep. She lay back on her pillows, once again examining her wrist marking.
She had tried debating it over and over with herself, tried washing it away on more than one occasion, anything to talk herself out of believing it was there. Nothing worked. And as the nights wore on, this chasm seemed to open somewhere in her gut, pulling everything she had ever thought was good about herself away. This mark consumed.
Because she was ignoring it.
Ignoring it was the worst thing she could do.
This was a soul mark. Everyone got one, once in their life. When it showed, you had to connect it with whoever's arrival had sparked its appearance. She had seen her parents' hundreds of times. All soul marks appeared on the inside of the wrist of their left hands. Nidas's and Isa's, when they first materialised, had been halves of a whole. Hers showed flames burning on a substance unseen by them. His showed an expanse of water glimmering with a reflection of an unknown light source. When put side by side, their markings expanded, forming the complete picture of the burning water. An impossible feat, but that did not stop them trying all the same. The Marks never faded; they stayed the complete picture, unlike others imps'. It had never been solved as to why.
Something was definitely missing in Bibi's. She wasn't sure what, something under the branches, between the funny symbols around the edges. But she knew where it belonged. The village had a small 'library'. It was a place for the Exiled to go to read up on why they were exiled, how the Guards helped apply the Laws to the Main Lands. Everything that kept the imps alive and compliant were in those books. There were no stories, just lessons upon lessons, rules upon rules.
But it showed one thing. A forbidden language. The Fae Tongue.
The fairies' language was complex, confusing. Impish was far easier to comprehend, it was simple and straight to the point. The Fae Tongue was flowing and poetic, each letter written elaborately, each sentence constructed as though music and rhythm had birthed it. It hurt Bibi's head, but she recognised some of the symbols. She could not decipher what they said on her wrist, but she was certain they were of the Fae Tongue.
She had to go back. A little voice was tickling the back of her mind, but each night that passed, it grew louder and more incessant. Return, find she who pairs you.
The singing fairy. A song thought dangerous, proven sweet and calming. A creature rivalled to their species, destined to be her pair, the marking a stark contrast to all that kept them apart. For as long as anyone could remember, for as long as records went back, the Fae and the Imps were sworn enemies. The Fae believed Imps brought nothing but destruction and death. The Imps believed the Fae could and would control them, that they wanted them out of the way to expand their kingdom. The Fae loved to expand, they loved to explore and take treasures that did not belong to them. They could get along with most of the kingdoms around, but the Imps? No. The Imps were far too protective of their land to give it up so easily and the Fae did not like that. There had been war, there had been countless deaths on both sides, but the Imps overpowered and won. Numbers depleted, the Fae had retreated back to their grove, nursing their wounds and hoarding their treasures. The records hinted at more misfortune between the two species, but such information had been lost to time or reworded into inaccurate representations in bedtime stories.
Fairies had powers to quell an imp. Imps did not like to be tamed.
And this imp… this imp was going to do something stupid, really stupid.
She was going to cross the border.