In the minds of most fairies, the Silver Cove equates to safety. No matter what happens, they can always rely on the ’Cove to provide a temperate climate and to shelter them from any harm which comes along. Consequently, when the air fills with ash and the smoke blots out the sun, sending a chaotic darkness tumbling over the lands of Shaman, most fairies simply drop what they’re doing and head for the security of the Silver Cove.
The multitude of people beginning to gather catches Aura by surprise as she teleports into the ’Cove with Emma, causing her to stumble and fall over backwards. Luckily no one notices a couple of small girls appearing at the edge of the beach; everybody appears to be rather stunned, and they keep bumping into one another as they walk. Towards the centre of the group, those who managed to arrive first are beginning to get their wits back and are shouting in loud, panicky or angry voices at one another, or else crying or physically fighting. Spotting her parents, Emma wrestles herself free from Aura’s grip and runs towards them, crying tears of joy as she’s scooped up into her equally emotional mother’s arms.
Pulling herself up into a crouch position, Aura backs up carefully behind a rock, preferring not to be seen. Already she’s beginning to feel the first shivers of fear running up her spine as her enochlophobia sets in. Nobody’s seen her; perhaps, if she makes it to that patch of trees, she’ll be able to make a clean getaway.
“Going somewhere?”
Crap.
Aura spins slowly round to see Joel standing with his arms folded next to Elle, who is looking rather dejected for once. Intimidated by the taller man’s appearance and body language (however handsome he may be), Aura backs up against the rock but immediately feels a flickering of shame for her hasty actions when he shakes his head piteously. Why must she be such a disappointment to everyone?
“Listen, kid,” Joel begins somewhat reluctantly, as if he doesn’t really want to say what he’s about to say. “I know, alright? I know what it feels like to have divinity, and it sucks. The job of being a deity bites the big one, and I wouldn’t take it if you paid me. But it is a job, and sometimes you’ve got to do your job, whether you like it or not.” He hesitates, and adds with slightly more gentleness, “Shaman needs someone to turn to right now.”
He gives her a long, hard stare and stalks off to join the crowds (join, in Joel language, means stand at the edge of), followed by Elle who drops Aura a friendly wink before leaving. The handsome man’s words leave Aura feeling numb for a moment. Selfishness isn’t a trait she’s used to having to deal with; she’s been putting others before herself for her whole life, so she doesn’t understand why that philosophy faltered for a moment. Perhaps, she thinks with a slight smile, it is the Anneliese in her. The phoenix was incredibly self-centred, but she always did the right thing for the most amount of people in the end. Her final act had been to selflessly sacrifice herself for her own fairy.
“Swarms, yup yup,” mutters a little voice beside her. “Swarms gathering, swarms bumbling around and filtering out. Right Paw Missing Two Toes feasting, curling up in cave, snug and warm.”
Turning her head, there’s nothing there. Frowning, Aura turns her body fully and notices a small, filthy black rat sitting on a ridge at about her shoulder-height on the rock she’s hiding behind, twitching its whiskers and looking out at the crowds with interest. Sensing her staring, it turns to look at her.
“Stomping, huh?” It says fiercely, and now Aura knows that she isn’t dreaming. “Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp, Big Bumble Feet stomping on Right Paw Missing Two Toes, huh? Death, huh? Big Bumble Feet happy, huh? Huh?”
How unusual. She hasn’t tuned into to her polylingual abilities, and a quick check on her magic tells her that she isn’t using it unconsciously. The rat is really talking.
“I’m – I’m not going to stomp on you,” she mumbles, and adds a “really,” when the rat scoffs in disbelief.
“All Big Bumble Feet stomping, yup yup. Big Bumble Feet hating us rats, us guys. Big Bumble Feet killing us rats, us guys.”
“I assure you, I have no intention of killing you. What is your name?”
“Right Paw Missing Two Toes. You, huh?”
“Aura.”
The rat scoffs again. “No no no no no no no no no, no aura, huh? You cannot be ‘Aura’ if you have no aura. No glow, no light.”
“I’m sorry,” Aura shakes her head, unable to comprehend that she’s having this argument with a rat. “What would you call me, then?”
Right Paw Missing Two Toes twitches his tail and peers at her for a few moments. “White Fur,” he decides eventually.
“I see.” An idea is beginning to form in her mind. “Tell me, are there others like you? Other rats who speak to people?”
“Us guys, yup yup. Not here. None of us guys here. Us guys curling up in the dark, snug and warm, waiting.”
“And how did you get out?”
“Barriers crumbling, yup yup. Right Paw Missing Two Toes forcing his way out, paving the way, braving the dangers.”
“The barriers are crumbling?”
“Yup yup.”
“Thank you.”
Leaving the unusual rat perched inquisitively on the rock, Aura turns and walks into the crowd.
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