Dying Fire

Chapter Nine

“Get to know the monster

That lives in your soul –

Dive deep into your soul

And explore it.”

~Tori Amos~

Snug in her routine life with the new strange knowing of change ahead, Araine continues the next few days the same, with the exception of Araine.

            True to her word, the young girl returns every day, with the sad news of her friend falling into the clutches of a ringmaster. She tells the older girl that Ondine searches for courage and strength, believing he’ll find it in these fights, and he has been winning. The money is good, she says, and they’ve been able to afford to live in the ringmaster’s lodgings and get three meals a day – a great difference from sleeping in garbage and going hungry. Still, Annora knows it’s wrong to be paid for such a horrid sport, hurting others to get ahead of them on a ladder that only leads further into darkness.

            When Calex returns for more medicine for his mother, telling of her bettered health, Araine seeks his counsel on the subject. In the hour where her aid is sought after, Calex takes the young girl aside, sitting her on the top step of the back entrance to the shop and he standing at the bottom. As Araine tends to the others, he asks her questions about herself, Ondine, and their relationship to each other, making sure that he doesn’t catch a last name to either of them.

            “I met him when that man was telling the story… When you hurt Araine, remember?” she asks. Calex only nods, any reaction hid behind a stone expression. She continues, “I saw that other girl – Caia, I think? – with all her friends, and I was told to team up with people that can protect me from bad people and I saw Ondine… He said he’s protect me, and he knew how to make everything better for us… We’re friends. He likes to call me ‘Sister’.” She smiles and giggles slightly at the title.

            “He was talking about the fights, wasn’t he? The ones held by the ringmasters.” She nods, and Calex nods in return. “It’s understandable. Ringmasters pay a lot, if you win. Even let you stay with them, sometimes, for a price.” She nods, that worried look coming over her again. “How many fights has he won so far?”

            “Umm…” she blushes.

            After a moment, Calex gives her a reassuring smile and says, “You don’t know how to count. Do you?” she nods. “It’s all right, kid. Try listing them, and we could have a little lesson?”

            Carefully, Annora names the fights Ondine has won, going off of the time of the day and who he was fighting. With Calex’s help, she points one finger up for each fight, learning to count to five, and guessing right that the fights occurred throughout three days. To her, this is good news, that maybe her friend can make it long enough for them to save up and be free from all this hardship.

            Calex, however, knows better. “Have you been trying to talk him out of it?” She nods. “Don’t worry. He’ll come to his senses, kid. We’ve all thought about it once or twice and he’ll leave it all soon as he realizes there are other ways to get by.”

            “Like what?” she asks, curious.

            He hesitates before answering, slow and careful with his words. “Joining with others to do what has to be done, or doing it all on your own… Or come to Araine here,” he jerks his chin at her talking to the others. “She can take care of you when other means fall short. You know that, don’t you?”

            She nods, though it’s obvious that she’s doubtful. Annora had already spent a good amount of time on her own, and hadn’t fared well with ‘doing what has to be done’. Joining with Ondine has been the best thing to happen to her in a long time, and what he’s doing is working, no matter how absurd it is…