Breaking Bread

The pocket dimension we now resided in, or “the Pocket” as everyone was calling it, was one square mile. At the boundary of the space and in the sky hung that silvery mist that was as solid as iron. It was as bright as daytime inside, but nobody could tell where the light came from.

Inside the space were several buildings, designed in a strange style. I had spent my whole life in the Empire. Imperial architecture was ornate and angular, with tall, narrow doors and windows and few curves. But the buildings in the Pocket were smoother, with almost organic curves and few right angles. Inside were curving passages with no windows that would be easy to get lost in. Although they beat the slums that the Empire had forced mages to live in.

Conveniently, one of the buildings had a dark, damp room that had bars and a door the wall from the entry door. In other words, it was a natural jail cell: put the prisoners behind the bars, then shut and lock the door with the key that had conveniently been left on a stool next to the cell. I have no idea why the mages who built this place had put that there, but then again, nobody knew why they had built the Pocket in the first place. But whatever the reason, the cell had room enough for two.

With Bekah’s help, I found some spare bedsheets in the building that the people had begun using as living space. I made up a little bed in the cell, and we put the two Aijalon in there. The boy my age still looked furious, but the child, who by this time had removed his mask too, seemed relieved.

As we left the cell, I heard the younger one start to sniffle. The older one softly said “don’t cry. The One Who Is is watching over us.” He had a soft, lilting voice with an accent I had never heard before.

Bekah and I spent a few hours wandering around, getting used to the Pocket. To escape the Empire, my father had faked his death a two weeks ago with Granny, then entered the portal. Thus, he already had a small set of rooms prepared for the three of us and Granny. It would be pretty tight, but I was quickly coming to realize that all of life in the Pocket would be pretty tight. One square mile was not a lot of space.

Dinner consisted of all the inhabitants of the Pocket, minus the prisoners, eating together. There wasn’t much conversation other than compliments to Granny for the quality of her cooking. When Granny had discovered this ancient Pocket world by accident a year ago, the mage community had hatched a plan to escape the Empire by hiding out here. Judging from the glum looks at dinner, I think now it was starting to sink in that we would all be spending a long time cooped up here.

After everyone finished eating, most people drifted off. I gathered up a plate of what was left. Before I left the makeshift dining hall, my father stopped me. “Are you still hungry?” he asked, eyeing the plate full of food.

I shook my head. “I thought I’d take something to the two in jail.”

“Hm. I suppose so.” He turned to speak with another middle-aged man, and I hurried to the newly filled jail cell.

When I entered the room that contained the cell, the older boy looked up. His expression looked hostile, so I held up the plate. “Dinner?”

The younger one squealed in excitement. I handed the plate through the bars. The boys attacked the food with the excitement of starving animals, although I could tell the older one was trying to restrain himself. I squatted on my heels, watching them.

The older one looked at me. “We can eat without supervision, you know.”

“I know,” I said. “I just thought we could talk.”

“…Talk?”

“Sure. I’ve got nothing else to do, and I figured you two aren’t exactly busy either.”

“I have nothing to say to a devil.” He turned his back.

The insult didn’t bother me. I had heard it plenty of times from the people of the Empire referring to my people. “What’s your name?”

“I refuse to give my name to a devil—” the older one began, but the younger one happily interrupted with “I’m Japha! My big brother is Shemman!” Japha clapped his hands together. “Thank you for the food!”

“Did you like it?” I asked the older one, Shemman.

He hesitated a moment before answering. “It is bland. Empire people do not spice their food enough.”

“Aren’t you from the Empire?”

He looked at me like I was crazy. “We are Aijalon,” he said as if that answered it.

“…Is that another nation?”

“How do you not know this? Yes, Aijalon is a nation far to the west of here. We ally ourselves with the Empire against the devils.”

I frowned. “You know, I really am trying to be friendly here. But that’s going to be hard if you keep calling me names.”

“But you are a devil, devil. I saw your witchcraft in battle, when you brought us here.”

I was starting to get really annoyed at Shemman. “Look. I’m not a devil. Yes I’m a mage, but I’m a girl. A human, just like you.”

Shemman made to spring to his feet, but he only moved a little bit before wincing and collapsing back to the ground again. “Ow,” he muttered.

I looked over. “Are your wounds okay?”

“They will heal,” Shemman replied. He was clearly trying to play it cool, but I could hear the pain in his voice. Well, serve him right for being so rude.

“Dad didn’t hold back, huh.”

“He had no reason to. I fought to kill.” That comment seemed to remind him of something. “And…it is true that you saved my life from your father.” He inclined his head. “I thank you, she-devil.”

“Now look here!” I said, getting really exasperated. “If you’re going to thank someone, don’t call her by a rude name. Use her actual name!”

“But I do not know your name.”

He looked so pettily smug at that comeback. It reminded me for all the world of a cat that had just knocked down an expensive vase and thought he had gotten away with it. I couldn’t stay mad after that thought.

I said “Rakel. I’m Rakel. My little sister from earlier is Bekah.”

“In that case, I thank you, Rakel.” He turned to Japha. “You must thank her too, brother.”

Japha nodded, the epitome of childish seriousness. “I thank you, Miss Rakel.”

I smiled at them both. “You’re very welcome.” Conversation flowed easier after that.