Flicker of Understanding

Noel trudged forward, his shoulders hunched against the storm. The world had narrowed to white walls of snow and the crunch of his boots again, but the lantern swayed steadily in his hand, the little flame inside flickering with stubborn life. Akari wobbled against the glass, trying to steady herself. Noel had tried to let her out but she wasn't used to her new body and kept flying erratically. Not that the lantern was much better. Every sway made her feel like she was tumbling in circles.

Her head buzzed with questions she couldn’t hold back. “Noel… where are we?”

“The North. Near the Teeth of Thaurach,” he said, his voice flat. His breath frosted against the scarf wrapped around his face. “You won’t find a worse place to be caught in a storm. Well, it was until the entire North became the worst place.”

“The North… Teeth of - who or what?” Akari sputtered. Her flame puffed indignantly. “You say that like it’s obvious! Where I come from, there aren’t places with creepy names like that. Wait, actually...” There were haunted mansions.

“And where’s that? You keep saying you're not from this world. There's no records like yours in history unless they're a spirit who descended the celestial world.”

“…Japan in the world called Earth. I fell asleep and woke up as” she wobbled dramatically, “this!”

For the first time, Noel’s eye crinkled, almost amused. “A talking spirit thinking it was human. That’s a new one.”

“I was human!” she protested, sparks snapping against the glass. “I had a mom, a home, a phone, school - normal things! Not… snow monsters and swords and… lantern prisons!”

Noel gave a quiet grunt. “Well in this world, there are humanoid spirits but they were born as one or evolved into one."

“Well, myths or not, I must be special!” The flame declared proudly. “Akari - human turned spirit! The first of my kind!”

She thought she heard the young man chuckle but she saw no change in his expression. After a moment, Noel glanced at the lantern. "Do you feel cold, being flame?" he asked.

Akari blinked - or tried to. "Cold? Not since I woke up. It’s like I carry my own blanket everywhere. Warm and toasty all the time."

...

The snow deepened until even Noel slowed. Akari, desperate to fill the silence, began counting his steps under her breath - one, two, three - anything to keep rhythm against the storm. She thought he would silence her, but he did not. Instead, the steady cadence of her counting seemed to carry him onward.

Through the swirling snow, Noel spotted the shelter he was looking for, partially buried in drifts. Its roof sagged under the weight of snow, and the faint glow of hearth light leaked through its frosted windows. Relief flickered in his single eye. “There,” he said, voice low. “We can rest there.”

The cabin wasn’t large, but it was sturdy. The snow around the door had melted slightly from the warmth from the structure, creating a small clear patch. Noel pushed the door open and ducked inside. The sudden stillness nearly deafened her. No wind, no shrieking storm - just the quiet sounds of Noel's heavy breaths and sounds of taking off his thick cloaks. Noel set the lantern on a wooden shelf. The flame - her - cast a faint glow, just enough to show frost clinging to his hair and scarf.

Noel seemed average height for his age and had a lean frame. His hair, matching the white frost, had long bangs that slightly covered the side where he had an eyepatch. He carried himself with an unmistakable air of nobility. The missing eye was hidden beneath a black eyepatch with a unique embroidery, its story unreadable. She did not dare ask how he lost it, though curiosity burned behind her flame.

A stack of dry wood rested inside the hearth. Noel pulled flint and steel from his belt, but before he could use them, Akari floated free from the lantern as he opened the small door. She wavered for a moment, then focused her new form and sparked a fire herself. The flames blossomed quickly, brighter and steadier than anything Akari had ever seen. They hummed faintly, and she felt it echo in her chest.

She glanced around the cabin, puzzled. How could it be warm enough even before she sparked the fire? Surely there was no lingering flame from before, or was there magic at work?

Noel fed the fire. “Vael-Arin’s blessing. God of flame and memory. Without it, fire dies too quickly up here.” It seemed as if he was able to read her action. He leaned back into a chair. “The North keeps shelters like this across the land. Safe havens especially in these times. We're going to leave here tomorrow.”

Akari hovered around him, trying to get used to her current situation. “So… what kind of gods are here? Can we see them?”

Maybe there was one who could help her get back to Earth!

There are twelve gods, one born every month from the Creator. Each oversees different aspects of life though few mortals ever witnessed their powers directly.”

"Creator?"

"Elarai is its name. The world was born from nothing thanks to it."

"So… then who or what’s Thaurach?”

Noel lit the candles nearby to light the small room. “God of ice and grief. They say the snow is his tears but stop and bring spring when Vael-Arin reunites with him once a year. Lately, the winters haven't stopped for five years.”

Akari was processing all this information to understand this new world. "Then what about spirits?"

"Spirits are all tied to each god or at least an aspect of them. Some say they're children of the gods. You’re a flame spirit. Whether you were human or not, that should tie you to Vael-Arin.”

Akari went quiet, thinking of her old life: her mom’s tired smile, the stack of books she had left unfinished, and her plans for next week. Tied to a god? It felt impossibly big compared to all that.

“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do now,” she admitted softly, "I just want to go home."

“If that's what you want.” His tone was steady. “I’ll make sure you don’t get snuffed out along the way.”

She flared with startled sparks. “…Why? You don’t even know me.”

“You did save my life today,” he said, pulling his scarf loose and revealing a tired but faintly softened expression. “Also, you remind me of one of my younger relatives. She's quite the brat."

“Well, am I brat then too?”

“You are now.” He leaned back against the wall and closed his eye, resting. “Get used to it.”

Akari flame sputtered. “Well, I am thirteen, you know! So maybe an adult shouldn't be teasing me like that. I'm not going to forget this.”

Noel had a minute, wry smile. “Sure. Remember it forever, why don't you?”

"I can and will!"