Chapter 1: Dinner Time

 The girl was beaten and bruised, her eyes hollow - staring ahead - not at him, but through.

Nico didn’t understand. It had been two weeks since he had found this girl. And there was always food waiting for him on the plate. A servant to wash the dish when he was done. He didn’t have to lift a finger for anything. What free time he had he spent staring off into the heavens, gazing at the escha swimming through the night sky. Their long tails slipped between the stars and caressed the moons.

He imagined how he looked - wide eyed and slack jawed. The silver of the moon reflected in the white of his eyes. But, not in hers. They were hollow. Dilated. She was scared. Who wouldn’t be in her position? Nico had to help. He had to do something. He wanted to show her to the family, but something told him it was a bad idea. An instinctual fear he couldn't describe. He shook his head. It was a bad idea. She hadn't eaten much the past two weeks, so it's likely she wasn't even human. She could even be a spirit of some kind. 

“Um, you… ” Nico massaged his hands to combat the night air. “It’s… cold out, you know, so…”

Silence was her reply. Nico found himself at a loss on what to say, or even what to do. The desire to help her was there. It was his duty as a Seryan noble to offer aid. Lead by example, help the less fortunate. Teachings drilled into his head from the moment he was born.

The sash meant to hold her robe together sagged at her waist. Her ribs pushed against her frail frame. When was the last time she had even eaten? Even if she didn’t say anything, he had to help. Doing something was better than nothing.

“You know what?” Nico made up his mind. He grunted, pushing up from the ground. “I’ll just bring you some dinner. See what you like.”

More silence. Nico frowned.

“Don’t go running off. Stay right here in the shed.” His hands were out as if she were about to run. Of course, she didn’t move a muscle. Her feet were firmly in place.

Nico took a single step back. After confirming that she was still there, he turned to walk away.

The fabric of his red coat rustled. He stopped. A chill went down his spine.

The girl was still standing there, wasn’t she? She had to be. There was no way she was what he was thinking. That couldn’t be. He was the son of an exorcist. 

Nico, don’t turn around.

Rustle. Rustle.

Do not.

He stepped forward.

Once, twice. Then, a third time.

His coat stopped moving. It should follow that if he took steps, the coat should move. That’s how it works. He wasn’t sure what to call whatever that was, but if something goes up, it comes down. It could be an artisan using a craft. A mean-spirited prank. There had to be a practical explanation. 

The only artisans Nico knew nearby were his family - and people of the Seryan temple. At that point, it could be anyone, but this was outside of their wheel house. Even then, it was a bit much for a practical joke.

Against his better judgement, Nico turned. A slow, deliberate movement. His toes angled toward the shed. His bones creaked as he slowly pivoted backward.

She was gone.

The girl was gone.

“O-oh. Oh, no. She was… she was a gho-”

A bob of hair perked up.

“... Grabbing my coat.”

The tension left Nico’s body. His palm found a perch on his forehead. He sighed, then crouched low - his glimmering eye meeting the girl head on.

“Don’t do that. Seriously, you’re freaking me out.”

He rested his hands on her shoulders. She fidgeted. Her eyes fell from Nico’s face, down onto the ground at her feet.

“Are you mad…?”

She spoke. She talked to him. She could talk!

“N-no! Not at all.” Nico coughed into his hand. “I’m not mad. Honestly, I’m happy that you’re talking. You just freaked me out a bit, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry.” The nameless child didn’t look up.

Nico frowned. He grew up with younger siblings - two brothers, one sister. So, it shouldn’t be this hard talking to someone half his age. He’s the scion of a noble house of Serya. This shouldn’t be beyond him. Yet, he felt like he was walking torchless into the dark. No guiding light. No one to help him. He lifted his eyepatch, scratching under his cheek.

“Why are kids so hard to deal with?”

“I’m sorry.” Another apology.

“I’m not talking about you.” He placed a hand on her head. “So, since you’re so talkative… what did you want to eat?”

Back to the silent treatment. Nico fell back on the original plan; giving her his plate and seeing if she would even pick at the food. Guilt seized his heart as he gently pressed the girl’s hand from his robe. Without turning back, he continued on his trek down the beaten path. The fallen autumn leaves and the dead trees gave way to the garden behind his home. Nico called it a ‘garden’, but that word didn’t quite fit. 

A large pond cut down the middle by a stone-bridge. White lantern light shimmered across the pond’s crystalline blue water. The white-light trickled through and came back green. Then, the verdant hue slowly shifted to a deep crimson. The color surfaced in the form of a fish. Its long body twisted in the air before splashing into the pond again.

Even after seeing it once, he still wasn’t used to it. Apparently it was something called a prism fish. An endangered species that couldn’t last too long in the dwindling state of the world below. It was said that their bodies changed color just from how the light hit. It seemed almost like a craft, like they were a living rainbow. The fish were saved as part of Serya’s ongoing ‘nature conservation’ efforts.

Nico narrowed his eyes at the multi-colored pond. Guilt emerged from his rippling reflection; a deep frown, with his eyes moving across the water. His family could paint it however they wanted, but it felt like a waste of time. It’s not that the fish didn’t deserve to be saved. No, it’s nothing like that, it’s that there were more important things to consider.

But, if he dare protest - his words would be given as much credence as a screaming child. He wasn’t the youngest, so he wouldn’t be coddled. He wasn’t the oldest, so his wisdom fell on deaf ears. He was stuck in the middle - too inexperienced to be taken seriously, but old enough to be aware of that fact. The everpresent prison of the middle-child. He clicked his tongue. If they wanted to save the fish, fine, but would it kill them to put them on public display? They were beautiful, so it seemed selfish to just hoard them. His friends in the lower ring of the city would get a kick out of them. Their families too.

He walked along the cobblestone path that skirted the perimeter of the pond. The prismatic show in the water slowly dulled - the pond fading back to its usual blue splendor. His eyes traced along the water, up toward the back of the house. Square, paper lanterns adorned in Seryan script hung from the pavilion above the porch. They moved in the night’s gentle breeze, the chain’s clattering against the wooden rails.

His eyes traced the railing from the sides of the porch to the center where the wooden stairs met the stone path. A phantom of the past moved along the rail, smiling as he struggled to keep his balance.

“Ezia! Thaleo! Look, look!” He yelled to his older sister and brother, hoping they would look at him. They stood across the way - Ezia with the same concerned frown, but Thaleo laughed in good humor. He even clapped alongside his brother’s antics. Ezia reached forward and grabbed Nico's arm. The intrusive image made Nico frown. His face reddened as he pivoted from the fading memory.

Times changed.

People changed.

And, there was nothing he could do about it.

He went from a showboating child to a studious recluse in a little less than a decade. Ezia was an Artisan of great renown within Serya’s Harvest, and his brother a talented statesman in his own right. He was one of two middle-children in a family of seven siblings. Ahmel, his brother, a fellow middle-child at seventeen, was making waves in the lower ring. Well-liked and charismatic. His sister, Luria, carried their elder sister’s torch as an Artisan. Then, the youngest, Mare and Marna - twins - were the center of attention for the whole family. They were both ten, and were probably more spoiled than Nico was at that age.

Only a few years older than the girl near the shed. The twins had full faces, wide smiles, and bright eyes. A sharp contrast that threatened to tear Nico’s heart clean in two. The question of why she couldn’t have what they had came to mind. It was more a rhetorical question than anything else. If he thought about it, he could come up with different answers: Circumstances from birth, lack of opportunity, her parents abandoned her, or, maybe, she didn’t have any parents from the start.

Nico stepped up the stairs and onto the vibrant red wood of the porch. Every step, another thought weighed on his mind. Did Ezia think about this, or maybe Thaleo? He was a statesman, so the wellbeing of his people should be at the forefront of his mind. Serya’s Harvest was as much a religious institution as it was a governmental one.

Two shadows moved beyond the paper door ahead. As Nico reached his hand out, just a mere inch away from the door, it opened. The mystery figures were revealed to be servants. One had a head of black hair, and focused green eyes. The other, however, seemed to be a nervous wreck. She fought with the long sleeves of her robe as she looked up. “Oh, sorry. Good evening lord, um, Thaleo?”

The nervous girl looked to the other maid. A shake of the head. It was a wrong guess.

“I’m sorry, I’m still new to this.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Nico waved a dismissive hand. “I’m flattered you would compare me to my brother, but no. My name is Nico.”

“Good evening, Lord Nico.” Liz, the more experienced of the two, spoke up.

“Evening, Liz.” Nico waved. “And, I told you. Nico is fine.”

“I’m interested in keeping my job, thank you," she said. "And, forgive me for asking, Lord Nico, but is your eye hurting again?”

“My eye?” Nico stopped. He felt his face. “Oh, no! Sorry, sorry!”

He cupped his finger under the black eyepatch and shifted it from his left eye to his right.

“No, all good. Just wanted to see if it still worked, you know?” He grinned.

“Still worked…?” The other maid mumbled.

“Ah, sorry. I was on my way to go get dinner.” Nico changed the subject. “I want to eat in the park outback. Take in the stars on this beautiful night, you know?”

“Oh, allow me then.” Liz moved forward.

“No, Liz, I can get it myself.” Nico moved to step past her.

Liz followed his movement, standing as a bulwark between Nico and the end of the corridor.

“I insist, my lord.” Her words are terse. Final.

“I don’t want to make you-”

“Make me?” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s my job, my Lord.”

The provisional maid stared between Liz and Nico.

“Is this how we talk to our employers, Miss Liz?” She mumbled.

“No, it’s just how I talk to him.” Liz frowned, pulling a stray black hair out of her face. “I imagine if he had it his way, he’d be wearing the black robe and be at my beck and call.”

“Hey, I did NOT say that!” Nico protested.

“Then shut up and let me do my job.” Liz stared daggers. Another step forward, and Nico was likely to be stabbed.

“Fine, fine.” He threw his hands up and surrendered. “Do what you want.”

“I’ll do what I’m paid to do, yes.” Liz sighed. “Come on, newbie, I’ll need you to look over the twins."

"T-the twins?" The newcomer blinked, looking to Nico.

"I apologize in advance," Nico said with a smile.

"O-oh no," the new girl mumbled as she scampered after Liz.

Nico stood alone in the hallway, his brow furrowed and his arms crossed. He didn't want anyone thinking he was in a poor mood, but he found it hard to hide his feelings. A struggle he was never suited for. That's probably why his brother thought he would make a poor politician. Too easy to read.

He clicked his tongue and turned on his heel. The trek back to the porch wasn't long, but it did little to assuage his worry. Nico found his perch on the red railing that marked the perimeter of the porch. All he could do now was wait for the two servants to come back. He didn’t want to depend on them, but lifting a finger would only get him reprimanded. So, he remained, watching the shifting colors of the pond.

As the fish danced in the water, only one thought came to mind.

They really were beautiful.