Ninjas, Highschool and Magic (and Candles)

[Lop]

Current Year
Earth (3.01)
Lower East Side, New York City

A dark, narrow alley rose up between two tall apartment buildings. The surrounding neighborhood was basked in a stark, orange sun-set. Small gardens hung from window ledges, and groups of people moved about the streets, keeping to themselves. Faint music drifted down from an open window.

A bright flash emitted from within the alley. Strange voices, speaking in discord, rose up like a river. Translucent, shining butterflies spilled forth from the alley entrance. They trailed up, then faded. Nobody along the sidewalks seemed to notice.

A man in his thirties and a dark, blue-wool trench-coat, stumbled out of the alley. A girl dressed in a long, blue-wool cloak followed, grasping his arm and steadying him. "Uncle!" she said, concern on her face.

The man held out his palm, gripping his forehead with his other. "I'm fine.." he muttered, stumbling again. The girl gripped his arm and helped him back up. A young couple walked around them on the sidewalk, pointedly ignoring the pair.

"are you sick?" The girl said, checking him over. "I don't understand Uncle Calebus, what's happening?"

"it's travel sickness," The man said, closing his eyes. "you should be experiencing it too..."

Concern remained on the girl's face. She helped him sit down on the sidewalk, then checked herself over. "I don't feel sick..." she said, feeling her forehead.

"good, good Yana" the man said, his face pale and sweaty. "just..just give me a minute,"

The girl, Yana, knelt down beside him, hugging her knees as the man caught his breath. When she was sure he wasn't worsening, Yana chanced a look around the street. The tall buildings were cast in shadows from the fading light. Dark pink clouds raced overhead, streaming towards the distance. Cars rumbled by the street, blaring loud music and the voices of podcasts. "it's so...empty," Yana said, looking at the sky. She glanced down at her wool coat. "and it feels empty too..."

Calebus opened his eyes, struggling to sit up straight. "okay," he said, holding his stomach. "I think I'm okay now,"

Yana got up, then helped Calebus to his feet. He brushed at his wool coat, then looked around. Yana joined him, watching as a group of young men and women passed loudly on the other side of the street. They laughed, pointing at something on one of their phones. "This is New York City, or New Amsterdam, or Conway Point, yes?" Yana said, turning to look up at Calebus.

"yeah," The man said, still studying the street. "They call it New York City here,"

"everything's small, and bleak," Yana said, her voice quiet. "and..."

"Empty, yes you mentioned that," Calebus said. He started down the sidewalk, motioning for the girl to follow. "C'mon, we've got to find Flinder. He should be around here, at least within a couple mile radius,"

Yana caught up to him, still glancing around the street. "Uncle?" she said.

"yes,"

"Why are there no sky lights?" Yana said, craning her neck up. "Or Phebe towers, or airships, or-"

Calebus suddenly turned on her, his expression serious. Yana stopped short, surprised. "Yana," He said, his voice urgent. "This is a dead world. There is no magic here. No chi, no sky lights, none of that. You have to be very careful here, for very different reasons than back home,"

Yana watched as Calebus turned back around and continued down the sidewalk. She remained where she was, confused. "What about Phebe towers!" She said, catching up to him. "And how can't there be an chi? Everyone has chi!"

"No mad ones either," Calebus said, scanning the sidewalks. "So no Phebe towers, or airships, or flying cities, or any of that," He stopped up short, narrowing his eyes at a man crossing the street. "And sure they have chi, they just can't use it, similar to how you can't," Yana's face fell. Calebus noticed, immediately regretting his words. "sorry...that's, not what I meant..it's not exactly like that.."

"I know," Yana said, quietly. Her hurt expression faded, quickly replaced by curiosity. "But, uncle! If there's no magic, how can you protect us?"

Calebus stopped staring at the man, realizing he wasn't who he was looking for. He continued down the street, prompting Yana to follow. "No magic means no magic," Calebus said. "For me and for them. And no-one causes trouble on a dead world. Demons have control here. Having said that, it's going to be up to you to protect us if anything attacks..."

"ME??" Yana said, gawking. "Why on all the earths are we here?? If they don't have magic and chi, how do they fight and do things!"

"The same way you do, just with more guns and bombs,"

Yana was more confused now than she was just a moment ago. "but..but, that's so..."

"It's different, and dangerous," Calebus said, gesturing for Yana to catch up. "But neither the Lady, the Marquis or the Doctor can track us here, and they can't send big groups after us either, or they'll draw the wrong sort of attention,"

Yana was contemplative, and worried. "that's...good...but I don't think I can protect us against guns and bombs!"

"We'll get you a gun, but we need to find Flinder first, so come on,"

Shaking her head, Yana followed Calebus as he made his way down the sidewalk. The pair walked down to the end of the street, then turned back around and walked back up it. Again and again Calebus and Yana traversed the street, always craning their neck.

"Are you sure you can't say what he looks like?" Yana said, after they reached the end for the fifth time. Calebus turned around and began walking back.

"I can't, really," He said, stopping by a streetlamp. The sun had almost disappeared entirely from the lower east side, and the strange, pink twilight had brought out an influx of pedestrians and cars. "It's been too long since I've seen him, and you wouldn't know him from anyone else here, besides maybe his height,"

Yana pointed up the street. "There's a tall guy,"

Calebus checked, then shook his head with a bemused smile. "No Yana, that's not him. There's a lot of people in this city, just like any other we've visited. We'll just have to keep walking up and down and hope we see him,"

The pair continued on, back and forth. Night tried to descend on the city, but the street lights and distant Manhattan skyscrapers kept it at bay. As they reached the end of the street for the umpteenth time, Yana's stomach growled. "Uncleee," She said, gripping it. "I'm hungry!"

"We have no money Yana," Calebus said, turning back around and leading her up the street. "We won't have anything that can be used in this world until we find Flinder,"

Yana groaned, then followed Calebus with staggered steps. "I...I might die from hunger," She said, putting a hand to her forehead. "I think I finally have the travel sickness..."

"The travel sickness only affects you right after you travel," Calebus said, coming to a stop and exhaling. "We'll do a couple more walks, then find someplace to sleep,"

Back and forth, back and forth, the man and the girl walked the street. At one point a woman came out of a corner grocery. She wore a bright floral dress, and held brown bags in her hand. "Excuse me!" She yelled, stalking after them in platform shoes. "I've seen you walking up and down several times now! This neighborhood doesn't tolerate people buying or selling heroin here!"

Confusion crossed Yana's face. "what's heroin?"

"We're sorry," Calebus said, holding up both of his palms. "We're just...looking for someone. A friend,"

The woman narrowed her eyes, looking his blue wool cloak up and down. "Well your 'friend' better pick you up soon, because if I see you loitering around too much longer I'm calling the police!"

Yana peered over the edge of the woman's grocery bag, staring at the produce that poked out from it. The woman noticed and clutched the bag to herself. "Of course," Calebus said, backing up and herding Yana with him. "We'll be on our way..."

Turning, Yana followed Calebus as the woman watched them. "she could have offered us something to eat..." Yana said, glancing back over her shoulder.

"Things are different here," Calebus muttered. "But we should get off these streets before she causes trouble for us,"

The two of them found an alley, which seemed devoid of anything save a dumpster and stacks of discarded pallets. A man already slept at the end of the alley, wrapped up in newspapers and a blanket. Calebus and Yana slid down against the brick wall near the entrance. Calebus peered out at the street, watching the pedestrians. Yana gathered up newspapers around her shoes.

"this is awful," She said, her expression defeated. She pressed at the newspaper covering her, taking note of its flimsiness.

"we just have to find Flinder," Calebus muttered, still staring out the alley.

Yana hugged herself, burying her face in her knees. "I want to go back home uncle," she said, her voice muffled.

"I know," Calebus said, his voice equally quiet. He continued to stare at the street.

"I miss mother..and father..."

"I know," Calebus said, closing his eyes tightly. He slowly opened them and patted Yana on the back. "It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. We'll start a new life here," Calebus took a deep breath, as if he was convincing himself. "It will be fine..."

Calebus woke up to the sound of a heavy diesel truck rumbling by. He struggled upright, looking around. Memories of the last couple days floated back to him, and the man put his face in his hands. "shit,"

Yana yawned, then winced as she sat up. "ohh, my back. Not good, not good,"

"Musta dozed off," Calebus said, getting to his feet.

"uncleeee," Yana said, gripping her stomach as she leaned back against the brick. "I'm sooo hungry...."

Sighing, Calebus agreed with a nod. "Me too Yana. We'll find something,"

He managed to convince his niece to walk with him again. The two started off as they had the day before, walking up and down the sidewalk. Yana was quieter today, clearly struggling from hunger. Calebus did his best to remain alert and focused, despite his own pangs.

By the time noon rolled around, Calebus and Yana had returned to the alley. Now Calebus was solely concerned with food. Both he and Yana couldn't keep walking the street much longer.

"are you sure he's even around here," Yana said, gripping her stomach as she leaned against the alley. "What if he's not here anymore?"

"I tracked him before we traveled," Calebus said, watching a corner grocery store down the street.

"I thought you said you couldn't track people here!"

Calebus laughed, though it was a tired laugh. "The Doctor and the others certainly can't," He turned to her, giving a reassuring smile. "But you're uncle can,"

Yana smiled back. "yeahh, okay." She glanced out of the alley, then nodded towards something. "there's another tall guy,"

Calebus let out a laugh, glancing out. The laugh froze on his face, and he squinted. A tall man with a handlebar mustache and a sports blazer walked a small dog down the street. He wore aviator sunglasses, and whistled to himself as he walked. "that's..." Calebus began. "That's him...that's Flinder!" Calebus grabbed Yana's wrist and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon!"

The two of them ran out of the alley, Calebus waving wildly. "FLINDER!" He shouted across the street. A loud truck passed, blocking his vision. "Shit!". Calebus ran into the street, narrowly avoiding another car. It screeched to a halt, honking loudly. Calebus continued to weave around vehicles, waving his arms. "FLINDER!"

Another car honked, and the tall man paused. He turned, spotting Calebur and Yana jogging towards him. The man lowered his sunglasses, looking over the rim in shock. "Candle...," The man said, wonderment on his face. "Candle Man??" Calebus ran up on the sidewalk, coming to a stop in front of the man. He put his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "Holy hell it is you!" The man said, slapping Calebus on the back. "Candleman! What are you doing here!"

Calebus held up a finger, then straightened up. The man's dog yipped, straining at the leash. "I need your help Flinder," Calebus said, his expression growing serious. "me and my niece, we need to get set up here,"

The smile slowly died on Flinder's face. "oh no," He said. "Candleman, what's wrong?"

Calebus glanced around the street. "Is there someplace else we could talk?"

Yana leaned down and scratched the small dog's ears. It continued to yip as it struggled to reach her. Her stomach growled, prompting Yana to place a hand to it. She held up her free hand to the tall man with sunglasses. "Hi, I'm Yana, do you have food?"

"yeah yeah," Flinder's said, giving her hand a distracted shake as he stared at Calebus. "Let's go to my place then,"

A strong breeze tugged at the man's sport's blazer as he turned down the sidewalk. Calebus and Yana followed him, passing groups of people going about their morning business. Not much was said until they reached a six-story apartment building wedged between several others. Flinders jogged up the steps, his small dog struggling to keep up. Calebus and Yana brought up the rear, waiting as Flinders unlocked the door and let them in.

The lobby was dingy, and faded. The building had clearly existed for some time, and no amount of paint could cover that. Flinder's picked up his dog and walked up creaky steps to the second level. Calebus and Yana followed. After walking down a hall, Flinder's stopped in front of his door and fiddled with his key in the lock. Yana took the opportunity to look up and down the hall.

"Uncle," she whispered. "There's no wards, or spirits,"

"Hm," Calebus said, agreeing. Flinder's managed to get the door open, then pushed it in. He swept inside. After sharing a look, Calebus and Yana entered as well.

"Don't mind the mess!" Flinders called as he walked into the apartment.

Calebus and Yana slowly followed. The apartment had wooden floors and white, faded walls from the previous century. Open windows looking out into the neighborhood dominated one end. Art, as well as wall-hanging, covered the other walls. There was furniture as well, but it was obscured by stacks of books and newspapers. They occupied every available space, piling up precariously towards the ceiling. Calebus and Yana navigated a thin path through the stacks, careful not to knock any over as they followed the sound of a small dog barking.

"this is a death-trap for that dog," Yana whispered. She stopped to look at the spines of one of the stacks. None of the book titles were familiar to her, and she moved on.

"So!" Flinder called, his voice echoing from another room. The sound of a microwave carried with it. Calebus and Yana emerged from the stacks into a dining space of sorts. It was cleared of books, and held a table and several chairs. Flanders emerged from a kitchen, holding a steaming plate of what looked like bread. "Why has the great Candleman fled to this Earth?"

He set the plate down on the table, beckoning for the man and girl to sit. "Well," Calebus said, watching Yana eagerly pull back a chair. "It's...complicated,"

Flinder got comfortable in a seat and opened his arms. "It always is friend, we don't end up here because we want to,"

Yana inhaled the steam rising from the bread. She looked at Flinder, who nodded she could dig in. Yana picked one up and took a huge bite. She chewed, then grew horrified. "HOT!" she said. "HOT!"

"Oh yeah," Flinder said, standing quickly. "Sorry, they call em' hot-pockets for a reason," The sound of the faucet drifted in, then Flinder returned with two glasses. Yana eagerly accepted one and drained it. "So," Flinder said, settling back in. "Candleman-"

"You can call me Calebus,"

Flinder looked surprised. "Calebus? Is that really your name?" Calebus nodded, and Flinder shook his head. "That won't do here, you'll have to shorten it to Caleb or something." He dismissed the thought with a gesture. "Anyways, tell me about this complicated situation of yours..."

Calebus's gaze flickered briefly to Yana. She was blowing on her hot-pocket, trying to cool it. "Yana's parents," Calebus began. This caused Yana to pause, and she met his gaze. "They got involved with some dangerous people. Something happened, though we're not sure what. Yana's parents...my...friends..," Calebus fell silent, and Yana slowly lowered her hot-pocket. "Well, they're gone now. We thought...maybe that would end it. But, they're still after Yana...for some reason.."

Flinder listened, his hand resting on the table. When Calebus finished, Flinder tapped a finger to the wood. "well..." he said. "Anyone who's too much for the Candleman..."

"It's the Lady of the Shroud, and the Marquis d'Gaul, as well as Doctor Paggilio,"

Flinder raised both eyebrows. "well, I certainly know those first two, though the doctor doesn't ring any bells..."

"Consider yourself lucky," Calebus said, taking a sip of his water. He reached forward and helped himself to a hotpocket. Yana still stared down at hers, though she took a contemplative bite.

"The Lady and the Marquis huh?" Flinder said, shaking his head. "Yes, I could see how that might be trouble,"

"That's why we came here," Calebus said, earnestly staring at Flinder. "To get away from their magic and power. You have to help us set up a life here Flinder, like you have for the others,"

"whoa whoa whoa," Flinder said, straightening up in his seat. He leaned forward, looking just as earnest. "Candleman, you have to understand, things are different here,"

"I know-"

"No," Flinder said, holding up a finger. "You think you know, but really, you don't know. This isn't a place you can just pop through like the other Earth's. Things are tense right now, especially for people who aren't proper citizens,"

Calebus listened, chewing on his hotpocket. He swallowed. "Well, can you get us everything? The papers? Jobs?"

"Like I said, things are different," Flinder said, a pained expression on his face. "I can set you up, sure, but all these things take money...lot's of money. It's everything, here, what without any magic," Flinder continued to look pained. "And...well, since you can't use any of your candles..."

"I understand," Calebus said. "I'm willing to work, both of us are,"

"Ha, no," Flinder said, pointing at Yana. "You're going to have to enroll her in school, if she's caught out here working, that will get you deported faster than anything,"

Calebus nodded. "Yes, fine, just tell us how to do all this,"

Flinder held up his hand. "Money, jobs, apartment, papers, school," Flinder pointed to each finger as he listed them. "All these things can be gotten through really only two-to-three people. One of them's ol' Judge Jerkins,"

"shit," Calebus said. "Can't believe he's still alive,"

"Oh he's alive alright," Flinder said. "After that fiasco on the fourteenth Earth, he packed up and came straight here to lie low,"

Calebus took another bite of his hotpocket. "He's trouble," he said, chewing. "What kind of racket is he running out here?"

"Ohh, you know," Flinder said. "A little bit of this, a little bit of that. It's definitely troubling work, but it pays well,"

"We can't really afford to draw attention," Calebus mused. "But it sounds like we need the money..."

Flinder nodded emphatically. "Oh yes my friend, especially when you hear what highschool your niece is going to have to go to,"

Yana looked up, suspicious. "I don't really need to go to school, I've already graduated from the Baahalan School of the Striking Viper,"

"I told you, money's everything. Kid's your age stay in general education well into adulthood. And there's only one school around here that can protect kids of people like us; Madison Prep,"

Yana groaned. "I thought I was finished with school!"

Calebus thought on everything he was hearing. "so.." He said, slowly. "Besides Judge Jenkins, who else can help us?"

"Well, there's Mama Mel," Flinder said. "She's one of us too. Helps out other-world refugees with mostly menial, community-based work. Doesn't pay well, but you can keep your head down and feel good about it,"

"hm," Calebus said, listening. "That's our choices, huh?"

"For people like us?" Flinder said, wincing. "Yeah, that's about it. There's a third guy name Drego, and he could get you a real job here. But...he helps out actual refugees and immigrants, from this world. It would be risky for someone like you, an outsider, to try and work with him. You just don't get how this world work's yet..."

"But the money's good?"

Flinder nodded. "Yeah, can't argue that,"

Calebus shared a look with Yana. "Well..." He began.

[] Seek out help from Judge Jerkins
[] Seek out help from Ma Mel
[] Seek out help from Drego

 

[Lop]

[X] Seek out help from Ma Mel

Click to shrink...

I am fascinated and completely unfamiliar with the setting.
[X] Seek out help from Judge Jerkins

Click to shrink...

[X] Seek out help from Drego

Click to shrink...

[X] Seek out help from Ma Mel

"I just don't want to go to this school," Yana said, her expression firm.

Calebus turned back to Flinder. "I'll seek out this Ma Mel. If she doesn't pay much, I'll just have to work extra hard,"

"Heh," Flinder said, his arms crossed as he leaned against his chair. "You say that now, but she'll have you coming and going," The small dog appeared from the kitchen, wobbling its head as it trotted to Flinder. He uncrossed his arms to bend over and scratch its ears.

Yana reached forward and took another hotpocket. This time she broke it in half, blowing on both ends. "That's fine," Calebus said. "I appreciate you feeding us, I'll find a way to pay you back,"

"That's right you will," Flinder said. "Money and strange work is everything here. You'll get used to it soon,"

Calebus took stock of the room they were in, then took a deep breath. "Well, no sense in wasting any time, right? We might as well go and meet her," he paused. "Unless you have things you need to do,"

Flinder opened his arms wide. "Nothing pressing this day, which thankfully happens on occasion,"

Calebus stood, drawing his wool trenchcoat to himself. Flinder watched him, still itching the dog's ears. "It's always good to see clothing like yours,"

"Yes, I noticed clothing is quite different here, a lot like the Empire Earths before the crackdowns,"

Flinder got up from his chair. Yana noticed both men standing and stuffed the rest of the hotpocket in her mouth. She washed it down with her glass of water, then promptly stood. Flinder took the lead through the stacks of books. "You have to understand," Flinder's voice trailed back. "These type of world's are wholly concentrated on themselves. There is nothing else here,"

"That's what I said," Yana said, accidentally bumping into a stack. She froze, her eyes wide. The books swayed, then calmed, and the girl exhaled. She started again through the maze. "This world is empty, it's just people and small buildings,"

"Oh there's quite a lot if you know where to look. Without magic or anything else, they've gotten quite creative. The clothing's just the tip of the iceberg,"

The trio reached the front door, and Flinder led them out into the hall. The small dog tried to follow, but Flinder gently pushed it back in the apartment with his foot. He closed the door and locked it, then headed down the hall.

Once outside, Flinder headed up the sidewalk. Calebus and Yana hastened to flank him on either side. "Calebus said they use guns and bombs here," Yana said, glancing around at the neighborhood. "Is it true? Just that?"

Flinder chuckled and adjusted his aviators. "Yeah, no duels here. They kill each other nice and quick,"

"What about Ma Mel," Calebus said, interrupting. "What kind of work does she usually have people do?"

"It'd be easier to list what she doesn't do. She's a real boon to the community, helping people like us set up and stay involved,"

Flinder led them through a side-street. In the middle was a community garden, surrounded by tall, brick apartment complexes. The garden was fenced in with chainlink and a gate, all painted. Flinder let himself in, and Calebus and Yana cautiously followed. The garden was filled with small plots of greenery and color. Yana playfully pushed at a bunch of tall sunflowers towering over the path. They bobbed, one of them gently brushing her on the head. Yana winced, then cracked an eye. When she saw the sunflowers simply swaying, she quickly caught up to the men.

The community center was perhaps the only one-story building Calebus and Yana had seen here. It was brick, like the surrounding apartment complexes, and featured creative murals and slogans painted across the front. Flinder jogged up the steps and opened the door, motioning for the man and girl to enter.

The inside was just as colorful as the outside. A lobby held several tables and plastic chairs, and a reception desk sat behind a glass window. There was no-one present, save an older woman behind the window. Flinder walked up with a confident strut, leaning one arm of his sports blazer against the pane. He nodded at the woman, getting her attention. "Hey beautiful, is Ma in?"

The woman raised an eyebrow at Flinder, then a slow smile spread across her face. "Why yes Mr. Regis, I do believe she is. Shall I let her know you're here?"

"Oh don't do that," Flinder said, holding a finger to his lips. "I'll go in and surprise her,"

The woman chuckled. "Very well Mr. Regis, see how that goes,"

Flinder walked towards a wooden door. After sharing a look, Calebus and Yana followed. "It's Flinder!" The man announced, opening the door and throwing out his arm.

Another older woman sitting behind a desk looked up from her papers. She wore a comfortable-looking business suit, as well as a scowl on her face. The woman tilted her head to look at Calebus and Yana standing behind Flinder. "If you didn't have people with you right now," The woman said, picking up a stapler. "I'd start throwing things,"

"Maaa," Flinder said, walking in as he slid off his sunglasses. "When have I ever done you wrong?"

Calebus and Yana tentatively followed Flinder into the office. The woman behind the desk coughed. "You dumb vagrant," She said, taking out a cloth and covering her mouth. "You volunteered to help shuttle children back from community pool day, but never showed!"

"Oh yeah, see, what had happened-"

The woman held up a hand. "Don't Flinder. Just tell me who these two are,"

"Ah yes, Ma Mel, may I present you Earth 3's newest refugees in need of sanctuary," Flinder ushered both up to the desk. "Candleman and his niece!"

"Yana," Yana said, glaring at Flinder. "I'm not just his niece,"

"and my name is Calebus," Calebus said, trying to smile diplomatically at the woman.

The woman pursed her lips, nodding. "Well, it's nice to meet you two. I'm sure what you've been through was difficult, it was for all of us certainly. But you've made it, and I can get you set up with housing and some work, if you're willing to pull your weight,"

Calebus nodded "Yes, of course,"

Ma Mel picked up a pen, pointing it at Yana. "And we'll get you enrolled in school after you get a permanent address,"

Yana rolled her eyes. "damn..."

The older woman shuffled papers, then slid a blank one in front of herself. "Alright, let's get some basic information for documents and such. I heard Yana and Calebus, correct? Last names?"

"Ah," Calebus began. He itched his neck. "Well Yana's is Brugges, but mine was just...well, I don't have a last name,"

Flinder crossed his arms. "Ma Mel, you've never heard of Candleman? His candle magic is legendary across the Earth's!"

"Yes well, it won't be legendary here," Ma Mel said, raising a warning eyebrow at Flinder. "But that's fine, we'll both put you down as Candle for your last name. Is it just you two?"

Yana looked down at her lap, doing her best to remain calm. Calebus nodded, his voice quiet. "yes, it's just us,"

"I understand. Now for address, let's see..." The woman consulted something on an old computer monitor. She clicked around a bit, then tapped something out. "Ah, yes, unit 3C in building four is open, you'll share it with the Izata's,"

"thank you," Calebus said.

The woman went back to her sheet of paper and wrote something down. "Now, as for skills, what did Flinder say you did?"

"I uh..." Calebus said. "I was a candle mage, of sorts,"

"I've never heard of a candle mage," Ma Mel said.

"He went around and kicked spirit's asses!" Flinder said, clapping Calebus on the back. "And not just spirits. Didn't matter if it was a mage, a master or a mad one! If they were causing trouble, someone would eventually bring in Candleman to make it stop!"

Ma Mel took a deep breath. "So, you were some sort of...mage bounty-hunter?"

"I was just a traveling warlock," Calebus said, giving Flinder a look that told him to calm it down. "If you want to be technical. Not many people use candle-magic, so word of me spread around quicker than most,"

"Well..." Ma Mel said, writing something on the paper. "Considering magic has no value here, what other skills do you have?"

Calebus shook his head. "I...don't think I have much beyond that. I'm a hard worker though, and I'll do anything you need me to,"

"Oh don't worry," Ma Mel said, finishing writing something and sliding the paper to the side. She opened her desk drawer and withdrew a key. "We'll find work for you Mr. Candle, lot's of it. But for now, let's get you to your new apartment,"

Ma Mel led them out of the community center through a side-door that avoided the community garden. She didn't walk them far, traveling across a side-street to one of the brick apartment complexes that surrounded the center. Once inside, the group walked up dingy stairs and faded wallpaper to the third story. Ma Mel stopped in front of a door and knocked. After a beat, a haggard-looking woman opened it.

"Ilan Izata," Ma Mel said, gesturing at the woman. "Meet Calebus and Yana Candle,"

The woman nodded. "hello," She said, her accent heavy.

Calebus lit up, suprised. "Is that a tcatlan accent I hear? Are you from one of the Rushing Water Earth's?"

It was Ilan's turn to look surprised. She nodded, stepping to the side to let everyone in. "As you can see," Ma Mel said, walking inside. "We don't have much room. Everyone shares an apartment," The woman waved at a kitchen, then at several distant doors in a hall. "The units are five-hundred a month, deducted directly from the pay you'll make working around the community. Utilities are included to a certain point, but if you exceed your monthly water limit you'll have to pay out of pocket. We provide lunch's at the community center, but you'll have to come up with food for yourself mostly,"

Yana blinked, then looked at Calebus. "What is she talking about uncle?"

"Standard stuff Yana," Calebus said, dismissively. "Yes Ma Mel, this all sounds fine,"

"As you can see," The woman said, leading them down the hall. "There's some privacy afforded to you. This door leads to a smaller unit, which will be yours. These doors are the Izata's. You both share the kitchen,"

Calebus opened the door Ma Mel stood by, poking his head in. A small room with a couch and a table greeted him, with several beds in the corner. An open door on the far end revealed a bathroom.

"It's cramped," Ma Mel said. "But you won't find anything for this price anywhere else, or this easily for transplants like us,"

Yana brushed past Calebus into the side-apartment. She slowly turned, taking in the small room. There were two windows on the far wall that drew her attention, and she approached them. Calebus turned to Ma Mel. "This is all fine, thank you,"

"You don't seem to have brought anything with you," The older woman said, glancing Calebus and Yana over. The girl stood by the windows, trying to peer down into the street. "But you can spend the rest of the day acclimating. Tomorrow we'll have your papers ready, and we can get you to work, and her in school,"

"The school," Calebus said, worry creasing his face. "I've heard it's...expensive,"

Ma Mel nodded sympathetically. "It is, and the work we provide won't be able to cover both your housing and her school. We have a few scholarships at the community center, but you'll have to come up with something else pretty soon. I'm sorry it's just you..."

Calebus was silent. "It's fine," He said, glancing at Yana. The girl still stared out the window, oblivious to the conversation.

"You know where to find me if you have any questions," Ma Mel said, smiling at him. "And of course, welcome to this Earth. We all know what you're going through, and you know where to find me if you need to talk. I spend all day at the center," The woman turned and walked past Flinder, stopping to poke him in the stomach. "The next time you agree to shuttle people, show up!"

Flinder swallowed, adjusting his aviators. "Yes Ma, will do,"

Once she had left, Yana turned from the window and shrugged at Calebus. "Well, it's not the worst I've seen,"

"It will do," Calebus said. "The important thing is we have a place to sleep, and a chance at a new life," He turned to Flinder, holding out his hand. "Thank you for helping us out,"

Flinder grasped his arm and brought him in for a hug. "Of course Candleman, it's good to have you here with the forgotten. Feels less dangerous somehow, even if you can't use magic,"

"Sure," Calebus said, smiling politely. "When we get set up I'll have you over for an evening,"

Flinder grinned, then left after a few more goodbyes. Calebus and Yana were left alone in the apartment. Yana approached one of the beds, then held her arms out and fell down on it. "itssoft," she said, her voice muffled. "this onesmine,"

"sure," Calebus said, walking to the sofa and slowly sitting down. He exhaled heavily as he leaned back. Yana lifted her head up from the bed, then sat upright.

"uncle,"

"yeah Yana,"

She was silent for a few moments. "I don't really like this earth,"

Calebus turned slightly on the couch, looking back at her. "It's safe, that's whats important,"

Yana leaned forward, almost tumbling off the bed. "But you said I have to protect us! How am I supposed to protect us!"

"Well, first of all, we shouldn't be attacked at all now that we're here. I'm one of the few people who can track people on a dead world, and I can't even do it anymore now that I'm actually here,"

"so..." Yana said. "Is this New York City...protected by a large wall or something?"

Calebus laughed, facing forward on the couch. "It's never attacked, at least not as much on other Earth's,"

"no way,"

"Yup. Things are bad, but not quite in the way they are on other Earth's. It's like Flinder said, it's just them, and themselves,"

Yana looked down at her lap. "It can't be that bad if it's just humans here I guess...I still don't think you should say things like 'I have to protect us' though,"

"If you're so worried, just practice your forms like you always do,"

Yana made a face at the back of Calebus's head, then untangled her legs. She scooted off the bed and stood up shedding her wool cloak. Underneath she wore the vest and shirt of a Ninjitsu Chi-Student, including the pendant of her school. Yana studied the pendant, then unhooked it and tossed it on the bed. The girl walked to the only space in the apartment; the wood floor between the windows and the sofa. She inhaled deeply and got into position. Bringing her palms across, she exhaled and struck out with a fist. She tried a few more strikes, then glanced over at Calebus. The man had his head back on the sofa, resting his eyes.

Yana sighed loudly, startling him. "This isn't working," she said, crossing the apartment. "I need someplace quieter,"

Calebus leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes again. "Don't leave the building Yana,"

The girl walked down the hall, running into Ilan Izanta. The woman was trailed by several children, all dressed in clothing that was too big for them. They huddled around her, pointing excitedly at Yana. "look look!" One of them said, tugging on Ilan's dress.

"yes I see her," Ilan said, then gave a tired smile to Yana. "It's good to see you moving in with us, I hope you won't mind if things are..." The woman shrugged sheepishly. "Loud sometimes?"

"It's fine," Yana said, smiling. She bent down and waved at the kids clinging to Ilan's dress. "I lived for a time in Venice in Seventh Earth, in the canals. It was always loud,"

"seventh earth?" Ilan said, looking confused.

"yeah you know," Yana said, waving again at one of the children. "The one famous for all those mage-wars and the sky-island crystals,"

Ilan shook her head. "I am sorry, I only know this world, and my home,"

Yana straightened back up. "Uncle said you were from a Rushing Water's Earth?"

One of the kids started crying, and Ilan bent down to comfort her. "yes, I will tell you about it some time. Will you and your family wish to come to dinner tonight?"

The girl's face lit up. "Oh, thank you, that would be lovely!" Yana watched as Ilan shepherded her children into the kitchen, then waved to them as she left the apartment.

Yana tried to practice her forms in the hallway. Her ears kept picking up on muffled voices, so she went downstairs. The lobby was no better. Yana knew her Uncle said she wasn't supposed to go outside, but the sun beckoned to her through the stained-glass window of the door. Glancing around, Yana decided to step outside.

The neighborhood was alive with distant sounds. Music, cars, and voices. Yana found the side-street, which was mostly empty save for emergency fire stairs and dumpsters. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then began practicing her forms.

It didn't take long for a new sound to distract her. It was a strange noise, oddly familiar. A tune almost, like when the wind perfectly blew through chimes. Yana opened her eyes and looked down the side street. The noise drifted down.

The girl began walking towards it. The side street remained empty, though the sound of cars a street over picked up. The tune grew louder, and Yana zeroed in on it. It emitted from behind a dumpster.

A tubular music box sat against the brick wall. It was intricately made with brass and wood, and tubes gleamed from the sunlight that filtered into the side-street. Yana finally recognized the tune; an old lullaby she used to hear in Venice.

"Beautiful song, isn't it," a deep voice said.

Yana straightened up with a yelp. She turned, spotting four figures.

The first was a man in black tactical gear. He had the head of a jackal, with ears that pointed straight up. On one side of him was a man with four arms, also wearing black tactical gear, as well as similarly-dressed man with the head of a panther. On the other side, a woman wearing a white stage-mask.

"Who are you," Yana said, narrowing her eyes.

"Name's Slaw," The Jackal-man said. "Are you're coming with us,"

Yana took a tentative step to the side, her hands slowly raising. "Did...did Doctor Paggilio send you?"

The Jackal-man nodded. "You weren't too hard to track,"

Yana froze. "You...you aren't supposed to be able to track us here,"

"and yet we did," The Jackal-man said, smiling. "Now come with us, and don't cause any trouble,"

Yana studied the group wearing tactical gear. "Did you bring guns?"

The Jackal-man lifted the cover on a pouch, revealing a blade handle. "We don't need them,"

Yana smiled. "yeah, yeah you do,"

The four-armed man rushed forward, drawing a riot-club from his belt. Yana skipped backwards and placed a foot to the wall, then opened her vest with a single motion. The side's flared out to reveal two knife belts. With her other hand she scooped up three knives and flung them.

The four-armed man lashed out with his club. He knocked away one, but the other two caught him in the leg and thigh, causing him to stagger. Yana rushed up to him and tapped him lightly with two punches, one to the throat and one to the eye. The man stumble back and fell.

The woman and panther-man charged at Yana, both of them drawing swords. Yana ran along the wall, skipping up onto the dumpster. She gripped three more knives and began flinging them.

The panther-man knocked them away with precision, then clambered up on the dumpster. Yana shoved him back with her foot, then jumped down in front of him and began landing strikes. Onetwothreefourfivesix, Yana sought out his weak spots and struck faster than he could react. She paused a beat, watching as the panther-man staggered. She landed six-more quick strikes, then knocked him back with a kick.

Yana's world spun as she felt a blow from behind. She stumbled forward, steadying herself in time to turn and block the next blow. The woman in the stage-mask had knocked her with her sword-handle. Yana gripped her head to stop the throbbing, and bringing up her other fist. She dove in, trying to land her quick strikes again, but the woman swung with the sword and forced Yana back. The girl tried to charge in again, but the woman swung just as quickly.

Catching her breath, Yana placed her feet on the ground and spread into a wide stance. She began to bob back and forth, but didn't move her feet. Around and around she moved, as if she were some type of snake rearing to strike. The woman watched her, then raised her sword and approached.

When the woman was in striking distance, she lashed out. Yana lurched back to miss the sword point as she grasped the woman's wrist. She fell back, her momentum carrying the woman with her. Yana brought up her knee, catching the woman in the stomach on the way down. When they hit the ground, Yana rolled over on top of her and delivered two quick strikes to her throat.



As her assailant gasped, Yana slowly stood up. The Jackal-man watched her, having not moved from his spot. Yana wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, then pointed at him. "Doctor Paggilio should have known better than to underestimate me,"

The jackal-man smiled, cracking his neck. "He didn't little girl, trust me,"

The man started approaching, not bothering to draw any weapons. Yana narrowed her eyes.

[] Striking Venom Style (Throwing knives and quick strikes)
[] Unrelenting Viper Style (Six-quick strikes, repeat)
[] Swaying Cobra Style (Defensive-stance, react to attacks)

 

[Lop]

[X] Striking Venom Style (Throwing knives and quick strikes)

Click to shrink...

[X] Unrelenting Viper Style (Six-quick strikes, repeat)
I feel a bit iffy about throwing knives. Do we have enough of them, or would we use them all up, leaving us in a fight without any knives? I suppose it doesn't matter - early battles are easy, right?

Click to shrink...

[X] Striking Venom Style (Throwing knives and quick strikes)

this is the only style which hasnt been successful. Might get lucky this time. Also wonder what loot these peeps will drop.

Click to shrink...

[X] Striking Venom Style (Throwing knives and quick strikes)

Click to shrink...

Looks like an interesting concept. Is this an original setting?

[X] Swaying Cobra Style (Defensive-stance, react to attacks)

Click to shrink...

[X] Striking Venom Style (Throwing knives and quick strikes)

The girl's hand strayed to her knife belts. There were nine left, and her fingers curled around the hilt of two of them. The Jackal-man shook his head.

"Don't try it girl,"

In response, Yana let two fly. They shot out, impacting against the Jackal-man's chest and bouncing off. They sound of metal on concrete echoed down the street as the knives hit the ground. The Jackal-man bent his legs and launched forward, sprinting towards Yana.

She only had a moment to skip to the side. The Jackal-man blurred past her, skidding to a halt against the dumpster. Yana gripped two more knives, one in each hand. She started skipping backwards, gaining space. The Jackal-man turned to her, popping his shoulder. "You're fast girl," He said, popping the other shoulder. "I read about you before I left. You can't use Chi-power, can you?" Yana narrowed her eyes, fingering one of the knife handles. She didn't respond, instead maneuvering into the middle of the side-street. The Jackal-man started walking towards her. "I can't use it either," He said, bending his knees. He launched at her.

Yana flung one of her knives and then spun out of the way. She heard it bounce harmlessly off the Jackal-man, and felt a breeze as he narrowly missed her. He skidded to a halt again, spinning to face her. Yana slid out another knife, working it in her hand.

"Funny thing about Chi-power," The Jackal-man said, cracking his knuckles as he approached. "If you can't use it, you just have to be faster than people who can," He bent his legs, launching at her again. Yana moved to skip out of the way, but the Jackal-man shifted as he charged, throwing out an arm and catching her across the chest. Yana spun to the ground, impacting against it as the Jackal-man skidded to a halt.

She jumped to her feet as her opponent charged again. It seemed he was getting faster. Instead of dodging away, Yana flung both knives with all her might. One of them flew towards the Jackal-man's face. He deflected it with his arm. The other embedded in his chest. He didn't flinch, instead slamming into Yana and sending her flying.

She flew down the street, landing on the gravel and sliding along the ground. The wind was knocked from her. She could feel the ground tremble as the Jackal-man charged after her. Yana pressed her hands to the ground and launched herself up. She winced as she got to her feet, then bent her knees and jumped out of the way as the Jackal-man flew past.

She steadied herself against the wall, then ran along it and up onto a dumpster. She turned back to face the Jackal-man. He slowly approached, the knife still protruding from his chest. He cupped a hand to his snout. "Give up girl! You can't hurt me!" He grabbed the knife and tore it out, flinging it away. It bounced with a loud clang against the brick wall. Next he gripped his armor and tore it from his shoulder straps. He let it drop as he walked, revealing a gleaming metallic torso. The Jackal-man came to a stop, presenting his torso. "Exo-suit," He called up to the dumpster. "Courtesy of a mad one. No need for Chi-power or magic. And your knives and little-hits won't do anything,"

Yana took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "You talk too much," She said, drawing out three more knives.

"Really?" The Jackal-man said, opening his arms wide. "You're still going to insist on fighting? Someone's going to get really hurt, and it's not going to be me,"

Yana steadied herself, then launched to the side. Her feet hit the wall and she ran along it. The Jackal-man sprinted after her, running at the base of the wall. The girl launched off it, landing in the side-street and rolling to her feet. She spun with all her might, launching the three knives.

One of them flew towards the Jackal-Man's head. He threw up an arm, deflecting it. The other two knives hit the wall Yana had jumped off it. They bounced off, flying back towards the Jackal-man. One missed. The other embedded in the back of his neck.

The Jackal-man stumbled, then fell, sliding along the street. He came to a stop by Yana. She bent down and took the knife from his neck. "In my school," Yana said, wiping the blade with a cloth. "They determined entry into special clubs with contests," She slid the knife into her belt. "Without Chi-power, I had to get creative," The Jackal-man didn't respond, simply gurgling on the ground. Yana took a deep breath, then looked around the alley at the other assailants' bodies. She let out a low squeal. "shiiiiiittttttttt! Oh my god oh my god oh my gooddddddddd!" She buried her hands in her face, trying to stop from hyperventilating. "no no no uncle's going to kill meeee!" She dragged her hands down her face, peering over the fingers. The woman in the stage-mask groaned, and started moving. Yana's eyes went wide. She sprinted away, then came to a halt, looking back. She ran to the dumpster and grabbed the music box, then sprinted away again.

Her feet pounding the ground, Yana ran as fast as she could. Her memory blurred. Which big brick apartment complex was hers? She came to a halt, trying to catch her breath. Her body felt sore all over now that the adrenaline was gone. She glanced around frantically, finally recognizing a potted plant in front of a stoop. She ran up the stairs, then ripped open the door and ran inside.

"Uncle!" She called as she ran up the stairs. "uncleeeeeee!" She reached the second story, then continued up the next staircase. "uncle!" She called, though her breathing was ragged. By the time she reached the top of the stairs, she was staggering. "oh my god uncle," she said, catching her breath. "are you deaf??"

She ran to the door of the apartment and tried the handle. It was locked, so she pounded loudly. After a moment the door unlocked, and a startled Ilan answered the door. The smell of cooking wafted out into the hall.

"Sorry Ilan!" Yana said, brushing past her with the music box. "Close the door and lock it!" Yana ran down the hall, stopping in front of the door and barging in. "UNCLE!"

Calebus lurched up from the couch, blinking wildly. "wha-what! what happened!"

"I was attacked!" Yana said, gesturing with the music box. "Doctor Paggilio's people found me!"

Calebus blinked a couple more times, then looked confused. "wait, are you sur-"

"Yes I'm sure!" Yana said. "They told me so! And they told me they can track us!"

Calebus continued to look confused, then grew stern. "Yana, they can't track us. There has to be magic and chi-auras here, and there aren't,"

"but, but," Yana gestured with the music box again. "you said you could track people!"

"well yes," he said, itching the back of his neck. "but I'm not tracking chi-auras..it's...complicated. And only candle-mages can really do it,"

"so, so," Yana tried to think, but her mind was still fried from the fight. "Who cares! They know we're here! They found me and fought me!"

Concern crossed Calebus's face. "Are you hurt?"

"Of course I'm hurt! One of them almost ran me over like a truck!" Yana shook her head, slowly approaching the couch. She deposited the music box on the sofa, then sat wearily on the armrest. "Uncle, this place is just as dangerous as the last Earth..."

Calebus furrowed his brow. "this..this is impossible,"

A knock sounded on the door. Both Calebus and Yana looked up. "hello?" Ilan said, her voice muffled. "Are you okay Yana? Would you like some food?"

Yana's stomach growled. She quickly stood. "Yes Ilan!"

The door opened, and the woman poked her head in. Two children squeezed in as well, running into the sub-apartment. Ilan yelled at both of them to behave.

"Thank you Ilan," Calebus said, approaching her. "That was very kind of you,"

She offered two plates towards him, though she looked at Yana with concern. "Are you okay Yana?"

"yeah," The girl said, rubbing her arm. "Just...don't open the door unless you know who's there..."

Not soon after eating, Calebus contacted Ma Mel, and together he and some other community members checked out the side-street. There were no bodies, but a few blood stains, as well as Yana's knives. Calebus shook his head as he collected them.

"Your girl a fighter?" Ma Mel said, watching as Calebus bent down to pick up another knife.

"You could say that," he said, turning around to survey the alley.

Ma Mel crossed her arms. "This isn't good, Mr. Candle. We don't usually ask or care what are people are running from, but we've never had someone bring trouble this quickly,"

"It shouldn't be happening," Calebus murmured, almost to himself. "Statistically speaking, they shouldn't have any idea where we are..."

"Well, we have a few of ours in the local police precinct. We'll get a few squad cars to keep watch, but if this continues to happen, we may have to re-examine our arrangement," Ma Mel fixed him with a serious stare. "I have a lot of people I have to look out for, and that depend on me,"

"I understand," Calebus said. "It...shouldn't happen again,"

Ma Mel raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Is there any magic in this world?"

"None,"

Calebus nodded. "Then I'm sure,"

That evening, as Yana slept off the fight in one of the beds, Calebus stared at the wall on the sofa. His mind was full, worried, and tangled. There could be no way Dr. Paggilio was tracking them. It was impossible. Calebus was one of the few people who could do it, and even then...



And yet...

Calebus's gaze moved to the music box still resting on the couch. He stood, rushing towards the door. Ilan was in the shared kitchen, cleaning dishes as one of her children helped. Calebus came up behind her, startling the woman. "Ilan,"

"eek!" She said, almost dropping a plate. "oh! Mr. Candle!"

"Animal fat," Calebus said, his gaze intense. "Do you have any?"

The woman seemed confused, then slowly nodded. "Yes we have some in the fridge. Ma Mel does not like us dumping it down drain, and garbage only comes-"

Calebus threw open the fridge, his eyes searching the interior. He found a mason-jar full of animal fat and took it from the fridge. "May I borrow a pot?" He said, turning to her.

"I...I, yes?" Ilan said, reaching into the watery sink and pulling out a clean pan.

Calebus took it from her, startling her with movement. He flipped on the gas stove, then threw on the pot. He poured the animal fat into it, then took a wooden spoon from a cup full of them. Ilan and her child watched as Calebus began stirring.

The apartment filled with a foul smell. Calebus ignored it, watching as the animal fat bubbled. Several more of Ilan's children came out into the kitchen, complaining of the odor. They hushed as they saw Calebus working.

The man drew out wick and twine from his wool-coat, as well as a metal tool. He hung up the twine over the kitchen stove and sink, tying it on either. The pot continued to bubble, and suddenly, Calebus cut the heat.

Ilan and her children watched as Calebus drew out the cooked animal fat into another bowl. He dug in his hands, eliciting cries of surprise from the children. Calebus worked the fat, then began shaping it into a long cylinder. He held it up and whispered some words, then began working it again.

By the time he was done, one large candle hung from the string. Animal fat dripped down onto the kitchen counter. Calebus took a step back, surveying his work as he wiped his hands on a towel.

"mama look!" One of the children said, tugging on Ilan's dress. "A candle!"

"yes Niso," Ilan said, her face confused. "Mr. Candle-oh! I get your name now!"

Calebus nodded in response, finishing drying his hands. "I'm sorry about the smell, I'll clean this all up before I retire tonight,"

"It's fine," Ilan said, tilting her head to inspect the candle. "but, why did you make it?"

Calebus didn't answer for a moment, staring at the candle. "Hopefully, it will just be a nice source of light..."

The rest of the evening, Calebus sat on the couch. In front of him, in the middle of the floor, rested the candle. Its wick wasn't lit. In fact, there was little light save the glare of cars as they passed outside. Yana snored nosily on the bed.

The next morning, Calebus took Yana to the community center. Ma Mel was waiting for them at the reception desk. "Good morning," She said, curtly.

Yana yawned, then winced. Ma Mel walked up to her, clicking her tongue as she inspected the girl. "you poor thing, those viscous brutes who attacked you deserve everything they get," She turned away. "Having said that, we must turn our attention to your school,"

"ah," Yana said, looking disappointed.

"We'll head over there now," Ma Mel said, picking up a box. "Our scholarships cover the uniform, and some of the boarding. I'm afraid you'll have to come up everything else," She extended the box towards them. Calebus took it. "Several of the community members came together and denoted clothing for both of you. It will be especially important for Yana, as Madison Prep is a highly-regarded private school,"

Yana groaned. "this is going to be awful!"

"Yet necessary," Ma Mel said. "As is most of life,"

"Thank you," Calebus said, looking down at the folded clothes in the box. "You're all very generous to us,"

"Just make sure we don't regret it," Ma Mel said, a frown on her face. "Yesterday rattled more than just little Yana here,"

"I'm not little," Yana mumbled.

Ma Mel took Calebus and Yana to an old car outside the community center. From there, they drove through the streets of the Lower East Side neighborhood.

It was busy. There were cars, and some people on the sidewalks. The sun rose behind them as Ma Mel navigated the bumper-to-bumper traffic. Yana pressed her face to the window, watching the world pass by.

The buildings and apartments grew nicer, and soon there were expensive towers rising on all sides of them. There were still old stone buildings, and they rose up quite a ways as well. The new was mixed with the old, and everyone crowded around it.

Ma Mel turned off the street into a short embankment leading up to a gate. Beyond it was a brick school, at least three stories. It looked odd, and out of place. It was old, and fancy. But surrounding it on all three sides were tall, modern office buildings. The school hid behind an iron and brick fence covered in ivy. There wasn't much space for the school and its little plot, but enough for a tiny campus with grass and a pond, as well as the brick school.

The gate opened, and Ma Mel drove through. Yana couldn't help but stare out at the campus as they drove down a short circle drive. A few students walked about on a path. They all wore crisp uniforms.

Ma Mel stopped outside stone steps leading up to the front entrance. A few more students congregated around it, talking among themselves. Calebus and Yana got out, both of them peering up at the slanting roof of the school. Beyond the wall, office buildings towered over them like mountains.

"come come," Ma Mel said, leading them up the steps. Yana could feel the eyes of the students as she hurried after the the woman. Calebus brought up the rear, carrying the box of clothing.

Inside was like a fairy-tale. The walls were a mix of dark wood and old paintings. The ground was carpeted with beautiful rugs, and the staircase in the reception was grand and wide. It almost felt more like a mansion than a school. There were more students about, all giving Yana brief glances. The girl swallowed as she walked down the hall, her neck burning.

At the end of the mansion's hall was a wooden door. Ma Mel stopped before it, cautioning Calebus and Yana with a finger. "Though the superintendent is one of us," Ma Mel said, her voice low. "Headmistress Mauve is not. Your papers say you are from Italy, so you must act is if you are new citizens,"

Calebus and Yana both nodded, and Ma Mel knocked on the door. "Come in," a voice said.

Inside was an office lined with wooden walls and glass cases. It was clearly a headmistress's office, with bookshelves and inspirational quotes. A tall, hawkish-looking woman sat behind a desk, wearing an elegant business-suit. Her eyes flickered to the group entering. "ahhh," the headmistress said, folding her hands on her desk. "Ma Mel, always a pleasure,"

"Mauve," Ma Mel said, smiling warmly. "Thank you for having us,"

"And who is this?" the Headmistress said, tilting her head towards Yana.

Yana waved, trying her best to appear friendly. "I'm Yana,"

"Hm yes," Headmistress Mauve said, picking up the papers on her desk. "Ma Mel sent over your papers. Italy was it? You must be Mr. Candle. Please, both of you, have a seat," Calebus and Yana obliged, sitting in the chairs in front of the desk. Ma Mel sat in a chair near the back of the office. "So I see we have proof of residence," The Headmistress said. "As well as citizenship, yes, yes, I'm not seeing immunization records,"

Calebus and Yana shared a look, then glanced at Ma Mel. "We'll take care of them at the center Mauve," The woman called.

"See that you do," Headmistress Mauve said, ticking off a box with a pen. "We can't afford you bringing in anything from abroad," She set the paper down. "Mr. Candle, are you aware of how this campus works?"

"Not...exactly," Calebus said.

"We structure things a little bit differently here," The Headmistress said, raising her chin. "Students are kept to a high standard. We guide their days and curriculum around active learning styles that focus on keeping your student involved, both in constant education and social interactions. We boast a highly-involved student population here at Madison Prep,"

Yana's eyes were wide, clearly having no idea what was being said. She slowly turned to Calebus, waiting for her uncle to make sense of it. The man simply nodded. "Yes, alright,"

"Students live on-campus in our dorms Monday through Thursday," The Headmistress said, growing serious. "So you must make sure Yana is vaccinated, so as not to endanger her suite-mates,"

"I understand," Calebus said.

Yana grow concerned. "Wait, I have to live here?"

"Four days a week, yes," The Headmistress said. "You may of course go home on Friday for the weekend, though many of our students stay involved her on campus well through Saturday,"

Yana looked at Calebus. "Uncle! I can't do that!"

"You can," Calebus said, giving her a look that tried to convey seriousness. "This is..the good option Yana. The..safe option,"

"But, but," Yana said. "I've already graduated from the Viper School! I don't need this!"

Headmistress Mauve cleared her throat. "I assure you, whatever school they had back in Italy cannot compare to the quality education and socialization that Madison Prep provides,"

Yana gestured at Calebus. "Uncle! I can't be cooped up here!"

Calebus leaned in close to her, his voice low. "Yana, please. Especially in light of what happened yesterday, this place has to be the safest option,"

Yana crossed her arms, turning away. "You don't know that Uncle,"

"Headmistress," Calebus said, turning to the woman. "Can you ensure the safety of the students here?"

"Ahem!" The woman said, lifting her chin. "Of course I can Mr. Candle! There are security measures here you cannot even begin to fathom. Yana will be beyond safe,"

"Thank you, I'd like to enroll her immediately then,"

"Uncle!" Yana protested.

Headmistress Mauve picked up a piece of paper and hummed to herself as she checked off more boxes. "Tuition is a thousand dollars a week, that covers food and board while young miss Candle is here,"

Calebus swallowed, feeling the room grow smaller. "a...yes,"

Headmistress Mauve's pen stopped writing, and she looked up to meet Calebus's gaze. "Will that be a problem, Mr. Candle?"

"n-no, Headmistress. Not a problem,"

"Hm, very good. Ma Mel tells me you were a candle-maker of some renown back in Italy. I'm impressed, I didn't think that was still a viable trade,"

Calebus simply nodded. "It is...back where we come from,"

"Well," The Headmistress said, circling something on the paper. "As I said, we have a highly-active student body here on campus. As such, Yana will have to pick a club to be involved with, as that will determine the curriculum structure,"

Yana blinked. "Club?"

"Actives. Swimming, chess, tennis, student politics,"

Yana's head was spinning. She turned to Calebus. "Uncle?"

"It's like the special clubs they had back at your school," Calebus said. "Just pick one,"

"We have all sorts," Headmistress Mauve said, holding up her hand. "Theater, Polo, Rugby, Literature,"

The girl's head was still spinning. What did any of it mean?

[] Pick Theater Club
[] Pick Polo Club
[] Pick Rugby Club
[] Pick Literature Club

 

[Lop]

[X] Pick Literature Club

Click to shrink...

[X] Pick Rugby Club

May as well keep fit with our mandatory recreation.

Click to shrink...

[X] Pick Theater Club

This is a chance ro learn something new and unexpected. This will hopefully teach the 'disguise and act' way of the ninja rather than the stabby and punchy side.

Also this will be (hopefully) a completely unexpected skill to anyone searching for us and just might help avoid a fight or two.

Click to shrink...

[X] Pick Theater Club

What could she possibly pick? She only recognized two of those words, theater and literature. Yana glanced at her uncle, but Calebus was clearly waiting with the rest of the adults for her answer. Uncertainty crossed the girl's face. "Um," She began. "T-theater?"

"Oh?" Headmistress Mauve said, raising an eyebrow. "An actor, are we?"

Calebus snorted, putting a hand to his mouth to cover it. Yana shot him an irritated look. "What! You weren't helping me choose!"

"No no," Calebus said, putting up his palms with a grin. "I think theater would be a really...good choice, for you,"

Headmistress Mauve wrote something on the paper she held. "Very good, theater it is. Mr. Wheat is in charge of our theater department, and his class meets in the afternoon, so we'll structure all your classes around morning time," The Headmistress continued to write as she spoke. "I'm putting you in suite twenty-two, you'll be rooming with three other girls," Yana simply nodded, feeling overwhelmed. Calebus also listened, his expression deep in thought. "As I mentioned," Headmistress Mauve said. "Tuition is a thousand a week, with the first portion accepted upon registration," Headmistress Mauve paused, looking at Calebus. He nodded, showing he was following. The Headmistress gave a polite smile. "Registration is now, Mr. Candle,"

"Oh!" Calebus said, checking over the pockets of his wool trench-coat. "Uhhh,"

Ma Mel appeared behind his chair, leaning towards the desk to slide something towards Headmistress Mauve. "The community is covering the first two week's tuition with our scholarship," Ma Mel said. "Mr. Candle will come up with the rest after,"

"Hm, of course Mel," Headmistress Mauve said, taking the check and tucking it in a notebook. "In that case Candles, let us show you to Miss Candle's suite," She rose, then fixed Calebus with a stare. "You have until tomorrow however to get her her proper shots. Herd immunity only works if every member of the herd is on the same page,"

Confusion crossed Calebus's face. "Are you comparing the students to a...herd?"

"I am Mr. Candle, at least when it comes to polio,"

Without another word, Headmistress Mauve headed for the door of the office. Calebus and Yana looked to Ma Mel, who nodded that they should follow.

Outside the office, the halls of the manor-school were empty, the students having all gone to their classes. The headmistress led them to the grand staircase in the reception parlor, lifting up her hem to climb the stairs. "Classes are primarily on the first floor," She called back. "Student suites are on the first and second level,"

"Uncle," Yana murmured, following Headmistress Mauve up the stairs. "it's not too late, you don't have to leave me here,"

"I'm not leaving you here," Calebus murmured back. "This might actually be a good thing beyond safety. You could learn a thing or two here,"

"Learn what!" Yana said, her voice rising. She glanced furtively at the headmistress, but the woman continued up the stairs. "There's no magic or real history, and I'm already a Viper school graduate!"

The group reached the second level, where elegant, wooden hallways spread out in either direction. Headmistress Mauve continued towards one hallway, leading the group past old portraits and marble busts. The hallway was interspersed by numbered, oak doors.

"You can learn all sorts of things here," Calebus said, motioning discretely at one of the portraits. "They've got history, and you could always brush up on your numbers,"

"but, but, what if numbers work differently here! Not every reality has to be base-ten!"

Headmistress Mauve stopped in front of one of the doors, turning her nose up to Yana. "I assure you Miss Candle, our mathematics curriculum is unparalleled," She presented the door. "Here is your suite door," She opened it, leading everyone inside. "Your suite-mates will be back soon to put away their things for lunch,"

The room beyond was a common area of sorts. It held a small kitchen, a sofa, a table and four chairs. There were a few posters on the walls, as well as potted plants by the window. "Oh!" Yana said, putting hands to her face. "Uncle! This is nicer than where we live!"

Calebus couldn't help but agree as he surveyed the room. It seemed very clean, and very expensive. Headmistress Mel walked to one of two doors on either side of the suite. "This is your room," The Headmistress said, opening it slightly. "You'll be rooming with Beatrix Hanover, and in the opposite room is Claudette Valentine and Jessica Rooney. It is very important you learn to get along with your suite-mates and fellow students Miss Candle. We do not tolerate disturbances to our curriculum,"

Yana slowly approached the door the Headmistress stood in front of. She poked her head in. Inside was a room with two beds on either end. One side was clearly occupied. Bright posters and flower pots circled one end, and a stuffed bear was on the bed along with a pile of pillows. The other side was empty, save for a bed and chest of drawers. Calebus walked in behind Yana with the box of clothes. "Looks good," He said, glancing at the empty side. He set the box of clothing down on it.

"I would advise changing into your uniform before lunch," Headmistress Mauve said, studying Yana's wool cloak with thinly veiled judgement. Yana simply nodded. The Headmistress turned to Calebus. "Well Mr. Candle, if you're satisfied with everything, we best leave your niece to her new life here at Madison Prep Academy. I assure you she is in the best of hands,"

"It all looks fine," Calebus said, following the Headmistress out into the common room. "Thank you,"

Headmistress Mauve smiled politely. "We are of course pleased to have Miss Candle here, I believe she'll make a very bright student," The door to the suite opened, and three girls entered, all wearing uniforms. The Headmistress made a satisfied sound, presenting the three girls as Yana emerged from her new room. "Miss Candle, may I introduce your suite mates. Girls, introduce yourselves to your new classmate, Yana Candle,"

A diminutive, cheery girl stepped forward, wearing a flower clip in her dark hair. "Hi! Yana, was it?" Yana simply nodded, unsure of the girl. "My name's Beatrix, but everyone calls me Bee! We'll be in the same room together!"

Headmistress Mauve nodded, then gestured at the next girl. "Claudette Valentine," she said, looking bored. She had sharp cheekbones, light brown hair, and a demeanor that suggested everyone was moments away from being verbally assaulted. Once she had said her name, she glanced briefly at Calebus, then turned and headed for her room. Headmistress Mauve nodded to the last girl.

The last girl didn't respond at first, her expression unreadable. She too studied Calebus, then Yana. "Jessica Rooney," she finally said, then turned away and followed after Claudette.

"Well," Headmistress Mauve said, clasping her hands together in front of her. "There you have it Yana. Get to know each other, and remember to have your uniform on by lunch. Beatrix will show you the way to the dining hall. I'll be in the hallway, Mr. Candle, you may say your goodbyes and meet me out there,"

Headmistress Mauve and Ma Mel left the room. Beatrix planted herself on the sofa and tilted her head, watching Yana and Calebus. The man turned to his niece, placing a reassuring hand to her shoulder. "I uh...know this is going to be hard for you..."

Yana looked down and away from her uncle, her feelings conflicted. "I don't want to be here," She murmured, her voice quiet.

"I know, but give it a chance Yana. This is the first real home we've had in awhile..." The girl simply nodded, though her expression was miserable. Calebus leaned in and gave her a hug. "It will be fine, you can contact me if you need anything, and I'll see you on Friday,"

"okay," Yana said.

With a polite nod to Beatrix on the sofa, Calebus left the room. He gave one last reassuring nod to Yana, then closed the door behind him.

Yana was left standing in the room, unsure of what to do. Beatrix leaned forward on the sofa. "wait, that was your father??"

Turning to the girl, Yana studied her. The smaller girl seemed eager, though her flower clip was threatening to fall from her hair. "Uncle," Yana said.

"He's so hot and broody!" Beatrix said, grinning. "Where are you guys from! You have an accent!" The girl stood, approaching Yana. "And your skin! It's so beautiful! Are you biracial?"

"I..." Yana said, taking a step back. "I don't know what that means,"

"ha!" Beatrix said, her smile growing. "Say 'hello' or something, you have to tell me where you're from!"

Yana looked confused, taking another step back. "Um, Italy for a little while,"

"Oh. My. God!" Beatrix said, clapping once. "Say something in Italian!"

"<I would rather die than go to this school>"

Beatrix looked confused. "That's...not Italian...I don't know what that was..."

"It's a...regional dialect?" Yana said, giving a sheepish smile.

Beatrix returned the grin, then headed for the room. "Come on! We'll get you in your uniform and down to lunch!" She breezed into the bedroom, Yana reluctantly following. Beatrix walked to Yana's bed and peered into the box. "Wait, is this all you brought?" Yana nodded, standing respectably by the door. Beatrix shook her head as she took the uniform out and inspected it. "Well, it's not new, but its not the worse I've seen either. You're probably going to hear remarks from Claudette and Jessica,"

"I will?" Yana said.

"Oh yeah, they're both very rich, almost everyone in this school is!" She turned over the uniform, then looked up at Yana. "How did you get in?"

Yana thought for a beat. "Ma Mel?"

"Never heard of it, but c'mon! Try on your uniform!"

Yana looked startled. "w-what, with you in the room?"

Beatrix shrugged. "I can leave if you're shy,"

"Well," Yana said, slowly taking off her wool cloak. Her vest, shirt and knife-belts revealed themselves.

"What. The. HECK!" Beatrix said, shocked. She pointed at the knife-belts. "What the heck!"

Yana looked down at the knives, her face growing red. "Oh, um,"

"That's amazing! What the heck!" Beatrix ran to her, bending over to inspect the knives. "Ooooh, the handles are so pretty! And carved!"

"thanks?"

Beatrix straightened up, giving Yana a suspicious look. "But why do you have knives?"

"It's...uh, an Italian thing?"

"I think they're really cool, but you should hide them," Beatrix said, knowingly. "The other students will make fun of weird stuff like that,"

"o-okay," Yana said, unbuckling her knife belts. "I feel safer with them though..."

"Oh cool, and what's that!" Beatrix said, pointing at Yana's Viper School pendant.

Yana's hand strayed up to the medal, feeling along its edge. "It's from my old school, back in Sadjusukistan,"

"Sada-what-what?" Beatrix said. "Is that a country?"

"maybe not here," Yana murmured.

"Huh?"

Yana shed her vest, then approached the bed where her uniform lay. "Nevermind," She said, picking up the gray button-up shirt.

"You're weird," Beatrix said, smiling. "I like it! I don't think anyone else will, but I do!"

Yana simply stared at the uniform. She still wasn't sure what to make of all this. Finally she sighed, and picked up the rest of the uniform.

Fifteen minutes later, Beatrix was excitedly leading Yana through a stream of other students. They all talked and murmured as they moved along the hall, shooting glancing at Yana in her uniform. The girl felt self-conscious, tugging at her short neck-tie to loosen the knot Beatrix had tied for her.

"You'll love the food here," Beatrix said, smiling. "We've got a famous Chef from Quimper!"

"okay," Yana said, moving along with the sea of students. They all spilled into a large dining room, with tall ceilings, a few chandeliers, and rows and rows of tables. Yana followed Beatrix into line, taking a tray from a stack of them.

"So!" Beatrix said, sliding her tray along a serving-station. "What activity did you choose?"

"Activity?"

"Band, chess, you know!" Beatrix said, pointing at a tray of mashed potatoes. A kitchen worker served her a ladle-full. "I'm in garden-studies myself!"

"Oh," Yana said, mimicking Beatrix and pointing at the potatoes. "I'm in theater,"

Beatrix pointed at some rice, which another worker served onto her plate. "ooohhhh, theater, that should be fun! Oh, and you're Italian, so it makes sense!"

"Does it?" Yana said, also pointing at the rice. She watched as the server deposited a spoonful on her tray.

"I'm sure you'll love it," Beatrix said, pointing out the other food she wanted. "Peter Macklan is the head student-actor there, and he's amazing!"

Once the two girls had finished piling up their trays, Yana followed Beatrix towards a table. There were only a few students sitting there, and both girls took the empty end. Beatrix immediately opened her bottled-tea and began drinking. Yana looked around the dining hall, feeling the occasional glance of a student.

"Hhhhmmmm yeah!" Beatrix said, setting down the bottle. "I love iced-tea! Hey look, we got the same things!"

It was true, Yana's tray was identical to Beatrix's. The girl had no idea what food was like here, and the hotpockets she first had were a clear warning to always be cautious. Yana picked up a fork and poked at the mashed potatoes. She did not feel like eating...

Beatrix on the other hand, dug in. She chewed noisily, which was odd to Yana, since the loud noises were coming from such an innocent-looking girl. Yana poked at her mashed potatoes again, then gave them a nibble. Emboldened by the good taste, she took a proper bite.

Yana spent the rest of the short lunch period listening to Beatrix talk about the school. She couldn't keep up with most of her suite-mate's words, but tried to nod along politely. An old bell rang, interrupting their conversation. "Oh! That's first class bell!" Beatrix said. She drained the rest of her ice-tea, then stood. "Do you want me to show you the way to the theater room?"

"Yes please," Yana said, and she meant it.

Beatrix continued to talk as they joined the stream of students. The boys and girls headed for their respective classes, branching off into different hallways in the manor-school. Beatrix led her down a particularly long hall, stopping in front of two wide, oak doors. "Well," She said. "Here it is! I guess I'll see you at dinner!"

Yana nodded. "Thanks Beatrix,"

"You can call me Bee," Beatrix said, beaming. "Bye Yana!"

Yana waved as her suite-mate left. She turned to the doors, and with a deep breath, pushed them inward. She emerged into a small auditorium with a stage and red curtains on one end. Around twenty students sat in the first two rows, waiting. Yana made her way down the aisle, wincing as the oak doors closed heavily behind her. All the students turned, their eyes falling on her. Yana paused, swallowed, and kept walking. She stopped by the third row, where noone was sitting, and took the seat on the end. The students turned back to each other, some whispering.

The red curtains on the stage moved, and an older gentleman with dark skin and a tweed suit emerged. He had a well-kept white beard, and walked with the help of a cane. He came to a stop in the middle of the stage, looking down at the students. "Good afternoon class," He said, his voice deep and soothing like molasses.

"Hello Mr. Wheat," the class answered.

"I see we have a new student with us," Mr. Wheat said, nodding at Yana. "Would you like to stand and introduce yourself?"

Yana's face turned bright red. She slowly stood, her hand feeling for the seat in front of her for support. "Um," She said, her voice cracking. She took a deep breath and tried again. "My name's Yana. Yana Candle,"

"Hello Yana," Mr. Wheat said, nodding. "Do you have any experience with acting?"

Yana looked down at her feet. "No sir,"

"Wrong," Mr. Wheat said, prompting Yana to look back up. He presented the stage with one arm. "We all have experience acting, whether we realize it or not. I'm sure you'll fit right in here with our family Miss Candle,"

Yana glanced at the students in the two rows. They looked back at her, some curious, others unimpressed. "Okay," Yana said. "I'll...try,"

"That's all we ask," Mr. Wheat said, smiling warmly. He turned to the class. "Now, everyone take out your scripts for "Waiting For Godot", we'll be doing Marcus's and Natalie's readings today,"

Yana slowly sank back into her chair as everyone rummaged around their books. She could tell this would be difficult...

That night, the Lower East Side of Manhattan island was filled with the sounds of cars and music. Calebus walked down the street near his apartment building, exhausted. He had spent the whole day, the entire day, washing dishes at a restaurant of one of the refugee families. Eleven hours of near-constant suds and steel wool. All his fellow dishwashers were from the Golgotha Earths, and Calebus didn't speak their version of Indo-greek. Thus, he spent the entire day working in silence.

Now, he walked up the steps of his apartment building, each step a labor in itself. He walked through the door, then climbed up the two flights of stairs to his apartment. Fumbling with the key, Cablus tried to get his worn hands to get it in the lock.

The door opened for him, revealing Ilan and one of her children. "Oh!" She said, a tired smile on her face. "Mr. Candle! Welcome home!"

Calebus nodded to her as he walked into the apartment. "Good evening Ms. Ilan,"

"Where is Yana?" Ilan said, peering out into the hallway.

"She started at the new school today," Calebus said, heading towards the door to his sub-apartment.

"Ah, she must be very happy! Would you like some dinner Mr. Candle?"

Calebus paused by his door, his head hanging from the weight of the day. "Thank you Ilan, but that would be two dinner's you served me, and I'm still paying back what I owe Ma Mel,"

Ilan shook her head. "Mr. Candle! It is alright, you will help me too!"

Calebus thought for a beat, then gave a short laugh. "Yes, thank you Ms. Ilan, that would be lovely. I will try to pay you back with any help you need,"

Ilan smiled. "I'll knock on your door when it's ready,"

Entering his sub-apartment, Calebus slowly closed the door behind him. He let out a sigh, then discarded the jacket Ma Mel and the community had donated. He sat heavily on the sofa, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. The candle still sat on the floor in front of him, its wick dark.

The entire apartment was dark. Calebus didn't bother turning on any lights. He knew if he closed his eyes, he'd pass out. Instead he just stared at the ceiling. Slowly though, his lids drooped.

Calebus woke with a start at a knock on his door. He grabbed his eyes, confused. "Come in!"

The door opened, and Ilan leaned in with a tray of food. "Hello Mr. Candle, oh! Your candle! You lit it!"

"what?" Calebus said, dropping his hand from his eyes. He sat up straight, looking at the candle.



A flame burned at the top of the wick, bathing the ground around it in a small pool of light.

"no," Calebus whispered. He stood up. "n-no! NO!"

"Mr. Candle?" Ilan said, confused. "Is everything alright?"

"NO!" Calebus yelled, running for the door. Ilan yelled out in surprise, getting out of the way. Calebus shot past her, headed for the hall. "Mr. Candle!" She called after him. "what is wrong!"

Calebus didn't hear her. He ran out the apartment door and hit the stairs with heavy stomps. Down one flight, than another, he was practically jumping over the steps. He reached the lobby and burst out the back into the side-street. His feet hit the ground running. His arms pumped, his breath was ragged. He ran by the community garden and the community center, headed for the next street.

He emerged from the side-street onto the main one, startling a young couple with a dog. Calebus ignored their cries of protest as he sprinted past them. His mind was spinning. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible.

Calebus looked around frantically, trying to remember which apartment building was Flinder's. It was the same street he and Yana had walked up and down the first day he had arrived. Now though, it was all a jumble of memories.

Finally, a door he recognized appeared. He ran up it, pulling on the handle and finding it locked. He banged frantically on it, but no-one was in the hall. Calebus searched everywhere for a place to get in, then saw a panel. He quickly consulted it, running his finger down a list of names. He found Flinder's by a button, and started to mash it.

Again and again Calebus pressed the button, his breathing ragged. Finally a voice answered, drifting from a speaker. "Hello?"

"FLINDER!" Calebus yelled. "It's me! Let me in! It's an emergency!"

"ho shit, okay okay, I'm buzzing you up now,"

The door buzzed, and Calebus practically tore it open. He ran inside, reaching the steps and charging up them. Sprinting down the hall, he came to a stop in front of Flinder's door and tried the handle. It was locked. "FLINDER!" Calebus yelled, pounding on the door. "Let me IN!"

The sound of a lock unlocking was heard, then the door swung open. "Okay okay," Flinder said, holding his dog back with one hand. "Hold-" Calebus brushed past him, bumping over a stack of books as he stormed into the apartment. "Hey careful!" Flinder said, closing the door and locking it.

Calebus turned on him, pointing a finger. "You said there wasn't any magic here!"

Flinder looked confused. He glanced at the pile of books Calebus knocked over. "Well...there isn't?"

"There is!" Calebus yelled, still pointing. He turned away, stalking towards the dining room as he gestured in the air. "I made a candle last night, and this evening, it was lit!"

Flinder bent down and picked up his dog, slowly following Calebus into the dining room. Calebus paced back and forth, his expression frantic. "Buddy," Flinder said, setting the dog down. "That's impossible. Someone must have come along and lit it. Your niece maybe,"

"A dead world!" Calebus said, turning on Flinder again. "They call this a dead world!" He gestured. "Well, well, maybe it's coming alive!"

Flinder sighed. He walked to the table and sat, motioning for Calebus to do the same. "Candleman, let's talk," Calebus looked like he was going to explode, but took a deep breath. He slowly sat at the table. "Dead world," Flinder said. "Is actually a misconception. It's not a dead world, it's a chosen world,"

Calebus furrowed his brow. "what?"

"A chosen world," Flinder said, gesturing idly. "The creator god or whatever, he chose the people here to become his heirs. Through like, a purification process or something," Calebus just stared at Flinder, clearly waiting for him to make sense. Flinder shrugged. "Look, the reason there's no magic or chi-power here is because it's not allowed here. This world is like...a testing ground, or a crucible. It's just people here, facing themselves and what they're capable of,"

"that's..." Calebus said. "I've never heard of this,"

"Well sure," Flinder said, shrugging. "Our Earth's are different, and we don't follow the same rules as a Chosen Earth. We have magic and creatures that hunt us and all manner of outside forces that interfere," Flinder tapped the table with a finger. "But that stuff doesn't happen here. It can't happen here. Demons have this world, they're part of the test. But even they don't have magic. And if the demons don't convince you, there's far more powerful beings keeping watch over this place,"

"A....test world?" Calebus repeated.

"It's why people flee to dead Earth's from other Earths," Flinder said. "We're not a part of this test or whatever, it's not like we're going to become gods. But we can hide here, and the rules that protect this place also protect us. So you see..." Flinder tried to give Calebus a supportive look. "Your magic candle didn't light itself, someone else did. Because again, it is impossible for magic to exist here,"

Calebus shook his head. "This...test, what does it look?"

Flinder shrugged. "I don't really understand it myself. Good and evil are...different, in this world. According to some scholars though, it ends with an Apocalypse,"

"Apocalypse myth," Calebus repeated. "Those have magic!"

"Well sure, our myths do. Because our apocalypse isn't going to be a judgement day like their's is, if you believe that sort of thing,"

Calebus stood. "You're wrong Flinder, something's wrong here. Magic is present. I know it,"

"And I'm telling you Candleman, even if magic were possible here, any trace of it would bring demons down so quickly we wouldn't have time to grab our ankles,"

Calebus stared a beat longer at Flinder. "Do you have animal fat?"

Flinder looked confused. "No?"

Without another word, Calebus left the apartment.

Once back in his own building, he went door-to door collecting as much animal fat as he could. He also met many of his neighbors, though the names and faces all blurred together. Once he had a sizable pot of fat, he returned to his own apartment.

"Oh! Mr. Candle!" Ilan said, opening the door for him. "You are scaring me sometimes, I never know what is happening!"

"I'm so sorry Ms Ilan," Calebus said, walking in with the pot of animal fat. "I promise I'll make it up to you. Do you need the stove right now?"

Ilan shook her head. "No Mr. Candle, are you making more candles?"

Calebus set the pot down on the counter with a heavy thud. He turned to Ilan, a serious expression on his face. "Yes Ilan. Yes I am.

Ilan seemed to consider this, worry on her face. "What kind of candles Mr. Candle?"

[] Make a batch of Perception Candles
[] Make a batch of Protection Candles
[] Make a batch of Burning Flame Candles

 

[Lop]

[X] Make a batch of Protection Candles

Click to shrink...

[X] Make a batch of Protection Candles

Click to shrink...

[X] Make a batch of Perception Candles

You need to know what is coming before you can prep for it. Currently there are contradictions, we need clarity.

Click to shrink...

we'll be doing
We're doing


[X] Make a batch of Perception Candles

I assume Ma Mel or someone here has a gun. So this should be worth the risk for concrete knowledge

Click to shrink...

[X] Make a batch of Protection Candles (x2)
[X] Make a batch of Perception Candles (x2)

"Several batches," Calebus said, turning back to the stove. Ilan and two of her children watched him work until the smell drove them from the kitchen. Calebus took great handfuls of fat and worked them in the pot. He smoothed and shaped them, whispering ancient words as he hung them to dry. The only sound besides his whispers was the animal fat bubbling on the stove. Soon enough, four strings of candles hung above the kitchen. Calebus pulled up a chair from the table and watched them dry. He thought many thoughts as he did.

Dead World. Chosen World. No magic. Magic. All these things swirled in his mind. His candle catching fire meant there was magic, there was no other way for it to happen. And if there was magic, that was very, very bad. And yet...how? There were rules for every Earth, Flinder was right about that. Most of the rules were the same. Ancient, immutable laws that could not be contradicted. So what was happening on this world?

When the candles dried, Calebus rose. He took down one string of protection candles, carefully working them free. He gingerly gathered them and went around the apartment. Four candles by the front door, six in his sub-apartment. The first candle he had made was now a melted puddle of wax. Calebus ignored it as he hurried back to the kitchen.

He took down another string of protection candles, carefully wrapping them in plastic bags Ilan had under the sink. He finished, then put them in a box. Next he took down a string of perception candles. Four went in front of the door, the other six in his apartment. Like the second batch of protection candles, Calebus wrapped the second batch of perception candles in bags.

Calebus heard a noise as he put the wrapped candles in his box. He turned, spotting one of Ilan's children peeking around the corner of the hallway into the kitchen. "Oh, hello," Calebus said. The child was a young boy, wearing a large green hoodie. "What's your name?"

The boy was silent, clearly uncertain of both the lingering smell and the candles on either side of the front door. Finally he looked at Calebus. "Hokan,"

"It's nice to finally meet you," Calebus said. "Are you brave enough to do me a favor Hokan?" The boy nodded. Calebus pointed at the candles by the front door. "Can you tell your mom, that if she sees any of those candles light up, to hide in my apartment with all of you?" The boy looked confused, and Calebus did his best to smile. "I have to run an errand, but it's very important you tell your mother this. Understand? If she sees any of the candles catch fire, that means trouble. She has to run into my apartment with you all, and call the police. Can you do that for me?" Hokan nodded. Calebus stood with the box of wrapped candles and headed for the door. "Good man, you'll do your mother proud one day,"

Once outside in the crisp evening air, Calebus jogged to Flinder's apartment one and a half streets over. He ran up the steps, resting the box against the wall to press the door button. After the third ring, Flinder answered through the intercom. "Yes?"

"Flinder, it's Calebus again. I need a ride to my niece's highschool,"

Flinder was silent for a beat. "uhhh, right now?"

Calebus pressed the button. "Yes right now!"

"Okay okay, jeeze, they say never meet your heroes. I'll be right down,"

After a few moments, Flinder appeared in the lobby. He wore a bathrobe and shorts, and had his dog on a leash. Calebus was confused as the man walked outside. "You're bringing your dog with us?"

"Oh ho whoaaaa," Flinder said, holding up a palm. He took out a phone with his other hand. "I don't have a car. Do you know how expensive they are to have in the city?" He tapped out something on the phone screen. "No, on this Earth, we poor people use something called Lyft. Or Uber if you want to be an asshole,"

Calebus slowly nodded. "And that's like, a taxi?"

"It's exactly like a taxi," Flinder said, finishing out typing. "But you can't get scammed! I'm telling you man, they get creative here without magic," He pocketed the phone. "Say, whatchu got there?" Calebus tilted the box, letting Flinder see inside. The man lowered his aviators. "Oh wow! Are those legendary Candleman candles?? These would be really cool if they could do anything! You gotta let me have one! And you gotta sign it!"

"Hm," Calebus said, righting the box. He fished out a candle and passed it to Flinder. "I would set it by a door, if I were you,"

Flinder's dog pulled at the leash, though Flinder ignored its yelps. He took the candle, trying to peer at it through the plastic bag. "Sooo...you're taking them to Madison Prep? Why?"

"Just a hunch," Calebus said, almost to himself.

"C'mon man, you don't really think there's magic here, do you?"

A black Toyota pulled up. Calebus pointed at it. "Is that mine?"

Flinder nodded. "Yup,"

"Just put that candle by your door," Calebus said, walking to the car.

"Do you need a ride back?" Flinder called after him. "These rides aren't that cheap,"

"Yes, a ride back! I promise I'll pay you back!" Calebus said, opening the door. He paused before he got in. "And you never know, that candle might just save your life,"

Calebus got in and closed the door. He was nervous as the Lyft drove him through the city. He counted the candles over and over, wondering if they would be enough. He was ashamed to admit it, but he regretted giving one to Flinder. Would there be enough for Yana now?"

The Lyft pulled up to the black iron gate, then stopped. Calebus leaned forward. "Can you get them to let us in?"

The driver laughed. "No sir, that's not how this works. If they won't let you in, they won't let me in. But there's a buzzer it looks like, if you want to get out and press it,"

Calebus hurried to open his door and get out of the Lyft with the box. He ran to the gate, pressing the box to it to mash the buzzer. A gruff male voice answered. "hello, Madison Prep,"

"This is Calebus Candle, Yana Candle's uncle! I need to get her something important!"

"Hold on,"

A golf cart appeared from around the school. Calebus watched it cross the small campus, stopping in front of the gate. Two burly security guards got out, shining flashlights on Calebu's face. "Visiting hours are over sir,"

"Please, it's an emergency," Calebus said, hefting the box to show them. "She needs these,"

The security guards shared a look. One of them turned away, speaking into a radio. After a few moments, he turned back. "You got some I.D Mr. Candle?"

Calebus froze, then set the box down. "Yes, yes I do," He said, checking over his jacket. He fished out an I.D Ma Mel gave him, passing it between the bars. The security guard's checked it over, each taking a turn shining their flashlight on it. Finally one of them passed it back. "We'll let you in the lobby, she can come down and grab them,"

Calebus breathed a sigh of relief. "thank you...thank you..."

The gates opened, and Calebus waved to his driver that he would be right back. He ran in, climbing into the golf-cart with the security guards. It only took ten seconds to drive from the gate to the front of the school. The security walked Calebus up the steps and through the front door.

Headmistress Mauve was waiting in the reception foyer next to the grand staircase. She wore a sleeping gown, and was slightly irratated.

"Ahh yes Mr. Candle," She said. "I thought this might happen. A student's first night is always a test. They forget their toothbrushes, or their insulin, or their teddybears. But you must understand, you cannot always come running to deliver it,"

"Yes, sorry," Calebus said, ducking his head. "This was...particularly important,"

Yana appeared at the top of the grand staircase wearing pajamas. She rubbed one eye with her hand as she descended. "Uncle? Is everything alright?"

"Hey Yana," Calebus said. "How was your first day?"

"umm," Yana said, reaching the bottom. She was still clearly half-asleep.

"No matter," Calebus said, shoving the box into her hands. "You know what to do with these,"

Yana blinked, confused, then looked into the box. Recognition crossed her face. She looked back up, startled. "Uncle?"

Calebus looked at her solemnly. "doors and windows," he reminded her, his voice barely audible.

Yana also lowered her voice. "are we in trouble?"

"Just, set those up. Understand?"

Yana nodded, trying her best to not panic. "okay uncle,"

Calebus turned, nodding to the Headmistress. "Thank you,"

"We shall see you Friday, Mr. Candle," The woman said. "Hopefully,"

With that, Calebus returned to his driver. When he was dropped off at his apartment, he spent the rest of the evening in his sub-apartment, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He was surrounded by perception candles.

The next morning, in the large brick manor that housed Madison Prep, Yana woke up to the sound of movement. She opened her eyes, blinking, and sat up.

She was very confused. She was in a nice room, in a comfortable bed, surrounded by posters and plants. Her memory slowly came back, and Yana put a hand to her face.

"oooohhhhh!" A voice said. Yana turned to see Beatrix inspecting several candles along the windowsill of their room. The girl was dressed in bright pajamas adorned with flower print. "Where did these come from!"

Yana slowly untangled herself from her sheets, resting her feet on the cool wooden floor. "My uncle brought them last night..." She rubbed her eyes. "I honestly thought it was a dream,"

"Why did he bring them?" Betrix said, picking one up. "ooohhh, there's patterns on them! They're so pretty!"

Yana looked up from resting her face in her hands. "Did you say there was patterns on them?"

Beatrix nodded, setting one down and picking up another. "Yup! They all do!"

Standing, Yana walked over to the window. It looked out over the small campus, and the skyscrapers beyond the gate. Yana picked up one of the protection candles and inspected it. "that...can't be right," She set it back down, taking the one in Beatrix's hand.

The girl seemed surprised. "I'm sorry, is something wrong?"

"I don't know," Yana said, setting the candle on the ledge. Her stomach growled, prompting Beatrix to smile.

"C'mon! Let's go grab breakfast!"

Yana followed Beatrix out into the common room. A strong, delicious smell wafted into Yana's nose. Claudette and Jessica were already in the room, both sitting at the table. Claudette wore an expensive-looking morning robe. She sipped from a mug of dark liquid as she looked at her phone. Jessica sat across from her, eating from a small cup of yogurt. She too was looking at her phone. Neither spoke, or looked up, as the girls entered.

"Oh!" Yana said. "I recognize that smell! That's coffee!" She looked at Claudette's mug, a horrified expression on her face. "Wait, you're drinking coffee?? Isn't that illegal??"

Claudette looked up from her phone, clearly irritated. "Of course it's legal, what are you talking about?"

"I..." Yana said, confused. "but...back where I come from it's illegal...and people our age certainly can't have it..."

"Now I know you're an idiot," Claudette said, looking down at her phone dismissively. "I thought you were from Italy,"

Yana said nothing as she stood there, completely shocked. Beatrix tugged on her sleeve. "C'mon, we have to stock our own food for breakfast, or go down to the dining hall, but it's noisy. You can have cereal with me if you want!"

"Good lord Beatrix please turn it down a notch," Claudette said. Jessica still hadn't spoken a word, simply staring at her phone with an unreadable expression.

Beatrix looked hurt, but quickly recovered, humming to herself as she took a box of cereal and milk from the fridge. "I hope you don't mind almond, I'm lactose intolerant,"

"that's...fine, thank you,"

Claudette and Jessica promptly left for their room as Yana and Beatrix sat down. Yana poked at the cereal with a spoon, then tried a handful. "Oh!" She said, her face lighting up. "This is really good!"

"It's the leprechaun on the box," Beatrix said, pointing at it with a spoon. "He makes them all magically delicious,"

Yana looked up sharply. "Did you say magic?"

Beatrix laughed. "I'm not serious Yana! Jeeze, Italy must be so weird!" Suddenly, a deep, old bell rang. It reverberated through the school. "Oh!" Beatrix said. "That's first bell! We have ten more minutes to get to class!"

Yana stood with Beatrix and rushed to their room. The girl quickly got into her uniform, fumbling with the tie. She turned to her roommate. "Umm, Beatrix, I'm sorry, but-"

"Ha! You'll get it. Meet me out in the main room and I'll do it there, I've just got to grab something!"

Yana walked out into the main room and sat on the arm rest of the sofa. Both Claudette and Jessica emerged from their room, looking pristine and sharp. They walked with raised chins, pointedly ignoring Yana as they left the room. As the door closed, Beatrix emerged.

"Okay!" she said, adjusting her uniform jacket. "Let's get that tie fixed!"

First period was a class called Advanced English. Yana sat near the back of the class, surrounded by people she didn't recognize. The students all wore the same uniform as she did, but didn't seem to pay her any mind. Yana spent the class listening to an older woman drone on about sentence diagrams in olde english works. It was very difficult, as not all the rules for this English seemed to be the same as Yana's English. In fact, there were quite a few absurdities with the olde english as well. Yana did her best to sit through it.

The next class was something known as Advanced Geometry. Yana wondered if all the classes were advanced, and if so, should she really be in them? Luckily Advanced Geometry turned out to be a weird name for Alnumatics, something Yana was very familiar with. This teacher was a younger man with glasses, eager to draw things out of the students. Yana watched as others raised their hands, being called upon for questions and answers. Suddenly, the teacher turned to her.

"What about you Miss Candle, what would be the next step in Elucid's Vision Geometry problem?"

Proofs were strange to her, and were not something shared by Alnumatics. She tried her best however. "Umm, angle S2 equals angle A2?"

"Correct! Very good Miss Candle, I see you'll do just fine here,"

The next class was history. This one Yana shared with Claudette, though her suite-mate sat on the opposite side, and did not look at her once. Yana did not recognize anyone else.

"And so," An older gentleman said, his voice gravely. "It was Ivan the Great who would go on to establish the Muscovite princedoms as a "third Rome", with his marriage to Sophia Palailogina of the late Eastern Roman Empire,"

Yana tried to follow, but it was overwhelming. Was each class like this? Did they all just sit in rooms and listen to lecturers? Yana had heard of such things back home, but those were elite schools for the rich. As Yana looked around, she realized with a jolt that she was in one of those schools now.

The bell rang, and Yana rose with the other students. She tried to catch up to Claudette as they filed out of the room. "Claudette!" Yana called. "Claudette!"

The girl shot back an irritated glance. "what!"

"oh, nothing," Yana said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I was just wondering where you were going next..."

"Lunch, obviously," Claudette said, disappearing into the hall.

Yana stood there as other students filed out around her. "oh,"

She made her way to the dining hall with the hoards of chattering students. Yana felt awful at having been brushed off by Claudette, though she couldn't say why. If she didn't know any better, Yana would say she was having flashbacks to her old Viper School...

Someone nudged against her as she waited in line for the dining hall. Yana looked to see Beatrix bump up next to her. "Hi Yana!"

"Oh, hi Beatrix,"

"Bee," Beatrix said, raising an eyebrow. "Only my parents and teachers call me Beatrix,"

Yana tried to give her a smile. "ah, got it,"

Beatrix took out a phone from her pocket, showing Yana the screen. "Give me your number! We're roommates so we should have each others! Obviously we're not supposed to have them in class, but we're all pretty good at hiding them,"

"I uh, don't have one,"

Beatrix's eyes grew wide. "You don't have a phone! How is that possible! Everyone has a phone!"

"Yeah, they...weren't that important back in Italy," Yana furrowed her brow, sniffing. "Hey Beatr-....Bee, do you smell that?"

Beatrix sniffed, then looked surprised. "Something's burning!" She looked down at her jacket. "I'm burning!" Sure enough, smoke trailed out from Beatrix's jacket. She opened it, revealing a candle tucked in the pocket. It was burning, lighting the fabric on fire. "HELP!" Beatrix yelled, struggling with her jacket.

Yana was quick. She grabbed Beatrix with one hand, ripping out the candle from her jacket with the other. She beat at the fire with her hand, dampening it to smoke. All the students around them talked at once, taking steps back.

"What!" Yana said, looking from Beatrix, to the burning candle on the floor.

"I'm sorry!" Beatrix said, hiding her face behind her hands. "Please don't be mad! I thought they were so pretty and wanted to show one to my friends in Garden club!"

"wait, that's one of mine??" Yana said, her heart pounding. She dropped to the floor and scooped up the candle, turning it over in her fingers. It was a perception candle. "oh...shit..." She clamored to her feet, gripping the candle with one hand and grabbing Beatrix's hand with the other. "C'mon!" Yana yelled, tugging Beatrix along.

"Ow! I said I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!" Yana continued to drag Beatrix along, reaching the grand staircase in the reception foyer. She ran up it, pulling her roommate behind her. "Please, if you would just let me explain!"

Yana turned on her at the top of the stairs, getting in the girl's face. "Beatrix, I'm not mad at you, we're in danger,"

Beatrix seemed confused, her lip quivering. "wha-what?"

Yana held up the candle, its wick lit. "This is a perception candle. It can do a lot of things, and one of the most important is telling me when I'm in danger,"

"wha-what kind of danger?"

The sound of floorboards creaking drew their attention. At the bottom of the stairs was a man in an elaborate black suit. He wore a black costume mask, and carried what looked like a massive instrument case on his back. He stared up at the girls on the landing.

"that kind," Yana said, her voice barely a whisper. The man raised his hand, and shadows shot up the stairs, climbing them like snakes. Yana grabbed Beatrix's wrist. "RUN! THAT'S A SHADOW MAGE!"

Beatrix squealed in terror as Yana pulled her down the hall. The entire second level seemed empty, all the students having gone to the dining room. There were no teachers either on the student floors, or the headmistress. It was just Yana and Beatrix, alone in the hall.

"Y-yana!" Beatrix said, slowing down. "My feet feel like rocks! I can't run!"

A moment later, it hit Yana too. A strange blue wave covered the hall, basking it in strange, twinkling light. "Ocean Mage," Yana said, her voice muffled. "They're trying to restrict our movement,"

A woman appeared at the end of the hall. She wore a fanciful black suit as well, and a blue costume mask. She raised her hand, and an eel made of color floated down the fall. Yana struggled to push against the ocean magic weighing her down, and slowly shoved Beatrix out of the way of the eel. Beatrix fell in slow motion to the floor. Yana heard a noise and turned.

The shadow mage had appeared at the top of the stairs, the instrument case still on his back.

"shit!" Yana said, looking between to the two.

[] Send Beatrix running to your room, attack the Ocean Mage as a distraction
[] Send Beatrix running to your room, attack the Shadow Mage as a distraction
[] Both make a run for the room

 

[Lop]

[X] Both make a run for the room

Ok here's the thinking. If they both run into the room, then they will presumably be under the Protection Candle's AOE and Bee will hopefully think about calling the cops or sounding the alarm or something mundane which will hopefully drive these people off.

I think I have an idea as to how this world works.

Spoiler: Its kinda long

This is probably one of those "Magic is something hidden from society" worlds like the Fate/ series. So there must either be a penalty to revealing magic or Magic will outright fail if revealed to the mundande.

Here's my logic:

• First enemy didnt appear until we went towards a music box in a deserted area
  • Music or the box must be magical in nature to ensure their privacy, and entering said area willingly mean they either consent or give up their "Protection from Magical World".
• Probable reason why all these shit are working now, is maybe due to the fact that the music box was given to Candleman, thus rendering his "Protection From Magic" null and void. This also meant he was no longer insulated from his own magic, since he was being protected from himself.
• The reason Bee is included in the attack is due to her having the Perception candle which might also be a way to give up "Protection from Magical World".
• The reason the Refugees havent figured out the fact that there is actual magic here, is that they themselves couldnt remove their "Protection".
  • Maybe the magic to remove their "Protection" must initially come from this world, thus insulating the Refugees from the Magical Natives.

Ooor I could be totally wrong and the enemies just bargained with the Boss of this world provided they dont make too big a mess and allowed Candleman his magic to keep it sporting.

Click to shrink...

[X] Both make a run for the room

Click to shrink...

[X] Send Beatrix running to your room, attack the Ocean Mage as a distraction

Until proven otherwise, Yana is the target. So the shadow age, their striker, will target Yana anyway. We should distract the ocean mage, their controller, to allow Bee to escape.

Click to shrink...

[X] Send Beatrix running to your room, attack the Ocean Mage as a distraction

Click to shrink...

[X] Send Beatrix running to your room, attack the Ocean Mage as a distraction

Yana took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the ocean magic around her. The Shadow Mage steadily approached from the staircase, shadows splaying around his feet like knives. Yana bent down and grabbed Beatrix, pulling the girl to her feet.

"C'mon!" Yana yelled, her voice muted, as if underwater. Beatrix seemed to be going into shock. Her eyes were wide, but unseeing. Yana dragged her along the hall, though each step was a titanic effort. The Shadow Mage continued to follow them, walking at a leisurely pace. He was slowly catching up to them, and would soon overcome the girls.

Yana managed to drag Beatrix to their suite-room door. She pushed in the door, then pulled Beatrix along and shoved her into the room. "go in our room!" Yana yelled, then pulled the door shut.

She heard the sound of shadows; whispers, and muted cries. Glancing over her shoulder, Yana spied four shadows slithering along the floor towards her. She bent her knees and tried to run up the wall, but the Ocean magic slowed her. As Yana fell back down, she ripped a painting from the wall. Twirling in the air, she released the painting like a slow-motion throwing-star. It traveled lazily towards the Ocean Mage, who smiled under her mask. The Mage was clearly amused by the attempt.

Pulsating vipers bloomed from Yana's outstretched hand. The girl yelled in surprise as the glowing snakes shot through the air like arrows. They entangled with the painting, boosting it along and turning it into a deadly projectile. The painting spun like a saw, pinning the Ocean Mage to the wall through her palm. The Ocean Mage looked in surprise at the painting impaling her hand, then let out a scream.

The ocean magic broke around Yana. She felt her limbs grow strong again as the shadows neared her feet. Yana ran across the hall and up the wall. The shadows followed her. She flipped off the wall, landing in Striking Viper stance. She lashed out three times, and three glowing vipers impaled the shadows to the wall.

Yana slowly lowered her hands, amazement on her face. "that...that was Chi power!" She turned to the Shadow Mage, excitement on her face. "I CAN USE CHI POWER!"

The Shadow Mage smirked. His entire body was enveloped in darkness, then shadows launched from him like bullets. They raced along the wall, floor and ceiling, all converging on Yana. The girl closed her eyes, then brought in her fist. "Unrelenting Strikes, third style!" She screamed. Her hands started moving in a blur. Yana's body adopted a green glow. The shadows tried to suffocate her, but Yana's hands moved too fast. Dark splotches exploded as Unrelenting Strike, Third Style Palm knocked them away. "I can do Chi-power!" Yana yelled, still amazed. "I'M DOING IT!"

"Shut UP!" The Shadow Mage yelled in a heavy French accent. He dropped to his knees and punched the ground, releasing a river of shadows that surged towards Yana. The girl ran down the hall towards the Ocean Mage. The masked woman was prying the painting from her palm, and suddenly freed it. The Ocean Mage cried out in anger and pain. She turned to face Yana just as the girl reached her.

Grabbing the Ocean Mage with both hands, Yana hurled the woman over her shoulder and into the approaching shadow river. The Shadow Mage yelled in surprise, quickly trying to cancel the spell before he killed his partner. Yana sprinted towards him, running along the wall and then jumping back down once she'd passed the shadow river. She passed a marble bust, grabbing it from its berth and hurtling it with all her might. The bust flew down the hall, impacting against the Shadow Mage's face. He stumbled back, then fell to the ground.

Yana stood in the middle of the hallway, breathing heavily. A door opened, and Beatrix poked her head out. "y-yana?"

Smiling, Yana tried to catch her breath. She waved at Beatrix. "hey bee, everything's okay now,"

The sound of a zipper was heard. Both Yana and Beatrix looked at the Shadow Mage, who was lying on the floor. The large instrument case on his back was emitting the sound. An elongated, thin arm emerged from the instrument case, then finished unzipping it from the outside. Another elongated arm emerged, then two incredibly long legs appeared. A thin, long body emerged, followed finally by a head with a wide grin.

The figure stood up straight, revealing a nine-foot tall man in a black suit. Beatrix made a noise like a mouse. "wha-wha-wha," She said, backing up into the room.

"Hello," The figure said, revealing a thick, French accent.

Yana swallowed, willing herself to be brave. "w-who are you," She said, raising her fists.

The man bent his long arm, putting a bony finger to his chin. "My name, my name. Ah! It is, "The Crooked Man!" That is what they call me!"

"And who sent you, Crooked Man?"

The man's grin grew wider. "The Marquis sent me! It is time to pay a visit to his eternal summer Chateau, my little prickly flower,"

Yana narrowed her eyes, unimpressed. "The Marquis has been trying to summon, kidnap, and cajole me to visit him ever since he found out I existed. It didn't happen back then. And I just discovered I can use Chi-power, so it's definitely not happening now,"

The tall, thin man laughed, though it was a strange, wheezing sound. "Yes, yes! I noticed this! This world has Magic and Chi-Power now! Though," The man tilted his head. "If you can use Chi-Power, then I can use Chi-Power. And I am, how do you say? Chi-Master of Crooked Style?"

"oh shit," Yana whispered.

The Crooked Man galloped along the hall on all four legs, barreling down on her. Yana screamed and dove into her room. She crashed into Beatrix, sending both girls to the floor. "My room!" Yana yelled, scrambling to her feet. "Run-"

A long arm reached through the door and swatted Yana. The blow sent her spinning. She hit the table, dazed. The Crooked Man slowly pulled himself into the room, his arms and legs spreading along the wall. Yana's eyes went wide. She looked to Beatrix. The girl was still on the floor, trembling as the Crooked Man towered over her. "run Bee!" Yana yelled. "The room!" She pushed away from the table and charged the Crooked Man. "Viper Curls and Strikes!" She reared back and threw a punch as hard as she could. Her fist turned into a glowing-green snake. It opened its mouth as it struck the Crooked Man.

Like being sucked into a vacuum, the Crooked Man was punched out of the doorway and into the hall. He impacted against the far wall, cracking the wood. He looked up, a wide grin on his face. "not good prickly flower. Not good for you or your friend,"

"yeep!" Yana yelled, slamming the door shut. She ran to Beatrix, practically scooping the girl up. The door splintered behind her, then caved inward. The Crooked Man forced his body through the frame, his limbs flailing.

Yana stumbled into her room, accidentally dropping Beatrix and tripping over her. Yana fell against a bed, her vision spinning. The Crooked Man poked his head inside, then slowly emerged into the room. "girls girls girls," he said, shaking his head. "do not run from me,"

Beatrix whimpered, pulling herself into the fetal position. Yana slowly pulled herself up along the bed, getting to her feet. She raised trembling hands to a defensive stance.

A soft glow sprouted behind her. Yana felt the heat, then turned.

All five protection candles were lit. The Crooked Man's grin was frozen on his face. In fact, he was frozen too. A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. "c-cant...movvee" he said through his teeth.

Yana took a deep breath, then sighed in relief. "No," She said. "No you can't. My Uncle's candles are very powerful,"

The Crooked Man's gaze moved to the candles on the ledge behind Yana. "candlemannnn," he said, his grin still frozen.

"That's right," Yana said, pointing at him. "You shouldn't have messed with me,"

A whisper crawled through the room. Someone was reciting something. The Crooked Man's eyes went wide. "no! master! not yet!" A hundred bluish hands extended from the common room, grabbing the Crooked Man and pulling him through the door. "no master!" The Crooked Man protested. "I can win!"

The Crooked Man, and the hands, disappeared in a loud clap. Only a blueish haze remained. A voice emitted from it, faint, and distant. "My love," it said. "You must visit me soonnnnn"

The haze faded. Yana looked around the room, then down at Beatrix. The girl looked up at her, tears brimming. "wwhhaattt jusssttt happpeneddd????" Beatrix said, bursting into tears. "what was thatttttttt!"

Yana sighed, slowly sitting down next to Beatrix. She rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Bee, can you keep a secret?"

"whaaaaaaa" Beatrix said, tears and snot running down her face. "whatt was thattttttt????"

"It's okay," Yana said, patting her shoulder. She reached towards Beatrix's bedside table, grabbing a tissue and handing it to her. "It's going to be fine," The glow of the candles slowly petered out. They stopped burning, releasing thin trails of smoke. Yana was relieved as she looked at them, turning back to Beatrix. "see, everything's going to be fine,"

"f-first the s-shadows chased meeee!" Beatrix said, covering her face with her hands. "t-then I f-felt underwaterrrrr!"

"There there," Yana said. "I know that stuff can be scary if you've never seen it,"

"t-then t-that monster mann chassseeeddd usss!"

Yana itched the back of her neck. "yeahh, I don't know what the hell that was. Crooked style? Now they're just making them up..."

Beatrix lowered her hands and stared at Yana, her eyes wide. "and-and, you did that thing with your hand! It turned green!"

Yana's face lit up, and she looked at both of her hands. "That's right! Bee! I can use Chi-Power!" Yana did a small dance, then noticed Beatrix looked terrified. "oh! sorry," Yana dropped back down beside her. "I've never been able to use it before,"

The terror still on her face, Beatrix's lip quivered. "w-who are you?"

Yana leaned in close, trying to appear sincere. "Beatrix, can you keep a secret?" The girl nodded, though she was clearly still processing things. "Me and my uncle, we're actually refugees from another world. A world that's incredibly different from this one. The buildings are taller, there's lights in the sky, more people. Oh! And monster beasts, and magic, and especially spirits,"

"y-you're lying," Beatrix said, tears still streaming down her face.

"Ha, no," Yana said, shaking her head. "It's very real, and I miss it a lot...well, most of it. Not the freakin' Marquis de Gaul or whatever he's called..."

"s-so, are you like..?" Beatrix sniffed. "with the knives and all....like a ninja?"

"a what?"

"you know," Beatrix said, seeming to gain a little of her confidence back. "from Japan,"

"We don't call it Japan where I'm from," Yana said. "And their Chi-Masters were outlawed after the Pacific War, at least for a long time,"

Beatrix just buried her face in her hands. She suddenly looked up. "w-wait, why did they attack you?"

Yana's expression grew dark. "A bunch of people hated my parents. I guess they really hate me too..."

Beatrix waited for more, but saw Yana was deep in her own feelings. "oh," Beatrix said, softly.

"just, don't tell anyone about this..." Yana said. "I don't really know who to tell...besides my Uncle,"

"b-but!" Beatrix said, looking around. "Our room and the hall is destroyed! What are we supposed to say!"

Beatrix thought back to the theater class she'd managed to sit through. Perhaps Mr. Wheat had been right? She had acting experience already? Maybe she could just-

Headmistress Mauve burst into the room, flanked by four security guards. "GIRLS!" She yelled. "WHAT HAPPENED!"

"We were attacked!" Beatrix yelled, then burst into tears.

"WHAT"

"W-we didn't really get a good look," Yana said, trying to look sincere.

"they were ninjas!" Beatrix said, wailing.

Headmistress Mauve looked flabbergasted. "Girls! There are holes in the walls! Paintings and sculptures tossed about like a game of ball!"

"we were attacked," Yana murmured, looking down.

Headmistress Mauve looked from Yana, to Beatrix, her hands on her hips. Her stern expression softened, and she came over to Beatrix. She bent down by the girl. "there there child," She said, giving her a hug. "I'm sorry, perhaps I came off angry. I am simply shocked, and worried. This has never happened before," The headmistress stood. "Let's get you two down to the nurse's office. I'll contact your parents,"

Both girls simply nodded, looking down at the floor.

The sun was beginning its afternoon descent as Calebus sat in the passenger seat of Ma Mel's car. Calebus was furious, and scared. He had been pulled away from another morning washing dishes by Ma Mel, who had informed him that Yana had been attacked at school. Little other information had been given.

Ma Mel didn't speak much as they drove. She didn't have to. Calebus knew what she was thinking. The Candles were becoming more trouble than they were worth. The community leader pulled up at the gate to Madison Prep. She didn't have to buzz. The gate opened for her, and the car pulled through.

There were six police SUV's in the circle drive, and there had been even more on the street outside the gate. Police officers stood around outside the main entrance to the school. Some of them turned and watched as Ma Mel's car pulled up. Calebus quickly got out.

Once inside, Calebus learned that neither the teachers or the police had got a good descriptions of who or why the girls were attacked. Calebus was finally allowed to see Yana in the nurse's office after he assured the police he had no idea who could have done it. He was let in to where Yana sat on a patient's bed. The nurse sitting next to her got up. "I'll leave you two for a minute," The nurse said, leaving the room. Calebus was left staring at Yana.

"hey," he said.

"hey," Yana said, looking down.

"You okay?" Yana nodded, still looking down. Calebus crossed over to her and sat next to her. "I...don't want you to think this is your fault, or anything,"

"I can use Chi-Power," Yana said, her voice muffled against her chest.

Calebus furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?"

Yana lifted her chin, looking up at her uncle. "I can use Chi-Power,"

"That's..." Calebus began. "impossible..."

"and we were attacked by mages," Yana said, quietly. "Who were able to use magic. And a Chi-Master..."

Calebus was in disbelief. "shit," He said. "shit! Mages?"

Yana nodded. "Shadow and Ocean Mages, from the Marquis,"

"how," Calebus said, standing. He started pacing. "How is this possible! How are they finding us! How are they using magic here!"

"the...chi-master," Yana said. "he seemed to be surprised he could use his chi-power too..."

Calebus digested this as he paced. "this doesn't make sense..."

The door to the nurse's room opened. Headmistress Mauve was in the frame. "Mr Candle, I hope you don't mind the intrusion. I just wanted to introduce you to Superintendent Nero, who wished to speak with you," She took a step to the side, revealing a short man with an almost buddha-like pudginess. He walked in, extending his hand.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Candle,"

Calebus took his hand, uncertainty on his face. "Likewise, Superintendent,"

"Call me Nero," The man said, clasping Calebus's hand in his. He turned over his shoulder and looked back at the Headmistress. "Mauve, if you could give us a minute?"

The Headmistress nodded and closed the door. The superintendent turned back to Calebus. "You're the Candleman, yes?"

Calebus nodded. "That is what they call me,"

"I'm sure Mistress Mauve told you, but I am also a refugee on this earth. From your Earth, no less,"

Both Yana and Calebus looked at him. "Really?" Yana said.

The man smiled. "Yes, Urgal was my home until adulthood. I'm sure you can guess why I left. So I want you to believe me when I say we will do everything in our power to protect Yana here, for we take the protection of our fellow other-world refugees very seriously. Full police details, and an investigation, if this is a local matter,"

"I..." Calebus began. "Yes, thank you. That should be fine," He turned to Yana. "Will you be okay here?"

Yana nodded. "are you leaving?"

"Yeah," Calebus said. "There some things I have to do..."

The car-ride back with Ma Mel was tense. The community leader tapped on her steering wheel as they waited in traffic. "I told you we never cared or asked what our people were running from," Ma Mel said, breaking the silence. Calebus nodded to indicate he remembered. "I think though, in light of what just happened, we're going to have to make an exception,"

"I understand," Calebus said, quietly.

"There's some people waiting for us back at the community center. We'll finish this conversation there,"

True to her word, several cars were parked in the side-street circling the community center. When Ma Mel and Calebus entered, at least twenty people were present, including Flinder and Ilan. They all turned to the pair, waiting until they joined them.

"Listen up!" Ma Mel said, clapping. "We're all here for the same reason; the safety of our community! Now I know you all heard about the attack right over there in that alley, and you're all probably hearing now about the attack at the school, which some of your children attend. I've brought Calebus, who some of you know as the Candleman. I've asked that he explain why this is happening,"

All eyes turned to him. Calebus took a deep breath. "Um, hello. I'm not sure how familiar with the world tree your are, but I'm from the Seventh Earth....I...was a mage, there. A traveling warlock..." His audience seemed unsure, almost suspicious. Calebus did his best to continue. "My niece...Yana. Her parents were involved with a Doctor Paggilio. The doctor was a Mad One, but I don't know what they were working on together....they...had a falling out, and Yana's parents were killed...." The gathering of people was silent. Calebus could feel their gazes. "I took Yana and tried to relocate her on that Earth, but, for some reason, Doctor Paggilio wanted to kill her too. So did the doctor's enemies, a powerful mage named the Marquis, and a spirit called the Lady. All three of them hunted us, so we had to flee here...." Everyone remained silent, waiting for more. "We...I, thought we would be safe here...there wasn't supposed to be magic, or anything like that...but both the doctor and the marquis have found us..."

After Calebus finished, Flinder let out a low whistle. "Well," He said, shaking his head. "Let me be the first to say that if magic has returned, we are screwed!"

"I thought you were adamant there was no magic," Calebus said.

"Well clearly I don't know all the facts now do I!"

"Yes," Ilan said, her voice soft. "My friend, she says spirits have come and attacked her house. There is magic here now,"

An older man crossed his arms. "That's impossible! This is a dead world, there can't be magic!"

"I saw a spirit light in the sky!" A woman said.

"We must ask the wardens of this world!" Another woman said.

A man nodded. "Yes! Ask the demons!"

"No!" Ma Mel said, fiercely. "Though they do not hate us as much as they hate the humans here, they will treat us with less than contempt,"

"The watchers then!" Another man said. "We must ask the watchers!"

"Oh yes?" Ma Mel said, turning on him. "And which of you is volunteering to go and ask them hm? They would probably melt your eyes just by looking at you!"

The gathering was silent, everyone looking down at their feet.

Calebus gripped his hair with one hand. "This isn't good...they'll find us and kill me and Yana..."

"No, they won't Mr. Candle," Ma Mel said. She slowly climbed up on a chair, Flinder rushing over to help steady her. "Listen up! We've tried building a community here for at least forty years! My parents first came here, and this quickly became my home! It's all our homes!" The crowd murmured in agreement. Ma Mel presented Calebus with one arm. "So this 'doctor' and 'marquis' want to come in and start trouble? Fine! We are not defenseless! We have always fought to survive here! If they wish to hunt one of our own, they are welcome to try," Ma Mel held up her fist. "We will defend ourselves! This means war!"

Everyone looked at each other with uncertainty. Suddenly Ilan held up a fist. "YES!" She yelled. "They cannot just hurt us!"

Flinder held up a fist as well. "Fuck these guys from the 7th Earth! They'll regret ever coming here!"

Everyone else quickly got on-board, nodding and encouraging each other. Ma Mel nodded approvingly. "I've formed lists for a neighborhood watch. Some of them will last all night, and those who volunteer for those shifts will receive a small stipend from the community center,"

Men and women rushed to sign up, all talking at once. Calebus stuck around for awhile, chatting with the different members as they asked him questions and expressed their sympathy. Flinder came up to him, leaning in close. "Hey," He whispered.

"what's up?" Calebus said.

"Perhaps someone should ask the watchers," Flinder said. "Just to get a sense of what's happening,"

Calebus shook his head. "That sounds very, very dangerous,"

Flinder shrugged. "If magic's coming back, you're one of our more powerful community members,"

The next person to speak with Calebus was Ilan. She seemed meek now that she had supported a call to arms. Her kids played around her, getting underfoot of the other's at the community center. "Mr. Candle,"

"Please, call me Calebus,"

Ilan leaned in, whispering just like Flinder. "The friend I mentioned, who had spirits come to her house?"

"I remember you saying that,"

Ilan seemed uncertain if she should say more. Calebus encouraged her with a nod. "Well," She said, curling a strand of her around her finger. "I was thinking, perhaps, you could go to her? And see if it is really spirits? You are good at that type of thing, aren't you?"

Calebus crossed his arms. "I've been known to hunt a spirit or two in my day,"

"Please, perhaps you could visit her family tonight?"

"I'm not sure," Calebus said, looking over at the line for the community watch-list.

[] Sign up for the night-watch for extra pay
[] Pay a visit to Ilan's friend and investigate her house
[] Risk contacting the Watchers, consult with them

 

[Lop]

[X] Pay a visit to Ilan's friend and investigate her house

Click to shrink...

[X] Pay a visit to Ilan's friend and investigate her house

This should give us the excuse to stock up back on the tricks of the Candleman trade.

And I was gonna quote the things to edit that I found, but all i found were lack of capitalization on many of the conversations. So maybe just Ctrl + F " then change those needed changing to Capital letters

Click to shrink...

[X] Pay a visit to Ilan's friend and investigate her house

Click to shrink...

[X] Pay a visit to Ilan's friend and investigate her house

Click to shrink...

[X] Pay a visit to Ilan's friend and investigate her house

Ilan looked worried at Calebus's words. "Mr. Candle-" She began, though she didn't finish.

Calebus watched the line to sign-up. It was a touch choice, but if magic had in fact appeared here...well, there was no-one more qualified to deal with it. "I'll visit your friend," Calebus said. "Though I can't promise anything, even if it is spirits,"

Relief washed over Ilan's face. "Thank you Mr. Candle, may I tell her you're coming over this evening?"

"You may," Calebus said, nodding. "Though I'll have to prepare. Do you need the kitchen this evening?"

Ilan shook her head. "No Mr. Candle, please use it, however you need,"

"Very well then, I'll get ready after I am done with my work today,"

Calebus headed for the door, but Ma Mel caught his attention with a wave. She approached. "Mr. Candle, have you signed up for the neighborhood watch?"

"Not this evening Ma Mel," Calebus said. "I'm visiting Ms. Izata's friend's place to investigate the spirit sighting,"

Ma Mel looked unimpressed, crossing her arms. "Mr. Candle, we're taking these measures because of you and your niece. The least you could do is contribute as much as the rest of us,"

Calebus nodded. "Yes, you're right of course. I would never dream of placing this burden on you, and not helping myself. But..." Calebus lowered his voice, leaning in close to the older woman. "Have you yet considered what it means that magic is coming back? All of the implications?"

Ma Mel raised an eyebrow. "I'm assumed that's what this meeting was about. That there are people after you with great power?"

"Yes, but where does magic come from?" Calebus said, his voice insistent.

Ma Mel gave a half-shrug. "I don't pretend to understand it, I just learned to live with it,"

Calebus held up a finger. "This was my life, so let me explain it. Magic only comes from one place, and that's the spirit worlds that intertwine with the physical. My niece fought an Ocean Mage and a Shadow Mage earlier, which means those people were able to call on spirits of the ocean and shadows. And if there are ocean and shadow spirits," Calebus lowered his voice even more. "Than the other types of spirits are going to find their way here as well. Especially considering that other humans aren't the only thing some of these people ran from,"

Ma Mel's expression was guarded. She clearly thought on Calebus's words as she studied him. "you think...the likes of...things like vamparis and incubas will start appearing?"

"No. I think they're already here,"

Ma Mel was silent for a few moments, then nodded. "Very well Mr. Candle. I still remember the fear of those who were plagued by evil spirits back in my old world. I do not wish that fear to come here. What will you do?"

"Make some candles," Calebus said. "Then investigate,"

"Keep me informed. The community must know what we're up against,"

It was hard for Calebus to finish the rest of his shift at the restaurant. He washed the dishes of course, but his mind was elsewhere. Once he was finally done with his shift, he hastened to his apartment in the fading sunlight.

The next couple hours were spent in the shared kitchen. He had already taken all of the animal fat that was in the apartment building for his last batch of candles, and had to visit a corner butcher to get more. It was freely given, as the owners of the store had no need for it.

Soon enough, Calebus had two pots bubbling on his stove, and four strings of candles drying above. Some of them were for Yana, to replace the ones she'd spent in the attack. The rest were for him. He heard a noise as he was inspecting one of the strings, and turned to see Hokan. Ilan's son stood by the hallway, peering at Calebus from behind the corner.

"Ah, hello Hokan," Calebus said, turning to him.

"Hello,"

Calebus waited for the boy to say something else, but he remained silently at the corner. Calebus gestured at the strings of candles. "Would you like to see them?"

Hokan's eyes grew wide, and he slowly left his spot. He approached the stove, looking up at the candles. "How do they work?" he said, tilting his head to look at the bottom of one.

Calebus smiled. "You're from the Rushing Waters Earths, right?"

"That's what my mother says," Hokan said, glancing at the ground.

"Do you remember it?" The boy shook his head. "Well," Calebus said. "In your old world, there was magic everywhere. But the greatest magic was in the elements," Calebus made a motion with his hand, mimicking the waves. "Your oceans were vast, and moved where they pleased. The sky and the earth would trade places at times, through some unspoken agreement. And the beasts, some were as large as mountains,"

Wonderment covered Hokan's face. "mother...never talked about that!"

A sad expression passed over Calebus's face. "I can understand why. The Rushing Water Earths are unique, even to one as well-traveled as me. They are difficult places for people to live and raise families. But the magic of that world...it is some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring I have ever seen. And magic, the spirit world, that is what unifies the Earth's Hokan. No matter which Earth you travel to, save dead worlds, there will always be spirits to call upon that will recognize your will," Calebus reached up and grasped a candle, breaking it off the string. He lowered it and showed it in his palm to the boy. "Candle magic is the art of invoking the light at the center of creation. Few understand it, even fewer can summon it. But it is a powerful magic, for what in the dark can truly withstand the source of all light?" Hokan's face was blank, his eyes wide. Calebus cleared his throat. "Yes, I suppose that's hard to grasp. But that is how candle magic works. If you learn it, it will not fail you," A sudden bitterness passed over Calebus's face, and his voice grew low. "until you need it most, that is..."

He fell silent. The boy waited for more, but the only sound was the bubbling of the pots on the stove. Calebus took a deep breath and gave the boy a reassuring smile. "Would your mother happen to have any harnesses I could borrow? I didn't bring over my candle-holder belt," The boy disappeared, presumably to ask Ilan.

Ten minutes later, Calebus stood by the apartment door in his old, blue-wool trenchcoat. He had on comfortable pants, donated from the community, as well as boots. Ilan and her children stood in front of him, watching as he secured the belt diagonally across his chest. He started sliding candles into small string loops he'd tied into the belt. When he was done, he glanced at Ilan. "Thank you again, I promise I'll clean those pots when I return,"

Ilan passed him a piece of paper. "Thank you Mr. Candle. This is her address. It is not far,"

A cloudy night appeared as Calebus stepped out onto the street. The clouds reflected the lights of the city, creating the strange effect of a light-gray ocean hanging above his head. Calebus traveled the sidewalk, doing his best to follow the drawn-directions Ilan had made.

Her directions proved very accurate. He found an apartment building that was not unlike his own: tall, old, and brick. He searched the name-plate by the entry, finding the name of Ilan's friend. Pressing the buzzer, he waited for a response.

"Hello?" A thick accented voice came through the speaker.

"Ah, yes," Calebus said, pressing the speaker button. "My name is Calebus Candle, and I-"

"Candleman?" A second later the door buzzed, then clicked. Calebus blinked, surprised, then pulled it open. "Please," the voice said. "Come up, it is basement floor,"

Calebus walked into a dingy lobby, finding a staircase that went up, as well as down. He took the one that went down, descending into a damp, gloomy hall. There were wooden doors along the hall. Some with welcome mats, others plain. Calebus stopped in front of one marked 11-D. After checking over his candle belt, he raised his fist to knock.

Before he could, the door swung open. A fat, balding man in a wife-beater, as well as a small, wide woman with worry in her face, stood in the frame. "Candleman," The man said, gesturing him inside. "Please, I have heard of you from Flinder,"

Calebus took a deep breath as he stepped inside. "Well, Flinder can sometimes exaggerate for effect,"

"Please," The woman said, clasping her hands. "We...we do not know what to do. This is...we do not understand it. If not you, I fear our daughter cannot be saved,"

"Daughter?" Calebus said, furrowing his brow. "What do you mean?"

The woman buried her face in her hands. "she has not woken up today!"

Calebus grew irritated. "And you did not think to take her to a doctor first? It is not always spirits woman!"

"We thought about it," The man said, defensive. He shoulders sagged. "But, after last night, we knew it could only be the work of that...thing,"

"What thing,"

Both the man and the woman glanced at a door on the far side of the apartment. It was closed. The man looked back at Calebus. "I fear you may see it tonight,"

Calebus regarded the couple. He turned, walking along the edge of the apartment. He ran his hand along the wall, pausing as he glanced around. "Where are you from," He said, studying the low ceiling and narrow windows.

"Hintilend," The man said, wringing his hands.

Calebus nodded, running a finger along the window sill. "That's a Song World, isn't it?"

The man and woman exchanged a look. "We're sorry," The woman said. "We don't know what that means,"

"Resonance streams? Singing winds?"

Both of them smiled, relieved. "Yes," The man said, nodding. "The singing winds of Hintilend were quite beautiful. We both miss them,"

Calebus opened his coat and worked a candle out of his belt. He held it in one hand and nodded at the far door. "May I see her room?"

The man and woman exchanged another look. "Of course," The man said, taking his wife's hand. They crossed the apartment, stopping in front of the door. Neither seemed to want to open it.

"Allow me," Calebus said, brushing past them and opening the door. The room beyond was small, and dark. There were already candles present, as well as chimes Calebus recognized from his travels. The candles were clearly just incense. They mostly surrounded a narrow bed. Calebus approached the candles, gesturing at them. "What are these?"

"Prayer candles," The woman said.

Calebus took out his own candles, placing them between the already lit ones. He glanced down at the girl in the bed. She was in a deep sleep, and her face was pale. "What happened last night?"

"We had just finished dinner," The woman began. She couldn't seem to bring her self to finish.

"We finished dinner," The man said. "When we heard a knock on the door....I, got up to answer it, but...I don't remember much,"

"There was a man, standing in the door," The woman said.

"No, it was a woman,"

"A man,"

The couple looked at each other, both suspicious. "What happened next," Calebus said.

"He asked to come in," The woman said. "I...we both let him,"

The man nodded. "I remember, I said it was fine. I can't remember why,"

"I remember," The woman said, clearly struggling. "Laughter?"

"A party," The man said, seemingly confused. "Was it a party?"

They both looked at each other. "It couldn't have been," the woman said, though she didn't seem sure.

Calebus cleared his throat, drawing both their attention. "I think I've heard enough,"

The woman clasped her hands. "Please Candleman, tell us you can explain what's happening!"

"And stop it!" The man said.

Calebus slid out several more candles, placing them around the apartment. "Your story shares elements of others I have encountered...and yet, I can't be certain yet. A general rule is that any spirit that emulates human behavior is not to be trusted,"

"So..." The man said. "You can help us?"

Calebus walked up to the man, looking down at him. He extended his hand, taking the man's arm and turning it over. He slowly slid up the sleeve, revealing bite-marks along his flesh. "We'll see,"

The man jerked back his arm, shocked. "Where did these comes from!"

Calebus didn't answer. The parents watched as he took out the rest of his candles, placing them around the apartment. When he was done, he dragged a chair from the kitchen into the bedroom, setting it up in the frame. He sat in it, half in the bedroom, half out of it, and leaned back. The man and woman watched him.

"You should probably turn in," Calebus said. "But keep your door open,"

"If you don't mind," The woman said. "I would like to stay with my daughter, if it will not interfere with your work,"

Calebus nodded. "That's fine,"

The man sat at the kitchen table. The woman, in a chair next to her daughter's bed. Calebus remained in the doorframe, waiting. The minutes dragged by. A single candle lay on the floor next to Calebus's chair. Suddenly, its wick lit up in a tiny fire.

Three heavy knocks sounded on the door. Both the man and the woman rose. The man went to the door, and the woman climbed over Calebus in his chair to do the same. Calebus slowly stood, slipping another candle from his belt. The man and women gathered in front of their door, then opened it.

Three smiling children, all glowing brightly, skipped inside the apartment. They were followed by a woman wearing a mask shaped like twisted wood. The children immediately swarmed up on the mother, biting her. She did not protest, simply standing there as if in a trance. The woman in the wooden mask stood by and watched.

Calebus took the candle and held it aloft as he approached. The wick caught fire immediately. The woman in the wooden mask turned on him, throwing up her hands. The glowing children fell off the mother, crying out in a horrible racket.

More strange creatures ducked through the door. A large, bulbous man with a sagging face, as well three reed-like women with long nails. Calebus watched them enter, taking out another candle and holding it aloft. Its wick burst into flames. "A gathering, is it?" He said, holding up both candles. "Was word spread that this was a prime spot for feeding?"

The creatures all froze, staring at Calebus. He slowly lowered both candles, setting them on the ground. He slipped out two more. They sparked instantly, adding more light to the room. These too, Calebus set down. He drew out one last candle, holding it in front of him. This one did not light by itself. Calebus used one of the candles on the ground to light it, then held it in front of him. "I'm sure at least one of you recognize this," Calebus said, approaching the woman with the twisted-wooden mask. "I can only assume you're spirits, though I've never seen you gather like this," He held the burning candle towards the masked woman, causing her to rear back in fear. Her glowing children clung to her like angry beetles. "Speak spirit, what is happening here,"

Her voice came hissing through the mask. "a feeeedding frenzzyyyyy, candle-mage,"

The glowing children piped up. "Feeding frenzy!" One of them yelled. The others chimed in. "frenzy frenzy frenzy!"

"A bit unusual for your kind, isn't it? There aren't supposed to even be spirits here,"

"The rulesss have changed candle-mageee. Everything has changedddd,"

"What are you? Name yourselves spirits. Where do you hail from, and why did you commune here? Answer!" The spirits said nothing. The bulbous one opened its mouth wide, a yawning hole revealing itself. Strange, glowing eyes peered out from within. They seemed to grow excited, venturing forth towards the front of the spirit's mouth. Calebus took a deep breath, then slipped out another candle. This one was different from the others. This one was red. The spirits, all of them, hissed and growled. "Not everything's changed, has it?" Calebus said, holding the red candle's wick towards the burning wick of the other. "I believe candles made with lamb's blood still make a sound you can't stand when they burn?"

"Beee careful candle-mage," The masked-woman said, backing up with her glowing children. "You cannot stop forces greater than you, try as you mighttt"

Calebus pointed the red candle at the bulbous spirit, as well as the three skinny ones. "Begone, all of you. The rules are still the same as long as I am here,"

The spirits exited the apartment, the masked-woman's laughter drifting from the hall. "Is that so Candle-mageeee? You are welcome to tryyy,"

The door slammed shut, the bolt locking. Calebus's shoulders sagged, all the tension leaving his body. The husband and wife snapped out of their daze. They blinked and looked around. "what happened?" The woman said, feeling her head.

Calebus took the rest of his candles from his belt and set them on the kitchen table. He headed for the front door. "Keep those by your doorways and windows,"

"Did you get rid of the spirits?"

Calebus paused by the door, his hand on the handle. "No," He said, opening it. "Those were...unusually malicious beings. It seems my work may be just beginning..."

The cloudy night sky remained over New York City. Light spilled forth from the skyscrapers, keeping darkness at bay. Nestled deep within the labyrinth of Manhattan, a small patch of green poked up. It was Madison Prep Academy, and Yana Candle walked the hallways within.

She carried a box her uncle had just brought by. He seemed tired when he had met her in the school's foyer, and didn't speak much. It might have been because of the extra police and security. Yana wasn't sure however. Her uncle seemed very distracted, and very, very worried.

This of course worried Yana. The box she carried contained more candles. A lot more. This wasn't a good sign. She was flanked on either side by security guards. This did not make her feel any safer.

Once at her room, Yana thanked her escort and let herself in. The common room was empty, and Yana quickly crossed it.

Beatrix, her roommate, wasn't in their room. After the attack at lunch, Beatrix's parents had picked her up. She would be staying the night at their home, and return in the morning. Yana herself had been excused from classes for the rest of the day. She had spent all of it in her room, save for this moment, late in the night, when her Uncle had stopped by.

Yana was on edge as she set the box down. She wore her school uniform, but underneath the jacket were both her knife belts. Their heaviness was a small comfort. She began setting up the candles, some by her door, others by the window.

When she was finished, her stomach growled. Yana glanced at the doorway. She hadn't exactly eaten today. Yana ventured towards the door to the common room and opened it. Surely Beatrix wouldn't mind if she had some more of that wonderful thing known as cereal?

Yana took a step into the common room, then another. She crept towards fridge, opening it as quietly as she could. Almost immediately the door on the far end opened, and Claudette and Jessica emerged from their room. They both had their hair up, and wore expensive evening-robes. Claudette approached the table and sat, her phone out, as if it were perfectly natural for her to do so. Jessica was a bit slower, already texting on her phone as she approached the table. Once she sat, she set down her phone and stared at Yana.

Her hand on the fridge door, Yana stared back like a caught-child. Claudette stared as well. "So," Claudette said, taping her phone. "What happened?"

Yana tried to smile, but could feel how fake it was. "oh...you know, I'm sure you heard about it,"

"We want to hear it from you. It was our room that was attacked, wasn't it?"

Jessica was silent as she sat next to Claudette, but her gaze pierced Yana. Shutting the fridge, Yana tried to lean against it casually. "Well, some men, and a woman, in masks, attacked me and Beatrix. That's all there really is to it,"

"Uh huh," Claudette said, clearly unconvinced. "Why did they attack you?"

Yana was silent for a few moments, avoiding both her suite-mates' gazes. Jessica shifted in her seat, speaking in a quiet, silky voice. "perhaps Yana would like to come with us this evening?"

Claudette shot Jessica an incredulous look. "Jessica, no! Not her!"

Jessica didn't acknowledge Claudette, continuing to stare at Yana. "At night we like to meet some of our friends outside in the rear quad. It's nothing special," Jessica glanced to the side, as if something minor had caught her attention. "But it might be...interesting, if you came,"

Claudette stared at Jessica, still unsure. Slowly though, she nodded. "Okay, yes," Claudette said, turning to Yana. "It might be interesting if you came. We certainly could make it interesting..."

"Isn't sneaking out at night not allowed?" Yana said, confused. "And, I have to prepare for something in theater tomorrow. I'm already so behind.."

Shaking her head, Claudette put a hand to her face. "Give it up Jessica, she wouldn't be any fun,"

"Don't worry about that," Jessica said, gazing at Yana. "Just come and hang out with us,"

[] Sneak out to the quad with Jessica and Claudette
[] Stay in and prepare for Theater class tomorrow
[] Stay in and practice Viper-Style ninjujitsu

 

[Lop]

[X] Stay in and prepare for Theater class tomorrow

Changed my mind. We should probably stick close to the candles for now.

Click to shrink...

[X] Stay in and prepare for Theater class tomorrow

Err on the side of caution, yes.

Click to shrink...

[X] Stay in and prepare for Theater class tomorrow

Click to shrink...

[X] Stay in and practice Viper-Style ninjujitsu

Click to shrink...

[X] Stay in and prepare for Theater class tomorrow

Yana wanted to go with Claudette and Jessica. The girl could not put into words how badly she wanted her suite-mates to like her. And yet...

Her gaze moved to her bedroom door, where her school-work rested. She was already so far behind the other students, being a refugee here, and she was worried she would only slip further. "I'm sorry," Yana said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I really, really need to practice for theater,"

"oh," Jessica said, tilting her head as if uninterested. "how sad,"

Claudette smirked. "Peter Macklan and some of the other theater kids sneak out with us, but I guess you're too interested in studying or whatever,"

Yana felt her face grow red. She glanced down at her feet. "I...maybe next time?"

"Maybe," Jessica said, standing. She went to her room. After smirking at Yana a beat longer, Claudette rose and followed. Yana was left by the refrigerator. Her stomach growled.

"gods," Yana mumbled, opening the refrigerator. "This is Viper School all over again,"

She reached in and took out the box of almond milk, then found Beatrix's cereal. As she ate at the kitchen table, Jessica and Claudette emerged from their rooms. They both wore comfortable hoodies and sweatpants, and clutched their phones. They ignored Yana as they headed for the door and opened it. Claudette somehow managed to slam the door quietly.

Yana stared down at her bowl of cereal, then picked it up and drained the rest of the contents. She stood, resolute in her decision to study. Yana entered her room and found her theater book. Her assignment for tomorrow was a reading. A reading she had to do, in front of the class. Yana grew sweaty just thinking about it. She sat on her bed and cracked open the book. She turned one page, then another. The entire book was full of excerpts from this Earth's plays. Would she find one she liked?

Most of them seemed so...personal. Every play Yana found was about people, their lives, loss and love. There were a few epics, at least the older ones. Those ones made sense to her. Beowulf, what she could glean of it, even reminded her of home. Or, history from her home.

Finally, as Yana flipped turned and inspected each page, she found a monologue by someone named Oscar Wilde. It was called "Salome", and it seemed interesting enough. Yana turned on her desk lamp and began to practice the speech. Her lips moved as she murmured the lines.

To fight sleepiness, Yana stood and practiced a little louder. She struggled with a lot of the words, feeling she was miss-pronouncing them. She hoped they wouldn't laugh at her tomorrow...

Yana sat back down once she felt a little more comfortable with the lines. She continued to practice the speech as her head sank towards the pages. She collapsed on the book, snoring.

Night crept on. As the clock struck midnight, every perception candle in Yana's room lit up. The candle's glow bathed the bedroom in a soft light. Yana did not wake, continuing to drool into the pages of her book. The perception candles flickered, then the protection candles behind them burst into flames.

Yana didn't notice. The protection candles's burned brightly, threatening to engulf her drapes. Outside the window, a pair of eyes blinked in the darkness. They disappeared from the glass, leaving the candles to slowly peter out.

The next morning, Yana woke to sunlight streaming onto her face. She blinked as she sat up at her desk. In front of her was her book. Yana yawned, stretched, then popped her back. She stood and tried to smooth out her uniform shirt and skirt. She then took the knife-belts and jacket from the back of her chair. The knives went on first, then the jacket. The last thing she did was reach for a protection candle.

Yana furrowed her brow in confusion. All the protection candles were melted. She glanced around the room, but didn't see anything amiss. Yana walked to her drawer and opened it, taking out more wrapped candles. She unwrapped them, setting a couple out on the window sill, and sliding an extra into her jacket. Next she gathered up her books and headed for the common-room.

Claudette and Jessica were already there, dressed and ready. Claudette was pouring herself more coffee, something that left Yana in awe. Both girls gave her a passing glance.

The door to the room opened, and Beatrix entered. "Hellloooo!" She said, throwing out her arms. "I'm back!"

"goody," Claudette said, heading for the door. She brushed past Beatrix, followed by Jessica texting on her phone.

Beatrix watched them until the door closed, then turned back to Yana. "Hi Yana!" She said, smiling.

"Hello Beatrix," Yana said, doing her best to return it.

Beatrix put both hands on her hip as she walked to her. "You have to call me Bee now! I heard you say it yesterday!" She lowered her voice as she got close. "did anything happen last night?"

Yana thought back to the melted candles, but shook her head. "No, everything was fine,"

Beatrix seemed relieved. "Oh, okay! Let me go get my books and then I'll walk to class with you!"

The first class, as was the case the day before, was Advanced English. Yana struggled through another sentence diagramming lesson, as well as a vocabulary lesson she suspected was filled with made-up words. The next class, Advanced Geometry, aka Alnumatics, was equally long and boring.

Yana noticed that people stared at her more now than they did when she first arrived. She guessed it was because of the rumored-attack. The other students were clearly curious. They said nothing to her however, besides the lingering, possibly judging looks.

The next class was history, which Yana shared with Claudette. The girl sat across the room, ignoring Yana. This wasn't a big deal. Yana almost wished the rest of the students would follow Claudette's example.

At lunch-time, Yana found Beatrix waiting for her with another girl by the dining hall. "Yana!" Beatrix said, waving. The girl next to Beatrix was just as short, but a little wider, with dark skin and stylish glasses.

"Ohhh," The girl said, clasping her hands together. "Is this her??"

"Yup," Beatrix said, beaming. "Yana, meet Cloe, my friend from Gardening Club!"

The girl seemed friendly enough to Yana. "Hello," Yana said. "It's nice to meet you,"

"Bee's told me so much about you," Cloe said. "I can't wait to be friends!"

Yana was suddenly cautious. "okay," She said, slowly.

"C'mon," Beatrix said, grabbing Yana's hand. "Let's go eat!"

Lunch passed with Cloe asking Yana all manner of questions about Italy, her life, and the attack. Yana tried her best to talk about the first two, and pointedly avoided attempts at the last question. Beatrix seemed uncomfortable anytime Cloe brought up what happened yesterday. Yana did her best to bring the conversation to things she could talk about.

After lunch, Beatrix and Cloe walked Yana to her next class, which was Chemistry. This was the first time Yana had visited this class, and it was hard. She didn't understand anything that was said, and the book was a foreign language to her. Luckily, or perhaps even worse, the next class was theater.

Yana did her best to calm herself as she walked to the auditorium doors. For some reason, she couldn't pass through. Instead, she quickly turned and walked towards a side-door.

The door led outside into the rear-quad. There were trees lining the iron and brick wall, and a portion of the grass was marked off for sports. Yana sat on the steps leading from the side-door and gathered her thoughts.

Reading her play would be far from the scariest thing she'd ever done. Yana had fought, and killed, all sorts of dangerous people. She didn't like it, and it didn't make her feel good, but Yana rarely had a choice. Her home back on her old Earth had been large, crowded, and very dangerous.

Yana closed her eyes, willing her breathing to slow. A meow caused her to open them again. In front of the girl was a black cat with a streak of silver fur over one eye. "Oh!" Yana said. "Hello! Have you come to help me with my play?" Yana turned to her stack of books and took out the one from theater class. She opened it. "I should probably practice," The cat sat back on its haunches and licked a paw. "You don't seem to mind people, do you. That's fine, I always liked cats,"

The cat paused its licking and lowered its paw. "Did you now?"

Confusion passed over Yana's face. "Wait, you're a talking cat? Does this Earth have those?"

"No," The cat said, its voice feminine and smooth. It looked up at something in the sky.

"Oh," Yana said, furrowing her brow. "So...you're a spirit?"

The cat got up from its haunches and stretched its back. "perhaps,"

Yana watched the cat. "I suppose you're not here to help me with my schoolwork then, are you..."

The cat seemed to smile. "No, I'm not. Though you'll be late if you don't leave now,"

Yana looked around in surprise. "Oh, you're right!" She gathered her books and stood quickly, turning to face the cat. It was nowhere to be seen. "huh," the girl said, then ran inside.

The students were already present in the auditorium as Yana tried to quietly slip through the doors. She walked down the aisle, taking her place in the last seat of the third row. The rest of the students sat with each other in the first two.

After another old bell rang through the school, the curtains shifted with movement, and Mr. Wheat emerged. He walked with his cane to the front of the stage, surveying the students. "Good afternoon, class,"

"Good afternoon Mr. Wheat," The class said back.

"Today we have several readings from students that we'll be practicing. I think Peter, you'll go first, then Lawrence, then Yana,"

Yana swallowed. A tall boy stood up from the seats, walking with poise up the side-steps to the stage. Mr. Wheat made room for him with a warm smile. The boy cleared his throat. "Hello, I'm Peter Macklin, and today I'll be reciting the reading 'Bailey' by Ed Vela."

Peter recited the play, his voice rising and falling. Yana listened, impressed by his passion. When he finished, everyone clapped. Another boy stood as Peter made his way back to the seats, giving him a brief fist-bump before he jogged up to the stage.

"Hello," The boy said, stopping near the front. "I'm Lawrence Mott, and this is a reading from the script Monster's Inc,"

Yana found herself smiling at the boy on the stage. He was animated, and did different voices for different characters. She even surprised herself with a laugh as Lawrence squatted and tried to jump from foot to foot. When he was done, he straightened back up and bowed. The students clapped.

"Hm," Mr. Wheat said, smiling and clapping politely. "Very good Mr. Mott. Up next, Yana,"

The color drained from her face as she stood. Yana made her way up to the stage, conscious of everyone's eyes. She passed Lawrence on the way down, who smiled at her encouragingly. Once on the stage, Yana looked out at everyone and brought up her book.

"Um, hello," She said, her voice quiet.

"A little louder please," Mr. Wheat said, warmly.

Yana nodded and tried again, forcing confidence into her voice. "My name's Yana..Candle, and I'll be reading 'Salome' by Oscar Wilde..." Yana took a deep breath, then held her book in one hand. With her other hand, she mimed holding a decapitated head. "Ah!" She yelled. "Thou wouldst not suffer me to kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan." Yana shook her imaginary head. "Well! I will kiss it now. I will bite it with my teeth as one bites a ripe fruit. Yes, I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan." Yana took a breath, aware at the silence in the auditorium. Her voice rang out as she resumed. "I said it; did I not say it? I said it. Ah! I will kiss it now. But wherefore dost thou not look at me, Iokanaan? Thine eyes that were so terrible, so full of rage and scorn, are shut now. Wherefore are they shut? Open thine eyes! Lift up thine eyelids, Iokanaan! Wherefore dost thou not look at me? Art thou afraid of me, Iokanaan, that thou wilt not look at me?" She shook her imaginary head again, miming bringing it in close. "And thy tongue, that was like a red snake darting poison, it moves no more, it speaks no words, Iokanaan, that scarlet viper that spat its venom upon me. It is strange, is it not? How is it that the red viper stirs no longer? Thou wouldst have none of me, Iokanaan. Thou rejectedest me. Thou didst speak evil words against me. Thou didst bear thyself toward me as to a harlot, as to a woman that is a wanton, to me, Salome, daughter of Herodias, Princess of Judaea!" Yana held her imaginary head at arm's length, giving a small shrug. "Well, I still live, but thou art dead, and thy head belongs to me. I can do with it what I will. I can throw it to the dogs and to the birds of the air. That which the dogs leave, the birds of the air shall devour,"

Yana ended, then bowed. Everyone stared at her, wide-eyed. Mr. Wheat gave her a big smile, then started clapping. The rest of the class joined in as well. Lawrence put two fingers to his mouth and whistled.

"Very, very good Ms. Candle!" Mr. Wheat said. "You did very well for your first reading, and an interesting choice as well!"

Yana smiled, brushing a strand of hair back, then hastened to leave the stage. She sat down, pleased, but also embarrassed. The rest of the class passed with Mr. Wheat explaining the finer details of stage direction, and then the class was over. On the way out, Yana felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and spotted Lawrence.

"Hey," He said, a grin on his face.

"Hello," Yana said, looking him over. He was tall, with brown hair and handsome features. She was surprised at how attractive she found someone from another earth.

Lawrence motioned up at the stage. "That was really cool, what you did up there. What class do you have next?"

"Oh," Yana said, moving a book to get out her schedule. Lawrence reached out and took a book to help her, holding it. Yana thanked him with a nod and examined the paper she retrieved. "Um, physical education?"

"Ha," Lawrence said. "Have fun with that. They'll have you running all over the place,"

Yana smiled despite herself. "Oh, I can handle running,"

"Can I...walk you there?"

Yana resisted the urge to make her eyes wide in surprise. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. "Yes, that would be fine,"

"Cool," Lawrence said, smiling. "You can tell me why you picked that play on the way,"

Many hours later, as the sun set over the Lower East Side of Manhattan Island, a very tired Calebus got off the bus down the street from his apartment. His mind was worn, and his movements slow. There was a lot on his mind, but Calebus was having trouble parsing through it all. He had just finished another shift at the restaurant, and though he was no stranger from hard work, his hands were raw from the industrial soap.

Once he had climbed the two flights of stairs to his apartment, Calebus fumbled for his key and let himself in. The sounds of voices drifted from Ilan's side of the hallway. One of the doors opened and Ilan poked her head out. "Oh, Mr. Candle!"

"Hello," Calebus said, giving her a tried smile.

"Ma Mel stopped by, she wished you to come by the community center when you returned!"

Calebus itched the back of his neck. "Ah, okay. I'll go do that then," He turned and left his apartment.

The flowers and plants in the community garden swayed gently as Calebus walked past. He jogged up the steps, then went into through the glass entrance. Inside were four people. They were varied in age and gender, but all wore the plain clothes of the Earth they lived in. Ma Mel was among them. She straightened up from a table and motioned Calebus over. "Good, you're here,"

"Hello Ma Mel," Calebus said, joining the group. Everyone nodded to him in greeting.

"There's something we need to talk about," Ma Mel said. She stood at one end of a card table. A map of the neighborhood was spread out before her. "There is now no doubt that magic has come to this world,"

Calebus nodded. "I could have told you that, I dealt with some nasty spirits last night,"

"Yes, I heard," Ma Mel said. "With magic coming back, that means a lot of trouble for us. Spirits, enemies, who knows what else we'll attract. Since the demons or watchers don't seem to care, that means it's up to us to defend ourselves," Ma Mel tapped on the map of the neighborhood. "We have some strong fighters of our own. And we're planning how best to protect our community. Now that you're here, we can talk about your role,"

Calebus tilted his head, confused. "My role?"

Ma Mel nodded. "What happened last night, I fear it will not be the last time. As I mentioned, all manner of things may come to prey on us. We'll need our members helping each other out. You'll need to do what you did last night, again. As many times as is needed,"

Calebus was silent for a moment. "I see,"

"It is a hard thing we're asking, but we will pay you out of the community center fund for the nights you work. We cannot let ourselves be beset by spirits though. Especially when we do not have access to the defenses of our old worlds,"

"Very well," Calebus said. "I can do that. I will need to make a lot more candles if I am to resume my old job though,"

Ma Mel gestured at the others present. "We do not expect you to do it alone. I have here three people I thought could help you. We can only spare one of them, but you may take your pick for your assistant," The older woman pointed at a shorter man with a heavy beard. He wore dirty clothes, and held a wrench in his pocket. "This is Arty, from the Vredda Earths. He is a strong song-speller, and served in the army for a time as a spell-engineer. He has experience fighting spirit summoners from his time in the war,"

The short, bearded man nodded to Calebus. "Pleasure to meet you friend," he said, his voice gruff.

Ma Mel gestured to a woman. She was tall, wide, and had arms that Calebus knew could crush a person. Her face however was gentle, and her hair pulled back in a smart bun, covered by a shawl. "This is Qi-Li, from one of the Dynasty Earths. She is one of the greatest herbalist I've ever met, and from what I understand, she did similar work to what you did as a traveling warlock,"

Qi-Li bobbed her head, her eyes welcoming. "Hello Candleman, I have heard much about you!"

The last person introduce was a tall, dark man. He smiled, perfect white teeth gleaming. "This is Nakush, from the Sand Earths," Ma Mel said. "He is..." She wasn't sure how to continue.

"It is fine," Nakush said, his voice soft and delicate, despite his height. "I am what you might describe as an old Ghanan vampire, from the Mother continent,"

Calebus jerked back in surprise. "A vampire?"

"It doesn't quite mean the same thing on his world as it does on ours," Ma Mel said, dryly. "You shouldn't worry, he's very capable in close-quarters combat,"

[] Choose Arty as your assistant
[] Choose Qi-Li as your assistant
[] Choose Nakush as your assistant

 

[Lop]

[X] Choose Arty as your assistant

Click to shrink...

[X] Choose Arty as your assistant.

I'll pick the experienced veteran anyday.

Click to shrink...

[X] Choose Nakush as your assistant

This should hopefully give us the time needed to set up the candles needed for the situation.

Click to shrink...

[X] Choose Arty as your assistant.

Click to shrink...

[X] Choose Arty as your assistant.

Click to shrink...

[X] Choose Arty as your assistant.

Calebus studied the three mages. They all stared back, waiting on his decision. "You all sound very skillful," Calebus said. "I hope you don't mind if I request the man with combat-experience,"

Ma Mel raised an eyebrow. "They don't care who you choose, though I would caution against treating this like a war. We're in a historic neighborhood in one of the most important cities in the world. If we get violent, or this spills outside our community, the government here will hurt us far quicker than any spirits will,"

"True," Calebus said. "But no government here could stand up to a widespread outbreak of magic. If I could leave this Earth for another dead world I would, and encourage you all to do the same. But I know it's not that easy. As it stands, we seem to be in the middle of a spiritual invasion of some kind,"

"Hurmph," Arty said, adjusting the wrench in his pocket. "I don't like the sound of invasion, but I'll certainly do my best to help you Candleman,"

Ma Mel sighed. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that. For now, we'll assume things to do with magic and spirits are only happening to us,"

"Can we safely assume that?" Nakush said, tilting his head. "We are so in the dark, why is this happening?"

Everyone turned to Calebus. He took a step back in surprise, putting a hand to his chest. "Wait, why is everyone looking at me?"

"You have to admit Mr. Candleman," Qi-Li said. "Spirits and magic only appeared after you did,"

Calebus laughed, bewildered. "You're honestly suggesting I had something to do with this? We're talking the laws of creation, the will of an all-powerful God! You think a mere human can alter that in any way?"

The three mages shared looks, unsure. "I'll admit," Nakush said. "It might be a coincidence,"

Arty pushed his cap back on his head. "I'll be dammed if it is,"

"The other possibility," Ma Mel said. "Is that somehow your Doctor, and whatever the others were called, are doing this in their pursuit of you,"

Calebus was skeptical, slowly shaking his head. "That seems a bit...too powerful, even for them. Doctor Paggilio and the Marquis are still human at their core, and as strong as the Lady is, I don't think she could even come close to affecting a world like this,"

"We need to find out then," Ma Mel said, rapping the table once. "It will be up to you and Arty to discover the cause of this, during your evening duties,"

Calebus nodded. "Very well, I'll try my best. Though spirits aren-"

"Trying your best is all we ask," Ma Mel said. "As it happens, we've had two of our community members call about spirits hassling them, so I trust I can leave that to you as well tonight,"

"May I use the community center's kitchen? I think Miss Ilan is getting tired of the smell,"

Ma Mel gestured that it would be alright. "Of course, just tell Abatha what you're doing, she's in charge of the kitchen during evenings,"

With that, Calebus left the community center and visited several butcher and grocer stores for his supplies. Only a few were still open, and he gathered what he needed into brown bags. Arty accompanied, watching silently. The short man only spoke as they headed down the sidewalk, back towards the community center. "So, the whole candle thing..."

"Yes?" Calebus said, adjusting his grip on one of the bags.

"Well, how does it work?"

"I'll be honest, I'm a little more interested in what it was like being a spell-engineer, and a spell-singer,"

A dark expression passed over Arty's face. Calebus regretted bringing it up. It must have showed, because before he could apologize Arty dismissed it with a wave. "No, I can talk about it, it's not that. I miss the Vredda worlds, as people like to call them. I called it home. No other world's were like mine,"

Calebus conceded the point with a tilt of his chin. "That's true, you guys didn't really have spirits in the traditional sense, did you?"

"Oh we had them," Arty said, grinning. "We made them ourselves. Once we discovered the other Earth's, and what they had, we wanted it too. So we built magic into our world , over the centuries, layer by layer. Now, well, I think most of us wish we were rid of it,"

"I can't even imagine the skill needed to do all that, the Vredda Earth's are truly home to the greatest Mad Ones,"

Arty held up a pudgy finger. "Ah, no, although that is technically true, the pride of our world is that it was regular folks who did most of the heavy lifting. The Mad Ones may have done the flashy bits, but without the local singers and ley-line diggers, it would have never worked as well as it did,"

"Well, I'm afraid most of the Earth's, including this one it seems, are far more chaotic and wild when it comes to magic. Do you think you'll be able to adjust?"

"Well I imagine there won't be as much math, but yes,"

Once at the community center, Calebus got to work. Arty watched him at first, then joined in as Calebus instructed. Animal fat was melted, infused, mixed and molded. Last it was set out to dry. After a few hours neither of them could take one step in the kitchen without running into a string of candles. There were at least two-hundred, and three different kinds. Perception, protection, and burning: the arsenal of a Candle-Mage.

Arty helped him gather and wrap them up in newspaper, then they set them into boxes. After that, they both carried the boxes down the street towards one of the brick apartment buildings.

It looked the same as any other building in this neighborhood. Large, old, and brick. Arty followed Calebus up to the front. There was no buzzer on this building, so the pair let themselves in.

After a flight of stairs and a hallway, an apartment door opened to reveal an elderly gentleman. He greeted them, beckoning them inside. They all sat at a card table in the kitchen as he served them tea. "I know it's late," The older man said, taking a sip. "But tea calms the nerves..."

"What can you tell us about the spirit," Calebus said, politely holding his cup in his hands.

"Well, it's the Uchi,"

"The Uchi," Calebus repeated, setting his cup down.

The older man nodded. "It's why my parents came here, with me, all those years ago. The Uchi was hunting us on our old Earth,"

"Which was?"

"Fifth Earth,"

Calebus processed this information. Arty turned to him, itching his scalp. "What does that mean Candleman?"

"Fifth Earth doesn't have as much magic as the others," Calebus said. "Which somehow doesn't stop the spirits there from being some of the most powerful I've ever seen," He reached into the box and handed Arty two handfuls of wrapped candles. "Begin setting those up in front of doors and windows," Arty took them and set about his task. Calebus turned back to the older man. "I assume it comes at night? Is it hunting you to kill you?"

"It...comes when it pleases," The older man said. He held up his cup, as if to hide. "And yes, my grandfather offended it, and it killed him. I was just a baby, and my mother knew it would come for us. We were lucky to know someone who could get us here. A favor, called in,"

"It's always a favor and luck that gets one here," Calebus said. "But why didn't it kill you when you first sighted it?"

The older man trembled, the tea is in his cup sloshing over the sides. "I...I don't know! It's playing with me!"

"Candleman," Arty said, placing a candle on a window sill. "Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job, but you're putting the man out of his mind,"

"Sorry," Calebus said, trying to smile at the old man. "I'm sure we'll be able to handle this Uchi,"

"WILL YOU?" A glorious voice said. It rang through the apartment, shattering Calebus's teacup on the table. He spun in his chair. There, in the kitchen, was a giant, glowing, nine-tailed fox.

"oh," Arty said, dropping a candle. "That's....that's a big fox,"

"Arty!" Calebus yelled, standing and drawing two candles. "Keep it pinned!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth then Calebus was tackled. The impact of the Uchi spirit felt like a car, and the wind was forced from his lungs. The creature slammed him into the carpet. It reared back, opening a mouth full of jagged teeth as Calebus's head spun.

"HO S'UN DJO DJO," Arty bellowed, his deep voice reverberating around the apartment. He gripped a hand-bell in one hand, ringing it to a steady beat. "DJO DJO BRUN,"

The fox spirit's fur stood on end, as if electrified. It rapidly shifted colors, screeching so loud the windows broke. It backed up as Arty approached with his bell and chanting. Calebus wiggled out from the weight of the paws. He took out two candles from his belt, shoving one down the throat of the fox while it howled. The spirit's eyes went wide in surprise as it choked. Calebus used the opportunity to shove the other one in its mouth. Both had been protection candles. The spirit fox turned a bright blue, then exploded.

The apartment was bathed in bright colors. They fell down around the three men in the apartment like shining dust motes, fizzling out as they reached the ground. The older man gripped his head. "aaaaaaAAAHHHH!"

"It's okay," Calebus said, slowly getting to his feet. He winced as he straightened up, feeling the bruises along his back and head.

"I think we can safely say we got the bastard," Arty said, wrapping his bell in a cloth rag.

The old man took deep breaths. "my GOODNESS...I...I can't believe we survived that!"

Calebus took out a few more candles. "We can never be too safe," He held up one candle. "This is a protection candle, set them like Arty's been doing," He held up another. "This is a perception candle. You can set them anywhere in the apartment that's easily visible to you. The first protects you, the second gives you a head's up you're going to need protection,"

"Oh, okay," The older man said. "Am I...supposed to pay you?"

Calebus and Arty looked at each other. "No," Calebus said.

"Yes," Arty said at the same time. "I mean," he itched his beard. "No, we get paid by the community fund. But tips are appreciated-"

"Thank you," Calebus said. "We'll be on our way. I apologize about your windows, hopefully Ma Mel will help. Remember what I said about those candles."

Once Arty and Calebus were out in the hall, the shorter man let out a large sigh. "By all the hells!" He said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a thumb. "Say Candleman, weren't we supposed to interrogate that spirit?"

"Yeah, I panicked during the ambush. My experience with 5th Earth spirits is...not the best,"

"Well," Arty said, chuckling. "We'll get em' at the next apartment,"

"Right," Calebus murmured. "Hopefully that's the last one tonight,"

Across the Lower East Side and its maze of brick apartment complexes, Madison Prep Academy rested behind its iron fence. There weren't many lights in the student rooms. There certainly weren't any in Yana's room.

And that was a good thing, considering how many candles were lined up on the sill. Her uncle had dropped over more, and Yana had certainly accepted them. She laid on top of her sheets, staring at her ceiling. Beatrix slept across the room, tangled up in her sheets and mumbling in her sleep.

Yana's mind was mostly on Lawrence Mott. Why? She couldn't say. The walk from theater had been nice. Lawrence had been nice. Yana liked talking to Lawrence. Yana picked up an extra pillow and tried to smother herself with it. She gave up, tossing it at the wall, and turned over on her side.

After staring at Beatrix's tangled form, Yana's eyes slowly drooped. They shot open at the sound of tapping at the window. She sat up, searching for the source.

The dark silhouette of a cat perched outside the glass. Yana rose, startled, and quickly approached the window. The cat was the same one she'd spoken to that afternoon. The creature had somehow managed to fit on the narrow sill outside. Yana glanced down at the candles. Neither the perception, or protection candles were lit. She slowly reached out and unlatched the window. Once it was open, the cat breezily entered.

"it's you," Yana said, softly.

"It's me," The cat said, arching its back among the candles.

Yana glanced over her shoulder at Beatrix. The sleeping girl murmured something, then itched her nose. Yana turned back to the cat. "what are you doing here?"

The cat leaped off the window shelf, landing gracefully on the floor. "I know something you don't knowww," The cat said, brushing against Yana's leg. It moved on, walking into the middle of the room.

"What," Yana said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "And who are you?"

Beatrix turned on her bed, dragging her sheets with her. Both Yana and the cat watched. When Beatrix went back to softly snoring, the cat turned back to Yana. "There's people coming here. For you,"

Yana's heart raced. "What...what do you mean?"

The cat sat back on its haunches. Its tail swished back and forth behind it. "Mages, Chi-Masters, soldiers and mercenaries. It's going to get quite crowded in this little school,"

Yana tried to process what the cat was saying. "What do you mean. From the Doctor? Or the Marquis or Lady?"

"Surely all three," The cat said, looking at something in the corner of the room. "Wouldn't you say?"

"You still haven't said who you are,"

"You can call me...Misty," The cat said, gazing into Yana's eyes. "And I want to help you,"

"Why," Yana said, narrowing her eyes.

The cat got up, taking several deliberate steps towards the girl. "Call it...curiosity. It's one thing when a bunch of people prey on a girl. It's another when that girl can prey back..."

Yana didn't know what to make of the creature. She slowly bent down, leveling with it. "Alright Misty, are you talking about my new Chi-power? I can't fight all of them,"

The cat smiled. It was a strange sight. "No no, though it must be nice. You're right though, you can't fight all of them. You'll need help,"

"I have my uncle, and there's other mages in the community. I'll go get them. They'll have to defend the school from whatever you say is coming,"

The cat twisted its mouth, almost sympathetically. "If only they could. But, I'm afraid they'll be needed elsewhere. All the poor people who fled here, all their pasts can catch up to them now," The cat bowed its head. "So many are vulnerable. It will be tough for them,"

Yana studied the cat. Her eyes were still narrowed. "So then...what can I do?"

The cat looked up instantly, gazing into her eyes. "Well, you could unlock the magical potential in the people around you. Surround yourself with your own mages,"

Yana laughed. "What!" She said. Beatrix murmured something and turned over. Yana waited until she settled again. "what!" She said, softer. "I can't do that!"

"Well how do you know?" The cat said, innocently. "You haven't tried yet,"

Yana gestured in the air. "Because...because, that's impossible! No-one can just "unlock" stuff in other people! You either have spirits and chi, or you don't!"

"Hmmm, spoken like a true human." The cat turned away from her, walking towards the door. It paused. "But, if you don't try, you'll be all alone. And I assure you, someone may arrive once a week looking for you here, maybe more..."

"My uncle can protect me," Yana said, straightening up and crossing her arms. "He always has,"

The cat looked over its shoulder. "Oh, I could tell you a thing or two about your uncle..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The cat purred once, then looked at the door. "For one thing, could you really forgive yourself if your uncle got hurt because you couldn't protect yourself?"

Yana bit her lip. "Well..."

"And furthermore," The cat said, turning fully to face her. "If you did have the power to unlock potential, wouldn't it be your duty to give magic to more people, to protect the community you yourself endangered?"

"Wait, what?" Yana said, confused. "I endangered?"

The cat seemed surprised. "Why, yes Yana, don't you know this is all your Uncle's fault? Yours too, of course,"

"n-no,"

The cat nodded. "Yes. I thought you might want to protect people, rather than just bringing them harm,"

"I do!"

"Well then, perhaps you should at least try and bring magic about,"

Yana was silent for a few moments. "How...would I do that,"

"Hmmmm," The cat said, tilting its head. "It would probably be as easy as a touch to the forehead. And then you can pair them to a spirit,"

"Pair them?" Yana said, furrowing her brow.

"I'm afraid we don't have time to train proper wizards or chi-masters. So pairing them with a spirit should speed up the process," The cat winked.

Yana shook her head, bewildered. "But, who would I even pick? And what type of spirit?"

"Why, pick whoever you want!" The cat said, encouragingly. "And as for spirits, why, there's quite a few lying around this school. Spirits of the earth, the plants, the wind and even shadow...any of them will be easily paired with a student, if you try it..."

[] Try pairing a spirit with Beatrix
[] Try pairing a spirit with her friend Cloe
[] Try pairing a spirit with Claudette
[] Try pairing a spirit with Jessica
[] Try pairing a spirit with Lawrence
and
[] Pick an Earth spirit for the pairing
[] Pick a Plant spirit for the pairing
[] Pick a Wind spirit for the pairing
[] Pick a Shadow spirit for the pairing
or
[] Tell Misty the cat to fuck off

 

[Lop]