Between Demons and Deities

Chapter One

"If I don't get my eyebrows burned off this time, I'll consider this mission a success," Dacio called out from behind her.

Esmeralda rolled her eyes and ducked under the large low-hanging leaves. "That was one time, and you never let me forget it," she said, even though she did appreciate having those memories. Thunder rumbled closer in the background, making her look up at the canopy of leaves. "I do hope we can find this spirit soon." Although the sun was in the sky, rain worked differently within the forest.

The Forest of Lightning and Thunder, or Thunder Forest, was a place of reverence but also a place of caution. Venture too deeply and one might find themselves lost. For now, Esme and Dacio were only hovering at the edges of the vast jungle that lined the side of the Atonacan empire. The sticky humid air clung to her body and clothes, but that was nothing new to Atoyatlan or Atonaco as a whole.

"I think I see it," Dacio whispered, their voice suddenly next to her ear. It took all of her willpower to keep herself from jumping in surprise and letting the ball of spirit fire in her palm fly out. She looked in the direction they were pointing to spot a moving transparent figure in the distance.

The transparent figure with long floating hair wandered aimlessly through the trees and vines. From the aura of the place, the timeline matched what the high priest had claimed. This spirit recently crossed into the mortal realm and was still safe from morphing into an evil spirit, or worse—a Dreadful, a devourer of souls. Both malevolent spirits and demons caused major misfortunes in the community, so it was in everyone's best interest to simply guide the phantoms back to the spirit realm before they deteriorated into either.

Esme raised her palm and molded the spirit fire in her hand into the shape of a marigold, ready to guide the wanderer toward her. Dacio had infused their magic into hers to create the spirit fire, and while she captured the phantom's attention, they were preparing to ease it back to the realm of the dead. The atmosphere around her smoothed into peace and tranquility—Dacio's magic at work.

When the spirit grew even closer, she could see the recognition in their eyes from having finally found the way. She and Dacio moved fluidly to capture it and send it back to where it belonged. The whole ordeal only lasted seconds with little flair. Before she knew it, just the two of them were left in the jungle.

She turned to face her closest friend, who was a year younger than her. "There. Eyebrows still intact," she stated, to which they flashed a wry smile.

Her gaze swept over their face—from the bottom of their round nose up past their dark eyes to their short black hair. A stray ray of sun piercing through the thick canopy reflected off the jade earrings and necklace they wore, drawing her gaze on the illuminated pendant hovering over their thin, faded turquoise blue shawl.

"Shall we head back to the temple now?" she suggested. They had taken care of the lost spirit, but who knew what else was lurking in the forests. One of the priests had scried the emergence of a Dreadful just a week ago, and she wasn't sure if that issue had been resolved yet.

"I actually might head home first. I found some pretty stones that can be made into a bracelet," they said leisurely and playfully, walking backward in the direction of the city. Their hands were hidden behind their back, perhaps where said stones were.

The anticipation for the surprise overwhelmed her curiosity for what stones they had found. "I'll just wait until you're finished with it then. Let's see how your jewelry-making skills compare with mine," she replied once they exited the forests. An iguana darted into the thick vegetation beside them.

Dacio gave her a grin, its warmth rivaling the sun. "It'll pale in comparison but I can't be good at everything."

Esme looked up at the sky, fighting the urge to roll her eyes before shooing them off. "Go. I'll inform the priests and priestesses and will meet you at home."