Lord of Cages - Vessel

Chapter 11 - The Comfort of a Sister

Chapter Eleven

The Comfort of a Sister

"You're my sister?" Naya asked, completely dumbfounded. "We're sisters?"

"I could never forget you. Our cages were right next to each other's. We spent our time talking and singing, dancing and sharing dreams. You were my favorite little sister, you made existence in that cage bearable. I felt guilty leaving you behind but, you know, I couldn't waste the opportunity... What if I never got another?" The girl looked at Naya with concern on her big, round, dark eyes. "You understand, right?"

Naya couldn't help but smile and wave her worries away. "Of course I do, don't worry, erm..." She eyed her sister with a mix of confusion and embarrassment. She couldn't remember her sister's name or, more importantly, who she was and was ashamed to let her know it, after all, she seemed to have such fond memories of them together. How come Naya couldn't remember her? Now that the girl mentioned it, Naya did remember having someone there, close to her cage at one point, she did remember not being so lonely, but for some reason, she couldn't accurately recall the girl in front of her, which was frankly embarrassing, considering how happy she looked at the sight of her.

Apparently, her awkwardness was visible, for her sister smiled again and tried to bring her some relief.

"I'm Anwen. You know, it's alright if you don't remember me, it was a long time ago. I was Released many, many years ago and you were still a New Creation at the time."

Naya's smile grew and her heart swelled to epic proportions, almost as if it was too large to fit inside her chest.

A sister.

She had a sister! Right there, in front of her! Finally, someone who knew exactly what she was going through, someone to guide her, someone to help her, someone she could trust with everything.

And she was right there! Anwen could be the support she so desperately needed, the friend she'd been longing for since she Fell.

"Anwen... I know that name, it sounds familiar," Naya said, more to herself than anyone else. It was true, the name felt sweet in her tongue and warm in her chest. She could feel the long forgotten, but never truly broken, connection to her sister, like the vague sense of melancholy you get by listening to an old and dear song you haven't heard in a while.

"Well, it should," Anwen replied with a mocking warning tone and a playful wink. "Are you new to the World Below?" Naya nodded. "It's your first time here?"

"Yes."

"Great! You finally did it!" Anwen's joy was obviously genuine, which only made Naya feel closer to her. "Oh, we talked endlessly of coming here..." she added, with a dreamy look. "And now we finally made it! Both of us! And we were lucky enough to find each other again! This is going to be great. Come on, let's go, let's get out of here."

Anwen started to walk out of the roof and Naya was quick to gleefully follow, happy to finally have some sort of direction pointed out to her, but she stopped in place soon after. She looked at the horizon, at the place where the amazing slay of a Sin had taken place just a few moments ago. The area was empty, the Hunters had left and the Sin's carcass had long vanished. The only evidence of what had happened were the shattered windows, the partial destruction of a building and the remains of broken stone splattered across the road.

Adam would be getting home at any moment and he would find her promise broken.

Should she leave them? Without a word, an explanation, a deserved gesture of gratitude? Should she go with Anwen?