Glistening Embers

Chapter 1: A Bird's Song

Author's Note: While I WILL NOT be posting a new chapter every day, I've decided to post the first chapter today, because unlike the prologue, it's actually about Glisteen. So, here we go! 🔥

Glisteen awoke to the clanging of a bell. "Get up, you lazy brats, you good for nothings!" yelled Devisa Milddrop, the matron of Kapt Harbor Girls' Orphanage, (known to Glisteen as Gilledmop, a jab at her fishlike appearance.)

Glisteen leaped out of her bunk bed, then climbed up the creaky ladder to the top bunk. There, a young girl, no older than eleven sun cycles slept soundly. Glisteen's sister, Yilasia. Glisteen smiled and gently shook her. "Sia, time to get up." she whispered.

Yilasia sat up, rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Already? I was having that good dream. You know, the one where..."

Glisteen knew what her sister had been dreaming about because she also, had dreamed about it many times before. Finding a family, being loved, feeling truly happy for once in her life.

"You, girl!" It was Gilledmop. "Tell your little baby waby sister that if she doesn't get out of bed, she'll be sleepin' in the attic tonight." Yilasia whimpered and clung to Glisteen's side.

Once when Yilasia was younger, maybe five, six sun cycles, a girl named Kavana, had thought it would be funny to lock Sia in the attic.
    
Glisteen found Sia an hour later, ranting about how the dead potted plant in the corner was trying to hug her. Glisteen had knocked out of one of Kavana's teeth.

Glisteen wouldn't crack, no matter what anyone did to her. But she would never let anyone hurt Sia. She grabbed Sia's hand and jumped off the bunk bed, landing flat on her feet.

The same could not be said for Yilasia. She wobbled for a second, then fell down. Gilledmop laughed, an ugly crackling sound that reverberated around the room.  Glisteen extended a hand and helped her sister up.

They quickly got dressed in their ugly beige dresses (they had originally been white) and their equally ugly beige (again, originally white) flats. Yilasia picked up a fallen bobby pin from Gilledmop, put it in her hair, then walked downstairs to get breakfast.

They got in the already long line for watery gruel and milk from she didn't know what animal. She and Sia then sat on the floor to eat. Sia picked quietly at her food, while Glisteen stared out at the open window, past Gilledmop, bored and tired.

Sometimes she wished that one day, something would just... happen and everything would change forever.

But there was no use in thinking thoughts like that. She wasn't a little girl anymore. Some things were simply impossible.

Suddenly, a golden bird (How had she missed it?) flew in through the window and perched on the edge of Gilledmop's table.

The room went silent and the bird began singing. The strangest part? It was singing in human language.

It was not an especially good singer, but the words....they were about magic and hope and longing. They dove into her soul and pulled out her happiest memories. Sia's 8th sun cycle. The time she found a penny and bought two chocolate coins. A voice whispering how much she loved Glisteen, achingly familiar.

Sia whispered her name, pulling her out of the clouds. "It's okay, it's just a bird." "But, Glisteen-" "It's okay, Sia. It's just a bird." "But, Glisteen, only parrots are gold and..." Sia paused for a moment and bit her lip before saying, "Parrots are extinct."

While Glisteen and Yilasia had talked, Gilledmop had been motioning for Kavana to do something. Kavana raised her plate and was poised to strike when the bird chirped cheerily, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." It jumped off the table and turned into a tall, pale man. Glisteen didn't see Kavana's plate drop, but heard it shatter on the table and saw the fine pieces scattered all over the floor.

"Stupid girl!" Gilledmop screamed, slapping Kavana across the face. "I mean, for attempting to kill you, good sir." she claimed, addressing the mysterious shapeshifter. He raised a eyebrow. "Oh? Was it not you who ordered it to be done?" he said in a strange accent. "But anyhow, I wish to discuss something, privately."

Gilledmop hastily stood up and walked into her office, the strange man following behind her. Immediately, the room burst into whispers. Who was he? What was he looking for?

Glisteen knew he was looking for one of two things. One, to adopt a girl. Two, to find a long lost daughter. It was most likely the first. No one in the orphanage had powers that she knew of. Actually, she had never met anyone with powers.

The Gifted, as they were called, were known to be reclusive, as some normals were angry that the Gifted had powers and they did not.

The very idea that someone in the orphanage might be a Gifted was almost impossible. A distant bell rang inside Glisteen's head, a memory she had temporarily forgotten, something to do with plants...

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Anyway, no one in the orphanage looked like him, with his maroon hair and golden eyes. The only person he resembled even a little was her. While her hair was a plain mousy brown, her eyes were amber, almost orange and flickered like a dying ember.

Abruptly, the room fell quiet as the man and Gilledmop marched back into it. The man extended two very long, very pale fingers and pointed at Glisteen and Sia. "Those two, those two are my daughters."