Golden Child [Rewriting]

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Sunset came in like a lion stalking its prey, slow, sure of itself, but sure of itself at the moment of impact. Meri Aro was buried knee deep in socks when the bright orange light poured in through the gaps in the fur cover that acted as a door. She rushed out to find her mother, and as Kaija observe the sky, she smiled.

"Don't stay away too long." Was all she said, before Meri dashed back into the hut to grab a warmer coat. She was excited beyond belief, because hearing about the magic Nuri had used to entice so many in the village marketplace fascinated her. She ran out the doorway, and followed the makeshift path down to the river until she could see the red lanterns glowing in the distance. Most of her village was a part of a religion her father referred to as filii aurea and explained that every day at sunset, when the fire god, Thyrus, set the sky on fire, thanks can be given and tributes to the dead can be made. Meri never really understood their beliefs, but didn't question it, and simply lived her life beside the mysterious Aureans. She saw Nuri as she neared the lanterns, his dark skin tone contrasting the stark white snow. He was doing something she'd seen many Aureans do at the river before, he was paying tribute. He kissed two of his fingers and pointed them at the darkening sky. Nuri wasn't alone, she observed. Behind him, stood another girl, who seemed to stand out even more than he did. With a similar skin tone to his, and bright green eyes, she was definitely a foreigner.

"Do you know why we point our fingers to the stars?" She asked Nuri in an accent Meri had never heard.

"No," Nuri answered with a shrug, "but I'm sure you do."

Her smile was underlined with annoyance as she spoke again, "it's said that if you kiss two fingers and point them to the sky, a part of your soul gets swept into one of the currents of the Ocean of Souls and finds the recipient of your tribute."

Nuri's face softened as he turned to her, who stood, confused and bewildered, like a small animal.

"You came." He remarked, but she could only nod.

"I don't suppose you've ever heard the term filii aurea, have you?" He asked, out of the blue, while the girl behind him started to wander off.

"I have," she answered, and watched his face take on a surprised look, "but my knowledge of the filii aurea is abysmal."

Nuri laughed at this, "of course. I can't imagine Milo told you much." He let it slip, and Meri noted the girl looking at him with foul vigour.

"You know my father?" Nuri could see she was immediately more interested in the conversation.

"I do," Nuri answered, "he's the reason I'm here."

"My father sent you?" She asked, but it almost sounded as if she were out of breath, "what does he want with me?"

"It's a relatively long story, but I suppose I could explain," he played with his thumbs, and this was the first time Meri had seen him wearing anything else than a confident smirk. She supposed he was human too.

"What if I said... Being Aurean, wasn't just a religion?" He asked, but didn't wait for her to reply, "what if I told you, that you..." He trailed off as his eyes wandered back to Avani. She looked ill at ease, nervous even, but he couldn't place why. Avani had always been a little too paranoid for her own good, but never this blatantly obvious.

On the other side of the remote village, a man moved through the dissipating crowd in the marketplace. This man looked like all the other village goers, with the signature Mare's descendant look, bright blue eyes and white blonde hair, but this specific man was different. He wasn't like all the other descendants, and he was not there to buy some frostflowers for a potion he was working on. No, this man was here for one reason, and one reason only. Meri Aro. And to get to her, he was going to need to find her brother, the one without the gift. He could sense his aura vaguely, through the small crowd of fleeing merchants. Aku Aro was somewhere in this small town, and this man was going to find him.