One Soul

Chapter Four: Norene Breana

Fallyn was now Calypso, the heir to Ouránia. She spent many hours studying with various tutors the culture and traditions of her kingdom, books cluttering the floor of the great libraries as she pored over the pages containing ancient knowledge. However, despite her family being nothing if not loving, she still felt out of place at galas and banquets, and awkward when meeting the officials of Ouránia. Ever since Evian's memorial, she hadn't seen Blaise, and as the days went by her parents seemed more and more busy. Unfortunately, neither one wanted to fully involve their daughter in whatever challenge they were tackling, and for the first time since her arrival she was left alone.

She left her mother's palace, stepping onto the marble tiled roads. Fountains made with iridescent stone and lush gardens filled with fragrant flowers lined the pathways, and her mother's side of the heavens was open and bright. The angels, all with dove-feather wings, waved politely to her with cheerful smiles. All the buildings were made of marble and other light, sleek stones and gilded with gold accents and other precious gems. Compared to the common dress of clothing in various shades of white and pale colors, Calypso dressed more boldly, in a dress colored red and black with a gold circlet near her neck and filigree leaves tied in her hair to bring out her eyes. She didn't have wings, but wore a raven feather cloak similar to her father's. Whenever she wasn't in one of her parent's domains, she dressed similar to their side to bring a little of them with her. Because the demons' domain was still in repairs after the war, both parents agreed to have her live primarily with her mother, so garb reflecting Andrian was her common wear.

Where to go? The marketplace was always filled with fresh goods that would normally be rare and expensive treats back on Pandora such as pineapple, honey, coconut, and lavender flowers. The stalls always smelled of essential oils but the scents weren't overwhelming all together. However, Calypso didn't want to spend too much of her parents' money when the palaces were fully-stocked. Since she had spent so much of her time adjusting, she never had time to make a friend her age-

CRASH!

"Oh my souls, I am so sorry!" Calypso held out her hand to help up the girl she had accidentally knocked over. She looked less than a year older, with straight white hair cut shorter than most other angels to her shoulders and pale violet-grey eyes. She was dressed in a private school uniform; a white blouse, pleated skirt, maroon cardigan with an apple tree insignia and a pale yellow bow around her collar. She had a pair of dark grey wings on her back.

The girl refused her help, standing up on her own and dusting herself off. She wasn't unfriendly, but the kind of person who didn't make other people do what she could do herself. "Be more careful next time, and watch where you're going," she said bluntly. The girl was very honest and straight to the point, though many mistook it for a harsh and cold attitude.

"Yes, I know. I'm really sorry, um...?" Calypso bowed her head slightly in front of the taller girl.

"Norene. Norene Breana Castor, if you wanted my full name. Don't bow, you're technically my superior, Calypso," she said, adjusting her backpack's position to rest more comfortably. "I know who you are."

"Ah...haha sorry-" Calypso straightened and awkwardly rubbed her neck, her cheeks starting to flush. She got flustered easily since she didn't have much practice speaking to people.

"Don't apologize, either. You don't need to, you know." Norene was already starting to head down the road again, her black shoes clicking against the road rhythmically. Calypso doubled her pace to keep up with Norene, who smiled slightly when they were walking together again. "You know you're the first person not to be put off by me," she said I'm a quieter voice.

"What do you mean? You're honest, and seem really smart and mature," Calypso said, looking at her genuinely confused.

"Most people think I'm stuck-up," Norene replied, laughing slightly. "I know they're wrong of course, but it still hurts."

"Well I don't have many friends either, so we can be good friends then, right Norene?" Calypso offered her hand again, and the taller girl shook, breaking it only to wrap Calypso into a quick hug. Calypso hugged back, only to realize they had arrived at what must be Norene's home...a home whose front door had been vandalized.

On the door was a mark made with black paint, like an eye, bleeding red. Calypso gasped, horrified that someone would do such a terrible thing, while Norene only sighed as if this had happened before. "Those vandals can't get enough of us, can they?" She opened the door and rushed to the communicator in the entryway. It was shaped similarly to a crystal ball, but the sphere was made of a magic stone. The rune engraved on its smooth surface would send out a signal when touched, messaging whoever the sender wanted to.

"W-what does that symbol mean?" Calypso asked as Norene closed her eyes, concentrating on her message delivery. Finally the message was passed trough, as Norene removed her hand.

"Haven't you seen it before? It's a sign that marks a 'sick' house by a bunch of stupid rebels. I've had to call in cleanup all through this week...can't have that on the door, can I?" Norene looked at Calypso with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, this is incredibly impolite to you. Thank you for walking me home and being so kind to me, Calypso. I don't expect you to help me any further-"

"What do you mean? Of course I want to help, Norene. I just don't understand. What do you mean by a 'sick' house?" Calypso walked back out the entrance to scrutinize the symbol.

"Oh...so you really don't know about the plague, then?"

"P-plague?!"

~-~

Calypso sat anxiously in Norene's home as Norene pulled article after article on the plague written on scrolls in her home's library-well, the one room meant to hold the overflowing amount of books in her house. She explained as she went, each minute causing Calypso to grow more agitated.

"When you came to Ouránia, there was some weird illness that came with you. You weren't a carrier, or else your parents and you would've gotten sick, so it's not identified where it came from. Studies so far point to it being spread by some sort of infected object coming in contact with people, though it seems highly unlikely. But what we do know is that it's a long and agonizing disease-the symbol is a horrible depiction of it. The infected go through so much pain that their eyes start bleeding and their skin turns ashy until it starts to crack. They hallucinate, and start forgetting more and more of who they are until they're someone else entirely. Most cases have died within a month...and now my grandmother has it. Grandfather works all day to keep me in school and buy medicine for my grandmother but so far she's just getting worse. We're one of the families who didn't want to send her away yet, just in case...people say we're risking their health but that's stupid because it isn't an airborne disease."

It was a brutal explanation, but even in the face of fear and death Norene wouldn't betray her principals. Calypso admired that quality in her, but all she could think of was that her parents had been keeping a plague secret from her...

"Is there anything I can do?" Calypso could hear the cleanup crew outside working on the door, ordinary people doing more for their land than their own princess.

"You've known me for less than a day, do you really want to get caught up in my mess?" Norene looked hopeful, biting her lip as a faint coughing noise echoed from the second floor. With each cough Norene flinched slightly, murmuring something inaudibly like a prayer.

"Yes, I do. But I need to talk with my parents about something first, is that okay? I'll try and meet you here the same time tomorrow," Calypso hugged Norene as a goodbye, the taller girl wrapping her arms around her in quiet thanks. Though neither of them said anything, Calypso could feel Norene starting to tear up, squeezing her eyes shut to keep from crying herself. She had known this girl for only a few hours, but she felt a strong connection to here, almost sisterly.

~-~

"Mama?" Calypso knocked gently on the door of her mother's study. Something like paper rustled together from inside before her mother opened the door. With the knowledge of the plague still fresh in her mind, Calypso noticed the tired lines under her eyes. The queen had seen better days, her hair tied in a high tangled ponytail and her clothes slightly wrinkled.

"Yes, dear?" She asked, putting on a tired smile.

"I...I know about the plague. And I know that it isn't airborne or contagious, and I know that I'm probably not a carrier...but what if I am? What if it's my fault?" She let herself crumble into tears then, sobbing and wiping her eyes to no avail as the tears kept flowing. 'What if I'm killing Ouránia?"