Soul Fire

1.3

Stella woke up with no idea where she was, and no memory of how she might have gotten there. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious. A few hours, she figured, but that's as precise as her burnt-out brain would allow her to get. Something creaked ominously above her, and Stella looked up at the white ceiling. Stella didn't let herself panic as she took in the details of the plain room. She'd woken up in stranger places.

The memories of yesterday came flooding back to her. The ghouls, the girl with hair of fire, defeating the ogre, destroying the bodies. Stella groaned and rolled over to her side. Every inch hurt, and she winced as she heaved herself up into a sitting position. She eyed the window on the other side of the room. The curtains were closed, basking the room in darkness. She needed some sunlight.

Stella grit her teeth as she placed one foot onto the carpeted floor, and then the other. She pushed herself off of the bed and winced again as she held her balance. Just a few steps.

Stella stumbled, running straight into the plain oak dresser and choked out what might have been a sob. She held onto the dresser, worried that if she let go she would slump to the floor.

The door to the small bedroom swung open, and Stella saw Bloom, wide-eyed at the sight of her hurled over the dresser.

"Stella!" Bloom rushed to her side and gently grabbed her arm to hold her upright.

"Curtains.." Was all Stella said. Bloom gingerly led her to the side of the bed where she sat her down upright, and then padded across the carpet towards the small window. She opened the curtains as much as they would go, completely basking the room in California sunlight. Stella sighed as she felt the warmth of the young sun on her skin. She could tell that the sun of this planet was fairly new by how much strength immediately returned back to her body. She felt the well of power inside of her slowly start to refill. It would take about a full two to three days for her to completely recover, she suspected.

Bloom stood on the other side of the room and eyed the girl's clothing, a a style that did not seem to belong on her ordinary planet. It reminded her of an ancient Egyptian clothing style of sorts. The flowing orange fabric of the floor length skirt featured two high slits on each side, with a yellow sash tied at the top. Her upper body was covered with a matching colored top, with a teal embellished piece of jewelry that resembled an Egyptian pectoral, covering her collarbones and shoulders.

Bloom thought back to last night, when Stella fell towards the earth after destroying the second ghoul carcass. Bloom had tried to catch her, but wasn't quick enough. Before she knew it, Stella was sprawled across the ground. Her appearance had changed in an instant with a bright flash. One moment, she was in her strange shimmering clothing, wings protruding out of her back. The next, any trace of wings vanished and Stella was suddenly wearing the clothes she currently resided in. Bloom even noticed an absence of that strange invisible thrumming coming from the scepter, and realized it had disappeared as well. She had almost started to get used to its presence.

The human girl was shocked at how much color returned to Stellas cheeks in the minutes after she had opened Seth Winley's bedroom curtains. She'd thought she would be doing Stella a favor by keeping them closed, to allow her to sleep for as long as she needed. Bloom should have realized that the girl who wielded literal sunlight would probably feel better in its presence.

"Where are we?" Stella finally spoke, her voice quiet. Too quiet.

"I brought you somewhere safe. To a friend."

Stella looked around, her eyes instantly on alert. "Nobody can know I'm here. Nobody."

"Seth promised he wouldn't tell anyone, but I seriously think you need a doctor." Bloom thought back to last night again. She had felt exposed and vulnerable, standing over the unconscious girl. Bloom tried to wake her, she tried to move her, and neither were successful. So she did the only thing she could think of. She called Seth Winley.