"May the Gods El, Naveah, Emmanuel, and Kyrios be with you all."
"And also with you," Soraya spoke in unison with her three friends and the congregation.
"Depart in peace, your sins are forgiven," Pastor Vern said, folding his hands together and bowing towards the Etherians who had gathered together for the service that morning.
As the Priest walked down the aisle in long strides, his navy blue robes flowing in the air with each confident step he took, the organ and choir in the balconies above burst into a beautiful melody. The congregation below belted into song.
"Blessings flow from Gods above, mercies show their everlasting love..."
It's the hymn Rhys sang when we healed the plants, Soraya gently nudged her boyfriend's hand with her own, and they intertwined their fingers. His voice is gorgeous.
The girl sang quietly, so she could better hear him. The lyrics flowed from his mouth like golden honey poured from a jar.
Ujuu and Moiya sat in the same pew as them, the younger twin singing sweetly like birds welcoming the rising sun, while Moiya's voice was pure and flute-like. Their harmonies, in addition with their history teacher's singing from the balcony, filled the musty air with life and beauty.
Everyone I know is so talented, Soraya smiled to herself.
When the last note of the hymn was finished, the air was filled with tiny snaps of books closing and the rustling of churchgoers gathering their belongings before forming a single file line down the aisle. It was customary to either shake the hand of the priest or bow to show appreciation after the service.
As the four friends inched their way closer to Pastor Vern, Soraya spotted a table within the Narthex. An elderly woman was in the process of laying out several religious relics in the form of jewelry and house decor.
I'll buy a ring, the girl thought as she noted a few thin, silver bands with the symbol of the Gods carved into them. A necklace could snap off more easily.
"Pastor Vern, are those relics blessed?" Soraya asked the priest.
"Why yes, they are," he beamed, his right blue and left golden eyes warm and inviting like a grove of lemon trees under a sunny sky.
"Could you maybe double bless the ring I want to buy? I know that sounds odd, but it would make me feel better if you did."
"Double bless?" the older man chuckled, the corners of his face crinkling in amusement. "I will do that for you after I finish greeting everyone here."
"Perfect!" the girl beamed. "Thank you!"
The man nodded politely in response before turning his attention towards her friends who were trailing close behind her. "Gods' Peace," he said to each of them after shaking their hands. Rhys, Ujuu and Moiya each responded in the same manner.
"You're buying a ring?" Moiya asked as they all approached the table.
"Yes, I think this one will do." Soraya picked up the silver band she had been studying while in line and looked it over. It was simple and shiny, the symbol with a circle running through each corner of a triangle was etched deeply into the silver. "It's the same design as the one carved into the tree, so I have to get it."
"That'll be fifteen Lari," the elderly woman behind the table stated aloud.
Soraya dug out her Dragulji card from her dress pocket and was about to hand it to her, but looked over at her friends instead. "Did you all want anything?"
"Thanks, but you don't have to do that," Rhys replied sheepishly.
"Let her buy us something if she wants," Ujuu lightly shoved his twin, then winked at Soraya. "We'll spoil you back later."
"But, you three always spoil me," Soraya smiled. "Please, let me return the favor," she glanced down at the four golden rings. "Would you, Rhys, Moiya and Zaruna like those?"
"That's super sweet of you, but I should be the one to buy a gift for my girl," Ujuu laughed.
"But I want to get her something too!" Soraya insisted.
As Ujuu's hands slowly reached over towards the rings to inspect them, the elderly lady's gaze grew cold. "Filthy animals shouldn't touch holy relics," she muttered under her breath, causing all four friends to freeze in place.
"W-why would you say that?" Soraya gasped. "That's so horrible!"
"Shadelkins have a different religion," the elderly woman growled. "Especially ones from Casmerah," she glared at the twins with her icy blue gaze. "You insult our Gods with your presence, you shouldn't be here."
Rhys' expression went rigid, while Ujuu gaped at her.
"I thought the Gods created everyone, and we all come from the same lineage," Moiya stated through gritted teeth. "What happened to loving thy neighbor as thyself?"
"There are exceptions to every rule," the woman spat.
"Prunella, what is going on?" Pastor Vern asked as he suddenly appeared next to the table.
"We're apparently not welcome here," Rhys said while grabbing his brother's wrist. "We filthy animals were asked to leave."
The priest's eyes narrowed, and he glared furiously at the elderly woman. "I believe you owe these two an apology," he said while folding his arms across his chest. His skin was a deep, rich brown like a bear's fur. Although he towered over all of them, he remained calm and composed.
"I said no such thing," Prunella replied in a defensive tone. "They were about to steal these rings here, so I told them to leave."
Soraya's blood boiled at the blatant lie. "I asked them to pick out something because I wanted to buy gifts," she said while holding up her Dragulji card before glaring at Prunella. "Ma'am, you're evil for lying about my friends."
Before the elderly woman could reply, the priest chimed in. "Prunella, you've been wreaking havoc for quite awhile, but this is the final straw. You need to leave," Pastor Vern lifted a hand and pointed at the front door of the church. "You have sinned grievously against these two young men, and you continue to dig in and act as if you haven't, and within the house of the Gods no less."
The surrounding chatter quieted as everyone turned their attention towards the table.
"You can't treat me like this!" Prunella snapped. "I've been a member of this church for twenty years!"
"You haven't been paying attention to how the Gods want us to love and serve our neighbors for that long?" scoffed the pastor. "Your sins are not forgiven. I bind them onto you," he added in a low rumble as he pointed a finger at her. "May the Gods have mercy on your soul, because our congregation won't any longer."
The elderly woman's eyes flitted around the room, searching for an ounce of empathy towards her, but all she received back were hardened stares.
"I knew you were all deviating from the words of our Lords!" she cackled maniacally. "I noticed it when this imposter took over two years ago!"
She pointed a crooked, bony finger at the priest. "You're twisting the words of The Path to fit the crazy politics running a muck in Azakua. You voted for that traitor Starlene Inos, didn't you?" she roared, spit flying from her sagging lips. "You want more filth from overseas taking over our country, don't you? Blue eyes will die out, and pure blooded native Azakuins will be no more because of Etherians like you letting animals like these in!"
"If you don't leave now, I will call the police and have them escort you off the property," Pastor Vern said sternly. Soraya turned her head as she heard a loud creak and saw their history teacher, Mr. Thuron, holding the front door open.
"Goodbye, Prunella," he said in an irritated tone.
The elderly woman held her head high and hobbled out onto the front lawn.
"And good riddance," Mr. Thuron added when he let go of the heavy wooden door. It swung shut with a loud bang.
"I am so sorry you had to endure that," the Pastor gazed in sorrow at the Shadelkin twins. "Are you both alright?"
"We'll be fine, thank you," Rhys said in a nonchalant tone, his ears twitching occasionally. Ujuu was glaring at the floor, his ears lowered on both sides of his head.
Rhys is so good at suppressing his anger...too good. Soraya hugged both of the twins. Moiya came over and pat Ujuu's shoulder.
"Don't worry about paying for anything. Choose whatever you want, I'll cover it," the priest said while pulling out his own bank card. "And I'll double bless them all too," he added with a wink.
* * *
It was awfully nice of him to do that for us.
All four students looked down at their rings. At the insistence of Pastor Vern, Ujuu had picked an additional one out for Zaruna, and Soraya had done the same for Jacquelle.
"I apologize again for that happening to you boys," Mr. Thuron sighed from the front seat of his van. "Some individuals are too set in their ways, and it's sad to see."
The twins said nothing as they both stared out at the world rolling by their windows. Soraya and Moiya were also silent, though they kept glancing at each other and the twins in concern.
When their history teacher realized the students didn't want to speak, he turned on the radio. Several jingles for local shops in Matumi played before the voice of a male newscaster came on.
"Hello and welcome back to Matumi News Network. I'm your host, Shawn Pen."
"And I'm your hostess, Marie Bunion."
Soraya's ears perked up at the familiar last name. I wonder if that's one of Mrs. Bunion's kids.
"The votes for the next President of Azakua have finally been tallied up."
All four students fixed their focus onto the small, rectangular box. Even Mr. Thuron shifted his grayish blue eyes down at the radio before looking back at the road.
"As we wait to hear who the winner candidate is, we will be replaying the most memorable clips from their speeches," Marie Bunion continued. "Here's a segment from the Independent Party's candidate, Stefawn Zabok.
"It is a disgrace and embarrassment to our nation that we cannot protect our own children from being abducted by criminals," a man's voice, deep and powerful, rang through the van's speakers. "Our country didn't have this problem when we cut ourselves off from the rest of the world for two hundred years. Now, when we start allowing immigrants to live in our country, our daughters are suddenly being kidnapped from their own beds! Isn't it obvious by now who's doing this? We need to shut our borders down for good!"
Eruptions of applause rose in the background, filling the van with the loud chanting of, "shut out the world and save Azakuin Girls." All four students turned pale, as did their history teacher.
"Our next clip is from Starlene Inos, the candidate of the United Party. Remember that she is deaf and speaks in sign language. Her interpreter and speaker is Wren Carson, who is running for Vice President with Starlene Inos."
"What is happening in Azakua is indeed horrific and has to be stopped," a bold, fierce female voice blasted through the speakers. "Cutting ourselves off from the rest of the world will only ensure our demise. We are not the only ones suffering from having our daughters kidnapped, it is a worldwide phenomenon that started about thirty years ago in the Kingdom of Casmerah."
There was a hushed silence from the crowd within the recording.
"Our borders have been open far longer than when these kidnappings started. We've had immigrant families living here for many, many generations, and they are just as much Azakuin as all of us here."
That sounds like what my father and Yosef were saying at Delphi's Diner. Soraya's heart sank, and she said a silent prayer for them to be found and brought home.
"We must keep our borders open to fellow Etherians if we want answers for why this is happening to all of us. It's time to end the government's charade of cherry-picking information and hiding what's important from the public. We all have a right to know what is actually happening across the globe. Knowledge is power. Stay connected."
Darkwood Academy came into view from the front window. Although Mr. Thuron parked the car, all five of them stayed seated.
"And we have just received the final vote count for Azakua's next president!" Shawn's voice boomed, shaking the van slightly on its wheels.
"The winning candidate is..." began Marie.
Soraya held her breath. Rhys and Ujuu both leaned forward while Moiya closed her eyes. Mr. Thuron's shoulders tensed up as he dug his fingers into the steering wheel.
"Starlene Inos!"
"No way!" gasped Ujuu, his face lighting up.
Mr. Thuron turned to look at his students, his grayish blue eyes twinkling in merriment. "That is the best news I've heard all day."
"Wow!" Soraya hugged Rhys tightly. "She did it!"
"Starlene Inos and Wren Carson will both be sworn into office on the sixth of Mazula-" Maria Bunion was cut off as a relieved Mr. Thuron took his keys out of the ignition and slid out of the driver's seat.
Rhys relaxed slightly in Soraya's embrace. "I wonder how she did it..." he murmured thoughtfully. His wine colored eyes lit up, as if a flame had been created behind them. "Of course."
"What?" Soraya asked while hopping out of the van.
"I'll tell you in a minute," Rhys smiled while the five of them walked towards the front entrance of the school. Only after Mr. Thuron had bid them a good day and left did Rhys speak again.
"The radio room. Remember what we heard?"
"Yes," Soraya shivered when she thought back to the terrified screams they had heard on the air.
"I was wondering who leaked that audio. Starlene Inos won, so I have a feeling she somehow had a hand in that."
Moiya laughed. "That's brilliant, no one likes being lied to."
"I'm so relieved she won. That gives me some hope," Ujuu smiled. "And you have to admit, everyone rallied against Prunella at the church, so maybe Stefawn Zabok's party is dwindling down more than we realize."
"Do you all want to study together?" Soraya asked.
"That sounds really nice," Rhys smiled. Moiya nodded her head in agreement, and Ujuu gave a thumbs up.
"Moiya, let's go get our books from the dorm and get Yabo," Soraya suggested. Together, she and her friend ran up the stairs.
"You're almost keeping up with me!" Soraya called back to her friend, who was staying on her heels.
"Yeah!" Moiya exclaimed joyfully. "I've never been this athletic before."
They rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and burst through the door of the Blue House. Soraya was met with a sight she hadn't expected. Jacquelle was crouching down on her knees and petting Yabo, who was sleeping in a sunbeam on the floor. Startled by the loud noise, she quickly snapped her head towards them.
"Uh..." the blond said as she glanced between them and the sleeping pandacoon. "I wasn't... it's not what it looks like..."
"It's fine, he loves pats and gentle scratches," Soraya grinned. "Especially behind the ears."
Jacquelle quickly stood up, her face beet red. "Whatever," she snorted.
"I have something for you," Soraya handed her the spare ring from her dress pocket. "I know you're not religious, but I wanted to give you a present."
"Oh..." Jacquelle hesitantly took it. "Thanks," she slipped the ring onto her right hand and briefly smiled down at it.
"We're going to go study," Moiya added. "Wanna join us?"
"Really?" Jacquelle's golden eyebrows arched in shock. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, come on."
After the three girls had gathered their books and supplies, they gently woke up Yabo from his nap. He yawned, stretched his limbs, and chirped loudly at Jacquelle.
"He wants you to hold him," Soraya laughed.
"Oh..." Jacquelle awkwardly picked him up from the ground and held him away from her.
"Mow?" Yabo cocked his head and stared at Jacquelle.
"Bring him to your shoulder," Moiya giggled. "He likes sitting there."
"Like this?" the blond asked while bringing the pandacoon closer to her chest. Yabo scrambled up her arm and brushed his face into her cheek.
"Yes, good!" Soraya turned the doorknob and thrust open the door. She was about to head out but stopped. A tall woman was standing in the hall, staring at her through icy blue eyes, like a shark staring at a fresh piece of meat.
"Hello, are you Ms. Thenayu?" she asked, her grin growing ever wider on her pale face.
"Um... who are you?" Soraya asked, her legs rooting her to the spot.
"Why, I'm Norma Whispers," she glided forward on tall heels and towered over the girls. She wore a large, black circular hat with netting covering part of her face. Her outfit was a black suit over a long, tight skirt that hugged her thin hips and legs.
"Is that really your name?" Soraya couldn't help but ask. It sounds fake.
The woman bent forward, so her face was closer to Soraya's, her ruby painted lips pursued together into a slight frown. "Yes it is." she whispered. "I'm your new therapist, kiddo."
"I-I don't need a therapist," Soraya stammered. Are you from MagiCorp?
"Oh, I believe you do," Ms. Whispers smirked. "The school made sure to hire a professional like myself because your father and his friend are missing, and that's obviously taking a toll on your mental health, isn't it?"
Jacquelle shifted her eyes between Soraya, Moiya, and Ms. Whispers, her porcelain expression unwavering. "We need to go study for exams," she huffed while attempting to move past the tall woman. "So if you'll excuse us-"
"Hold up," Ms. Whispers stepped in front of Jacquelle and placed her long arms onto her hips. "I'm not done with you kids yet. You're her friends, right? You do care about Soraya's mental health, don't you?"
"She's going to be more stressed if she flunks a test because someone wasted her time," Jacquelle replied in a snide tone before grabbing onto Soraya's wrist and forcefully pushing her way around the tall woman. Moiya followed closely behind her friends, and all three of them ran towards the stairs.
Soraya glanced back for a brief moment. Ms. Whispers was watching them through narrowed slits, her slender fingers rapidly tapping against her hips.
"I'm going to talk to my father about her," Jacquelle growled once they were out of ear shot. "A Professional? Yeah right! She reminds me of my mother..."
"Thanks Jacquelle," Soraya and Moiya both sighed in relief. The blond was still muttering to herself and didn't appear to hear either of them.
Soraya looked down at her wrist. "You can let go now."
"Oh. Right," Jacquelle said and instantly released her.
We can tell her about everything... she's definitely our friend.
*3,195 Words