Fractured Soul

Chapter 6: Rei

Mella hadn't really noticed the rest of the village when she had walked up that fateful afternoon. Now that she really had a chance, she looked around.

The land looked burnt, as if some terrible fire had raged through days ago, leaving everything charred, and the colors had bled away. The roads and little paths crisscrossing the town were faded, packed dirt. All the grass looked dead and baked to a crisp. The houses looked scared of something, cowering under red shingle rooftops.

The people of Berna were out, doing what they pleased. They were all still wearing fiery colors, which proved what Mella had thought as she was getting dressed: Berna was a fire village. Everyone's hair and eyes seemed to mimic flames, from flaming red, to a blinding white, to the red-almost black-of dying embers.

Self-conscious, Mella realized how much she stuck out. The people near Myra's house had stopped what they were doing, and were outright staring at her.

"Myra? Are they still afraid of me?" Mella asked quietly.

"I'm not quite sure right now. We'll find out as we go. Oh," Myra turned to face Mella. "Do you know what language you're speaking now?"

Mella was getting tired of the language question.

"I told you. I can't tell. Everything sounds the same to me. For the sake of argument, what am I speaking?" she asked exasperatedly.

Myra said something in a lilting, flowing voice and looked at her expectantly. The people passing by stiffened and walked away quickly.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Mella asked.

Myra was studying her, her gold eyes searching.

"You are a very odd child Mella. You couldn't understand what I just said, even though it was Ivayan. You've been speaking Rhynish since you woke up today."

What? How? Mella thought back to this morning. Lea said it was a gift for the future. Can it be doing this? She touched the necklace hanging from her neck. It glowed softly.

"I think it's the necklace." Mella said, unaware that she was really talking. Did I just say that out loud?

"I guess Lea's really looking out for you, Mella. Come on, Rei is waiting." Myra said, turning around and walking down the street. Yeah, I said that out loud.

The two of them went off down the street. People stepped away from Mella, like she was a contagious disease. Well, that answer's that question: they're frightened of me, but they probably just need time to get used to me. Hopefully…

Myra stopped, and Mella almost walked into her. They walked up to a house identical to any other, except for a small handprint on the door.

"This is Rei's house. Get it memorized, Mella, because I won't always walk over with you."

Myra knocked on the door, and waited.

The door swung open seconds later, and Mella was face-to-face with a woman with jet black hair and too many worry lines for someone her age. Her golden eyes gave her the appearance of a hawk.

"This is the girl?" Rei asked Myra, completely ignoring Mella.

"Good morning to you too, Rei. Yes, this is Mella." Myra gently nudged Mella forward.

"Hello." Mella mumbled.

Rei looked at Mella. "You can wait in the kitchen. Go on."

Mella stepped past Rei and went in to the bright yellow kitchen. Everything was clean and spotless. Pictures lined the walls, of a younger Rei and two boys with wild smiling faces. She looks really happy. Did her boys get taken too? Mella studied the pictures, while she heard Myra and Rei talking in low voices in the doorway. Then Myra called out to Mella.