My legs ached and the skin around my ankles rubbed against my boots becoming red with irritation. I huffed out a cloud of warm air and sweat dripped down my face despite the cold snow that drifted to the ground.
A large rose bush stretched alongside a stone pathway for several feet and I have been circling it for hours. The path lead deeper into Lady Deinan's garden, deeper than I've already gone.
Chasing a mischievous little dragon that had been eating the Ice Queen roses has lead me astray. The magical roses were known for surviving frigid temperatures and thrived on the highest peaks of mountains. To be seen on low elevations such as Lady Deinan's garden was absolutely unheard of. Her rich position afforded her the constant care that would be needed to keep them thriving. Such a rarity needs to be protected, even if it's from her own pets.
Von, the head gardener and my supervisor said to gather up the dragons if I see them eating the roses amongst other tedious chores. Thankfully, these dragons were no bigger than my forearm. They're easy to handle but this opened up more getaways for their snakelike bodies to slither out of. My entire day was wasted chasing down one particular dragon that enjoyed the taste of the frozen flowers.
I was employed by Lady Deinan a few months ago, she assigned me to a zone closer to the mansion so the path out of the garden is manageable. Lady Deinan's garden is the largest in the world or so she gloats about, being hopelessly lost I have come to agree.
A small iguana shaped head popped out of the bush two arms lengths away. The dragon stared at me with emerald eyes and the tuft of feathers on it's head said it was intrigued. I've never learned dragon body language before, it could be alarmed or cautious but the way it accumulated an audience of scaly friends I assumed they were enjoying this game of chase.
The dragons nose swiftly turned towards a rose with mischievous intent gleaming in its eyes.
"No…" I said with a cautious tone. My intentions weren't to scare the dragon away, I needed to catch him not chase him until I die of exhaustion.
Sharp white teeth appeared between its lips.
"Don't you dare!" My voice laced with anger.
The dragon jerked forward and snapped the roses head off the stem. The rose tumbled to the ground without a single petal being digested.
"Wha… Why? You didn't even eat it!" Its head dived back into the safety of the rose bush then peaked out again, a few feet away from its original location. "You're just teasing me now, aren't you?"
It squawked at me and the audience of dragons that perched on high branches and tops of hedges croaked and cackled too as if they were laughing. Their beady eyes observed as I circled the rose bush once again. They left the duty of mutilating roses to their ring leader that hid behind the ultramarine petals of the bush and enjoyed the show. Again, the dragon sank into the leaves and we continued our little game of hide and seek. The sapphire scales blended in with the icy branches of the Ice Queens and its baby blue underbelly gave it an advantage to blend in with the rose petals. I relied on movement to find the dragon.
"Pretty little dragon, where are you?" Dragons are easily coaxed and I faked my sweetest voice until it sounded real. A rustling in the bush gave away it's hideout.
"My sweet little friend, will you please come out so I may gaze upon your alluring wings?" I spoke in the direction of the rustling twigs. "Would you like a piece of fruit for an exchange of your presence?" I upped the ante to my gamble, hoping it would work.
A flash of blue rushed before my face then tangled underneath my braid. The dragon's talons pinched my shoulder, but I had not removed him for fear it would fly away and eat the roses again. A chipper rumbled against my fingers when I scratched it's neck, the scales were surprisingly soft. Its wings spread then dropped it's weight from my shoulder. It's slender body twirled in the sky to perform aerial aerobatics.
"Little show off," I said as the glimmering scales outshined any of my own features. It squawked at me. "Ok, I guess I'll do as I promised."
I reached into my aprons pocket and untied the sack that I kept bits of fruit and nuts in. The dragon picked the fruit from my fingertips then snuggled in my dark brown hair once again. I walked along the path hoping I could find my zone. The dragon hitched a ride the entire way.
"Mae!" I turned to see Von in a sweat. He jogged up to me with an exasperated look on his face.
"I've been looking for you all day! Why aren't you in your zone?" Von had bulldog cheeks and a balding scalp, his face was wrinkled into a dour expression. I've never witnessed any emotion other than plain boredom from him.
"This little guy was eating the roses. I tried to catch him."
Von reached out towards my braid and the dragon slithered around his arm pulling strands of my hair with it.
"I said to drive them away, not chase them." He explained. "You're fairly new, so consider this a warning. If Lady Deinan slips on the ice due to your negligence she'll kill us both."
"How did Lady Deinan get wyrms anyway?" I asked as I absent mindedly followed him back to recognizable terrain. He turned to stare at me with widened eyes. The heat in my cheeks increased as I realized what I said. "I didn't mean she has worms! I meant she has these wyrms. Dragons… She has d-dragons."
I lowered my head. My face became hot with embarrassment.
"That's not the reason why I'm surprised at you, Mae. Lady Deinan is a dragon enthusiast, if she heard you calling them wyrms she'd hang you by your toes. They're Amphipteres."
"She wouldn't do that! Would she?" I asked, I haven't worked here long enough to know.
"Do you remember, Jackson?"
"I think so? He left work when I started. Never had a lengthy conversation with him."
"He didn't just leave work, he hung himself."
My mouth gaped open. I closed it as soon as a dragon leaned forward, readying itself to pounce inside my mouth.
"What! How unfortunate! What happened?"
"He destroyed one of the grey scale garden rose bushes. Lady Deinan put so much debt on his shoulders his only way out was to commit suicide. She covets her garden more than anything and her pets second."
The dragon looked up at him and hissed.
"I'm sorry, my little friend. You are no pet, you are her companion." He reiterated.
The dragon nestled its nose into his hand and chippered.
I followed Von out of the large maze of plants. We hiked up small hills, around fountains, and through several zones that gave the impression we were in different realms. Von stopped in my zone where I left my shovel lying on the floor.
"Thank you." I said. He nodded for a reply.
With the wooden handle of the shovel tightly gripped in my hand I scooped up snow until my back ached. A few hundred more silver coins is all it took to meet mine and my husband's financial goal. With a few more months of work we will be able to move out of our mold infested apartment. With dedication powering my work ethic, I continued to work with plenty of strength even when my feet froze and my body ached.
I finished the pathway and all my other chores. Chasing the dragon took up a majority of my day and I needed to work an hour overtime to make up for it.
"I'm going home, Von!" I informed the head gardener as I returned the supplies to the gardening shack that looks like a tiny Lady Deinan's mansion.
"Thank you, Mae. See you tomorrow."
We said our goodbyes and I headed home seeking the comfort of my husband. The journey home was a long walk, three miles across country.
I stopped to stare at my destination. Arvon'te, the pure city. From a distance, the name was misleading. The slums of Arvon'te were made up of broken apartment buildings with little room to move between. It's a stark contrast to the city's innards. The center of the city housed the rich and showcased the city's marketplace. White stones created beautiful paths to walk upon while marble statues complimented the towering pillars they held up. Each structure in and of itself was unreal to look upon, but put together… the inner beauty of Aryon'te was a testament to the rich who lived there.
Of course, if a fraction of that money went back into the slums then all of Aryon'te could be beautiful. The city could radiate purity to anyone from anywhere. However, it would never happen into ours. Ours was a world of dirt and starvation, so far beneath them they couldn't imagine it.
Daniel said the rich didn't want to fund the rebuilding of the slums because we protect the inside of the city. He said that if a war were to break out then we'd be collateral damage. If a war came, we would be the wall that protected the rich from death.
But Aryon'te hadn't seen war in a hundred years and there was no reason to believe my home would become that wall.
~~
Snowflakes tumbled gently from the sky, landing on my skin and melting immediately. Several stuck to the braid that cascaded down my right shoulder. Inches thick, the blanket that covers the ground is as white as Aryon'te. Overhead, the sky is dreary and gray. It's eerie to say the least. As I neared my home, the sound of children laughing stopped me. They ran through the streets, flinging snowballs at each other. Watching them made my heart heavy. With a crunch at each footstep I slowed my pace. I stopped to clearly hear the children across the street laughing as they played. Their laughter was joyous, hearts warm with excitement, and their intentions were innocent. Little did they know that their toothy grins heavied my burden.
I've prayed day and night to the god and goddess for a single thing. However, I'm cursed with a body that will never conceive a child. Daniel has been wonderful about it all. He reminds me we don't need children to be happy. I have him and he has me. But still… my world was empty without a child. As I travelled further into the slums, the deterioration and excrement increased. Piss stained every corner, and homeless men and women sleep where they can, smelling greatly of filth. Every apartment is built the same with the same red brick, the same broken plaster, and the same rotten wood. Even still, I stopped in front of a five-story apartment building. The chipped plaster revealing red bricks, and darkened wood framing seemed unique against the buildings around it. I loved this building because it was ours. It was where Daniel and I had built our lives together.
Daniel greeted me as I opened the heavy door to our apartment. The sight of his drooping eyes and charming smile made my heart flutter. From the sparkle in his eyes to the way his mustache curled loosely over his lips, he was as handsome as ever.
"Hello, my darling." He smiled at me as he helped me out of my shawl and took the heavy basket from me. He kissed my nose and went to the kitchen. I would've loved to start dinner, but my hands were frozen. There was no way I could handle a kitchen knife. The sound of snoring drew my attention to the living room. My mother was slumped in her rocking chair with a knot of white yarn and a crochet hook in her lap. The sight of her brought a grin to my face.
"How was your day?" His voice was muffled by the wall separating kitchen from living room.
"Like always."
"Was it really that bad?" Daniel peeked around the kitchen wall. I scrunched my nose and sneered at him jokingly. He replied by placing a finger on his mouth, signaling me to keep quiet. "Don't wake the beast!"
I carefully walked across the creaky floor, and crouched by the fireplace. The small fire gave off enough light to fight off the wintery dark and keep me warm. For a moment, I lost myself in the embers. Being home made me happy. Even my mother's snoring created a cheerful hum to the room.
From the kitchen, I could hear my husband talking at me, but I couldn't make out a word he was saying. Abandoning the warmth of the fire, I went to the kitchen to find him attempting to cook. He poured over a cook book with a knife in hand and an expression of confusion on his face.
"Here, sweety," I said, taking the knife from him. "Let me make dinner."
"Good. I hate cooking." He shrugged his lean shoulders.
I shimmied into the small space my husband had reserved for me between him and the counter. As I did, my butt gently rubbed against his groin and sent a tingle along my spine.
"Jeez! You take up a lot space for such a lanky guy!" I wiggled my hips, hinting for him to move. Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my cheek.
"Am I making this difficult for you?"
"Yes!" I smiled wide, giggling. I turned my head, my lips meeting his. "But I like difficult."
The long strands from his light brown hair tickled my cheek as his lips touch mine. I caressed his calloused hands, slipping my fingers between his. With each kiss, all my loneliness floated away. Any negativity that could've been disappeared. I only needed him, and my life was complete.
Like all good things, the moment came to an end. A sharp knock on the door pulled me from my fantasy world with Daniel, and I'm forced back into reality.
"Are you expecting company?" He asked.
"No," I replied, unsure. My stomach turned with anticipation as we opened the door together. My brain ran through the possibilities of who was on the other side. Was it someone from the building? Had we done something wrong? Were we somehow late on our bills?
Standing on our threshold was an unrecognizable person. Head-to-toe, tattered wrappings made it impossible to make out any discernable features. A stained shawl fell around the person's shoulders, only adding to the difficulty.
"A leper," Daniel said so quietly I could barely hear him. "I'm sorry, Sir, but we-"
"Please, come in. You must be freezing!" I interrupted my husband. I led him into the warmth of our apartment. I had a weakness for people in need, especially those cursed with any kind of sicknesses. Their condition wasn't their fault and their insufficient funds for treatment certainly wasn't either.
The leper walked in, gratefully saying, "Thank you. Thank you very much." The raspy voice left no hints to gender.
Walking space was limited in our little apartment. The presence of another made it feel even smaller. Suddenly, Mother's snoring was irritating. The leper gave off an air that he was too important for us. It was as if we were insufficient. I shuddered. Why did he make me feel like that?
I led our guest to our dirty couch, and added one more log to the fireplace. Hopefully, it'd liven up the room. Daniel kept his distance, leaning against the kitchen walkway.
"Mae, will you follow me to the kitchen, please?" Waving his hand in a stern movement, it was clear by the scowl on his face that he hated this idea.
"Is there anything you'd like to drink? Are you hungry?" I asked our guest. I refused to forget my manners to never let a visitor be hungry or parched. The leper lifted his head to meet my gaze wearily. There was a look of desperation in his captivating eyes. They were pale blue with a hint of nerve damage, showing in the faint callouses covering them. It left me wondering if the leper could see.
"I'm starving. May I please have something to eat?" His voice was soft enough to be female, the curious question still ate at me.
"Not a problem." I smiled, hoping the burden on his shoulders lessens. I disappeared into the kitchen with my husband at my heels, sending me a disapproving glare. "What?" My shoulders tensed into a small shrug.
"Seriously? Are you trying to get us infected?" His voice rose and I shushed him quickly. I didn't want our guest to hear us. "I can't turn him down. He needs our help!"
"You're the only person crazy enough to let a sick person into her own home."
"We won't get sick, Daniel!"
"And you're positive of this, how?"
"I feel that the goddess has blessed us with healthy lives." I smiled. I may not have been as religious as my mother, but I used my religion to help convince Daniel.
"You're confidence stems from a feeling?" Daniel crossed his arms and smirked. I knew that look. He thought he had me caught in some kind of mind game.
"It's not just a feeling. I pray every day that our health never declines. The Goddessa is merciful. I believe she hears me. Also, the moon is full tonight, a sure sign that the Goddessa is watching." I said with confidence as I lied. It was snowing, there wasn't a moon in sight. I grabbed a glass and filled it with the cleanest water we had. I dug through my shopping basket for a couple pieces of bread and canned butter, preparing a piece for the leper.
"What are you doing?" Daniel demanding, scaring the ability to spread butter out of me. I turned and stared at him, wondering if he knew what he was asking.
"I'm getting our guest something to eat." I gestured to the bread and butter with the knife.
"We don't have enough for him. We only bought enough for the three of us."
"I'll give him my portion."
"Don't do this to me." Daniel's frustration became more noticeable the longer we talked.
"Do what? Help someone in need?"
"No. Don't give some of yours to someone else when we can't afford any more! Then you'll go hungry, and I'll feel awful about it, and end up giving you my food! We can't keep being nice to people. You always say to treat others the way you want to be treated. But tell me, Mae? When has anyone shown kindness to your needs?" Daniel puts all his stress and tension in his shoulders when he was upset. His shoulders rose and fell repeatedly as if he was trying to dispense the pain.
"If you were starving, cold, and sick, you'd want someone to help you." I said.
"No one in their right mind would help me!"
"Daniel, please, understand. I'm trying to be a good person."
Daniel sighed. He motioned for me to leave him be and I turned my back on him, leaving the kitchen. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, but I wanted to help.
I could smell the hint of putrid flesh, and imagined his face disfigured with bubbled sores. My skin crawled, and I glanced at my own arm with paranoia. I half expected to see boils forming. Thankfully, there was nothing.
In the living room, I handed him the glass, and subconsciously attempted to avoid touching his bandaged fingers. The leper picked up a piece of bread and lifted it to his mouth. As he did, he cleared an opening by removing some bandages. I looked closely, squinting and hoping to get a better look as he ate. What I saw, I didn't expect. His dark lips were perfect, moist, and free from any scarring or sign of infection. My stomach turned into knots.
Something wasn't right.
My eyes fell from his perfect mouth to the large basket on the floor. I hadn't noticed it before. I was certain he hadn't carried it in with him. But then again, Daniel and I were so focused on his disease he could have easily snuck it in.
My heart raced, pounding hard in my chest. Air became hard to pull in, my lungs refusing to work. Paranoia slowly drove a knife in my back, sending chills along my spine. I was fearful of what was inside, but the feeling of longing kept tugging at me. I wanted what was in this basket even though I didn't know what lay inside.
"What's in the basket?" I asked, unknowingly saying the words aloud. It wasn't until the leper paused his meal that I realized I said it to him.
"A curse," the leper replied. Regret nestled in my heart at the thought of accepting a curse into our home.
My eyes wandered back to the basket as I barely acknowledged the leper's words. That basket, whatever was inside, emanated a dark aura. Its cold nature twisted through my core almost painfully. "Are you sick because of the contents in that basket?" I emphasize my words carefully, hoping it'll prompt him to explain.
Getting up to light a few more candles calmed the anxiety building in my chest. I used magic to do so, relying on my spell book for each spark of fire. The additional lighting did nothing to help. I felt cold and lost in the darkened room. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
That basket. Whatever was in it wasn't right. It's power was so strong I could feel the burden the leper had been carrying weigh down on me as well. I turned back to the leper, trying to shut him out. A simple question slipped from his mouth, a question I should've been sitting down for.
"Will you help me?" His burden completely pressed on my knees, forcing me to sit. "Your curiosity lures you to the basket, does it not? Do you want to look inside?"
I nodded and stood, legs wobbling with reluctance. The curse looming around the basket lured me to it. It had me entranced, but I still managed to control some of my facilities. I had to be careful. If there was something evil inside, I couldn't touch it. I had read in books the importance of never touching a cursed item. If I did, its evil would transfer onto me. There was no telling what would happen then.
I knew the dangers of trusting a stranger, but my curiosity was overwhelming. I knelt beside the tattered basket. Several dirtied blankets were folded over the object inside. I took an open fold and slowly moved it aside to reveal what lay inside.
Inside the basket was no object. It certainly wasn't evil. It definitely didn't look cursed.
In fact, it wasn't even an it.
It was a child.
"Blessings from Goddessa!" Nothing could've prepared me for a child. Fine hair curled like ocean waves around his sweet face. With trembling fingers, I ran my hand along the side of his head, brushing a mop of silky curls aside revealing pointed ears like an elves. He cooed in response to my touch and my heart melted. He was head-to-toe dirty, certainly not the new baby look I was used to. I checked his little body, examining him carefully. He had no sores. He wasn't infected.
He was so beautiful, captivating beyond belief.
"He doesn't stand a chance of survival. He needs a home, and a mother to love him." My admiration for the baby was interrupted. Did he want me to raise his child, his curse? The heaviness in his body gives away his reluctance to part with the child. Some part of me wanted to say no, to give him his son back. However, I knew better. A child would never survive an Aryon'te winter. "Please… take care of the boy?"
Daniel finally reappeared from the kitchen. His face was carefully composed, but I could see he was still frustrated. I wondered how he would react to the baby.
"What is that?" He pointed at the basket.
Wanting a better look at him, I picked up the infant, and accidentally showed his round bottom to Daniel.
"It's a boy!" I beamed, studying his perfectly chubby face. I rounded the couch to showcase the child to Daniel. "Look at how cute he is! How perfect!" I'm elated. Even I can hear it in my own voice. He was the answer to everything I ever wanted.
"Yes, he's adorable." Daniel's tone was unenthusiastic and skeptical.
"Can we keep him?!" I was acting as if the child was a puppy. Holding him up to Daniel, I hoped the tactic would increase my chances of keeping him.
"What?" He stepped back.
"Daniel, please?"
"Mae, we can't afford it!"
"Mother can watch him as she sells her crotchet! And I can continue working." My words flowed too fast, and I began to stutter. My stuttering turned into a choking sob. "It's my fault I can't have..."
My eyes dropped to the floor. I couldn't look at him. I didn't want to see the pity overtaking his usual sparkle. I brought the child to my bosom, wrapping my arms around him. My mind was made up. Death itself couldn't loosen my grip from the child.
The callouses on Daniel's hand scratched my chin in his attempt to caress. The simple motion was comforting. I caught his gaze reluctantly and found acceptance in pity's wake.
"This is truly what you desire?" The leper asked as he moved for the door. I looked to Daniel for reassurance.
"Yes." Daniel nodded then turned to the leper. "How old is the baby?"
"He is but two solstices old." The leper replied.
"You're just a tiny little guy." I rubbed my nose on the babies. The leper stepped out of our apartment.
"Wait!" I called to him. "You said he's a curse? I want to know why?"
"Power follows this child. And where there is power is someone trying to steal it." And like that, he was gone.
I was conflicted. On one hand, I was elated, over the moon. A child for us to call our own! But on the other hand, the child was a curse according to the leper. I uttered a prayer quickly, hoping I wouldn't regret my choice.
"What are you calling him?" Daniel questioned, drawing my attention away. I stopped for a minute and smiled.
"Dodger. I like the name Dodger."