Chapter 5

Deep within Cora's chambers, Salem was hard at work with her child and a box of tools, this time without the use of any strange flower to guide her operation. Cora herself was amazed to see the red-eyed girl operate with great speed and dexterity as if she was truly a veteran of the craft. Never before had she seen a young woman working with the Valekry in such a way, not since her oldest memories.

It wasn't long before Anger looked newer than ever as if fresh off the assembly line. Although he wasn't truly in need of anything beyond a cosmetic polish, the machine made sure to give his mother a simple gesture of approval. Salem couldn't help but grin as she brushed away the bits of scrap on the floor with her prosthetic feet, nervously attempting to hide her desire for praise.

"I assume you learned to repair yourself as well hm? You little engineer," Cora laughed as she began to help her guest clean the mechanical mess she had made.

"Whatever do you mean?" Salem asked, realizing she had forgotten all about her own mechanical legs. "Oh, of course. Well yes."

"That couldn't have been easy," Cora sighed as she began to reminisce. "You poor thing."

"It's not all that bad." Salem nervously tapped her legs. "I found this place didn't I?"

"That you have, little girl. But how much of Lacuna have you really seen?" Cora pressed.

"Very little I'm afraid," the red-eyed girl replied.

"Well then once you clean yourself up and have a little nap, I'll show you around," the older woman smiled as she pointed towards her room. "I think you've spent enough time alone don't you think?"

Salem's eyes widened as she hesitated to refuse. She hadn't quite realized how long it had been since a proper bath and grew accustomed to skipping them altogether. A few days had passed since she found refuge in the old Tella's home, yet not once did she bother to clean herself up. It was hard enough for the girl to even speak to anyone let alone trust them with her privacy. Years of hardship had taught Salem to view basic survival as the only necessity in life. Anything else, no matter how comfortable, was a possible danger to the girl, leaving her content to sit downstairs and quietly fiddle with her child. But as Cora gently pulled her up the stairs and towards her unusually clean bathroom, Salem began to accept the reality of the situation. She knew Cora had bided her time with her guest, only showing her face to gently offer the recluse a snack or a box of tools. Such patience had not gone unnoticed by the red-eyed girl, who began to slowly and begrudgingly trust the old Tella.

"Fine then, guess I can't be rude forever," Salem thought to herself as she followed Cora into her room.

But even after her new resolutions, Salem couldn't help but feel distressed at the thought of embracing a better life. The pale girl almost didn't want to be left alone as Cora handed her a towel and left the room. She knew nothing of warm skin and clean hair, nor did she understand what it meant to relax. It all felt wrong to Salem, who then stood alone in the room with nothing but her own shattered thoughts.

"Now what," the girl sighed as she placed a palm to her cheek.

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After hours of waiting around like an awkward fool, Salem finally decided to undress and prepare herself for a thorough cleansing. But as the girl drew closer to the cold tiles of the shower, she made the mistake of glimpsing her own reflection. What stood before her was the exact reason she had feared entering such a place.

"Is that really me?" Salem whispered to herself. "So very little has changed."

The girl's soft white hair appeared disheveled and stained with blood while her face contained an array of deep wounds and dried oil. Additionally, her legs appeared scratched and bent as if barely holding together. But most obvious of all was her infamous eyes that still glowed the same shade of crimson.

Salem had always been transfixed by her own eyes ever since they had brought her both judgment and reverence in troubling times. She did her best to avoid such memories, leading her to form a slight distaste for mirrors and baths. Taking a deep sigh of regret, Salem stepped into the bath and prepared for the worst.

Closing her eyes, she began to reminisce as the frigid tears of the shower fell upon her pale skin. Salem had always hated water for one reason or another. The wet sensation had a habit of forcing itself into her own mind, bringing the most disturbing memories to light. And just as she had feared, the pale girl soon felt the past seeping into her mind as she continued to bathe.

One memory appeared clearer than the rest, its image based on the night she would never forget. During her time wandering Peruvia Salem would come across many different creatures besides the pathetic humans, one such race being a fearsome clan of reptilian warriors named the Ormen. Encountering such a mighty army would prove disastrous for Salem, as the town she had wandered into that night had already been destroyed in mere minutes. The pale girl was soon helpless against the carnage that would unfold. But instead of meeting a swift end at the hands of the enemy she could barely see in the smoke and flame, Salem would be taken alive along with every other young girl in the village.

Unlike most of the cowering women that night, the pale girl seemed unusually calm as she stared at the strange creatures that stood before her. The Ormen appeared tall and thin, with layers of silver armor covering their skin from head to toe. Only their sharp bird-like eyes could be seen behind their meticulous attire, creating a foreboding aura around them. Salem hadn't encountered some gang of pillaging men, but instead an elite group with far more important plans than defilement and murder. After making sure Salem and the rest of the girls were unharmed, the tall reptilian creatures signaled their hands in the air as if calling for something greater.

Moments later Salem felt a set of heavy footsteps on the ground, followed by the shadow of a massive Ormen who towered above the human's meager huts. He was clearly the leader of sorts, as he silenced all others with the wave of his mechanical hand. Salem may have been no expert in combat, but she knew for sure that such a leader had earned his position through strength and blood. The large Ormen's armor was thicker and more advanced than his underlings with a large black blade protruding from his left arm, its sharpened tip soaked in the blood of the unworthy.

"Only one of you," the leader spoke in a clear deep voice.

Salem was surprised to hear an Ormen speak in such perfect dialect, having never heard the species utter a single discernable word. She became convinced the leader was unlike anything she had ever seen. And until the day she met the Valekry, he was most certainly the strongest.

For what seemed like hours the Ormen leader observed the human girls, staring deep into their eyes as if searching for something unseen. But when he came to Salem, the birdlike creature froze in place. His sharp black eyes then narrowed as he reached out to the pale girl, pressing a sharp claw against her chin.

"Red eyes. Marvelous red eyes," the Ormen whispered. "What is your name?"

"Salem," the girl replied.

"Very well then I chose you."

The Ormen then stepped back, raising his palm and he continued to stare at Salem. Then at all once, the entire tribe grabbed hold of their weapons and began to slay every girl in the camp, save for the chosen girl. The Ormen was ruthlessly efficient and made sure to behead their victims before they had the chance to run or plead. Salem found herself reeling back in shock as the blood of those around her covered her face.

"A great power lies within her, proof of our ancient belief. Look upon her image, it says only one thing," the Ormen leader spoke, his voice booming so that the whole clan could hear. "Death is truth."

That night Salem learned a valuable lesson. Her beauty was not just a commodity used to manipulate humans, but a curse with the power to move minds. The Ormen worshipped her that night, praising the primal energy they could see in her eyes and using its enchanting gaze to fuel their conquest. Salem made sure to forget the years that followed, her time with the Ormen having already faded from memory. Such a traumatic event was one of many the girl had endured before fate brought her to Lacuna.

"They revered you as a symbol. And yet you never cared to ask why?" A childish voice whispered through the depths of her mind.

Salem awoke with another scraggly moan, her mouth releasing the pool of water she had swallowed while laying on the shower floor. She wasn't usually the one to faint like some weak-minded damsel. But now that she was vulnerable, doubts began to surface for what little remained of her composure.

"Who was that?" Salem gasped.

Stumbling out of the shower, she quickly grasped onto a towel before fleeing the room at fast as her legs could carry her. The pale girl didn't make it far before bumping into Cora just outside the room, her smaller body bouncing right off the woman like a soft pillow. Instead of reprimanding the girl, the older Tella simply smiled and reached out to Salem with a frail hand.

"Need some help dear?" Cora laughed.

"No, I don't," Salem growled.

"Don't be silly, I remember my troubles with the shower. It's hard not to reflect on mistakes in such a setting. Here, let me help."

"Absolutely not!" The red-eyed girl blushed, worrying her looks would create another incident.

"Oh please, it'll be just like bathing my own daughters all over again, nothing weird about it."

"Daughters?"

"Yes, once upon a time."

"I'm sorry," Salem frowned, dropping her guard. "I should have guessed."

"Now now dear, weren't we trying to avoid bad memories in the shower?"

"Yes, we were."

Salem smiled softly as Cora began to prepare a much more pleasant bath inside her silver tub. Just outside the door, Anger stood silently, his stance seeming more relaxed than usual. He knew well that his mother was safe in the arms of one powerless to hurt her.

"Is this place truly as good as it seems?" Salem asked as Cora began to gently clean her body. "I find it hard to believe after what I went through to get here."

"Nowhere is truly perfect little one, but I can assure you there is nowhere else better. Lacuna has its history just like everywhere else. There always are some good and some bad in this world. But unlike the wretched planet below us, we always had some measure of power to choose our own destiny. From what I've heard, the surface dwellers have wallowed in their own helplessness since the dawn of time. But I'm sure you know more about that bit of hearsay than I ever will."

Salem nodded her head in approval before rolling her eyes, "Can't say I disagree. The fallen humans do tell a story, and it is not a pretty one. Perhaps Lacuna is right for me after all."

"Did you search for this place before?" Cora paused, before continuing to scrub at Salem's bloodstained skin.

"Yes, I believed it would help me find a final death."

"You poor thing. Thoughts of self-harm are never a good experience, I regret to hear you went through such pain."

"It's quite alright, I was crazed and stupid," Salem lied, avoiding the topic of the flower that revived her. "Every girl wants to find a pretty place to die, doesn't she?"

"I know you jest, but it's not crazy at all to consider such things. You aren't abnormal Salem, many girls your age went through similar trials. Not even Lacuna is immune to the woes of immortal existence. Pretty dresses and lavish cities don't solve all your problems, I'm sure you know this. Sometimes life weighs heavy, even when there is not a burden in sight. But I prefer we move on from such a topic, don't you agree?"

"I do," Salem sighed before closing her eyes to relax.

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The following morning Salem found herself dressed in a small slip dress with a bright pair of red gloves, ready and prepared for the voyage ahead. In truth, she had certainly never felt primmer in her life. Cora had in fact spent ample time finding her new guest the best outfits from her family's old wardrobes and took great pride in her success. But the older woman wasn't any less prepared when it came to her own attire, going as far as to prepare her own gown in addition to a large parasol for the picnic she had painstakingly planned. In the past, Cora had always loved leisurely strolls and relaxing brunches in the city. She knew very well that day could be her last opportunity to do what she cherished most, and took no chances in wasting it.

"And you are sure the city is safe?" Anger questioned as he held open the door girls.

"I confess it has been far too long since I last visited. But isn't that why we've got you?" Cora laughed

"It'll be quite alright Anger," Salem explained as she stepped onto the damp rocks of Lacuna's outskirts. "Kalis made sure to hide our arrival, there should be no cause for trouble."

"Ah yes Kalis, he wandered off again didn't he?" the older woman sighed, tugging on Salem's arm as she lead her towards the city. "Can't say I blame the poor thing, we barely talk these days."

"So you do acknowledge his feelings?" Salem frowned. "I thought Valekry didn't count as men."

"My dear, you know it's not that simple. The Valekry aren't dumb, they understand the concept of neglect and the wastefulness of protecting a shut-in like me. But that doesn't mean they truly feel it the same way we do. Kalis is merely finding a better way to use his time, that's all."

"Whatever you say."

"I understand how you feel, this one saved your life no doubt," Cora explained, pointing towards Anger. "But I was there when the first batch came off the assembly line. They are machines, brilliant as their design may be."

"And we aren't?" The red-eyed girl scoffed. "I've seen the things people do in response to my existence. Doesn't feel any less robotic, I'd say."

"Oh Salem, you are just a girl. Don't let the crazed souls on the surface judge you, even if your beauty as a Tella may outshine them."

"Really then?" Salem whispered to herself, looking down at her own chest. "I'd like to believe that."

As the girls continued to descend the steps of Lacuna, they spoke no further of life and its miseries. The city that lay before them was far too beautiful to be soured by such useless conversations. Both Cora and Salem then quickened their pace as their hearts became excited for the journey ahead. Knowing full well that such delusions of happiness would never last, Anger made sure to keep up and watch closely.