Rebirth

As the light around the spider lily settles the pulsing changes. Somehow the energy is similar to my own yet not quite so. There's a slight rhythm like a little drum betting to its own song. Once clarity settles, I find a child, no older than seven with hair as red as rubies and silver eyes as bright as stars stands before me. The energy that came from the spider lily now comes from her. She looks at me or more like through me as the glow around her settles.

"How?" I hear Sonia ask.

The child looks from me to Sonia before looking back at me. Only now do I realize I'm holding her tiny hand. She only blinks at me, as if expecting me to make the first move.

"Can you speak?" I ask her.

"Can you?" her voice is like a sweet melody.

"She's sassy," Sonia says getting her attention once more. The child cocks her head to one side ruby hair cascading over.

"Who are you?"

"I am Sonia, this is Raksha and you?"

"I don't know," she says taking in her surroundings. I take my cloak and wrap her in its red side out. She looks down at it confused, by the material or by the action I do not know.

"She's a flower spirit," I say digging through my satchel for food, "here," I hand her a piece of dried persimmon.

"So, what are we doing with her?" Sonia asks as the child inspects the fruit.

"We can't leave her here."

"Technically we could," she says causing the child to glare at her, "what you're a flower spirit. I'm sure you can figure things out on your own."

"What's a flower spirit?" the child asks.

Before we can answer the crow returns, he swoops down circling the child head than my own before vanishing once more.

"What the fuck?" Sonia says startling the child.

"That settles it," I say, "we're keeping her."

"Because of the Crow?"

"Yes."

"He's a crow."

"He's never lead me astray," I say, scooping the child into my arms the earth's too cold for her barre feet, "you're from the Dark Realm how can you question him?"

"Just because our King is rumored to change into a crow doesn't mean I have to listen to every crow I see," Sonia argues as we head back the way we came.

"I wasn't talking about the king," I say, "I was talking about the Guardians."

"They can take on any form."

"My point exactly," I say catching wisp of smoke in the air.

"Who is it?" Sonia sends.

"I don't recognize the scent but he's not alone," I send back. I pull the hood over the child's face shrouding us in shadows and darkness. Sonia does the same heading ahead to scout.

"Fuck," Sonia sends, "mercenaries."

"Bet the bitch scent them," I send.

"You think?"

"Probably, don't let them spot you," I send her as I start to walk back towards the river, "Ambrose," I send, but don't get a response. Bastard probably made his way to a brothel.

"We have a problem," Sonia sends.

"What is it?"

"They have a wagon loaded up with mortals."

"What do you mean?"

I feel the change in atmosphere as a gateway opens.

"They're bringing in slaves."

"What?"

Slavery has never been an issue in our world as our ancestors came from a world called Chaos and only wanted to prevent past grievances from reoccurring in this new world. They made it one of the primary rules. No living being should ever be enslaved unless they have committed a crime in which case they should be exiled to the Nether Realm or excited. Why the fuck are these fools bringing in slaves?

"What do we do?" she sends.

"I need to hide the little one," I send, "keep an eye on them, don't get caught."

"Got it."

Once next to the river I start looking for a place to hide her when I spot an opening behind the cascade. Thank the Underworld, I move as swiftly as possible as one can while carrying a child. I send out a wave of energy just to make sure there's nothing in the cave. When nothing resonates, I set the child down as far away from the opening as possible.

"Stay here and don't make a sound," I say, placing my satchel next to her, "use this if you have to," I hand her blade, I won't need it.

I step into the shadows changing forms in the process.

"Where are you?" I send.

"Where you left me," she sends back, "Ambrose is on his way."

"Good," I send, "don't let the gateway close we need to send them back."

"What of the mercenaries?"

"Kill them."

"Gladly."

We move with the darkness; I take two mercenaries out before they realize what's happening. One lifts a gun and fires into the darkness. What the fuck? Such weapons are not part of our world. I change forms sending a wave of dark energy at them as dark flame dances on my fingertips.

"You're a long way from home, aren't you?" I ask, moving with the shadows until I am one with them, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Show yourself," one of the men demands.

"Now why would I do that?" I taunt giving Sonia a chance to take out the two guarding the gate.

"What the fuck?" another says taking in the massive panther that just ripped a man's head of.

"You came to the wrong world," I whisper in the ringleader's ear as I wrap dark flame claws around his throat. The captives just stare to perplexed to scream. I let the flame consume him muffling his screams with more flame.

"A bit much no?" Sonia asks.

"Not enough," I say, sending one of my shadow knives sailing through the air and into the last mercenary's throat. The shadow poison takes quick effect causing his eyes to bulge and his skin to gain a blue tint to it.

"Demons!" one of the captives starts shouting and pointing, "Demons!"

I roll my eyes and take his speech away, "anyone else?" I ask. They just continue to look into the abyss.

"I think they're glamour," Sonia says waving her hand in front of a female.

"What the fuck?"

"Where the fuck have you been?" I ask a very stoned Ambrose.

"You see…

"No," Sonia cuts him off, "no excuses we can smell the whores and sweet nether on you."

"Only one was married."

"Ambrosius," I say, not caring for his ranting, "go wait by the river."

"Your wish is my command," he gives an exaggerated bow as he saunters off.

"How are you two related?"

"Same father," Sonia says just as the gateway closes.

"FUCK!" we say in unison causing a little girl to flinch.

"You're not glamour," I say as she tries to go back to looking stoic, "where did you come from?"

"What the fuck get off me!" Ambrose stumbles back with the little one dangling from his back.

"You gave her a dagger?" Sonia asks as she tries to keep from laughing.

"Obviously," I say, placing a hand on the little one's back, "what did he do?"

"He poured awful liquid into the river," she says as I pry her of Ambrose.

"Liquid?"

"Yellow."

"You bastard pissed in the River of Sorrows," I smack Ambrose upside the head, "is nothing sacred?"

"I had to go, last time I pissed on a tree it turned out to be a dryad," he points at the protruding dagger sticking out of his shoulder.

"Remove it," I tell the little one. She hesitates but at last, complies.

"No good," she says using both hands to pull the dagger free.

"You're no good," Ambrose says.

"Shut up," Sonia says, "what do we do with them?"

"I don't know," I say, walking back to the little girl from before, "tell me where did you come from?"

"The plantation," she finally says, "in Alabama."

"What's Alabama?" Ambrose asks.

"A state," the little girl says.

"They're not from our world," I say, looking up at Ambrose, "had you been here you'd know that," then back to the girl, "what's your name?"

"Mama named me Pearl, but master calls me girl."

"Pearl's a pretty name," I pat her head before looking at the man, "if I return your speech do you promise not to scream?"

The man looks at me as if I'd sprouted a second head.

"I'll take that as a no," I turn back to Pearl, "tell me is there any way you know in which world Alabama exists?"

"World?"

"Never mind."

"What if…

"No Sonia."

"What?" Ambrose asks.

"No."

"He's your father," she argues.

"He found me on the bank and took me in," I say.

"Care to fill me in?"

"Her father's a pirate," Sonia says, "you know the kind that can travel through worlds."

"What?"

"He's not just a pirate," I say, watching the wheels turn in Ambrose's mind, "he's one of the four Pirate Lords."