Light beckoned, like a ray of hope. I turned up my eyes, to see faces looming over mine. Then I heard one whisper, “Holy hell, she’s really glowing.”

Someone shoved him aside, “Quick, get her up.”

It’s too late. There’s too much sand in my lungs. I thought. I am made of sand.

“Don’t you dare think that little one.” Lily was fluttering about, almost as if she had wings that were furiously beating back to air. She was frantic and I smiled at the scene. It was a blessed change from her usual demeanor. “Stay with me Cam,” I almost blushed at her affection. But I couldn’t. Not right now.

I was choking.

“Step away from the body!” A young voice called out over the crowd. A girl pushed her way through the crowd, her orange red hair gleamed like starlight in the sun.

But I was dying.

Suddenly her fist slammed down on my stomach. I coughed, the sand coming up as she pounded on my stomach.

Lily screamed, “What are you doing?”

And for a moment it seemed liked the girl shushed Lily. “Breathe, damn you.” The girl was practically seething as she beat me. Which was weird because I didn’t remember doing anything to her. Perhaps her place in this caravan was rocky and now that I was here it was even more so. The reason escape me.

I puked the sand up. The pre-glass evil things that they were. Gaging, I could feel my lungs emptying themselves of sand and debris.

The girl sighed, almost like in relief, “Oh good.”

Phillins peered over the crowd, “Good heavens, miracles do exist.” I tilted my head at him. Though every action hurt. “You’re glowing child! It must be the grace of god!”

My mouth formed an ‘o’ as I understood what he met. I looked down at myself, a grimace on my face. “You’re using your power. Though it’s a good thing you did, otherwise they wouldn’t have found you.” Lily bounced up and down on my chest, I guess she was trying to help with the sand.

I released the tether of light I was holding on to. I searched my cloak for my notepad. Phillins took it from my hands, shouting, “Get her some water!” I readily drank up what a guard brought, feeling the liquid bring me back to life.

“Are you okay now?” The girl offered me a hand, lifting me to my feet. I nodded and she beamed. I couldn’t help but be suspicious of her. What was her end game? Everyone had an end game. I knocked the sand out of my clothes and stood tall, offering everyone a curt bow as a thank you. A couple laughed and patted me on the back, others stood back.

Why are they so far away?

“You were glowing, dear. There’s no magic known to them that makes a person glow. As far as they know the only thing that can do that is god, they are fearful. They must be sinners.”

Can you not just tell if someone is a sinner or not? The caravan started moving on, it seemed the sand whale swam away after taking one of the carts. Phillins filled me in on what I missed while I was under. Apparently there was an epic showdown in which he was the hero, but that sounded like b.s. to me. I think I saw a guard or two roll their eyes when they heard his tall tale.

I laughed and encouraged his story telling while talking to Lily. I was getting pretty good at this whole ‘sweet child’ thing I had going.

Lily, seemingly bored now that the danger was gone, floated around my head. I guess she was still kind of worried otherwise she wouldn’t be hanging around so close. “I’m weakened from being away from heaven for so long. I can only use my clairvoyance to see the crucial things.” She patted my head, “I’m sorry that I can’t do more.”

It’s fine. What you do is enough.

She smiled, “I’m going to check out if I can sneak a fruit.”

Okay.

Phillins waved over a guard, “Will you take Camellia over to passenger car, she’ll be safest there.”

“Yes sir.”

The guard placed his hand on my lower back as he escorted me towards the back end of the caravan. There seemed to be a passenger car towards the back. I eyed the man, hoping that bad intentions were not on his mind. Usually men didn’t put their hands on girls like me unless they wanted something. Girls like me meaning the ‘deformed’ as I sometimes heard whispered.

But the guard just stopped in front of a long carriage. It was about twice the size of a regular carriage in length, but width wise, it was just the same. He opened the door and I climbed in. I heard him holler that everyone was settled in and it was time to move. I looked around the space, finding an elongated ‘u’ in seats. Three women, all of varying ages, stared at me.

The girl from earlier patted the seat next to her. “You can sit here.”

I did so as the other two women did not look very welcoming. The old one, looked at me with glaring eyes. Like I was evil. I guess some would see me that way. See the power they did not understand as a sign of the devil. But the young will see hope in my presence. I grinned inwardly, especially that king.

“My name is Devin.”

I raised my eyebrow in a silent question.

“Yes, that’s a boy’s name, but it’s the one I got. I didn’t get to pick, ya know?”

I nodded, trying to be as kind as possible. This girl, no matter how brutal, did save my life and all.

“Can I braid your hair?”

I nodded again and turned away to let her work. She did very fast work, quickly making a fine braid that pulled from the top of my head. I think it was called a three-strand under braid. It looked very nice, I gave a curt head bow and a smile in appreciation. She had talked the entire time she was doing it though, which was quite a bore. It seemed she harrold from a town much farther south than my home town and was heading to the capital to make a name for herself as a magical creature tamer.

Lily had flown in just before she said so. She immediately turned to me, “Ask her about that, any information you have before hand is helpful in the long run. Especially such a rare job like that.”

I took out my notepad, keeping an eye on Devin. It seemed earlier like she could at least hear Lily, but she made no sign indicating that she even sensed Lily’s presence. So I wrote down that I wanted her to explain what that job would pertain. She happily obliged.

Much to my dismay.

I did not want to hear her talk anymore. Her voice was grating on my nerves as much as the excess sand in my body was grating on my lungs and stomach. I tried not to roll my eyes while she talked, I think I was successful.