2.2 Bright lights

Serra sat on dark corner of the guardhouse, her knees on her chest and she buried her face between them as she cried. The guardhouse is where they put someone who has committed crime in the village. The guardhouse was quite big, but not as big as the storage houses. There's nothing on the inside of the house, just the four corners of the room and on the floor were stem and scrapes of wheat that forms like a bed on the ground. The house was dark but there's a hole on the upper side of the wall where streaks of light pass through it, illuminating the room.

The patrols bring her there after Mira left. The council held and emergency meeting for the next trade - if there's still trade after what happened to Haris and the others - and to her punishment. Her mother and Agatha were also part of the council but the captain decided not to include them as their daughters were the subjects of the issue.

Serra remembered Mira's sad smile as the gates closed. The image felt like she was punched continuously and the pain was like a torture. Her friend was gone, the only one that cared about her in their village - except her mother. She didn't even know now her sister. She felt like Rila was far away, distant and unable to reach. She's drifted away from them and Serra can't reach her anymore as if like the strings that attached her to them was gone and cut. Rila rides on the waves of loss, hate, and anger, and now she's gotten far, far away from them. Serra's heart twitched in pain.

She wiped the tears on her eyes and looked up. Her eyes exhausted of crying and her throat aching. There's a flicker of movement on the ground and saw a rat running on the edge and disappeared in the little hole that leads to the farm outside.

Serra closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to remove all the thoughts that endlessly running in her mind and to remove the pain she felt inside. But it's still there, all the pain and the memories, taking residence on her heart and soul.

She could see the sky above in pinks and orange pastels through the hole above the wall. The sun is setting and the world is about to welcome the darkness. The door across her suddenly creaked then opened revealing Maria in a sad face. Her mother dashed toward her. Her tears poured out again as she hugged her mother. Maria being there somehow lighten her pain as if like Maria has taken some it. Her heart loosen a little and her breathing shifts into a melodic rhythm. That feeling like she's lost and found home in her mother's shoulder, comforting and familiar. She poured her heart out on Maria's shoulder until she's gone out of tears to cry.

"Sshhhhh" her mother whispered and touched her back gently up and down. The touch sent shivers to her spine, very soothing.

They broke of and Maria cupped her face with her calloused hands. The room was dark but she could see her dark brown eyes that shine brightly as the sun in the dark. Her face was like the sun, beautiful and sweet. Mariah gave her a hopeful smile.

"I'm so sorry for Mira" Maria said sounding gentle as if like Serra's made of delicate china. Serra expected hate and anger on her voice but she perhaps sounded soft and solemn, making Serra's heart leaped. Her mother understands her. Her mother loves her.

"Mira is brave and strong" Maria continued, sounding encouraging. "She'll find a way outside to survive. Okay? She'll figure things out. You know her, she won't give up. The gods will help her".

"Seriously mom?" They broke off and saw Rila on the door. She was leaning on it and her eyes were on them, her arms crossed on her chest. She's expressionless but her eyes were full of hate. Her jaw was set. "You're not going to punish Serra?"

They both stood up facing Rila and Serra stood behind her mother. She could see the sky behind her sister in pastels of sweet colors. Birds fill the sky, flying around in freedom.

"Punish her for what?" Maria said firmly and her voice rose a little. Serra swallowed. "For helping her friend?"

"Her Badblood friend!" Rila spewed those words out like a hiss, full of hatred and poison. "Mom, that was a Badblood. A monster! You should understand!"

"No! You should understand" Maria hissed back pointing her fingers to Rila. It's the first time hearing her mother talked like this in such a forceful tone. The calmness gone, her voice was full of power and authority. Sherra stood in the shadows shocked and stunned. Her mother and her sister were arguing because of her, and she doesn't like it. "It was her friend Rila and I know you will do the same thing if you were in Serras position"

Rila gave a sarcastic and an annoying faint laugh. "No. I will kill her myself!" she said those words with such hate and disgust like the words itself were arrows of fire and poison, deadly and unforgiving. Their bodies tighten as if like they've been hit by those arrows. Rila's hatred was deeply unfathomable. Rila turned away from them and wandered out from the guardhouse, disappearing in the fields.

Maria turned to her and held her hand. Serra could see that she's been holding her tears back. She also could see hopelessness for her sister in her face. Maria pressed her hand, a gesture she knows that speaks a lot of words, and smiled.

"Let's go home" Maria said in her calm tone again, though her eyes were heavy as well as her heart.

Serra nodded and they stalked out from the guardhouse without looking back at the dark room. The wind outside was fresh and sweet, as well as the sky. The villager's eyes were on them as they walked toward their cabin.

Serra sat on her bed, rolling the blanket on her side. Her pillow was folded on her back as she lean on it. Mariah fixed the curtain and closed the door. She then sat on the edge of the bed, below Serra's feet. A lamp was lighted on her side since there was no light or window in her room. The faint glow of the fire cast shadows on the walls.

"How are you?" Maria asked, her hands busy twitching her fingers on her lap, indicating she's thinking something. "Are you okay?"

"Mom, are.." she stopped and hesitated, not answering her mother's question. "Are you not angry of me?" shyly she said.

"No" her mother said without hesitation. The words came right away like waters on the flood. "I'm not angry of what you did and will never be angry at you. What you did was the right thing and I'm so proud of you for that."

There was a genuine smile on her lips as she talked.

Serra felt happy on what her mother said. She felt like the storm inside her calmed and the burden she bear in her heart was gone, vanished in just a snap and she feel light as ever.

"I saw you there at the gates shielding Mira from the others" she continued. "I'm crying because of the love you have shown to her. I was sad because Mira's a sweet girl and it would tore your heart. I walked away because I can't bear to see you there risking your life for your friend. I couldn't help you and I'm sorry" she said and saw tears surfaced on her eyes. "What you did was the bravest thing ever. There was no hatred towards Badbloods in your heart. I'm happy I raised you right". Tears now dripping on her cheeks and she wiped it away.

"Let me tell you something" she continued. "Mira is an elemental Badblood. Elemental Badbloods are those who can harness and manipulate the forces of nature. Make use of the fire, the earth below, the water, those who can summon the wind, those who can manipulate the plants and those who can command the animals. But fire, wind , and water elementals are rare. There are also Badblood who can transform into animals, some have super strength, some can fly, some have the power of sight and knowledge, and many more. But the powerful of all Badbloods are the Inkur. Those who were given the power of life and death, those who draw power from the Abyss and Ether, the realms of the underworld and heaven." Serra leaned more closely on her mother, focused, afraid to miss any single word that come out from her mouth.

Maria told her of the story of Sharih and Caro. How Caro was killed and her wife released the Reapers. She felt uneasy hearing the history of the terrors that awaits outside the gates. She feel bad for what happened. How can they all hate and blame the Badbloods for what happened when the humans caused it in the first place.

"Why did Caro refuse?" she asked curiously. " Why didn't just he granted the man's wish?"

"Because he can't" her mother answered. "Ethereal Inkurs can heal and repair something badly broken, but not when the soul leaves the body. The soul is the one that rooted us on this world. It is where the Inkurs reached you and gives you life."

"Where did you learn all of that?" she asked again.

"Your father was a Badblood Serra" Maria said, her lips curved into a smile. Serra jerked upright, surprised on the revelation. "He has the power of great knowledge".

Serra felt dizzy as she tried to absorb and process her mother just revealed. Her best friend was a Badblood. Now her father who died was also a Badblood. The truth flew for a moment on her mind and landed with force on her consciousness. There's too much secrets in her life and right now she felt like she's been living in a lie.

When she didn't say anything - as she doesn’t know what the right words to say - Maria continued.

"He always talk to me about random truths about the world. Sometimes his head ached of all the knowledge whirled on his mind." she said and her eyes glimmer as she remembers the memories of her husband. "The villagers didn't know he's a Badblood as his gift wasn't dangerous. The people only know him as the genius one" But truths are dangerous, Serra almost said but stopped herself. "He's the one who told me all of it"

When she stopped, Serra looked at her for a while, sipping every bits of words her mother just told her.

"Wow" was all she said. She can't reach for the right words to say. Her mind was crowded from all that happened earlier with Haris and Mira, and now about his father. It felt like a continuous blow in her face.

Maria straightened, her hands at her side. "I'm going to show you something" she said with a hesitant voice and a determined look, clearly a battle of will raging inside her. "And...Don’t freak out".

Her last words already freaked her out. Her heart slamming against her ribcage. She braced herself as a speck of idea rose in her mind that felt like a knife pointed directly at her chest, ready to thrust forward, ready for the blow. She put her eyes on her mother and focused.

Maria put her right hand levelled in her chest, palm up and open. For a moment, there's nothing happened. Just her calloused palm, a sign of hardworking hands. Then her hand started glowing, pale white as the sunlight. The glow reached up to her arms and Serra can't see the skins on her arms and hands anymore as blinding light enveloped the extremities of her mother. Serras heart stopped as well as her lungs in bewilderment and surprise and in horror. The knife now was drived forward to her chest, piercing her heart.

The light looks like gathered at the center of her palm as the light on her arms leaved and moved toward the center, as if like pulled with gravity. After a moment Maria was like holding a ball of light in her palm. It was so bright and beautiful. Maria let go of her hand and the ball of light floats in front of them like a sun. The light filled the room, revealing all the spaces and edges of her room. She could see every details of her room. The dusts in her ceiling that accumulated in a cobwebs like lanterns, the termites on the walls, the used shirt and pants that rolled on the side, the dirt on the ground, and the broken box that hid below her chair. She could see all. She could also clearly see her mother; her long black wavy hear, her nose that is perfectly formed, her lips that are so full and pink and her tiny face where all her beautiful features occupies. She's very beautiful, she thought. As if the light helped reveal her beauty to the world. Her eyes shone brightly on the light like a clear mirror and she can see herself through it. She can see her gray, long, shiny hair that ends up just below her shoulder, the same nose, the same shape of the face, and the same lips. She's also beautiful like her mother but didn't entertain the idea. Their difference was their eyes. Maria has a beautiful black eyes which looks like black pearls and Serra has streaks of gold around her pupils that looks like topaz.

Serra gasped in awe as she found herself.

"You're..." she whispered. "You're a Badblood"

Maria gave faint smile. "I am". There was a bit of horror in her eyes revealing herself but love and trust dominates in them.

"Why are you showing this to me?" she suddenly asked. She don't know what to think and feel now. As if like the world vanished and there's the two of them left in that tight little space.

"Because I trust you" she said softly like a whisper. "And your heart is pure. You deserve the truth about us".

Serra don't know how to feel about that. Should she be happy about it? Scared? Terrified? She don't know. But it's her mother, one of the person in the world that truly loved and care for her. She thought about Mira leaving the village, her image as she leaves the gate floats in her mind.

She already lost one of the dearest person in her heart and she won't allow it again to happen.

Serra reached to her mother and hugged her tight. Maria hugged back, her hands caressing the back of her hair. She broke off.

"What about Rila mom?" she said. "Are you going to tell her?

She thought about her sister. The rage and her hatred towards the Badbloods. She pictured her reaction as her mother told her the truth. Will she still loved their father the same after knowing he's one of the creatures she hated the most? Or it will anger her even more knowing she lives in lies and secrets. Serra didn't know. No one knows.

Maria shook her head. "No" she said, her voice was solemn. "Your sister is full of hatred. Such truth will destroy her and us. She will hate me and your father. She's very far from us now and I'm afraid I can't reach her anymore"

Serra felt the same thing; the distance between her sister and them was far and hopeless. She touched her mother's wrist to let her know that she's right there for her.

Maria gave a faint smile. She waved her hand and the light vanished into thin air.