Chapter One

A Well Perceived Encounter

Early morning in the city was the same as it was everyday… people bustling about to do all the tasks that were required for a prosperous town to continue functioning. But there was something strange in the air. Some sort of presence that proved to everyone around that this was no ordinary day. It was a wonderful day for most, making their ways back from the Sanctuary, having given their sacrifices and having their weights of baggage considerably lighted for the week.

But for the young people who went to the well that morning life would never be the same again, never fall into the same melodic pattern of society and prosperity, ruin and desolation. When the sun rose over the well, the most important part of the city that was the main source of their fresh water, being so close to the ocean, there was a mysterious traveler sitting there with chestnut brown hair and sea green eyes.

She seemed normal enough, wearing a plain yellow cotton dress that was simply a pull on, nothing special, maybe something a gypsy would wear. But as two young girls came from their house in town to do their laundry, they realized that she was sitting on the side of the well watching them.

They were farmer's daughters, commoners on the social scale, even below middle class. Just above Gypsies who were just above slaves, who were sold into work when they could not pay a debt. They had expected, before they came to the well that morning, that they would be sold to a nobleman as handmaids so their father would be allowed to keep his land. They did not need to be told that was why they had traveled a full day to reach the well sized trade city of Bethawald. They had come to clean the clothes they would wear to the market that day.

She was quiet at first, and they weren't very wary of her, thinking she was a gypsy or a silent one resting by the well. They were almost finished with their work when the young girl spoke up.

"Aren't you very tired of carrying that thing around with you?" she pointed to the girl's waist, where her Baggage Belt was firmly tied to her, it's heavy platinum buckle portrayed an eight pointed star, outlined by her forest green dress with blue flowers embroidered on the chest of it and around the hem of the bottom. At first, they weren't certain she had even spoken, it was so sudden and they stared at her for a moment before the younger sister answered.

"We were Lightened yesterday, so it's not so bad. We Lighten Our Loads at least once a week," she stated with an underlining of pride in her religious practices. Her sky blue dress made the small yellow leaves embracing every hem dance as she turned, drawing attention to a belt similar to her sister's. "We are humble farmer's daughters."

"Lightened? Don't you find that dreary and oppressive?" the young girl asked, innocently. The two dark haired girls gasped as conclusions began popping up in their heads. They immediately looked her over for a baggage of some sort; a necklace, a ring or anything else that would give them relief from what their imaginations were telling them about her, but she had no such "finery" and the only thing she seemed to have at all was the dress she was wearing.

The older sister was the first to voice her opinion. "All humans have baggage. How is it you are so special that you don't have any? Are you… an angel?"

The younger sister was more direct in her accusation. "You are a demon, aren't you? A vile creature sent to prey on innocent souls!" She hid behind her sister, studying the strange girl before her suspiciously.

The strange girl chuckled at this, then looked thoughtful for a moment before she replied, "No, I'm neither demon or angel. I'm human, birth and breed. And I'm no more special than any other human."

This made the sisters curious, and while the older sister was trying to think how to voice her next question, the younger blurted what was on both their minds.

"How is it you don't have any baggage, then? Why do we have to wear ours if you don't? Why should we have to give up anything we make that is 'best' and sacrifice it?" She was venting her anger at the belts and complaining about the reason she would be sold later that day.

"Because of these things, father has to sell us as hand maids in order to keep the land. He was so good in following the Rituals, he gave the best of everything we had, fully believing that it would be returned several fold, but..." the elder sister explained calmly.

"But now look!" the younger sister finished. "We've got nothing! The drought has killed the crops this year and the animals are dying too! If not for the treaty trade system that the royals agreed to with the gypsies, we'd be starving as well!" She looked as though she were ready to cry.

The elder sister grabbed the younger sister's arm in a comforting hand, then spoke to the girl who was now watching them as if she could understand exactly what they were going through.

"Forgive us, Miss. We do not even know your name, nor you ours, and here we are, unloading our packs onto your shoulders. I am Mary Ester and this is Laura Naomi." They curtsied prettily in the fashion that they had been obviously practicing for the traders' market later that morning.

"Hello, Mary Ester and Laura Naomi, I'm very pleased to meet you." She returned bowing her head in respect. "There's no need to curtsy here. We're equals, almost like sisters."

The elder sister's mind began once again reeling at the words chosen by this mysterious person. It was as though she had taken all the rules of stature and splendor and simply told them they weren't wanted in her presence anymore. She did not have to wear baggage and she did not feel the need to be glorified? Then why did Royals, whose blood was chosen by God himself feel this obvious and ritualistic need? Could it be that the thought wondrous beings hand chosen by God were truly red blooded humans after all? Then what made this person, this Gypsy FEMALE who's kind was scorned and repelled from the rest of society, so special to be worthy of this redemption?

"What? Equals? But…" Laura began motioning between her waist and theirs. "How is that…?"

"That's why I'm here. If you want it, My Lord with take away your Burdens, your Baggage, and give you freedom. Permanently. All you have to do is ask."

"Your Lord? Who is he? Why would he remove our baggage that way, and how?" Laura asked before her sister had the chance to voice her questions of a similar nature.

"All you have to do is believe and ask."

Zerial walked though the town market with a forest green and royal purple scarf that matched her green dress with three purple flowers on the front, wrapped around her head, as was the fashion for girl with light colored hair. It was much prettier to have a lovely scarf bonnet than to let ugly yellow hair show through. The only ones who could afford them, anyways, were the high middle class and the high class peoples. The favorite colors for the "Scarf bonnets" were purple, red and blue; royal colors that were very expensive to make, even with weak dyes. She sighed as she thought of her appearance.

Zerial was the eldest child in a rich merchant family. Her blonde hair and brown eyes were a shame to the family because if there hadn't been a son, she would take over the family business… or more appropriately, any husband who asked her father for her hand…

Thank the Lord in Heaven that her parents had been blessed with a baby boy 3 years after Zerial had been born. Alexander was the beautiful black haired, cerulean eyed Reizen heir.

As for Zerial, she was now simply an opportunity to further the family's control over the good grain trade, so long as a man wanted her. So her mother had set about making a "real woman" of her. The ways of weaving, sewing and cooking had been practically dropped on her like a thunderbolt during a summer storm. Most other women in her family had never had to worry about such things, but being of blonde hair and therefore not very pretty or promising for giving birth to a beautiful heir, she had to have something in her favor to win herself a husband.

That's why she was at the market that day. She had been trying to cook up one of her grandmother's famous recipes. Grandmother Reizen had opened up a bakery in Ocean Port, a city to the far south of Davingham, and had become very successful… through Grandfather's running the store. But what made Zerial really look up to her was that she was a Yellow Headed woman too, when she was young, and now she was very successful, for a woman, and lived comfortably, for anyone in the upper middle class.

So, needless to say, she'd failed miserably, as she always did. She would have to scrub the inside of the large, black oven to get the burnt pieces of pastry off when she got home, but for now, she needed to replace the good grain and sweet weed she'd used in her failed experiment. Such things were very expensive, and if her father got back from his trading and realized that she'd wasted so much, she'd be in big trouble! She'd pulled out a few coins from her savings and hurried to town, hoping to beat him home. 'Stupid busybodies we have for maids will tell him everything the instant he gets through the door and he'll go look for himself and then I'll get the snot beat out of me again!' She clenched her fists, a stray tear running down her cheek.

She was walking calmly through town, knowing that if she was frantic, her father's friends would report back to him on her "un-lady-like" behavior. 'Sometimes I wish I hadn't been born a merchant's daughter… especially a Yellow Head… No one wants Yellow Heads around…' She walked by a group of girls whose hair ranged from black to auburn. Her eyes narrowed in hatred as they stared at her, snickered, then began whispering to each other. 'No one seems to care whether I live or die… It'd just be one less Yellow Head to point at.'

She had gotten the grain powder and the ground sweet weed, the biggest bags the shop had, and was easily carrying them both in one arm. 'Sweet weed and good grain really are scarce this year…' she thought, making her way back towards the Pub stables where travelers could leave their horses while they were in town. Then she heard someone cry out nearby.

"SHE DID IT!" Zerial looked up in confusion, stopping so suddenly, someone nearly ran into her.

"She really did!" "Did you see that?!" "It just disappeared!" "Someone, quick! Go get Brother Drury! He must see this miracle!"

Zerial couldn't help but be curious as to what was going on, so she began to follow the voices through the crowd at the well. Soon, everyone was quiet and excitement rang through the air as, as quickly as it had become quiet, thunderous applause erupted.

She fell forward a few steps when she finally broke out of the crowd. She saw a young girl, a few years older than herself. She was standing over with a few other girls who looked like they had been crying and were all hugging and jumping up and down.

"… the Lord, our God loves you! He wants only the best for you! Not for you to carry around baggage for the rest of your lives!" Zerial's eyes were averted to a girl standing on the wall of the well and motioning out to all the people and shouting above the noise. "He has sent His Son to pay for your sins! He has paid with all His blood, sweat and tears, and then defeated Death itself for you! Won't you accept this awesome gift? All you have to give is your baggage, that's all you have to loose!" Her bright sea green eyes settled on Zerial.

Zerial jumped when she smiled warmly. "Hello, little one."

"H-hello." She whispered bashfully, hanging her head low so the head scarf would cover most of her upper face. 'Why isthis auburn head talking to me?'

"…He loves you too, you know. He didn't just die for the beautiful or the well-to-do, little one. He gave his life for you, He who knows and sees everything. And He loves you anyway."

Zerial's eyes began to water. What was this? This feeling that was stirring inside of her? She'd never felt it before, and it was pushing from the inside out, like a dammed up lake, swelling to overflowing. She looked back at the girl who watched her, still smiling warmly, still looking deep into her eyes. "He can't love me. He made me a Yellow Head. He couldn't possibly love me." She whispered in short gasps.

The girl got down off of the well and walked to Zerial. She stood, inches in front of her for a few moments, looking into Zerial's milk chocolate eyes. "He made you special for a reason, little one. Even if you can't see it yet, you will." She leaned forward, whispering, "You don't have to fight alone anymore, little one. You don't have to hurt. He wants you to know that."

Zerial began sobbing. Why did it hurt so much inside, now? Why did it bring tears to her eyes to hear someone say that? Because she HAD been hurting? Because she DID fight alone against shame and doubt? Through the cloud of questions she became aware that the girl was embracing her, holding on as though comforting a sister. Zerial couldn't stop crying.

"P-please… l-leave me alone!" she whispered. "I don't want to hurt! Please…"

That's when the girl held her out at arms length, making sure not to let go. "I won't leave you alone. He cares too much for you to let you just wander in darkness, in fear and self doubt."

Zerial didn't know what to think. She wanted something. She HAD to do something, right now. But what? Did she need Lightened again? It had only been two days… she hadn't done anything terrible yet… She looked down at her right wrist, at her burden-bracelet, emblazoned with a silver star and three blue stones. "…How… what… I-I don't understand…"

"All you have to do is ask, little one. Ask, that you might receive such a wonderful gift."

Zerial looked up in uncertainty. "…Can you show me… Help me?"

She smiled down like a mother did on a small child, happy and proud with a touch of love. "Come here." She lead Zerial over to the well and guided her down on her knees, following soon after. "Now, what do you want to ask God for, Zerial? Think carefully."

"…To remove my baggage." She didn't sound certain, suddenly aware of eyes watching her.

"And?" She seemed to be waiting for something, Zerial noticed.

She took a deep, shuttering breath. "To forgive me of all of my sins." She whispered.

The auburn headed girl turned Zerial towards the well and put her hands on Zerial's shoulders. "Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you today to ask you to take away this child's burdens and to make her whole, as only you can, Father. We ask you to show her the way that you have meant for her and to keep her safe on her journey."

Zerial noticed that the girl became quiet. She realized what she'd have to do, now. "God, I understand that you sent your gift to me. God, I want you to know I accept. Lord, please, come into my heart and chase the evil away. Lord, I promise to do your will as best I can…" she began tearing up, again, "Please?" she felt in her heart, another strange feeling she'd never felt before. But she was pretty sure she knew what this one was. "…Thank you. Thank you so much." she began sobbing.

Then, the girl lead her up off of her knees, holding her right wrist. When Zerial wiped the tears away, she looked at the wrist that the girl was showing everyone.

Zerial's eyes began to widen. Then only thing there…the only thing there was a perfectly white stripe of skin, to show where the bracelet had been for all those years. Everyone began cheering again. She looked over at the girl, who seemed to be holding something in her hands. As she slid it into a small bag, Zerial caught a glimpse of it.

It was a Jewel! One of the most beautiful and perfect looking jewels Zerial had ever seen.

'… Where did it come from?! And why does SHE have it?!'

Zerial was sitting in her bedroom in front of an expensive mahogany vanity. Her backside was bruised in a few places, she was sure, and the priests thought she'd been the victim of a demon. She wasn't worried about any of that, strangely. She found herself only worried about the strange girl at the well.

'How did she get that jewel? Was it all a hoax? Are father and the priest right?' She thought of what was said in the conversation when she came home.

She'd put the sweet weed and good grain powder away and was coming out of the kitchen as he walked in the door.

"Hello, daddy! How was your…" Suddenly she found herself on her back, on the floor, a slight numbness followed by stinging on her cheek.

"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, ZERIAL?!" He bellowed.

She sat up, gently rubbing the cheek. "I replaced it, dad! I fixed it! I swear! You can go in there and look!"

"HOW COULD YOU REPLACE A JEWEL?! ARE YOU A THIEF NOW, TOO?!"

"A jewel…? Daddy, what are you…?"

"Don't tell me you don't remember! Weren't YOU the one William Brandy from the Pub saw at the well today?! Fraternizing with that false prophet?! Peh! A WOMAN? Saving Souls? What IS this world coming to?!"

Zerial looked down in tears as he continued, not realizing she was holding up her right hand to cover her cheek.

"… So, she got you, too, huh?" He murmured, grabbing her hand. "Zerial… I thought you at least had SOME brains… Why on earth did you let that demon girl take your baggage finery? Your only communion with God?"

"…t-take it?"

"YES, GIRL! TAKE IT! Are you totally dumb?! Didn't you realize when she took it? Well, I can't be too mad at you. All of the older kids were tricked, as well as half of the city. Zerial, she was a thief; and a witch, at that. How else do you explain where all the Baggage Finery went?"

Zerial was whimpering by then. It wasn't about the Baggage. She knew why it was gone. But she didn't know where… But she had an idea.

Later that night, the Priest from the city Sanctuary, Brother Drury, came to visit and to tell Zerial's father what could be done about the loss of the baggage finery.

"… I don't see how she could've done it unless she was a demon. The monasteries are always on the look out for children with holy blessings that might have affected the Baggage to train them as holy wards, but there's been no news of one disappearing or having been lost. The only explanation is that she's a demon who's taking baggage away to keep innocent souls from communing with God, but the Holy Order is working on finding out how to correct the loss."

"So there's no way to fix this? What if I sacrificed twice the usual percentage…"

The priest held up his hand to stop her father. "Reizen, the sacrifice would be useless with no Baggage to purify on the victim the sacrifice is made for. All we can do, for now, is keep her out of harm's way until we can fix this and apply a new Baggage Finery."

"Are you saying… there's no way to DEAL with this…?"

"Not yet. Brother Reizen, this is the first time this has ever happened since before the Holy Scrolls were scattered to the far edges of the world. We have no experience or record of how to deal with this or what it means, but we have the Holy Order Council working on a solution now. It is only a matter of time before we can correct the damage here. Until then, I'm afraid I must go. There are many other families that need comfort in this dire hour."

"Brother Drury…" Zerial snapped back to reality as she watched through the window while her father followed the priest outside.

"Hmm?" He paused to turn. "What is it, Brother Reizen?"

"You said to protect my daughter… does that mean… if anything were to happen…"

The priest let the end of that sentence drop as he stared the father straight in the eye. "I don't know, brother. I just don't know. But, better to take precautions than to loose her soul to Lucifer."

Zerial went into a slight shock after hearing that. She hadn't realized the effect it could cause… Her soul could burn in Hell for her naïve trusting! She began to panic. What if she died tomorrow?! As soon as she thought that vile thought, she knew that the decision she made was right. She didn't fear what lay ahead, because she knew God was on her side now, and nothing her father said would make a difference how she carried on with her new freedom.

She began thinking about the Jewel Maker, as she now thought the mysterious girl to be. She knew that the girl didn't steal those jewels. She couldn't have. Most of the people in the crowd had been middle class, hardly the type to carry such treasures around. Zerial couldn't explain where the jewels had come from, but she couldn't explain what had happened at the well either, and frankly, it didn't worry her.

The blonde Reizen daughter began loading up a bag of supplies. She didn't know how much of a head-start the Jewel Maker had gotten, but she knew she wasn't still in town, if the priests or the knights and demon exorcists hadn't found her.

'And who knows?' Zerial thought, 'Maybe I can convince her to take me on as an apprentice-jewel maker, and teach me how to do something like that.'

Zerial began climbing out the window and gently felt out a perch on a tree who's branches had often scratched her window when the wind was rough. She slid down with considerable ease and hitched her pack over her shoulder, looking towards the city gates.