The Ascension

"Master, where are your fire sticks?" Kaala asked as she set the firewood in the stove. Aila came over to the stove, and held out her hand. Immediately, the wood was lit from the bottom, so Aila closed the oven door.

"I've never heard of anyone able to do that, Master!" She said in awe. Aila smiled.

"There are a lot of things you can do when you're stronger, Kaala. In the future, I'll teach you." She touched Kaala's wrist, and smiled. "You have a good base to work with. Your channels will form properly when you've learned how to absorb the elements." Kaala's mouth fell open.

"I can channel?" She said, as she was completely shocked.

"Of course. Each of you can. It will take a bit of time to teach you how, but all of you can. The strange thing is that you all have different affinities. Kaala, your affinity is flame. Shaala is wind. Ellie is water, and Elena is Earth. Nadya is light, and Nuri is life." She said, and each of them looked at her with surprise in their eyes. Shaala frowned a little.

"Flame is the most common, Master. Why do we all have so many different affinities?" She asked.

"I don't think flame is the most common. It's the most common people train for, even if their affinity is for something else. Like the elders of the Inaris clan. They are so weak because they all train in flame elements, but two of them were earth, one was water, and another was flame. But out of the five I met, three of which I killed when they attacked me, only one had a flame affinity." Aila smiled. "I don't think they know how to read elemental affinity, and just guess."

"Really? So the stronger one is the one who had the affinity for flame?" Shaala asked.

"Yep. That's why he was stronger. The others only weakened themselves, and shortened their lifespans to a normal human." She smiled, and looked into the pot. It was half filled with vegetables, so Aila nodded. She reached into a cupboard, and pulled out a sack.

"Here. Use some salt to flavor it. I wish we had pepper." She pursed her lips. "I better go see Rirn, and see if he has any spices."

"Spices, Master?" Kaala asked.

"Flavorings. Pepper is a plant that grows on a small shrub. It is dried, and ground to make things tasty, or spicy." She said.

"Ah, those things are only used in the cities. Aros can't afford their costs as spices are high end goods." Kaala said.

"High end? Every farmer can grow them in this climate, so why is it high end?" Aila said with a frown.

"Farmers prefer to grow grain as less is taken in tax. Its not easy to protect the fields, so farmers try to grow what will make them the most silver." Kaala said. Aila sighed.

"That makes sense. Damned fool of a king. Food is the most important part of a kingdom, followed by water and sanitation. Defense is low on that list of necessities of life." Aila said, and shook her head. "Well, no helping it. Use some salt, and taste the broth as you make the stew, okay, Kaala? Make it nice and tasty." Aila moved away from the kitchen, and looked back.

"I'll be gone for half an hour. Be good, girls." Aila left the house, while they looked at each other.

"Is she really our master?" Shaala asked. "She treats us so well."

"She is our Master." Nuri said firmly. "But it's her choice to do that. I'm grateful she's so nice to us." She hugged Ellie to her chest.

"Nuri."

"Yes, Ellie?" Nuri smiled down at her.

"Doesn't it feel good to hear your own name?" She asked a little absently. Nuri smiled.

"Yeah. I like my name, and it makes me feel nice inside when I hear it." Nuri said, and hugged her closer. Ellie laid her head on her large chest, and sighed. It was really comfortable to be hugged like this.

Deep within their eyes, a small glimmer of light flickered each and every time someone said their name, and that light was a different color for each of them.

* * *

"I didn't expect to see you so soon, little lady." Rirn said. He looked at the sky. "I'll be going home soon. Is there anything you need?"

"I need several children's dolls, preferably made of fabric and stuffed with cotton. I also need spices. Pepper. Herbs. Something for flavor." Aila said. Rirn sighed.

"Dolls I can handle. Spices are a different story. They are only in the larger cities, and restricted to the nobles." He pulled five dolls out of a box.

"Nobles? Ah, it sort of makes sense. I don't like it though. Hm. These dolls are nicely made. I'll take them all. Also, I need larger ones, three times this size. As well as toys most young children would play with when they are between five and ten years old." Aila said. Rirn smiled.

"You're going to spoil them." He said with a soft smile. Aila sighed.

"They were deprived of everything a child should have, Rirn. I don't care what I have to do to chase away their dark spirits. Even though they are free to live again, they still are hampered by their past." She grit her teeth.

"Are you going to punish them?" He asked.

"Not yet. That clan can survive for now. I want my girls to do it, when they are ready. Each of them has the potential to be much stronger than that guy over there." She pointed to a building.

"They do? The Magistrate is a core realm elementalist!" Rirn said in shock.

"Well, he didn't learn how to channel properly, because he's one of the few that actually absorb what they have an affinity to. That's the only reason he's stronger than everyone around here." She growled a little. "How much for the dolls? And should I put a deposit on the bigger ones?"

"Ten silver a doll. Five silver a doll for the deposit. That should cover the material expenses. I'll get them made. Five?"

"Eight. I want one as well." Aila grinned. "I can use it as a pillow when I'm done hugging it for a while. Make them stuffed this thick." She held her fingers about three inches apart. "The girls can use them as a pillow later too. As to the toys, gather them and I'll pick them up in a week." Aila took the dolls and ran to the gate at high speed. Rirn smiled and shook his head.

"My wife will make them for you, and enjoy the reason why." He said in a gentle tone. He put everything away, locked the crates, took his money pouch, and headed home. Once in the door, his wife came over and kissed his cheek.

"Daddy!" His little girl, Lina, ran over to him.

"Hello, little miss." He said and lifted her into his arms. He turned to his wife. "That young woman I talk about, the one who healed my eye, she wants eight large dolls three times the size you normally make. About three to four inches thick, so it can be used as a pillow when her new slaves grow out of them."

"She's buying dolls for slaves?" Nu said.

"She's a softie. She bought the five you already made, so here is the silver for your pouch." He took out his pouch, and handed her the silver. She grinned and took it over to a wooden box her husband had made.

"Let's see. Five dolls, at ten silver a doll, and two silver costs. That's forty silver for your dowry, Lina." She said with a wide smile. "I've been able to add a lot more to this recently."

"Yeah, she also wants the kind of toys a child might have between five and ten years old. Even if they grow out of it, she wants them to have fun, and enjoy the things they couldn't." His wife's eyes misted up, and sniffed sadly. He smiled gently at his lovable wife.

"Yeah, I nearly cried myself."