The Church and Its Orbs - Far from Home
More The Church and Its Orbs possibly-canon material. Enjoy!
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Yesterday didn’t happen. Yesterday didn’t happen. Yesterday didn’t happen. I refuse to believe it did. Wakefulness pulls at me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I will myself to go back to sleep. If I can sleep, I can wake up and take my Orb Test for real. The memories of before will go away. My heart pounds in my chest when my mind refuses to quiet. My heart’s not the only thing pounding -- my head throbs, and I wince in pain, moaning. It looks like I can’t get back to sleep, but maybe I’m waking in a dream?
When I open my eyes, nothing make sense. This isn’t my room. Strange iridescent sheets cover the bed I sleep on. I grab a handful of fabric -- it feels almost liquid, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I must still be dreaming, though the pounding in my head and my dry mouth feel all too real. Squinting, I look around, hoping this strange place will turn back into my own room.
It doesn’t. The wallpaper resembles outer space, with tiny white stars and splashes of purple nebula. This bed looks like it’s made of some kind of crystal. It almost seems to glow. Even the nightstand’s made of the same material, as is the rest of the furniture. There’s a desk, chair and chest of drawers. A glass of water sits on the nightstand in a cup of that same crystal. It all reminds me of the crystals said to grow in the Divine Realm. My heart speeds up again -- what kind of people would dare make furniture that imitated godly material in such a blasphemous way? This must be a dream.
“Where am I?” I mutter, holding a hand to my head. I can’t even sit up right now, I feel so awful.
“Um…” The voice belongs to a boy who appears in the doorway. I hope he’ll have some answers. I squint at him despite my headache, trying to find any clues at all that will confirm I’m dreaming. The boy doesn’t look at me, insteading staring off to the side. His bangs obscure his eyes. Even with his face turned away, I know he’s nobody I know. He’s almost as tall as Wren, with pale skin and dark brown hair. His black t-shirt and dark jeans look like ordinary clothes worn by boys in Tevaren, but his furniture suggests I’m far from home. Again, I try to convince myself I’m dreaming, and I can’t.
The boy doesn’t say anything besides that first “um…” What, does he not want to answer?
“Don’t tell me you woke up here lost and confused, too,” I say.
“This is my house,” he says, still not looking at me.
“Then I presume you know your own address,” I mutter. “So where am I?” I give the glass of water a suspicious glance.
“You should have some water,” he says. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned”
When he says that, I become more worried it is poisoned. Still, his comment reminds me of my thirst, which grows a thousand times worse. “If this water is indeed poisoned, I’ll break the glass and kill you with a crystal shard,” I mutter.
He snorts and finally looks at me. His eyes are blue, and his face reminds me of Kai’s, somehow. I shake away that thought as I take a sip of the water.
It’s not poisoned, though it...tastes less like water than liquid healing. That sounds ludicrous, but I can’t describe it any better because my headache vanishes after just a few sips. Water doesn’t do that -- not in the Mortal Realm, anyway.
“What’s in this?” I mutter, my heart hammering. With my head clear, I sit up.
“Just spring water,” he says, avoiding my gaze again.
“No spring on Earth clears up a headache with just a couple sips,” I say. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at the boy. “Now, who are you?”
If I’m correct -- even though I can’t be -- I shouldn’t be so rude, but it doesn’t matter, not after my Orb Test. It wouldn’t matter even if I’d passed it.
“You can call me Brandon,” he says.
I narrow my eyes at him. “I suppose I should rephrase that. What are you?”
“A friend,” he says. Brandon turns the desk chair to face him and sits down on it.
“A friend?” I raise an eyebrow at that. “Alright, so where are we, exactly?”
I have to be wrong, and this has to be somewhere on Earth -- right?
“You’re...far from home,” he sighs. He meets my eyes, though he twists his fingers in a way that suggests he would rather avoid looking at me.
“How far?” I ask, holding my breath.
“Not anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere in the Mortal Realm,” Brandon says. “This is the -- Divine Realm.”
“You’re a --?” I breathe. I stare at him. This is just like Kai’s own reveal, only I didn’t trespass on Kai’s territory.
“I’m a god, yes,” he says, looking at the ground. His bangs obscure his eyes again. He’s...blushing?
“Why -- how? Why haven’t you killed me yet? I’m a --” I can’t bring myself to say it, but, if Brandon’s a god, he must know.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he says, looking at me again and smiling slightly. He doesn’t appear angry at all, and that makes no sense.
“But I trespassed. Mortals aren’t allowed here, and I’m --” I still can’t say it.
He chuckles. It’s a friendly sound, and I can’t wrap my mind around anything. “You were so...out of sorts when I found you, it was obvious you didn’t come here on purpose,” Brandon says.
My face burns. At least he didn’t outright mention why I was “out of sorts?”
“Still, mortals aren’t allowed. I’ve read Scripture -- accidental trespass or not, it doesn’t matter,” I mutter.
Brandon shakes his head. “I have no desire to kill anybody. You don’t deserve that,” he murmurs.
“Even if I’m a n--?” I just can’t bring the word for what I am past my lips.
“Even if you are what your people call a ‘no soul,’” he says. “You do have a soul, for what it’s worth.”
My stomach churns, hearing the word out loud. Brandon’s other words don’t sink in for another moment, and when they do, I can’t understand them. I have a soul? Did he truly say that? If he weren’t a god, I would tell him he’s crazy.
“Don’t say that. How can I have a soul?” I mutter.
He sighs, a long and heavy sound. Brandon twists his fingers again. “Every human has a soul. The Orb system measures magic potential. This idea that those who lack magic lack souls -- it’s a Church-created fiction,” he says.
What?
My jaw drops as I stare at him. Blinking, I decide I must have heard wrong. The air feels heavy, and Brandon looks like the weight of the world’s on him. As a god, that’s actually true.
“That’s not all,” he says. “Sometimes, the Church...gives out defective Orbs to those they want to keep down or punish. They have Orbs designed not to glow which will designate a person as a ‘no soul’ lacking magical potential even if that person does have potential. From what I know, they often do it to troublemakers and the children of troublemakers. And...to keep a permanent underclass in order to shore up their own power and authority.”
His little speech defies comprehension. How can he say anything like that? My stomach churns again, and something cold presses against my chest. After hearing Brandon speak, my breathing speeds up, and I grab the strange liquid-like sheets to have something to hold onto. None of what he said makes any sense.
Only it makes too much sense.
After all, I helped uncover one of the worst Church scandals in memory. That’s the very definition of a troublemaker, isn’t it? They would want to punish me, wouldn’t they? If the girl who revealed their corruption is an evil no soul, people won’t care as much about what she has to say, would they?
“You’re joking,” I breathe, trying to convince myself Brandon’s wrong.
“I only wish I were,” he says. His sad eyes show no traces of deception, but I struggle to believe any of this, including the reality of my current location.
“I hope this is all a dream,” I mutter, though I know in my heart it isn’t. Since my stomach won’t calm down, I take another sip of the strange healing water. It helps, a little, though I feel far from well.
“You’re not dreaming, I’m afraid,” Brandon says.
“I realize that,” I sigh.
Everything I know has been taken out from under me. That coldness presses even harder against my chest and fills my entire body, freezing the blood my veins. I can’t believe any of this, but I can’t disbelieve it either.
What am I going to do now?
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Yesterday didn’t happen. Yesterday didn’t happen. Yesterday didn’t happen. I refuse to believe it did. Wakefulness pulls at me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I will myself to go back to sleep. If I can sleep, I can wake up and take my Orb Test for real. The memories of before will go away. My heart pounds in my chest when my mind refuses to quiet. My heart’s not the only thing pounding -- my head throbs, and I wince in pain, moaning. It looks like I can’t get back to sleep, but maybe I’m waking in a dream?
When I open my eyes, nothing make sense. This isn’t my room. Strange iridescent sheets cover the bed I sleep on. I grab a handful of fabric -- it feels almost liquid, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I must still be dreaming, though the pounding in my head and my dry mouth feel all too real. Squinting, I look around, hoping this strange place will turn back into my own room.
It doesn’t. The wallpaper resembles outer space, with tiny white stars and splashes of purple nebula. This bed looks like it’s made of some kind of crystal. It almost seems to glow. Even the nightstand’s made of the same material, as is the rest of the furniture. There’s a desk, chair and chest of drawers. A glass of water sits on the nightstand in a cup of that same crystal. It all reminds me of the crystals said to grow in the Divine Realm. My heart speeds up again -- what kind of people would dare make furniture that imitated godly material in such a blasphemous way? This must be a dream.
“Where am I?” I mutter, holding a hand to my head. I can’t even sit up right now, I feel so awful.
“Um…” The voice belongs to a boy who appears in the doorway. I hope he’ll have some answers. I squint at him despite my headache, trying to find any clues at all that will confirm I’m dreaming. The boy doesn’t look at me, insteading staring off to the side. His bangs obscure his eyes. Even with his face turned away, I know he’s nobody I know. He’s almost as tall as Wren, with pale skin and dark brown hair. His black t-shirt and dark jeans look like ordinary clothes worn by boys in Tevaren, but his furniture suggests I’m far from home. Again, I try to convince myself I’m dreaming, and I can’t.
The boy doesn’t say anything besides that first “um…” What, does he not want to answer?
“Don’t tell me you woke up here lost and confused, too,” I say.
“This is my house,” he says, still not looking at me.
“Then I presume you know your own address,” I mutter. “So where am I?” I give the glass of water a suspicious glance.
“You should have some water,” he says. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned”
When he says that, I become more worried it is poisoned. Still, his comment reminds me of my thirst, which grows a thousand times worse. “If this water is indeed poisoned, I’ll break the glass and kill you with a crystal shard,” I mutter.
He snorts and finally looks at me. His eyes are blue, and his face reminds me of Kai’s, somehow. I shake away that thought as I take a sip of the water.
It’s not poisoned, though it...tastes less like water than liquid healing. That sounds ludicrous, but I can’t describe it any better because my headache vanishes after just a few sips. Water doesn’t do that -- not in the Mortal Realm, anyway.
“What’s in this?” I mutter, my heart hammering. With my head clear, I sit up.
“Just spring water,” he says, avoiding my gaze again.
“No spring on Earth clears up a headache with just a couple sips,” I say. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at the boy. “Now, who are you?”
If I’m correct -- even though I can’t be -- I shouldn’t be so rude, but it doesn’t matter, not after my Orb Test. It wouldn’t matter even if I’d passed it.
“You can call me Brandon,” he says.
I narrow my eyes at him. “I suppose I should rephrase that. What are you?”
“A friend,” he says. Brandon turns the desk chair to face him and sits down on it.
“A friend?” I raise an eyebrow at that. “Alright, so where are we, exactly?”
I have to be wrong, and this has to be somewhere on Earth -- right?
“You’re...far from home,” he sighs. He meets my eyes, though he twists his fingers in a way that suggests he would rather avoid looking at me.
“How far?” I ask, holding my breath.
“Not anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere in the Mortal Realm,” Brandon says. “This is the -- Divine Realm.”
“You’re a --?” I breathe. I stare at him. This is just like Kai’s own reveal, only I didn’t trespass on Kai’s territory.
“I’m a god, yes,” he says, looking at the ground. His bangs obscure his eyes again. He’s...blushing?
“Why -- how? Why haven’t you killed me yet? I’m a --” I can’t bring myself to say it, but, if Brandon’s a god, he must know.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he says, looking at me again and smiling slightly. He doesn’t appear angry at all, and that makes no sense.
“But I trespassed. Mortals aren’t allowed here, and I’m --” I still can’t say it.
He chuckles. It’s a friendly sound, and I can’t wrap my mind around anything. “You were so...out of sorts when I found you, it was obvious you didn’t come here on purpose,” Brandon says.
My face burns. At least he didn’t outright mention why I was “out of sorts?”
“Still, mortals aren’t allowed. I’ve read Scripture -- accidental trespass or not, it doesn’t matter,” I mutter.
Brandon shakes his head. “I have no desire to kill anybody. You don’t deserve that,” he murmurs.
“Even if I’m a n--?” I just can’t bring the word for what I am past my lips.
“Even if you are what your people call a ‘no soul,’” he says. “You do have a soul, for what it’s worth.”
My stomach churns, hearing the word out loud. Brandon’s other words don’t sink in for another moment, and when they do, I can’t understand them. I have a soul? Did he truly say that? If he weren’t a god, I would tell him he’s crazy.
“Don’t say that. How can I have a soul?” I mutter.
He sighs, a long and heavy sound. Brandon twists his fingers again. “Every human has a soul. The Orb system measures magic potential. This idea that those who lack magic lack souls -- it’s a Church-created fiction,” he says.
What?
My jaw drops as I stare at him. Blinking, I decide I must have heard wrong. The air feels heavy, and Brandon looks like the weight of the world’s on him. As a god, that’s actually true.
“That’s not all,” he says. “Sometimes, the Church...gives out defective Orbs to those they want to keep down or punish. They have Orbs designed not to glow which will designate a person as a ‘no soul’ lacking magical potential even if that person does have potential. From what I know, they often do it to troublemakers and the children of troublemakers. And...to keep a permanent underclass in order to shore up their own power and authority.”
His little speech defies comprehension. How can he say anything like that? My stomach churns again, and something cold presses against my chest. After hearing Brandon speak, my breathing speeds up, and I grab the strange liquid-like sheets to have something to hold onto. None of what he said makes any sense.
Only it makes too much sense.
After all, I helped uncover one of the worst Church scandals in memory. That’s the very definition of a troublemaker, isn’t it? They would want to punish me, wouldn’t they? If the girl who revealed their corruption is an evil no soul, people won’t care as much about what she has to say, would they?
“You’re joking,” I breathe, trying to convince myself Brandon’s wrong.
“I only wish I were,” he says. His sad eyes show no traces of deception, but I struggle to believe any of this, including the reality of my current location.
“I hope this is all a dream,” I mutter, though I know in my heart it isn’t. Since my stomach won’t calm down, I take another sip of the strange healing water. It helps, a little, though I feel far from well.
“You’re not dreaming, I’m afraid,” Brandon says.
“I realize that,” I sigh.
Everything I know has been taken out from under me. That coldness presses even harder against my chest and fills my entire body, freezing the blood my veins. I can’t believe any of this, but I can’t disbelieve it either.
What am I going to do now?