from his finger. He held it up to her eyes, so she could see the small brass bell tied to it.
He flicked the bell. It rang only once, a thick, low sound, then stopped. Tink . “Whenever you’re scared, put this on.” He tied it around her wrist. “See the bell?”
“Yes,” she said, sounding sad.
Charlie flicked the bell again. Tink. “Now, do bells make good sounds or bad sounds?”
“Good sounds,” she answered.
“That’s right. Now see, bad things like ghosts and monsters don’t like good sounds like this. So whenever you’re scared, just ring the bell and it will scare them all away.”
Emily shook her wrist. The bell rang freely. Tinkle, tinkle, ting, tink, ting.
She smiled weakly. “Will it scare away draugr?”
“Of course it will,” said Charlie. He smiled. He was very convincing. “But you don’t have to worry about them. Draugr can’t get up on the plate. It’s too high for them.”
“Will it scare away malak?”
He nodded, selling his confidence to his daughter. “It'll even scare the malak. But there’s no malak up on the plate either.” The five-year old girl believed him. Zeke and Daniel, however, could see the doubt in his face.
“There’s not?” asked the girl, looking for comfort.
“Nope. That’s why they built the plates. The malak always come out of the ground, so people built cities high up in the sky where it’s safe.” He looked up at the plate. Even the little girl might know he was worried, but he was so tall that when he looked up, she lost sight of his face.
“So it’s safe?”
“Would I let my little girl go up all by herself if it wasn’t?” He smiled broadly and looked down at her again.
“I’ll miss you, Daddy.” She jumped at her father. He scooped her up with one arm and held her. Standing up, he saw the two men watching them.
“Zeke! I’m glad you’re here! Little Emily just got promoted to first class citizen! She’s going to live up on the plate!”
“Are you crazy?” He replied as if he were pleading with a madman. “You’re actually trusting your daughter to these . . . these plate-owls? Might I remind you that they’re the reason we’re stuck down here in the first place?”
“You may want to reconsider your statement,” resounded a nearby voice. “The blame does not rest entirely upon the Church.” It was the Korean priest, a young man with well-defined features and thick black hair. As he approached them, Zeke could see that his robes were different from the priest inside. They were tighter. Flowed less. Below the waist, they were slit down the sides. Good for moving quickly.
This man was a Slayer.
“Jae-Hoon Lee,” he introduced himself, extending his hand. Zeke made no move to accept it.
Charlie set his daughter on the ground. He knew his friend and the priest may not see eye-to-eye, and didn’t want her to see them fight. “Emily, you run home now. I have to talk to the grown-ups right now, but I’ll be home very soon and we can spend the whole night together.”
“Okay daddy.” Her tears had stopped, but her face was still red. She ran off quickly towards a row of houses. Ting, tinkle, tink, tink, ting.
When she was out of earshot, Zeke turned to the priest. “You’ve already claimed the child. Your
He flicked the bell. It rang only once, a thick, low sound, then stopped. Tink . “Whenever you’re scared, put this on.” He tied it around her wrist. “See the bell?”
“Yes,” she said, sounding sad.
Charlie flicked the bell again. Tink. “Now, do bells make good sounds or bad sounds?”
“Good sounds,” she answered.
“That’s right. Now see, bad things like ghosts and monsters don’t like good sounds like this. So whenever you’re scared, just ring the bell and it will scare them all away.”
Emily shook her wrist. The bell rang freely. Tinkle, tinkle, ting, tink, ting.
She smiled weakly. “Will it scare away draugr?”
“Of course it will,” said Charlie. He smiled. He was very convincing. “But you don’t have to worry about them. Draugr can’t get up on the plate. It’s too high for them.”
“Will it scare away malak?”
He nodded, selling his confidence to his daughter. “It'll even scare the malak. But there’s no malak up on the plate either.” The five-year old girl believed him. Zeke and Daniel, however, could see the doubt in his face.
“There’s not?” asked the girl, looking for comfort.
“Nope. That’s why they built the plates. The malak always come out of the ground, so people built cities high up in the sky where it’s safe.” He looked up at the plate. Even the little girl might know he was worried, but he was so tall that when he looked up, she lost sight of his face.
“So it’s safe?”
“Would I let my little girl go up all by herself if it wasn’t?” He smiled broadly and looked down at her again.
“I’ll miss you, Daddy.” She jumped at her father. He scooped her up with one arm and held her. Standing up, he saw the two men watching them.
“Zeke! I’m glad you’re here! Little Emily just got promoted to first class citizen! She’s going to live up on the plate!”
“Are you crazy?” He replied as if he were pleading with a madman. “You’re actually trusting your daughter to these . . . these plate-owls? Might I remind you that they’re the reason we’re stuck down here in the first place?”
“You may want to reconsider your statement,” resounded a nearby voice. “The blame does not rest entirely upon the Church.” It was the Korean priest, a young man with well-defined features and thick black hair. As he approached them, Zeke could see that his robes were different from the priest inside. They were tighter. Flowed less. Below the waist, they were slit down the sides. Good for moving quickly.
This man was a Slayer.
“Jae-Hoon Lee,” he introduced himself, extending his hand. Zeke made no move to accept it.
Charlie set his daughter on the ground. He knew his friend and the priest may not see eye-to-eye, and didn’t want her to see them fight. “Emily, you run home now. I have to talk to the grown-ups right now, but I’ll be home very soon and we can spend the whole night together.”
“Okay daddy.” Her tears had stopped, but her face was still red. She ran off quickly towards a row of houses. Ting, tinkle, tink, tink, ting.
When she was out of earshot, Zeke turned to the priest. “You’ve already claimed the child. Your
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