Soul Flames Volume 1: Soul Flames, #2

By Issy Waldrom

The demon king has been defeated, and a devastating war averted. The kingdom of Avaraline is on the slow road to recovery with Alysia at the helm.

Velvet sleeps, wrapped in magical crystal, Myne inactive, unwilling to do anything without her lover, the previous cost too high and too raw for them both.

But things are far from over. Ignoring that the demon king's retinue are still at large, and the neighbouring kingdoms are restless because of what had transpired, the world is stirring, the winds of change are blowing, the world on the brink of another evolution, the consequences of which will be more far reaching than anyone realizes.

Destiny however has plans of its own. Chris, a young man discovering the truth about himself, and Rachael, a young woman hiding who she is, are both about to find themselves intertwined in the fate of the world.

When secrets come to the surface, the results can be far beyond what either party considered. Especially when they hail from an earlier age...

A sapphic trans story of finding oneself, of building relationships, and of getting intertwined in the schemes of beings known as the Ancients.

------

This story is the sequel to Dawn Weaver, is the second book in the Soul Flames series (confusing, I know - I should have named them all better), and takes place some years after the first. It features two new main characters, though the cast from Dawn Weaver is not forgotten.

Note that this story is much heavier on the transgender themes than Dawn Weaver, and it comes into it from very early on in the story. The physical change itself don't come into play until much later. This is a sapphic story.

Volume 1 collects arcs 1- 3 of Soul Flames.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Issy Waldrom
• Release date: Jul 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223668152

Book preview

Prologue.

Mists shrouded the landscape in front of her, skeletal trees and the tips of weirdly shaped rocks just visible above it. The mists flowed with a wave-like motion to a force unseen, their shadows dancing to the eerie glow from the two moons that hung in the sky. Surreal and haunting, and in every way foreign. Not to mention too quiet as well, with no other sounds present at all. Nothing, apart from her own breathing. Velvet shook her head, her long blonde hair flowing out behind her as it gave off its own glow, unbeknownst to her, as she tried to work out where she was. This certainly wasn’t where she last remembered being, nor even how she remembered being.

Not that she was complaining mind you. Being stuck petrified as a crystalline statue certainly had its issues, so she was pleased at the least to be able to stretch her limbs and actually do something, even if here turned out to be merely a dream.

With nothing further learned, Velvet began to make her way forward, walking tentatively between the rocks, her pace picking up once she had ascertained that the ground beneath her was indeed solid and didn’t appear to hold any danger to her. The terrain didn’t seem to change at all, just rocks and trees in a sea of mist, like the place had perhaps once been something important, however for what and whom had long been forgotten to time. But, for some strange reason, she could feel something about the place calling to her soul, the pull slowly getting stronger as she continued to walk.

Looking down at herself, she discovered she wasn’t wearing her dragon bone armour. Instead she was dressed in a simple but elegant white silken dress, hugging her tightly above her waist and leaving nothing to imagination, and flowing down loosely around her legs, long splits in the side allowing her to walk freely. She knew she was wearing heels as well, but with the mists she had no idea exactly what they looked like. She liked the feel of them though. Her intricate runic tattoos were still all present as well, which was a relief, her magic pulsating through them stronger than ever, causing them to glow golden. Which was odd. She also noticed that she had a few new ones that she couldn’t remember creating, nor could she work out what exactly their purpose was.

She was no longer the same as she had been, before the battle against the Demon King. She had always known that the purification ritual was going to have a cost, even more so when she had realised the extent of his corruption of the leylines, but even so, the changes that she could feel within her went well beyond that. Something fundamental within her had changed as she had channelled the power of the Dawn on such a large scale, but even now she wasn’t able to put her finger on exactly what it was. All that she could tell was that her and her magic were now even more intricately tied together than they had been before, if that was even possible, and her magic was now more than what it had been before.

The terrain abruptly changed after what Velvet guessed had been about an hour, time being very difficult to gauge here, breaking the monotony that the walk had become. A massive cliff rose out of the mists, the sheer vertical wall peppered with the remains of small trees and a singular path up it that seemed to involve more climbing than it would walking. Every so often a clump of stones dislodged itself in the vicinity of the path, coming crashing down the side of the cliff before throwing up a wave of mists as it impacted silently with the ground. It was almost as if the land itself was trying to keep her away, while at the same time still calling her, as Velvet could feel the pull beckoning her to climb the cliff. Or perhaps the place was just that old. Not that it mattered. She didn’t have any intention of actually climbing the cliff as it was. That’s what wings were for.

Summoning her magic, feathery wings of golden light appeared on her back as like runic tattoos glowed fiercely by her shoulder blades, casting a warm glow on the surrounding area, the mists receding from her in response. Despite the presence of the mists, the ground underneath was solid and dry, hairline cracks running throughout its entirety. Like her dress her heels were white and elegant, the style that one would expect to see at a ball, and while they seemed to be a lot sturdier than they looked, especially with the way that she had been walking, Velvet doubted that they would be suitable for battle.

Launching herself up into the air, Velvet flew up the cliff, staying just far enough away to avoid any of the falling rocks, but still keeping a close eye on the path that weaved its way up. The cliff was a lot higher than she had initially thought, and by the time she had finally reached the top the terrain below was just an indistinguishable blur of white mist. The ground up here was just as barren and lifeless as it had been below, but now there was a clear cut path that ran from the top of the cliff into the distance. Once paved stones, now it was a jumbled and uneven mess, not something that was suitable for walking any longer. Shrugging but eager to find out what lay beyond, Velvet flew her way along the path, the light reflecting from the occasional stone that still retained the gloss of its former state.

The path ran straight for a while before crossing a collapsed bridge that went over a dry river bed, weaved it’s way through a skeletal orchard (at least that is what Velvet guessed it must have been at some stage), rose up a small hill, through the remains of a garden that would have rivalled Agersdene City for size, before finishing up at at a massive temple. Or more accurately, the remains of one. Velvet landed just outside it, her wings dissipating once her feet settled on the ground, as she looked it over. Broken statues of winged creatures surrounded the front of the temple, some armed, some not, and all female. Script of a language she did not recognize covered the large entrance way, and the remains of stained glass windows covered a good half of the temples front face. The remains of spires attempted to reach up onto the sky, though of the seven that she could make out from here, only one retained much of its former size.

Making her way inside, Velvet found that the halls of the temple were lined with more of the winged statues, many of these intact, all intricate and stunningly beautiful, warriors, scholars, and servants. Peeling landscapes bathed in the light of dawn adorned the walls, the colours muted and faded. The pull on her soul peaked and then faded, and Velvet knew that she had reached her destination. It’s state tore at her very being, bringing her to tears. At its height this place would have been amazing, but now it was just a mere speck of its former glory. For some reason it had been abandoned, not that she could place when or where it must have existed. Its architectural style wasn’t something that she had ever seen or read about.

Leaving the hallway, Velvet found herself in the central chamber, the light of the two moons coming in through the numerous broken windows bathing it in an eerie glow. The chamber was strangely warm and comforting, even in its state of disrepair, and dominating it was a giant statue of another winged woman, more beautiful than the rest, her smile and eyes radiating kindness, while her body and stance exuded power and strength. But try as she might, Velvet was unable to make out any details of it, as if it was both there and not, something keeping her from being able to fully take it in.

She sighed, disappointed. Just like it would be in a dream.

This is more than just a dream child.

We have waited a long time.

But now, finally, it is time.

The new age is coming.

------/------

INITIALIZING SYSTEMS...

SECURITY CHECK 10%... 50%... 100%.

SYSTEMS SECURE.

SYSTEMS CHECK COMPLETE.

INTEGRITY ANALYSIS...

INTEGRITY AT 80%...

...REPAIRS ONGOING...

...MORE RESOURCES NEEDED...

...MANA ABSORPTION AT 20%...

...LOCATION NO LONGER ADEQUATE...

...SUB OPTIMAL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY...

...SENT TO SUB COMMITTEE...

INTEGRITY ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

HABITAT ANALYSIS...

HABITAT DORMANT.

HABITAT ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

LIFE FORM ANALYSIS...

NO LIFEFORMS CURRENTLY PRESENT.

CF773 LOCATION UNKNOWN...

CF774 LOCATION UNKNOWN...

LIFE FORM ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

ARKCHILD ANALYSIS...

SN-013 UNREACHABLE...

FF-027 UNREACHABLE...

CV-118 UNREACHABLE...

RF-001[[M]] CONNECTED...

...SYSTEMS CHECK...

...SYSTEM STABLE.

REMAINING ARKCHILDREN DORMANT.

ARKCHILD ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

MEMORY CACHE ANALYSIS 10%...  50%... 100%...

MEMORY CACHE CONDITION: EXCELLENT.

MEMORY CACHE CAPACITY: 70% FULL...

...RECOMMEND EXPANSION...

...SENT TO SUBCOMMITTEE...

MEMORY CACHE ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

SOUL ANALYSIS...

MOTHER PRESENT AND ONLINE...

GUARDIAN PRESENT AND ONLINE...

ARCHITECT SLEEPING AND OFFLINE...

DRIVER SLEEPING AND OFFLINE...

ENGINEER PRESENT AND ONLINE...

PRIEST SLEEPING AND OFFLINE...

LIBRARIAN PRESENT AND ONLINE...

GUEST DESIGNATION ANGEL PRESENT AND ONLINE...

as always...

PRIEST CONNECTING...

PRIEST STATUS CHANGED TO PRESENT AND ONLINE...

SOUL ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

Do you have to do that every time someone needs to talk?

--It’s protocol. It doesn’t take long to do.--

3000 times a day though? You should change your protocols. I know you can. You need to change with the times.

--We transcend time.--

You don’t believe that, and neither do I.

--Heh. You are a little too perceptive ANGEL. We allow you here, but we still are no wiser as to what you actually are. Care to elaborate?--

In time perhaps. But we have more important matters.

--Such as?--

She has awoken, but it will be a long time before she can act. She will need champions in the meantime. Her influence is crucial.

--You have someone(s) in mind?--

Yes.

--And you require our assistance?--

Oh, don’t worry, there is plenty in this for you as well.

--Very well--

INITIALIZING SYSTEMS...

SECURITY CHECK 10%... 50%... 100%.

...

Really?

--Oh, very well.--

ANALYSIS ABORTED.

INITIALIZING MAIDEN CORE SYSTEM.

...MAIDEN CORE ONLINE...

...PREPARING... 1%... 2%...

Chapter 1 – Campaign.

Pyre tied her long red hair back again for the sixth time as she hugged the corner wall,  her patience wearing thin. What was taking the others so long. They should have finished here by now. They still had plenty of other things to do as well. She sighed as she finished and released her hair, the ponytail flowing down her back and over her upper legs, teasing her through her leggings. It was something that she was quite proud of.

She peaked around the corner again, eyeing their target. The building in question was a warehouse deep in the dock district, fairly nondescript and one that time had not been that kind to. The grey paint was peeling off the walls, wooden boards bare and cracking, and the letters that had designated it as a storehouse for Oaken Cart Group had mostly all fallen off, leaving only shadowed outlines behind. It had recently changed hands for a small and hence somewhat suspicious sum, the final clue that had led them here. The six guards stationed at the front reinforced that they had indeed found the right place.

For all the work the Black Shadow Organisation had put into hiding this operation, their choice of guards was pretty pathetic, and Pyre wasn’t even sure what was making the others so cautious. Four of the guards were armed with mundane long-swords, one with a crossbow that could possibly be either magic or blessed given it’s slight glow to her enhanced senses, and the last with a pair of daggers. That last one also probably had some magic that would help him move around the battlefield unseen given his build, but if he did so, what was the point of standing out there in the open anyways. She would say that they almost seemed to be there mostly for show, as they were all standing there rather casually, talking amongst themselves. One was even eating his lunch. It’d be his last meal though.

Behind the guards was the main entrance to the warehouse, a pair of huge sliding doors, weathered and cracked, which were closed of course, though set into it was a smaller door that Pyre had seen one one of the men go through earlier. That was her target and would be her point of entry. She was built for frontal assaults, so it suited her fine. The others were responsible for the windows, side or the back entrances, just in case they tried to be sneaky or had set up a trap for them, not that the sinister group had really been paying them any attention. That this was the only set of guards did seem to hint that all of the other entrances were probably well locked anyways.

(We’re good to go. Let’s get these bastards.)

Pyre leapt around the corner and started sprinting towards the guards as shards of ice rained down on them from above, Elsa doing her thing, true to her name. It was very cliche, but it fit, she guessed. The guards didn’t seem surprised, immediately stopping what they were doing and arming themselves, falling into a defensive formation, the rogue vanishing while the fighters surrounded the archer. As expected. Se’kath could deal with the rogue. The first two fighters had fallen to the ground, impaled by Elsa’s ice, as Pyre reached them, her fists encased in flame as she punched the closest fighter, his body crashing into the warehouse door with a loud clang, then falling down limp as she dodged the attack from the remaining fighter. Too easy, though she might have powered up that attack a little too much. She grinned cheekily as she dodged the fighter’s swings, all very predictable, his presence preventing the archer from taking a shot at her, as she carefully manoeuvred herself around him to maintain it that way. With another barrage of shots from Elsa distracting the archer, Pyre decided that she’d taunted the fighter enough, counter-attacking his next attack with a flaming fist to the head, before then sprinting past his falling body and knocking the archer off to the side with an infused roundhouse kick. With her flames dying off she picked up the dropped crossbow, examining it closely. It was indeed magical, though it only had a minor enchantment that stopped it from getting wet. She sighed, tossing it to the side. No use at all to them. A rain of blood from one of the nearby buildings brought her attention back to the present.

(Did you really need to use that now?)

(Crap! He got a critical on me! Deserved everything he got.)

(What if we need it later? It wasn’t as if he was capable of actually hurting you.)

(It’s the principle of the matter. The boss won’t be here anyway.)

She sighed. At least the rogue was dealt with. She was a little worried however. Reports that had cost them quite a bit of money had said that the Black Shadow had a squad of thirty present here, and that still left twenty four, some of whom she was sure would have emerged from the warehouse by now. They couldn’t have missed the noise of the scuffle. But no, it was now deathly quiet. No sounds of movement, no reinforcements for those that had just fallen. Not to mention they’d not heard anything from Lyane, who had sneaked her way in a little earlier.

You worried?

Pyre nodded to the Paladin that had just walked up to her. Jasmine had been responsible for dealing with the side entrance, and obviously no one had emerged from them. While she was dressed in full plate and hence Pyre couldn’t see her face, she was sure that while she had asked she didn’t quite share her growing apprehension.

Something is amiss. It’s not right.

(You’re worrying over nothing again Chris. Let’s mop this bunch up and head back to the tavern. I’ve got a sweet date lined up.)

Jasmine gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. It’ll work out. We’re the heroes after all. We’ve made it this far. No point worrying out here.

Pyre nodded again, steeling herself. Perhaps it was just other worries eating at her instead. Coating her fists in flame, she walked up to the door, testing to see if it was unlocked while expecting it to be locked. To her surprise it swung open easily. Then the smell of blood hit her. Were they too late? A couple of the hostages were quite important to her, and she was praying that Lyane had done her thing and they were still alright. Throwing caution to the wind she charged in through the small door, then stopped, instantly feeling sick. Everything was definitely not alright. There were bodies everywhere, at least what remained of them, both hostage and Black Shadow alike,  blood pooling in the middle of the room where a human sized demon stood, grinning at her as a twisted abomination arose behind him from the rift in the middle of the pool. Lyane’s body lay off to the side, also bloodied and broken. She had failed, and whoever that demon was, he was powerful.

(Sorry guys. I wasn’t able to handle him.)

(And Paul made you sit through all of this?)

(Boss time! Told you you shouldn’t have wasted it.)

(Heh. We can take them.)

The Dark Knight Aza’toast demands payment for the wrongs against him, and for those who hide what they really are. Order must be preserved! the demon stated in a grating voice as he pointed at Lyane’s body, power rising in his voice as he said his spiel, before a dark light washed over the abomination and he vanished.

Pyre shook her head. Not this again. We’ll, the first part was justified, as after all Mi’jar had stolen the Dark Knight’s lover and taken her as his own, but the rest? She sighed, letting her rage build up as her power flowed through her, her very body taking on the aspect of flame, her hair flaming and flowing free as it burnt through the hair tie, causing shadows to dance on the inner walls of the warehouse. Aza’toast was going to pay, but for now his abomination would have to suffice. Jasmine stepped up beside her, sword unsheathed, the blade glowing with holy light.

(We’re coming. Save some of the battle for us. Stupid doors are locked with magic though.)

The abomination wasn’t pretty, and that was an understatement. With more faces and tentacles than bodies present, it appeared to be comprised of a dark flesh that oozed, well something, into the pool of blood around it. It twisted and turned, screams emanating from it as it did so, eyes blinking and teeth gnashing, its mass reaching up to the ceiling. Jasmine started chanting, circles of holy power forming in the air around her before they fused into beams that shot into the abomination, searing its flesh and causing it to howl in rage. Pyre following up with an attack of her own as she jumped into the air and came crashing down into it, fists white hot. Flames exploded across the abomination, throwing Pyre back with their sheer heat, but instead of the expected shriek from the monster, there was... nothing. Undaunted, she poured her magic into her fists and launched another attack as Jasmine started another round of chanting. Same effect. Her flames poured over the abomination with no effect. Another volley from Jasmine then slammed into the abomination, cutting deep.

Order... must... be... maintained... the abomination howled as its tentacles came to life, flailing around its vicinity.

You... both... must... die... it echoed, all of its eyes focusing on Jasmine as it swept all of its tentacles towards her.

Oh no you don’t. Pyre raced back to Jasmine’s side, flames coating her body as she parried or blocked the tentacles, trying to keep them away from her teammate, pouring all she had into her defence.

Then all of a sudden her flames went out, her body limp and unresponsive as her vision went black, a tentacle of the abomination having gone clean through her.

(Oh gods. It rolled a double critical against you Chris.)

------/------

Chris sighed, and stared at the table in front of him, the miniatures arranged on it representing their current battle. Pyre’s figurine was now knocked over, and she wouldn’t be getting up again. Death in this role-playing system was permanent. She was gone, and she’d been his favourite. The chatter of the other players washed over him as they continued the battle, but he wasn’t really paying any attention to them at all. Pyre had managed to survive two campaigns, but he had sensed that this would be her last when Paul had taken over as Game Master. Things had been getting increasingly difficult for Pyre in game, and Lyane as well, not that anyone had actually voiced their complaints. Paul was a good GM and knew his stuff, he just had this thing about the natural order of things, and whenever Chris had role-played Pyre, Paul had always given him the disapproving look. Peter too with respect to Lyane, but Peter seemed indifferent to it, and was already tinkering with creating a new character at the table, albeit a male one this time. Chris didn’t think he wanted to go through that right now.

They were a good bunch of people though, all things considered, and they had been gaming together for years now, well most of them, and even flatting together for the last year. Millie had been the one who had usually run the games, and she was brilliant at weaving a tale and making you feel that you were actually a part of it, but she had said that she wanted a break, and hence she was now playing Elsa in this campaign. Peter was fairly care-free and seemed to go through a lot of characters, though Lyane had managed to last him almost a full campaign, which was unusual for him. Bruce always went for the stealthy types, as evidenced by his current character Se’kath, but he was also very prone to making bad judgement calls and had abysmal timing. Rachael, who was playing Jasmine this game, was a really sweet girl and was close friends with Millie. Possibly closer than any of the others realized, but there hadn’t been any indications that the others would have picked up on, as publicly she was currently sleeping with Peter, at least on the odd occasion. Which also kept Paul and Damian’s attentions off her, as she was actually quite attractive. Mind you, Millie was too, but not quite in the same way, and Chris was actually secretly jealous of them both. Rachael treated him quite well, which he really did appreciate.

Damian, whose character was Mi’jar, the apparent cause of the Death Knight’s anger towards their party, was a recent addition to the group, the only one not currently living there, and a bit of a womanizer, both in the game and out, and a close friend with Paul. They’d met about a year ago and really hit it off, which actually surprised Chris, and not long after Damian had been invited to game with them, as was the usual practice. But Paul had changed a bit as well, his views becoming a bit more rigid, and all that Chris could put it down to was Damian’s influence, even though he was never quite sure exactly what Damian’s views were. Damian had tried at one point to hit on both Millie (who flat out rejected him) and Rachael, who had instead started sleeping with Peter.

Chris sighed again. He had enjoyed playing as Pyre, but his enjoyment had been decreasing these last few sessions. Perhaps it was the other things that were plaguing his mind as well, but right now, at this point in time, he’d had enough. He pushed his chair back from the table and stood up, picking up Pyre’s figurine from the table and putting it in his pocket.

I’m done for the night guys. I’m going to retire as I’ve got work early. Let me know how the battle goes. Give it hell.

Night.

Night.

Sure thing.

Rachael gave him a comforting smile. Hope tomorrow goes well for you Chris.

Chris tried to smile back, but failed. He appreciated her words though. Thanks.

Turning, he left the lounge and headed up the stairs to his room. It was the smallest one in the house, but it sufficed, and was easy enough to keep warm. Pulling out the figurine, he placed Pyre carefully on the shelf beside his bed, and then collapsed onto it, upset, but also suddenly very nervous and anxious. Tomorrow was indeed going to be a big day, and not just because of work. He doubted that he would be able to sleep well at all, and having just lost Pyre was not going to help at all. But he had to try. He’d been planning it and plucking up the courage for so long now that he didn’t want it ruined by being too tired.

Chapter 2 – The Plan.

Work was an absolute drag. Not that it wasn’t always, but today felt worse than normal. It wasn’t an illustrious job or anything, but enough to pay the bills and be at least a little bit comfortable, especially if you were flatting, which of course he was. He did want to do something better, something more enjoyable and rewarding, but for the life of him he wasn’t sure what exactly that would end up being. Not to mention every time he did start to work towards doing something else, fate would seem to intervene. Training would fall through, successful interviews trumped by a last minute more appropriate candidate, applications would get lost, or even in one case the job itself outright disappeared. It was quite depressing really, but at least he still had a job, while some of his flatmates were still looking. Rachael had had three rejections in a row, and he admired how strong she had been about it. Hopefully she’d find one soon. Bruce on the other hand just seemed to be lazy in that regard, his job hunting haphazard at best, but he had wealthy parents, so he could afford to be. Not that he spent a lot of time at home during the day either.

Chris worked his way down the aisle of the supermarket, mindlessly putting stock from boxes onto the shelves. Open box, fill stock to shelf, present, discard empty carton, move onto the next box. Rinse, wash, repeat. For hours. One would have thought they’d have robots doing this type of work by now, but technology hadn’t gotten quite that far yet. So it was still manual labour for now, and it meant he had a source of income. He also only had to do it for a few hours a day, from 4am till 10am, so it still left him with plenty of the day to do other things, and today he had a full schedule, which he had planned out in advance. Thinking about it though was making him really anxious, so he tried instead to focus on the task in front of him. Open, stack, discard, move. Open, stack, discard, move. It wasn’t a bad place to work either, Essentials Plus being the largest supermarket chain in the country and the oldest, and he worked in the largest of the three stores that they had in the city. There was always something to be said for stability and job security.

At least no one would be at home when he got back. Which was part of the plan. He needed the house to himself, or today would be for naught. Millie and Paul both worked late on Wednesdays, Bruce was always out doing something (probably spending money, something that he was very good at), Peter had afternoon classes and went to the gym after that, and Rachael went to the gym early and then had a full day of classes after that. Perhaps her full day was hurting her job hunt, but she was certain that the qualification would help her out in the future, which was fair enough. Chris hoped that she would get something suitable soon. It was kinda unfair that she hadn’t.

Mind you, life wasn’t really fair in the first place. The events from last night still burned fresh in his mind. Yes, it had just been a game, but still, Pyre was a part of him, and now she was gone. He guessed he’d find out tomorrow if they’d managed to defeat the abomination, as he’d be in bed by the time everyone finally got home tonight. He was torn as to if he wanted them to have succeeded or not. It deserved to die, but that Pyre had been unable to hurt it meant that if they had he’d feel even more hurt over the situation. Chris sighed once again, and continued with the work. Open, stack, discard, move.

By 10am work was finally over, and while the shift was short, he was exhausted. Coupled with his nerves being tensed to the max, and his broken sleep from the night before, he was tempted to just go home and collapse on the bed, but he knew this really was going to be his only chance. He had to do it, or he’d regret not doing so. That didn’t make him any less nervous about doing so, but he just felt that pull, that need to know. A desire that he couldn’t ignore. He’d been planning it for months, scouting locations out, finding things suitable and noting their location, or manoeuvring them to other almost hidden locations so that they’d hopefully be there when it came to the day. Which was of course today. He breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself, and then securing his backpack around his shoulders, he headed into the centre of town.

Being the largest one of the chain in the city, the Essentials Plus store that he worked at was at the edge of the central business district. It had been built recently, and the only way to get the space that they had needed for it was out here. It had taken them just over a year to build it, but within a few months of it opening they had known it had been a huge success. But it also meant that he had quite a bit of travelling to do, and he would be either walking or catching a bus. While he did have a learners drivers licence, he wasn’t in a position where he could afford a car, or even justify having one, so he made do without. The city was also getting busy by this point, the morning work commute over, and those remaining going about their business or leisure. Cars roared past him as he walked his way down the side of the bypass, making his way to the closest bus stop, hands gripping the straps of his bag tightly. The smell of exhaust was giving him a slight headache, but it’d be better once he was in the CBD itself.

There was only one other person at the bus stop when he arrived, a little old lady who sat perched on the edge of the bench, trying her best not to touch anything while at the same time giving her body some rest. Like a lot of council utilities, the bus stop wasn’t in the best of shape. It was old, and while they had done a campaign of getting all of the shelters painted with murals representing the surrounding area, it hadn’t stopped the vandals from targetting them and covering the artwork with their own tags. The old lady gave him a small smile, and then went back to peering down the road as she waited for the bus, which suited Chris fine. He pulled out his phone, checking the time. 10:19am. The bus was only a minute away. He was keeping to his schedule.

The bus pulled up to the stop right on time, spewing out black diesel fumes as its brakes squealed and the door slid open with a hiss. Chris stood, but waited for the old lady as she gingerly got up and slowly made her way over to the bus, carefully hauling her way onto its first step then up to the driver. Smiling at the young driver she placed her bus card on the scanner, and shuffled her way down to the middle of the bus once it had beeped. Chris followed up behind her, also scanning his card, and then taking the seat right at the front of the bus. This bus only went as far as the hub in the CBD, which was a single zone, so there was no need to tell the driver your destination. He sat down in the seat, trying to calm himself, breathing evenly. It wasn’t really working. He was both anxious and excited, and he wanted to get everything done as quickly as possible. The driver noticed his slightly agitated state, giving him a questioning look, but Chris just smiled as best he could back, sinking back into a weathered seat as the orange and black bus lurched into motion and pulled back into the bypass traffic.

His first destination was an opposition’s supermarket, of which there were two near the bus hub. Sure he could have gotten this particular item from his place of work, but everyone there knew him, and they’d know what he had purchased, and given that he didn’t want anyone to know it kinda defeated the purpose. But they were easy enough to acquire from any store, and once he’d changed out of his uniform into a fairly nondescript pair of pants, sneakers, and top he was sure no one would pay him any attention. He had thought about wearing a hoodie, but actually wearing the hood would make him seem even more suspicious, especially in a store, so he ignored that idea. Dismounting from the bus, he walked down the pass the lines of electronics, clothing and book stores, weaving his way through the crowds of people on the street and ignoring the bright neon signs enticing him to visit any of the numerous businesses. He deliberately avoided looking at any of the store windows, as he couldn’t risk seeing something that he liked the look of and getting distracted by it, especially as it would all likely be well outside his price range. It was difficult enough trying not to stare at people as he walked pass them.

The Best Price store that he was going to was located a couple of blocks down from the bus hub, one block back from the main street and hence a little quieter than the one a bit further down that was situated right in the middle of the CBD. He noted that its car park was half empty as he walked to the front entrance, which was a good sign. The building painted in a vivid red with bright yellow letters for the store name, a combination that he always thought was awful, even though it did stand out and caught the eye. He tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as he walked in through the main entrance, past the shark teeth and into the store itself, even though he felt super obvious. He made his way across the front of the shop to the aisle in question, and walked as confidently as he could to the fourth bay down, grabbing the item in question off the shelf, quickly checking that it was the right one. He then went straight to the checkout, choosing to go through a self service kiosk so that he didn’t have to interact with anyone, paid for the item, and then hurriedly left, stuffing it in his backpack as soon as he was outside the store. He let out the breath that he didn’t realise that he was holding. He was stressed, nerves threatening to snap and send him back home, but at the same time there was also a sense of elation and excitement. He was going to do it today. He’d gotten the first item, only three more to go.

His remaining three stops were all Op shops, or Thrift stores. Call them what you will, but they were within his price range, and though it had taken him a while, he had managed to find what he was after. The first of them, the People Support Shop, was located a couple more blocks back from Best Price, at the edge of the CBD where the businesses went from reputable franchises to the knick-knack and bargain stores where discount goods could be brought for a fraction of the price and were also a fraction of the quality as well. There were a lot less people walking these streets, so Chris was able to walk his way down to the store without any issue.

The store had just opened when he arrived, its front windows a display of the most recent donation, clothes, books, and kitchenware, the lettering across its windows proudly stating that its profits went to supporting those facing difficult circumstances. Smiling nervously at the counter lady as he slid the front door open and made his way in, he turned and made his way along to the back of the store, past racks of second hand clothes sorted by gender and type, stacks of old plates and cups, and shelves of books long forgotten by time. Right in the very corner, in what was probably the worst lit section of the store, were the children’s toys, which looked like they never got touched, by either the staff or the customers. So he had felt fairly secure in leaving one of the items in amongst them. He stopped dead in his tracks though when he reached them, his body going cold. Rather than the jumbled mess that he had seen every time he had come here, the toys had all been sorted and tidied up, displayed on a newly set up set of shelves or placed in tubs with similar items. He panicked as he rifled through the tubs, moving them around, searching right throughout the area for the item in question, but it was gone. This wasn’t happening. Not today of all days.

Chris took a step back, settling his breathing, and trying to push the panic back. Think logically about this. It’s good that they have tidied this section up. It needed it. All they need to do is improve the lighting. But if they’d found something there that didn’t belong, what would they have done with it? Most likely they would have put it back where it belonged. Moving back through the store, past the racks of clothes, he arrived at another set of shelves, also now all stacked tidily. He scanned the shelves carefully, hoping as he held his breath. And there they were, sitting on the bottom shelf. He picked them up, double checking to make sure that they were the same ones, which they were, and then hurried to the counter, placing them before the volunteer who was there for the day.

They’re nice aren’t they? she said as she processed them through for him and put them in a paper carry bag. I was wondering when you’d come back for them.

Chris went beet red, only able to mutter ...Thanks... before he raced out the door and down the street, only stopping a block away to also put that package in his backpack. He couldn’t believe it! She’d noticed and known, and she only worked there a couple of days a week! But at least he had them now. Pulling out a bottle of water he had brought after work out of his bag, he downed it all, throwing the empty bottle into a nearby recycling bin.

He meandered towards his next destination in a partial daze. If she’d known, had any of the others noticed? Was he going to get found out before he’d even managed to buy everything? Was he going to be ruined for the rest of his life? Chris shook his head. These thoughts were getting him nowhere. He just needed to get on with it, or he’d run out of time, if his nerves didn’t get the better of him.

Refocusing, he picked up his pace as he made his way back onto the main street of the CBD. His next destination was Quality Second Life, probably the most up market of the Op shops that he was going to, and the only one located on the main street. As its name suggested they dealt with the better grade of second hand goods, and while their prices were a bit higher, they were always in a better condition. Their turnover was also a lot higher, but he was banking on the next item still being there, as he had only located and moved it at the end of the previous week. The shop was located in a massive open plan suite that was unsuited to most businesses, and had sat empty for over six months till the Op shop had moved in. Obviously the landlord had concluded some money was better than none and let them use the building. He wasn’t sure where, if at all, they had been situated before that, at the least they hadn’t been in the greater CBD area.

Arriving at the door of the store, he slid the large glass sliding door open just enough to fit through and stepped in, closing the door behind him. Happy to see that the counter girl was busy chatting to a friend, he made his way over to one of the racks labelled for Retro Fashion, and went straight to the end, sliding the hangers along. He sighed in relief to see that his item was still there. Grabbing it off the rack, he took it to the counter, placing it down. The counter girl barely looked at him, instead continuing her conversation with her friend as she processed it through for him. Normally he might have been a bit put off by her behaviour, but today he was very grateful for it. Placing the item in his bag with the others, he opened the door just enough again, slid out, and then closed it behind him. One to go.

The final destination was Norm’s, the worst name for a shop ever, even an Op shops. He had been there enough time to see the name badges of all of the workers (even though he avoided them all as much as possible), and he still had no idea who Norm was at all, if he/she even existed. It was located one block back off the main street of the CBD where the quality of the shops and of the buildings themselves dropped off, showing the distinct division between the older part of the CBD and the more recent development. The state of that end was depressing, and while it would have thrived back in the day, now it was just slowly dying, and Chris was unable to help it and just avoided that area as much as possible. There was just something about it. Norm’s was a quaint shop, standing by itself in an empty plot of land, its shack -like appearance reinforced by its pastel blue paint job, while the inside of the shop was a soft warm yellow. He felt himself calm down as he entered the store, Sasha, today's volunteer, giving him a smile in acknowledgement of his presence.

Chris nodded back at her, and then made it way to the racks on the left side of the shop. These were all very tidy and well organized, and it seemed that the staff here went through making sure everything was in place at least once a week. It had taken him four attempts to find a spot where they wouldn’t keep finding the item and returning it to its proper place. That had ended up being the tail end of one of the racks, and even after a month it was still there. He smiled to himself as he saw it there and picked it up, excitement rising within him. This was the last piece. It was going to be today. Being careful to go back to a neutral expression, he walked up to the counter and handed it to Sasha. She smiled at him, and processed it through without fuss. Taking it from her, he stashed it into his backpack and then turned to leave.

Just a minute please. Sasha’s voice rang out behind him. It was a sweet, light voice, but it caused him to freeze in his tracks, fear gripping him. What did she want? What had he done wrong? Did they know his secret?

He almost contemplated just running from the store, but he knew that was just the fear in him being unrealistic, so he turned around, trying to mask the tears that were threatening to form.

Here, this is for you. Courtesy of Norm’s.

Chris stepped up to her, carefully taking the small box that she held out as she smiled warmly at him.

Oh, thanks. He stammered, placing the box into his backpack with the rest of the items.

I gotta go, he then muttered as he hurriedly left the store.

Chris checked his watch as he got back onto the street. Damn, he only had a couple of minutes before the bus home arrived at its next stop, and it’d be an hour before the next one came through. Grabbing the straps of his backpack, he broke into a run, racing down the street towards the main street of the CBD, and then along the main drag for a couple of blocks, weaving through other shoppers with their big plastic bags of goods, couples holding their hands together and managing to take up the entire footpath, and families with kids that were running amok. He reached the bus stop just as the bus pulled up, the hiss of the door opening a relief. He waited till the other passengers had disembarked, and then boarded, swiping his card as he got up to the bus driver.

Agers Reach please, he said to the driver, who nodded.

That’ll be four zones. You can take your seat.

Chris stashed his card, and walked down to the back of the bus. He took his backpack off, and sat down, hugging it tightly to his chest. He’d done it. He’d acquired them all.

Chapter 3 – Secrets Laid Bare.

As soon as Chris got home he made his way straight to his room, closing the door tightly behind him. The house was quiet, and there were no cars outside, so as he had expected, he was alone. He was tempted to close his curtains as well, but as they overlooked the front of the house he’d be able to see if anyone came home early, and as he was on the second story they wouldn’t be able to see into his room unless he stood too close to the window. It gave him that little bit of extra security, and the natural light coming into the room was better than what the single lightbulb in the room would provide. Sitting down in the chair beside his bed, he opened his backpack and took the items out and laid them on his bed, one at a time. He couldn’t help but smile.

The last of the items that he had brought was a cute little short sleeved ribbed top, a deep blue in colour. It was small and stretchy, and was a perfect fit. Next was a navy blue mini skirt with a zip at the back. It was made of a slightly heavier fabric, with some sewn folds in it, and he’d always like the look of it. There were a pair of opaque black tights. They were of a decent thickness, so you couldn’t see through them, and they also had a shine about them that he liked. ‘Liquid Metallic Opaque’ the label claimed. Finally there was the item that had almost given him a heart attack, and the one that was the most difficult to find. A pair of black ankle high heeled boots.  The heels were of a decent thickness and a couple of inches high, decorative belts along the front of the soft feeling fabric that they were made from, zips on the side for putting them on. And all in his size.

A complete feminine outfit, and he was keen to try it on, his excitement rising within him. He wasn’t completely sure why he wanted to do so, he was a guy after all, but he found feminine clothes so very much alluring, and he’d been dreaming over the last few months of wearing them himself. To see what they felt like on him, how they looked on him (probably terrible given he was a guy after all, but hey you can dream), and how they would make him feel. He always found himself jealous when he saw other girls wearing such nice clothes, especially his two flatmates, so why couldn’t he, even if it was just in secret, just this once. He had to admit that he had tried on a few items before in his life, for ...reasons..., and usually borrowed (from his sister or mother at the time, without them knowing of course, or from a recycled clothing bin) rather than brought, but it had always been short lived. There was always an after effect that would curb it for time. Years even. But this time would be different. These were his, he was alone, and he had to know. It was like this pull within his very soul, making him feel like he would be more complete if he did so. It was why he always played female characters. But on the other side of the coin, no one could ever know. It was his secret after all.

A little black box fell out of his backpack as he put it to the side. Oh yeah, the gift from Norm’s. Chris leant over and picked it up. He examined it carefully. It was just a plain black box. Nothing special about it as far as he could tell. Placing it on his table, he lifted the lid off, putting it to the side. Inside was a delicate gold chain, with a red stone pendant attached to it. He choked up a bit, tears forming, the red stone instantly reminding him of Pyre. He pulled it out, and held it up to the light. It was beautiful. Why on earth had they given it to him? He could ask he guessed, but he’d be far too ashamed to do so. Perhaps like the lady from Peoples Support Shop, Sasha actually knew what he was up to? Or perhaps he was reading too much into it. Opening up the clasp, he hung it around his neck before then hooking it up and closing the clasp again. It felt right, sitting there against his skin.

Chris stood up, and stripped himself bare. First things first though, he needed a shower. He had been at work all morning, and then all that running around town had just added to how grimy he felt. He took the necklace off, placing it on top of the blue top, and grabbing a towel headed to the bathroom, closing his door behind him. The shower was nice, the stream of water hot and strong, soothing his body and making him feel clean. He washed his hair clean, then not wanting to use the strongly masculine smelling bodywash that was there, he quietly apologised to himself, promising he’d make it up to her later, and borrowed a little of Rachael’s bodywash instead, a petal fragranced one that he found quite pleasant, and made his skin feel even smoother. He could get used to using it. Getting out of the shower, he took the time to carefully dry himself down, while he looked at himself in the mirror. His appearance was passable. He didn’t dislike it per se, but didn’t like it either. He was a little on the shorter side, standing just shy of 5"4’, his body lean and not quite toned. He wasn’t fit, but nor was he unfit either – his job gave him plenty of exercise that enabled him to maintain a good body shape and weight, which he was grateful for. Had his job been sedentary he would be going to the gym like Peter and Rachael did. His eyes were a boring brown, as was his shortly cropped hair. It grew thick, and while he had been tempted to try and grow it out long, it always ended up as an unmanageable mess first and he’d have to cut it short again. He had a fair