Living Armor Boyfriend: Epoch (rough draft)

The North Pole, nestled between the Kringle Mountains, is a cold place. But it is filled with warmth and joy. Thanks to the twin dormant volcanos, the kingdom is livable even in such horrible cold. The heat that rises from under the ground allows the people to live their daily lives. Although, the North Pole is not always so perfect. The kingdom is ruled over by the Saint Nicolas family, who are all, if one is to be believed, demigods. Fathered by the one known as Father Klaus, each child possesses certain powers which allows them to rule the North Pole.

My mother, Holly Saint Nicolas, is one such child, but I have not spoken to her in years. To be blunt, most of the Saint Nicolas clan has the same predictions as Father Klaus, which is to say they all have libidos that could reawaken the Kringle Peaks. Each have several children on their own, multiple partners, husbands, wives. My mother is no different, I have two other sisters I know of from two different fathers. The three of us are often always together, and I prefer being with them more than anything. My father, poor thing, still resides in Holly’s Keep as her top husband. For years I have been trying to find a way to free him.

Thanks to my sisters, I may have finally found a way to rescue my father and set him free from my mother. Winifred, the eldest of us, was lucky to be born to a scholar and magic user. Her father had a massive library, which we poured through since we were children. Lydia, the youngest, has a wonderful ability to translate and know any written language by looking at it. It is as if her eyes are wired differently. Thanks to Winifred’s books and Lydia’s sight, we’ve found a conjuring spell to summon beings of power to fight against Holly Saint Nicolas.

“We should go somewhere outside the house,” Winifred suggests. “Just in case our fathers should see or get hurt.”

“We’re all adults,” Lydia argues. “We don’t need to be afraid of our dads and getting into trouble, Winnie.”

“We don’t need to be arguing about this! Winnie is right, we should go somewhere else to summon these things. What if something goes wrong?” I argue.

“But where should we go, Edith?” Lydia looks at me with those big, bright eyes of hers. They shimmer differently than normal eyes, they look like silver bells.

I think for a moment. “The Armored Court,” I say decisively. “All that’s there is those suits of armor from the Jingle Wars. No one goes there.”

The three of us gather up and leave, heading towards the Armor Court. It’s a small monument just below the village where a long staircase takes us into a pavilion lined with different suits of armor used in the Jingle Wars. The floor and ceiling are carved with depictions of battles while the pillars are scoured with the names of the fallen.

We set up the ritual right away, putting down candles and tossing powdered charcoal onto the floor with cinnamon sticks, sprigs of peppermint, and chunks of dark chocolate. Lydia opens the spell book so she can read it and begin the chanting spell. Her eyes change, becoming almost completely silver, even her long lashes appear different.

“I summon these spirits of antiquity, teachers of history and harbingers of futures. Come to us this night, be told by mouths with revenge so cold. Offer your bounty. Prepare thy might. Look forward now until the all saint’s night!”

Everything is still aside from a cold wind. We wait with baited breath for something to happen.

“I said it all, right?” Lydia lifts up the book and turns the pages. “That’s the only spell to summon these guys, right?” As she looks at us, the book spews forth with smoke. “Holy shit!” Lydia screams and tosses it into the center of the pavilion. The smoke swirls and voices bellow from within. All the black billowing mass collects at the top of the pavilion then flows down, circling three suits of armor before vanishing inside them.

We’re all still again, watching the book then looking towards those suits of armor. Nothing happens again, everything is still and cold.

“You saw that, right?” Lydia squeaks. “I’m not crazy, am I?”

I swallow hard and stand up. “No, we saw it.” I approach the suit of armor closest to me the smoke had gone into. It’s holding a massive claymore sword before itself. I reach out, touching the hand on top of the hilt, and the armor feels warm.

“Edith,” the suit whispers.

“Motherfucker!” Lydia laughs behind me. “It really did work!”

I would scold her, but I am bewildered by the speaking armor. “Yes, that is my name.”

The armor removes a hand from the sword and flourishes it out. “Why have you summoned my brothers and me?”

“It’s my father,” my voice quivers as I try to speak. “He’s being held by Holly Saint Nicolas. I want to free him and the other husbands who wish for freedom.” I try to keep my voice stern, but I must admit, this is a rather strange and frightening moment.

The armor opens the helm, revealing four glowing green eyes inside. Their shape is quite sharp, with two large eyes then two smaller ones above them. The interior of the armor looks like smoke still, but I can make out the faint shapes of a mouth and possibly ears. “You wish to go against the blood of Father Klaus?”

“I am the blood of Father Klaus. My sisters and I are the daughters of Holly Saint Nicolas.” I motion back to Winifred and Lydia.

The armor tilts his head up. “I see that. You have summoned my brothers and I for a task of love? Is that correct?”

I want to answer yes, but that is not the full truth. “There is some revenge in there. You see that too, don’t you?”

The armor places his hand on my head. “I see everything behind you, Edith. We will go with you.” Two more suits of armor step down off pedestals, one behind Winifred and one behind Lydia. “But first, a pact must be made.”

My sight is filled with nothing but his green eyes and when I blink, I see I am standing somewhere else. I am standing on a rooftop overlooking a small village. In the distance, I see brightly colored lights blossoming on the horizon.

“Where are we?” I gasp. “Where are my sisters?”

The armor takes hold of me, helping me to stay balanced on the slanted rooftop. “Such as you, they are now with their familiar. The six of us must make a covenant and bond as partners before we take on this war.”

I laugh softly. “Not a war! A rescue really,” I say weakly. The armor is silent, he knows I am lying. “At least, I hope not,” I murmur.

He turns away from me and looks in the direction of the lights. “There are many paths ahead of you, Edith. I can help you down any of them, but I cannot see those footsteps yet.”

I wish I could see what he does, but all I see is the little village below and the bright lights ahead of me. “May I ask for your name then, if we are to be bonded?”

“I am Epoch.” He bows his head towards me.

“Epoch,” I murmur. “Is it a family name?” I try to jest with him again, but it does not land so I squeamishly look away.

Epoch extends his hand outwards. “Look around. Do you know where we are, Edith?”

I look around me, stepping gently as the roof is steep. “I am not sure. It looks like one of the smaller villages of the North Pole.” I look around until I can see the Kringle Peaks in the distance. “Looks like we’re just beyond the Cinnamon Bark forest.”

Epoch puts his hand upon my arm and guides my direction again towards the lights. “Edith, I am going to need you to look.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” I brush his hand off. “I just want to save my father, what does this little village have to do with any of it?” I can feel my insides boiling.

“Because in order to understand where your journey is going, you must look to where it began.” Epoch jumps down from the roof and lands with a loud, heavy thud into the snow. He looks up and extends his hand. “Come, there is much to see.”

I frown down at him then roll my eyes, jumping off and floating slowly down to meet him. I don’t have a power as cool as Lydia’s, or even Winifred’s, but I can float some and cause other objects around me to do the same. I have been told it was a power of Father Klaus’, to fly, and that I am blessed with it as well. I do not consider ‘floating’ anything blessed. I simply don’t fall as fast as others. Epoch catches me and sets me down gently onto the ground, taking my hand.

“You’re so warm,” I say in surprise.

“We came from the Kringle Peaks,” Epoch says simply. “So perhaps my brothers and I are a little toasted after all this time.”

Perhaps this is my chance to get a laugh from him. “How’s the magma this time of year?”

Epoch turns and looks at me, all four green eyes glowing slightly brighter. “Have you ever been a marshmallow on fire?”

I shake my head.

“Then you’d have no frame of reference.” He leads me through the streets, all of them dark and empty. I’m never going to make him laugh.

I look away from him again, horribly aware of the darkness we are standing in. The only light around us comes from his glowing eyes. “Why is it so dark here? Are there no people in these houses?”

“Once, long ago, but these windows are not the ones I want you to look through.” He points me towards a house that is lit up, shining with twinkling lights and decorated to look like a gingerbread cottage. “Those are the windows that you must see inside.” He places his warm hand against my back.

I see my father walk past one of the windows. I have not seen him in so long, I could almost cry. In my excitement, I let go of Epoch’s hand and I race towards the front door. I knock excitedly, hoping to see my father again. “Papa, it’s me!” I say cheerfully. I knock again and realize that my knocks make no sound at all.

“What’s going on?” I turn and look back at Epoch. “He can’t hear me.”

Epoch stands beside me, placing his hands upon my shoulders. “The windows, Edith. You cannot go through these doors.”

I grimace at the door and forcefully try to knock again. I take hold of the handle and shake it, but it has no give to it. “I want to see my father!” I hiss. “What sort of horrible trick are you trying to pull on me?” I snap angrily at him.

“This is no trick. The windows are all that you can touch, Edith. So please, look through them.” Epoch moves me to the window and uses my scarf to wipe away the frost. Inside I see my father stitching a button onto a boot. There’s something with bright red hair sitting before the fire.

“He looks so young,” I whisper.

“Your father was a cobbler, right?” Epoch asks gently.

You nod. “He used to be, before he met my mother.” I press my palms against the cold glass as I look inside. “Once she chose him, he only made shoes for me when I was born.”

Epoch’s hand squeezes my shoulder in a strangely comforting way. “Do you know the story of how your parents met?”

I shake my head. “All I was told was that it was love at first sight.”

“Did you ever believe that?”

The woman sitting before the fire turns her head and smiles up broadly at my father. It is Holly, my mother. “Only when I was little,” I say bitterly.

My father kneels down before her, placing the repaired boot back onto her foot. She grins and tousles her thick mane of curls. She laughs giddily, eliciting a brighter smile from my father.

“Is there love there?” Epoch asks.

“I don’t know.” I look back at Epoch. “Maybe. I’m not sure.” The lights in the house go dark and I am standing there in the shadows. I step back, letting my hand fall into Epoch’s again. “I don’t think I saw what I was supposed to.” My voice comes out as white clouds in the cold.

Epoch takes me to another house as the lights inside slowly brighten. Inside I see my father again, slightly older, and crying over a letter on the table. “I know what this is,” I whisper. “This was when Holly told him she was pregnant with Winifred and was marrying her father.”

“Do you see love there?”

It breaks my heart to see my father weeping like that. It comes from deep within, raging from his broken heart. “I do.”

“Since you know of this moment, what can you tell me about what happens after?” Epoch turns me away from the windows and, behind me, I see all the houses are gone, just the bright lights on the horizon.

“Winifred was born, and a year later, she returned to my father.” The lights were growing and rising up into the sky. They shift like ink, spreading out, growing thin and thick at the same time. “She said she could not forget him and wanted him to come live with her.”

“He did, I take it?”

I shake my head. “Not at first. It wasn’t until I was born that he relented.” I place my hand over my chest and remove the locket around my neck.

“And that’s where you grew up?” He asks gently.

I nod. “In her Keep, yes.” I look back at him and smile sadly. “We used to fight horribly, my mother and I.”

“Because you hated her?”

“No, I don’t-” I frown and turn back on him. “Whose side are you on?” I snap. “I thought this was supposed to be about making some covenant or bonding or something. But this just feels like you’re trying to guilt me!”

“I see your past extending behind you, Edith. I’m trying to help you see what it has led to and the paths you will have to choose to travel.” Epoch extends his hand to me again. “I can help you to find the path that is right for you.”

“I just want my father back! Do you know how long it’s been? Do you know how much I’ve-” I stop myself and breathe. “Oh, right, you do.”

“Why is your first reaction always one of anger, Edith?” Epoch asks gently. “Have you not realized that about yourself?”

I look at his four eyes then down at the snow my feet are sinking into. “I don’t know,” I grumble reluctantly.

“Because the past is painful,” Epoch replies. “And sometimes, the wounded lash out in anger because it is easiest.”

I press my lips into a firm line and continue to refuse to acknowledge him.

Epoch places his warm, heavy hand upon my head. “It is okay to hurt, Edith, and even though it is easy, anger and all its brothers should not be who you hold your hand out to.”

I grab his wrist, intending to throw it away, but instead I hold it and I begin to cry. “I just want my dad,” I whimper.

Epoch takes me in his arms and his chest is even warmer than his hand. “I will help you. That is my vow.”

I hold onto him, feeling his warmth seep through my flesh and into my bones. “I don’t want to be angry.”

Epoch’s hand brushes along my cheek and through my hair. “Then look around you, Edith.”

I raise my head to see us standing inside the lights on the horizon. All around me I see images of me in my youth; as a baby, a child, a teenager. I see myself crying, running, laughing, yelling. I am surrounded by all the past versions of myself, none of them the same, but all of them are me. I begin to well up with an overwhelming and heavy feeling inside my chest. Tears roll freely and I am neither sad nor angry here.

“Where do you want to go, Edith?” Epoch asks. “I will take your hand and I will lead you there.”

“I want to see my father.” I take his hand with both of mine and squeeze it hard. “I’m sorry I was angry towards you. I don’t want to be angry anymore. I just want to see him.”

“I am here to help you, always and from now on.” Epoch touches his helm to my forehead. “That is my covenant with you.”

I smile softly and look up through my tears. In his helm the smoke looks more solid and I can see the face surrounding his eyes. He looks almost scaly with gills along his neck and face. The black shimmers purple and pink, but I only see it for the briefest flash.

“Do you swim in the magma?” I ask him with a laugh.

A soft chuckle finally escapes him. “Do marshmallows taste better roasted?”

The lights part and clear like smoke, leaving us standing in the pavilion again. I see Winifred and Lydia standing hand in hand with Epoch’s brothers. The three brothers stand all together in a line and kneel before us.

“We are yours to command until the Eve you will want us no more.” They speak in unison.

Winifred and Lydia look to me. “Well?” Lydia asks. “Are we still going?”