by Indie Gantz
As for how to invoke your element, it should come to you very easily once your powers are restored. It may be difficult to control at first, but I have no doubt that you’ll be manipulating your element very quickly. You must educate yourself on the physical, chemical, and molecular properties of your elements to better understand how to manipulate them. I have provided a book that will help with this. I cannot stress this enough, you need to study your element once you are aware of it. Please don’t take this lightly.
The stones in the three bags are casting stones. You’ll have to figure out what element you are before you can begin to cast, because only certain stones work with each element. The book I gave you will also list those for you. The bag of blanks (stones that have not been cast into) are full of stones that work for Gi, so if either of you are Gyan, you’ll have those already.
The bag of green stones already have Gi power cast into them. These are basic casts, and are mostly used for currency, but they also contain the essence of the Earth element. Each of those stones will produce the same cast. You don’t have to be Gyan to invoke the stone. Just to cast into it.
You can also cast specific manipulations into stones. These are called Eidikos stones, but they are more difficult and require more knowledge about the element being cast. Just like basic stones, you need to be of that element to cast an Eidikos, but you may invoke any elements’ Eidikos if you possess the proper knowledge to do so. The textbook will go into more detail about this, and I recommend you read and learn as much as possible about each element, so you can be as versatile as possible. To cast into a stone, just focus your power and energy into the stone. A general cast is placed into all basic stones. You’ll read more about that in your textbook too.
The other bag, the one with different colored stones, are already-cast basic stones of the other three elements. Blue is Néro, white is Aéras, and the one that looks like flames is Fotiá. You can use these to practice invoking those elements, or use them along with the Earth stones to pay for items once you get to Mitéra. The stones are also used as a form of currency, so use them wisely.
Another thing you may have noticed is that your eyes have a new hue to them. Green or blue may This may indicate which element you are, but the colors vary greatly, just like typical human and Anunnaki irises. By invoking Gi, you can change the color of your eyes, hair, and skin at will. I’ve set aside four Gi Eidikos stones that will change your appearance, in case you’re not Gyan. Just concentrate on the color you wish to express, and pull it from the Earth and into the part of your body you wish to change. There are thousands of colors found all over Earth, have fun exploring! (Or don’t. No pressure, Tirigan!) It’s common in our culture to keep our Téssera eye color, now that we don’t have to hide from the Aplos, but many people still change their eye color at will.
You should be aware that it’s common for Téssera twins to be able to speak telepathically. This means that once you are in Mitéra, you won’t need to hide that ability. Though your father and I discouraged you from trying to send your thoughts to us, there are many Téssera twins that have been able to extend their telepathy to reach people other than their twin. Don’t go invading people’s minds just because you can, though. Have some class, kids. I’ve always wanted this for you, Tirigan, and I hope you can find a way to comfortably communicate with the people you meet.
Finally, I should tell you what to expect, and what to do, once you cross into Mitéra.
Your father will most likely take you through the jungle, so you’ll need to climb the cliff to reach the Anunnaki barrier. Unfortunately, as I hope your father has already explained, John will not be able to pass the Anunnaki barrier, and you’ll need to proceed on alone.
You can do this, both of you. You’re both incredibly resilient and that has nothing to do with your regenerating blood. Study hard and learn as much as you can once you get through to the other side. Practice casting into stones and invoking your element. Camp out and take your time, there’s no need to rush this first step. You won’t need to move until one of the solstice festivals, which is when you should try to integrate yourselves with the Téssera. You can take your time studying until the next festival.
There’s a pod station in Mitéra, in a small town called Pacoa, just after passing through the Anunnaki barrier. Don’t explore the town, just buy a ticket and go. If it is the winter solstice, buy a ticket to San Antonio, Texas. If it is the summer solstice, buy a ticket to Boston, Massachusetts. Please become as comfortable as possible with the elemental world before you interact with it.
Once you get to the festival, you need to find Kori Lark. The festival lasts a couple days, so you should have enough time to find him. He is a childhood friend of mine who I know will take you in if you tell him who you belong to. I don’t want you to have to I’m sorry you have to hide your Anunnaki side, but we don’t know what’ll happen to you if you are found out.
Another reason you should study as much as you can before you get to the festival: you’ll need to interact with people to find Kor, so you can’t look like a fish out of water. Check the matches first; Kor always liked a good show. If you don’t find him there, try the music tents. Once you find him, give him the necklace and note I have placed in a bag next to this letter. This will prove who you are.
That brings me to the next part of the plan, your cover story. You will need to tell him you are my children if you expect him to take you in, but leave out everything else. You’ve spent your life traveling around the world, and you haven’t met many people. You should tell him that I died when you were young, and that your father never recovered from the loss. This will make it easier to explain why you aren’t fluent in your element at your age, since you didn’t have a suitable teacher to learn from. Tell him that your father died a few months ago, and you found the necklace and a letter from me telling you about Kor. Being newly orphaned, you decided to travel to the festival for the first time and find him.
The story we’ve come up with will help cover any ignorance on your part and gain sympathy from Kor. We didn’t part on the best of terms, but I know he will be welcoming to you. He’s a good man and you can learn a lot from him. You can trust him.
I don’t really know how to end this letter. Maybe because I feel I hope you never have to read it. I hope this letter is reclaimed by the earth, having never been held in your hands. I don’t want it to be this way. I wanted things to go differently, and I wanted you to have a choice. I’m sorry.
I love you both, more than you could possibly know.
Always,
Calla
I blink tears out of my eyes, and they fall down on to the letter. My tears don’t disturb the ink or absorb into the words. Instead, they roll down the paper and fall to the ground. I think about that for a moment, realizing it is exactly something Calla would do. Tear-proof her goodbye letter.
You okay?
Tirigan is still staring down at the letter. With his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed, my brother appears to be more pensive than overwhelmed. He looks up at me with a bemused look when I inquire about how he’s processing the letter.
I’m fine. The letter is interesting.
Interesting? What… He cuts me off with a look I have definitely received before. It’s the one he uses when he feels like I am being willfully ignorant.
I sigh in irritation as I turn back to the letter and re-read certain sections, then skim over others. It’s a lot of information to take in. I try to look for whatever Tirigan was able to pick up on, but I’m more overwhelmed by the parts of the letter that are so very Calla, rather than everything new my mind has to make room for.
Her jokes and the way she signed her name with a star. The slant of her T’s and the parts she scribbled out. Those are the things that have me choking up, not the actual contents of the letter.
“It’s too much to process,” I finally say, speaking softly. “It’s all too much.”
And not enough.
&n
bsp; “What?”
We don’t even know if any of this information pertains to us.
I glance at John, who’s looking between us patiently, then turn back to glare at my brother. I’m not an idiot, not even close, but Tirigan looks at me sometimes like he’s waiting for me to start plucking fleas from my hair and popping them in my mouth.
“What do you mean if this information pertains to us? This whole thing is about us and what we are going to have to do,” I argue.
Tirigan stands and brushes the dirt off his hands. She wrote this under the assumption that our powers will work just as hers do. However, we have Anunnaki blood in our veins along with Téssera. That changes us on a molecular level. It is very possible we will not have the same powers other elemental people have.
My mind goes blank for a moment while I process this. I’m sure my rising terror is written all over my face, since John places a hand on my back.
“What is it?” John asks calmly.
“He… Tirigan makes a good point.” I stand up with difficulty, my body feeling much heavier than it had moments before. “We aren’t full Téssera. Our powers, our elements, whatever they are, may work differently. What if we can’t do what we’re supposed to be able to do? What if…”
“Charlie.” John stands too and looks between us. “You both obviously possess powers of some kind. Or are you forgetting what you both were able to do back in the jungle?”
Right. I made the trees move. Tirigan made me move. We do have some sort of power. It may be enough to scrape by.
“Okay.” I nod, bending down to pick up the bag of blank stones. “Calla said if we’re Earth or Gi, we should be able to cast our energy into these. Whatever that means.”
John pulls the bag out of my hands gently and places it back in the duffle. Next to it are three small books and one larger one.
“Why don’t you save that for when you cross the border.” He smiles and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I think we should all try and get some rest.”
“It sounds like we don’t need to rush,” I say, nodding in agreement. “After we cross the border and are untraceable, we don’t need to go anywhere until the festival.”
About that. Tirigan’s voice cuts into my mind and I turn around to face him.
“About what?”
The festival coincides with the two solstices of the year, yes?
“Yes, that’s what Calla wrote,” I reply, and then repeat his question aloud for John’s benefit.
Then, unless we want to wait six months to find Kori, we do not have as much time as Calla had hoped.
“What?” I ask, confusion pulling my face into a scowl. “Why not?”
The Winter Solstice is in three days.
“Three days!” I shout, completely forgetting where we are. “It’s in three days?!”
John’s eyes go wide with shock. “That isn’t enough time. You won’t be ready.”
“You’re right. We definitely can’t do this in three days.” I turn to my father, shaking my head. “We have to wait for the next one.” The thought soothes me some, realizing what that would mean. “That will give us six months to learn and we can stay close to the border. Then we can still see you.”
John isn’t looking at me, but at Tirigan, whose mind has gone silent.
“I…” John begins, then stops, thinking over my suggestion. “I guess that would be all right, but I don’t know...”
No. Tirigan’s thought is emotionless. It cuts into my mind like an ice pick to the heart.
“What?” I practically spit, whirling around to stare at him. “What do you mean, no.”
Calla is gone. Missing. Someone has taken her and you want to wait six months to enter a world that could help us figure out where she is?
“I...” I stutter, not even having entertained the thought of actively trying to get our mother back since John shut us down. “I didn’t mean…”
John said she was taken, but we don’t know what that means. We cannot even be sure it was the Negral that took her. We have power. Given the right resources, we may be able to find her.
“You want to try and find Calla?” I ask, uncertain I am understanding him correctly.
John jerks his head in disagreement as he catches up to our conversation. “You can’t do that. She doesn’t want you putting yourself in danger like that.”
His eyes are filled with fear, and I can’t blame him. What Tirigan is saying is a whole new level of scary. The fact that Tirigan’s the one to say it doesn’t surprise me so much as his willingness to do it. Not to say that my brother is a coward, but he does have trouble adjusting to change. All of this is happening so quickly, everything that we know is falling apart, and Tirigan wants to do it even faster? I need a minute to get a handle on this.
If we do this, if we set out to find and save our mother, we only have three days to prepare. Three days to learn everything we can so it isn’t obvious we don’t belong.
Moving the trees in the jungle and using the water to heal myself means that my element is probably water. At least I’ve figured that part out. I’ve already used my powers twice, once without meaning to and the second time on purpose. It shouldn’t take me too long to get a handle on my powers, at least passably so. Tirigan is a freakishly fast reader, too. We just need to figure out what element he is. From the way he pushed me in the jungle, my guess is Aéras.
My eyes dart down to the duffle bag, and I pull out the larger book. As soon as I take in the cover, I almost drop the book to the ground. There, carved into the wooden cover of the book, is the tree from my vision.
“Charlie?” John asks, but I ignore him and trace the lines of the tree with my finger. After a moment, I pull open the book and begin flipping through the pages. It’s a textbook. Chapters full of what looks like Téssera history and practical knowledge about elemental power.
This is what Calla wants us to study. This book.
We can do it. I am a very fast reader, and you absorb knowledge well. The plan is accomplishable.
I continue skimming through the pages, passing what looks like the history of the years after the Apocalypse. There are pictures and graphs and what looks like a pie chart on the percentage of amphibians that survived. If we learn everything in this book, we should be able to pass as Téssera. Assuming our powers work the way they’re supposed to, we might be able to use them to find Calla. We might be able to save her.
“Tirigan’s right.” I finally say, closing the book and looking at John. “We should find Kori Lark as soon as possible. Maybe he knows something that could help us find Calla.”
“You don’t understand,” John says desperately. “If the Negral have her, there is no saving her. They’ll find out everything she knows, then...” He trails off, eyes going wide and shaking his head. “You have to let her go.”
“How do we know she didn’t escape? Maybe it wasn’t even the Negral that took her! We don’t know-”
We have to try. Tirigan’s thought cuts me off.
I nod at him in agreement and then turn my gaze hard on my father. “We have to try, John. Don’t you want her back?”
“Of course I do.” He answers me in a whisper, tears in his eyes again. “But I also want you two to be safe. I don’t want you putting yourself at risk like this.”
“We’re already putting ourselves at risk just by existing.” I step closer, my desperation obvious. “We can’t just leave her. She needs us.”
Something changes in my father then, and his shoulders slump. He lets out a ragged breath, then shrugs pathetically.
“You’re going to do this no matter what I say. Aren’t you?”
“Yes. We are.”
“Then I can’t do anything to stop you,” John replies quietly, stepping back and away from me. “Just know she wouldn’t want you to save her, not if it meant putting yourselves in danger.”
He turns away and walks towards his tent. Tirigan walks away too, but not before taking the la
rge textbook away from me. He opens it and begins reading.
We should get some sleep, I try to tell him, but Tirigan ignores me. He crouches by the bag of stones on the ground, pulling out three red ones and placing them in his pocket. What are you doing?
Reading.
I look up at the sky in confusion. The light from the moon isn’t bright enough to give enough light to read, and Tirigan’s flashlight is still in his backpack inside our tent. I try to tell him as much, but Tirigan walks off towards a large tree at the base of the cliff. I watch as he places the book in the backside of his pants and climbs the tree, working his way up until reaching a wide enough branch to sit comfortably. I can’t make out anything other than the shadow of his body in the tree, but a moment later there is a flicker of light, like a candle being lit. It grows brighter after another second or two and then settles into a soft and steady flame.
What’s that? I take a few steps forward, stopping at the edge our tent.
Fotiá stone. His thought is distracted, probably because he’s already gone back to reading. I try to move past the fact that Tirigan just pulled fire from a rock, but find it difficult. I can’t believe this is my life now.
John said they could track-
It’s late, and I don’t imagine this small flame would create a large enough signature to track.
How do you know?
Educated guess.
You’re not educated in elemental power, Tirigan. Maybe you should just come down and go to sleep.
No one will come. It’s fine. Goodnight, Charlie.
Sighing, I accept his words for the dismissal they are and head to my tent for what is sure to be a restless night’s sleep.
CHAPTER NINE
Learning How Not To Feel
