by J. M. Lyons
said looking at the ground as we got closer to the old tree.
"Wow." I said following his gaze toward the ground. "Come
on guys, gather up some of these broken branches." Uncle Tom
said pointing at all the old branches that littered the ground around
the tree. I looked up at the old tree that towered over everyone. It's
branches reached high into the sky and if you didn't know any
better you'd think the top was touching the heavens. It's shade stretched far around all of us.
This tree was old and I could feel it. "Rock boy, build us a
pit." He said, looking over at Jon. Jon just smiled and did as he
was told. He climbed on top the huge boulders that stood around
the tree; we all climbed up to watch. He started with closed fists
and, again as he opened his hands the ground moved, pulling
grass and a round circle of dirt right out of the ground as it
churned; the dirt floated into the air. We all watched quietly.
"Try to lift it higher." He instructed. Jon began to raise his
palms slowly, as the dirt and rocks moved with it. Slowly it raised
up higher and higher until it hit a branch then came crashing down
next to the base of the tree, covering the grass with dirt. "Um,
good." Uncle Tom said with a smile. "Ok, bring the wood." He
ordered. Everyone placed their small piles of wood into the pit that
Jon made.
"You flames, your turn. Make us a fire." He told Steve. Steve
walked over to the pit and snapped his fingers; all of a sudden
there was a spark of energy emitting from his fingers; then he
snapped again, and a single small flame began to rise from the
center of the pile of wood. Slowly the fire grew. Steve smiled with
his success. Soon the fire burned bright and large. "Very good; very good." Uncle Tom said with delight.
Uncle Tom sat on top of the highest boulder. "Everyone, you
all did very well. I'm glad that this part won't take long, because
very soon you'll all be expected to use your powers for the very
reasons that they were given to you all in the first place.” He
began; as he sat on top one of the rocks.
“This place is where our great ancestors were given their
powers from the gods of the Weeping Mountains, and this is
where they practiced; then fought to protect the diamonds that are
hidden there. Here no one from the outside world will ever know
what is happening." He said, looking at us with such intense eyes.
"A long, long time ago when the tribes of these lands were
formed one of our ancestors found a secret cave high up in the
mountain that only appeared on the nights of the red moon." He
began. Everyone listened focused on his every word. "Chief
Tricloud was the first and only person to find it, he found them.
The diamonds were as red as blood, so he called them the Blood
Diamonds. After awhile he realized that with these diamonds he
was able to do things unnatural things, things that gave him great
power. He could move earth, creating terrible earthquakes,
opening up the ground to swallow everyone; he could call on the winds, destroying many homes of innocent people; he would call
on the waters of the Weeping Mountain to flood out rivals and their
villages killing hundreds.” He illustrated the story with his hands.
“He could also call on the fires of the sun, fire that burned so
hot and bright that it melted rocks and killed hundreds of animals
that roamed these forests and plains; needless to say he ruined
these lands. Soon everyone knew that Chief Tricloud had this
magic and sent assassins to kill him and steal his powerful gems.
But the gods of the Weeping Mountain had seen the destruction
that it had brought upon so many innocent people, the animals,
and the land itself; so they took the diamonds away and forever
sealed the path to the cave.” He continued pointing toward the
Mountain.
“Then the gods gave one person of each tribe a particular
power; searching for, and finding that one person who was worthy
of such a gift. These people who were chosen, would not use their
power to destroy instead they would use it to protect the mountain
so that no one would ever be able to find it again." He continued.
“Many people who still remembered the power that Chief
Tricloud possessed when he had the diamonds, ventured into the
forest in search of the diamond filled cave, with no luck. But one however; did almost succeed in finding it. So, those who held the
powers of the Weeping Mountain; the Elemental's; gathered here
and fought against those who wanted the diamonds to conquer
the other tribes, and eventually all of mankind.” He said as he
waved his hand, motioning to the area.
“But their adversary possessed a dark magic; a magic so dark
that the Elemental's of that time was not strong enough to defeat
him. So, the gods bestowed one more person with a power that
would be greater than all. This person was able to call upon the
power of all the Elemental's, and also call upon the power of the
red moon. The red moon has not been visible to these parts for
years prior, but that one person was able to call upon the red
moon and only she could find the diamonds and use it to protect
all the tribes that lived around the mountain. She would be the
only one who was powerful enough to stop the dark magic and
defeat it." He said, as he looked around at the inquisitive minds
before him.
"You each have been chosen by the gods of the Weeping
Mountain to protect that very diamonds; which is why you have
been given such powers. But you Mia." He said, looking directly at
me. "You hold that power; the power of the red moon. You will be able to wield the power of all the Elemental's and you will be able
to call upon the power's of the red moon, which will allow you to
shape shift at will, for starters.” He said with such ease. Without
taking into account my confusion.
“It will also lead you to the hidden cave to find the red
diamonds to use to it's powers to defeat the dark magic that has,
again, come back to these mountains to find it; and conquer all of
mankind." He said, still glaring at me. "Alright, wow. That was a
beautiful story, in fact I remember being told some of it, but me the
bringer of the red moon. I don't know about that." I said with a
smirk; in utter disbelief.
"Think what you want Mia; but you did create a tornado in my
house, then nearly burned it down with not a red flame but a bright
white flame. Lucky for me the pipes in my house didn't burst, and
you didn't bring it down or something." He said rather annoyed.
"Mia, he is right you know. There was so much power that
surrounded you that day, I can't even explain it.” Tucker chimed in.
"Why is this so hard for you to believe?" Steve demanded.
"Because Steve, I'm just a regular person who is, normal not this
all powerful being, like I'm being made out to be." I replied
sarcastically. "Why not, why wouldn't you have been chosen Mia, your family is among the oldest families that live here in these
mountains. So, why
wouldn't it be you or someone in your family?"
Jim asked.
"Alright fine. So I was chosen to do all these things, well I
haven't changed into anything, I haven't seen a red moon in what
almost ten years or more." I said, sliding myself off the huge
boulder that I sat on. I walked around in a circle following the
formation of the boulders that sat perfectly around the big tree.
"Mia, I think this is something that you should listen to,
especially if all these weird things are happening to you." Jon said,
sliding off the rock that he sat on; landing right in front of me. "Ok;
ok, fine Uncle Tom. Why don't you train me, I mean after all it
seem that you've already trained everyone else." I demanded
angrily. "Nope. I can't train you. You'll need to talk to your grandmother about training you." He said with a sarcastic smile.
6 THE SCROLL'S
I was angry as hell. Why tell me all these things; then in the
end tell me that I needed to talk to my grandmother. I couldn't
understand my uncle at times, and he just made my blood boil. I
hurried back to the camp leaving everyone behind with uncle Tom.
I was so irritated with all of them.
No one understood that I cannot be this special person that
they speak of; I am not this leader that they want me to be. I can't
change into anything, I can't even turn a bright moon, red. I don't
get these people, they all must be going crazy. I thought to myself.
I began to run toward the creek when I could see it at the end of
the path that Tucker made, but when I got to the creek I slipped on
a loose rock that was at the waters edge and fell into the cold
creek, with a heavy thud. "Ugh, really." I screamed, as I stood up in the cold water.
"What else is going to go wrong." I said as my emotions got the
better of me, and I began to cry out of pure frustration. There
were still so many unanswered questions and no one would
answer them. I was so overcome with anger, confusion, and
frustration.
"Mia, are you ok." Grandpa chuckled, as he peeked around
one of the tents. "No, I'm not." I said, grabbing onto the wet dirt,
trying hard to pull myself out. With every attempt to get out on my
own failing, I grew more and more frustrated. More tears fell down
my cold wet face. Finally I just stood there in tears looking out at
my grandfather; who just laughed at me.
"Come let me help you." He said putting out his hand. I got a
good grip on it and pulled myself out. "Is grandma here?" I asked
still crying. "Yes; Mia, she's still here." He said, putting his arms
around my wet body. He gave me a big hug. "Honey what's
wrong?" I heard grandma say as she hurried around the corner of
the tent. "Grandma, I don't know about all this stuff." I said, still in
full tears. "Oh, what happened to you?" She asked in such a soft,
kind voice, with a slight hint of a chuckle. "Grandma, I agreed to let uncle Tom train me; but he told that
he couldn't, and I needed to talk to you. Why can't anyone just
give me answers?" I argued, as she slowly walked me toward the
small fire that burned in the middle of the camp. She sat me down
on a small log. "My Mia, please don't fret and be afraid, in due
time all will come to you and all will be understood." She said,
again in her soft, kind voice. "But." I started to say. "No but Mia,
just let go of your fears." She said, stopping me in my tracks.
"Come on lets get you dry, and cleaned off." She said, with a
smile and a slight chuckle, tugging at my damp, dirty clothes.
"Yeah, I know I need to get out of these." I laughed with her. "You
sure do, I don't want you getting sick." She said laughing. We both
walked over to the tent and went in. I pulled off my clothes that
was tacked on tightly.
Grandma pulled out a white dress that hung down to my
heels. "This is perfect." She said quietly. I wasn't sure if she knew
that I heard her, but I smiled at her selection. I pulled the dress
over my head and sat on the bed. She slowly undid the wet
feather in my hair and began to run her brush softly through it.
"Grandma, tell me why I am here." I said softly. Her brushing
slowed, almost to a stop. "Well, there's a lot of reasons my dear. Some of which you
will need to find out for yourself. But what I can tell you is that
you're a very special girl Mia." She said twisting and turning my
long thick red hair through her fingers. She took the wet feather
up from the bed and twisted it into my hair locking it back, leaving
the long white strand hanging.
"Everyone keeps telling me that; but no one wants to explain
it to me. Like why am I so special? Why am I supposed to lead
the others? Why didn't you tell me that the stories me and Tucker
was being told as kids was true?" I said all at once, running out of
breath trying to get it out. She looked at me with her kind, gentle
eyes.
"Mia; we, well I, am a descendant of the Great Tricould." She
began, slightly turning my head toward her so that we were now
looking in each others eyes. "I, Mia at one time was just as special
as you." She smiled. "See many people of the Weeping Mountains
believed, that the bringer of the red moon would never be
someone of Chief Tricoulds blood; because it was he who caused
such devastation to the lands, the people and the animals that
roamed here. But the gods believed, that the only way they could
teach Chief Tricould a lesson for what he did; would be to give his blood a chance to prove that they are capable of owning such a
power; the power of opening the caves, by taking the life of
someone that he loved dearly.” She said as she softly ran her
hand over my back.
“So his wife Mialana, with whom he had a son, was given a
test to prove that she was worthy of the power that they wanted to
give to her. The God's ordered her to give her son to them as a
sacrifice for all the evil that Chief Tricould had done.” She said
softly, as she took my hands in hers. She gently rubbed my
hands, tracing all the lines of my hands with her wrinkled fingers.
She touched the ring that I got from Lauren for graduation; and
stared at it, letting the red color of the ruby reflect through her
eyes.
“Mialana asked the God's why should I give my son for his
fathers own misdeeds? The God's told her that if she did not give
someone she loved with all her heart to them, they would destroy
everything and she will no longer have all that she loved; her
family, her lands and her people. So with a sad heart she took her
son to the edge of the lake and prayed. She told her son that he
would go with the God's and that in doing so he would save the
world that they knew.” She continued slowly. “Her son, David, did not want to go with the God's and cried
out to them. Please let me stay with my mother. As they both
cried, she took out a knife and told her son that even if he would
not be with her any more, they would save the world and in
another life; she would find him and they would never part again.
But she d
id something that I don't think the god's was prepared
for; she raised the knife into the air and plunged it into her own
chest.” She said with her eyes trained on mine.
“With that the water in the lake raised up into the air and
covered her completely, throwing her son aside. The God's were
not angry with her for doing so, instead they felt pity for her and at
that moment chose her to lead the people; because she was
willing to give her own life instead of her sons, to pay for the
misdeeds of someone else she loved; to protect the world." She
said, looking me with a smile as she pulled my single strand of
hair behind of my ear.
"It was she who defeated the evil that came after. It was she
that brought about the red moon and found the diamonds to
defeat it. Oh boy, was it a bloody battle; many people died, many
animals died. But understand Mia that with great power comes
great sacrifice and sometimes it's a sacrifice that none of us would like. When peace returned to their lands, Mialana had a baby girl
and so she went to the lake and threw the diamonds into it;
screaming out to the God's to take it back, I have no more need
for this magic; everything is at peace.” She said as she moved
closer to me on the bed.
“The god's took back the diamonds and closed the caves
again. But they warned her that with every generation the
Elemental's and the Bringer of the Red Moon will be called upon
to defend the Weeping Mountains to keep others from finding the
diamonds and using it for evil. So, generation after generation we
all have fought the same darkness that Mialana did so many years
ago to defend the Mountain.” She said, as she ran her fingers
through my strand of white hair.
“Mia, that is why your grandfather and I left so many years
ago. It was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do but I
needed to. None of the other tribes knew that this power passed
through our blood, no one knew that we held the power to find the
diamonds. But over the generations the Elemental's had to be told
because we needed them to help provide protection for us, as
others started to realize who carried the power of the red moon.
Although, no one knew that we, Mia, our blood was the same blood that flowed through Chief Tricoulds veins." She said as she
