by J. M. Lyons
slowly stood up and walked over toward the crowded old boxes
that sat at the far end of the tent.
"This Mia, are the sacred scrolls of the Weeping Mountains.
They were given to Mialana the day the Gods bestowed the
powers of the red moon upon her. It contains spells of shape
shifting, spells of protection, and spells to help you find the red
diamonds." She said, as she took out a beautiful, shiny gold
canisters. "This is the secret to our powers. This is what you will
need as your journey will begin soon." She said with such sadness
in her eyes. I looked back at her and tilted my head, slouching on
the bed.
"The candle that burns in me will burn out soon Mia and I can
feel it, but as my light leaves me yours will grow tremendously."
She said, so softly, so regretfully. "So why did you leave Tucker
and I so long ago." I asked her, looking at the gold canister that
she held in her hands. She looked back at me and smiled.
"Well Mia; someone came to take the scrolls to find the red
diamonds from the mountain. Only this time she knew exactly
who to come for. So your grandfather and I left town and retreated
to the Mountains to hide; but it did not stop her from finding us. We fought a great fight and the Elemental's and I used the
diamonds to send her away. But I did not have the heart to
destroy her, and now Mia I fear that she has grown stronger and
will now come after you, which apparently she already have." She
said as she once again ran her fingers through my strand of white
hair.
“Wait what do you mean; she already has?” I quickly asked.
“That is why the change is happening to you Mia, because she's
here.” Grandma said as she let my hair drop through her fingers.
“So this dark person is here for me? There to steal those from
me?” I said looking at her with wide eyes.
“Yes.” She said without even a flinch.
We could hear voices outside the tent getting closer and
closer until I recognized Tucker's laugh.
"Looks like they're done with their training for now." She said
listening to the growing laughter.
"Lana, Mia lunch is done." We could hear grandpa calling out.
"Come on Mia let's eat, I think you need it more than me." She
said with a smile pulling me up from the bed.
"More like we both do." I said standing up with a giggle. We stepped out of the tent, the blinding sun was now high
which told me it was just about midday. The air was thick and
warm. My mind was clouded by all that I was told, I didn't take
much notice to everyone around me. "Hey, what happened to
you." Tucker said. I jumped back startled. "Oh.. Yeah I'm fine, I
came back earlier to talk to grandma and I think I understand
now." I said, with a smile. "Good, I'm glad that you're at least a
little bit at ease about everything. You know I might not
understand a lot about what's going on, but I'm willing to just do
what I have to." He said picking up a plastic bowl from the already
set table. There was wild rice that I know grandpa prepared and a
huge pot of stew, hot off the fire. Everything smelled wonderful.
Grandma walked over to where grandpa stood, and they
started talking; grandpa kept on nodding in his head with a smile
on his face. I think he did that, to mask his real expression toward
what they were talking about. We all sat around the small fire
burning in the middle of the camp. Jon came over to where I sat
and plopped down on the ground. He was always so simple like
that.
"What are you doing, you wanna sit here with me." I said, as I
motioned to the log I sat on. "Nah, I'm fine." He said scarfing down his food. I just smiled and slightly turned to face him. "Here.
I got this for you." He said handing me a small purplish blue wild
flower. "I got it on our way back to the camp." He said proudly.
"Thank you. I think I remember seeing this as a kid with my
grandma." I said examining the flower closely. "I think you can eat
it, in fact I know you can." I said tearing a peddle off and putting it
into my bowl of stew, I took a big bite and the petals tasted like
pepper. "Um, this is good. You wanna try?" I asked handing some
petals to him. "No thanks, I think I'll just stick with it this was." He
laughed.
When we all finished eating uncle Tom stood up and headed
toward grandma and grandpa who was still busy talking, some
time after he disappeared into the forest. "Ok guys; Tom's gonna
be back later tonight to continue with your training but for now you
folks should rest. I think you'll be in for a long evening." Grandpa
said beginning to clean off the table. "The night is going to come
quick, and you are all gonna need your energy." Grandma said
helping.
"I'd ask you to come to my tent; but I don't think they'll
approve." Jon said softly with a chuckle, while looking over at
grandpa; who's keen eyes were watching. "Yeah, I don't think so." I agreed with a giggle of my own. "Besides, I wanna show
something to Tucker anyways. I'll see you later." I said with a
smile leaning in to give him a kiss. He pushed forward and kissed
me back. I headed to the tent where Tucker already laid on his
bed.
"Hey Tucker, I wanna show you something." I said, taking the
golden canister out from under the blanket. "Wow; what's that Mia,
it's so shiny and is that real gold?" He said, hurrying over to my
bed. His eyes reflected the gold from the canister. "Yeah;
grandma gave this to me earlier. She said that these were the
sacred scrolls of the Bringer of the Red Moon." I said, in my most
deep narrator voice; twisting the top that came off with a pop.
I pulled out a roll of papers that was obviously aged with small
water stains and discoloration. I unrolled the papers that was tight
together and saw pictures that were drawn with very little words.
"Look it's the Mountains I think, but it's an old picture, see the town
should be right here." Tucker said examining the pictures details.
"Look there's even the path from the camp to the clearing that we
went to today." He cleverly pointed out. "Yeah; you're right, it is." I
said staring at the picture. "Did grandma explain with this is for?”
He asked so inquisitively with his eye peering at the paper. "Well kind of, but we stopped talking about it when we heard
all of you come back." I said, re-rolling the papers tightly and
sticking them back into it's golden canister. "So how did your
training go?" I asked, curious about what went on after I left.
"Alright I guess, but man uncle Tom's a mean old man; he’s
always yelling at us to do things this way, not that way, blah, blah,
blah." He said, sounding very irritated. "So why don't you guys tell
him to ease up a bit." I said trying to find a good position on the
bed. "Yeah right; and risk getting a slap like you did." He laughed.
"Ha ha ha, you're right." I laughed back. We both fell fast asleep in
no time.
I could see myself walking through the darkness. I felt cold;
the ground under my feet fel
t wet and slippery; the wind blew
around me pushing me forward. I felt scared and like I didn't
wanna keep moving; but the wind wouldn't let me stop. I could
hear someone in the distance calling out to me, but I didn't
recognize the voice. The closer I got to the voice it seemed to get
even farther.
"Who is that." I called out, with nothing but an echo to answer
me. "Mia." I heard again, through the darkness. "Who is that?" I
called out again, this time the echo never followed. "Mia, she wants the scrolls, and will try to use your brother to take it. You
have to hide it." The voice said, echoing all around me. "You must
hide them and protect them, do you understand." It said.
"Why?" I called out. "Do you understand?" The voice
repeated. "Yes, but..." I began to say, but then I felt water
surrounded me, and started to build around me until I was floating.
"I'm scared." I said out loud. "Don't be Mia, you are safe." The
voice assured me. "What's happening?" I asked. "You will wake
up and hide the scrolls." The voice said.
Suddenly I felt like something pulled on my leg dragging me
down into the cold, frozen water. I started struggling to breath and
with each breath I felt water entering into my lungs. I struggled to
get loose from whatever pulled on my leg. The feeling of
drowning and dieing began to feel real; scaring me to the core.
Soon after I could feel a shooting pain on my head.
"Ouch" I said, as I sat up from the floor of the tent. "What the
hell." I said, quietly rubbing my head. I guess I must have been
dreaming and I fell off the bed; I thought to myself as I sat on the
floor next to the bed. Tucker laid still in his bed. I stuck my hand
under my pillow and found the golden canister, and just looked at
it for a while. Remembering what I was told in my dream as I slept; I felt
uneasy. I stood up and put it back in the small wooden box that
grandma took it out of. No one is gonna find this; I thought as I
looked back at Tucker who still laid asleep. I kept in mind that the
voice in my dream, said that he would try to steal it; which made
me think that it was talking about Tucker. Why would he try to
steal it? I stood there wondering to myself.
The air in the tent was very cold, it felt like the heat of the
day's sun was gone. I lifted the door to the tent and saw that it was
night. The fire burned very big and very brightly. Steve and Jim
was already sitting at the fire with uncle Tom, in full conversation.
Jon was standing with grandma off to the side talking very quietly.
I covered myself with a small fur coat that was on the table
inside the tent and went out. "Had a nice nap?" Uncle Tom said;
looking at me cutting his conversation with Steve and Jim short.
"Yeah, I guess." I said, with a worried smile. The air was really
cold and the fire didn't really seem to make it any warmer.
"Aaahhh." We heard a scream coming from my tent. We all
ran in to see what was going on. Tucker was kicking and
screaming as if he was fighting with something; but nothing was
there. Grandma ran over to Tucker and grabbed his thrashing arms; grandpa and uncle Tom grabbed on to his legs. "Tucker;
Tucker, wake up; Tucker." Grandma called out to him.
Tucker jumped straight up in a cold sweat. "Grandma. I had a
dream." He said, as she hugged him. "I know, I know. It's alright
we're all here." She said, looking over at all of us that stood there
shocked. "Go on you four, he's fine." Uncle Tom said nodding his
head toward the door.
We all complied and left the tent. We quietly waited by the fire
until finally grandpa came out. "Is he alright?" Jon asked sincerely.
"Oh yeah; he's fine, a little shaken up but fine." He said quickly
heading toward the creek. Jon walked over and stood behind of
me, and squeezed my shoulders with his warm hands, comforting
my nerves. I leaned back into him and closed my eyes; as started
to feel warm and safe.
"You know; I had a weird dream too." I said, opening my eyes
and with my head tilted up, looking up at Jon. "But you didn't wake
up screaming." He said, with his soft smile. "No, but I did bump my
head when I fell out of bed." I said with a laugh. He rubbed my
head and found the small bump, on the back of it. "I think you'll
live." He smiled. "Oh look, love birds." Uncle Tom teased as he stepped out of
the tent. "Come guys don't just sit there; practice." He demanded.
"What; here?" Steve said, with a raised brow. "Why not; go for it,
it seems, Tucker won't be able to join us, so we'll pick it up
tomorrow." He said, standing there with his hands on his hips.
"Rock boy, you go over there and start. You two over there
and there." He instructed all three guys. They reluctantly obliged
and set off into their own corners. Steve started to make small
fireballs between the palms of his hands, and threw them at the
creek; where Jim put them out by making his own small balls of
water. Smoke filled the air near Steve and Jim as they played
around throwing fireballs and water over the creek.
Jon pulled small round balls of compacted dirt and rocks and
threw them at the tree trunks, making the trees shake. Uncle Tom
came over and sat next to me in front the warm fire. "Well Mia did
you learn anything today?" He asked sarcastically. "Well, at least I
understand a lot, but no grandma didn't teach me anything if that's
what you mean." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Ha, I thought so." He laughed out loud. "I'll show you some
stuff." He smiled. "Ok; Mia, try this." He began, as we stood
across from each other in front of the fire. "Try to picture yourself holding this fire. Picture it in your hands; feel the heat coming
from it; feel the weight of it, being in your hands. Can you see it,
can you feel it." He asked looking at me through the flickering
flames.
"Um." I said looking at him weirdly. "I'm serious Mia, close
your eyes. Can you feel the fire?" He asked loudly rather
annoyed. "Yes." I replied. "Ok, now picture that you are holding
that flames in your hands. Put your hands up like your holding it."
He instructed. I did as I was told and put my hands up in front of
me putting them into a cupping position.
"Alright, now picture it being in your hands. Look at it, feel it,
see it there. Can you see it." He asked. "Yes." I replied picturing
the fire in the palms of my hands with it's flames covering my
fingers. "Ok, now can you feel how heavy it is?" He continued. I
could actually feel the heat of the fire in my palms; only it didn't
burn; I could feel the weight of the fire that, in my hands. "Yes." I
replied.
"Ha, ha, ha; alright now that's what I'm talking about." He
laughed. I opened my eyes and was stunned to see that I was
holding a small ball of fire, just like the one that Steve was
throwing into the creek. "Now, feel that fire grow in your hands, getting heavier and heavier." He instructed. As I did, I felt the
flames growing in my hands and as I felt it, it was.
The flames grew large
r and larger, but the heat stayed the
same, it was warm, and as the flames grew so did the weight.
Soon it felt like I was about to drop it. "It's too heavy." I said
looking at him. "Well then distribute the weight and separate your
hands to your sides, hold the flames in each palm.
I separated my palms the flames grew in front of me from one
palm to the other; but now the weight of it was manageable. "Now
feel it burn brighter and hotter." He said out loud. As I did what I
was told; I felt it grow and burn hotter and brighter. Soon the
flames that rippled red and orange began to turn blue and white;
as the air around the camp grew warmer. As the energy that
came from the fire began to grow it blew my hair back; pushing an
invisible field of energy around me, that grew and grew with every
flame that stretched higher and brighter.
"Good; now feel that fire slowly burn out, feel it disappearing
into your hands." He instructed. I felt the energy building even
more, getting stronger and stronger, as the flames also grew
getting larger and larger. "Mia, don't lose control. Feel it grow
smaller." He yelled. I did as I was told and I pictured the flames getting smaller, and as I did the flames began to subside, and
slowly it got smaller and smaller until finally it wasn't there
anymore.
"Self control is very important Mia. No self control is
dangerous, and I think you got that from your mothers side." He
laughed. "Thomas." I heard grandma scold, suddenly appearing
behind of me. "Sorry Ma." He said, with a smirk. "Thomas, the
time is soon. We need the elder's to come, I don't think we have
the full three days." She said with a very worried tone of voice.
Every wrinkle on her face seemed to speak of weariness.
"Grandma." I said walking over to her. "Mia dear you will have to
sleep with me tonight. All of you go to bed, you can continue in the
morning." She said looking over at everyone. Everyone stopped
what they were doing and just looked at her. As she walked
away, so did they.
Grandma and I went into the tent; as Jon and I exchanged
glances. "Where's grandpa?" I asked. "He's with your brother for
tonight." She said, still with her worried tone of voice. "Mia did you
show your brother the scrolls?" She asked as I took notice of a
bulge under her heavy jacket. "Yes I did. I just wanted him to know
