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Several weeks past with the amulet's pain and despair still
locked inside me, though I was beginning to feel less lonely. With the help of
the amulet's translation, I had learned fluent Tinish (the Mystery Island's language).
I made solid friends with the Techo, who just bid me to call him "Elder", and
little Sohra and Wahre. I took the twins out often, just so they could hunt or
explore with me, or I could tell them stories or explain the herbs to them. They
looked up to me, and their mother trusted me with them.
However, one night, there was an annual spring
festival that everyone had been asking me to come to, each time with me politely
declining. I don't know why I dreaded this festival so much - I suppose it was
just that I felt too different.
When nightfall came, the huge tarp covered the
festival, which took place on the beach, and underneath, noise and light and
joy came spilling forth. I hid in the bushes near and watched. Hermit crab races
and several other games the natives had invented were celebrated. People were
laughing and talking, and I even caught Elder doing limbo, which amused me to
no end.
However, the sense that I was different was
still ringing in my ears, my loneliness crowding me. The amulet took gloating
laughter in this, and made my emotions more potent and affecting. Just when
I thought I could take it no longer, this wall between me and the rest of the
world, Wahre popped up next to me in the bushes and I almost yelped with surprise.
"Wahre," I exclaimed breathlessly, "What're
you doing here? You should be at the festival!"
"So," she said firmly, "should YOU!" And with
that, she grabbed my ear and dragged me forward, with me alternating between
yelps of pain and cries of protest.
As she shoved me in the middle of the dance
circle, a pretty sapphire female Kougra grabbed my paws and steered me to dance,
which was harder than it looked, as my paws kept tripping over the sand dunes.
I made a horrified face behind her back at Wahre and Sohra, who were laughing
hysterically at the plight they had gotten me into.
When the dance was over, the Kougra left after
whispering, "Thank you, you're a wonderful dance partner," in my ear. I grinned
despite myself, but cleared my throat and quickly recovered myself.
Bustling over to Wahre, I protested, "Now what
in the world did you do that for?"
"But you looked lonely there in that bush, you
needed to get out!" came her simple logic.
I sighed and rebuked myself for not hiding more
carefully. 'Oh well,' I thought dully. 'Perhaps it was for the best.'
However, after a few hours, I realized I was
enjoying myself tremendously. My happiness at being accepted, for everyone turned
a smiling face toward me, was overwhelming the despair of the amulet, and the
amulet's effects ebbed away, which left me in even greater joy.
It was early morning when we had stopped - we
danced all into the night. I helped the others take down the tarp and disassemble
the tables. Gulls were starting to swarm over the reddish reflected ocean, and
the sky was brightening. Yawning, we all congratulated ourselves on our successful
disassembly of the tent, and stumbled off to our beds.
* * *
When I woke in early afternoon, my joyful feeling of being accepted remained
with me. After stretching, I was just about to go for my morning walk when Sohra
burst into my room, his look of fear banishing any thoughts of morning walks.
"Sohra, what is it? What's the matter?"
"It's Wahre," he panted, "She's sick!" He promptly
led me into the main house and up the stairs. I had already been there some
times before, when the twins wanted to show me something.
Upon entering a room, I saw Wahre with her eyes
closed and her mother bending over her bed, a worried, tired expression written
on her face. When she saw me, she leaped up.
"Amita, I thought you might be able to help
poor Wahre. The twins have been talking so much of your knowledge of healing!"
That created a warm glow, but I quickly banished
it.
"How long has she been like this? Any other
symptoms?" I asked firmly, feeling her pulse and forehead. She had a fever and
her pulse was quick. Her normally deep red aura had sickly black streaks.
"About a few hours... she's been complaining
of feeling ill for days now though; I almost forbid her from going to the festival
but she wanted to so badly…"
I determined that it would take a tweak in her
aura, which could easily be done by my healing talent. Once she was conscious,
she could take herbs for the fever and likely headache she would have.
Reporting this all to Firne, she relaxed and
looked relieved. "Thank you," she told me.
Firne shooed Sohra out, and I focused my talent
to twist the slight tangles in her aura. I gently smoothed down the out of order
strands, and her aura quickly righted its natural deep red color. Aura Twisting
was a rare talent I was born with and taught to hone by my mentor. Auras were
the projected soul of a person; those with the talent of Aura Twisting could
see these projections as colors. Each person's was different - like fingerprints.
Twisting her aura would allow her immune system to fight off the illness infinitely
faster than she would have originally. It basically speeded up the course of
the illness, and turned any potential for recovery to turn deadly away.
She woke suddenly. "Hello," I said to her, smiling.
"Wow - I'm all better! Thank you Amita!" she
exclaimed and hugged me.
I darted to my room and returned to Firne with
Hollywort and Brindleweed.
"Soak the Hollywort in hot water, and serve
the liquid to her with a bit of honey as a tea. This will help her fever. Grind
the Brindleweed up and serve a teaspoon in her meals or dissolved in a drink,
but don't feed too much, which can be toxic."
Firne thanked me, I wished them the best, and
I was off finally for my morning walk.
* * *
"I'm so surprised that they just came to me - I would have thought they would
have gone to that healer... what's his name? Iodra? In the next village over..."
I sipped my honey tea lightly, savoring the warm, sweet liquid as it slipped
down my throat.
Rain roared its anger outside the little hut,
and the walls shook so much that I was afraid they would fall. However, they
had stood years of these common forest storms, and they weren't about to give
in to the howling wind now. Thunder cracked and vibrated the whole house, lighting
up everything in a blinding flash. Inside the hut however, fire blazed in the
fireplace and warmth and comfort laced through the atmosphere.
Elder looked at me appraisingly, his eyebrows
raised. "And why would you think that? You know the twins have even come to
me with your stories - I'm not sure you know quite how much they idolize you.
You're the older male companionship they needed - the older brother and father
figure."
I shook my head. "Even if they had told Firne
of my herbs, why did she trust me to heal Wahre? She doesn't know me very well…"
I trailed off.
Elder smiled. "Ah, but she knows you through
the twins, and so she knows you very well." He gulped down the rest of his tea
and stood. I quickly followed and bowed my head.
"Thank you for the tea Elder, and for talking
with me."
"Anytime, my friend, anytime." And with that,
I walked gently out of the house.
Rain instantly poured down my back, refreshing
me. Rivulets of water streamed through my fur, and I laughed and ran with the
rain. Over the past week, I felt the amulet's effect lessen more and more with
each day. Its smoldering rage that I was free was evident, but I didn't care.
It no longer had any power over me, and I was free of it. I hadn't realized
how happy the world could be, how much joy there was, or even how much a simple
shower could refresh.
'How can people live with this freedom and still
be upset?' I marveled, racing with the rain.
* * *
In addition to the amulet's agony lifting, I had proceeded to make several
friends of the natives. People all over waved to me as I passed, and I became
known as the unofficial village healer. I knew almost everybody's name, as I
had healed over half of the people in the village. I refused to charge, though
many had insisted giving money. Knowing better than insulting them by refusing,
I accepted reluctantly, though I could now earn a living for myself instead
of relying on Firne's gracious generosity.
One day I was in my room, writing in my journal
about the day, when came a frantic knock on my door. "Please help!" came a tearful
voice.
I ran to open the door, and no later a child
ran in, carrying what was known as a "Bluna" - a rare Tyrannian petpet. I had
seen this pair in the marketplace. Now however, the Bluna was near death. As
I investigated further, dipping into his aura, it was evident that he had been
separated from his owner, a Poogle, and stepped on. The Bluna was near death
and would take more than herbs to heal.
Without a word I gently took the Bluna, cleared
my desk, and gently laid him on it. Placing my paws just above him, I mentally
reached toward the magic of the amulet. Upon seizing a strand of power, agony
crept up my mind and the amulet took hold again.
Using the strand of magic I gathered, I used
it to sew up the dying aura of the Bluna However, he continued to get worse
and worse. In utter desperation, I grabbed a handful of the amulet's magic.
Shuddering in anguish and using my mind as a guide, I left my mind and tore
into the Bluna's soul. Now I could see exactly what I was missing and used the
magic to patch him up. However, my mind got warmer, and I realized belatedly
that I had accidently melded my soul and the Bluna's soul with the magic of
the amulet. He and I were now completely connected in a mental bond.
Sighing and wondering what I had done, my mind
returned. I wondered how I was going to tell the Bluna's owner what I had done,
and that he couldn't exactly have his Bluna back without killing me or making
me insane.
The Poogle's eyes shone with relief when the
Bluna curled up normally. However, before I spoke, he said calmly, "The Bluna
is yours now."
Astonished, I blinked. "How could you know what
I have done - you're a child!"
He stared at me, and smiled in a mysterious
manner. Turning, he left the room.
I never saw him again. When I questioned him
to many people, they insisted they had never known him or seen him.
Turning back to the Bluna, I realized he was
staring directly at me. So now looks like we're stuck together. Oh well,
there's worse people to be stuck with - even with that stupid amulet.
His voice rung unfamiliar through my mind, though I had expected telepathy
and wasn't surprised.
You can feel the amulet too? I replied.
For the amulet had taken advantage of the fact that I'd used so much of it's
magic to grab a hold of my conscious again. Despair and fury shivered in my
soul as normally as if I hadn't felt it leave the last few weeks. The amulet's
triumph rung grimly through my mind. A blinding pain built up behind my forehead,
and I shuddered.
Yes I can feel the amulet, though of course it's filtered through you.
And WHO was your owner - that Poogle that just left?
The Bluna shrugged, and I didn't press.
I've got to take a nap, I said wearily, trying to push away from the
amulet, and therefore my very being.
Can't say I blame you… the Bluna mumbled as sleep tugged at me and
I was swallowed by black oblivion.
* * *
When I woke, all the despair and agony greeted me and I groaned. Why, oh WHY
did this have to happen now? I was finally realizing why people loved life and
the amulet had to suck me back into it's world of pain and fear.
A few weeks ago, I had done some serious research
in the great libraries, for this village sported the largest quantity of books
in all of Mystery Island. I had learned many things about the amulet's existence
in the books of prophecy. Its purpose in the world was, hence it's name, to
harness all the lost souls of the world. However, in doing that, the amulet
exacted a price - on the bearer. The bearer was to always feel the suffering
of the lost souls, the hopelessness, agony, despair and pain. To resist and
conquer this effect was very rare, mainly short-lived, and it took incredible
will.
Greetings! said the Bluna cheerfully
in my mind. I don't believe we've been properly introduced. My name is Ice
Shard, though you can just call me Shard.
And I'm Amita, I replied slowly. Nice
to meet you Shard. Sorry I accidentally melded our souls.
Shard gave me an unreadable look, and I felt
a distant I'm not echoing in his mind, though he hadn't said it. I tried
to keep an appalled look off my face, that I'd accidentally read his mind without
his consent.
Don't worry about it - thanks for saving
my life, he replied officially.
I crept out of my bed and started padding out,
while Shard jumped on my back and wrapped himself around my neck.
"Good morning Amita," the twins announced simultaneously.
Giggling at each other, they ran towards me. "What are you doing today?" Wahre
wondered aloud.
I smiled. I felt terrible. Last night I had
only dreamt of the amulet, and had gotten no rest. Exhaustion laced through
my mind.
"I don't know what I was going to do today.
Any suggestions?"
All in all, I had no idea how I got through
the day. Every step was an effort, and I could barely keep my eyelids open.
Wahre and Sohra didn't notice however, and continued taking me to all their
favorite places. I followed, though unusually quiet.
When nightfall came, I wearily took Sohra and
Wahre home.
"Amita! I forgot my flower wreath!" Wahre panicked
suddenly. "I need it!"
"Once I bring you home I'll go back and get
it. You left it by the waterfall right?"
"Right," said Wahre, much relieved. When I got
them home, she hugged me and thanked me profusely.
When I went out again, it was pitch black. Insects
and frogs chirped and peeped in the curtain of night, and the moon shone silver
in the cloudless sky. Being able to see quite well in the dark, I easily found
the paths to the waterfall by the moonlight.
Cute kids, said Shard dryly. He had been
quiet mostly the whole day.
Aren't they? I replied.
However, my pride at the twins soon melted into
fear when I saw what I least wanted to see at the waterfall, holding the flower
wreath. A man - clothed in a jade robe.
To be continued...
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