‘After that she began to take me out regularly and started toteach me how to control the elements myself. I loved it. I quicklybecame addicted to power. I became a storm child. I learnt how todetect storms, how to manipulate them and then how to start them.By the age of sixteen I lived only for storms. I created them andguided them and increased their destructive power with my magic. Inhours I could create a hurricane that would last for days. I musthave killed thousands of innocent people and creatures over theyears.’
‘Then one day I had the feeling that I wanted to go beyondcreating storms. I wanted to be the storm! I wondered if this waspossible and asked Snowbelle and she said that she would pray tothe Lady about it. When I awoke the next day I was bound by thetattoo. It stripped me of all my power. I couldn’t raise or evencontrol a small gust of wind.’
‘I was devastated. I was shocked beyond belief that my motherwould do this to me. I threw temper tantrums and behaved very badlyfor a couple of weeks then went on a hunger strike. In the secondweek of the hunger strike I began getting dreams from the Lady. Atfirst I ignored her but as I got weaker I began to listen. Sheoffered to make me a priestess of hers and give me some druidabilities in return for my obedience.’
‘She said that if I wished to create and control any morestorms I had to learn self-control. This was a totally alienconcept as being a princess I had never in my life had to practiceany self-control. I was an absolute bitch to everyone and theyhated me for it. I started eating again but fought againstself-control for ages until eventually realized that it was invain. The tattoo had robbed me of all my storm abilities andwithout any powers I was nothing.’
‘I finally conceded and as I slowly learnt a littleself-control the Lady rewarded me with simple druid abilities. Oneday a few of years later when I had finally achieved a high levelof self-discipline I had a dream that she would allow me to have mystorm powers back if I could convince a wizard to remove mytattoo.’
‘I immediately sought out a young wizard and offered myself tohim in return for removing the tattoo. He hardly looked at thetattoo, convinced me that he could remove it and wanted paymentbefore he did. He died between my legs before anything happened andI discovered the tattoo was lethal. I was shocked.’
‘Over the next couple of years I sought out other moreexperienced wizards who examined the tattoo more thoroughly anddeclined to help me. They said it was too dangerous. I went alittle crazy. I lost hope. I thought I was doomed to life ofabstinence; I would never regain my storm powers and didn’t want tolive. Snowbelle and Allalanllea became very worried about me andeventually hired a woman mind healer to help me.’
‘She visited me three times and each time I felt better. Iregained my self-esteem and self-confidence. I forgot about why thetattoo was put on and everything about my storm powers. She musthave locked away all those memories. I became obedient to the Ladyand Snowbelle. I became the tame little puppet person that you met.I wandered the jungle, immersed myself in my job and felt a kind ofignorant happiness not knowing what I had lost.’
‘I never knew who the mind healer was until the night we werein the underground safe house together where you showed me imagesof your family. The woman doctor that cured me was your mother. Ittriggered some of my memories to return. I had to get a wizard toremove the tattoo but I couldn’t remember why. I remembered thatthere were conditions on the removal of the tattoo so I fooledmyself into believing that only my true love would be able toremove it and I wanted you to be him.’
‘When you restored my memory a couple of hours ago, youunlocked all the memories that your mother had sealed up. Iremember everything. It’s shocking and embarrassing and even worseI’ve discovered that the tattoo which was supposed to stop theenergy build up, no longer works.
I’ve becomemore powerful and more dangerous. I want to be with you andTigerlilly but I’m not sure what will happen yet. I hope that I cancontrol my emotions. You may have to be very patient with me for awhile.’
‘Judging from what you’ve said and the recent storm I guessthat you’ve got your storm powers back.’ he stated.
‘Tain. I’ve become much more powerful. I am no longer a StormCaller. I am a Tempest. I can be the storm itself. That storm youjust witnessed was me!’ she replied.
‘Wow! That storm was impressive Mandy. It has to be anotherattempt to split us up.
‘Did you have a storm tutor called Katarina?
‘Why yes I did. How did you know ? asked Miranda.
‘The Mentarin in the Felynx body claimed to be her. She saidshe was on our side. She claimed it was her that arranged yourescape and her that led me to you in the dream world and her thatguided me to you here.’
‘I heard that she had died years ago,’ replied Miranda. ‘but Iguess it’s possible that was a story told to everyone when shejoined the Mentarin.’
She said thatthe Dark Lord had a session working on your spirit before she couldget you out. He has read your memories and probably stimulated yourtransformation. Your spirit may well be partly elemental in kindnow.’ he said trying madly to remember anything he knew aboutTempests.
‘Hmmm. You are probably right Tain. Tempests are known to bepetulant, temperamental, violent and malevolent. They are full ofhate and despair. They live to destroy. They don’t get on withpeople even wizards. I don’t want to leave you. I want to be withyou and love you and Tigerlilly but if I become malign anddangerous we may have to part.
I have justdepleted much of my sorcerous power in the storm but as it returnsI am likely
