I stuck out my hand, and a small flame jumped off the fire in the hearth and land squarely in my palm. I expected the shock of a burn, but instead, I got a friendly feeling, as if the little flame was excited. It was warm, but not at all hot. It danced across my hand and left a small tingling sensation in its wake.
“This flame is a key to your power. Nurture it, feed it, allow it to grow. Use it when necessary. However, you must never let it go out. For once it dies, you will die. You will die, and take me with you. And that would unleash the souls of the damned to ravage your world.”
“Wait, you didn’t mention that part!” Talk about upping the stakes. As if keeping the source of magic in the world weren’t enough. Now, I’m the only thing that can avert an apocalyptic catastrophe. Hello? Too much responsibility! I don’t even like having the gas bill in my name.
The little flame jumped in my hand, almost as though it shared my indignation. “Well, now you have a little extra motivation,” the Morrigan quipped, a feral mischief in her grin. “You understand what’s at stake, which is good. I know you’ve got sharp wits under that ‘every girl’ veneer. So use them.”
“I get it, I get it, I made a dumb decision,” I grumbled. The flame in my hand seemed to curl a bit. Stop doing things to get my attention, little guy, I’m trying to have a serious conversation! I leaned back into the chair letting my head fall back as I stared into the rafters.
Once again, the Morrigan cackled her crow-like laugh. “Very well then! Master yourself, and your magic. You’ll find you have more power over your situation than you think.”
“Great. So what now? Is little Zippo here going to stop this Darkness from killing me and unleashing an apocalypse?”
Then, I felt her warm hand meet mine. “Open your eyes and seek the truth. Only then will you be able to defeat them,” she said cryptically (and bullshitily). But it wasn’t her words that mattered. The sincerity in her voice, and the honesty in her eyes, made me believe her. “You are strong, brave, and smart. Do not fear what you do not know.”
“That’s the thing, I feel like I don’t know anything.”
“The time for our meeting draws to a close. Remember, even if I am not physically beside you, I am with you, within you, at all times. If you feel lost, look to the skies. A messenger will arrive, and I will help you through that messenger.”
“No, I have so many more questions—” I began to say.
“Another time little bird, another time,” the Morrigan whispered before flicking her wrist.
Howling gusts of wind blew open the windows and doors, the fire in front of me went out, and darkness took over. I barely had time to yelp before the ground dropped out beneath me, and I began to fall into blackness. My body started to twirl and jerk. Falling. Falling...
I looked around, hoping to grab on to something – anything. My throat constricted, and I could hardly breathe. I closed my eyes and readied myself for the impact that I knew was coming. Soon, the world of dreams dissolved into nothingness, as it did even at the end of my most bizarre dream yet.
Wake Up and Shape Up
- Keira -
Slowly I began to wake up, no longer falling, but safe in the comforts of my bedroom at Cóis Dara, the house beside the oak tree. Bits and pieces of the strange dream vision clung to me. It left me feeling low and wobbly, but still present. I didn’t just remember my dream meeting with the Morrigan. This time, I knew it was real.
Once I began to take in my surroundings, I sat up. I was startled by a very loud and deep bark, as a big ball of black fur leaped off the bed. In a flash of panic, I jumped down and scrambled toward the door – where I crashed into a warm body.
“Ah, you’re awake,” Brann said.
“There’s a dog in my room!” I yelled, trying my best to get between Brann and the large fur ball.
“He’s mine,” Brann answered. “Dante, sit!” Instantly the dog obeyed. “Dante was worried about you. Wouldn’t leave your side, but you shouldn’t be running around.”
True enough, as just then my legs gave out. Brann swiftly caught me, and lifted me back into bed. “I’ll grab you something to drink. Stay there.” He turned to Dante, with the same tone. “Up!” Dante leapt up onto the bed. “Guard!” The giant dog laid down between door and myself.
I rubbed Dante’s head, whispering “Sorry, you scared me.” Dante licked my arm and laid his head down. I pulled the blankets around me, and rolled up into a blanket burrito. I was already dozing off again, but inside my mind, the flame was hopping up and down, excited about something. What is it, little guy? Someone fall in a well? Or are you just glad to be alive? I shrugged off the little flame’s antics and drifted back to sleep...
As my next bout of consciousness dawned, I heard two low voices rumbling outside my bedroom. I couldn’t make out their words, but the voices belonged to Brann and Orin. My eyes were closed, but the sensation of somebody moving around on the bed jarred them open. Something wet and cold pushed into my neck. Dante’s dog nose. “Couldn’t let me listen a little bit longer, could you?” As I gave the dog a gentle rub on the head, a feeling of Deja vu sank in.
