A time and place for mag.., p.11
A Time and Place for Magic, page 11
Rachel arrived the next day as they were packing up Gordon’s pickup truck. She stepped out of her SUV, tired and stiff from the long drive. Still, she ran to Jade, picking her up in an immense hug while they laughed playfully at each other. Riley and the twins came out to see what was going on. After reminding Riley to hide her ears outside of the house, Jade reacquainted Riley and introduced the twins to Rachel.
The sisters arrived shortly after, with their frizzy red hair bobbing about as they entered Jade’s air-conditioned home. Lily and Roman stood at the front door saying their goodbyes to Xavier and Tasha, Lily gave each of them a lingering hug with a bag of their favorite snacks for the road while Roman quietly slipped money and a protective totem into their other hands. He kissed them each on their forehead whispering to them. Jade could sense the power of it and wondered how it was that she had not noticed even a hint of their magic before. Maybe they were truly that gifted at disguising it. At that moment she felt fortunate to have them as her friends.
Jade stood with Gordon and Rachel in their front room for the last time, hugging the sister’s goodbye. Even though the sisters would follow later, they had a sadness in their eyes that Jade didn’t understand. Not knowing how to respond, she hugged them again one last time and left, not looking back or waving goodbye.
Chapter 16 – The Barren Land
It started to rain as they left. The road ahead became a blur of water on the windshield. The air conditioning ran for hours until the outside temperature dropped. Then, with the warm air from the heater blowing on them and the dim sound of the radio drumming in the background, the teenagers fell asleep fresh off their sugar highs. Gordon led, with his truck out front as Lightfoot and Jade followed. They were a small, lonely caravan, with Rachel taking up the rear in her SUV. They travelled like this for two days all the way to their destination.
The heat intensified as they neared Phoenix, but a few hours later, they found some relief arriving in Sedona valley. The heavy traffic confirmed that the tourist season was in full swing, months earlier than it used to. They made their way to the same campgrounds where they’d stayed all those years ago but were disappointed to find only a low-lying spot farther away from the hill still available. Fortunately, the hiking trails were still accessible.
They unpacked that afternoon and set up camp for the night. They would make the hike to the Wall in the morning. Before dark, Rachel and Gordon took trips with the vehicles to a long-term parking lot, catching a ride back to the campground when the last vehicle was parked. They all hoped that they would return soon enough to avoid having their vehicles impounded.
They awoke early the next morning. Even Riley and her friends didn’t sleep in. Riley knew this place well. She had camped in several of the adjoining campsites before. Over the years this had become a second home of sorts where she could visit her mom. She knew that she was different, that her whole life was unusual, and maybe that is why she was drawn to those who were also outsiders, like the children of the Dark Lord. She didn’t see them as spawn from the Great Curse. Neither their power nor their very existence was their fault and like herself she believed they were free to choose who and what they wanted to be.
Riley held out some string cheese to Xavier who gently peeled off a section with precision. His brown complexion was nearly perfect except for some minor acne on his cheeks which he cleverly smoothed away with concealer. His broad nose and wide set eyes gave her the impression he could see everything. He was very quick witted and rarely let an opportunity to prove it, pass him by. His hair was trimmed short and constantly complained how nappy it felt when he let it get even a little bit longer than it was. He was her sentinel. He kept her on her toes, always quick to point out when she wasn’t at the top of her game but the first to defend her if anyone dared insult her.
Riley turned and offered the remaining cheese to Tasha who finished it in two bites. She stood at just about Riley’s height but was so much more woman. Tasha had developed at a much younger age than Riley and yet Tasha hid her blossoming, womanly figure with baggy clothes and a slight forward slouch. Her eyes were dark and glittery as if she were on the verge of causing trouble. She held her jaw to the side, giving the impression she was holding back a joke for just the right moment. Her long hair she kept in two braids running down her back. Her skin was slightly darker than her brother’s and she was naturally beautiful, with high cheekbones and curves in all the right places. Riley imagined it would be only a matter of time until the right guy figured out what she was hiding.
Riley trusted them both with her secrets. If there was anyone in the world with enough dirt to bury her, it was Xavier and Tasha. Fortunately, they confided in her as well, which left her with enough ammunition of her own not to feel threatened.
They packed up camp and made their way up the trail, single file as the morning sun began to bake the rocks and rust colored earth. Riley and the twins hiked behind Jade and giggled at all the little plants that sprouted as she walked. A tree branch or bush would occasionally reach out for her, and trails of butterflies and insects flew behind her. Even the small ground squirrels stopped to watch as if royalty were passing by. Jade didn’t seem to notice any of the attention which worried Riley. She wondered to herself what might be bothering Jade so much. Had the sisters said something to her about the future?
The heat was still manageable when they arrived at the gate. Miranda stood before them, seeming to hover in mid-air through a zigzag opening. She radiated a blue light, like the color of the sky with no clouds. There was always something of an omniscient feeling about her to Riley, but even so, she was still just her mom. She ran to her before anyone else and threw her arms around her legs. Miranda climbed down onto the ground and gave Riley a proper hug.
Gordon’s heart leapt at the sight of Miranda. Her beautiful hair hung down around her shoulders in loose curls. Her eyes found his and the sheer joy that coursed through him made all of his sadness and anger disappear. He held back as everyone had a chance to say hello and introductions were made to the twins. Then he walked up to her and hugged her tight.
“I’ve missed you my love.”
Miranda hugged him back for just a moment. His pain and life’s unfairness to them both were not lost on her. She felt it every time he visited. She desperately wanted to tell him how much she loved him but knew better. She’d made that mistake before. She pulled away from him, hiding her eyes and instead started giving them all instructions on the journey ahead.
“Once you cross through the gate, you must make your way to the northeast. Follow the riverbed for two weeks which will take you to Lightfoot’s people in the mountain valley. You must convince them to help you rescue your brother, Riley,” she said, turning towards her. “Lightfoot will help you.”
“But how will I find my brother? I don’t even know where to look.”
Miranda said, “Raspiria will guide you in this.”
Her eyes glazed over for a moment and refocused. Riley knew from experience, that Raspiria was looking back at her with a subtle smile that Miranda never made. She still longed to know what her mother had been like, to see her in person. She wanted to know and be with another of her kind. More than anything she wanted to understand who she was.
Raspira didn’t speak but flooded her mind with a waterfall of images, instructions and unfamiliar magic. The one image that she held onto was that of her father and other Elves, lost in a kind of gray space. Raspiria had done this to them and now she was asking her to fix it. There was so much information that her mind was having problems understanding all of it. She had questions but knew that time was limited. She sensed that this was to be a one-way street. Raspiria kept feeding her a steady stream of details. She was determined to give her daughter all that she would need to survive the coming challenges and in the same instance tried to reassure her it would all make sense with time.
Once Raspiria finished, Miranda resurfaced and again spoke to the group gathered about her.
“You must travel quickly. Even though the Dark Lord is gathered with most of his army in the lowlands, there are still scouts that once alerted to your presence, will bring others. You must avoid even one of them if you are to make it to the mountain valley safely.”
Miranda took a deep breath.
“I love each of you and I will do my best to watch over and protect you where I can. I leave you with a gift.”
Miranda stood to the side motioning for them to walk through the gate. Lightfoot led the way and as he approached, she held her forefinger and thumb to her head and pulled a glowing blue string of power which she attached to Lightfoot’s forehead.
“With this connection you can call on me day or night.”
Lightfoot bowed his head to her. The others followed and Miranda connected the blue string of energy to each of them. Gordon brought up the rear and Miranda kissed him sweetly as she attached the blue string to his forehead. Staring into his eyes something inside of her gave way and she whispered to him.
“I will always love you Gordon. Please find our son and bring our family home.”
Jade followed Rachel through to the opposite side of the gate and entered Athra. The moment Jade stepped through; she felt an inexplicable change inside her. The gate itself was like passing through a warm fog but this was something more than just a sensation. She glanced down at her arms and hands and noticed a green hue on them. Riley was looking at her strangely and then Lightfoot turned to see why the group had stopped. Soon all of them surrounded Jade, asking her if she felt okay.
“I feel fine everyone. I think maybe something in the gate changed my skin, but I feel great actually.”
Despite their concern over Jade’s new skin tone, they started their journey hiking through blackened hills and flatlands. The group followed a nearly empty riverbed that was so wide they could barely make out the other side. It had once been an enormous river but now the closest thing to life around here was the brackish stream that flowed at its distant center.
Jade lamented what remained of the few darkened tree stumps and the desiccated soil everywhere she looked. It was as if the very essence of life had been sucked from everything. She stopped for a moment and placed her hand on the ground, listening, feeling her way into the earth below. It wasn’t a complete loss. There were still dormant seeds, and other life that could be brought back. She sent some of her own life force down into the ground and she sensed a quickening. A few seeds burst from their pods and some worms hatched along with other small bugs. Jade smiled to herself. It was life, and because of her, it was a small beginning of a renewal in this forsaken wasteland.
She resumed walking and as she went, she did her best to feed a little energy into the seeds and insect eggs she sensed as they passed. With Lightfoot scouting ahead of the group, Gordon, Rachel, Riley and the twins all watched as little sprouts began to shoot up all around them. A few flying insects trailed behind the group but left them untouched.
When they took a break for lunch, Jade insisted on stopping near a curve in the riverbed so they would be close to the little stream as it swayed to their side of the old riverbank. She planted an Oak seed behind them. On the other side she planted a small collection of fruiting vines. When she finished, she focused her energy on her seeds, helping them grow. By the time the melons and tomatoes were ripe, the Oak tree behind them had grown to the height of a house. This of course didn’t go unnoticed.
“Jade, I don’t think this is what Miranda meant by being careful not to be seen,” Lightfoot said, looking directly at the tree.
Suddenly realizing the danger she’d put them in, she replied, “Oh no, you are right! I completely got caught up in the moment. We should pack up and go.”
From then on, Jade was more cautious. She still awakened what she could in the soil but let nature take its time with the rest. Although the remainder of the day was uneventful, the following day Jade grew concerned when Lightfoot made several course changes away from the riverbed. At one point he stopped suddenly instructing everyone to hide down against the riverbank, which turned out to have been a very close call. It became more obvious that her plants had attracted unwanted attention, but somehow, Lightfoot kept them safe.
That night they camped without a fire, but Jade still grew more melons and tomatoes while Gordon shared some of his jerky. Jade was surprised that she wasn’t hungry. After such an arduous trek she should have been ravenous. She forced herself to nibble on some honeydew and felt satisfied after only a little bit. Fortunately, the others were too busy satiating their own hunger to notice the lack of her own.
While they finished their meals, Jade grew some aloe vera which she applied generously to all of their skins and blistered feet. The exception being Riley who seemed to never burn.
The next day Jade awoke to find little tendrils growing from her skin, reaching for the soil. She ripped them out in alarm and kept silent while she grew breakfast for the group. Rachel was the first to notice the strange spots on her skin where the tendrils had been and the odd texture of her brown, bumpy nails. The group listened curiously as Rachel confronted Jade about it.
Jade explained, “Something is happening to me. I can’t control it and I can’t stop it.”
There was a hint of panic in her voice. The twins, who to this point had remained calm and collected, started talking about going back, arguing that Miranda might be able to help Jade. The anxiety in their voices was infectious to the others. Lightfoot stood up and attempted to calm fears.
“No, we’re not turning around. Miranda can still help us even all the way out here.” He said, closing his eyes and reaching out to Miranda.
He called her name out loud and she answered in all of their minds, “I am here for you. Tell me what I can do.”
He proceeded to tell her what Jade had experienced since they left the gate. Miranda remained silent until he finished. Then filling all their minds with her voice, she said, “Jade, you are nearing the beginning of your transformation. Like all Gaias, you are about to fulfill your destiny. You must get as close to the mountain as you can before your change is complete. You will know when the time is near.”
Lightfoot replied to Miranda, while the group listened. “What transformation? What is her destiny?”
Miranda’s voice sounded hesitant. “Have you ever been to the Amazon Rainforest?” Before he could answer, she continued. “It was created by a Green Mother. Jade is more powerful still. When Raspiria awakened our talents, she gave us elven magic not realizing how it would affect our own gifts. The two magics combined, making us more powerful than she had anticipated. Jade’s transformation will be hers alone. It will be dangerous to be near her during her final moments. Get her as close to the mountain as quickly as you can. Time is against you now.”
Lightfoot stood still for a moment and let out a long steady exhale as Miranda finished. The sweat ran down his back sticking to his shirt and the dry air made his lungs work harder. He moved closer to Jade gently taking her hands, “I will do all I can to get you close to the mountain of my people before your change.”
His efforts at reassuring her were sweet but did little to comfort her. Understanding flowed through Jade along with Miranda’s voice. “Don’t be afraid my friend. You are about to become the butterfly I always knew you were. You will give life to a dead world and reshape it in your image.”
“But I am afraid, Miranda. I don’t know how to control this, and I can feel it taking over.”
Miranda replied in the most soothing tone she could. “When you saw me dying, you held my hand. You were there when they put me in the wall and my life was remade. I will be there to hold your hand. Don’t be afraid to let go when the time comes. I will be there for you.”
Rachel and Gordon packed up camp as quickly as they could, while Lightfoot scouted their path ahead. They were desperate to get the group going and cover as much distance as they could but by early afternoon Jade was completely exhausted. Her muscles had become too stiff, and while she was strong, she was no longer fast.
Lightfoot spoke with Gordon privately. Jade watched the exchange of words taking place across from her while she lay under the shade of their makeshift lean-to. After a few minutes they spoke to the group and informed them that Lightfoot was going to go on ahead and try to get help. With only a single goodbye to Jade, he leapt into the air transforming into the small, gold dragon he had been during their battle with the Dark Lord's armies. He flew low but quickly in the direction of the source of the dry riverbed.
They took frequent breaks the rest of the afternoon but covered only a few miles. They were easy targets at this point, and they all knew it. They looked to the skies frequently for any sign of Lightfoot, but night came and still there was nothing. Gordon and Rachel grew more worried, while Riley was still trying to convince the twins why they shouldn’t turn around. Only Riley’s insistence kept them from turning back. Gordon finally reached out to Miranda to see if she could sense Lightfoot. She was quick to confirm he was alive, and that help was on its way.
In the early morning hours before dawn, a gust swept through the camp waking those that had managed to fall asleep. A dark shape descended from the sky; the smell of smoke arrived with it. Gordon, expecting to see Lightfoot, was alarmed when instead a much larger, red dragon landed on the outskirts of their camp. Rachel immediately assumed a defensive stance ready to fight. Then Miranda’s reassuring voice came to her mind telling her it was a member of Lightfoot’s tribe, and he was there to take them the rest of the way.
