Story Time

Chapter 15

Meadow

I would never have imagined that we belonged to a place such as this…that I belonged to a place like this. I could feel myself being pulled towards my castle. It was so beautiful. I thought the forest was magical, this castle was otherworldly. The natural colors of the world fit so perfectly together like a simple puzzle piece in an extraordinary game of life.

The castle sat close to a cliff on the other side of a field of wildflowers. Weeping willows randomly littered the field as if the Gods used them as polka dots of beauty. Atop the opposite cliff, where we sat, I took in every detail of my castle, the one that belonged to my real parents. Parents who loved me. The castle was tall, probably 4 stories at least. There we so many different towers decorated in vines, moss, and different forms of shrubbery. You could tell that this castle used to be outstanding before the Darkness took over. What caught my attention the most was the tree that grew seamlessly out of the middle of the castle, taller that any tower. It gave the castle a beautifully shadowed look that felt warm and inviting.

How could all of this belong to me? Could I see myself owning something with such a grand entrance of rolling hills and glorious steps. I was still trying to wrap my head around it when Geilas spoke again.

"Meadow, are you sure you are ready?" She asked.

"Yes, I am sure." My sisters came closer to me as if to share in the news of my 'lineage' like it was their own. Wren grabbed my right hand, while Alda grabbed my left. Ember sat behind me and laid her arm on my shoulder. The comfort of having them all so close eased my anxiety. I took a deep calming breath and let go of any doubts I still had.

"Ok. Here we go. As you all know, I would prefer for questions to be left for the end. This is already tough news to swallow…and a lot of news at that. It's easier to just rip the bandage off and we can go from there." She looked at us each sternly and we nodded our agreement.

"Your parents were both beautiful souls. They were caring and accepting of all. Probably the most kindhearted of them all. They cared deeply for their people. They had quickly gained the favor of their tribes and were revered as the best leaders of the Aarde tribes in all of existence. Big shoes to fill there, young lady." She winked at me.

"Your father was called Callum and he was a Satyr. He was what people referred to as half goat and half man. Satyrs are known for their love music. They would sing and play songs as beautiful as the bird's morning tune. Your dad had a fantastic flute that he would play for hours, bringing birth to the nature around him. It was he who decorated this very field when he found out he would be a father!"

"He would strike joy in the grumpiest of creatures and light a passion so deep in others that they too were inspired by the balance of nature itself. Callum was a marvel indeed! He was a dear friend to many Amazonians."

"Your mother, ah what a magnificent soul she was! She was called Ferria the beauty. Ferria was a forest nymph. She would frolic through this very valley, bringing life to the trees of the forest and she was the protector of the creatures within. She and your father met and created so much beauty here in Bavilan. It was truly a sight to see, them working together to give life to our world around us."

"Actually, where you guys came from, the forest you first entered before we met. That was one of Ferria's first creations. She had a gift like no other, that's for sure. She would breathe life into her surroundings, creating plants and trees no one had ever seen before. Creating that forest is when she realized she had the gift of communication with the trees around her. She really was the inspiration of the Aarde tribes." Geilas trailed off there, lost in her memories once again.

She shook it off and continued. "When your parents met, the kingdom was overjoyed that they would be the new leaders of the tribe. Your mother was the rightful heir, but with your father by her side, they were an unstoppable…and lovable…force of nature. There was not much they could not accomplish. Where Callum brought joy and passion to the Tribes of Aarde, Ferria brought creativity and generous energy. They were quite the pair." She finished.

I waited a few minutes to see if she would continue before, I asked my questions.

"Where they in love? Who chose my name? What did they like to do together? Am I like one of them…or a mixture of them?" I couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Ha ha, I see you are eager to know more about them. I only know so much, but something tells me you will learn more about them in the future. What I do know is yes, they loved each other dearly. They loved their lands equally and you…they loved you unconditionally. I'm unaware who chose you name, but it is customary for the grandparents to pick the name of their child's heir. So, I'm assuming that would be Ferria's parents. I'm not sure what happened to them during the war. Just maybe some of your grandparents are still alive." She states as if she had never thought of this before.

"As for you. I'm going to be honest; I can only pick up on energy and auras. You have yet to ignite the power inside you, so it is hard to get a good reading about what type of being you are. What I can tell you, if you are not a Dryad nor a Satyr, we will figure out what you are together. Once we begin training in a couple days, you will be put into some rough situations. These situations will not only prepare you for what is to come, but they will also assist you with unlocking the power that is within you. We will attempt to preform your Age Rites, and, in that moment, you should all experience your true forms. If the Age Rite is preformed correctly, even without someone from the 6th family, we should all be able to unlock that power within."

"My guess knowing the type of person you have become, it could be a few different being that match the small energy signature you are giving off. Without more information, I don't want to speculate much. It will be pretty amazing finding out what you all could be. We will find out soon sisters, I promise."

I sat there thinking of all the wild possibilities. Could I really be an Elf or a mischievous fairy girl? I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we were here. How could I possibly think to grasp all of this information off of nothing but a good story? Geilas stood up and walked to the edge of the cliff.

"Your parents loved this land. They loved their people, and they adored the life they shared. It is such a shame to see this place in such shambles. I hope you know the task ahead may seem impossible and even unbelievable, but I can guarantee you, none of you will do this alone. There are thousands that are waiting on your return. We will beat this…together…always!"

"This…this is shambles!?" Ember asked. She said it but we were all thinking it.

"Well of course it is! This is a beautiful sight, but no where near as breathtaking as when it was in its prime. When love poured into every plant and creature in the land. It is almost dreary now compared to the glory days." Her voice choked a bit as she fought back tears once again.

"I'm sorry ladies, I just need a few minutes. Would you like to start packing up and heading back? I will tell you about the next castle on the way."

"Oh! Let me make sure to get that rope. I think I'll be in the middle this time guys." Wren almost shouted as she grabbed the rope from Geilas. "Safety is key!" she added.

"I don't think I have ever seen you so worried about safety measures there, Wren." Ember joked with her.

"Yeah, well, you didn't get lost in a dark, quiet, and lonely abyss. Let's just say, I'll be more cautious from now one." She waited for everyone else to take their places on the rope before they all turned to leave.

All but Meadow. Before she followed her group back into the dreary woods, she wanted to lay her eyes on the castle again. She took a deep breath, and something hit her.

"Geilas , wait!" She yelled ahead of everyone.

"The glowing ball of smoke in my trunk…it had a picture in it. The picture was this castle. How…I don't understand. How did it know that this was my castle?"

"That is a Vexter ball, Vex for short. It will show you a path you must follow. It can also show you where you are going. I don't know much about them. The only thing I know is they are sacred to the Aarde people as almost every household has a Vex. That was naturally yours. When we leave this place after your training, we will be heading out to search for the other Keepers. I'm sure they will have more answers to things I cannot answer."

That answer seemed to satisfy everyone, including me. I was just so exhausted at this point. Every time I found out more information, I was left more confused. I needed to take a rest. I remained quite the entire walk back to Geilas' cabin.

The walk didn't take long on the way back. We were all noticeably exhausted and were just ready to go home and shower. When we arrived at Geilas' cabin, she stopped us in our tracks behind a big tree.

"Stay here." She ordered. We were too tired to argue.

She walked to her cabin leisurely only to be greeted by someone they didn't recognize. The pair talked for a few minutes before the stranger left. After a few minutes Geilas signaled for us to come over.

"Sorry about that, guys! That was a messenger. It seems that we finally have answers to why your wards didn't protect you back on Earth. It seems there has been a huge mistake that we must address right away." She hurried us into the house.

"I knew this was all too good to be true." Ember couldn't help but say.

"Oh, you misunderstand…the mistake wasn't to do with you guys. The mistake was that one of your wards is a traitor and they have made their way back to Bavilan somehow. We only have so long before the 5th family finds out that you have made it here. They will stop at nothing to find you." Geilas corrected Ember.

We all looked at each other.

"Sorry ladies, story time is over. Please clean yourselves up. Do not let anyone in this house that is not me. I will be back soon. I must deal with this." She rushed out of the cabin without another word.

"Just who is this traitor?" We were all wondering the same thing.

****************************************

~~~Back on Earth~~~

These girls are more trouble than they are worth! After everything I have done for them, bringing them to the group home…they just up and leave! I know yesterday was Alda's birthday, so I know where they are headed. Someplace I never wanted them to be. Now I have to go and save their ungrateful asses…AGAIN. Wait until I get my hands on them!