Chapter 4: Andy's doppelganger

Andy walked closer to the book which was finally open. The book had been laid to rest, ancient writings and pictures fully displayed on these slightly brown-colored pages. She carefully looked at the page that the book had opened itself like it had reasons for pointing out to that page. Her expectations of finding reasons for her lack of abilities, like every villager possessed, and possible solutions were almost jammed. On the left page of this book, she saw a sketch of an adult human with a wolf, and on the right page, she saw a sketch of a child and a rabbit. There were certain writings on the pages, right next to the sketches she had seen earlier. She looked carefully at the writings and recalled where she had seen them before. After a while, she realized that they were the same writings she had decrypted earlier in the third hurdle, the hurdle with illusions.

"These writings again" Rosa pointed out, as she stared at Andy, who was staring at the writings and trying to understand how she had decrypted it earlier since she had no knowledge of their ancient writings.

"Think you can work it out again?" Derrick asked as they all stood around the altar and looked at the book with her

"I don't know. I don't even know how I got to understand them in the first place" Andy said looking confused

"Well, you decrypted it so that means you still can just focus," Derrick said as he held her right palm and then slowly let go.

"You can do it" he reassured her

"Every human has an Animas" she started "Submissive and linked to their master, every Animas served as a guardian and protector to their human masters and could share and tap limited abilities from their masters when granted permission. These animas picked their masters themselves..." Andy read as she flipped to the next page, reading with so much confidence and no glitches, like she knew the writings down to the core.

"... during the coming of age ceremony, which was the last day of the year. The queen and the elders held this ceremony every year" Andy read as she stared at the picture of the last queen, centuries ago. The image stunned her.

"She looks like...you Andy," Derrick said as Rosa stared at the picture again

"She does" Rosa concurred.

Andy paused for a while and slowly read the words written underneath her doppelganger's sketch, as she used one of her fingers to scroll through the words.

"Queen Andrea, the ruler of Eldora, possessed great powers but died without them" Andy read out as she noticed the other pages were blank and some seemed to have been ripped out of the book.

"There's nothing more" said Rosa, who didn't notice the ripped pages and felt that there was something more the book needed to have.

"It's ripped" Andy said pointing out to the ripped part of the book.

"Why would someone rip it out?"

"I have no idea" Andy said as she touched the edge of the book and it caused another impact. She was more balanced this time and was able to obstruct the force that came from the book's angle. The impact caused the book to open up a different page. As they looked closer, they saw a bold symbol and afterward the book was shut with force. However, Andy picked up the book and put it in a medium-sized leather bag that she had tagged along with while trying to make sure another impact wasn't caused.

"Andy...Andy" a still voice called out to Andy. The voice sounded familiar. it was the same voice that she heard earlier, that led to the findings of the cave.

"Did you both hear that?" Andy asked both her friends but got a negative reply and confused-looking friends staring at her.

"Hear what?" one of them asked.

"Andy" the voice whispered again

"The time is ticking, clouds are changing, it's our own season there's more that needs finding" the voice said again before it fell totally silent, as they made their way out of the cave.

"What happened down there, Andy? What's going on?" asked a concerned Derrick immediately they got out of the cave and found a place to rest for a while before heading home.

"I heard that voice again" she replied

"The one that got us to go down there?" asked Rosa.

"Yes" she nodded "And it left another riddle"

"What did it say?" Derrick asked.

"Well..it said, the time is ticking and clouds are changing, it's our own season, there's more that needs finding" she replied to Derrick's question

"What does that mean?" one of them asked

"I don't know, I don't know. I don't even have the slightest idea what it means, but I need to find out"

"Don't you think you need to skip this one? Maybe it's not your path to take?" Derrick asked as signs of how worried he was about her showed all over his face.

"I doubt that" she said "I mean, we had a queen that looks exactly like me and yet the highest rulers we know are the elders. I want to know why, and why I look just like her. Why do I keep hearing these voices no one else can. Why does this voice know my name. I need to know a whole lot.

"So the riddle says time is ticking?" Rosa asked rhetorically "I thought only clocks could do the ticking?"

"I do not know what to make of this riddle, but anyway, my brother's coming of age ceremony's tomorrow, y'all coming?" Rosa asked her friends if they'd come to the ceremony.

"You guys can go" sadly, Andy replied. The annual coming-of-age ceremony was one of the most painful and annoying days in Andy's life. It was a constant reminder of her being non-gifted.

"Hey..." both her friends said as they held onto her shoulders

"...it's okay. You don't have to come if you don't want to, we won't judge" Rosa pointed out

"And besides, it's just one day, it's not like you're staying away for an entire season. We understand if you don't want to attend" Derrick stretched his words a little longer to help Andy feel less pained.

"That's it" Andy said as she stood up from the boulder she had been sitting on for a while.

"What's what?" curiously Derrick asked.

"The queen was Eldoran right?" Andy asked anonymously, not entirely expecting a reply.

"Yeeeesss" Rosa stressed the yes, showing how confused she was.

"The riddle said, it's our own season..." She pointed out, hoping they caught on to the point she was trying to make at the moment.

"The coming of age ceremony," Derrick said as he snapped his fingers to let her know that he recognized the point she was trying to make.

"Exactly" Excitement crawled out of Andy's eyes once she felt understood.

"But...the ticking of time, it still doesn't make sense" he added afterwards.

"Only clocks tick guys!" Rosa yelled "The voice lady or man, whatever it is, it still doesn't change how dumb it is"

"it isn't and maybe you're right" Andy said with conviction.

"I am?" feeling doubtful, Rosa asked.

"The ceremonial ground is close to the biggest and oldest clock in the village. it's probably centuries old, maybe even existed during Queen Andrea's time"

"You think that's what she meant?" Derrick asked, with so much uncertainty in his voice

"I'm not sure yet, but whatever it is that needs finding, has to be found during the ceremony "

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

" Your daughter's an anomaly and you know it!" Stefan, one of the elders, yelled at Raphael.

Apparently, all the elders had called a unanimous meeting and told Raphael that it was compulsory and not just mandatory, that he should be in attendance, as it was a case that concerned him. When he arrived, they all just stared at him, most of them showed disgust.

Few of the elders looked extremely old. They had lived for centuries, watching the new generations of elders grow. This was because they had been blessed with immortality while the rest were younger.

Raphael was placed in the center of the conference room, where the elders usually gathered for each topic they needed to discuss. The conference room was round, with all the elders' throne chairs above the ground level.

"What are your plans, for your daughter, Raphael? As this has never been heard of" another elder, though much younger, asked.

"There's nothing he can do and nothing that can be done, the fortune teller said so!" Another elder yelled, as all the elders started talking among themselves, with their voices getting louder after a split second, causing the room to be noise-filled.

"Silence!" Jacob, the oldest of them all yelled with command, as the room fell silent afterward.

"Speak Raphael" he compelled

"Andy's still a teenager, I would suggest we wait a little longer before passing judgment on my daughter..." he said

"...and if I recall properly, my daughter's not the first person who's gone through the coming of age ceremony without getting their abilities." he continued

"Stefan..." he called out, not expecting any kind of response, as he turned to Stefan in his throne chair "...it took your son, Ramiro, six more months before his psychic abilities kicked in" "and it happened to the kid too, and yours, and yours" he said as he pointed to each elder he was referring to.

"All I'm asking for is a little more time. Please tamper judgment with mercy and patience" he concluded, as the elders talked amongst themselves again, this time with their voices a little lower.

"Until the coming of age ceremony is done. This meeting is adjourned and decisions will be made in the next meeting" Jacob said as he ended the meeting.