I am Number Ten

CHAPTER 6

I take a deep breath. I put the orbs next to the letter and continue digging through. I find something smooth and I pull out the circular stone. It's about the size of my fist and I recognize it from those training sessions with Annie. She used it to spread my Externa all over my body. A lump comes to my throat and I quickly place it next to the other stuff. 

I plunge my hand in again and I pull out something long and black. My memory goes back again to the battle at the hospital, Annie pressed this against my wound and healed it.

"What is that?" Blake asks.

"A healing stone" I answer. "Annie told me it can heal any wound that was inflicted with intent to do harm." I see his confused eyes and simplify it for him. "Basically, it wouldn't  heal you if you cut your arm accidentally."

I reach in and I grasp something smooth and soft. I pull out what looks like some kind of braided rope. It's made of leather and is painted a nice silver colour. It seems to glow when my hand made contact with it. It's about two inches long and 

"What do you think this does?" I ask, examining it from all angles. I try blowing on it and squeezing it in my hand. Nothing happens.

"It looks kind of like a bracelet or something," I say, tying around my wrist. When I do that, the glow stops. Frowning, I untie it and hold it again. Once it's in my grasp, the rope begins to glow again.

"Seems to recognize your touch and does not like to be knotted" Blake observes. 

"I just want to know what it does," I say, slightly frustrated. 

"Could be a whip, like in Indiana Jones. The braiding design  is similar to the one in the movies"

I stand up and squeeze the rope. I give it a swing like I would with a whip. Almost immediately, the rope grows about a foot in length and slashes the chair across the room. The entire thing shines brighter with energy. I pull it back and the chair is slashed completely in half. It's also on fire a bit from the friction and energy that struck it. I rush over a douse the flames with my Coke.

"Holy jeez!" Blake says. "Now that's a weapon of choice!!"

"You said it!" I say and retract it. The whip shrinks back to two inches and I decide to tie it around my wrist anyways for safe keeping. "This thing will be useful against the Mogs," I say with a smile.

I go back into my chest and start searching again.  I pull out something on a chain. It's some kind of pendant. It's shaped like some kind of star or sun or something with edges but it looks like it's been broken in half. I wonder if it broke during the earthquake in Argentina or someone got into my chest and broke it. Then I remembered that nothing can damage the contents of my chest, not even Mogs.  It's blue like the Loralite around my neck. I pull off my pendant and compare the two.  Both seem to shine in the firelight and glow in my touch. Then I notice a hole in the larger talisman. I take the smaller pendant and try to stick it in the hole. It fits perfectly.

Immediately, the necklaces glow brighter than before. The two seem to go together. I can feel the energy radiated from it. I slide it around my neck and the glow becomes brighter against my beating heart.

"Definitely your colour, it matches your eyes." Blake smiles at me.

"It must have been one of the elder's" I say. I proceed to tell Blake about the voice I hear when I activate my pendant. "I think...the elders' spirit is within the pendant and we are only able to contact them when we speak Loric. I think this might strengthen the connection or something but it looks like it was broken in half."

"Let's keep digging," Blake says. I can tell he's eager to see what else is inside my chest.

I get down on my knees and shove my hand down deep. I grab something smooth and pull out a vial of something. It's crystal blue colour and shimmers in my presence. It moves when I touch it and the movements imitate the motions of waves by the seashore.

"Looks water or something," I say. I want to keep digging, so I place it down next to the other tools.

My hand goes in again and I grab at whatever I can find.  I pull out another stone. This one is purple, almost lilac in colouring. It's about the size of my hand and is quite thick. 

"I wonder what this does," I say. I squeeze it and blow. I touch my lips to it and give it a lick. Nothing happens. I try concentrating on it, see if I can activate anything but nothing.

"Maybe I'm not ready yet" I mutter and keep digging. My hand makes contact with something smooth and metal. I pull out something that looks like a tiara. There are tiny blue Loralite stones and Loric symbols engraved in it. I can't believe how beautiful it is and I place it on my head.

"Certainly a fashion statement. " Blake smiles. "You do look like a Loric princess" 

"If there was such a thing" I giggle. 

"You'd be the prettiest of them all."

All of a sudden my vision blurs out for a second. I blink hard and I can see Blake's horrified face. He stumbles backwards

"What?" I ask anxiously.

"Y-you're eyes and t-the crown are glowing."

"My vision is totally screwed up," I say. I stare at the fire and it's all blue light to me. But the fire seems to be radiating energy, and I can see it. I turn over to Blake and I see a different kind of energy radiating from his body. 

"I can see stuff" I gasp. "I think it's energy or ora around the fire and you"  I reach out towards the fire and concentrate really hard. I imagine the energy coming towards me and obeying my command. I can feel it around me and I feel it's movement as I guide the energy from the fire into my hand. It feels like a tiny heartbeat of its own. I will it to become a tiny ball and slowly, it forms in the palm of my hand.

"That is awesome!" Blake says, mesmerized by what he's seeing.

"I can see the energy and control it". I say, creating two smaller balls and juggling them in the air.

"Wonder how this will help you win the war?" Blake asks.

"No idea," I say and I tell the energy to disintegrate into the air.

I hear something outside. It's like a car door slamming or footsteps on the porch.

"What..."

"Shhhhhhh" I cut him off. I stare at the door. I see waves of energy coming from behind it. They seem similar to Blake's, so it must be humans. I can hear their thoughts, they intend to arrest us and more importantly, they're working for the Mogs. One of them is thinking about how cool Mog cannons are. My heart is in my mouth now. I keep my eyes on the door and slowly walk backwards.

I try to put everything back in my chest carefully, not to disturb or draw attention to ourselves. I continue to walk backwards and I manage to find the lock for my chest. I subtly slide it back and latch it. I hear more sounds and the sounds of guns being cocked.

"When I count to three..." I whisper to Blake. "Get ready to hit the floor, I'll explain in a minute."

I count to three in my head and I hear the sound of a cannon being fired up.

"One..." I breathe. "Two...three..."