Blessing Moon

Twenty: Journey to Strelle

Trapped in a daze of bewilderment, Beanni watched Genelle hurry up the stone staircase, her mauve cloak flapped chaotically behind her. She then stopped and looked over her shoulder with a dangerous look in her eyes.

"Follow me!" she barked, making Beanni shake out of her reverie. As Beanni neared the steps she watched the Fiosolim sister disappear through the archway.

When she also got to the top of the stairs, a sleek, yet strong hand, grabbed a handful of blue velvet at Beanni's chest and dragged her to the centre of the circular room above the catacombs. A subtle, white glow lit up Genelle's hand and lit up her eyes as it grew to match the size of her palm. She then, without saying a word, drew on Beanni's chest with her light magic. She drew a large circle, then a thin oval going through it. The light turned orange as it sank in, just as it always did with the family symbol protection spell - Samhun Tealia. She then returned her orb to her pouch and lifted her hands towards Beanni's shoulders, making her flinch.

"Relax, Beanni, I will never hurt you," Genelle said gently, as she draped the teen's dark blue, velvet hood over her messy, auburn curls. "You must trust me, I am your mother."

Hearing those words being said so casually clawed at Beanni's chest. She wasn't ready for that. Her mind began to plummet into deep, dark depths of confusion and despair. Where did she truly belong? Where can she possibly fit in now that her life so far has been nothing but a lie?

Salty tears stung her eyes, causing her vision to blur.

"Pull yourself together!"

Beanni's breath got trapped in her throat and she swallowed hard as she rushed to wipe her wet cheeks.

"We must get going, I want to reach the other gazers as soon as possible."

"Where are they?"

Genelle looked at the teen for a beat, sucked in a deep breath and rolled her eyes.

"Strelle," she answered impatiently. "So we have a fair distance to go." She then grabbed Beanni's wrist and pulled her out of Petra Marbh, closed the Àrdurum wood door with a heavy bang and guided her through Night Forest's trees. No words were exchanged as they navigated the many roots and fluorescent flowers that grew at their feet; they began to glow brighter as twilight shadows began to grow amongst the tree trunks.

They got to the edge of the forest, somehow managing to avoid Luna Lake entirely; this made clear to Beanni that her Fiosolim captor knew Night Forest better than she did, despite her Draoicis-Lus upbringing.

They stood staring at a large, murky field.

"We're not going through Central City?" Beanni asked, her brow pulled into a scowl.

"No, we are following the shore," Genelle responded, pulling on Beanni's wrist again, making her step into the tall grass. However, this time, after only a couple of steps Beanni pulled back and forced Genelle to halt mid-step. "What are you doing?" she snapped.

"We can't go that way! We'll pass Na Dean Oblivi." Beanni could not hold back how horrified she felt at how little this woman seemed to care about Natanstrellean law. Na Dean Oblivi, also known as the Dark One's cave, was only allowed to be visited during Thalla-Noir; any other time of the year all Natanstrellean citizens had to stay clear - a law decreed by Queen Astrid the First herself!

Genelle scoffed, then squeezed her hand tighter around Beanni's wrist, not at all worried about how uncomfortable she was making her.

"We are going this way!" she hissed, the dangerous look returning to her eyes.

Beanni didn't dare say another word after that, she walked alongside the Mauve clad woman through the swishing, tall grass. The cold, salty breeze bit at her cheeks and the tip of her nose as they neared the choppy sea. Before they stepped upon the sandy dunes leading to the beach, they turned northwards and began to make their way towards Na Dean Oblivi.