Blessing Moon

Twenty-Three: Family Blood Magic

Oslac stood within the tiny room at the top of the tower. The water within the Trabem pool reflected the light of the stars shining through the skylight above it, projecting dancing patterns on the shadowy walls surrounding him. Nervous, he glanced over his shoulder once, twice, three times.

"What? Now you're worried?" he said aloud, then rubbed his hands roughly down his face.

He glanced towards the closed wooden door one more time.

"Nobody is coming!" he scolded himself and turned back to the Trabem pool. "Get on with it!"

He then forced his hand into his pouch and drew out his light orb. Holding it in his shaking left hand, he watched the scarlet ribbon swim and swirl amongst the white and violet magic inside. He was going to find out who his best friend truly was. Soon, he will understand more about her than she knew herself! He let out a long wary breath and stepped forward, held out his light orb over the pool and pinched at its smooth side to grab the scarlet ribbon. It followed his movement with no fight as he drew it out, wiggling like a streamer in a gentle breeze. Oslac let it go and didn't dare to blink as he watched it hit the glassy water. As soon as it was fully submerged, the stillness was taken over by violent choppy waves. The suddenness of it made Oslac stumble back with an involuntary gasp. He caught himself on the stone side of the pool and pulled himself forward again, so that he could view the secrets that the Head of Biabus-Lus' blood would reveal.

The water rippled for only a moment or two then went completely calm again as a scene filled the now graceful, undulating surface. The prince saw a lonely street within a lowly village. The scene was murky under the evening sky, with just a hint of orange, flickering light to help light up the dark silhouettes of the surrounding houses.

"Lucas?" a woman's voice called out, making the vision within the water quickly focus on the woman, who was standing in an open doorway. The warm light from within framed her, highlighting how dark it truly was outside. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk!" Oslac heard a strange echoey voice snap an answer.

"You can't just run every time we have a fight!"

"I'm not running, Lucina..." the echoey voice responded in a calm, but icy tone. Then spelled out in a slow and patronising way, "I - am - going - for - a - walk."

"Lucas, please..."

"Don't wait up."

The vision then snapped away from the woman in the shining doorway and Oslac watched, through Lucas' eyes, him walk away into the darkness without turning back. Lucina called after him, her voice getting fainter and fainter as the Head of Biabus-Lus moved further and further away.

Oslac blinked and suddenly saw a faded reflection of Lucas' face looking back at him. He looked noticeably younger than he did within the cells under Astrid palace, despite the heavy scowl that weighed down his brow.

When the vision moved away from the faint angry face, Oslac quickly recognised where the blood magic's scene had moved to; Lucas was in Central City's nature park, standing beside the fountain, where Oslac would meet Beanni and her brother.

Seeing that familiar place gripped at Oslac's heart, making his bottom lip quiver. He missed her, every second of every day he ached for her. Not knowing where she was, whether he'd ever see her again, relentlessly played on his mind and he couldn't help himself. He hurried to wipe a rogue tear that appeared at his eye and slapped his hand across his cheek.

"Stop being soft!" he hissed. "Focus!"

With a steadying breath he quietened himself so that he would not miss another second of the vision that danced upon the water's surface.