Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 55: The Storm of Isolation

Lonely. That was the best word to describe her punishment. The island was beautiful, it was off the coast of the Islands of Imagi and it was infinitely more spectacular. Callie kept herself busy enough, she had made herself a house and she had been adding things ever since. Now she was alone, she was able to really work on her magic and she wasn't afraid of hurting anyone. But she was terribly lonely. She longed to hear someone's voice or to see their face. She missed human connection, to touch someone or to feel their heartbeat was all she dreamed of. People riddled her thoughts at night, walking in and out, passing by without ever stopping long enough for her to look at them.

She walked along the beach looking for sea shells. She was trying to build a mosaic for her wall in the kitchen in the hopes it would cheer the place up a bit. It was easy to find shells and there were so many beautiful ones with green, blue, turquoise and orange all swirled together in the most fantastic arrangement. Callie was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the place she almost forgot she was alone. But in a second, when she saw her reflection in one of the shells, she realized how desperately singular she was.

She shoved the sea shells into her bag, unceremoniously and stormed off to her house. "Fucking hell!" she shouted. "Fuck! I can't be here anymore. I'm going to go mad. I swear I will. How could anyone not go mad here?" she slammed the bag down onto the table in her home and heard the shells smash inside. Breathing heavily she shoved over a chair and broke it against the wall. She could make all the furniture she had made rise up and burst to splinters in a second and she did. The walls cracked and the roof started to cave in. Callie screamed and suddenly everything went white.

She was standing in the middle of a ruined pile of wood and straw and mud. With a deep breath she closed her eyes and the pile started to rise again and form a house around her. It was the fourth time in the past six days she had made this house.

........................

"Tell Caritas we should be there within the week. Send a letter immediately." she smiled and dismissed the boy in the red jacket. Amelia turned to where her friends and her brother sat across the table from her in the main tent. "I guess I should be referring to him as Lord Bellgarathon."

Outside the wind howled and it shook the tent. Rain hammered down in fat droplets, stacattoing across the fabric. It was the most beautiful storm Amelia had seen in a while, the kind of beauty that is only possessed by a storm.

"Probably a good idea." Jeremy nodded dryly. "By the way, Moira arrives tomorrow. She says Blaxton is doing well up in the North with his new baby boy who is apparently much more like his mother than his father. Which is probably good news for all of us."

"I don't know." Lavender mused. "I sort of like Blaxton."

"Me too." Amelia smiled at her. "But we should think of a plan of some sorts. I've written to Al and he says the lizards are supposedly hiding in the Gentle Woods. So I was thinking I would send you, Jeremy, off with the army in that direction while me , the girls and Oliver talk to Caritas and make things right by him."

"I like that idea." Oliver said, "It covers everything."

"I agree." Jeremy said but was quickly cut off by Lavender.

"I want to stay with the army." She said quickly. "You don't need me to go with you and I want to get to know everyone better."

"Alright." Amelia smiled and conceded. "Done. Lavender stays with the army. But then Moira comes with me."

The bouncy blonde girl beamed in satisfaction and Jeremy visibly cringed but Amelia could not care less.

"Would you all excuse me for a moment? I thought I would get ready for bed and write to Fred." She stood up and the group followed her lead. The girls each kissed Amelia on the cheek before leaving, Jeremy went immediately with no word but Oliver stayed for a moment.

"Amy?"

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking-"

"That's a first."

"Oh my sweet god, shut up or I swear I'm going to hex your eyebrows off."

"Okay, yeup sorry keep going."

"Thanks for your permission." he said sarcastically.

"You are garbage you know that right?"

"Amy."

"Sorry. I'm done teasing. Please tell me what you have to say?"

He looked down at his feet awkwardly and ran a hand though his dark curls. "I don't really know what I'm saying to be honest. I think - I think maybe this isn't the right place for me right now. I mean, I haven't seen my family in such a long time and you've got the girls here and Jeremy and you seem to have everything under control."

There was a stillness between them and she didn't know what to say. "Oliver, darling, I need you here. You're - you're so important-"

"But I'm not, Amy. And I - I can't explain but I need to get away for a bit." he winced as though the words caused him physical harm.

"I don't get what your saying." she shot at him. "What is this?"

"I can't explain it, Amy. I'm sorry. I have to go." he moved towards her but she turned away.

"Then just go." she folded her arms. "If you don't want to be here than I don't want you here."

"Amy-"

"Like you said Oliver, I've got the girls and I'm going to be fine. Just go."

"Please, don't let it be like this." she could hear how close he was to her, if she turned around it would be the easiest thing in the world to kiss him.

"You're making it like this. Not me."

"I'm sorry-"

She took a step forward before turning around, her eyes were blazing. "Just leave Oliver! Stop saying you're sorry! I can do this by myself okay? I'm fine on my own.  I don't need you so just go away if that's really what you want!"

He left that night, in the dark, he went down to the nearest village where a ship lay in the port to take him home. The villagers said the storm was caused by angry gods. They said storms like this only came along when death fell upon young lovers. That night, as Oliver boarded the ship there was a storm, one designed only by divine beings. The ship was fine but in the dead of night, across roaring seas, a boy fell overboard; his dark curls and blue eyes blending with the vicious waves.

Oliver woke up the next day with salt water in his lungs making every breath more painful than the last. His face was covered in sand and so was his hair. He felt shaky and weak, he could barely move and his right arm was definitely broken. He couldn't feel his wand in his pocket anymore. He silently cursed himself for taking that boat. This is what happens when you leave her, dumbass, he thought to himself as he lay in the sand that grew hotter by the minute. Suddenly, standing over him was a beautiful girl. He couldn't tell if he was hallucinating, but in that moment Oliver knew he had seen the face of an angel.