Blessing Moon

Seven: Prince Oslac

Beanni's eyes glittered with the light that danced at the front of the history classroom.

"Now, what you are about to see is a scene that Luchinda Fiosolim, Queen Astrid the first's royal advisor and aunt, recorded from her own memory and stored in this very box," the history teacher informed her students, then turned towards the tiny wooden box sitting on her desk. She slid a decorated, silver key into its lock with a click that resonated within the quiet room. The lid opened and a tiny glimmer of violet light shone its way out of its humble prison and joined the white light that resembled swirling smoke in the air. It then proceeded to stretch and transform into what Luchinda Fiosolim had once seen. The tiny light managed to expand and take the shape of countless trees and a cloaked girl walking between them.

"According to Luchinda Fiosolim, this is what she had seen one day whilst smoke-gazing. She saw Astrid the first herself on the day she woke up in the non-magical realm with no memory of her life in Natanstrelle." The teacher's eyes reflected the light that was performing in front of her as she spoke. She then blinked and turned towards her mesmerised students. "Can anyone tell me who found her that day?"

"Her father, Jameh-Lius Fiosolim," a boy sitting behind Beanni answered after just one beat.

"That's right, Ken," Nani Fiosolim nodded and glanced back at the scene. "Now watch as it begins to change."

As soon as those words left her mouth the violet light gathered all the elements suspended in the air to make a close up of, what Beanni guessed to be, Queen Astrid's face. A look of worry and fear plagued her violet eyes and her pink lips trembled. The hushed sound of her laboured breaths filled the otherwise silent room.

"Meow!" The yowl of a cat made Beanni, and others around her, jump. The light display began to dim, the violet eyes darkened to black and with a guttural roar Astrid's mouth opened wide revealing two rows of pointed fangs. A surprised scream took over the room as the light display plunged into darkness.

A hearty chuckle was then heard from the front of the class as a soft white light began to fill the room again.

"I'm sorry everybody, I should have pre warned you, but I couldn't resist," Nani Fiosolim struggled to get her words out through relentless giggles. "It gets students every time!"

She then took in a deep breath through her nose and let it out with a long blow. Beanni glanced towards Lola, her desk partner, with a raised brow.

"Alright, serious now." The giddy teacher managed to compose herself, as she returned the small sliver of violet light back into the wooden box it must always be kept in when not in use. "What you just witnessed was exactly how confusing the smoke could be. To the untrained eye, or to an individual only willing to see darkness, this vision would be misleading to the point of being harmful."

"Then why did the Fiosolim smoke-gaze at all?" Lola piped up with a question that plagued Beanni's thoughts also.

"That's exactly what Astrid the first thought and is the main reason for her banning the practice," Nani Fiosolim answered in her voice of expertise. "She debated with her aunt about the matter for a long time. Luchinda argued that taking away smoke-gazing completely would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater." The teacher glanced across the classroom before sending out another question to the whole student body. "Why did she say that, do you think?"

"Because Illuminare-Trabem spoke through the smoke and you could get revelations from Him as long as you used discernment," Ken answered, making Beanni spin in her seat to look at him.

He seems to know a lot about it, she thought to herself.

"He's a Fiosolim, Nani's son," Lola whispered into her ear, as if the petite Slànacus could read her mind.