A sequel to "Floating Stars"
Generations have come and gone in Natanstrelle. The people have been free to live without fear for almost a century, since the light magic's triumph over the darkness. However, hatred still lurks within the land; the Tro...
"Lorren?" Lorrus called up to her, not noticing the change in his son's demeanour. Lorren let out a long calming sigh and slowly sat back down.
"I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself there, your turn Beanni." Lorren gave Beanni an encouraging nod and a shaky smile, before her eyes glanced back towards Dillan, who sat staring at his fidgeting hands that lay in his lap.
Beanni shook her head once she realised that she was staring at her brother. She turned her focus towards her pouch and fumbled for her light orb.
"Erm, I-I wanted to show you all a few of my favourite things," she said as she grew her light orb in her hand. She closed her eyes to help focus her thoughts, then pictured, in her mind's eye, the fountain where she usually met Oz, with its rippling waters and the twinkling golden light that reflected on its surface. She opened her eyes and the scene she just saw in her head was floating in the air before her. "I love the fountain, it's a beautiful and peaceful place, and Strelle fo bhlàth is my favourite flower." A flicker of violet light formed into eight individual teardrop petals that floated in a row. They danced around the fountain in a graceful whirl, then joined together to form a delicate looking eight-pointed, star-shaped flower. "I love my warm jumper," she added, then made thin lines of green light slither through the air and knit together to represent the jumper that was currently hanging up to dry beside the main tent. "I could never part with that jumper, the jumper that keeps me safe, it..."
She suddenly went quiet as her mind slipped to a place that she had been trying so hard to avoid. A strange echoey sound took over her thoughts.
"Meow..."
"What is that?" she heard Aeron-Lius ask. He sounded distant, his voice muffled as if he was speaking underwater. Beanni blinked her eyes and focused on her light projection, and there standing on the edge of the fountain was a black and white furry creature.
"T-that is a... that's a..." A sudden wave of anxiety grabbed her and in a flustered panic she drew the light magic back into her light orb and with chaotic movement, she struggled to get it back into her pouch.
"Here, let me help you," Oslac offered gently, as Lorrus made his way around the campfire towards her. With Oslac's assistance she managed to get the orb back into her pouch and she let out a shaky sigh as she felt her father's arm hug around her.
"You're okay, you're safe," he whispered over her, and rocked her back and forth.
For a while all that could be heard within the camp was the sound of the gentle breeze, and the subtle crackle of the fire.
"So," Lorren's voice cut through the thick silence. "Who is ready for hot cocoa?"
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That night as Beanni rested her head upon her pillow, she fought to quieten the thoughts that plagued her sleep-hungry mind. Everytime she closed her eyes she saw Genelle's intimidating glare, the choking eternal smoke and visions of the strange world that she was forced to learn about. These were memories that filled her heart with dread, that made her feel like she was back in that terrible place. Ever since the last dose of sleeping potion wore off she'd longed for another, just so her thoughts would be silenced for one more night.
