Bloodline of a Tempest

Chapter 15

Nema woke up inside the forest of the cherry trees. The birds were chirping, the sky was clear and the dew on the leaves trembled on the breeze before dropping to the ground. The stream was murmuring in the distance, calling for the deer and the sparrows.

Nema smiled.

Last night, when she fell asleep in this very same place, on one of the ridiculously extravagant chaise lounges the Reflections created for her, there was nothing but night sky above her. The only way Nema could fall asleep was if her arm was hanging down, her fingers lightly touching the glass floor. She could feel the water moving behind the barrier and even though it was tamer now, only making itself heard every once in awhile, it was the only solace Nema found here.

It was odd – a girl who saw the ocean for the first time in her life only a month ago found peace in the sound of the raging sea.

Last night, when she finally closed her eyes there was nothing but glass underneath her and now the gilded frame of the chaise lounges looked like an anomaly in the middle of the forest. Nema was used to finding things the Reflections made for her in the most unusual places. This forest was a kind one and Nema knew she wouldn't mind.

'I found her!' Cay called, pushing his way through the shrubbery.

He was annoyed.

He was always annoyed.

Nema was holding back her smirk until she noticed one of the Reflections standing a bit further away, on the very edge of the forest, just staring. Nema didn't see that one until now. It had a different mask, in color of teal, and unlike the others, it seemed completely confused.

Terra appeared, her smile vibrant. She spun around, spreading her arms wide as she filled her lungs with the scent of the woods. 'We were looking for you for ages,' she said dramatically. 'I love the sea.' She clapped her hands together.

'The sea?' Nema repeated.

'Come,' Terra took her hand, leading the way out of the forest. They walked a bit further until they reached the cliff's edge. A majestic view broke before them. After miles and miles of valleys, framed with rocky mountains from both sides, a blue horizon was stretching into infinity. Nema couldn't believe her eyes.

Aves was sitting on a little hillock, beautiful in the morning light, smiling at hundreds of yellow butterflies dancing around her.

The Reflection was still there, watching from aside.

Nema leaned a bit closer to Terra. 'This one is new.'

Terra smiled. 'This one is here for your hope.'

The Reflection didn't approach, looking like it was lost.

'Oh, so they are polite only when I am not miserable,' she mused. 'So very interesting.'

'I like you when you are in a good mood, little Nema,' Aves called from the hillock. She was now covered in yellow butterflies like in some extravagant costume.

'Really?' Nema frowned.

The Reflection disappeared.

They all turned when Cay smacked his hand to his face. 'You are conditioned to respond to negative emotions.' He explained.

'What?'

'We do not say what, Nema,' Terra corrected her gently.

'You freeze when exposed to positive stimuli.'

'I do not,' Nema said. She had no idea what he just said but it sounded insulting.

Cay drew a long-suffering sigh. 'Nema,' his index finger was poking her in the chest, 'you have to cultivate positive emotions,' he spoke every word slowly.

Nema slapped his finger away. 'Poke me one more time...'

Cay turned to Terra. 'See? See?' He pointed at her skin now covered in blue fluorescent runes. 'It's only anger that draws the power to the surface.'

Terra placed a hand on his shoulder. 'She will be fine, Cay.'

Nema refused to deal with his drama right now. 'I can not believe I am doing this,' Nema said to Terra, pointing at the sea. 'I have no idea how. It is just there when I wake up.'

'When you sleep,' Aves came down from her shrubbery throne, a horde of butterflies following her, 'your powers emerge uninterrupted.'

'But how is that even possible?' She whispered.

Aves smiled at her. 'Your bloodline carries the power of the Old World. Everything is possible for you.'

'The king showed me,' Nema nodded, remembering that warm, comforting feeling she had when she was looking at her family tree.

'Did he now?' Cay said with his arms on his hips. She could not tell was he angry or was he mocking her.

Nema turned her back on him. No one was going to ruin this for her.

'He showed me my family tree,' her eyes lit up. 'So many names. So many names I've never heard before, of people who are my kin. I never knew the names of my parents.' Her voice lowered to a whisper. 'Old Man would not tell me. They were there also - Leola and Numarin.' She spoke the words carefully as if afraid not to ruin their shape. 'And my grandparents and uncles and aunts and so many people who have the same blood as me.'

Nema didn't notice how three mages kept edging away when she wasn't looking.

'They would have loved me if they had known me.' She said. 'They would have. I am their kind. I am finally someone's kind.' Nema grinned before she remembered. 'I forgot to ask for my family name. I'll ask the next time.' Aves and Terra were already past the hillock. 'I saw our family crest. That means we existed hundreds of years before the Unification.' Nema laughed, her heart expanding to the point of pain when she said 'we'.' There were a few students from the senior years who carried old silver claps for the capes with engraved coats of arms. I never understood why it held so much importance. I'd like to have one, now.' Nema paused. 'I know the king wouldn't like it I just...'

When Nema looked around the mages were now almost twenty feet away. Usually, she wasn't one to talk this much. Now she felt silly.

'What is that thing?' She called. The mages were standing behind something that looked like a curved wall made of glass.

Nema was now surrounded by a dozen of the Reflections.

Aves was grinning from ear to ear, gesticulating to Nema to look down at her hands.

There were jets of light shooting from her palms, just like the night when the portal opened.Her entire body was shining as if the sun was burning from her chest. The letters were dancing on her skin and she felt dizzy.

The Reflections seemed frightened.

'Could I have a mirror?' Nema said carefully. 'Please.'

Asking for a mirror was like a final act of rebellion. Old Man didn't allow her to have one and she wasn't allowed inside the castle, so mirrors remained one of the unobtainable luxuries.

A large gilded mirror appeared before her.

'Oh,' Nema shielded her eyes. There was nothing but the glaring light coming from her entire body. She saw the movement when her arm came to her face but that was it.

It felt good. Her blood hummed. It felt as if her feet were not touching the ground anymore.

The same Reflection appeared again. The hope. It still looked lost.

Nema smiled, beckoning it to approach. 'It is all right. You can taste the hope.' She said. 'It is amazing.'

The being appeared beside her, taking off the mask in the color of teal. Before the Reflection pressed it to Nema's face, Nema saw the shapeless mass where the beings's face should have been. She took a deep breath and when the crystal touched her skin the being let out an agonizing cry and disappeared.

Nothing. There was nothing left of it but a pile of gold dust next to Nema's feet.

'What in the... I didn't...' Nema looked about. 'Cay? Cay, what have I done to it?'

The other Reflections disappeared like a flock of frightened birds. Cay took his time to come, perfectly uninterested in what just transpired. Aves, even ever compassionate Terra didn't look like anything unusual happened. In fact, Aves was still smiling.

'Can you... can you do something?' She asked Cay. He shook his head.

'Have I... 'Nema kneeled down. 'Have I killed it?' She looked up to Cay but he was busy examining her runes. Aves was telling something to Terra in low voice. Both women were smiling.

'Hey!' Nema waved. 'Look at me!' she snapped.

'See!' Aves and Terra said as if they were waiting for this exact moment.

'The runes are still there,' Cay said.

'That is a good sign. She can alternate.'Terra said.

'I am not sure,' he turned to them. 'She is alternating purely offensive aggressive with passive defensive. The states should not be mutually excluded.'

Nema was staring at them in disbelief. 'Isn't anyone going to address...'

Cay turned to her, irritated. 'It is fine, Nema. Look,' he came down to one knee and took a fistful of golden dust, letting it spill back to the ground. 'Just dirt.'

'So what are they? Are they real?'

'Are you stupid?' Cay asked instead.

Aves rushed to stand between them. 'They will come again,' she warned. 'We have to work.'

Cay said nothing more. She summoned the storm and a spring wind that was teasing the blossom of the cherry trees.

Nema stopped to take another look.

Just this morning the treetops were green and now the blossom was so wonderfully full the scent drifted like an aromatic wave. The tender pink petals covered the forest floor. The small animals were scampering about. She saw deer drinking from the lake and the birds singing from the trees. The fish swam in the lake and everything was like a dream – a colorful beautiful dream.

'See, I don't need Orrel.' She said. 'I will finish the world without him.'

Ave and Terra were looking at Cay.

'You just wait a little bit,' he said, perfectly calm.

This time, Nema laughed. He could doubt as much as his cold pessimistic heart desired but she was going to finish this world,find her father and her life for once.

She will become a new Nema. She wondered was that her real name or Old Man gave it to her just to make her miserable. The other children had normal names.

Terra was lying on a carpet of the cherry tree blossoms, her curly dark hair framing her form. She was humming a song Nema could feel it in the tips of her fingers.