The next morning I was still on edge, something within me just wasn't sitting right. I sat with my Rose Quartz and Amethyst meditating for a while in an attempt to calm myself. Feeling a little better, I headed out into the living area. Willow and Flic were sitting at the kitchen counter each with a cup in front of them, although I was guessing the contents were very different.
"You haven't gone to bed yet?" I asked Flic who was still looking her perfect self.
"I thought I'd join you and Willow for dinner this morning," She responded smiling.
"Dinner?" Then it clicked. "Oh right, it's dinner for you," I laughed. It still seemed strange to me.
I grabbed my grisgris bag before we headed down to the restaurant. I wasn't sure what I'd need for my private class so I'd packed it as normal. As we got to the restaurant door Willow stopped abruptly; I almost walked straight into her. That's when I realised I'd been sandwiched between them with Flic taking up the rear. I looked at them both; they were looking around the room as if looking for danger. They're my bodyguards. My heart warmed. "Aww you guys," I gushed.
Flic looked at me. "What?"
"You're protecting me," I smiled.
"Well yeah, of course we are," She shrugged as if it were no big deal.
It was a big deal to me. I had known these girls less than a week, and whilst I missed Wynne, Raven, Dee, and Jamie, they had become as close to me as friends could ever be.
My eyes scanned the restaurant. There weren't many Vamps in here this morning, my guess was that most of them had headed to bed already. There weren't classes today so the restaurant wasn't as full as it normally was and I was glad I didn't see anyone I thought I needed to worry about. We headed to the various areas of the restaurant to fill our plates with breakfast goodies and stopped by the tea station for a morning cuppa.
Sitting at a table in the corner we were able to see a lot of the other students sitting down and it wasn't a bad spot to people watch. The inhabitants were mainly the usual Witches and Elementals that I was used to eating with and I found myself worrying less. I had put my Rose Quartz and Amethyst in my Grisgris bag and they seemed to be doing their job. I kept fingering the Citrine stone on my woven Chakra bracelet, apparently drawn to it. Maybe I needed positivity and confidence more than I realised.
After breakfast, my bodyguards walked me to a section of The Foundation I hadn't been to before. It was where the Elementals had most of their classes. We entered a room and there standing in front of a large viewing window was a familiar face: Sage. Behind her I could see what looked like a firing range of sorts.
"Ladies, thank you for escorting Rose here. Felicity, I believe your Father is with your Uncle in his office and they would like to have a word with you," said Sage.
"Best see what they want then," She smiled.
"I'll walk with you," added Willow, waving her goodbyes, and they both left.
"How did you enjoy last night?" Asked Sage, smiling.
"It was wonderful," I beamed. "The feeling of togetherness was beyond anything I've ever felt before."
"Everyone shares a piece of themselves with the Goddess. As The Maiden you are one of the conduits for that energy. Did you feel it?" Asked Sage. She seemed curious and I suspected she'd never been able to ask that question before.
"I think so," I replied, remembering. "I could feel everyone, as well as the forest and its inhabitants. It was as if we were all one."
Sage smiled so brightly and I was sure she almost jumped up and down like Willow. "Oh I'm so glad. I had hoped that would be the case, but I know you are new to the Craft and wasn't sure how much of the ritual you would be able to take. Next time, I am hoping you will be able to guide our intentions to the Moon."
"Oh I did." I realised then that was exactly what I had felt when I had left my body.
"Oh Rose, that's wonderful. You've really exceeded my expectations. Being raised Human and then thrown in at the deep end like this must be so unnerving? I can't imagine what it would be like to go your first eighteen years without any training whatsoever." She had the same sad look in her eye that my grandmother had when she looked at me; I realised then that it was pity.
Was it really so bad? I was a little disappointed my mum had hidden this part of me away, but surely she had her reasons. Besides, I was here now, and I was ready to learn everything I could to become the powerful Witch I was born to be. I would prove that missing out on nearly eighteen years of training wasn't going to hold me back. I would still be a kick arse Witch! "So, what's first?" I asked, determined to start proving myself immediately.
Sage looked delighted. "Each Witch is born with the ability to heal. Your hands will open the channel allowing you to use that energy." She put her hands out in front of her and they began to radiate a warm glow. It reminded me of Willow when she had healed me. I held out my own hands and looked at them. How do I make them glow? "Relax, close your eyes," suggested Sage. "Feel the power building within you first. Imagine there is a well deep inside you and then imagine that well filling with light. Feel the warmth grow within you until the light slowly spills out. Hold out your hands and imagine the warm healing light gently swelling and concentrating there."
I followed Sage's instructions, feeling the glow build. It began seeping out of the 'valve' I had created last night. It flowed from the ball of magick deep within me and started to leak into the well Sage described gently filling it. When it felt ready I opened my eyes. My hands were glowing. I grinned. I had done it.
Sage held out a small potted plant in her hands. "Good. Now I want you to direct the light into this plant and make it grow." I held my hands out above the plant, just as I remembered Willow doing to me in the hospital. I concentrated on the warmth in my hands and pushed it gently out into the plant. I watched in fascination as the plant grew bigger, the green of the leaves becoming brighter, the flowers less wilted. I laughed. This was amazing!
"OK that's good," Sage sounded so pleased and I found I liked that I had impressed her. "Now, slowly, pull back on the healing light and draw it back into your well. Be careful to only take your light back in and not the energy of the plant." I did what she said until I felt my power resting still inside me once more. Now that I had felt the power I could sense it sitting there deep within me. Has it always been there? Sage looked at the plant smiling. "Definitely better than my first time," She laughed.
I smiled proudly. "What's next?"
Sage opened the door to the firing range and ushered me in. "This is where the Fire Elementals practise their skills." I looked around the room. Each lane was divided with its own targets; clearly they had been singed a few times.
On the counter in one of the lanes was a Quartz obelisk. Uh-oh. "Why are we here?"
"This is more of an experiment. Your grandmother wanted to get an idea of where you might be with regards to your offensive magic." Sage explained. "Since we know Quartz helps amp up your power, I thought it might be an idea to try it here." She gestured around the fire proofed room. I nodded. She probably wasn't wrong.
"What do you mean by offensive magic?" I was intrigued. To have a power that could be used more than as a defence sounded like a good idea if I was going up against whomever took my mum and Wynne.
"A very few of our most powerful Witches are able to concentrate their healing energy, turning it into something that can be used to destroy rather than heal."
A sudden memory of my mum throwing light at the Vampires that night flashed in my mind. I nodded. Yes, I needed that power. "How do I do it?" I asked, more than ready to get started.
A look of concern flashed over Sage's face. "It is not to be used lightly," She warned. I was guessing no pun was intended so I tried not to smile and just nodded. She gestured to the crystal. "I want you to try and take the energy from the Quartz and store it in the same well inside you," She instructed. "Then I want you to let the power build up as you did before but this time push it harder towards your hands. When you feel ready, throw the energy out through your hands towards the target." She pointed to the partly singed dummy at the end of the lane.
That sounded simple enough. I hovered my hand above the Quartz obelisk. How did I take the energy? I wasn't sure how I'd drained the large obelisks in class that day; it had been an accident when I was using and expanding my power. I thought back. I remembered seeing the lights swirling above us; that must have been the crystal's energy. When I had seen the lights flowing down on to me that must have been when I had drawn in their energy. That was the only thing I could think of, so I concentrated. I felt the vibrations of the crystal, powerful and energetic, they seemed to vibrate on a higher frequency than the Rose Quartz I had become used to meditating with. As soon as the lights became visible I began pulling them in. I imagined the lights flowing into the well deep inside me until my magic grew stronger and stronger. I felt more alive; the crystal rejuvenating me.
"OK, good. Now try to expel the energy through your hands." Sage broke through my enjoyment, reminding me I was supposed to be harnessing the energy, not basking in it.
My well didn't feel anywhere near full but I balled the energy up inside me and raised my hand. I focused on the dummy that stood halfway down the range about ten metres away. I pushed my hand forward and cried out in rage, imagining all the pain and hatred for those who'd taken my mum and Wynne shooting out of my hand. A beam of light shot through the air straight at the dummy; a second later it was on fire in a blaze. I breathed in and out, calming myself. That had been very therapeutic and I smiled. I looked at Sage. She had a shocked expression on her face. Oops. Had I gone too far? I looked back at the dummy that was still on fire, it certainly looked worse than the Vampires my mum had singed at graduation.
"Umm, OK. Good," said Sage. She pressed a button on the wall and the fire was extinguished somehow. My guess was that they were used to dealing with dummies on fire if the Fire Elementals practised here. Sage turned and picked up the obelisk, turning it over in her hands. There was a crack down the side of it.
"Did I draw too much power?" I was confused.
"Perhaps," She smiled. "However I didn't exactly explain how to take in the energy so that's on me."
"Can I try again?" I asked. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke. I also wanted to see if I could tone it down a bit.
"I don't have another Quartz obelisk on me I'm afraid." Sage raised her eyebrows and smiled.
"Oh right." I felt inside me, I still had plenty of magic there I was sure. I felt it rise within me, it was easier this time. I looked back at the dummy and raised my hand. No warrior cry this time, I just took a deep breath and released the light. It shot through the air again, hitting the dummy square in the chest and bursting into flames. They weren't as high this time but it was still strong. Sage hit the button again and I watched as the flames died out as quickly as they had appeared. That was some fire suppression system. "One more time." I said, rolling my shoulders and readying my magic. I pushed one hand out hard and fast, releasing a smaller beam of light. Then I threw the other hand out, releasing a second. Both beams of light hit the dummy full on and the flames engulfed it for a third time.
"Impressive." Sage seemed to shake herself and hit the fire suppression button. "I think that's enough for now." She suggested. I was a little disappointed, I was enjoying myself. "Come on, I want to show you something."
I followed Sage out of the room and we headed down the corridor to another of the Elemental training rooms. We walked through what looked like a cross between a classroom and a greenhouse, there were desks but they were surrounded by plants. I was guessing the Earth Elementals learned here. We walked through the large double glass doors and I gasped in awe - we were in a huge glass dome that was planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers; extraordinary butterflies fluttered through the air from one plant to another sampling their delights. Some of these flowers looked so alien to me; definitely not from the Earth Realm. A walkway wound its way up amongst the branches and I ached to go up and take a better look around at this place of wonder. It was like a smaller, more magical version of the Eden project in Cornwall. That had always been one of my favourite places to go.
We walked on, passing beneath some of the tallest toadstools I had ever seen; I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Before long, (and before I developed a Napoleon complex,) we reached a small Grove of ferns growing around some crystals. They looked like Quartz but had an indigo light emanating from them. I reached out to touch one, but as my fingertips got close, I felt something very different coming from the crystals. I pulled my hand back and looked at them more closely. These definitely weren't ordinary crystals; it was as if I could sense a life force within them. "What are they?" I asked Sage, fascinated.
"These are Seer stones," She explained. "Only Witches that show Seer powers are able to use them. They are very hard to grow and it takes a certain type of Earth Elemental to cultivate them."
"A Seer is someone that sees the future aren't they?" I questioned.
"That's right," smiled Sage. "Only a few are born to each generation."
I looked back at the Seer stones nestled amongst the ferns. I wasn't sure if seeing the future was a blessing or a curse. Earth had Seer's and Oracle's in their myths and legends, but they were usually virgin women who had some serious mental issues. That didn't sound like fun to me. I decided I didn't want to touch the crystals after all. I moved away.
"Not something that interests you?" Asked Sage surprised.
"Of course not," I replied. "Life would be boring if you knew what was going to happen all the time. Besides, all those possible futures would drive anyone crazy."
Something passed across Sage's face; relief maybe. "I agree," She smiled. "Come on, let's see what else might pique your interest." I followed her up and out of the domed arboretum, telling myself that I had to come back and explore this place another time.
We cut across outside the building to get back to the section of The Foundation that the Witches trained in. Making our way to the Transmutation classroom we found it empty as expected for the day after Moon Circle.
Sage set out a few items along one of the benches at the edge of the classroom. There was a potted house fern, a range of crystals, a bowl of water, a candle, and a black handled dagger. "I want you to concentrate on the differences between the vibrations of each object." She used a match to light the candle and placed it in a holder.
I stood in front of the items and relaxed my vision. It was easy for me to see the vibrational energies around me now and soon the coloured lights were clearly visible. It wasn't just the colours and brightness that were different I noticed. Each of the objects in front of me had a very different intensity to their energy. For example, the leaves of the fern gave off calming, grounding vibes; the various crystals had their own distinct vibrations from one another, but together they seemed to produce an energy that was solid and protective; the water gave of meandering vibes that seemed to flow around the other vibrations, sweeping in and out; the flame of the candle was very energetic, like it had a life of its own and wanted to be free; the dagger felt cold and lifeless, it's vibrations seemingly dull and cold. Confused, I picked it up. It didn't feel like the vibrations belonged with the object, or rather they didn't quite fit right. I held the blade up, turning it this way and that. The higher I lifted it, the more the vibrations seemed to change. It sharpened, felt warmer in my hand, instead of feeling lifeless, it felt as if it was somehow drawing life into it from the atmosphere. I looked at Sage.
"You feel it." She smiled brightly. I nodded, still not quite understanding what I was feeling. I put the knife back down on the bench. The energy changed back to being inert, cold, dull.
"Why does it change?" I was mystified.
"Your energy changes it. The Athame is a tool used to draw energy in rituals. It can help to focus the energy where it is needed. Without the Witch, it is just a dull blade; with you, it becomes a tool to be wielded. Not all Witches can focus the energy properly though; that is what a High Priestess does."
"Like you?"
"Like me," She smiled, bowing her head slightly. "I want you to hold the Athame above the other objects and draw their energy into it. One at a time," She clarified.
I picked up the blade again, noticing the change instantly in my hand, and I held it above the plant. The green lights still felt calming and grounding. I imagined them flowing into the Athame and without resistance some of them came to rest on the metal, giving it a green shine. I didn't take all the energy, just enough. I moved on to the crystals. Different coloured lights coalesced together to form a brighter light that was almost white, but tinged with a shade of violet. It gave off solid, protective vibes and they too rested on the metal of the blade, adding to the green already there. The water was next. The slightly blue tinted lights swelled and ebbed towards the metal, mingling in with the mix of vibrations building up on the blade. Last was fire. The energy almost gravitated towards the metal, hungry to be a part of the magic, and the bright orange lights danced happily with the others. I studied the blade, all four different types of energy together as one - grounding, protective, flexible, and strong. The mix was intoxicating.
I looked at Sage. I knew I was beaming. I had never done anything so amazing before. It was true magic. She smiled back at me, a sense of pride. "Draw the energy through the blade and into your self," She instructed.
I did as she said, pulling the mix of energies from the blade and settling them in the well deep inside me. They settled easily and happily, as if they had always wanted to be there. I sighed. I was so relaxed and at peace.
"Feels amazing, doesn't it?" Sage asked knowingly. I simply nodded my head, still grinning like the cat that got the cream. "I think we'll leave it there for today," She suggested, smiling. "Where can I escort you?"
"Oh don't worry about that." I waved my hand dismissively. "I can find my way back OK."
"I'm sure you can," agreed Sage, "but I'm under strict orders from The Crone not to leave The Maiden unattended when there's an unknown threat about." She stated a matter of fact.
I sighed. "I can take care of myself, remember?" I lifted my hands and made them glow slightly to prove my point.
Sage laughed. "I have no doubt. But orders are orders. So, where to?"
I puffed air out of my mouth and nodded. "Fine. The restaurant. I'm starving."
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE If you find any spelling or grammatical errors, I would much appreciate you commenting on them. I would love my book to be as polished as possible, and I'm sure there will be one or two mistakes along the way. I appreciate your feedback.
Thank you for your kindness.
QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: WOULD YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE SEER CRYSTALS? WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE THE FUTURE?