Chapter 22: Finding Out
Rose knocked on Old Babba's wagon door before walking in "Old Babba?"
"Come in child"
Rose crept into the dim-lighted room and closed the door behind her, while Old Babba sat up in her bed - her white hair hanging loosely around her shoulders and her bright blue eyes shining up at Rose.
"My child how are you feeling?"
"Fine...I guess.." Rose answered scratching her forehead and wiping back her hair behind her ears "I just need you to help me."
Old Babba's brows furrowed "First I think we should talk about the dream, you need to tell me what happened."
Rose took a step back and looked at the ground.. I can't...Don't make me tell you...
There was a pause, a pause which seemed to let time slip through its fingers before Old Babba sighed and gestured Rose to come over to her "What do you need to ask me?"
Rose edged into the room nodding and sat down in the chair next to Old Babba's large oak bed draped in floating candles. The wagon was decorated in loose red silks which hung from the cieling in semi-circles, encircling the wooden beams of the bed - which seemed to be carved into the wagon itself. Leather books upon books sat heaped in every corner of the room, while stuffed animals sitting crouched protectively around them and the old witch.
Rose let her grey eyes float over the scenery before landing on the pale face of Old Babba. Her usual bright face was now dulled and tight, deep-set winkled circling her eyes and loose skin draping away from her cheeks. Her blue eyes still stood protruding from her old body but her normal grey hair had whitened and thinned at her forehead.
She looked older - weaker.
Rose shook away the thoughts and looked at her hands before back at Old Babba "I need answers Old Babba. I need you to answer everything"
Old Babba nodded gently, her eyes closing briefly before opening and landing on Rose's face "If I can answer your questions, I will"
Rose sank back smoothly into the large cushioned chair and grabbed at the questions pinging around in her head - what to ask first - she searched before landing on Cole's perfect face and moving lips; Guardian....."What is a Guardian? I know I've heard the name before."
Old Baba looked down a twinkle floating over her eyes before she looked up "Guardians." She looked up at the ceiling of her wagon her lips moving silently "They are half-immortal beings set on this earth by the Goddess of Light to protect us from the Seven Witches and Darkness - to fight the war we couldn't"
A war.
"What war?"
Old Babba blinked before continuing "The two sides of this war are the Gods of Light and the Gods of Darkness...but you need to remember, that in the end, these two sides aren't as easily defined as black and white, good and bad."
Black and White.
Good and Bad.
Rose let the words tumble through her mind and settle into place, thinking carefully of what next to ask but Old Babba barged into her thoughts; "Child can you get that book which is lying over there."
Rose turned her head swiftly to where Old Babba was pointing and got up moving towards a pile of dusty book and a old stuffed red fox. The red foxed eyed her with beady eyes as she reached down and picked up the book which lay on top of the pile. "This one?"
"What does it say?"
Rose used the palm of her hand to wipe away the dense dust before looking down at the strange symbols scribbled into the black leather "I...I can't read it...it's in some strange language"
Old Babba closed her eyes "Its written in the dead language of magic Elik. You can read it if you let your creature, your magic become you."
Rose stared at the witch blankly - everyday she seemed to learned something knew about magic and how much the old witch knew.
The dark creature twisted with delight, mewing softly in Rose's ears.
Let my creature become me...
"Old Babba I don't understand. You need to explain things to me"
Old Babba's eyes snapped open and she turned her head awkwardly to face Rose "You have a lot of questions to be answered - this book will answer most. But first you have to let your magic become a part of you to read it, stop blocking your magic."
Rose stared down at the heavy book rummaging through her mind frantically trying to figure out how to read the book.
"Stop trying so hard, just let it come."
Rose closed her eyes, the dark creature flexed its wings and opened its eyes.
Open up to me. Let me in.
Rose's eyes snapped open and she nearly dropped the book. "Did you say something?"
Old Babba chuckled under her breath before flexing her fingers causing Rose to clutch the book as power filled her body and the dark creature clawed at her insides.
Let me in.
"What are you doing?!" Rose gasped as she fell onto the floor still holding the floor.
Old Babba leaned back in her bed "Rose you have to open up to your magic, you keep shutting it out. The creature will tear you apart otherwise. All beings which hold magic are joined to a being of the magic realm, they are what allow you to access magic."
Rose lay of the wooden tiling looking up at the ceiling. She breathed trying to block out the pain while the creature inside screeched in frustration.
"The dark creature has always been a part of you my child" Old Babba's voice floated down to Rose "It is what has always been talking to you. It is what caused you to fall unconcious and be dragged into the realm of magic where you were vunerable." Old Baba paused for a moment, her breathe comming out slowly "I can not teach you if you do not open up to magic"
The pain rose up in Rose cause her to almost scream out, the intensity just seemed to keep rising, it didn't want to stop.
Let me in. I can help you, I have always helped you Rose. It was me who talked to you at the Inn, it was me who told you the swords name.
It was me.
Rose gasped as the voice echoed in her mind and she remembered the voice. She closed her eyes and let herself close off from the world - okay, I let you in...
Xenia.
There was a moment where nothing happened before a flash of cold blue light which washed over her eyes, through her muscles and lifted her to her feet.
Rose looked to Old Babba who sat in her bed smiling "Well done child, you finally have your powers."
Rose stared around the wagon unable to rid the cold blue light which shone lightly around her, the light dancing along her skin.
Rose looked down at her shining arms which stood glowling lightly, but looked away as something swished past her legs. Sitting by her leg was a blue racoon. Rose looked up and then down again before she realised the difference of the wagon.
The old stuffed animals were now alive, sitting, curled up with tufted fur curled around their bodies. The blue racoon which sat lazily by her leg smiled sweetly before trotting off towards another blue racoon who sat snuggled between two cushions.
The red fox shook its head before plopping onto the bed next to Old Babba and curling up, while the other small animals crept out from the corners of the wagon and sat watching Rose.
"Come here child"
Rose stared wildly around herself unable to move. But then her new muscles clicked into gear and she moved swiftly towards Old Babba and sat down in the chair. The dark creature had become deadly silent and sat neatly in a pile inside Rose.
Sitting in the chair, she looked down at the book still clutched between her now white fingers. She quickly released it and flexed her fingers before looking at the old black cover again. At first she couldn't believe what she could read, she blinked and rubbed her eyes and then looked back at Old Babba "I can read it..."
Old Babba smiled and nodded "Open it"
Rose looked down at the cover.
Chosen Child.
That was what the cover said; golden swirls beautiful written into the black leather. Rose pried open the book to the first page which held a picture of a girl.
Of Rose.
Rose blinked and touched the page, running her fingers over the girl looking back at her, her black hair floating in the wind "It's me"
Old Babba smiled again "Yes child it's you"
Rose didn't have any words - she was stunned. She looked at the strange writing on the page underneath the picture of her which when she blinked became writing she could read. "I still have questions Old Babba"
Old Babba nodded "I know. And now your ready to hear the rest of the answers."
Rose looked at Old Babba strangely for a moment, her lips trembling with unaswered questions; "Why me?"
Old Babba closed her eyes and then opened then and reached forward to point at the book. "Under the picture of you, you can read about who you are and why you were chosen.
Rose focused on the writing beneath the picture of her - the girl smiled broadly at her.
The Chosen Child is a descendant of a God of Darkness and a Goddess of Light. After these two Gods produced a child, this child was thrown down into the land of Aegoria, away from the reaches of the other Gods. The child grew up in the Human world under the protection of the Guardians but later disappeared.
After a thousand years it was foretold that a descandant of this first child would be the Chosen Child. This child would have more power than any other being in Aegoria because her blood is pure - both Dark and Light. She is the Chosen Child because her heart is uncorupt by the evils of the world and she will be able to make the choice for the world because she will follow her heart...
The page continued talking about the Chosen Child and her qualities. Rose scanned over the page before turning to the next page which was titled: The War.
Rose looked up at Old Babba for reassurance but the old witch just nodded and softly answered "read child"
Rose read on about how the war was waged between the Gods of Light and Dark - after reading through the whole of the chapter she closed the book and leaned back in the cushioned chair her head buzzing with images of Gods and floating silks and swords.
"Did you ever read this?"
"I couldn't, even if I wanted. The book is for you, and you alone" Old Babba lay her pale hands on top of the red fox which moved its face into her palm and licked her jeweled fingers.
Rose watched Old Babba silently looking at her white hair floating around her frail face and Rose felt as if Old Babba was keeping something about herself from her, but Old Babba just smiled down plainly at the red fox before reaching over with her free hand and taking Rose's hand.
"I knew it was you, I always knew you would come. People doubted you were alive, but when you were born I felt your power" her eyes watered slightly before hardening, the young strong blue returning to them. "And now you've accepted your magic, now you've accepted a piece of yourself child."
Rose held onto Old Babba's hand the dark creature turning inside but not saying anything. The anger Rose had felt before about being left in the dark sizzled out as she looked at the old witch before her. Her mind twisted over everything and she tried to stay strong - for everyone.
"When you need the Guardian she will come, she will explain your duty and help you when I can't."
Rose sat back but didn't say anything.
When she can't?..
"The creatures will follow you because they will see what I do. They will see that you are the Chosen Child and that you will lead us to a better world. One where magic and humans can live in harmony again."
Rose opened her mouth to say something - to say anything - but empty air just passed through her red lips.
The old witch wrapped both hands around Rose's "It's okay child." she patted Rose' hand "Leave the book child, and go get ready for when we leave - we'll carry on with this later but I'm pretty worn out. "
Rose nodded wordlessly and laying down the book before walking towards the door of the wagon. The small animals parted for her and stared after her as she made her way out of the door.
"She's the one." Old Babba muttered under her breathe to herself "She's the one."