Aurora and the Fire by Jessica Hammatt (the ebook reader TXT) 📕

heated he became. When he defended himself thoroughly, the speed and energy behind his flight made her both hurt and proud at once.

Now, Aurora sits with her words on parchment and studies. Night is settling in outside the tree’s entrance where she has called home for many cycles. The tree towers greatly far enough away from anyone, near the outskirts of the lands. It’s core gently cleaned with only the way her kind could do. Tunneling down then below it’s roots into the earth and spaced comfortably, was a home she created. Her parents, she knew, had made their home and for some time hers, atop the spiral mountains. During her life their she had learned the art of air and strengthened her lungs and flying skills at an early age. Those lessons were the only ones she remembered of her parents. When Heron took up guardianship, the two remained in that home until Aurora came of age and not long after, he was lost to her. Aurora still ached with missing her friend and teacher. With that thought came hurdling another. Of course! She almost raised aloud. All these years Aurora had been searching for his collection which she had always known he’d put for only her to find. But wait, why was she getting so excited? She’d searched that area many times so why would another time be special? Aurora knew why she was buzzing to hit the skies toward her old childhood home. It was because this time she had an idea of exactly where she planned to look. With Dreka still nowhere in sight, she takes to the winds that blow in the direction she is so anxious to be going in.

The flight to her childhood home had Aurora’s heart beating fast in her chest. Not from the thinning air but the thoughts that raged in her mind of actually having what Heron had always held sacred, his collection of fairy magic. Anyone’s magic who had the heart and skill to master it. Long days were spent far into the mountains soaking up every lesson that he could teach a young one such as herself. When she grew up and the day she turned of age came, the two of them celebrated by practicing the are of old magic. Each one making his or her own mistakes and both nearly killing the other. What a wonderful day that was! Aurora thought with bittersweet memories of her beloved friend. The only reminisce of a long forgotten past was the collection Heron saved all this time. She wasn’t sure how he had come to have such a treasure, but she never really cared how. After Heron was gone, Aurora spent countless days searching for that same treasure and now she felt she had finally thought of it’s location. The one place she never thought to look before because she was much too old for such things now, but back then, it was a place of wonder.

As a young fairy, Aurora held so much spirit for such a small thing that Heron would tell her “If I didn’t already know of a place to keep you occupied, my butterfly, I would have surely searched the heavens and beyond for such a location.” then his laughter like music would float between her ears. The area still stood behind a row of trees she knew all too well. In order to enter, one would only need dip into the pool that lay beneath them, to see the path to follow. As she follows this path, she closes her eyes and lets her memories guide her. Underneath the pool and into a world all her own, young Aurora climbs from the edge and soaks everything in. Landscape covers the cavern floor with trees reaching her height and the ceiling being just twice that distance above her head. Comfortable to walk and hover, but flight was impossible. With the pool at her back, what lay in front of her was what Heron always spoke proudly of, but only to her. It was always their secret. On the other side of the cave, impossibly, was a small ball of fire suspended in air. Aurora could grasp it in her tiny hands without being burnt. That answer evaded even Heron. It was always to remain where found and held with care. She could do nothing else except care for such beauty. As she cradles her treasure, young Aurora sighs. She was grounded again. Heron didn’t want to do it she knew. She could see it on his face when he sent her here and now looking back, how mean all the other people had looked to her. Shaking such things from her thoughts, she resigns to her chamber until he came for her. She smiled, he usually didn’t take long.

Now, Aurora has to carefully pull herself from the pool. Everything was much smaller, she thought. Of course she’d expected so after so much time has passed. How could she have forgotten this place, she scolds herself. Everything still in it’s spot including the small orb that danced in front of her. She shuffles nearer to reach her arm out and gently takes the ball in her hand. There, Aurora delights in it’s warmth and gazes into it’s soft flames licking at the edges. Her eye catches glimpse of something that had never caught her before. Underneath the fire, in the center if one looked closely enough, she could see the earth with waters running throughout and nestled below a sky. Heart in her throat, Aurora leans back and holds the sphere with greater care than anything she’s ever touched. After some time, she regains herself and while placing it back where it belongs, she sees it. The notebook that she knew all too well by it’s cover. Soft earth spun material of brown and gold and within held what she knew to be delicate pages of lessons that she was never allowed to touch. All that had changed. Now she could take the object from it’s resting place and with aching heart open the pages.

She didn’t notice the note fall and land on her legs. Aurora was too entranced. Delicately turning the pages, she scans every page with care. After deciding what next to do, she gently closes the book then she notices the page. During finding the book and now, her heart had remained an adrenaline powered thud in her chest. Now, barely touching the page, her heart sinks deep within when she begins reading the note left by Heron.

My dearest child,

Just today you came of age. Just yesterday its seems I introduced you to this place of magic. It is here I leave the book of times past for you to find when you are ready too. Don’t despair, love. No matter where I go, my love always goes with you. I know you will grow to be something extraordinary. I could say how I know this but then I’d be giving away the ending. That’s the fun part of life, Aurora. The adventure in seeking your answers. The journey to your destination is the most important, sweet. I know you will learn and become a powerful force to behold. But do not forget to stop, take a breath, and breathe in your surroundings or else you get to where you are going without a mind of how you got there. How you get some place is sometimes more important than where it is you are going. Remember this and everything else I have shared in this life together. Having you to raise was and is my greatest honor. I love you, Aurora. Now and always, I will be watching.

Sincerely,
Heron

Tears swell and threaten to fall. She only allows one to fall, however, for the past, for now, and for always. It lands on the page as she returns it to its folded position and places it back inside the book. After binding it once again and taking one more glance at the sphere that hovered in front of her, then reluctantly made her way to the pool. Almost submersed, Aurora has a thought, then re emerges to cast a blessing on the sacred cavern for one day another young one to happen upon this dwelling and cherish it the way she did and will always. The best she could offer, she thought as she climbed from the pool back on the outside. She lay there by the bank, emotions rage and battle for a winner. But there was no victor in that war, she knew. It was she who would have to endure the strength of the feeling tearing at her insides. All of a sudden, Aurora’s eyes felt heavy and she could feel the weight of exhaustion as she drifts into a , not so peaceful, rest.
Preparation

The vision began the same as it usually did except this time it sped up so fast she could hardly make out the last of it. Aurora could see it still, replaying for her like some broken record as she stared into her own eyes looking back at her from the pool’s reflection. She no longer recognized herself, she notices, then turns away only to be faced with the reflection in her memory. The emotions flow within her but doesn’t tear at her as the past ones had done. Instead, she remembers now the serene feeling that came over her when she had witnessed the scene being played out .Creatures from everywhere coming together on middle ground but not on good terms. Aurora notices that all of them are dressed for war and the air smells of blood ready to be spilt. The scene fast forwards then slips away from her. From the feeling it gave her she knew that whatever war that was coming, wasn’t going to be at her feet for some time to come. That fact did not stop her mind from spinning everything that had happened to her till now. Not long ago, she was just a girl trying to find her way in the world. Now, she was all grown up and having to find a way to save her world. The irony did not go unnoticed as she rose to her feet first and then into the air.

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