The Brewers of Earth: Elysian Secrets

Chapter 3

The scent of Eddie’s musky, sweet aftershave hits me as he carry me back to the house spare room – the room I’d spent more time in as a child then I had at home. I lay limp and pressed against him in his arms, my head resting on the muscled nook between his chest and shoulder and my arm flopping around his neck. I was exhausted. My muscles had burned and my stomach had gurgled in an unnatural manner the moment I stepped out of the room of healing. I spilt my guts on the ground before me, my eyes stinging with tears, and my nose running endlessly. The tingly, warm embrace of Erutan’s pool had been sucked out, the air leaving my lungs as pain punched my core. I didn’t understand, nothing made sense anymore – the world had become a mess. I had become a mess. The sorrow that had seemed to ebb away as the – whatever it even was – had flowed through and out my palms, had come crashing back. The realisation had hit. I had no idea what was even going on. I’m bipolar, I had thought as my trembling form crouched on the ground, searching for comfort in the soothing strokes of Arya’s hands through my long, silver hair.

My tears soundlessly trickle down my face as Eddie walks up stone steps from the secret underground floor, – which I barely acknowledge in my messy state – up the pine wood stairs and towards the spare room. I blink at the brightness of the sun that beams through the windows – my eyes squinting to adjust and my hanging hand moving to cover my face. Eddie, as gently as he can, swiftly moves down the hall way and pushes open the door, revealing an airy cream and brown room beyond. Arya brushes past us, moving to close the curtains as he lays me down on the blue covers of the double bed.

I try to think to say something to him, to explain I’m not weak and that I cry with good reason, but the words elude me. His eyes tell me he understands enough. I don’t know what to say or think, my mind, body, something fundamental felt so so tired, and my emotions impeccably wild. I roll over onto my side as gently as I can, my muscles screeching in protest. I wanted to sleep, for it to all disappear again. How long have I been asleep already? I think, my eyes heavy as Arya sits close, a soft duvet being pulled over me. Her hand strokes through my hair and wipes at the silent falling tears.

“You mustn’t sleep, Lil.” She breathes. I feel Eddie’s weight the other side of me, his elbow nudging gently at my shoulder. I groan in discomfort. It hurt. “You’ve slept enough. Sleeping will only prolong the pain.” She says a bit loudly, patting me as if to arouse my drowsy lids. Such pain¸ I try to say. Why is there so much pain? I felt emotionally and physically raw.

“How long did I sleep?” I manage to finally rasp out, my voice grainy to my ears.

I feel Arya and Eddie start as the gentle voices of Merial and Tyne break through the silence, the squeaking of the door opening with their light footsteps. They sit on either side of the bed, breaking up their hushed conversation. The sound of a something hitting the bed stirs me. My eyes c***k open at the sound of a high pitched meow, my hand involuntarily reaching out – reaching out towards the white fluffy head of Clary. Her feline form approaches my face, her nose nuzzling against my cheek. She purrs, her green eyes slowly blinking as she claws rhythmically at the duvet, blissfully ignorant, and settles down beside me. I can’t help but c***k a little smile and huff a tender laugh at her fuzzy little form.

“Ah, we thought this would make you feel better.” Merial says, a warm smile on her face, bringing a spark to her bright green eyes – eyes like her son. She brushes one side of her short, bobbed light brunette hair behind her ear and clears her throat, looking towards the window. Her face is grim as she puts her attention towards me. Tyne strokes his chin idly beside her.

“We need to talk to you about some things.” She says hesitantly, motherly concerned eyes flicking towards her son. “We can’t tell you much, but we can explain a few things – things you’re bound to be, curious about.” She pauses, grasping for the words.

“That’s an understatement.” I huff, my voice becoming a bit clearer alongside my addled mind.

“I don’t think any of us can quite understand what’s going through your mind, but be a bit patient with us. This has never happened before.” I keep my face neutral – partly because it would hurt otherwise – as my hand strokes a smug faced, purring Clary. What is she talking about? I curse inwardly.

“What’s going on?” I croak, needing to fill the approaching silence – needing clarity to my insanity. Tyne turns his hazel gaze to me, his short, greying ash-blonde curly hair ruffling in the breeze of the open window. He frowns, rubbing the grey stubble of his chin. They all looked tired and distant, and hadn’t noticed it before. I sit up as he Tyne begins to talk, wincing at the pain. Clary jumps up at my movement, before settling back down on my lap.

“We can’t really tell you… It’s not our place.” He sighs, looking more haggard than I’d ever seen him before – than I’d ever seen any of them before. Arya almost looked stressed, and Eddie looked bored. Like always.

“What do you mean?” I frown, confusion blurring my vision – or perhaps it was the burning ache inside me.

“It’s your guardian’s place to teach you this sort of thing, as you grow up. Your mother or your father, the person who looks after you, it’s their duty, unless the government says otherwise.”He suspires, looking towards Merial, an inside battle raging behind his eyes.

“Government?” I query, my voice going up a pitch. Images of the Prime Minister spring to mind, but the look on their shaking heads and slouched postures tells me that I’m definitely wrong. Eddie grabs my hand and squeezes and that’s when I notice the sympathy in their eyes, the worry in their eyebrows and the grim lines of their mouths. My face drops. “What is it?”

“We can’t find your dad.” Merial blurts out, the exasperation exploding from her. What? My chest squeezes and the world becomes muffled, a ringing in my ears. I stare off as Merial carries on.

“He’s nowhere to be found. We’ve tried tracking spells, everything. It’s as if he vanished!” Merial exclaims with a frantic look to her eyes as she stumbles chaotically over her panicked words. “Tracking spells?” The world zones in acutely.

“Olive is the same! We’ve tried everything Lily…” Remorse glazes her eyes – remorse for me. What does this even mean? My face contorts as a tornado of emotions whirls through me. Dad, Olive and Kearn, vanished. I’ll come back for you, he had told me. That was if he was even okay – even alive. The thought sends a strange icy calm that settles over me, the room going a few degrees colder. I don’t even want to think of the missing of my family. But Kearn? He was important, but why?

“What of Kearn?” The words tumble out before I can stop them, worry cracking my voice. I try to keep my breathing steady, but it takes effort. Merial looks at me with a start as everyone pauses and blinks at me. My tone must’ve been sharper than I’d anticipated. Or perhaps they expected more questions on my dad. I’ll think about that later.

“That guy from the other night?” Eddie asks wearily, his eyes squinting slightly, picking up on my shift of mood – on my use and knowing of his name. That guy¸ like he meant nothing, like he played no part. He doesn’t mean anything, my mind urges. Oh, but he does, something within me sings, fuelling my irritation.

“Yes, Eddie. What happened to him?” The accusation in my voice hangs between us as he glares at me. I remembered every detail. “How the hell did I even get here?” I exclaim, frustrated with everyone. “No one is actually giving me answers!” I curse. The breeze in the room picks up.

“I have no idea what she’s talking about.” Tyne says, shaking his head in puzzlement and getting to his feet.

“What?” I ask, confused. How can he not? “You’re supposed to be the ones with the answers.” I exclaim, hissing in pain as I gesture to them all. I set my jaw, anger I have no control over spreading through me. Calm down, I urge myself as a bitter, icy gold light flares in my palms. No, no, no.

“What happened?” I grit out, breathless from the cold pain licking at my palms.

“Lily… Calm down.” Arya soothes, placing her hand on my arm. I rein it in, clamping down on my anger. What’s wrong with me? I frown, looking at Arya’s worried face. I pull back whatever ugly force that dwells inside me, shoving down on my emotions. I pause, looking towards Eddie, my eyebrows raised.

“He ran off before I could get him to talk. He’s been trained well, and was gone before I even had time to contact the others.” He says, casually leaning back against a pillow and crossing his ankles on the bed. That’s not right…

“I – I saw him. That – That doesn’t make sense. I could’ve sworn I saw…” I ramble, staring off and turning over the details in my mind. Perhaps I was wrong, it wouldn’t be that impossible to be wrong considering everything that was happening. What was happening?

“Just tell me what’s going on.”

So they did, in as much as they could. The time passed quickly and before I knew it, dusk had fallen and I was truly tired – tired of talking and asking questions, of being confused. The bizarre reality of what was going on had seeped into my dreams, causing the nightmares to return – the nightmares with flashes of purple sparkling shadows, the haunting glare of dark eyes and golden, bitter light. My light, my magic. That’s what I had been told. I silently sobbed myself to sleep and pinched my wrist to ensure it was all an awful dream, hoping the pain would perturb me. But it didn’t. It never did. And that’s what worried me most. That my whole family was gone, and so was Kearn. I should’ve found comfort in his disappearance, but something deep inside me churned miserably at my failed assassin’s escape. And that’s what he was, a failed assassin, hired to kill me.

Morning had come around slowly, the sun gradually waning through the cracks of my curtains. Clary slept with me all night, and I had watched her sleep, the fast shallow breathes of her fluffy form lulling me into a fitful doze. The ache within me never ceased throughout the night and continued as the days began to blur together.

~~~~~

I laze in the shade of the tree at the end of Eddie’s back garden, the orange, sun setting light giving it a hazy glow. I lean back on my hands, my fingers scrunching in the woollen blanket beneath me, and watch the soft glowing white light of the wisps around me. A rare gift, I had read and been told by the plenty. Legends and whispers spoke of special power for Elysian’s who can see wisps.

Elysian. The word still echoed through me, disturbing something ancient and slumbering inside. My hands felt numb in response, my golden ice flaring at the thought. I clamped down on it, seeking the control Tyne had been forcing upon me for the past month. My emotions always sparked bad reactions. “You must learn to control it, Lily. Without control, our magic will devour us.” He had repeated aggressively, badgering me, almost intimidating the darkness away. The words had been seared into my mind, ringing in my head hours after our lessons were over.

Eddie sat beside me on the blanket, reading a thick leather bound book full of symbols and markings I was yet to understand. Let alone it was all in Latin. I groaned inwardly at all that I was planned to learn, but not quite yet. No, I was only a novice under the training of those fully achieved. I understood my place, but understanding was different to accepting. But I was waiting for my dad to come back, and I would stick it out until then. Not to mention everything was beautiful. The world I’d fallen into had once mesmerised me the moment the pain had ceased to exist. Even though my palms were still a bit tender when tapping into the well inside, and even though my muscles did ache like I’d been vigorously exercising all the time.

The world seemed more crystal, clearer to see, like my eyes had finally adjusted and a film taken away. I no longer needed my glasses either and that was the oddest feeling of all. Not to mention me in myself. I was less clumsy, a gracefulness in my movements that I hadn’t acquired before. Although I was still my very awkward self, something just felt right.

I reached for another piece of French bread, greedily inhaling it.

“Do you ever stop eating?” Arya calls out to me from the hot tub at the other end of the garden, on the white stone, paved floor. I try to ignore her and gulp down my bread, refilling on crisps and humus. “You’re going to get fat.” She sings, filling the silence.

“I slept for three days, remember? You’d be hungry too.” I say between chewing my food, using my now very old excuse. “Plus, I am in training.” I spit slightly. Her face scrunches in disgust, but her eyes depict her amusement. I hesitantly grin at her, releasing the strain of our friendship slightly, showing humus on my teeth. She rolls her eyes and scoffs.

“You love it.” I say, laughing lightly. Eddie snorts beside me. It’s an effort not to curse at him.

“That was two months ago; surely you’d be full by now.” She argues, rising out from the hot tub in her revealing, white bikini and scoops up her towel. I reach for another piece of French bread, lathering it in butter, averting my gaze. “How can someone so small eat so much?” She exclaims as I shove it into my mouth. I frown and chuck a block of cheese at her, aiming for her face, but she nimbly dodges it and laughs.

Slumping down beside me wrapped in her purple towel, she shivers in the cool summers evening breeze. The blazing sun had been and gone, and even I, in my black, halter neck bikini top and denim shorts, was beginning to feel the wake of its once warming presence. But the moon was almost here, and that was the best time of all. That was when the fun began. A small smile spreads across my face.

“Ed, warm us up will you?” Arya asks, reaching behind me to poke him on the cheek. He looks up and blinks, his eyes glazed. Hot air gently blows on us as he looks back down to his book, accepting the request. A few days ago I would’ve been thoroughly freaked out, but now Eddie’s powers to manipulate air only fascinated me, as did everyone’s unusual magic, unique in their own way. Especially my own.

“What are you even reading?” I let myself ask loudly, my hair flowing around me and dropping when he slam closes his book. I bite the inside of my cheek, avoiding the rude comment on the tip of my tongue. No need to be such an ass, Ed.

“Teaching techniques for you – I don’t know Elune magic well, obviously.” He states, putting his elbows on his eyes and placing his book down. He grabs a block of cheese from the platter. “I want to help in any way I can,” He pauses cryptically, looking at me. Liar. “Before we go for training again tonight, which we’re going to be late for by the way.” He looks up to the twilight sky with his mouth full of cheese, stands up and stretches.

Elune. Merial (who was a Shaman) had picked up on it immediately. I had an affinity for Elune magic, although no one quite understood why it was golden. Gold was an extremely rare colour, normally linked to the rare few who could manifest fire, – always Druids, people with an affinity for Narutae – which weren’t Shamans. Druids, Shamans, it was all terribly confusing. I hadn’t understood at first. I hadn’t stopped questioning how and why; for the science and logic behind it all – but there was no logic or science to it, it just was. I had a hard time accepting that, – and I never would – especially what I innately knew and that was that I was Elysian.

The word seemed to roll naturally off of my tongue, rising up from my foundation. I knew it was irrevocably true – I knew that I was part of the Elysian race, a race of Shamans and Druids created by a Goddess called Erutan, whose purpose was to create us as warriors. And she was Mother Nature herself. This was the world I was a part of. This was the world I was secretly born into. The world kept from me, by everyone I had ever loved. And with good reason.

~~~~~

I sit myself in the back of the car and slam the door shut behind me, the crescent moon shining on me through the window. I gaze up at the stars; revelling in the escape the tingling feeling cloaked me in from the night skies silver glow. The past two months had flown by too quickly for my liking, and I could barely keep track any longer. I could barely keep track of the pieces and fragments of emotion and information I had stored and tucked away; or of the longing for my own home, my own bed, my own family, which they had barred me from.

Everyone silently climbs into the car and buckles their seatbelts before Tyne starts the engine.

“Are we doing Narutae practice tonight?” I let myself riskily ask, curious as to what my lesson will entail for the next few hours of the night. I brace myself for the reply, but Eddie only snorts and Merial shifts uncomfortably in front. Arya, always oblivious to it all shakes her leg next to me, practically bouncing in her seat. I peer at her, my eyebrows raised. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Oh my God, guys, can I tell her?” She blurts out, turning to shake Eddie by the shoulders, removing him from his already dismal stare out of the window. Tyne looks at us from his driving seat in the mirror. “I can’t wait any longer! It’s been days!” She almost bursts from her seat, her smile radiant and her dark hair hitting me in the face. I scramble away from her embrace as she grabs for me. “Ah, I’m so excited for this!”

“Excited for what? Oooh, tell me?” I pause, asking in puzzlement, unable to keep the eager, infectious smile from my face. Eddie laughs softly besides Arya, but Merial and Tyne remain quiet. Like always. I force myself to ignore the rising tension in the car.

“Not yet Ary, we’ve just gotten in the car.” Eddie says quietly, his voice laced in underlying meaning. Arya slumps down next to me with a huff, her arms crossed. I can only frown in ignorance and keep my mouth closed. What’s happening?

“So… We’re not doing Narutae?” Everyone lets themselves c***k a laugh then, Tyne smiling tightly at me in the reflection of the mirror. The warmth of it doesn’t reach his eyes. I take it as a no and lean back in my seat as we pull out of Eddie’s drive way. Good, I think. I don’t like Narutae anyway, I lie.

“Shamans are fuelled by the Elune. The moon and stars and the celestial bond between the waning push and pull of the tide. Focus on that.” She commanded softly. I gritted my teeth, my hands blocking her blue orb of water floating before me, but didn’t reply, even as the hue of the water took on a golden tinge. I was slipping, letting my energy spread. Focus, focus, focus. Noticing the gold spark travelling up my arm, she carried on quietly. “I have a theory to your gold,” she started hesitantly, “but I don’t know Lily… It is not uncommon for young Shamans and Druids to show affinity for both Elune and Narutae, but one is always stronger. But perhaps this is different; perhaps this is a manifestation into the burning of the stars, creating light and fire.” Merial gently spoke to me, to not snap my rapidly fraying concentration. I’d heard it them all discussing it before. I would always be different, no matter what I did. “No one can be both.” It sounded more like a question than a statement. Did she even know herself?

“Why not?” I pant, gaining an inch on pushing the orb away. I narrow my eyes at it, throwing my focus towards it. I see Merial, a blur behind, frown and look away, her eyes distant. I gain another inch.

“It has just never been done – the Ascen–“

Even though I’d sat in Erutan’s pool of cool water, sweat had still managed to trickle down my face as I put everything I had into the now steaming orb, like it was evaporating away. She swiped her hand absently through the air, and then it was hurtling towards me, splashing in my face and knocking me into the water with a slap.

My hair dripped in front of my face and I pushed it back, leaning up on my elbows in the water and spluttering. Merial quickly rose, stepped out of the pool and turned to look at me, a cautious expression on her face. “Hmm, we need to work on your focus. I can feel your energy in the pool, – it’s very powerful – and you don’t let it combine with mine, but you let it spread, like fire.” The last word seemed to hang awkwardly in the room and something flashed in her eyes as she stared at me. It was gone before I could make it out. She c****d her head slightly and pursed her lips while she eyed my soggy form still in my white bandages, sitting on my knees in the pool, before her gaze landed on my palms and then the flush on my cheeks. She pointed to a white stone step in front of the pool, opposite the statue of a strange looking tablet with markings of stars and lines, like the ones on the wooden walls. “More meditation practice, I think.” Was all she said before briskly walking out, leaving me alone to the dim glow of flowers and the pulsing of my heart in the shimmering water.

I blink at the moon as we drive quietly through the Notting Hill neighbourhood we’d grown up in, passing the small park nearby – the park we had been training in every night, under the cloak of the shadow and unwatchful eyes. I frown as I watch the park glide by, suspicious to tonight’s training circumstances. Something had been a bit strange the past week, like they were planning something I wasn’t aware of. Not that it wasn’t always a bit awkward now anyway.

Now the park and the training circle I’d come to enjoy most was fading behind me and my chest tightened in dreaded anticipation.

I arrived in the darkened park for the first time, wide eyed and curious. I had become incredibly bored of meditating and wondered to what the night outside would bring. We walked as a group swiftly through the trees, past the dim illumination of cast iron lamps and through to an open patch. They sat me down in the centre of a hidden circle of trees without explanation, and all began to chant – chant and glow. Elune and Narutae energy, their magic, flowed out of their palms, some of it manifesting like dust or mist, some of it smooth light and sparkling. Green and blue hues danced in the air around them and lit their faces, shining in their eyes with whispers of Latin caressing my ears in a warm, calming breeze. My heart pounded as my palms flared to golden life to the feel of the magical presence, until it all mixed together and formed a smooth, turquoise line. It created an exact circle around us like a floating fence. I stood up; my eyes alight as I walked towards it, curious to how this ancient spell had worked. And then a transparent, water-like substance glimmered and shot from either side of the fence line, creating a perfect globe. A perfect shield – a shield to contain me.

I relished the burn of my muscles as I jumped and rolled when they all lobbed orbs of green energy, blobs of water, blue sparkling mist and pieces of dirt my way from all directions.

A snarl ripped viciously through me as a stone whizzed by and sliced my cheek the second I landed on my feet from dodging a wicked icy shard from Merial. I whipped my head towards the sound of Eddie’s triumphant howl of laughter. I put a few fingers to my cheek, feeling the sickly warmth of the blood against my numb tips. He’d actually hurt me. My palms flared golden, burning my hands with frost as I set my stance the way Tyne had taught me, and bought my hand in front of me in attempt to create an orb. No one attacked me as I set my focus into my magic, pushing it towards my palm, willing it to mould and bend to my will.

I almost went boss-eyed with effort. It just wouldn’t bend. I sagged and let it go, frowning and baring my teeth towards a cackling, hysterical Eddie.

His laughter rung in my ears, causing the well inside me to boil and my magic crackling around me, making my hairs stand on end. I stared at Eddie’s sneering face, laughing at my failure. I was so fed up, so sick of him laughing all the time! It was ridiculous! How was I supposed to do this!

My breathing came quick and my face burned with shame as I glared at him. The air around began to tingle, dropping a few degrees and then going back up to the humming in my ears. He sobered slightly upon seeing my furious face and moved towards me, eyes mockingly apologetic. The wild boiling of the magic inside me raged further, spreading out around me, sucking in the air. Everyone took a sharp intake of breath and paused, staring at me with wide eyes. I could’ve heard a pin drop in that moment. And then Eddie made a huge mistake. He smirked. I snapped.

I roared at the relief to finally let it all out, and pushed my energy towards his stupid shocked face. He barely had time to leap over my blue ice and golden flame orb I tactically threw at his legs. Tears stung my eyes as the spitefully bright flame burned golden everywhere around me, the hot flame licking my palms. I charged towards Eddie who swiped past me, sharp air cutting open my arm. He whistled at my inhuman speed as I felt the blood well and trickle, and then twisted round, grabbing for his shoulder with a fire encased hand. I cursed as I missed.

He ran and I chased, pouncing onto his back and pushing him down, my hand slamming his head into the ground. He yelped as ugly blisters sprung to life on his neck. I faltered. In the back of my mind, I vaguely recollected the shouts and scream of the others, and then Merial’s arms were beneath my shoulders. They were strong, like a warrior, as she yanked me off of Eddie’s back and doused me with icy water. I let her drag me away, going limp in her arms. She shoved me to the ground and knelt in front of me, horror shining in her eyes. She turned to look at Tyne and Arya tending to a groaning Eddie. I knew she wanted to go see him. So like a damn coward, I looked away from her terrified and questioning gaze, ashamed I’d done such a thing to her son – to my best friend.

“Go to him.”I breathed. My throat burned, as if the inside of me had raged with flames as well. I looked around at the scene I’d unleashed. The ground was on fire, the globe dripping and filling in patches. What have I done?

Merial, content that I wouldn’t explode or burn anyone again, shot to her feet and ran to her son, her magic flowing and Latin chanting before she’d even hit the ground beside him. She was going to heal him. He’ll be fine, I assured myself, it’s not that bad. Oh, but it was.

My silver hair dripped and dried as I sat there for a time I didn’t know, the flames flickering and dying in my eyes, with words echoing through me over, and over, and over.

What have I done?