Book of Fate: Siren Stone (Book 1)

Chapter 8

All the girls have at least five hours to get ready.  My parents were already out preparing tonight’s feast with the rest of the village. My dress for tonight’s ceremony was already laid out on my bed.  Instead of getting ready, I decided to go to Elixa’s healing hut to see if I could help out a little.  I don’t take very long to get ready for any event.  There was a man pounding on the door.  “Did you need something, sir?”

He turned around and I immediately recognized him.  “You told me to come back and have the bandages changed.  It’s already been a few days.”

I nodded and guided him into the hut.  The bandages were already dirty and bloody.  After removing the bandages, I saw the cut was still infected.  There was puss bubbling up from the stitches and scar tissue forming around it. Using my Second Lens, I see the aura’s damage was even worse than before.  There was no way he could wait for Elixa to heal this.  I carefully weaved the aura back together.  “This may hurt a bit,” I warned him before diving in and this time there are two auras.

I used my second sense again, and saw two auras.  The auras were red and blue.  Seeing that the blue aura continued up his arm, I assume the blue is his life aura and the red is the infection aura.  The red looked like it was violently attacking the blue.  I held his arm firmly, and started pulling at the red.  The red aura was stubbornly attached to the blue, meaning I would have to forcefully separate the aura, which was not going to feel very good for him.  Once I started, I heard him scream, but I couldn’t stop.  As I was ripping them apart, some of the blue was ripping with the infection.

I didn’t know how long I was working on it, but after completely separating the auras, I was really exhausted and breaking a sweat.  I easily repaired his life aura, when he was stable I released my magic hold on him and returned my vision to normal.   The arm looked like it didn’t belong to a homeless man, but a young boy. There was also a scar from the cut I had just healed.  A boy who would be around my age. His skin was not as tan as mine, but it was a fair color. And there were no tattoos.  There were a lot of calluses on his fingers as if he had been a warrior.  It was very soft, smooth, and strong.  

I don’t know how long I was looking at his arm with shock but he pulled his arm back.  I looked up at him and saw a face that was younger than the man in ragged clothes.  I think I was seeing through an illusion because he looked like he was around my age.  He had handsome features.  But before I could admire them he asked,” Do I need more bandages?”

I blinked and the image of the homeless man returned.  I felt heat rising to my cheeks.  What the heck was I seeing? “J-Just a few.  I will give you something sturdier so it doesn’t get as dirty or bloody as before.”

I stubbed my toe against the chair leg and stumbled into the counter below the cabinet. I looked back and caught him staring at me.  He looked away and started whistling to show that he wasn’t paying attention to him. I cursed under my breath.

After locking up the hut, I decided to head down to the ocean.  I made sure that the boys were no longer there.  The entire beach was clean of today’s activities, it looked like no one has ever stepped on the beach today.  I walked along the edge of the water.  As I walked along the beach I saw a shadow loom over me and felt water dripping on top of my head.  He looked a lot bigger.  His scales seem to be a lot brighter and tougher, but his eyes are the same.  He craned his neck forward to bring his head closer.  I gently stroked his head and the scales on his neck.  “How did you get here so fast?” I said.

He smiled at me and said,” I could go back if you want me to.”

“You know, you have a really bad habit of not answering my questions,” I smirked at him.  I looked up at him, waiting for an answer.  

“When the stone is near any water, it calls to me.  And I know that you’re around.” He looked down at my wrist where my clasp was. “Speaking of which, where is the siren stone?”

“I hid it, where no one could find it. Just kidding, it’s in my dress pocket.”  Pulling the stone out, I showed it to him.

“There is a better way to keep a siren stone safer than exposing your little accessory.”

My gaze switched from his eyes to the clasps.  “How? By giving it back to you?”

I was waiting for him to actually say yes, but his expression said something entirely differently, as if he didn’t want it back.  “What? No!  Why would I want my siren stone back?”

“I don’t know,” I replied,” I saw how you were looking for the stone just now.  You looked like you wanted it back.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t know about the rules.  Since you got the stone during your little trial, the stone is basically yours now and there is no way for me to take it back, unless the owner really desires it or dies.”

I didn’t know about that rule for the trial.  The only thing I know about the trial is just find items that you think will suit you best and then let your fate be decided by it.  “Oh wow.  So you can’t have it back, unless I am fully willing to give it to you or if I die?”

“Correct.  And the safest way to actually keep your trial item truly safe is by inserting it into your body and let it become one with your aura. Not showing it off on your stupid jewwely”

“Seriously? That’s it?” I asked incredulously.  I thought you were going to say I had to swallow the stone.

“The task is simple really.  I can guide you through it if you like.”

I nodded excitedly.  “Hold the stone in front of your chest.  And using your magic abilities, reach out to the stone and connect with it.  Once you have fully connected with it, the stone will insert itself into your body where it can be safely stored.”

I did exactly as he said and with my Second Lens, I easily connected with the siren stone.  It immediately inserted itself into my body.  I felt my body get stronger and my aura becoming brighter, almost impossible for me to look at it myself.  When the auras light died down, my magic felt more powerful and my aura shined brighter.  I looked at my arms and found whirls all over my body.  “Ummm, what are these?” I said, showing my arms to Kai.

“Oh, those are just marks showing that you are now the true owner of the siren stone.  The other siren stone owners are the only ones who can see those markings.  And he will definitely recognize those marks.”  The marks looked like water droplets and whirlpools dancing on my arms...and they were white, making it stand out on my skin.

He started laughing and I looked at him with an exasperated look. “Are you sure? Because it looks like these are standing out like a dark bruise on pale skin.”

He stopped laughing and then he said,” Just don’t be conscious about it. If you keep looking at your arms, people are going to think you’re going crazy.” I rolled my eyes after he said that. “Oh, and make sure to replace the stone with something else on the clasps, that way they don’t suspect you inserted it into your body.”

I grabbed a stone on the beach and made a huge ball of ice covered in fresh snow to make an identical stone.   I made the weaving very stable, that way the snow wouldn’t melt very much.  I fetched my gemstone out of my pocket, and weaved it onto the clasps.   When I finished I saw that he was looking me up and down.  “It seems you are able to withstand the amount of energy in your body, for now. Most of the chiefs in the past ended up with high fevers for a few days because their bodies were trying to adjust to the change in magic energy or auras.”

“Is that a good thing?” 

“Yes, it also shows that you have great potential in the future.  Especially using powerful spells.”

“Really?  Like what?”

“Spells that could probably revive people or even attack to kill.”

To be able to revive people is really cool, but if I could kill people with it too...  “Is this your way of telling me to be careful with who I associate with?”

“Yes and no.”

“That was a ‘yes or no question.’” I giggled

“Because if you are too cautious, you can either lose the friends you already have or you won’t be able to make new friends.  But if you’re not cautious enough, you will draw the attention of people you don’t want to.”

“Wow, that is the wisest thing you have said to me since we’ve met.”

He looked at me with a look that dared me to say it again.  I stared right back at him with the same expression, daring him to protest.  “Whatever,” he said after staring me down for a couple minutes.

I looked at the sun and it looked like it was almost time.  I didn’t want to go yet.  “I should probably go and get ready,” I reluctantly said.

“You probably should,” he said with the same tone.

“I really don’t want to go.  I am really not the type of girl who likes to party,” I said.

I noticed the surprised look on his face and nodded.  Ever since I was a kid, I have always hated parties.  I didn’t like them because all the adults would talk about things they think kids wouldn’t understand.  It was also the time for people to spread rumors and gossip about the people they are jealous of.  Plus, I have a severe case of claustrophobia.  I always feel like I am cramped or like I can’t breathe with so many people around me.  Feeling their breath go down my neck, always gives me shivers.

“I’ve had bad experiences with parties.”

“Let me guess, you’re not much of a talker around other people. Or you’re claustrophobic.” He gives me a sideway smirk.  I didn’t need to reply, since my silence answered the question, once again. “Well you’re lucky that the festival is going to be outside.”

“I guess so,” I said, unsure if I really do want to go even if it's going to be outside.

“Just hangout with your friends,” Kai suggested.

“Yeah, if they don’t actually ditch me to go hangout with the guys they like.”

“They do that?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said.  I remember so many occasions when I turned around, they were gone, and it would take me an entire night to find them.  By then, the party was already over. 

“Do you have a guy that you like?”

“No, all the guys are very monotonous.  They always try to copy each other to attract the attention of as many girls as they can.” The siren shook his head and rolled his eyes.  I slowly stood up and said,” I should get going.  I still need to braid these ribbons into my hair.”

He nodded, but then he took a double take,” What ribbons?”

I pulled out the ribbons from the pouch the man gave to me earlier.  I held it out to him and he lowered his head to take a sniff of it.  He cringed and asked,” Who gave this pouch to you?”

“A man covered in his own blood from a few days ago.  He was injured on the day you appeared on our shores.”

His eyes showed fury and rage.  I looked at him and asked,” Is there something wrong?”

Kai shook his head and said,” Whomever you got that from, I don’t like the smell of him, it doesn’t smell like something I am familiar with.”  The smell of him?

“Well, he is a homeless guy, can’t really blame him.”

He shook his head once more,” Just be careful at the party tonight.  Don’t go anywhere by yourself.”

“Oh, okay,” I said.  “I will see you tomorrow? Maybe?”

“I’ll be waiting,” he said with an edgy voice. He dove back into the sea, splashing water on me with his tail in the process.  As I was heading back, I realized, I still didn’t know his name.