Chapter 6: The Colours of Magic

Chapter 6

Dauna was at home.  She was nine years old.  Her mother was talking with her aunts, her father was outside chopping wood with her uncles while her older brothers had a mini wrestling competition with her male cousins.  Her female cousins chatted while they sewed by the fire, and her little sister was running around begging for sweets.  Duana was helping her grandmother cook.  The house was warm and smelt like spices.  Laughter and happy voices filled the cheery rooms.  Everyone was happy, everything was perfect.  

But it didn’t last.  The people faded away and the house filled with smoke.  Fire reached out towards Duana.  She cried out, calling for her family, stumbling blindly through the smoke filled house.  She found the way to the door and fell outside.  When she got up the house was gone.  All that was left from those happy memories was the charred foundation of a house.  Since the fire the house wasn’t the only thing to have changed.  Nine years had passed since that last happy memory, Duana was now eighteen.  Hanging from her neck was the bloodstone.

I can fix this, I can end this, Duana promised silently, I will.  

Duana awoke with the bloodstone glowing red.  It was reminding her of her promise.  

“I haven’t forgotten,” Duana whispered.  The stone continued to glow blood red.  Duana got up and walked out of the room.  She could hear Rhea singing.  Another reminder that she had to leave.  She didn’t belong in Rhea’s happy life of simple magic and honest joys.  Not anymore, that life was forever lost to her.  

“Goodmorning!”  Rhea said cheerfully when Duana entered the room.  Rhea was tieing intricate knots out of different colours of yarn.  Her russet magic pooled around her, flowing into the knots.  

“What are those for?”  Duana asked.

“Selling,” Rhea replied simply, “there’s bread in the oven keeping warm and the cup on the counter has herbs for tea, you just have to add hot water,” Rhea said without looking up or stopping her work, “and yes, you need to drink the healing tea.”    

Duana sighed and put the kettle on.  Rhea continued to make more knotted talismans, humming quietly.  Each knot blazed with her magic.  When the water was boiled Duana poured it into the cup.

“If I drink this, will I be well enough to leave when we get to Lantern Bay?”  Duana asked.

“Maybe,” Rhea said.  She tied one more knot then put away the yarn.  Her magic sank back into her aura.  Rhea got up and went over to Aya’s crib and picked her up.  Duana pulled the bread out of the oven and started drinking the tea.  

“Tomorrow I have to change your bandage.  It should be ok for today though,” Rhea said.

Duana nodded but didn’t say anything.   

Rhea eyes fell on the still glowing bloodstone, “why does the bloodstone come only to your magic?” she asked curiously.

“That’s just the way it is,” Duana replied.

“It wasn’t glowing yesterday,” Rhea remarked.

“It wants me to leave,” Duana said.

“Why?”

“Because I want to leave,” Duana said vaguely.

“So it wants what you want?”  Rhea asked, sounding confused.

“To a point.  It want’s to be used,” Duana explained.

“And if you leave you’ll use it,” Rhea said, understanding.

“Yes.”  

“There’s no point in asking you what you’re going to do with it is there,” Rhea stated.

Duana shook her head no.

Rhea shrugged, “oh well.  I imagine I’ll figure it out at some point.”

Duana looked away uncomfortably.

After that they fell into a pattern, everyday Rhea would make Duana drink healing tea while she made talismans and herb mixes to sell.  At some point in the day she’d try, and fail, to get more information from Duana, all the time sailing towards Lantern Bay.