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BETTER OFF ALONE!

Part VII

Cammi lay awake in the stillness and darkness of the night. He was happy the humans had been defeated and his father and friends returned unharmed, but still he couldn't help thinking this was only the beginning like something worse was to come. He started tossing and turning in is bed trying to sleep but it was no good the events of the last week just kept playing through his mind. He had been nothing but a nuisance yet they put up with him, why?

He had been causing havoc all week and been shouted at and given disapproving looks and he wasn't use to it. Everyone was usually happy to see him but since the discovery of the book in the restricted section no one wanted to know him and now he just felt lonely.

A few more hours slipped by and the moon rose high in the sky and the light poured in through his window. A chill breeze was blowing outside and Cammi shivered as the wind changed direction and it blew straight into his bedroom.

"It's all my fault" he was whispering to himself.

Cammi rolled over onto his side and a single tear rolled down his face he was greatly depressed. He'd hardly ever cried so when he did it was either because of emotions overpowering him, which rarely happened or because of intense pain.

He lay there in his bed silently crying all the time becoming more convinced that the events of recent times were all because of him and it was entirely his fault.

"They'd be better off with out me" he muttered as he fell asleep.

Silently creeping along the corridor Cammi's mother approached her son's room clutching something tightly in her hand. She opened the door nervously as it swung open squeakily and looked into the room on one side of the large room lay Cammi's foster father Sir Plucki and on the other her son Cammi. She tiptoed into the room and sat down on the side of his bed. She wiped away the tears still staining his face then ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled weakly then turned and reached under his bed and pulled out his secret sword that only Cammi and she knew about. She struggled to pick it up because of its weight, but eventually managed to place it on her knee. Opening her clutched hand for the first time a bright light shot out filling the room, but was quickly closed again. She lowered her hand over the amethyst set in the hilt of her son's sword and opened her hand again. The light once more engulfed the room but this time died away quickly as the now small grain of sand fixed itself in the stone. It glowed for a minute then returned to its original state and she carefully placed the sword back under Cammi's bed. She turned to her son again and whispered in his ear her voice nearly breaking "I give to you the most powerful protection know to our kind for I fear you will need it in these dark times ahead"

That said she leant forward and kissed his forehead then drew back and rose to her feet. Shakily but quietly she left the room knowing she had given her son all the protection she could, but that even with the enchantment upon the sword and the first gummi who touched it next, which would be Cammi it still may not be enough to save him from evil that threatens his life.

Morning soon followed and Cammi didn't want to wake up to see the many disapproving faces, he felt horribly depressed, sad and lonely for the first time in his life as his eyes opened to the familiar sight of his room. He laid there in his bed staring up at the ceiling of his room fresh tears spilling down his face as he flung back the covers and got dressed. He then walked over to one of the nearby windows and looked out to see the black, grey and brown clouds had disappeared revealing a blue sky with a few white clouds and the sun shining down on Gummadoon once more. A smile played on his lips and his trouble's left him for a short while as he raced out the room to join the other cubs that were already outside playing in the golden sun. He jumped down several flights of stairs and ran down many corridors before reaching his targets, he stood there in the middle of the corridor just waiting to step out and enjoy the heat of the golden sun. He passed through the door feeling happy to be outside again but as he passed and his foot touched the hard dusty ground the sky become overcast and it rumbled and then a thunderclap sounded in the distance. Cammi's face looked horror struck then he turned to look at the other cubs who all shot disapproving black looks at him.

Sheets of heavy, ice cold rain began pouring down but Cammi didn't dash in like everyone else he just stood with his shoulders slumped and his arms hung by his sides and cried. His tears came fast and mingled with the rain as they splashed down his cheeks. His clothes were heavy and soaked but he didn't care the only thing that went through his mind now was its your fault. He slumped down onto the floor and doubled over as his stomach flipped making him feel nauseous. More tears erupted and he wiped them away as best he could trying to stop but it was pointless the more he tried the more they came. He panted heavily trying to breathe then turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at the gummi and saw it was his mother with his foster father, friends and councillor's Berrybaum and Wooddale.

His mother opened her arms and gathered him up and let him cry into her shoulder while they headed into the castle to get dry. They walked into a large room where a roaring fire was lit and sat down in the chairs around it. All five councillors were in the room and staring at Cammi while his mother and foster father tried their best to calm him. His mother sat in a chair close to the fire rocking him and rubbing his back to try and stop him crying but to no avail, he just kept murmuring it was his fault.

Everyone tried everything they could but nothing working and his mothers patience was wearing thin even she could only take so much. She grabbed his upper arms and spun him round to face her then said harshly "Cammi Derrum Gummi stop this crying right now its not your fault"

At being called his full name for the first time in his life it shocked and scared him since that tone of voice usually meant trouble. He stopped crying instantly and looked in his mother's eyes warily excepting to see her angry but instead although she looked alittle harshly at him her face had softened.

Everyone else in the room had been getting tired of Cammi's crying but when his mother had that outburst on him they'd all fallen silent and looked shocked.

Cammi's mother leant forward and ran her fingers through his hair and then lifted up his chin and said "Now that's better"

The two sat there embracing one another, occasionally a sob escaping from Cammi but apart from that Cammi's crying had ceased and he soon fell asleep in his mother's arms.

A few hours later

Cammi began to wake up to the feeling of a cold and damp breeze coming through his window making his tiny form shiver and pull the sheets tighter and closer around himself and opened his eyes only to realise he was no longer in his mother's arms by the fire but his bed. He rubbed his eyes and slowly and reluctantly he climbed out of bed, still being in his clothes he began to make his bed. He then walked over to his window and sighed seeing the familiar weather they had for the past few weeks only now it looked ten times worse.

The sky was completely charcoal black with no sign of white clouds anywhere, it began chucking it down with rain, hail and now as he looked a few snowflakes fell to the ground.

He thought winter might have come early but as he thought he realised it was only October as he observed the strong wind blowing in his face and all over Gummadoon. His eyes began to slightly water with the strong wind making his eyes sore and his face ice cold and his hair a complete mess. He still felt terrible and that everything was his fault despite how many times everyone had told him it wasn't his fault but it only made him believe all the more that it was his fault. Cammi then sat back down on his bed and pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them, resting his head on his knees. He sat there for well over an hour in the same position thinking over what had happened these pasts few weeks before his mother came to Gummadoon. After a while of thinking Cammi stood up from the bed and began making his way out the room to find his mother and ask her something about the Tarquans as he made his way down the corridor to her room to where he thought she might be.

Upon reaching her room he knocked on the door, receiving no answer he made his way to the Councillor's Tower thinking she might still be there discussing to them about the Tarquans. He began walking down the corridor constantly falling and tripping over everywhere and was sure that for a moment the some of the tiles were loose but immediately dismissed it seeing that they were neatly fixed into the ground and that there was no sign that they were coming loose. Cammi then began to think whether he was loosing his balance or was it that he was just seeing things as he stood up from the ground for the seventh time and continued on his way over to the Tower. Cammi then ran into the rain and across the grounds getting himself a little wet as he passed the stables and ran through the training grounds. He made sure to stay away from the weapons and the spinning things as he ran when he then fell flat on his face.

Angered to what it was this time he then stood up and turned to see what it was that made him fall over as he turned to see edge of the fighting beam. He felt himself lose control and anger flow through his veins as he kicked the fighting beam causing a crack in it as he stomped off towards his bedroom forgetting about talking to his mother, but little did he know that she and his foster dad were watching him.

Cammi reached his room and slammed the door shut behind him as his made way into his room grabbing a bag in the process as he walked into his room and started grabbing several different clothes and a few other essentials. Once everything was packed he shoved the bag under his bed and noticed the sword that he had made for when he was older. He reached under his bed and wrapped his fingers around the hilt but as he did a tingling sensation went through his whole body and for a brief moment his body glowed with a strange golden light then the amethyst sparkled and the sword returned to its original state. Cammi stared bewildered for a moment then placed his sword next to his bag in its sheath deciding tonight he would leave when everyone was asleep and he could sneak out unnoticed and then maybe all these bad and strange events would stop.

Night came quickly for Cammi and he was sure to spend as much time as possible with his mother and father since he was sure he would not see them for a long time or possibly never again but he didn't want to think about that option. When he was sent to bed he changed swiftly and fell asleep in moments trying to get as much sleep as possible.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the room they took Cammi in after the storm Sir Plucki and Cammi's mother were talking.

"What is the matter?"

"I've had another vision"

"What about?"

"Cammi"

"And?"

"Cammi will leave in an attempt to make things right"

"I will talk to him tomorrow"

Sir Plucki went to leave but Cammi's mother caught his arm and said " The sooner the better for I sense he will try to leave soon but I…I don't know how soon and I fear for his safety"

"As long as he remains within these walls he is safe"

Contented with that answer she let go of his arm and he walked out leaving her alone. She walked over to the fire and sat in one of the chairs and whispered to herself "But I feel he will not remain in these walls"

She looked up to the ceiling then out of the window and looked out across the plain and said "What ever spirits are out there help Cammi realise the truth for his eyes and heart are blinded by sorrow"

Then everything went dark as she closed her eyes and slept.

Sir Plucki entered his room and looked at Cammi he considered waking him to talk to him then decided it could wait until morning.

Cammi lay half-asleep in bed when his dad walked in and silently waited for him to go to sleep. He lay gradually coming round for the next few minutes and once he was sure his father was asleep he threw back the covers. A lump formed in his throat as he gathered up his pack and sword which made him want to cry, everything and everyone he'd known he was leaving behind. He opened the door and walked out into the cold night air, thankful at least for the rain because no one could hear him leaving. He pushed the door open a little so he could sneak out then closed them. He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders then set off at a brisk pace towards the forest.

TBC…

End of Part VII

Part VIII coming soon!

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