Chapter 15
Cerys stumbled as she felt her feet hit solid ground. Craig caught her before she fell and stood her up. Cerys raised a hand to her forehead and groaned. "I am never travelling like that again." Cerys said. She looked around her. Cerys found herself standing next to a waterfall, which crashed into a silver lake below. "Welcome, to Lilac Lake." said Craig. Cerys gaped around. Sitting on rocks at the edges of the fall were thousands and thousands of tiny faeries. Chattering and giggling and splashing water. Craig took Cerys' arm and steered her around to face the opposite side of the Lake. He led her towards a path and he shoved his hands in his pockets as they strolled. "So, how did you come to be in Aranosia?" Cerys asked Craig. "Well, like you, I thought my father was dead. I'm 17 now.but for years my mother wouldn't speak of him. Turned out he was working in one of the schools here. Anyway, I found out on my 16th birthday that my father was here. Believe it or not, he turned out to be Sam. Well, my mother allowed me to come and live here with him and I've never looked back." Craig looked straight ahead as he spoke. Cerys stayed silent for a few moments and she screwed up her eyes and asked for two strawberry iced drinks. Handing one to Craig, she supped on hers, thinking deeply. "Difference is, you haven't got the almighty bloody power. I wish everything were how it was. It's so frustrating to think that I can't do anything about my situation. Nobody will tell me anything and I just have to sit pretty. By the way, you mentioned school. They have schools here?" Cerys sounded so surprised that Craig laughed. He drunk down his drink and tossed it neatly into the nearest bin. They rounded a corner into a little high street. It still struck Cerys as weird to see little people going about their daily business without a care in the world. "Yeah, there are three different schools. The A.M.A, All Mortals Academy, the L.F.I, Local Faeries Institute and the S.M.C, School for Magickal Creatures. Before you ask, the A.M.A is only for mortals living in Aranosia, the L.F.I, for only faeries and the S.M.C for the rest of the magickal community." Craig looked at her to make sure she understood. "Okay, that's understandable, but why can't everyone just go to the one school? Wouldn't that make life a hell of a lot easier?" asked Cerys. "Well, no, not really. There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between the schools' Head teachers so everyone goes to a selected school." Cerys noticed that there were many young people and creatures with different coloured uniforms on. She supposed this was to define which school each went to. "So, where do we go now?" Cerys asked, looking up at Craig. He furrowed his eyebrows and for a moment Cerys could see the resemblance between him and Sam. "Well, Cerys," said Craig, "Do you want to go back to the Hall and talk to your mother?" "No," Cerys answered shortly, "And don't try to persuade me to go back." Craig stopped her and Cerys looked coldly at him. "You have to go home sometime." he said quietly. Cerys hand flew to the Amulet around her neck. "Angel of Air, send me home." she cried. Before Craig could open his mouth, a yellow bubble of light had surrounded Cerys and she was transported from Aranosia. Craig stood alone, facing where Cerys had stood a few moments ago.
~
Cerys landed in her kitchen and the bubble around her dispersed. She had tears streaks down her face and she furiously rubbed them away with her sleeve. She was angry and upset and furious all at once and she couldn't deal with all of the emotions. Cerys steadied herself and knew what she had to do. Before she could even concentrate on it, the Book appeared in front of her. The page she needed to banish magickal creatures from the house forever was open;
Finite Magi
You need one thistle branch, a pink candle and four sage leaves. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the thistle and sage into a fine powder.
Light the candle and allow the three drops of wax to dribble into the
powder.
Say these words:
'Guardian of Hope, Guardian of Air
Cover my home in a veil so fair.
Banish those with magick in their veins
Drape my home with a veil of rain.'
Cerys screwed up her eyes and wished for a mortar and pestle, sage leaves, a thistle branch and a pink candle. Cerys began pummelling the sage and thistle with the pestle and she felt a hot sensation on her chest. She knew Aranosia wanted her back. "NO!" she yelled out as a light erupted from the green mist of the Amulet. She snatched up the candle. It lit as soon as she touched it and Cerys began dripping the wax onto the powder. Her feet began to rise off the floor and Cerys yelled out the words. As soon as she shrieked the last word, the light flickered off and she fell to the floor. Cerys looked up into the mortar. A small lilac flame sat burning brightly. Cerys got to her feet and slammed the Book shut. She glanced out of the window into the street below and instead of the street; she saw what looked like a grey blanket covering her house. Cerys took a deep breath and turned to get some milk from the fridge. A familiar tinkling noise twinkled behind her and that told her the Nia had just gotten into the house. Cerys span round from the fridge and saw Nia standing innocently by the toaster. "What?! I just charmed the house to stop people like you getting in!" Cerys yelled. "Me?" said Nia, pointing to herself. "What have I done? As far as I know, I've been yelled at and rude to and I don't know why! Care to explain?" Nia kicked at a crumb as if it was a football. "I cast a spell to stop magickal people coming in. Why are you able to come in here?" Cerys stood with her hands on her hips and glared at Nia. Nia giggled that soft little giggle of hers. "Ah, Cerys. There is a lot for you to learn. When I guided your great- grandmother, I was bound to this house forever and no spell you put on it can stop me from entering as the magick that binds me here is an ancient kind that cannot be broken." Cerys sighed. "What's the point of having this power if I cant even get away from you? This is not who I am. I don't want this! I don't want to be the Keeper of the Amulet and I don't want to talk!" Cerys sat heavily at the kitchen table. Nia was staring at her, surprised at this sudden outburst of anger. "Cerys. Haven't you realised yet that this IS who you are? D'you not want to be the Heir of - " Nia broke off and gasped. A scratchy white light surrounded her and her mouth was wide open in horror as she was pulled away.
Cerys stumbled as she felt her feet hit solid ground. Craig caught her before she fell and stood her up. Cerys raised a hand to her forehead and groaned. "I am never travelling like that again." Cerys said. She looked around her. Cerys found herself standing next to a waterfall, which crashed into a silver lake below. "Welcome, to Lilac Lake." said Craig. Cerys gaped around. Sitting on rocks at the edges of the fall were thousands and thousands of tiny faeries. Chattering and giggling and splashing water. Craig took Cerys' arm and steered her around to face the opposite side of the Lake. He led her towards a path and he shoved his hands in his pockets as they strolled. "So, how did you come to be in Aranosia?" Cerys asked Craig. "Well, like you, I thought my father was dead. I'm 17 now.but for years my mother wouldn't speak of him. Turned out he was working in one of the schools here. Anyway, I found out on my 16th birthday that my father was here. Believe it or not, he turned out to be Sam. Well, my mother allowed me to come and live here with him and I've never looked back." Craig looked straight ahead as he spoke. Cerys stayed silent for a few moments and she screwed up her eyes and asked for two strawberry iced drinks. Handing one to Craig, she supped on hers, thinking deeply. "Difference is, you haven't got the almighty bloody power. I wish everything were how it was. It's so frustrating to think that I can't do anything about my situation. Nobody will tell me anything and I just have to sit pretty. By the way, you mentioned school. They have schools here?" Cerys sounded so surprised that Craig laughed. He drunk down his drink and tossed it neatly into the nearest bin. They rounded a corner into a little high street. It still struck Cerys as weird to see little people going about their daily business without a care in the world. "Yeah, there are three different schools. The A.M.A, All Mortals Academy, the L.F.I, Local Faeries Institute and the S.M.C, School for Magickal Creatures. Before you ask, the A.M.A is only for mortals living in Aranosia, the L.F.I, for only faeries and the S.M.C for the rest of the magickal community." Craig looked at her to make sure she understood. "Okay, that's understandable, but why can't everyone just go to the one school? Wouldn't that make life a hell of a lot easier?" asked Cerys. "Well, no, not really. There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between the schools' Head teachers so everyone goes to a selected school." Cerys noticed that there were many young people and creatures with different coloured uniforms on. She supposed this was to define which school each went to. "So, where do we go now?" Cerys asked, looking up at Craig. He furrowed his eyebrows and for a moment Cerys could see the resemblance between him and Sam. "Well, Cerys," said Craig, "Do you want to go back to the Hall and talk to your mother?" "No," Cerys answered shortly, "And don't try to persuade me to go back." Craig stopped her and Cerys looked coldly at him. "You have to go home sometime." he said quietly. Cerys hand flew to the Amulet around her neck. "Angel of Air, send me home." she cried. Before Craig could open his mouth, a yellow bubble of light had surrounded Cerys and she was transported from Aranosia. Craig stood alone, facing where Cerys had stood a few moments ago.
~
Cerys landed in her kitchen and the bubble around her dispersed. She had tears streaks down her face and she furiously rubbed them away with her sleeve. She was angry and upset and furious all at once and she couldn't deal with all of the emotions. Cerys steadied herself and knew what she had to do. Before she could even concentrate on it, the Book appeared in front of her. The page she needed to banish magickal creatures from the house forever was open;
Finite Magi
You need one thistle branch, a pink candle and four sage leaves. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the thistle and sage into a fine powder.
Light the candle and allow the three drops of wax to dribble into the
powder.
Say these words:
'Guardian of Hope, Guardian of Air
Cover my home in a veil so fair.
Banish those with magick in their veins
Drape my home with a veil of rain.'
Cerys screwed up her eyes and wished for a mortar and pestle, sage leaves, a thistle branch and a pink candle. Cerys began pummelling the sage and thistle with the pestle and she felt a hot sensation on her chest. She knew Aranosia wanted her back. "NO!" she yelled out as a light erupted from the green mist of the Amulet. She snatched up the candle. It lit as soon as she touched it and Cerys began dripping the wax onto the powder. Her feet began to rise off the floor and Cerys yelled out the words. As soon as she shrieked the last word, the light flickered off and she fell to the floor. Cerys looked up into the mortar. A small lilac flame sat burning brightly. Cerys got to her feet and slammed the Book shut. She glanced out of the window into the street below and instead of the street; she saw what looked like a grey blanket covering her house. Cerys took a deep breath and turned to get some milk from the fridge. A familiar tinkling noise twinkled behind her and that told her the Nia had just gotten into the house. Cerys span round from the fridge and saw Nia standing innocently by the toaster. "What?! I just charmed the house to stop people like you getting in!" Cerys yelled. "Me?" said Nia, pointing to herself. "What have I done? As far as I know, I've been yelled at and rude to and I don't know why! Care to explain?" Nia kicked at a crumb as if it was a football. "I cast a spell to stop magickal people coming in. Why are you able to come in here?" Cerys stood with her hands on her hips and glared at Nia. Nia giggled that soft little giggle of hers. "Ah, Cerys. There is a lot for you to learn. When I guided your great- grandmother, I was bound to this house forever and no spell you put on it can stop me from entering as the magick that binds me here is an ancient kind that cannot be broken." Cerys sighed. "What's the point of having this power if I cant even get away from you? This is not who I am. I don't want this! I don't want to be the Keeper of the Amulet and I don't want to talk!" Cerys sat heavily at the kitchen table. Nia was staring at her, surprised at this sudden outburst of anger. "Cerys. Haven't you realised yet that this IS who you are? D'you not want to be the Heir of - " Nia broke off and gasped. A scratchy white light surrounded her and her mouth was wide open in horror as she was pulled away.