Ch.9 Tides of Doubt

I was standing on the surface of the water, yet I wasn't. I could see to the horizon in every direction, yet my view was blocked by the large stone scales. My footing was steady, yet it quaked.

The feelings and sights from the real world faded. The quaking ground was replaced by the steady solid waters that filled my mind. The sight of scales was replaced by the beautiful vista. Tearing winds replaced by the calm breath of wind that seemed to welcome me.

"It is yours." spoke a deep voice. I spun on my heel and took in the form of a large blue eagle. "All this is yours and mine. Together we will be happy. Together we will be able to do anything."

"This is mine? This ocean is what I am?" Somehow it felt wrong, but the unease was covered as soon as it rose.

"Yes, it is. Soon you will be my companion for the rest of our lives."

I gazed at the surrounding blue waters, spotting tiny silver sparkles that rose and danced through the waves. It was mesmerizing, raising from the sands below and dancing through the air. I watched as a silver moon rose in the sky above and lit the are in a perfect melody between silver and blue, even though the blue cast a back drop to everything.

"What's all the silver?" I asked.

"It is you, your essence, your power and mine!" Glee danced through his voice and it filled my mind. Everything was beautiful here. The four out there had said that Kullervo was evil, but he had only shown me the kindness that they had refused me.

"I like it!"

"Would you like to fly?" Did I want to fly? Yes! I had dreamed of flying since I was small. Flying on the back of creatures or by myself depending on what I had felt like that day. All those memories came back.

I was happy, my mother holding me high in the air and my father playing with us. It was long before the trees had talked and I had faded into the background of Dad's work. We were a family and we were able to make each other happy.

Mom lifted me and made roaring sounds, which I laughed at. Dad swung a stick, playing the knight and trying to rescue me. The day was warm and all of us were out of breath when we had finished. Lemonade was cool in the glasses and running down our throats. The sun set was wonderful, hot air balloons floating into the blazing circle. Clouds were lit from underneath, purples and pinks mixed freely with the oranges and reds.

I had been five.

Kullervo lifted me and I was on his back in the air. Silver streamers danced around us and I felt him fall out beneath me. I didn't worry though, as I knew no harm would come.

A blue whirlwind lifted me and solidified underneath into another form that I was too happy to dwell on. My happiness was shared by my companion and I let the air ruffle my hair as I threw my hands back and laughed.

The whirlwind was around me again and I spun myself as I landed on the back of another creature. We soared high and I touched the moon, streamers clinging to my fingers and tracing through the sky behind us.

Me and Arron were prowling through the streets during one of the frequent blackouts, trading stories about the past and future. What would happen when we became rich, what we would do if we suddenly got super powers. Would we be heroes or villains?

Arron argued that we could be villains like the Joker, pranksters that did it for fun. I had agreed wholeheartedly. Why be troubled with responsibilities and earthly needs when we could just have fun? We agreed though, that we wouldn't hurt others in our fun, cuz that would ruin it.

We ran through the streets and left our troubles behind. We camped in the woods on the edge of the city for the weekend, searching for treasures that others would call junk. That was the day we had found a wedding ring. We had gotten a hundred dollar award for returning it.

I had been twelve.

Kullervo soared higher and our joy went with it. We were reveling in the area around us and I could feel the wind blowing past fast as we went into a dive. He vanished from beneath me but reapeared again as a smiling seal who helped me dive into the blue ocean. I could breath the liquid and reveled in that feeling that nothing could ruin this day.

We dove down and up, my companion shifting and swimming happily with me. I shouted out in joy again and looked forward into the blue.

The beach was rocky, but I had had fun all day. Mom was running with me, Dad having gone back home to make dinner for when we got back. Mom picked up a crap and showed me its little claw legs, avoiding the pincers.

Returning it to the sand below we watched as the waves cast the sun across our collection of shells. I ran my hand over their smooth surfaces and watched as they glinted all the colors of the rainbow. One in particular caught my eye and I chose it as my favorite.

I had been seven.

We danced through the waveless sea and shot out of it again, flying straight up and spiraling around as we took in our surroundings. In the distance I could see what looked like a silver castle floating on the water. Sand filled it's floor and I pointed to it.

My companion and I turned to the castle and we picked up speed.

I could see a gate and drawbridge on the front. Towers were at the four corners and I laughed as I could see that they were piled with the treasures from my memories, copied over and over again.

Arron ran up the pile of trash and yelled loudly, scaring most of the birds off, though one stayed on a pile of trash nearby and watched our game. As we entered the top nest we were astounded.

There were more piles, but instead of trash there was treasure. Real treasure! We had run into it and started digging, holding up the priceless bits that we could only imagine the origin of. Arron had started collecting rings, which we would redistribute later, but I had something I was looking for specifically.

There, not three feet away, was a small pile of what I had been hoping for. Chains! They were made of real silver and gold. They littered the area and I gathered handfuls, knowing that we wold be able to use these as much as the rings for our games.

A caw in the distance warned us of the returning magpies and we ran for it, our treasure jangling in the backpacks we had been wearing home from school.

I had been sixteen. It was a month before we moved.

Landing in the castle took my breath away and I gazed at the piles of treasures. I could imagine searching through them for hours more and I knew there would be plenty of time.

After the sunset – when the clouds were still illuminated – I watched as silver sparks danced across the sky. Mom and Dad called it a meteor shower and I wished that we would always be this happy.

The ring me and Arron found sat in the palm of my hand, a silver glint reflecting from the diamond. I knew immediately that someone was looking for it, so we started looking for them.

The shell was shined like a mirror and reflected the silver moon high above us on the beach as we left, headed home for a dinner that had most likely been ready for hours.

The chains and rings glinted in the light in Arron's room. We had estimated our little horde to be worth a fortune but had vowed to never part with it. We each wore the rings that fit and fashioned the chains into bracelets and backpack attachments with the too big and too small rings hanging from them. I looked down and realized that most of the rings and chains I had were gold. One on my right ring finger gleamed silver though.

The castle sand shifted under my gaze and I could see large marble sized quartz spheres gleaming in the light. Colors shouted out from the spheres but I only had eyes for the silver.