Tempest Unleashed

Chapter 13: The Telejewels

When I woke up, I immediately remembered Miss Conscience and how I'd promised to contact her in the morning. I called out mentally, Miss Conscience? Nobody answered, so I tried again. Miss Conscience? Where are you? I heard a yawn, and I saw Moon sit up in her bed and stretch her wings. When she noticed that I was awake, she whispered softly, "Hey, Tempest, did you have any strange dreams last night?" I thought for a minute, and replied, "Yeah, actually, I met this mystery dragon, but I don't know what she looked like, but she called herself 'Miss Conscience'." "Really? I also met someone called Miss Conscience! Was her laugh like tinkling bells?" "Yeah! She was amazing. I promised to contact her in the morning, but she's not there." Moon tapped her chin with one talon, and seemed to get an idea. "Maybe if we try contacting her together at the same time!" "That's a great idea! Let's do it!" I counted down on my claws, 3, 2, 1. Then, Moon and I screamed mentally at the same time, MISS CONSCIENCE! I heard a sleepy yawn inside my head, and heard, Alright, alright, I'm awake, no need to yell. Mission success! Moon and I looked at each other and Moon said mentally, Hello, Miss Conscience, did you have a nice sleep? Why, yes, thank you for asking. Did you? Yes, we did, Miss Conscience. Moon answered. Very good. By the way, Moon, have you told Tempest about your special powers yet? I raised my eyebrow at Moon. Special powers? I thought you could only read minds. Moon looked shocked. Miss Conscience! I was going to tell her eventually. Miss Conscience chuckled, Oh, were you, now? Yes, I was! Also, Tempest, how did you know that I could read minds? When I thought 'MUSHROOMS AND MONGEESE' at you, you smiled and chuckled, so don't think I didn't pick up on those things. I was raised on the streets playing poker, and I was taught to pick up on little things that could be tells. Huh, your childhood was way different from mine. Yes, I agree, I saw it in Tempest's memories. What?! When? When there was silence in our conversation last night, of course, when else? I wouldn't spy on your dreams, and I know that both of you think that. Also, sorry about that chicken wing that Gannet stole from you. Yeah, that was really rude of him. I know, right? I just wanna pummel him and drown him and then freeze him and pummel him some more and roll whatever's left in mountain lion dung and blow fire at it so it's kind of baked and feed the dung biscuits to the sharks! The conversation went silent for a moment, and then Miss Conscience said carefully to me, You have an ... interesting view of revenge. Yeah, that was a very ... detailed description of what you want to do with him. What can I say? If someone stole food from me on the streets of the Scorpion Den, you had to get it back or get revenge in any way you can. Um, guys? Someone's coming closer to your cave, so I suggest we wrap up the conversation quickly. Okay, bye, Miss Conscience. Yeah, bye. We got out of the conversation pretty quickly and heard the talonsteps on the floor. We watched and listened and waited. Finally, Kinkajou stepped through the doorframe, and said, "Phew, I got hungry." Moon and I relaxed, relieved that it was just Kinkajou. "What's with the relieved looks?" "Oh, they're nothing, don't worry about it, Kinkajou." I said, ushering her out of the room. "We just have to talk about something that's not appropriate for you at this age. We'll be done in a minute!" Once Kinkajou had gone, I turned to Moon. "Do you know if there's any way we can use to communicate with each other telepathically?" Moon handed me a red jewel. I took it and eyed it, then looked up at Moon. "Animus-touched so that if you touch the jewel to your forehead and there's another one pressed to someone else's forehead, you can communicate with them at any time, no matter the circumstances. They're called 'telejewels'. Try it with me." Moon touched the telejewel to her forehead, and I did, too. Moon said, "MUSHROOMS AND MONGEESE." I giggled. We took the jewels off of our foreheads, and Moon said, "As long as we have the jewels pressed to our foreheads, if we talk, no one but us can hear it." A familiar voice said from the doorway, "Give them to me." We looked at the doorway, and there stood Gannet. "Give them to me now." He said again, flaring his wings and looking greedily at my jewel. He swooped over to my bed, and held out his claws. I thought for a moment, and decided to use an old tactic. I'll use his own words against him. "Why should I?" I said with a smirk on my face. He growled and tried to swipe it out of my talons. As soon as his claws touched the surface of the jewel, he got blown backwards and knocked unconscious. My mouth gaped. I looked at Moon for an explanation. "They also bond with the first talons they're held in except for if the talons they touched have already touched a different telejewel, and if anyone that isn't bonded with a telejewel touches a bonded telejewel, they get knocked unconscious. Also, if the people who own the telejewels have them touched to their foreheads at the same time and they're too far apart to hear each other, the telejewels make it so that you can hear the other person from a distance." Moon explained, sweeping one wing towards Gannet. I looked at my telejewel with a newfound respect for the small red jewel. "So, what you're saying is, I can touch your telejewel, but Gannet can't?" "And I can touch yours, and obviously, as already proven, Gannet can't." "Cool! Can we try them out again?" "Of course!" We touched our jewels to our heads, and I asked out loud, "Miss Conscience said that you have another power besides mind reading. What is it?" Moon replied, "I can read minds and I have prophecies and visions, too." I nodded, being careful not to take the jewel away from my forehead. Moon noticed, and said, "You know, I have string. We can make necklaces or anklets or earrings or bracelets or rings!" "Let's make rings." And so, we did. When we were done making them, Moon said, "Now, we can never lose them! Unless someone steals it or you take it off to sleep or it's too big or - " "You are a ray of sunshine." I giggled. "What the HECK was THAT?!" Gannet asked woozily from the floor. "That," I replied regally, "was magic."