Stellar

Chapter 14

Petra strolled along the path leading up to Astral Lodge. Skating along the slick cobblestones as she approached the door. She traced the symbol with her fingers, a habit she had picked up on her visits here.

Blu and Petra started to use it as the location of their training. Ruby wasn't pleased to begin with. But she reluctantly agreed after Kai and Hendry promised that he would teach her how to shoot an arrow in the glade next to the lodge. Now they've fallen into a routine. Waving goodbye to each other at the archway and meeting at Hendry's after each lesson to show each other what they had learnt.

Petra enjoyed training at the Astral Lodge, being around people who could do such amazing things. She was inspired. She felt as determined as she did when she first found out she was an Astral. She lost her way a little when she found out about her blocks, but she was back, with Harper's words echoing in her mind. In darkness, the moon still shines its light to show us the way.

Petra had gone back to Harper a few days after her last visit, but the outcome was still the same. She had to figure it out herself. But she still had no luck. All of this be the best person you can be and be your authentic self, she didn't really understand it. Blu had tried to explain it to her again when he helped her try to figure out what her block was, but she still didn't get it. How could she be anyone but herself. She didn't think she was a mean person so it can't be that. Or was it? All of this just messed with her mind.

"I want to show you something," Blu said as soon as Petra walked through the door of the Astral lodge.

"Do I not get a hello today?" Petra asked

"Yes hello, now come with me" Blu pulled Petra by the arm towards a door that from Petra's knowledge was always closed, locked even. She had tried it during the first few days of training at the Astral lodge, when she was still trying to get her bearings.

Blu pulled Petra down some stairs and then down some more, Petra already dreading the walk back up. As it got darker, Blu conjured a light orb and held it in his hand to light their way. After a few steps, they came face to face with a wall. Blu pressed the orb of light into a particular brick, about fourteenth from the top and second brick to the right, and the wall began to open. The wall twisted and bent backwards in sections, blending into the surrounding walls and revealing that the staircase carried on as far as Petra could see.

"Why are we going down here?" Petra ran her hand along the stone wall that was freezing to the touch. The further they went the colder it got. Petra rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep some warmth.

"I think there maybe something down here that may help us with our blocks." Blu's face was serious. From the short conversations they have had about it, Petra got the feeling Blu would do anything to get rid of his block but she wasn't sure of why it was so urgent.

They rounded yet another corner and came to a bolted wooden door. Blu waved his hand over the bolt and the door flew open to reveal a very dark and dusty room. Blu quickly got to work lighting the lamps that were scattered around.

Hundreds and hundreds of books lined the walls of the small room. All haphazardly stacked on the wooden bookshelf that surrounded a small table with two chairs sat in the centre. Dust covered the table, so much so Petra could barely make out the open books and scraps of table that were left on top of it. She ducked under a particularly large cobweb that hung over the door as she stepped into the room and looked at Blu waiting for an explanation.