The Tides' Revenge

Chapter 7: The Magical Connection

The swim back, after the conversation from earlier had finished, was filled with awkward silence and a deafening tension. I swim a little behind Vellamo, so that she will not bring up an earlier topic and begin to work herself up. I can't tell if the way Vellamo is acting this way because of the fact that Arina told me something that I was not supposed to know yet or if it's because she is seriously afraid that I will leave for Arina's tomorrow and leave my Tide training, along with her, in the dust.

I know that I have a lot of training to complete in the Dark Tides, and I know nothing of the way of the Light Tides, but I am not sure how I could ever leave Vellamo after she took me in when I needed it the most and is teaching me the ways of a new world that I have come to be in. As it is right now, Vellamo is worrying me. She said she was fine, but as soon as we reached the cave, she took off to put away her stones in a bowl on a jutted rock in the corner of the cave and other trinkets from Arina's shop. Once she returned, she immediately began to clean the cave without sparing me a glance. The place is now spotless and she is sitting on a bench, polishing a vase made of quartz, just like she has been for the past few hours. Just sitting and polishing, staring ahead at nothing, trying to decipher the thoughts that are running through her head.

As she sits in the corner of the cave, I swim up to the bowl of stones and try to recall which of these she said was used for cleansing. I run my hand over the bowl, sifting my fingers through the different sized stones. Each one that meets my flesh brings a new power, each one distinctly unique from the last. As I sift my fingers through the bowl, my finger hits a stone that gives off a power that is oddly familiar. I grab it and remove my fingers from the bowl to find a medium-sized topaz stone. The power that flew through my veins earlier in the shop is now toned down and not as surprising.

"As you encounter the different stones, your tolerance for their power will grow. But, there is always those special stones that you come across that will overpower the tolerance you have built, and surprise you every time. It's known as the Magical Connection."

I stop my inspection of the stone and look to Vellamo while asking, "What stone is that for you?"

"Obsidian." She says with a small smirk gracing her features. "Some say that the stone that has the most effect on you, will determine how powerful you shall become. Merfolk use this to determine what Tide you are associated with, usually. So, with mine being obsidian, with the power of Darkness that lies beneath the surface, I am suspected to be very powerful. Although, I might beg to differ. I find the superstitions surrounding the stones to be unworthy of my time. I don't see the need to rely upon a stone to say how powerful you can become. If you're powerful, it's because you were dedicated to the Tides and you worked hard to receive the power waiting to be unlocked within you. The Tides will recognize your passion and reward you with new gifts as long as you continue along the path that has been laid out before you."

"When will I experience the Magical Connection?"

"Most people discover their Connection to a stone about 3 months after completing the transformation. It can vary depending on the person and how much power is readily available to them after the transformation."

"I see, well I will return this to the bowl now."

"You don't need to the do that just yet, child, I was just about to perform my daily cleansing ritual. I was going to see if you would like to join me?"

I hand her the stone and she turns to pick out 5 more topaz stones and a small turquoise stone. Once she finds everything she is searching for, she swims to the middle of the cave to set the turquoise down and begins to set the topaz stones in a circle around the small turquoise stone. Once she is finished, she motions for me to come stand by her side. I swim to the ritual site and the stones have begun to shake in their places.

"Alright, child, we must hurry while the stones prepare for the ritual. When the stones begin to light up with a light-yellow color, we will swim above them and slowly swims in circles that run along the perimeter of the topaz circle. Once they lift from their spots on the floor, we will swim into the circle. I will explain the rest after we complete the first part of the ritual because I believe the stones are beginning to glow."

I look at down at the ring of stones and see that they are glowing, emanating a strangely yellow light from the topaz stones and a bright teal light from the turquoise. Vellamo begins to swim along the perimeter of the ring, so I follow suit. Once we complete the lap around the perimeter 3 times, Vellamo begins to chant.

"Emundatione autem quod anima et quod domum."

I listen carefully to her chants for 3 more laps around the perimeter and by then I know how to pronounce the strange words coming from her mouth. I chant with her as we complete 3 more laps around the ring. Once we finish the ninth lap, Vellamo stops and motions for me to follow. She swims to the center of the ring and I swim in front of her with the turquoise stone in between us.

"Raise your arms and repeat after me, child," she says as she raises her arms above her head pointing towards the ceiling of the cave. I raise my hands above my head and wait for Vellamo to begin.

"Magno Latina, Interragabo vos et ego in iudiciis et in purificationem et anima mea hodie." Once she finishes her chant, she looks to me to repeat her, so I do. Once I finish, she nods and begins another chant.

"Latina magnanime, et clamorem meum exaudi orationes hercle!" Once she finishes this chant, I don't hesitate to repeat the strange words.

After we finish this chant though, something strange begins to happen. The light from the topaz has turned into small orbs of light and the topaz has fallen back to the floor. The turquoise stone now has 2 strings of light coming from it, and one string is on Vellamo's chest and the other is attached to mine. As I look around, I see that the orbs of light have moved to the corners of the cave and are beginning to swell. The strings in our chests begin to pulsate. When the strings double in size, they still and the orbs in the corners begin to shake. Once they are shaking at an amazingly fast speed, they explode and light bursts from them, completely blanking everything in my field of vision. Once I can see the cave again, the stones have all fallen back down to the floor and they no longer glow.

And Vellamo whispers, "Tibi gratias ago tibi tantam Latina."