Magini

Chapter 2: A Gift

Elijah woke before dawn, where the sky lingered between dark and light, clouded in a blue-grey to an almost purple hue. He glanced up at the sky before stepping out of his dwelling and stared at the forest. It seemed to beckon to him, begging him to come. The trees were standing tall and majestic, as if they were beyond the affairs of the people below them.

Glancing back at the door, his thoughts turned to Camilla, who still lay asleep. He almost missed it when he caught the Magini was watching him, as normally most paid no attention to them as they usually stared at nothing in particular. They were treated like an object, another tool to be used. The boy's white eyes were unnerving as they met his stare, he bowed his head slightly and watched as the boy went back to staring at the wall. It brought back the memory when he'd thought he heard one of them spoke to him when he was a child.

He turned to the forest and took off, running as fast as he could, zigzagging through the trees. It was second nature to him, this place was home to him, the wind that rushed against his skin made him feel lighter, as if it seeped away his worries. He felt most at eased here, and he kept going without any particular destination in mind.

The pull on him eased, as he neared a big tree, much further into the forest than he normally goes. Slowing down to a gentle walk, Elijah looked up to see how tall the tree was. He knew it was much taller than the rest, and it pulsed beneath his hand as reached out to touch it. It was like it was humming with life.

"Child of this land, we grant thee a gift."

He heard a voice, but couldn't find the source as he searched around. The wind picked up in a circle around the tree, blowing around him and the tree, as he began to see colors forming in the wind; almost like a cloud, long and thin, in a soft pink hue that you could only find when the sun sets.

"Do not forget the ways of the past," the regal voice commanded, though spoken softly, it held power. "We know who you are. She has chosen you, like her mother before."

"Her mother?" Elijah asked, not understanding what was happening, however he knew enough from tales that he should not anger a spirit. They were dangerous and could be deadly.

"She was ,who you call, your Papa's."

The only thing that he thought of was the Magini, the girl that was always by his father's side, that had to be what they were talking about. "The Magini?"

"Yes, boy," a different voice spoke, "Though we know her as daughter of life, Aurora."

"Aurora," he whispered in awe, never knowing that they had names. He never knew what became of her after his papa had died. Normally the Magini stayed with the family, but she had been deemed untamed due to the way his papa treated her. They had feared her because she wasn't treated like a servant.

"She is our most cherished," the voice continued.

The tree in front of him began to hum and tremble, causing him to take a step back.

"And she will be our last. The world forgets us, so we shall forget the world," the last voice spoke, sounding sad.

The wind picked up before disappearing altogether, along with the spirits. A rumbled came from the tree and course through the ground, making him fall backwards. He looked up as the tree began parting, revealing a young girl. He was amazed and left stunned at her beauty. Her milky-white skin and light blond hair made her look soft and innocent; like an angel he thought.

She opened her eyes, looking at him, and he knew that she was a Magini. The white eyes were a dead give away, but what truly left him breathless was knowing that this amazing creature was his Magini, and sadness crept over him as he wished he could go tell his papa. A sad smile spread across his face; he knew that he was the one person who would understand him and be proud of him.