Cry of the Avians

Chapter 3 - Leaving

I awoke that morning with an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if this was due to the long journey to the Princess’s home or because I was going to be in the presence of the Princess herself. It could be because I wouldn’t have Zitora there if I needed her, or my parents. Hell, it might be because I’ll miss my brother. This I pondered, miss Samuel? What, was I crazy? Then I thought about it some more. I hoped we could visit home before we left the MD, (Military District) I would love to see the look on Samuel’s face when he learns of my travel with his idol; the Emerald Princess.

I got dressed and headed down the hall to the cafeteria. I could hear students giggling and low whispers emerging from groups that surrounded the white circular tables. When I entered the room the giggling and whispers ceased. Great I thought, they were whispering about me. Again! I walked over to the table at the far right of the room, towards my friends.

“Aura, how are you this morning? You wouldn’t believe the gossip circulating about you today!” my best friend Aphrodite said. Her name wasn’t really Aphrodite, it was Jenny, but everyone calls her Aphrodite because when we start this new school, we get to choose new names. I looked at her.

“I can imag” was all I had the time to say because my boyfriend Leif chose that moment to grab me from behind and startle me half to death.  I turned around and stared at him in utter disbelief. He was holding up a little parcel, wrapped in a little pick bow.

“Cause I know pink is your favourite colour in the world” he said as he gave it to me. I punched him; he very well knows how much I hate the colour and the feminine stereotypes that usually come with it.  I slid my finger under the paper, and pulled up the paper. Slowly I tore the paper from the parcel and found a brown paper bag. Inside it I felt a rather large lump. I took it out to find an amulet, the very one I’d been admiring on Lief’s and my last journey into the small MD town. Attached to the layered wax chord was a note. It wasn’t however a message to me, but a charm, the one Leif had put on this amulet, to let me know when someone is lying.

"Purification I do conjure

So that thoughts be spoken,

Not be pondered"

I looked up at Lief, and hugged him so tight, before he half twirled me so he put the amulet on.  Then the pain hit me. Hit me like wild fire. It burned like wild fire too. What was it? It hurt so much. I then realised it was the amulet I now wore around my neck. I ran out of the room, friends trailing behind me. 

“So much lies” I gasped as I fell to the floor. “It BURNS” I groaned. Leif dropped to my side immediately and ripped the burning stone from around my neck. I gasped as I looked down at the scar it had left in the centre of my chest. Leif was looking at me in horror.

“Aura, I’m so sorry love. I never meant for this to happen” he said. His voice sounded whiney. He was on his knees beside me, head hung low. I reached for his hands, but he pulled away. I lifted his chin, lips inches away from his, I whispered,

“It’s okay Love. It really is”. As I said this, the purple stone of the amulet glowed a bright purple haze, and a hum seemed to be coming from it. I had said the truth. I looked at it enquiringly and I wasn’t the only one! Aphrodite, Amaya, Astoria, Sirius, Leif, Urban and Helena (The only one of us to keep her birth name) were watching the amulet rise up, out of my hand into the air. It just seemed to float, centimetres from my hand, humming its monotonous tune. 

The amulet floated back up to my neck, chain ready to be done up. Leif looked at it hesitantly. I assured him it would be all right. He fastened the clasp but the note carried on playing.