Craft

Part 3; will need revised

Tightrope by LP. It has nothing to do with the story. Just pretty.

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Later that night, I held a mirror in my hand as I blessed it and placed it on the desk before me. A circle of crystals surrounded my area as I lifted my hand to rest just above the mirror. I called upon my guides (spiritual guides) and asked for their guidance in my magic. A force of warmth seemed to slowly seep into me and a smile crested my lips.

When the warmth spread completely over my body, I called out to the mirror with new found power. The warm glow of light that followed forced my eyes open. The mirror lifted up from the surface slowly and I grasped it in both hands. I had nothing to ask. A simple question would not do, so I let my mind wander over the day and what could come tomorrow. I settled on the  thought of how I had felt once my father had struck me, and the lion just down the hall.

As I focused my vision blurred and the mirror took my consciousness into it. A cooling sensation took over me as the mirror's energy moved over me. I observed the feeling and looked around with it in mind. Nothing shown to me was clear but their smells, sounds, and silhouettes were obvious.

Smells of grass and water lilies filled my nose as the sound of Conbo's voice rung in my ears. I could recognize his quickly, but he stood next to someone else. I had never seen this person before, though they were tall and they held a strong presence. I took note of the deep voice that came from the form. It was clearly male with the way they spoke, but their words were muddled. The sound was deep and hardy. I committed it to memory.

Conbo's blacked-out body bowed to the man and walked in the opposite direction of the man. A smaller, more childlike form, came into view and stopped itself before the man. He looked to her, a girl with a side ponytail, and she placed her hand in his. As soon as he touched the girl, I was forced out of the mirror. A hot burn reached my right side as a growl pulled my senses back to our realm.

I looked around the room of my office. The door had opened and the lion I saved stood in the way. It purred as I looked at it with blurred eyes. My mind had snapped back harshly as the lion bumped my circle. I tried to pull the rest of myself from the mirror as gently as I could. I thanked my guides silently as their power left me.

"You shouldn't do that." I spoke to the young male. The large cat grunted softly and pawed at one of the stones. It never touched the crystal, but the message was clear. Let him in. And I did. Quickly, I closed the circle and allowed the animal to enter. It's feline frame slinked into the room. He was massive and took most of the space.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" I asked as the cat stood with its nose to my chest. He sniffed me and sat down. I lifted a hand slowly. He clearly wouldn't hurt me in that moment, but respect is always important.

My hand rested on the lion's head were a small tuft of copper-blonde hair rested; just behind his ears. The purrs of the animal grew and his tongue softly brushed against the middle of my breast. He pressed his cheek to my body and rubbed himself against me. He was careful to not push me over, and nestled himself into my lap. I welcomed the affection as my eyesight became clearer.

The moment was peaceful while I rubbed his chest. He had twisted himself so that he was on his back and resting. His fur was soft and dense. If I had seen him like this in the dining hall, I would have thought him a house cat. A grin grew on my face. His bandages were holding up nicely, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"You're such a sweetheart." I told him. His head lifted from its place on the floor. He had draped his body over my lap and his head touched the tatami mats as I continued to scratch his chest.

A glared of discontent crossed his face and he huffed looking in to the dark hall. He was pouting. I let out a small laugh and allowed him to relax again into my lap. It occured to me that he must be hungry, but that would have to wait for a little while. All of the servants were sleeping now and it would be too strange to collect the food myself. Considering we do not eat meat, fish being the only acception, someone would have to hunt it for him. I kept the idea in mind.

"Would you like to stay with me here? You'll be free to roam the compound as you'd wish, though you'd have to be kind to the others that call this place home." I offered. His head lifted once again and a gleam crossed his eyes. He rolled off of my lap and sat up to look at me.

" You are more than welcomed to decline the offer, and you'll be taken back to your homeland." I said and placed a hand out as a way for him to communicate his wishes. If he wanted to leave he only had to push my hand away. Instead he nestled down into my palm and wrapped his paws around my waist. His head now in my stomach, I placed my hand back to the tuft behind his ears.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now do you have a name?" The latter question, I asked myself. I would have to figure that out later, but for now it was time for bed.

"Let's get some rest." I said, sliding out of the lion's paws and collected my crystals placing them in their usual place under my desk. I put the mirror away there as well. I let him out of the room first and slid it shut behind me.