Prophecy

Chapter 21

When Anjulee finishes straining the color-changing ointment into a glass bowl, Artemis has almost fallen asleep in my arms, and Bo and Andromeda have been keeping a watchful eye on both hatchling and the progress of the ointment. Javier and the twins are conversing quietly to the side, and I'm stuck deep in thought until Andromeda clears her throat to get everyone's attention.

"As soon as this cools, we'll be ready to go," Anjulee announces. "But there's a few things we should consider before we apply the ointment." She gestures for Andromeda to continue.

"We know the Aurora Reality is unstable, potentially under new rule, for the time being, so ideally we'd use a Reality Window to preview what we'll be facing in order to travel to Aurora City, but..." Andromeda's voice trails off. "Bo and I don't know how to open a Reality Window. So our best bet is to be prepared for the absolute worst before we summon an entrance into the next Reality." My jaw drops, and I feel Artemis squirm in my lap.

"We could be facing monsters or super-powerful Elementals, and our best bet is to guess?" I say, trying my best not to be sarcastic.

"Yes," answers Bo for me, serious all of a sudden. "Our best bet is to guess." An uneasiness settles on the group, and I stroke Artemis from head to tail to try and calm myself.

"I don't think I can survive for long up there," I whisper softly. The attention of the group turns to me, some with concern, others in disbelief.

"You'll be fine, especially with the ointment properly applied," Ada assures me. "Even if you don't know how to control your Element, you're still a Creator, and that should give you more than enough energy to walk the Aurora until we get to our destination."

"Yeah," Arik concurs. "Your Element doesn't keep you from its benefits just because it isn't under control. You got this." He grins at me, but I can see concern in his eyes, silently assuring me that he has my back. Anjulee draws her blade.

"We will all be with you, and no one would dare mess with a Creator while we're around." She smiles confidently at me, and I smile faintly back.

"Okay," I respond in a small voice.

Only a few minutes passes before the ointment is cool enough to be used.

During this time, Javier removes the saddles from his father's animals, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He whispers to each one before letting them escape into the wild. When Eve is released, she stops at the edge of the woods to look me in the eye before inevitably disappearing. Javier smiles with tight lips at me as he joins the rest of us in being ready for the ointment.

"They'll be ok. They've bonded enough with all of us that if need be, we could probably call them. But they're not going to deny their own freedom," he rambles, quickly wiping his eyes. I feel my heart sink a bit at hearing his voice breaking. I should've known leaving these animals behind would be hard on him especially.

Anjulee picks up the bowl, and when I stand with Artemis in my arms, ready to go, everyone follows suit. I may not feel ready to lead these Elementals onto a potential battlefield, but with their confidence in me and the hatchling in my arms needing protection, I am filled with determination. I am ready to consider myself part of this team.

Anjulee holds out the shallow bowl first to Javier, explaining, "There isn't much to go through all of us, so only scoop up some on your first finger." She allows each Elemental in turn to take some from the bowl, me taking some last. She reminds me to take an extra serving for Artemis, because she doesn't have the same gift that Bo and Andromeda have.

Once we all have the ointment on our fingers, Bo takes over instruction. "The ointment should still be pretty runny. Apply it to the bottoms of your feet and to your neck." There's a bit of rustling and shuffling back and forth as each Elemental, including me, works to take off shoes to apply the ointment properly before putting shoes back on again. The ointment is refreshing and light, and almost as soon as I rub it into the instructed locations, the colors disappear and I can't hardly feel the substance on my skin, except for an unusual lightness to my body. When I rub the ointment into the bottoms of Artemis's paws and around the nape of her crest, she is wide awake, and sets herself on my shoulder. "Now the best way to spread the ointment to the rest of your body is to either do some exercise and sweat, or to take a dunk in some water. The ointment won't wash away, it just needs another light liquid to make it spread further."