Chapter 137: Echoes of awakening

The first wisps of dawn followed the horizon in delicate folds of pale blue and lavender gray when I stepped out into the early morning. I had awakened before them all, called by an restless unaccountable sense except to an early will to command, needing the boundaries of magic now held within me. The morning light was pale and gentle, as if it was not yet prepared to drive away the secrets of darkness. It enveloped me, insistent but gentle.

I stepped out into the training grounds where Gamma Calista waited for me. The grass was a honeyed touch beneath the soles of my bare foot, and with every step I took, the sound was music among bird songs and soft leaf stirrings carried on gentle breezes. The world was surrendering quietly to keep back the light of dawn within it, waiting for the thing that had to happen. And I did, too.

Gamma Calista stood on the edge of the glade, keen-eyed and keen, her dominant form not harsh. Dark hair framed her face, wise and wickedly playful, and bowed to me to start training immediately.

"Luna," she said, her voice was firm but gentle. "Today, we continue with pushing you to your limits.”

I nodded, drawing in a deep breath. I was aware that my own power, so turbulent and tempestuous as it appeared to be at times, was the gateway to my destiny, and perhaps the very one that would safeguard me against the ancient evil gathering on the horizon. I held the talisman against the bony prominences of my collarbone; its gentle hum was the beat of my own heart, the reminder of magic now coursing through my veins.

After training with Calista, I went to freshen up and have a quick breakfast with Grayson, then I headed off to Leah's room and together, we walked to our usual practice spot. After some minutes of dialogue back and forth, Leah's expression became serious.

"Now, Althea, let's be serious," she said, her eyes shooting with resolve and urgency. "Your powers are surfacing, and it's time that we work on the next step of your abilities. Today, I'm going to teach you more advanced techniques of breathing, techniques for acquiring and controlling your magic more specifically.". These exercises will help you draw energy from inside and from the overall universe, keeping you more accountable for your energy. I concentrated with all my strength as Leah asked us to discover that our breathing was the demarcation line between our body and the motion of the magic that drifted in the air.

"Breathe deeply, Althea," she instructed me, "and still your mind from all distraction." Listen to the rhythm of your heart and let it blend with the rhythm of the world. We did this for hours. I obeyed, observing intently as each breath out was danced alternately with each breath in. A flush of warmth ran through me, a strange and exhilarating feeling, as if I'd been inflated with air. Leah taught me advanced techniques, how to control my breathing so I could draw upon a deeper well of power, how to let the beat of the wild world be consonant with my magic, and how to relax to the point that I could sense even the subtlest shift in the elemental currents around me.

My head reeled with wonder and fear; with every controlled breath, one step further into the abyss, yet one guarantee of the possibility contained within me. The longer it took, the more finely tuned I became to subtle variations.

The rhythm of the spaced breathing that I practiced was like music as if I were completely in tune with the beat of the amulet, and the unbroken enchantment coursing through me grew stronger. My sensitivity was so highly heightened to the point of being painful, the fluttering of so far away a leaf, the wind, even the soft fall of water was ringing in my ears. I felt that I was tuned to every vibration of the planet that was under my feet, that I was becoming one with the very fabric of life itself.

Leah's voice cut through my stern silence, soothing and reassuring. "Althea, it's time. I want to know if you've learned this breathing exercise." She pointed to a small, wiry plant at the bottom of a tree, a small sprout with green leaves and a long, slender stem. "Dry out the plant."

I gasped in horror at the audacity of the task, though recognizing that every exercise was veiled with something greater than it was at the moment. "Drain the plant?" I repeated, shuddering with horror and anticipation.

Leah nodded. "Yes. I want you to use your power to draw life from the living plant with the method you've just discovered. Don't hurt it, just drain the fluid within it."

My heart racing, I reached the plant. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply, and concentrated. I could feel the energy of the plant as a flowing, soft stream, a thudding, alive energy willing to be combined with mine. I allowed my breathing to slow and lengthen, letting tension release, and attuned with my rhythm to the natural rhythm of the planet.

I visualized, in my mind's eye, a connection of energy, a bridge being established between the plant power and the reservoir of magic that lay within me. I extended my mind, and it touched the concentrated energy, and I pulled back in shock as I felt the gentle tug. The leaves on the plant quivered, the brilliant green turning black as if life had been drawn out of them. Gentle, golden light began to flow from the talisman, each languid breath building in power.

For an eternity, I focused on that connection, my breath, my power, and the life energy of the plant mixing into a free flow. It was thrilling and frightening both at the same time, a subtle power that coursed through me, reminding me that I was responsible for this, that I was mastering it.

My entire body hummed with the exertion, all my nerves quivering with a subtle, but profound, richness.

And then, just as I was beginning to sense that the energy was within grasp, the plant jumped and fell silent. At that electric moment, I was beset by doubt. Had I drawn it too low? Was this the proper level of my power? The silence in the room grew heavy, and my heart pounded with fear and exhilaration.

I slowly opened my eyes. The plant that once had seemed so green and full in memory now drooped limply, its leaves going gray and parched. I caught my own breath at what I'd done. The soft light of the talisman wavered uncertainty for an instant before steadying itself, as though sensing the upsetting of the equilibrium of nature.

I glanced at Leah, whose face was set in seriousness and pride. "Well done, Althea," she said softly. "You have learned to harness the natural power, but be warned: this is just the beginning. There are others, more daunting challenges to your ability."

A surge of relief and fear ran through me. "I know," I stuttered, my head still reeling from it all.

Leah placed her palm against my face to soothe me. "Your power is developing, and with it comes the responsibility to wield it for good. I will be brewing spells and potions to repel unholy presences and spirits that bother our home. The pack house will be protected, but you must keep vigil always."

I nodded, the hurt in her words stinging me within my heart. "Thank you, Leah," I exhaled, voice raspy with gratitude. "I'm learning, but I know that there's so much more that I have to learn."

As our session ended, I bid farewell to Leah and traveled through the pack house hallways in the opposite direction, my head aflame with excitement for this new ability and aware of the ominous weights of a new burden to bear.

I had fancied I had got enough forward toward mastering the old talents in me, and yet that it should be within my power to stifle the half-sickness, half-pain which went with it was a wonder. Later in the evening, when the twilight had passed and the pack house was still, I was drawn to Grayson's office, a haven of warmth and comfort in the half-forgotten echo of the day's revelation.

Inside, I sat with Grayson wearing a gentle smile that dispelled straight away the tension in my heart. The gentle candle flame lit the room, and his gentle, relieved eyes met mine as if to tell me that in the midst of the storm of magic's unrest and prophecy, he was there.