by Bella Ward
“Are you willing to be my protector for all my life?” she whispered to Pypachi. “Will you give your blood, grow up, and not die like Hunundi promised you would not? Because, Pypachi, I need you.”
The little wolf rose up off her chest and nibbled on her finger. He licked her cheek, and for some reason a different kind of magic lurched in her. She knew for some reason the pup was giving her permission.
She handed Pypachi back to Hunundi and she watched the athame slice his little paw. The pup did not let out so much as a whimper. She was shocked. Once done, Hunundi dipped the pup’s paw in the bowl of water, and before their eyes, it’s cut was healed. In seconds, Pypachi was as good as new, nestled back down on its bed, ready to go back to sleep.
Hunundi began to chant as his beads lit up once again. Instinctively, and as if Odessa knew what she was supposed to do, she put the amulet over her head, held the photo of her parents, and grabbed Hamachi’s hand and placed it on her upper arm. While Hunundi chanted, she could feel both Hamachi and her magic mixing between her and him.
She saw the knife pointed towards the dirt, causing her to reach for the bowl of earth. She dumped it in the mixture of blood slowly, matching the rhythm of Hunundi’s chant. The sand and dirt went up in a puff of magic as it evaporated. Odessa hoped that meant it had been accepted, and sure enough the athame spun twice, landing on the bowl of water. Hamachi’s magical aura began to glow a transparent blue. She was familiar with the glow from the night he had saved her, and from when they had kissed.
She picked up the bowl of water and dumped it into the bowl of blood, causing the blood to boil and then cool to a slow bubble. The athame spun to point towards the flame in the bowl. The entire process grew more intense. Odessa spilled the fire on top of the blood. It ignited into a puff of smoke as a small reaction took place in the bowl. Afterwards, the blade spun to point towards the storm. She reached down and released the tornado. It spun around and around until it landed on top of the blood, putting the fire out altogether.
The wind picked up until there was nothing more than a twister in the bowl. The small tornado rose up, and in seconds was settling on Odessa. Hamachi squeezed her hand tighter as the wind blew her hair all over. The twister sunk into the amulet she wore, as a soft cool red glow mixed with Hamachi’s translucent blue, casting hues of royal purple throughout the room all around them.
Chapter Nine
Odessa and Hamachi were still holding hands when the wind settled. Their colors still blended on the ceiling and walls. They looked at each other, wondering what exactly had happened. Slowly, they slid their hands apart, and still the magic remained. Hunundi let his chanting subside with silent lips as his beads cooled to a soft glow, then nothing at all.
For the first few moments, they all three stood looking at each other, until the cool red and translucent blue faded into nothingness. Odessa looked, and for the first time, she saw soft colorful auras coming off each of the shifters in the pictures. She remembered her mother’s soft orange color. Her father glowed green beside her. It was beautiful. Faintly, she could see a cool red light around her mother’s pregnant belly.
“Does this mean my magic is back?” Odessa asked bewildered.
“It sure does,” Hunundi admitted. “You can take your items and go home now, but remember one thing. Your magic is not controlled yet, it will take you a while to get there. Hamachi will help you.”
Odessa thought it a bit rude that Hunundi was just kicking them out like that, but she expected that he had done his job and was ready for bed. She gathered her things and the wolf pup and headed for the door. She turned back to look at the man one last time.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, before turning to leave.
“Yes, thank you, sir,” Hamachi mimicked her.
They both walked out into the night. Odessa handed Hamachi Pypachi and walked up to her backpack on the ground. She still had the amulet around her neck and thought twice about taking it off, but in the end, she knew it was her mother’s magical item, and she would have to find her own one day. Just before walking away, they heard the door to Hunundi’s hut squeak. They turned around to see a younger looking Hunundi than a moment earlier.
“I am sorry my son and daughter for being so rude,” he sighed. “The old man inside me is a bit of a grump these days.”
Odessa snickered, walked up and hugged the man who had helped release her magic. For some reason, she pulled away from the man with tears in her eyes.
“Thank you, truly,” she thanked the man once again.
“Anything for you my child,” his eyes began to crinkle in a smile. “But, I fear you have forgotten to tell me something.”
Odessa looked at the man confused for a moment, but then the realization hit her.
“I think Hamachi can explain it better, sir.” She looked to Hamachi who was cuddling the pup. “He needs to know about earlier today.”
She walked over to Hamachi, where she took his hand.
“Hunundi,” Hamachi began, “today when we were on our way to the refuge, there was a hunter in the valley.”
“Well we think he was a hunter,” she interjected.
“Yes,” Hamachi said. “He had scars all over his face like most of the other hunters. There wasn’t a shadow, but the same dark, oily feeling flowed around us. I almost changed in front of Odessa.”
“I will take this to the council young Hamachi,” Hunundi said, with a hand to Hamachi’s shoulder. “As for you shifting, young Odessa has her magic now, so...” he winked at Hamachi.
Hamachi nodded in acknowledgment as the secret between then was left between them. They all said goodbye to Hunundi as they noticed the old man coming back out. He grumpily walked back into the hut, as Odessa, Hamachi, and Pypachi walked away, back towards the living quarters. Just before reaching living area C, Hamachi turned left to go towards the woods. Odessa instinctively followed him, not asking a single question. She looked at the moon and thought that it had to be at least midnight.
Odessa continued to follow Hamachi into the woods. They walked to the point they were just outside the valley, where the darkness could reside. He stopped short of the cut off and offered her the same stump she had sat on the first time he had told her the story of Odilia and Oleander. She sat, holding the pup in her arms.
“It is time for you to hear the second half of the story,” Hamachi began. “Are you ready to know the truth?” he asked her.
“Very ready,” she responded. She could feel her own magic inside, without the need of Hamachi or the pup.
“Breathe in and out slowly, until you can feel yourself centered by the earth around you,” he advised, while he listened to her doing just that. “Great! Keep doing that, and at the end, try not to release the connection until you know it is right.”
“Alright,” she whispered, as she crossed her legs on the stump.
She put the pup on her crossed legs, and rested her hands on her knees as she breathed in and out, noticing for the first time that she could feel the earth, wind, water, and fire. She struggled to separate them, until she could feel only the earth. She began to breathe it in and out until she could feel it mixing with her magic. Once Odessa felt it combine, she nodded towards Hamachi. He knew the second she was ready, and he himself began to breathe the earth in.
“Odilia and Oleander cast the spell at the full moon, the night the separation happened,” he began. “The sixth tribe was made separate as you know, which meant their magic had to be bound. Binding someone’s magic at that time was dangerous without an item, which hadn’t been created at that time.”
Hamachi paused for a moment as he strengthened his magic. He watched Odessa pull in more breaths to strengthen her own.
“Go on,” she whispered once ready.
“The deep magic promised a protection spell to it’s people, but Odilia and Oleander were not expecting to become shifters. They were praying for a bit of protection. The deep magic was willing to help them with protection, but when a binding
spell was preformed too, the deep magic put its own twist on things…if you will.”
“So,” she breathed in and then out. “Our people were not expecting to become shifters?”
“No,” Hamachi breathed in and out as well. “They were praying for a way to be protected, but the deep magic made it to where we were the same in human form, and the protection only came once we tapped into our wolf form. That is the only way the darkness can be defeated, along with the hunters.”
Odessa relaxed a bit, while making sure she was still breathing in and out at a rhythmic pace.
“Why didn’t my mother and father shift to protect our family?” she asked, trying not to let the sadness seep in.
“Chances are, they had learned to manage their magic, but had not learned how to tap into the wolf within,” Hamachi said. “Some of the elders quit using the deep magic to shift, but used it to pray for help, and various things. Some of them believed they should not use the shifting ability, because they felt it was a curse for binding the dark magic, but it was a way of giving us the best of both worlds.”
“So, shifting is a good thing?” Odessa asked.
“Yes…well no. Well, it is not exactly what was asked that night during the full moon, but it is a great thing, and because of it, many of us have been able to banish some of the darkness and kill many of the hunters.”
“Have you killed any hunters?” she asked him.
“Three,” he admitted, sounding a little sad. “The two that killed my parents, and one that I killed when I was searching for Sacred Moon.”
Odessa got up, still breathing. She laid the pup on the stump where it whimpered awake, and for the first time, sat up looking at them. She walked over to Hamachi and hugged him. She knew he would never hurt anyone if he didn’t have to.
“Will you show me?” she whispered in his ear.
He leaned in and kissed her deeply as their magic mixed with even more strength. The kiss felt more important than the last, almost like they were confessing their love for each other. Blue and red mixed in the woods as their auras glowed soft in the night.
“I will if you want me to,” Hamachi said as they pulled apart.
“I do,” she sighed in his sweet musk.
“You might want to back up a little,” he grinned.
Odessa backed up to where Pypachi was prancing actively on the stump. She couldn’t believe how active the little pup was when only twelve hours before he was destined to die. Perhaps Hunundi had healed his little body, leaving him able to be a suitable family member for her. They both stood back to watch what Hamachi was about to do.
Odessa watched on as Hamachi breathed in a couple times before he glanced in the direction of the unprotected valley. She knew he had to be thinking about whether the hunter was listening in or not. He took another deep breath and before their eyes, Pypachi and Odessa witnessed Hamachi shift into a giant black and grey wolf, with blue eyes the color of his aura. She walked slowly up to the massive creature, sure he would not harm her. She ran her hands through his soft fur as the connection between them grew even more.
Chapter Ten
In the wee hours of the morning, Odessa climbed into bed. She felt her magic humming all around her. Pypachi snuggled up against her as they both fell fast asleep, happy it was a weekend.
Several hours later, a man dressed in a suit walked up to Odessa’s bunk to wake her up. Pypachi, already awake, growled at the man a few times before the little dog’s complaints woke her up. She was startled by the strange man who stood in front of her.
“Sir?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “You Miss LeMay?”
“I am,” she said.
“The Council requested to see you Miss LeMay,” he said before turning around and walking out.
“Okay,” she replied with a huff to the man who was already nowhere in sight.
She climbed out of bed and got dressed. Most people who lived there were already gone for the day, except for Hamachi, who was still asleep on his bed on the far end of the room.
“And bring Mr. Morimoto with you,” the man said as he peeked in once more, looking towards Hamachi asleep on his bunk.”
She felt bad that she didn’t know Hamachi’s last name. Hamachi Morimoto had a ring to it. She thought of her own name with his last…Odessa Morimoto…not bad she thought.
Her face blushed at her thoughts. She turned to go wake Hamachi up, but he was already awake, standing only a few feet away from her.
“That was Lawrence,” he smiled as his hair stood up on end. “He is a gofer for The Council; nice man.”
“Morimoto?” she snickered.
“Yes…grr,” he laughed. “My name is Hamachi Morimoto. Nice to meet you.”
They laughed together for a moment, then greeted each other with a hug. Odessa waited while Hamachi got ready for the day. A few minutes later, they walked hand in hand to go see the council with Pypachi in tow.
The air felt different, freeing for some reason. Odessa loved the feel of her magic, and she couldn’t stop thinking about seeing Hamachi shift. It all felt normal for some reason, although something sad crossed her when she thought about the eighteen years she had wasted not knowing who she truly was.
They walked up to the tent that housed The Council. It was elaborate and was larger than that of the hospital.
“We are ready to be seen,” Hamachi spoke to the young woman sitting at a desk just outside the tent.
“They are expecting you both,” the woman said. She stood up and opened the door for them.
They both sauntered up to the long counter where seven elders sat. Odessa could feel the magic flowing from them, whereas when they had assigned her living quarters she had not.
“You requested to see us?” Hamachi asked.
“We did,” they all spoke at the same time.
“Whoa,” Odessa said.
“What might this be about?” Hamachi asked, without missing a beat.
“This is about the assignment of Odessa LeMay, young Hamachi,” the first elder said; a man with long, dark brown hair.
“That is, if she has chosen to stay,” the second man spoke. He had a long white beard.
“Yes, we have heard she has found her magic,” the third, a woman, spoke. “Hunundi speaks highly of you both.”
“Yes, highly,” the fourth acknowledged. “He speaks well of the pup named Pypachi as well. Is this him?”
“Yes,” Odessa said as she held the pup up to be seen.
“That leaves your answer young Odessa,” the first man spoke again.
“My answer?” she asked.
“Will you be staying with us here at Camp Sacred Moon?” the second asked.
She looked around. First, she glanced at each of the members of the council. Then she looked at the pup. Lastly, she looked into Hamachi’s longing eyes. She knew he wanted her to stay, but he would never force her to do something she didn’t want to do. He urged her to decide with his eyes, but not in a forceful way.
She lowered her head to think for a moment. She couldn’t remember having a time in her life since she was five where she felt like she belonged, until she entered Sacred Moon and met Hamachi.
“I will stay,” she sighed.
“You do not have to if you wish,” one of the elders spoke that had not spoken yet; another woman.
“No, I have to,” Odessa said. “I have to live here and learn my magic. I could not leave Pypachi,” she kissed the pup on the top of the head, “and I could not leave Hamachi. I love Hamachi!”
The words came out of her mouth before she knew what she was saying. She paused for a moment, thinking about what she had just said. Did she love Hamachi? Was what she spoke out loud the truth of her heart?
“You do?” Hamachi asked, while sucking in air.
“I do,” she spoke out loud, and then turned to address the elders. “I love Hamachi, and I love Sacred Moon. I need to learn more about my magic, and if I am capable of shifting or not
.”
“Very well then,” the head elder spoke. “You may stay here in Camp Sacred Moon for as long as you would like, and if the time comes that you and young Hamachi do the ceremony, then you could be moved to a private hut. One last thing; where should we place you to work?”
“Elders,” Hamachi spoke up. “Odessa is suited for anything you wish her to do, but she thrives with the wolves. She was born to be a nurturer.”
All seven of the elders huddled together to discuss where they wanted Odessa. Pypachi wriggled out of her arms and hit the ground running. He jumped onto the counter in front of the huddle and let out a small growl. They each one turned to look at the tiny dog. He jumped around before hopping off the counter and coming back up to Odessa. When she picked him up, he licked her cheek repeatedly.
They all turned once more without saying a word. After a moment of Odessa holding her breath, and her and Hamachi holding hands tightly, the seven elders turned back around and sat down.
“We have made our decision,” the first elder spoke, while Odessa looked on with anticipation.
“We have decided to offer you the position of day time nurturer at the Sacred Moon Refuge, alongside Hamachi.”
Odessa jumped up and down as she flung herself into Hamachi’s arms. He spun her round and round until they remembered being before the council.
“You may both be dismissed,” the first elder said. “Work will start first thing Monday.”
They both turned, running hand in hand out of the large tent. As soon as they got outside, Odessa was startled as a new section of camp was exposed to her. She could see shifters everywhere; some in human form, some in wolf form. A practice battlefield, and a section where young people hung out to play was revealed. The wolves growled at each other. There were hundreds of new people, animals, huts, and dorms; even a pond. There was stuff as far as the eye could see that she had not seen before. On the edge of the property, they saw Hunundi wink at them. He walked off with his laughter on the wind. Odessa wanted to kiss the tricky old man as she took in her new home.