Page 3 of The Flame

“We are all in or nothing,” Luther stated and stepped forward.

One of Rissa’s Council moved to the torch and lit it, casting light down the tunnel. The soft light lit the way.

When they began walking through the tunnel, it seemed to go on forever. Their footsteps echoed and the sound was eerie. The place seemed too clean and clear. Like if it were a normal cavern, the walls would be moist and the air would be stale. Here, that wasn’t the case. It was airy and it smelled clean like fresh cut grass. Not what one would expect inside of an ancient mountain.

Finally, they came to another stone wall.

Again, Rissa held up her hands as she closed her eyes and began another chant. It was only when the aura light formed around her and turned blue that anyone made a sound.

The sound had been a small gasp and it had come from Swag. His eyes rounded as well.

They all watched the stone begin to move to one side. When the stone stopped moving, they all stepped inside the chamber.

A soft light from some unknown source lit the area for them now. They all moved forward.

Chapter Two

Up on a table of stone layered with velvet bedding, a woman lay in sleep. A waterfall rolled along the wall behind it, adding moisture and extra oxygen to the air. The chamber was also full of light, though the source of it remained a mystery. Plants and flowers were everywhere. The place was alive with all kinds of fauna and flora.

Now, Amira saw her mother for the very first time since she was born. She only looked a little older than Amira was now...Her youthful skin frozen in time.

Amira moved forward and she could see her mother’s eyes were closed. She looked as if she was asleep but if so, she had been asleep for a very long time.

Amira knelt beside the bed of stone and whispered, “Mama?”

Rissa went to the other side and nodded. “Yes child, this is your mother. My Winsome. And even when Milo’s true intent came to light, she loved you enough to carry you to term. When her belly got bigger and bigger, she would sing to you and tell you all our secrets.”

Amira had tears in her eyes. “I used to hear her voice in my dreams when I was growing up. I just didn’t know it was her.” She shook her head. “No that’s not true either, I knew it was her but that was something between us. I never told anyone else about her visits..”

“Shall we try to bring her back now?” Rissa asked.

“What do we need to do?” Amira stared at her.

Rissa reached for Winsome’s other hand and said, “Hang on to her hand and chant with me. I will need your powers along with mine to bring her back.”

Amira clasped her mother’s hand and stared at her face then nodded her head.

Rissa began the chant that would bring her daughter back from the tween.

Rissa ended one chant and then began again and this time, Amira chanted with her. Over and over and again, they chanted but time after time—nothing happened.

“Why Mama?” Amira asked. “I have been alone for all this time without you. Just your voice and even that was but a few times. Please return to us? Please?”

Rissa kept chanting and nodded at Amira to do the same.

They both did so for a long while.

The men stayed back and waited.

Finally, Amira fell on her mother’s shoulder and cried out, “Mama, are we too late? Have we lost you to the tween?” she whispered as she wept. Years of being alone, hidden and shunned had cracked her heart, as she wanted to be with her mother so badly. Tears rolled down her face and dripped off her chin.

A lone tear splashed down onto her mother’s hand and another dropped down onto her lips.

Amira kept crying as she finally sat back and swiped at her face.

Luther stepped close to set his hand onto her shoulder and whispered, “Look...”

Amira raised her head and stared at her sleeping mother.

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