Max Hamby and the Amethyst Guardian
Davi blinked at his reflection in the mirror. It blinked back at him. He scrunched up his face and leaned forward, staring at his colorless eye. “Do you think it’ll ever go back to normal?”
“I don’t know,” said Snoop, turning away from the window. “Do you feel different? Can you feel the air stone?”
Davi shook his head and grimaced. “No. I don’t understand why Ventis did it.” He turned away from the mirror and stared at his twin. They had a similar style, mannerisms and even combed their hair in a similar fashion. There was never a time when they were different, until now. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. “Can you feel the water stone?”
“No, but I can tell my magic has changed,” said Snoop. He looked out across the grounds of Merrihaven. It gave him a clear view of Dunmere. The trees surrounding the lower half of the tower were too dense to see what Isolde was up to. He scanned the tower. Every now and then, the shadows seemed to darken in the narrow window near the peak. “I wonder if she’s watching us.”
“She is,” said Davi, joining his brother at the window. “But how do we trap her again? Even the adults are afraid of her.”
“She’s going to do everything she can to get the stones, you know,” said Snoop, solemnly. “If something happens...”
“Don’t talk like that,” snapped Davi.
Snoop sighed and studied Davi’s eye. He didn't care if his brother had one eye, no eyes or grew horns on the top of his head. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his twin. “If something happens, you need to save yourself. Run as fast and as far away as you can.” Davi scrunched up his face and turned away. “”We have to face facts. Isolde is coming for us and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. Milo is proof of that.”
Davi sniffed and wiped his face. Snoop was right. More than anything, he wanted to wish it all away and go back to the way things used to be, but that wasn’t going to happen. Isolde would do anything to get the stones back. It was only a matter of time. He swallowed hard and bowed his head. His feet blurred through a watery gaze. “The same goes for you.” He walked away to stand in the center of the room. Snoop looked out across the Downs and froze.
“We should go see what the others are up to,” said Davi.
Snoop gripped the window sill and stared at an opening in the trees that had been empty earlier. Tommy stared back at him.
“Do you think Ventis could change it back?” asked Davi.
“Come here and look at this,” said Snoop, not taking his eyes off his older brother.
“What about an eye patch?” asked Davi. “Arrrgghh.”
Snoop reached out and yanked his twin over to the window. “Look at that.” He pointed to the Downs.
“Look at what?” asked Davi.
Snoop stared at the spot where Tommy was mere seconds ago. It was empty again.
“What did you see?” asked Davi.
Snoop scanned the Downs for movement, then shook his head. “Nothing.” He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “My mind must be playing tricks on me. I thought I saw...” He scanned the trees one last time. There was no sign of Tommy anywhere. “Nothing. Never mind.”
Davi leaned toward the glass. “I don’t see anything.”
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go downstairs,” said Snoop.
They stepped out into the hallway, closing the door with a thunk. Davi whacked Snoop on the arm and pointed at the crayon covered door.
“No one can save you now.” Alice’s voice rang out. The twins rolled their eyes.
“Not interested. Go torture your doll,” called Davi.
“Oh, that’s not very nice. Is it?” she asked. “Besides, you two are the ones who are about to be tortured. She’s coming for you next.” She hummed off key. The twins shivered. Snoop pushed his brother toward the stairs. A floorboard creaked and the humming stopped. “She’s making plans right now. Water and air. Water and air. In the garden is one who is dead, yet alive.” She giggled. “The ones we love make the best tricksters.” The giggle turned into a chuckle. “The one you seek is close by. You’d better find her before you die.” The twins were already gone.
▪ ▪ ▪
The scrap and shuffle of feet echoed through Dunmere tower, followed by a raspy cackle. “I see you. Yes, I do. Those stones will be mine and your pain will be severe, little thieves.” A bent, craggy old woman appeared at the bottom of the stairs and slowly made her way through the main hall. “They will all suffer,” she said, placing a gnarled hand on the wall and stepping through to the outside. She ignored the Gix tethered to a post not far away. The giant black bird scratched at the ground with its thick claws. The old woman kept walking. The Gix stomped its feet and ruffled its feathers in irritation.
“Oh, shut up,” the old woman grumbled.
The Gix tilted its head with wide eyes. A rumble started deep in its throat. It opened its pointed yellow beak and squawked at her with enough power to send her sailing halfway across the Downs, but she stood her ground. It snapped its beak and charged. It came within inches of her before it was yanked back by the chain around its leg. It raged and opened its wings as wide as they would go and reached for her. She remained just out of reach and that angered the bird even more. The Gix bit down on the chain, then attacked the post. When that didn't work, it bit down on its leg, but quickly let go with a pained screech.
The old woman turned around. “Are you finished?” It squawked and snapped in defiance.
“If that beast could get free, it would tear you to pieces and I cannot say I blame it,” said a voice behind her.
“Is that right?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder. A young boy with greasy dark hair and pasty white skin strolled past her and stopped in front of the Gix. He stuck his hands in his pockets. The bird calmed at the sight of him and stuck out its head. Its large yellow eyes pleaded for its freedom. The boy stared at it through red-rimmed black eyes. The bird bobbed its head and stuck out its leg, but the boy turned away.
“Your little games are wearing thin, old woman,” he said, in a voice much too deep for his age.
“You cannot do anything, demon.” The old woman chuckled. “You are stuck in that child’s body and from the looks of him, not for much longer.”
“I will find another host, Isolde,” said the boy. “And then...”
“”And then what, Orlath? You will show me your true power?” she asked. “That idiot, Sepitus, never should have brought you back. You have no power and your choice of host is disgraceful.”
The boy clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. “You will see, old woman.”
“Yes. Yes. I will suffer the wrath of a superior being from the underworld. It is not the first time I have heard that, Orlath.” She straightened up and glared at him. “No one can hurt me, not even you. No one is going to get in my way of getting those stones.” She wagged a finger at him. “Play nice and I might let you live. Now, leave me. Go help the girl with the Cagon. We need more flying Trith.” She rubbed her hands together. “Report back when you are done. I have a job for you.” She turned her back on him and walked away muttering about water and air. The boy smirked and nodded his head, then walked away in the opposite direction. The Gix watched him disappear behind the tower, then hung its head and settled down in the grass.
Davi blinked at his reflection in the mirror. It blinked back at him. He scrunched up his face and leaned forward, staring at his colorless eye. “Do you think it’ll ever go back to normal?”
“I don’t know,” said Snoop, turning away from the window. “Do you feel different? Can you feel the air stone?”
Davi shook his head and grimaced. “No. I don’t understand why Ventis did it.” He turned away from the mirror and stared at his twin. They had a similar style, mannerisms and even combed their hair in a similar fashion. There was never a time when they were different, until now. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. “Can you feel the water stone?”
“No, but I can tell my magic has changed,” said Snoop. He looked out across the grounds of Merrihaven. It gave him a clear view of Dunmere. The trees surrounding the lower half of the tower were too dense to see what Isolde was up to. He scanned the tower. Every now and then, the shadows seemed to darken in the narrow window near the peak. “I wonder if she’s watching us.”
“She is,” said Davi, joining his brother at the window. “But how do we trap her again? Even the adults are afraid of her.”
“She’s going to do everything she can to get the stones, you know,” said Snoop, solemnly. “If something happens...”
“Don’t talk like that,” snapped Davi.
Snoop sighed and studied Davi’s eye. He didn't care if his brother had one eye, no eyes or grew horns on the top of his head. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his twin. “If something happens, you need to save yourself. Run as fast and as far away as you can.” Davi scrunched up his face and turned away. “”We have to face facts. Isolde is coming for us and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. Milo is proof of that.”
Davi sniffed and wiped his face. Snoop was right. More than anything, he wanted to wish it all away and go back to the way things used to be, but that wasn’t going to happen. Isolde would do anything to get the stones back. It was only a matter of time. He swallowed hard and bowed his head. His feet blurred through a watery gaze. “The same goes for you.” He walked away to stand in the center of the room. Snoop looked out across the Downs and froze.
“We should go see what the others are up to,” said Davi.
Snoop gripped the window sill and stared at an opening in the trees that had been empty earlier. Tommy stared back at him.
“Do you think Ventis could change it back?” asked Davi.
“Come here and look at this,” said Snoop, not taking his eyes off his older brother.
“What about an eye patch?” asked Davi. “Arrrgghh.”
Snoop reached out and yanked his twin over to the window. “Look at that.” He pointed to the Downs.
“Look at what?” asked Davi.
Snoop stared at the spot where Tommy was mere seconds ago. It was empty again.
“What did you see?” asked Davi.
Snoop scanned the Downs for movement, then shook his head. “Nothing.” He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “My mind must be playing tricks on me. I thought I saw...” He scanned the trees one last time. There was no sign of Tommy anywhere. “Nothing. Never mind.”
Davi leaned toward the glass. “I don’t see anything.”
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go downstairs,” said Snoop.
They stepped out into the hallway, closing the door with a thunk. Davi whacked Snoop on the arm and pointed at the crayon covered door.
“No one can save you now.” Alice’s voice rang out. The twins rolled their eyes.
“Not interested. Go torture your doll,” called Davi.
“Oh, that’s not very nice. Is it?” she asked. “Besides, you two are the ones who are about to be tortured. She’s coming for you next.” She hummed off key. The twins shivered. Snoop pushed his brother toward the stairs. A floorboard creaked and the humming stopped. “She’s making plans right now. Water and air. Water and air. In the garden is one who is dead, yet alive.” She giggled. “The ones we love make the best tricksters.” The giggle turned into a chuckle. “The one you seek is close by. You’d better find her before you die.” The twins were already gone.
▪ ▪ ▪
The scrap and shuffle of feet echoed through Dunmere tower, followed by a raspy cackle. “I see you. Yes, I do. Those stones will be mine and your pain will be severe, little thieves.” A bent, craggy old woman appeared at the bottom of the stairs and slowly made her way through the main hall. “They will all suffer,” she said, placing a gnarled hand on the wall and stepping through to the outside. She ignored the Gix tethered to a post not far away. The giant black bird scratched at the ground with its thick claws. The old woman kept walking. The Gix stomped its feet and ruffled its feathers in irritation.
“Oh, shut up,” the old woman grumbled.
The Gix tilted its head with wide eyes. A rumble started deep in its throat. It opened its pointed yellow beak and squawked at her with enough power to send her sailing halfway across the Downs, but she stood her ground. It snapped its beak and charged. It came within inches of her before it was yanked back by the chain around its leg. It raged and opened its wings as wide as they would go and reached for her. She remained just out of reach and that angered the bird even more. The Gix bit down on the chain, then attacked the post. When that didn't work, it bit down on its leg, but quickly let go with a pained screech.
The old woman turned around. “Are you finished?” It squawked and snapped in defiance.
“If that beast could get free, it would tear you to pieces and I cannot say I blame it,” said a voice behind her.
“Is that right?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder. A young boy with greasy dark hair and pasty white skin strolled past her and stopped in front of the Gix. He stuck his hands in his pockets. The bird calmed at the sight of him and stuck out its head. Its large yellow eyes pleaded for its freedom. The boy stared at it through red-rimmed black eyes. The bird bobbed its head and stuck out its leg, but the boy turned away.
“Your little games are wearing thin, old woman,” he said, in a voice much too deep for his age.
“You cannot do anything, demon.” The old woman chuckled. “You are stuck in that child’s body and from the looks of him, not for much longer.”
“I will find another host, Isolde,” said the boy. “And then...”
“”And then what, Orlath? You will show me your true power?” she asked. “That idiot, Sepitus, never should have brought you back. You have no power and your choice of host is disgraceful.”
The boy clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. “You will see, old woman.”
“Yes. Yes. I will suffer the wrath of a superior being from the underworld. It is not the first time I have heard that, Orlath.” She straightened up and glared at him. “No one can hurt me, not even you. No one is going to get in my way of getting those stones.” She wagged a finger at him. “Play nice and I might let you live. Now, leave me. Go help the girl with the Cagon. We need more flying Trith.” She rubbed her hands together. “Report back when you are done. I have a job for you.” She turned her back on him and walked away muttering about water and air. The boy smirked and nodded his head, then walked away in the opposite direction. The Gix watched him disappear behind the tower, then hung its head and settled down in the grass.