Blessing: Part Three

     "What did you say to my mother?" Allara inquired, knowing that something important had to have transpired for her mother's mood to shift so abruptly from anger and denial to complete acceptance of the strange situation.

     She eyed the little Miamouse, her expression demanding an answer, and finally Mi Toria reluctantly explained what she had said. "I told your mother that you have a gift. A power that you do not understand. A power that will help Fyora battle Bayoragan. Then I explained that I would show you how to use your gift at will and lead you to Faerieland to speak to the Queen of the Faeries."

     "You will teach me how to use my gift?" Allara asked and her incredulous tone betrayed her overwhelming sense of doubt. "How do you know anything about my gift?"

     Mi Toria could not really claim to know much at all about Allara's abilities. She knew about as much of Allara's gift as Allara did herself, with one exception. "I understand the source of your power," the Miamouse began slowly. "It comes from a single overwhelming emotion. All you need to do is figure out what you felt at the exact second your power was released. Then you will be able to call upon that innate magical ability whenever you need it, simply by feeling that emotion."

     Allara stared at the tiny Miamouse, her expression shifting between awe and disbelief. "You are telling me that all I need to do is channel a specific emotion to use my ability?"

     Silence.

     They walked on for a long while without saying anything to one another. Mi Toria decided it was best that Allara think long and hard about her power without being interrupted, while Allara didn't have a clue what to say.

     Finally the tiny Miamouse broke the silence. "What was it you said when Bayoragan was rushing towards you?"

     Allara stopped walking for a brief moment as she wrestled back through the traumatic experience, trying to remember what the Miamouse could possibly be referring to. Then she recalled something she hadn't remembered before. Turning to face Mi Toria, she spoke the words again. "Mom, I need you."

     Mi Toria's eyes lit up. "And what emotion were you feeling when you said that!" she exclaimed excitedly.

     "Sadness," Allara replied, wondering if sorrow could truly be the source of her power. What a strange and dark twist of fate it would be if she could only call upon her powers by being sad.

     "How strange," Mi Toria mused, echoing Allara's doubt. "Then perhaps it wasn't what you felt as you uttered those words, but what you felt afterwards..."

     "Courage!" Allara suddenly shouted. "When the creature was charging towards me, I stood up and faced the beast. Yailwin said it too! It was courage."

     "Truly?" Mi Toria asked, skepticism edging her tone. "Courage is not really an emotion at all, more a state of mind."

     "Perhaps you don't understand my abilities as well as you claim?" Allara replied dryly, shooting the Miamouse a look that betrayed humorous undertones. She knew without a doubt that what she had felt was an overwhelming feeling of courage. She had wanted to best the creature and return to her mother and so she had banished all the fear from her heart. She had stood up and faced Bayoragan without any feelings of trepidation.

     She was intent on proving herself to Mi Toria and so she stood silently, concentrating until her mind was focussed on one thing and one thing alone.

     Courage.

     Mi Toria watched the child, an expression of awe clearly etched across her countenance. For someone as young as Allara, the Acara was showing an incredible amount of discipline and determination.

     Allara continued to channel the feeling that welled within her body. Clapping her hands together before her she willed herself to feel courageous once more. She could feel the awesome power as it grew within her being, rapidly reaching its boiling point.

     When she opened her eyes again she realized that she was several inches from the ground, her hands clamped so tightly together that they looked like a single entity before her. Then it happened just as it had before, an explosion of light burst forth from her body, blasting out across the land, eradicating any shadows in the area and leaving Mi Toria dazed and awestruck.

     Her body began to shake as she exerted herself to her fullest and when she could not continue for another second, she collapsed to the ground.

     Mi Toria was by her side in an instant, blinking away the momentary blindness caused by the brilliance of Allara's magical display. The tiny Miamouse gently brushed up against her, not knowing if she would fade into unconsciousness again. "Don't sleep," Mi Toria pleaded, "we have a long way to travel and time is short."

     Allara's eyes suddenly blinked open and she shot up to a sitting position. "Beautiful..." she gasped breathlessly, sucking air into her deprived lungs. "Now I just need to control the power."

     Once again Mi Toria found herself taken aback by the determination of this whelp of an Acara.

     "Why are you looking at me like that?" Allara asked and it was then that the Miamouse realized she had been staring at her for some time without saying a word.

     "My apologies," she replied. "You just continue to amaze me."

     Allara's smile was so wide it nearly took in her ears. Her expression quickly faded, however, as a feeling of responsibility welled within her. "We need to get going though," she said determinedly. "We need to get to Fyora before Bayoragan does."

     Mi Toria knew that the young Acara was right again and so she helped Allara to her feet and the two quickly set off across the land once more, making their way towards Brightvale. Apparently, Mi Toria knew a way to get to Faerieland and that route would take them straight through the countryside of the land ruled by King Hagan the Wise. Allara had never been anywhere outside of Meridell before; she only wished that she could have visited Brightvale under more leisurely circumstances.

     The night sky began to glow brightly once more as the sun threatened to reclaim its dominance of the heavens. Mi Toria turned her eyes to the stars, staring for a long while and whispering a prayer for Yailwin.

     Allara stood back, understanding the importance of this moment to the tiny Miamouse; she waited patiently until Mi Toria joined her once more.

     It had been a full day since Allara had set out to the market and, had it not been for her collapse, it would have been a full day since she had slept. She shook her head more than once, fighting off the bleariness in her eyes as they trekked across the open countryside of Brightvale. Mi Toria, on the other hand, seemed full of energy as she led the way through hills and dales, meadows and densely wooded forests.

     The sun was dipping low on the horizon once more when, at long last, the two companions came to a large clearing surrounded by nearly impenetrable twisting tree limbs. Allara knew without a doubt that she would not have been able to find this place alone. But, she mused, that was probably the point.

     Mi Toria turned her head up, indicating for Allara to do the same. The Acara leaned back, looking straight up into the sky above her and there, floating thousands of feet in the air, was a single enormous cloud surrounded by dozens of others. It could only be Faerieland.

     "It is magnificent," Allara breathed, "but how do we get up there?"

     As if in answer to her question, a large cloud came in to view just above the top of the trees, and then, slowly, and to Allara's complete surprise, settled in the centre of the clearing.

     "That's how!" Mi Toria shouted, smiling triumphantly.

     The two made their way quickly across the clearing where Mi Toria proceeded to leap up on to the cloud. Allara took a more delicate approach patting the cloud to ensure that it was sturdy. Then she slowly climbed up on to the cloud and was still surprised to find that she did not pass through...

     As soon as she was sitting comfortably on the cloud, it exploded into motion, shooting straight up into the sky and heading rapidly towards Faerieland.

     Allara was scared at first, but soon came to enjoy the ride, even crawling to the edge of the cloud to look over at the world far below. What a site that was! She could see all of Meridell, Brightvale, and the surrounding countries as the cloud whizzed higher and higher into the sky. Never had she thought such a thing possible.

     The stars were much more intense as they came out, signalling the coming once more of the night and the great moon Kreludor rose up like a giant waxy orb of dim light, paling in comparison to the brilliance of the Neopian sun.

     When at long last the cloud came to rest upon the borders of Faerieland, Allara had slept for several hours, her excitement leading to exhaustion and then to a peaceful slumber. Mi Toria had watched over her friend while she slept, knowing that soon trying times would befall the young Acara. She only hoped that Allara had what it would take to defeat Bayoragan.

     *****

     Far below the cloud kingdom of Faerieland, another form crept into the hidden clearing. Bayoragan herself, having recovered from her initial encounter with Allara, had returned. Fires burned deep within her hollow, sunken eyes. Her flesh continued to writhe about her form, fighting to hold her evil tainted being together.

     She spread her fetid wings wide, waiting for a strong breeze to carry her up into the sky. She knew that no cloud would come to her call, for she was not welcome in the lands ruled by Fyora.

     That thought only fuelled her anger.

     As she at last caught a strong gust of wind and swooped up into the night, there was only room for one emotion burning within Bayoragan's empty soul.

     Hate.

To be continued...