The vessel

My mother looked at me from her chair when I entered the dinning court, I tried to disguise the disappointment in her eyes to approval. I looked exactly like her and I didn’t. I’d have the blackest hair like her, the greenest eyes like her, unlike her I am barren. My body is a vessel without an aura born to the two most powerful aura in the country. My mother and father didn’t need to care about me since I’m not the heir, I was a just a spare or an accident or unwanted or unknown. My elder brother told me onetime playfully that when I was born, I had the blackest aura he had ever seen. So, they’d hide me from the people. The world didn’t know I existed. But my brother was wrong, I don’t have the blackest aura, I have none, just a vessel.

I am Lyra, the unknown princess of Eridanus, the country where nature blessed it with endless rivers in the north, unapproachable mountains in the west, golden sands in the south and unbreakable snow walls in the east. The beauty of Eridanus was not stopped there, but scattered into the souls of the dwellers of Eridanus. People are given a job and place based on their aura. Like one had healing aura, they could be doctors serving the patients or serving the injured one in the war. Higher the power higher you respected. My brother could fabricate any metal into anything and manipulate darkness like my father. My mother could summon the plants which was not as great as my father’s power, but still it considered as powerful. Even peasants have power.

I was five when I knew that I am not like everybody. I was the ordinary in Extraordinary world but expected to be extra-extraordinary like my brother. My mother and my father knew about my condition since my birth so naturally embarrassed with me, my brother pitied me. But nothing stopped me from trying to be extraordinary. I studied botany knew almost every plant grown in the world. Perhaps I couldn’t have the ability to control the plants like my mother but I could water them, nourish them. I learned archery myself, studied about politics and knew about my country’s history and its geography.

Still not enough to be appreciated by my parents.

Still not enough to be seen by my people.

Still not enough to be introduced to his friends by my brother.

I learned to disguise the emotions I receive and give. I could smile when I was truly devastated. I could disguise your hate for me into care. Still not enough to control my emotions when I was alone.

But, I’d want to be appreciated, seen and proud. So, I was going to do one thing, my parents, my country despised the most, the dark magic. I waited long enough for my power and I am tired. My kingdom banished the dark magic centuries ago. I’d need to go to the other side of the world to see a person who does dark magic and I never went outside of the palace, sorry never allowed to go outside.

I planned everything, literally everything, how to cross the ocean, where to eat, how to identify the dark magic, what to ask, what not to ask. I may be a book smart but definitely not a street smart. All my plans were based on the facts I read in the library. Still not sure I would be succeeded or what would I do even if dark magic couldn’t identify my power, my aura.

I’d chose my brother’s birthday to execute my plan, the palace was decorated as beautiful as they could do. People were celebrating like my brother was their own kin. the same day, I was completely unseen and uncared. I was always been jealous of my brother. on his birthday, I was longing for love and care if only I could receive less than quarter of it. I would be happy.

I disguised myself as men, wore black shirt and pant, I found in laundry room. I’d hide in cloth container in merchant ship even though I paid for the tickets. It would probably take three days to reach the island of Wicked. Who would name an island like Wicked. Only wicked people.

I opened my compass which I stolen from the library. Now, all I need to do was follow the red arrow. I was tired and haven’t had anything for about twenty-four hours. I was following the arrow for eight hours, my stomach was making all sounds to attain my attention and people here were not what I expected. They were looking and dressed same like my people, but still I was scared to buy anything to eat. My mouth watered when I smelled desert, placed the compass in my coat pocket. I reached for the smell. Suddenly, a hand, a strong muscular hand grabbed me in the dark alley. My heart was beating so fast and nothing made my heart beat like this. He held me against the wall, his other hand snaked my waist after removing my hat and unclutched my hair. He smelled my hair deeply like it had its own fragrance. I knew that he knew I was a girl. I couldn’t see his eyes in the darkness

“Master called for you and you reached your destination” his voice was hoarse and deep. Did master mean the person I was looking for.

He held my hands tightly before started walking towards street. We reached a house, it looked nothing like a place I anticipated. The house looked so peaceful and sunlight brightened every corner of the room. An old lady sat in an elegant chair which looked like throne of my mother. She smiled softly at me and dismissed the man who helped or made me come here. She held my hands softly and closed her eyes for a second.

“What you wanted to know?” her eyes were glowing. My breaths were uneven, this was the moment I was going to know whether I had a power or not. My whole life, I believed someday, I would get my power and master it. My parents would proud of me, people would see me as me.

“What is the color of my aura?” I asked her, my voice was steady even though I wasn’t.

“Grey”

“No aura is grey, it’s either white or bad” my voice broken now, maybe I was lost cause and I should be content with my life, with my vessel body.

“But your aura is grey and No, you are no vessel” I stared at her glowing eyes. She continued,

“You are the extra ordinary in this ordinary world. You are a vessel when you were born, now it filled with the most rare and beautiful flower and it still has space, you are going to fill it as mush as you can. Whatever you are, let it be enough.”

She vanished into the air, her ashes were the only thing remined.