Snow and fire

It’s time, I have to do this. I settle my hand on my stomach benevolently, rubbing on it, a tear escapes my eyes. This will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. This is the only way for one of us to survive and take care of you, I speak to my growing stomach. I put on my white cloak; I gaze at it recalling the day I was gifted this it was a representation of my tribe the Chióni.

 I used to hear the folk tales as a kid, the rivalry between the Chióni and the Fotiá. It all started when Christopher Fotiá, the leader of the Fotiá tribe. He had blazing hazel eyes, that is in toxifying. They used to say he has the eye of a devil, from how charming they were. His hair was dark brown, with hints of red that had a sheen in the sun, it was an echo of his power- fire. Christopher decided that he wanted to rule the little town of Aéras, he did not like to share ruling it with Juan Chióni.

 Juan was the king of the Chióni he possessed unbelievable power, the only man who had both the power of ice and fire. Juan had penetrating blue eyes, with salt and pepper hair. Everyone said he was too handsome; it was sinful to even have a glance at him. If It was not for Juan, they would not have conquered that land.

 Juan was a fair loved king, he ruled with kindness and wisdom. Had immense love for his people, sacrificed everything for them. However, Christopher was the complete opposite he hated how loved Juan was. He felt inferior to his powers since he could only conjure and control fire it exasperated him. He concocted a plan to kill Juan and take over Aéras. His plan was to bait Juan, with the help of the gypsy that he trapped by kidnapping her son.

He sent a letter to meet him on agápi cliff. This cliff is known to manifest love and abundance for anyone, it was the source of Juan’s power. Christopher choose to change the fate of this cliff and both tribes with what he did that day.

Juan showed up to the meeting. Christopher had the ground spelled with the gypsy’s magic, stripping Juan off his power’s temporarily, giving Christopher the chance to kill him. Juan pleaded with him to not do this, he told him doing this will seal the fate of both tribes. Christopher’s greed could not be reasoned with, he summoned a sword out of fire and stabbed it into Juan’s heart with full force, no remorse to be shown. Juan’s body instantly flamed up. His body started to disintegrate. The Gypsy witnessed this, she decided to cast a spell that will give one of Juan’s descendants his power. This person that will heal both tribes and fix what Christopher did. Since that horrendous day, the sun has not shinned over both tribes. Keeping them in utter darkness separated with fortresses of ice and fire surrounding both tribe keeping them from one another.

I never knew I possessed any power’s; I grew up in a faraway town. Everything was mundane, no one spoke of owning powers. I was enrolled in Grfhill boarding school, it is where I met Jackson. The moment I met him we felt this intense palpable connection. Anyone around us could sense it. An attraction like no other. He had me the moment we locked eyes. I loved him with every ounce of my being, each cell in me always ached to be with him. We always talked about the future and planned to get married after graduation. But fate intervened. 

I never saw any of what’s happening coming. We decided the last day of school that we will spend a night under the moonlight, we shared more than our bodies with each other. Our souls burned into one another causing flames all around us. No seriously it did. We did not understand what was happening, we could not keep our hands off each other.

After that night things in me started changing. Whenever he placed his hands on me, my skin felt ablaze, it was torturous. When I touched him, he felt like his inside’s is going to freeze. We tried researching, looking for answers on what the cause of it was. Jackson stumbled up information, about a Gypsy that lived a couple of towns away in Aéras, she was known for knowing everything, and having unlimited wisdom. They said she could heal anyone from any illness. We decided we will go seek her, maybe she could help us.

The ride to Aéras, was bumpy and long. There were fortresses of fire on one side of the road and ice adjacent to it. There was no greenery, it felt like no human lived here. It was an abandoned gloomy road, the fog filling the air, playing footsie with the road. When we virtually lost hope of ever finding this town, we finally saw the broken welcome sign.

The moment we got there, everyone kept staring at us. We felt that we were like aliens, unwanted. People would take their kids and go back into their homes. Something about the place felt empty and sad. It felt as though it was in pain and have been bleeding for a long time and needed healing. I never understood why I felt that way till we met her.

Vera, the longest living gypsy, that has been around for centuries, she is known for looking like an old wrinkled woman it was told that, the moment you looked at her if you are a pure tribe of Chiòni or Fotiá , you would see both her forms, a bright white skin that gleamed like snowflakes or a fiery female dragon. She opened her door inviting us into her tiny crumbled hut, the ceiling looking like it could fall off at any time. She stared at me intently, sending shivers down my spine. Her eyes burning a hole into mine. “You look like him!” she says in a low raspy tone.

“Like who?” Jackson demands.

“Juan Chiòni”

“Who?” we both said in unison

“The leader of the Chiòni tribe, have you never heard of it?” she says almost confused

“isn’t he from the folk’s tale?” I respond with a sense of sarcasm

She eyed us suspiciously trying to fish us out. “Sit down child” She gestured for both of us to take a seat on what lingered of that black, wrecked couch. “why did you come to me?”

Jackson and I exchange looks on whether we should tell her. He takes a deep breath places his hand lovingly on my knee, I flinch the heat exuding from it is like hot molten lava iron metal. “This is the reason we came, whenever I touch her, she feels like fire is consuming her and her skin is burning, and whenever she touches me I feel like I am freezing like I am in a blizzard with no clothes on to warm me.”

Vera nods softly looking at us and listening intently to what Jackson was saying. “I think I owe you both a story, that will make sense to what is happening to you”

Jackson and I exchange puzzling looks. She told us the story of Juan and Christopher; I still do not get what that has to do with us.

I can feel my annoyance grow “What in the fuck does this have to do with us!!”

She lets out a lighthearted laugh “My child, you are the descend of Juan and you Jackson of Christopher, Juan lost his powers but before they were gone I was able to conjure them and did a spell to make it reborn into his descendant the one that will have his character, wisdom kindness and fairness.” I stare at her in utter disbelief “The only way it would be activated in a woman is if she is with child, as for a man the only way it would have been activated is on his wedding day “

“But I am not with child” I snap back, looking at her like the deranged old woman she is.

“You are my child, there is a baby growing in you, that is how you got your powers.”

“Wait,” Jackson raises his hand gesturing her to stop talking “this is absurd. We only did it once, and how is it that she feels heat from me?”

She swivels to face Jackson “You feel it because you have had it since birth, but it comes to fruition when you fall in love”

I look down at my stomach, I do not know what to feel. There is no way, this cannot be happening I am only seventeen. I have not graduated. “How do we stop it?” I hear myself ask

“Stop what?”

“Stop these powers!!...” I wrangle my fingers in between my hair “The child…everything” I start sobbing, chocking on every word coming out. Jackson starts to wrap his arm around me before pulling it away swiftly. Vera sits next to me grips my face with her hands.

“There is no way of stopping it, when Christopher killed Juan, he changed the fate of both tribes, we have not seen the sun in centuries, the only way to get it back, is for the power holders of both tribe to defeat one or the other on agápi cliff. This is what will break the course.”

Jackson rises to his feet “What are you saying? That either me or Moirai have to die?” he says it while shaking his head with a harsh livid tone, his voice rejecting the idea.

“Yes, one of you would have to die on the hand of the other. If you continue on this relationship, your tribes will die.. and”

“No, this is insane, this is stupid” I cut her off “This is unfair we did not ask for this, why should we sacrifice our happiness and self for tribes we do not know” my voice rises, I push myself of the couch, pull Jackson’s arms with me to the door. Vera appeared at door like she came out of air “Moirai, before you leave, I need to tell you something”

“What more is there to tell!” My remark is snarky

“I prefer telling you on your own”

“The hell with that I will not leave” Jackson furiously states, I look at Vera’s eyes something in it tells me I need to hear this.

 “Jackson it is okay please wait for me outside” he locks eyes with me, making sure I mean it.

“Fine I will wait outside” We both wait till the door is shut and he is out

“I am sorry to say this, when I choose to cast the spell it was to stop the destruction, I did not expect love to happen between both tribe” remorse drips from her tone “Moirai, you’re child is stronger than you, having both you Chiòni and Fotiá blood, is power beyond anyone’s expectations, that means it will possess, fire , ice and Earth power”

“What do you mean earth power”

“I mean it will be able to control the weather, the ocean and all of mother nature” I stare at her thunderstruck, this is all too much, an hour ago, I did not even know I was pregnant. Now I am pregnant carrying an all mighty baby and poses powers of my own. What in the world, someone tell me this is all a big sick funny joke?

“That is not everything” she says dragging me out of my thoughts

“What more is there!” I exclaim

“You’re child” she takes a deep breathe before continuing “will slowly kill you, the power will grow and your body will not be able to handle it, you have a choice to end all this and allow it to live a life of peace with both tribes on one hand, or you can go on and have a slow death.”

I stand there feeling like all the air escape my lungs, grasping to breathe. I cannot believe what my ears are hearing. This is a nightmare. Fuck all this. Anger seizes me, I storm out. On the way back I do not say a word to Jackson.

Two months passed I rejected everything she said, till I heard of people dying suddenly. A sudden death no one understood why or what caused it, but I knew it was us. I was getting weaker as she said. Everything she warned us was happening. Something in me felt a sense of duty, I felt responsible of a tribe I never knew. I cannot be the reason people die. I knew what I had to do.

I went back to Vera the day I decided to end all of this, she gave me the clock, telling me it will protect my twins, ironic I am pregnant with twins. A boy and girl. She said their powers combined will be unstoppable.

I hear the horse neigh; dragging me back to the reality I am in. I make my way out, riding on its back. I head into the dark wet, moist Forrest. The precipitation can be felt on your skin. The night stars lighting the path to agápi cliff. The horse bolted towards it, causing a burst of air to fan my face. I get there in no time, the beautiful enchanting woodland, filled with white tulips, a magical serene scenery with the deepness of the blue ocean cloaking the emptiness of the darkness. I get off the horse, make my way towards the middle of the tulip field, to the small circle stone formed in it with a snow and fire sign.

She told me to stand here in order to break the curse. I gaze at the immense ocean, the peacefulness of the waves hitting the steep edge, creating a sooth rhythm. It’s like everything was feeling what will happen. I hear footsteps behind me. I turn watching him walk towards me. His beautiful rich brown hair tousled, the wind working to his favor. His green eyes piercing through me. He gives me a heart stopping smile. It takes my breathe away.

“Have you been waiting long?” He asks care coating his tone

“No”

He gets to halt when he reaches me. “The moon’s reflection on you is a sinful sight” our eyes lock.

“Forgive me” is all I say.

I wrap my arm around his neck, rise to my toes, and claim his lips with all the force I have. I slowly ease into the kiss, wanting to savor the last moment I will feel them. I feel the heat rise in me, fire prickling through me sending electrical shocks across my nerves, that does not get me to stop. I deepen the kiss, pushing my tongue into his, begging each time it rubs on his, he would feel how sorry I am. He tries to break our kiss, but I do not let him. I hold on with every strength I have left. Softly kissing every inch on his lips, his folding to mold into mine perfectly, the heat starts to consume my inside, I can feel my lungs filling with fire. I am struggling to breathe; my heart beats slow down. My arteries are getting cut off, my lungs turning black I can feel them. My arms fall down, I lose all sense of them. I see Jackson’s face turn purple, cold breeze escape his lips. I let go my eyes tearing and boiling. I start to tumble backwards; he grips me.

“Let…”I say with every ounce of breathe I have “Go”

“No, I know what you are doing, and I will not let you go alone.” He sealed his statement with a kiss, so passionate it burnt us both, we could feel the light of the sun slowly rising, our bodies burning and freezing. I took the last breath with his lips on mine. I could see myself lift up from our bodies that is laying on the field of tulips. A bright light overshadows the sun, starts beaming from my body. My twins there they are. On that field of tulip, on my cloak…