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Owl Moon

Sikenna's Awakening: Part 1

By ASHLEY DOOLITTLEPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 8 min read
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Sikenna looked up at the night sky, waiting for the moon to arrive. So many dark nights have passed with no moon to light up the night. While the stars were bright dazzling remnants of gemstones and diamonds, it was not enough to keep the things of the night at bay.

Her father said it is the time of the dark shadows. Legend says the sun will shine giving hope to the days but shadows will engulf the nights to extinguish that hope until the owl brings back the moon. No one knew what that meant really. There hasn't been an owl found in many years.

Sikenna wondered what had happened to them. Wise creatures, silent and elegant. Sikenna was marked with an owl faced birthmark. Her mark was that of a barn owl. The most elegant and wise of the owls. This made her tribe believe that she would be the one to bring back the moon. Sikenna thought this was ridiculous since she was a young girl. No person can bring back the moon. She chuckled to herself at the thought.

Sikenna decided it was time to go back to the village. Her father and friend would start to worry soon if she didn't. Her friend, kisamme, was the daughter of the chief. They had been best friends since they were learning to walk. Both their mothers had passed during child birth, just 2 days apart. So the tribe believed the two girls shared a connection through tragedy. A very powerful bond.

Sikenna made her way back through the darkness, slowly and alert. There was no telling what could be in the trees. Just waiting. Sikenna could see the fires from her village when she felt a sting on her chest. a searing pain as if someone was piercing her heart with a sword dipped in the fires.

The pain became too much and sikenna felt herself drifting away. Everything was going dark, but she could feel soft wisps of air hitting her cheek. Sikenna hit felt the hard cold ground and then nothing.

Sikenna awakened, slowly, regaining consciousness. She sat up and tried to look around but she didn't recognize where she was. As her eyes regained focus she noticed a light. An icy blue light that she had never seen before. as she walked toward it she felt a warmth emanating from it. Peculiar she thought. it looked like it would be freezing. As she moved even closer Sikenna realized it wasn't a light. It was a blue fire, bursting with warm flames that seemed to be dancing.

There was a clatter behind her. Sikenna quickly turned to find a figure in another room beyond the one she was in. She meekly shouted." Hello? Who are you? What happened?" The figure did not answer, but continued on with what they were doing. Sikenna slowly walked towards the figure.

As she drew closer, she could see it was a woman. She presented silky, long, white and silver hair that displayed a head-dress of feathers and stones.

"Excuse me.? Who are you? Why am I here?" Sikenna asked bravely.

The woman paused and slowly turned to Sikenna. When the woman turned to her, Sikenna could see her face in the light. The woman looked familiar but Sikenna couldn't place her.

"come forward." The woman demanded.

Sikenna was a little frightened but the woman felt familiar somehow. The woman began to move towards her. Sikenna gasped when she was up close to her. The woman's eyes shone grey and white. her eyes were like the moon! Sikenna realized this is the woman that the legend was talking about. The woman who will bring back the moon.

"It's you!" Sikenna said hopefully. "You're here to bring back the moon."

"No." the woman stated. " You will bring it back."

"That's impossible. I have no powers or wings to fly into the sky.."

Sikenna stopped when she realized the woman was laughing at her.

"what's so funny?" Sikenna felt embarrassed by her laughter.

" Child, can't you feel it? you have the power in you." The woman said grinning as she nudged towards Sikenna's chest.

Sikenna had forgotten all about the pain in her chest. She felt her chest and felt as if something was there. She slowly pulled down her shirt collar and she caught a glimpse of something. her birthmark had changed somehow. The woman handed Sikenna a small mirror, so she could examine it fully. She turned the mirror towards her birthmark.

Sikenna gasped loudly when she saw it. Her owl face birthmark wasn't there anymore. What seemed to be burned into its place was a marking of a crescent moon and owl wings. There seemed to be a light blue glow to the markings. As if it was colored in with blue dust. Sikenna wobbled a little in her disbelief. Her head felt light and dizzy. The woman reached out to steady her.

The woman brought Sikenna to a chair and helped her sit. While the woman went to get a cup of water Sikenna racked her brain for this to make sense. She knew her tribe believed this is who she was, but she always seen it as fairytale and folklore.

"I know, what you're thinking. but it is true." The woman said.

"Who are you? I dont understand what's happening." Sikenna quietly said.

" I am you sikenna. I mean that I am like you. I am a bringer of the moon. My name is Minka."

Sikenna stared at the woman in more disbelief. But the color of Minka's eye's, the hair made it easier to believe. The woman took the head dress and placed it on Sikenna's head.

"It is your turn to save this world. As I did many years ago." Minka said proudly. "It is an honor bestowed to our family many generations ago. The Goddess of the moon chose us for this honor."

Sikenna was still in awe looked into Minka's eyes. She realized Minka must be an ancestor and wondered if she was dreaming.

"you are not dreaming." Minka smiled.

"You can hear my thoughts?" Sikenna asked. " Can i hear yours?"

"Soon enough you will. First we must prepare you for your honor." Minka stood and headed towards the doorway. "come child."

Sikenna stood and followed. They moved toward the room with the icy blue flame. She could feel the warmth in her chest grow as she moved closer to it. She placed her hand on her mark and she felt the warmth from it.

She looked at Minka curiously. She observed Minka from head to feet. She was elegant. In her clothing and her confidence.

" What do we do to prepare?" Sikenna asked. " What am I even to do? I don't understand how i bring back the moon."

Minka smiled. " The answer lies within you." Minka placed her hand on Sikenna's mark.

" My birth mark..but how does that do anything?" Sikenna didn't understand why her mark had changed or why it matched the blue flames.

Minka moved to the blue flames. She reached her hand towards it and a small flame jumped from the fire and rested on Minkas hand. Sikenna couldn't believe it. She stared at it in wonder.

" The goddess of the moon bestowed this flame to help guide us to what we are destined to achieve. It helped me on my journey and it will help you on yours. The flame will give you the power you need to bring back the moon." Minka reached out her hand to Sikenna.

Sikenna walked over and grabbed a hold of Minka's hand. Being this close to the flames gave her a burst of warmth that seemed to fill her hole body.

Minka smiled at her reaction. " It is a wonderful feeling yes. But it is very powerful and you must accept it with care and pure heart. You will step into the flames when it is time and it will reveal who you are. It will give you your power."

"what power did it give to you Minka?" Sikenna asked, lost in the beauty of the flames.

" Sight. it gave me the power to see the moon when it was not here. I could then speak to the goddess of the moon and plead with her to bring back the moon." Minka seemed excited telling the story.

"So can't you do that now? Speak to her again and bring it back?" Sikenna asked with hope. She didn't think she was brave enough to do anything like this.

Minka's face turned sad. " because there is a price to give to the goddess. She demands ...a gift in return. Mine was the power of my sight. I could keep my link to the blue flame, but I could no longer harness the power of sight. All I have now is high sense of intuition."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Sikenna apologized.

" The price of one small gift for the light to banish the shadows seemed worthy enough." Minka proclaimed proudly. " You're test will be to see if you can sacrifice something as I did."

Sikenna was filled with a sense of dread and worry. Could she be brave enough to fulfill this quest that now lye's ahead of her? Would she make the right choice to appease the goddess and bring the moon back?

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