We set into a new day—a day of thrills for most children, as the day of Alena's tenth birthday had arrived. As Alena awoke to the charming rays of the morning sun, she could swear she felt a bit different, as if the dawning of a new era had set before her.
Elijah slept away, curled up at her feet. As the singing of birds filled the air around them, Elijah's ear twitched, flicking about in the sun's warm embrace. Alena rubbed her eyes; her hair a mess, frizzled from her sleep. She could smell a most delightful fragrance coming from outside her room. Her eyes widened as she realized she is now a year older. Excited, she thought that perhaps she had grown a couple inches taller overnight, as she rose from the comfort of her bed.
One of Elijah's eyes peaked open, and seeing it was day he stretched himself out with a wide yawn, extending out his claws and pumping his front legs out one after the other, back and forth as if to knead the covers.
Alena ran over to the mirror in her room, inspecting herself for any possible changes to her physique. She even grabbed a small book to hold over her head as she bobbed up and down on her toes, as if to be measuring herself up, but of course there were no distinguishable changes.
With a knock on the door, Tatalia peered inside, seeing her daughter was already up and around. Just then, she burst open the door in surprise.
"Good morning my dear!" she called out joyfully.
"Mommy!" Alena was ecstatic, as she ran over glomping her mother. She had completely forgotten about yesterday, and was rearing for a bright new day.
Tatalia returned the hug to her daughter before standing in a lowered crouch as she playfully teased, "And who is this big girl? Say, did you grow taller?" She held her hand out over Alena's head, patting it down here and there as she asked.
Alena bounced with joy. "Did I? Did I?" she repeated.
Tatalia let out a charming giggle and stood tall. "My, if you keeping growing this much, you'll be just as tall as mommy in a few years."
Alena was over the moon.
"Are you ready for breakfast? I made your favorite," Tatalia inquired.
"Oh really? Yay!" she was so excited, Alena ran right passed her mother straight for the dining table. Sitting in her chair, she kicked her legs back and forth while humming a little tune as she patiently awaited her meal.
Tatalia came into the room and set before her daughter a glass of milk and a plate of eggs and fish seasoned with rosemary and lemongrass. Alena cheerfully gasped at the delicious site as she cheered her mother on for the meal! "Thank you!" Alena couldn't have been happier as she began to eat.
While Tatalia was admiring her daughter's enthusiasm, Elijah trotted over to join them. Seeing him, Tatalia was grateful of Elijah, who normally lives outdoors, for accompanying Alena overnight.
"Well good morning," she greeted him, "would you like some breakfast?"
Stopping in his tracks to sniff the air, Elijah meowed in approval and hopped on the nearby dining cat tree that Alena's family kept around for guests. Tatalia served up a plate of fish and sat at the table with her daughter to eat. This new morning was full of delight, but sadly, the same couldn't be said several hours prior.
Upon leaving The Great Tree, Alena was taken to visit the oracle, a very old nekomata wearing young skin while bearing a long, super fluffy tail divided into nine parts. This nekomata lived in the distant outskirts of the village. She bore the traits of a ragdoll cat and had long, human-like nails which came to a point. Some would say she was the most elegant nekomata of the region, though she spent most of her lifetime isolated.
When Alena arrived, led by Tatalia and occompanied by Mora, the four of them stood before the oracle who was posed on a circular mattress surrounded by fine veil curtains which were partially shrouding her appearance. Elijah, as usual, was perched in Alena's back shoulder harness, as to remain close by.
Around the oracle's bed stood eight pillars, each with a different cat resting upon it, and each a different breed. Tatalia, Alena and Elijah approached the podium which was surrounded by blue glowing orbs standing on even taller, narrower pillars, providing a dim light source for the wide open, hall-like sanctum.
"Mystic Oracle, please see my daughter. She is just turning ten years old, but has already tapped into her visions," Tatalia pleaded.
There was a silence while the eight cats on high glared down before Alena and her mother, each with a judging expression. Slow movements were seen beyond the veil as sheets slid off the oracle's figure. She was silent and seemed to drag her finger tips across the bed's surface as she calmly rose to her feet.
Moving to the foot of her bed, the oracle parted the veil, revealing her full, elegant beauty. While her face lacked any expression, her smooth, pale skin, free of blemishes seemed to glow in the gentle light. Her hair which was silver up to the extent of her bangs, but snow white down along the sides and around the back was like that of silk and feathers as her long, wavy, white locks glimmered beside her. Her eyes are a deep, icy blue, and she has soft pink lips.
The room remained quiet as she stepped ever slowly down the steps, approaching those waiting below.
"And what may I ask is her name?" the oracle asked in her light, monotone voice.
Tatalia gently nudged her daughter forward. "This is Alena," Tatalia answered.
The oracle stood there, gazing her eyes down on Alena, as her face remained expressionless. A period of silence had passed before the oracle slowly lifted her hand, instructing Tatalia to cover Alena's ears. The oracle knelt down nearly to eye level with the young girl.
"Visions at such an early, delicate age; how terrifying," the oracle's voice echoed.
Alena stood there with a shy expression, as her ears remained covered, in the presence of this unfirmiliar face; her eyes not leaving the woman before her.
"Is there anything you can do for my daughter?" Tatalia requested of her.
The oracle continued to stare blankly into Alena's eyes. Another pause fell present before the oracle began to speak.
"The girl will need to progress her initiation ahead of schedule. I can give her a push, but she may lose all her memories of this day for a time while the realm of spirits conditions her," the oracle explained.
"Will that help her?" Tatalia inquired.
"It may help shift the outcome, but there's no guarantee it'll be avoided all together. All we can hope to offer her is more time," the oracle continued.
Tatalia stood there worried, anxious about what the oracle meant. "And her visions?" Tatalia followed.
"Only time will tell," the oracle answered, as she placed her hands on either side of the young girl's head.
One moment, there was the muffled rumbling of her mother's veins pulsing over her ears, but the next thing she knew, Alena was standing all alone in a small field that was completely engulfed in flames. The ground beneath her was blanketed in fire, but she felt no pain as the ghastly fire swarm consumed everything around her.
The sounds of pulsing veins had become the bellowing screams of a roaring fire. Her eyes widened as tears were swept from them, evaporating in an instant. She was terrified.
"Mommy," she tried to say, but she had no voice to be heard. As the trees in her surroundings crumbled to smoldering ash, Alena could see a wisping silhouette veiled within the distant flames. As her drifted down, Alena held out her hands as the fur of her human-like paws were distorting like fire. As she panicked, "Mommy! Mommy!" a voiceless echo chimed amongst the roaring flames.
As the surrounding fire grew ever stronger and rose higher around her feet, Alena silently screamed out once again at the top of her lungs, calling for her mother as her very site was shrouded in flames.
In that moment, when contact was lifted from the young girl, Alena's lifeless eyes fell closed, and she collapsed into the oracle's arms.
Tatalia dropped to her daughter's side, "Alena! Alena! Baby wake up dear, wake up!" She knew not exactly what had happened.
As Tatalia panicked over the condition of her daughter, to the oracle, the room had fallen silent, as her expression was completely unphased.