For Now

The planet if Thebazile is safe... for now. We have stopped the attacks... for now. It is not safe for my father, my pet or me to go outside... I wish I could say for now. It will never be safe for us to go outside... ever.

We are the protectors of The Stone of Bazile. We are always in danger. Three years ago my mother died, it was then my job to find The Stone of Bazile. During the journey I found an aventlo whom I named Kaida. Kaida and I are now great friends and if it weren't for her I wouldn't be here today.

Ever since my mother died it has been hard for me and especially my father. My father was away when it happened so he didn't find out until much later. He had been on a trip and it was his second month when my mother died. My father hadn't talked to her for a long time.

It has now been another year since my mother's death took place and I am slowly getting over it. I haven't cried in months.

"Clarissa!" My father called.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Rissa?"

"Alright, Rissa, would you please clean up the table before you feed Kaida."

"We can live without a clean table but we can't live without food." I said matter of factly.

"Very funny... Clean the table first. You'll never come out of your room if you feed Kaida first."

"Oh alright," turning to Kaida, "You'll have to wait." I then went into the kitchen and asked my dad. "Why are we the protectors of The Stone of Bazile?"

My father responded, "It has always been our families' job to protect it."

"Why our family?"

"Many years ago The Stone of Bazile didn't exist. War rang out all over Thebazile. Then your great, great, great grandfather decided to make The Stone of Bazile so the wars would stop."

"So that's why we are the protectors of The Stone of Bazile."

"Yes, now hurry up and clean the table." He said with a little laugh.

"Oh alright, alright." I started to clean the table.

CRASH!!!

"What was that?" My father cried.

"I have no clue."

"You go protect The Stone of Bazile, I'll find out what the noise was." My father commanded.

As I hurried down the hall Kaida came out of my bedroom, she looked very frightened. I got to The Stone of Bazile and asked Kaida. "Can you make any sounds?"

Kaida made this odd sound, sort of like a dolphin talking mixed with a bit of elephant.

"Good," I said, "I want you to stay here while I get my magic book, if anyone except me or my father comes near you make whatever noise that was.";

Kaida seemed to understand because she made a similar sound.

I ran into my room and grabbed my magic book and ran back to see Kaida. I went to turn the corner when I stopped. Blue flames were coming from where I knew Kaida was.

"Kaida!" I yelled. "Kaida, can you hear me? Make some noise, please." I started to cry. Did this fire mean Kaida was dead? I knew Kaida breathed fire but I didn't think it was blue because she was red and orange. All of a sudden the flames stopped. I took a step forward, started to turn the corner, I was afraid of what I might find. I closed my eyes and walked into the open.

I heard Kaida squawk. I opened my eyes in relief. I ran and hugged Kaida and Kaida squawked again and again. I looked at the perch where The Stone of Bazile sat. It wasn't there.

"Where is it?" I asked Kaida knowing she couldn't answer.

Kaida squawked and started to fly towards the hot-house. I followed her.

We started to turn the last corner when we heard voices and stopped dead in our tracks.

"You take The Stone of Bazile."

"It was your idea."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was!"

"You carry it for now, I'll carry it later."

"No you won't."

"I will, now let's stop arguing and get on with it.";

"Get on with what?"

"Just follow me."

The voices continued but the people must have been walking away for their voices became quieter.

"Kaida, wait here, I'm going to just look around the corner and see if they are gone."

"I peered around the corner. There were two men standing at the other end of the hot-house looking at something. They started to turn so I yanked my head back. When I did this I caught a glimpse of The Stone of Bazile.

"Don't worry Kaida," I said for Kaida was shaking, "They didn't see me and they have The Stone of Bazile. I'm going to get it back and you are going to help me, ok."

Kaida nodded.

"Alright, now here is what we do?"

I was just about to tell Kaida my plan when she flew out into the open. Forgetting I was hiding I yelled out "Kaida come back."

I heard a voice. "Who said that? Who's Kaida?"

I heard Kaida squawk as I stepped out. The moment I went into the open Kaida opened her mouth and breathed blue flames. The blue flames I saw earlier were hers!

"Run!"; One of the men yelled.

I flipped open my magic book and started say the freezing incantation. "Freeze now, freeze until I say the word, stop where you are so I may do my job, freeze now, let me take the stone, stop now and freeze!" The men stopped, frozen in position. I walked up to the one holding The Stone of Bazile and took it from his hands. This was when my dad came running in.

"Rissa! Oh Rissa! Someone took The Stone of Bazile!"

"Dad, it's ok, I've got it. What do we do with," I pointed at the men, "them?"

"You froze them?" He walked up to them. "Good job."

"Dad, I don't think this is the time for that."

"You're right. Go get the phone and call The Stone of Bazile Organization."

"Ok." I walked to the kitchen with Kaida following me, put my magic book down and grabbed the phone. I dialled and let the phone ring.

"Hello." A man answered it.

"Hi, I mean Hello. I, um, am a protector of The Stone of Bazile."

"Oh you are." The man sounded evil or something.

"Hold on a second."

"Alright."

I put my hand over the phone. "Dad!"

"Yes dear?" I heard my dad call from the hot-house.

"The man on the phone sounds evil or something."

"Man?" My dad asked.

"Yes dad it was a man talking."

"It should have been a girl. That's not good. Wait a minute I coming to talk to this man." I heard my dads footsteps grow louder. "Pass me the phone." He took it. "Hello."

"Hello, is this another protector of The Stone of Bazile?" The man replied.

"Yes, hold on one minute I need to tell someone something." My dad covered the phone. "Rissa, I don't like it. I want you to pack enough food for several days, clothing, magic books, and anything you think anyone will need. We are going on a journey."

"Should I pack for you as well?" I asked.

"Yes, now hurry up." He started to talk again as I walked off.

As I went downstairs to grab some bags I heard my father say.

"Yes, we are the protectors of The Stone of Bazile; why else would we be calling? Where is Aurora? She normally answers the phone."

"She was sick today." The man said abruptly.

"When will she be back, I need to talk to her."

"I do not know. Now what is your problem?" I could hear he was getting very angry.

"I am really sorry but I must talk to Aurora. What is her phone number?"

"I will answer all of your questions."

"I have questions that only she will know." My father said angrily.

"Try me."

"I need to go." My father slammed the phone down and then said to me. "You're waiting in the hall aren't you."

"Well I was wondering what you were talking about, you were talking kind of loud." I said as I came out of the hall.

"I'll get the bags while you grab all of our materials."

"Ok. Meet me in my room." I followed Kaida into my room where I grabbed two forest green and dark brown dresses, one forest green shirt and a pair of leather pants. This is when my father walked in and placed a forest green suitcase on my bed. I threw my clothes into the suitcase and walked over to my bookshelf were I grabbed my book of magical animals and then went into the kitchen to get my magic book. When I got back into my room my father had walked into his room to grab his materials so I went to my desk to grab several magical potions and my box of magical ingredients. I looked over at Kaida and noticed she was packing her food by herself! "Good job." I said to Kaida as I started helping her.

My father walked in at that moment and asked, "How long until you are done?"

"Just zipping the suitcase shut." I said as I placed Kaida on my shoulder.

"My bag is in the other room. We have to leave immediately."

"Alright," I said grabbing my bag. "Let's go." We crept out the back door and followed the same route I took the night my mom died. Even though it was now midnight we could still go outside without the spell of warming because it was only fall.

"Let's rest here for now," my father said starting a fire. We had come to the forest where Kaida had saved my life. "After we rest a bit and have something to eat we are going to go to Aurora's house."

"Who's Aurora?" I asked. I had never heard the name before.

"She is the lady who normally answers the phone when you call The Stone of Bazile Organization. I have never had a man answer it before. Once or twice it has been another lady. Now hurry up, we need to leave very soon."

We continued to eat in silence. After several minutes Kaida began to get restless. I kept telling her to calm down but she wouldn't listen. Finally Kaida just flew off. My father and I got up suddenly.

"Rissa, Kaida knows you best. You follow her and I'll clean up."

"Alright." I then ran off in the direction Kaida had gone. Seeing I was running though a forest I had trouble keeping up with Kaida because she was smaller and could move through a forest easier. Every once and a while I would catch a glimpse of Kaida and I would tell her to slow down. At last Kaida stopped. She was flying over someone's body. I slowly walked up to the body to find it was a young lady. Maybe, twenty. She had long golden hair which went to her waist. I looked at her dress, I could tell that it once was a beautiful royal blue dress even though it was ripped and covered in dirt. I knelt down to look more carefully at her. Moving her hair I noticed a gold chain around her neck. I carefully removed it. On it was a stone which looked like a miniature version of The Stone of Bazile. I continued to study her and this was when I noticed she was still alive! Her chest moved whenever she tried to take a breath. I now wished I had brought my magic book with me. "Kaida," I said. "Fly back to my father and bring him here. Make sure I get my magic book." Kaida quickly obeyed. I turned back to the lady. Her breathing seemed to be improving so I turned her over and asked, "Can you hear me?"

"I..."

"What is your name?"

"Auror..."

"Aurora, is that it? Please say it is."

"Yes... I... Claris... Clarissa... I knew... your mother... she wanted... me to..."

"What about my mother? Please tell me."

"If she died... she wanted... me to..."

"What did she want to tell me?"

"She wanted me to tell you..."

"You can't die yet. My father is on his way here right now, with, magic books and, and potions. Please, you can't die yet."

"I... am... so... sorry... your mother..."

"Why are you sorry? What about my mother? Please tell me!" Aurora didn't answer but I noticed she was holding something so I took it out of her hand. It was my mother's favourite pendent, a true blue stone on a leather chain.

"Rissa, Rissa. What has happened?" I could hear my father coming.

"I found Aurora! She's dying! Come quick!"

My father checked Aurora's pulse. "Rissa, she's dead. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet her."

"I did. She said she was sorry and that my mother wanted to have her tell me something if she died but she died before she told me what. What was she sorry about? Oh, I also found mother's favourite pendent in her hand." I asked my father at a hundred words per minute. I was now starting to cry. "What did my mother want to tell me? Why was Aurora sorry?"

"I don't know," my father said. "I have many questions. Let's head back home."

"We can't call The Stone of Bazile Organization," I said.

"But we can call the cops. Let's go."

We began to walk the long journey back to our house. Finally back home my father said. "You know, we didn't get attacked once on our journey despite why we left."

When my father said this it reminded me of something I said earlier; it is not safe for my father, my pet or me to go outside... I wish I could say for now. It will never be safe for us to go outside... ever. Maybe it should be; it is not safe for my father, my pet or me to go outside... for now.