When the Phoenix Flower Blooms

Prologue

Long, long ago, there was a special flower that bloomed only once every million years. It did so, because every million years, a special child with a special gift is born. This strange flower was called the Phoenix flower. It sat on a pedestal in an ancient temple that was long ago abandoned. Without water and without sunlight, the flower lives on. Its stem seems to have been made from the most beautiful emerald ever found. Its leaf looks as if carved by a master craftsman. The shimmering Phoenix petals look as soft and as smooth as an owl's feathers and they are the color of a gorgeous Phoenix red. The history of this flower is unknown. They only know that a dying monk had found it on his morning walks, lying in the middle of his trail, covered in dew. The dew turned out to be apart of the Phoenix flower. They seemed to be made of the finest crystal and carved to look like tear drops from the sky. The beauty of this flower is so amazing that the dying monk who had found it had stayed with it all night and the next morning, took one last look at the flower, smiled, and had taken his last breath. But like I said before. The history of this flower is unknown. That might just be an old tail spun by an elderly storyteller, or it might just be true. No matter what its history, this flower is a prodigy. So the big question I bet you've been wondering about is why does this flower matter? Well, because if this flower was to die or be destroyed by powerful magic, the child who had been born with the power of the Phoenix will die as well. I bet your thinking, I could care less. But what would you think if you knew that the child has the power to save the world from something terrible? And that, my friends, is where the story of our hero, Adam, begins.

Chapter 1: A Power is found, but A Question is made

Adam walked through the gates to his village and he instantly swerved towards the alleys and he started to creep behind the houses in utter silence. He had taken a liking of being alone or at least avoided. He past old man Cleve’s house and he almost gagged from the stench emitting from the window. The old man must have had a billion dead rats stashed in any place you can think of. His cat, Ravi, must have killed about ten billion rats today. Adam gritted his teeth as he walked past his house and he escaped to the village square, his hands behind his back and his eyes darting around. He heard a whistle behind him and turned to see who it was when he slammed into something hard and fell onto the ground. He heard snorts of laughter and he looked up to see Mao. He cringed away as Mao slipped his hand out of his pocket and withdrew a stone. "Hey alley cat. Do you know what happens to alley cats?" Mao sneered. Adam looked away and he felt his face twist the other way when he felt something huge slap his face. "Well?" Mao growled. Adam looked up at him; his eyes narrowed, and turned to the smooth pebble. "They... Get rocks thrown at them?" Mao’s gang snorted with laughter and Mao sneered. "That's right Alley cat. And guess what? It's your turn today!" Mao said in his cold voice. Adam knew what was coming and he jumped to his feet and he started to run. He felt sharp pains stab him in the center of his back and the middle of his head. He hissed through his gritted teeth and tried to put on more speed. Suddenly, he felt something hard hit the back of his head and he lifted a few inches of the ground and scraped his chin on the ground as he skidded to a stop. Lights flashed in front of his eyes and he groaned with pain.

"Look at him! He's pathetic!" He heard Mao’s loud laughter echoing through the empty square. "And you know what? His mothers even more pathetic! Hiding in her little house far from the village near the woods! She's such a-" But Mao’s sentence was broken as Adam let his fist fly and it landed itself neatly in Mao’s face. He heard a loud snap and crunch as he broke Mao’s nose. Mao’s cry of rage came out as a gurgle of pain and he fell onto the ground, his nose streaming with blood and bent at an odd angle. Mao’s gang took one look at their leader, and they all started to crack their fists. "You’re going to pay for that rat!" Shouted a tall blacked haired boy. The boy turned to the others. "Get him!" He cried. They all yelled and they started to run towards Adam. Adam, frozen with fear and shock, tried to uproot his feet, but it felt as if he had grown roots into the ground. Suddenly, Adam lifted his hand in a last attempt to protect himself. That's when he felt a flowing energy like no other run through his arm and up to his fingertips. He heard cries of shock and then cries of pain. A few seconds later when he was sure he was still standing, he opened his eyes slowly to see the gang and their leader running away, a series of burn marks etched into their skin. He gazed at them in shock and then he turned to his hand, which was tingling slightly. He could just barely make out the faintest trace of red mist disappear. What had just happened? The thought was like an annoying fly.

As Adam turned to leave, he felt a great tidal wave of courage and joy crash over him. His father would have been proud that he had just defended his mother and himself. He smiled and he sprinted out of the village and he ran on a small dirt path towards a hut that he called home. He burst through the oak wooden door and shouted for his mother. He was barely conscious of the wet sticky feeling running down his head and back as his mother came trotting in from the kitchen. "What? What's wrong?" She cried. Then she stopped and stared at his beaming, and bloody face. "Adam! What happened to you?" She cried in a beautiful voice, rushing over to him with a small rag and dabbing his wounds. “Guess what! You know that big mean kid who lives down at the blacksmiths, Mao? I just broke his nose!" He said with a laugh. He thought his mother would have been happy and laughing with him. Instead her beautiful face looked grim and worried. Adam stared at her, thoroughly confused. "What's wrong mother?" He whispered, grabbing her hand with surprising strength to stop her from dabbing his wounds. His mother looked up at him and sighed. "I guess I can't hide everything from you." She whispered.

Adam took her hand and he rubbed her shoulder with his other hand. "Mother. Tell me what’s wrong." He said in a commanding, yet soft voice. "We can't stay here any longer. W-w-we have to move into the woods." She said, her eyes brimming over with tears. “It’s no longer safe. The village is soon going to find out and they will try and kill us.” She cried. Adam rubbed her shoulder softly, his mind working hard. "Why?" He asked softly, more to himself than to his mother. She shook her head and her dark brown hair brushed Adam's hand softly. “I should have told you from the very start. I should have told you when you had come of age." Tears leaked down her face slowly. Adam didn't realize he had frozen until his mother had turned to look at him. "Adam?" She whispered. He shook his head and smiled softly. "Tell me later. For now, you should get some rest." He said, seeing her distraught face. She nodded her head lightly and he helped her up with a hand and he put his arm around her waist and he leaded her back to her bedroom.

A few minutes later, he stepped out of her room and softly shut the door and sighed. Then he spotted a faint edge of a piece of paper, blowing gently in the breeze in the kitchen. He walked through the door and smiled softly. His mother had been painting a picture of the meadow in summer. He gazed at the carefully painted meadow gr*censored* and the sun that shone down on the meadow gr*censored*, giving the gr*censored* a slightly golden look. A few small butterflies here and there scattered around the painting, but what caught his eye was a small flower, opening its petals to soak in the suns warming rays. Its petals were curved ever so slightly upward towards the sun. Its ashen peach color almost blended in perfectly with the meadow. He closed his eyes and he could just imagine the petal's waving slightly in the soft warm breeze as the gr*censored* swayed and a few bees hummed nearby and the butterflies gently flapping through the gr*censored* barely making a sound.

He opened his eyes and smiled one last time before exiting the kitchen and walking out onto the dirt path. He followed it for a while before swerving off it and heading into the woods. The trees let tiny rays of warm sunlight escape into the small forest here and there. He sighed softly. The trees barely swayed as a soft warm breeze drifted lazily past them. Suddenly, the trees parted to reveal a small open meadow. The meadow had an old willow hanging over a small pond in the middle. He walked towards the old willow and he gently laid his hand on its aged and withered bark. He smiled softly to himself and he slipped a wooden flute out of his pocket and he sat on a soft patch of light green gr*censored*. He put the flute to his lips and he started to play. The trees swayed slightly and their leaves rustled, sounding beautiful as the flute played. The trees swayed to the melody as Adam played.

As he played, two birds flew out from a tree and they started to dance in the air. The male bird took the female birds talons in his talons and he flapped his wings so that they flew in a circle. The female bird twittered slightly and she brushed her tail feathers against the soft breeze. A few downy feathers twirled in the air as they danced. The male bird let out a soft cry and he released her talons and twirled gracefully up, towards the sun. The female copied him and they twirled around each other. Suddenly, they stilled their wings and they did a back somersault and all of a sudden, their talons were locked once again. This is how they ended their little bird dance. They slowly unlocked talons and they flew back into the tree.

Adam played the last note of his little song and something enchanting happened when he did. He looked up into the sky and for a second, he thought he saw the blurred shape of a large bird, its color that of a flaming red. He thought he saw it let out a short burst of flames, enveloping it, then, slowly, it turned to him and he saw a clear red eye with a sliver of green in it. Suddenly, he blinked and it was gone. He stared at the spot in the sky for a few seconds longer before turning back to his flute. Had he imagined it? Or had it been real? Had he really seen a phoenix?

Chapter 2: A Child is Found, a Child is Lost

Adam walked through the forest, his eyes glazed over, as he thought about what he had seen. He barely realized that he had reached the edge of the forest until a sharp ray of sunlight blinded him. He closed his eyes and the image of the bird came back into his head. Its beauty; its color, and its flames.... His eyes flashed open when he saw the image of the eye staring at him. He shook his head to get rid of the annoying humming of questions that buzzed through his mind and he jogged through the village square, a few quarters jingling in his pocket.

Suddenly, he stopped and froze in his tracks. Mao had just rounded the corner, the middle of his face wrapped in bandages, when he spotted him. Rage contorted his face. "I'm going to kill you rat!" He yelled. He clenched his fists and started blundering towards him. Adam knew he didn't stand a chance this time so he turned tail and ran. He prayed to the wind to lift his feet and let him run with it. He ran until he came to the edge of the woods. He looked behind him and almost fell over in shock. Mao was getting closer by the second. Without a second thought, Adam plunged into the now dark woods.

He could hear Mao behind him as he let out a loud curse. He had followed him in. Adam was glad he knew the forest so well. He found a hidden wolf trail and he started sprinting on that. Suddenly, he came to a large rock fall that blocked the rest of the wolf trail. Adam turned to see Mao blundering on the wolf trail. He had only a few seconds left before he would descend upon him. Adam remembered something his father had said when they had been in the forest and he had been teaching him the tracks of the animals.

"A wolf, Adam, has the keenest hearing of all the animals in this forest. When a wolf is in trouble, he howls for a pack brother or sister to help him. Even if he's 20 miles away, his pack brother and sister will hear him and come to his aid." Adam prayed to the forest to carry his plea and he lifted his head and let loose a howl. He heard Mao freeze in his tracks, having ended the wolf trail and spotted Adam. He gave a chuckle. "Let that be your last breath Adam Quinver, because you're as good as dead." He heard Mao chuckle. A fierce wave of terror and sorrow crashed over him. I'm sorry father I failed. Take care of mother and take care of the forest. I guess I'm no longer the keeper since I'm as good as dead.

He lowered his head and came face to face with Mao. "If this is the end then, let it be a fast one Mao Kilos." He said his voice surprisingly calm. Mao threw back his head and let loose a booming laugh. "Oh no alley cat, I'm going to make this as slow and painful as possible.” he muttered. He advanced towards him. He looked up for a fleeting second and that was enough. He froze in his tracks, a new emotion covering his face. Fear. Adam dared not look up, fearing that when he did, he would see a wolf or a bear or at least a lynx. He looked up. A large bird sat on the very top boulder, its red eyes staring straight at Mao. Its wings folded neatly against its side and its long and beautiful tail silently flaming against the rock. Its beautiful beak clamped shut. A sliver of green dominated the eyes of the bird. No. Thought Adam. Not a bird, but a phoenix. The phoenix opened its beak and let loose a beautiful whistle that sounded awfully like his flute. Adam knew he should be terrified or at least shocked to see such a rare creature, but only a fierce joy and happiness was what he felt.

He turned to Mao. He could have laughed. He could have scowled. He could have made a sarcastic remark. But instead, he lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile and raised his arm, making it act like a perch on a tree. The phoenix saw this and it unfurled its wings and it lighted down gently on his arm, wrapping its stone smooth talons around his arm. It folded its wings; once again on its sides and let loose another whistle. Adam felt energy flow through his arm on which the phoenix sat and smiled. He remembered that feeling as clear as day. It was the feeling of magic. He raised his other arm slowly, relishing the moment, and he pointed his palm towards Mao. He felt his palm tingle and he closed his eyes. He felt something slide out of his hand like rushing water. He heard the phoenix take flight, letting loose a tuneful whistle and then, black. But before he pasted out, he heard a terrible scream of pain. Adam's eyes flickered open, but he couldn't see because something was making his vision blurry. He closed his eyes again and he slipped back into the comforting darkness. He awoke again to the sound of his name. A woman. A woman was calling his name in a high, yet strangely beautiful voice. No, he knew this voice. His eyes flickered open halfway and he saw his mother's beautiful face, looming over his. A look of relief washed over her face, the look of terror and concern melting away.” Adam? Adam can you hear me? Wake up Adam. Please wake up!"  She begged. Adam forced his eyes to open the rest of the way and he stared at his mother. "M-m-mom?" He said his voice scarcely a whisper. Exhaustion clouded his head as he stared at his mother. "Yes Adam, I'm here."

 He tried to sit up, but he fell back down. He realized that he wasn't in the forest anymore. He felt the soft feather of his pillow beneath his head. He was back at his house. "How did we get here?" He asked his mother, his eyes drooping slightly. She shook her head. "Never mind that. Are you hurt? What's wrong?" This time, it was his turn to shake his head. "No, I'm not hurt just tired." he whispered. She let loose a sigh. "Where's Mao?" He asked. She tensed when he said the name. Adam finally managed to sit up. "Mother, where's Mao?" She looked away. Suddenly, Adam realized she was staring at her bed. Mao lay in it, his forehead wrapped in bandages, but Adam saw the faint trace marks of the burns that lined his face. He felt the blood leave his face and his lips grow cold.” What’s wrong with him?" he whispered. His mother looked back at him, her face hard. "His face has a series of 2 degrees burns. His arm looks as if a bear clawed it at. He's been out for a few days." He saw the hope flicker across her face. "How long have I been asleep mum?" He whispered, staring out his window. He saw her flinch. "A-a few days..." She muttered. He sighed and he threw back the covers and he tried to stand, but he did it too quickly and it was only his mother that kept him from falling on his face. He yawned slightly. "You're still tired. Go back to sleep and wake up when your ready." She whispered, laying him back down. He instantly shut his eyes, but before he did so, he heard a faint tuneful whistle of a phoenix and then the safe darkness.

Chapter 3: The Fire and the Flames

"Adam! Adam wake up! Please wake up! Adam!" Adam's eyes flickered open to meet his mother's frightened face. "We have to leave! Now! I let Mao go a few minutes ago and now the town is coming to burn our house! We have to leave!" Adam bolted up straight in his bed and he flew out of his bed and started throwing stuff in the bag that his mother had set next to his bed.” What do we need?" His voice sounded raspy and his throat was as dry as the earth. "We need food, clothes, beds, and a maybe a few precious items. Other than that leave it." She said, already in the kitchen packing the food and utensils. Suddenly, Adam could hear the faint cries of outrage and the crackling of torches coming up the road. "Mother!" he cried. "I know!" She cried. He heard a tearing as she ripped her picture of the drawing board and slipped it into her pocket. Adam grabbed all of his clothes and his favorite crystal that was the color of a fiery red. His father had given it to him one day after he had been on a trip to the woods. That was the last day he saw his father. Adam zipped his back and he grabbed his mother's hands and together they flew out the back door and into the woods. They ran like two lone wolves on the wolf trails, searching for the open meadow. A safe haven in the woods.

Adam ran with a new surge of strength beside his mother. He had hated that village from the very first time he had laid eyes upon it. Things were starting to get back to normal before they had moved near the village they had lived in the woods, constantly moving form place to place every night. But now, they looked for the meadow, the one place nobody knew about except Adam and his mother and his father. Suddenly, his mother parted a fern and there it was. Adam smiled, remembering the beautiful phoenix he had seen in this meadow. He grabbed his mother hand and squeezed it slightly. “We’re home...” He heard her whisper. They advanced toward the old willow and set their stuff down and they flopped onto the gr*censored*, letting the sun dry the sweat of their faces and lending them its warmth. Adam's eyes started to close.

He awoke to the sound of a lovebird waking up with a little song. He sat up and stretched. His muscles cracked painfully and he sighed. He regretted it instantly when he felt the searing pain in his dry throat. He crawled towards the small pond and he cupped his hands and he scooped some water in them. He stared at his reflection. He looked so much like his father. Long, brown hair and an oval face, but a strong chin. But then he had his mother's emerald green eyes. Just then, he noticed something in his left eye that made him freeze. A sliver of midnight blue. Just like the phoenix's left eye. The phoenix. Adam looked away from the water and looked around at the meadow. Everything was just how he had left it before he had fallen asleep. Except that his mother was gone.

"Mother? Mother? Mother! Mother!" He cried, panic and fear rising in his chest. "MOTHER!" He cried louder. "Adam? What is it what's wrong?" His mother's voice was scared. He turned around towards the sound and he sighed with relief. "Nothing. Just don't leave without telling me where you are. Okay? You just scared me that's all." He said softly, trying to keep the slight edge out of his voice. He didn't like getting scared. It made him feel weak. He walked over to her and cocked his head when he saw something wrapped in a blue cloth hanging on her back. 'What's that?" he said, staring at a slight gleam of white beige. "Oh this?" She said, hefting the thing higher on her back. "It's my bow. I made it when I was younger. I thought it would help if we ran out of food." She said shrugging.

"May I look?" He asked, curious as to what it looked like. She nodded her beautifully shaped head and she shrugged the bow off and he pulled back the blue cloth. He gasped. The bow was long and slender and made of yew. It had been sanded and cleaned and cared for so as not to warp. Its slender wood had carvings of wolves and, heart-shockingly, a phoenix. The color was that of white wolf with slivers of brown in its sleek fur. The string was made from the heartstring of some strange animal unknown to him. The arrows lay in a medium sized quiver made of beautiful willow and died the color of midnight blue and a foxy red twined with a lily white. The arrows where also made of yew and were fletched with owl feathers from a barn owl for silent flight.

Adam stared at it hungrily. "It's beautiful..." He whispered. His mother nodded in reply. '"When a child comes of age, he or she is to make a bow of their own with their own hands." She paused and hesitated slightly. "With magic." Adam froze, his two fingers hovering slightly over the owl feathers. He lifted his head. "Magic..." He whispered. He sank onto the ground and wrapped his arms around his legs. "Magic." He repeated. His mother sighed and sat next to him. "I should have told you. Long ago, witches and wizards and sorcerers existed. Along with dragons and unicorns and phoenixes." Adam tensed slightly. "They all lived in perfect harmony. Until one day when someone came, and ruined it all. A human. A human came and destroyed out peace and happiness.” She breathed silently as she talked. “His name was Armadas. He seemed friendly and kind, but in the instant he stepped through our barriers he ruined it all. He fell in love with a witch and together they built a house on a hillside blooming with white and red flowers. They married and had three children. Soon, at the age of thirteen, the children started using strong spells that not even the most skilled wizards and witches could use. The human and the witch were banned along with their children so as not to wreak havoc among the fantasy worlds. But as they lived in happiness and peace, the human and witch's kids grew up and had magical children of their own. Soon, magical children lived throughout the human world, mixing humans and fantasy people. Then-"

But she was cut of by the sound and smell of smoke. They turned towards the village and jumped up in shock. A large pillar of spoke was drifting upwards and into the sky. They had set their house on fire. "Mum!" Adam cried, horrified. "I know!" She snarled. She started to race forward, but Adam grabbed her hand. "No! Mum! We need to stay hidden or they will come after us!" His mother turned back to him and the look on her face made him let go of her hand and take a few steps back. Such anger and pain and sorrow clouded her face. It was scary. Tears were on the edge of her eyes. "Your father made that house for me when I was pregnant with you. I won't let his work go to shame!" She cried. With that she turned and ran. Adam stood there, shocked for a few minutes. He seemed to come to his senses and he grabbed his knife that he had hidden in his cloak pocket and he ran after her. Thoughts buzzed through his mind like angry hornets, but he pushed them away and concentrated on reaching his mother. The wind seemed to lift his feet as he ran. He ran as lithe and fast as a leopard and as silent as a wolf.

Suddenly, he saw the edge of the woods and he stopped, his mouth hanging open in horror. His mother's house, the one his father had built, was slowly falling apart as the flames engulfed it in its deadly inferno. Rage and pain stabbed his heart as he watched it. Suddenly, he saw a flash of Midnight blue and he saw his mother edging towards the back door of the house. He knew the mob was in the front of the house, but he took caution anyway and he edged silently towards the back door, where his mother had disappeared. When he reached it, he pulled his shirt over his nose and he ran through the door, which was hanging on its hinges. Adam was painfully aware of the fire surrounding him and the urge to run as far away fro the heat as possible, but he had just saw the midnight blue corner of his mother's cape. He trotted forward, careful to avoid the flames leaping out at him. Suddenly, he heard a crack and a terrible scream. "Mother!" he cried, forgetting the smoke. He ran towards the kitchen and he saw his mother lying under a beam that had fallen from the roof.

"Mother!" he cried. He grabbed the edge of the beam, but jumped back. It was scorching hot. He snarled and tore the bottom of his shirt off. He wrapped it around his hands and he smoothed his hands under the beam and he grunted as he tried to lift it. It budged slightly and he pulled harder. Slowly, painfully slowly, the beam lifted and he threw it aside. He grabbed his mother's limp hand and he hefted her onto his shoulder and dragged her back into the family room. He edged closer and closer towards the back door. Slowly, he jumped out of the flaming doorway just in time before it crashed to the ground. He sprinted as fast as he could with hid mother on his back. Fear and adrenaline was coursing through his veins. His muscles bulged as the weight of his mother tested his strength.

Sweat poured down his face as he ran on the wolf trails, no longer silent. A root caught his ankle and he cried out in pain. He managed to catch himself before he fell to the ground, but when he tried to run on his ankle, a searing pain shot up his leg and his leg buckled. He gritted his teeth together and he forced himself to run at a slowed trot on both legs. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he came upon the meadow. He rushed to a patch of soft gr*censored* in the cool shade of the willow tree and he set his mother down. Her skin as unmarked, but he could feel that something was wrong. Tears sprang to the corner of his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and held them back. Slowly, his mother's eyes scrunched ever so slightly and opened. "Mother! Mother can you hear me?" She turned her face slowly towards Adam with a blank ex
pression. "Mother it's me, Adam." He whispered. Something flitted across her face. Pain. Sweat matter her hair. "Adam.... I'm.... dying..." Adam shook his head. "No you’re not Mother. I can take care of you and nurse you back to health!" He begged. She shook her head slowly and winced. "That... beam... Crushed... my ribs.... into.... my chest..." She whispered her voice raspy and already getting fainter. "No mother! Please! You can't leave me yet!" This time, he couldn't hold back the tears. They flowed down his cheeks like tiny waterfalls.

Adam glanced at the vein pulsing in her neck. Adam was shocked to see that it was growing fainter. "Mother... Don't leave me yet... I need you." He whispered, clutching her hand. It was limp and cold in his hand. His mother smiled slightly. "You are.... just like... you’re............ father.................."Slowly, the pulse in her neck slowed to a stop. Her eyes closed and, in almost what seemed like slow motion, her hand dropped to her side, lifeless. The faint trace of her last smile, still etched in her face. "Mother?" Adam whispered his eyes wide with horror. "MOTHER!" He cried. Sorrow and pain clutched his heart in its steely grasp and refused to let go. He stumbled away from his mother's cold and lifeless body. "No, no, no...." He kept whispering. Suddenly, he heard shouting and the baying of hounds. Rage and grief welled up in the pit of his stomach and he took one last look at his mother and he grabbed his pack, his cloak, and his mother's arrows and bow and ran. He ran on the wolf trails, tears still falling down his face. He wasn't scared of the hunters and hounds anymore. He knew they would never catch him. He had the speed of a panther. With that, he ran and ran and ran, not daring to stop. And not once, did he look back.

Chapter 4: Sing My Lullaby and Remember Me

Adam barely realized that his left ankle had gone numb with pain. He barely realized the sweat pouring of his skin. He barely noticed that the sky was the rosy pink color of evening. All he knew was that he had to keep running. Something in the back of his mind warned him of night predators, but he pushed it away. He didn't want to think. It would remind him of things that he didn't want to remember. He didn't want to sleep for fear of seeing that beautiful face lying cold in the dirt, her last smile still there.  He shook his head and was shocked to see that he was still running. Then he remembered that beautiful face and he set his teeth. "Don't think about it!" He snarled. His voice was raspy and stiff. He didn't sound like him anymore. A blue jay sounded in an oak tree a few miles in front of him. Finally, he came to a halt. As soon as he stopped running his legs gave beneath him and he landed on the ground with a small thump. His sighed and leaned his head against an old oak tree that was behind him. He was sitting in the middle of a medium sized trail. He briefly wondered how he got on the trail before his eyes closed, exhaustion finally taking over his mind and body.

He suddenly snapped awake. He had been dreaming of his father's cooking when suddenly, he heard a twig snap in front of him. He narrowed his eyes in the darkness, trying to make out what had woken him. That's when he saw a pair of gleaming silver eyes. His breath caught in his throat. When he tried to shift this position, his ankle burned with pain. He bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out. He knew the night lion would only attack if he was sick or wounded. Wounded. His ankle. Adam snarled at himself. No wonder the night lion was here! It probably smelled easy prey! He sighed and gave up trying to move and grab his bow, which was hanging on a branch. He had no memory of putting it there. He gazed at the gleaming yellow eyes when he started to realize tiny details he hadn't realized before. The yellow eyes only reached up to his knees and they weren't narrowed. They were round with fright. Adam cocked his head in confusion. Then suddenly, a shaft of moonlight hit the gleaming yellow eyes and he instantly understood why the night lion was scared and not attacking him.

It was just a baby night lion. Probably about 3 months old. Its body was not as muscular and its paws were not as big. Usually, the claws on a night lion are long and razor sharp. The night lion had only small sharp claws. Adam's eyes softened. The baby night lion was all alone probably. Just like him. At this age, it should be playing outside the den, its mother watching it. But only rarely do the cubs wander astray. Adam started to guess what had happened to its mother when it gave a small, yet cute meow. Its sleek black fur shined in the moonlight and it had a white patch under its left eye. Its nose was still pink, but it had a tinge of black around the edges to it. It was definitely a baby, but a growing one at that. Suddenly, it took a paw step towards him, its head lowered and its eyes guarded. Adam sat still, smiling softly to himself as it watched him. It gave another tiny meow. Affection and pity for the poor creature stole Adam's heart. He gently stared at it with tender eyes. Suddenly, he felt a rush of energy flowing through him. The little night lion meowed again, but this time, Adam understood! Mother? It meowed. Adam slowly understood what was happening. His magic must have given him the ability to understand this cub. Maybe... Maybe he could speak to it. Adam decided to test it. He lowered his head and let out a strange growling sound. But Adam barely noticed this. What he had heard himself say was something entirely different. No. I'm not Mother. He had said. The night lion cub whimpered slightly and it lowered itself. Then who are you? Adam tried to say his name, but to no prevail. So, instead, he shortened it to, Friend. 

Slowly, the night lion cub took another paw step towards him. It was almost close enough for him to reach out and pet it. It took another step, and slowly, it started to purr. Will you stay with me? It purred. Adam smiled and slowly reached down and stroked the softest fur he had ever touched. He blinked his eyes at the cub. Yes. The night lion cub purred louder and closed its eyes as Adam stroked its soft fur. Adam blinked his eyes for a second before wincing. The cub caught the movement and it grazed his sight and looked down, it's head slightly tilted. Are you hurt?  He blinked his eyes again at the night lion cub. Yes. The cub walked closer to him and he sniffed the air. Suddenly, he turned his powerful nose towards his ankle and sniffed that. Then, he gently laid a paw on the swollen ankle. Adam gasped in pain, but he felt something warm and cool rushing into his ankle. Magic. The little night lion cub could do magic. He gazed at his now flawless ankle as the cub stepped away. Thank you. He said, smiling just briefly and bending his head forward. The night lion cub let out a cute growl, which turned out to be laughter. Adam wanted to ask the cub about its magic, but he found that there was no way to speak in night lion language about magic. He sighed and leaned his head against the tree behind him and close his eyes. He felt something soft jump into his lap and curl up. Then he felt the slow tiny heartbeat of the night lion cub as it slept on his leg. He smiled slightly and he closed his eyes.

Slowly, and very slowly, he started to hum. His low voice sounded beautiful with the night sounds as he hummed. He was humming a lullaby his mother used to sing to him. After a few notes, then came the words.

“As the sun sinks over the horizon.

Your eyes slowly start to close.

Dream of happy things my child,

And remember me when you sing my lullaby.

Close your eyes put your trust in the forest to keep safe.

Let the moon and the stars be your light.

Every night!

Put your trust in me-eee.

When the sun starts to rise

Open your little eyes