Chapter 3

There was no sleeping that night. Only excitement and anticipation. Grabbing her prepared pack, Anya quietly closed the door, slipping out without waking her parents. It was easier this way, and she should only be gone a week. She didn’t foresee any problems. Next time she saw them, she would be a harmonic in her own right. First though, she had to make the trek up to the top of the island, and find the highest mountain, closest to the incoming storm. It was easier to resonate when you were among your element. It’s how almost everyone accomplished the feat. Lightning was tricky, you needed a little luck.

Out over the sea, dark storm clouds were forming. It would be a few days before the storm reached landfall, but she planned to be at the peak when it did. If lightning struck nearby trees, she would have the inspiration needed for her breakthrough. It was dangerous, but even if she got struck herself, she would resonate and then lightning wouldn’t be a problem anymore. It was never easy, and lightning was by its very nature chaotic. Much like Anya herself.

Anya missed Kiva already. They didn’t spend every waking moment together, but it seemed like it sometimes. A week or more apart, and they would come back entirely changed. I hope she’s ok. Convergences can be dangerous, and animals are unpredictable. I wonder what animal she will choose? As inseparable as they were, some things were apparently too personal, and Kiva would never divulge her goal until after success. Anya had finally given up after years of pestering her. Kiva was as stubborn as Anya was relentless.

Anya travelled through the sections of town, making use of small caves that wound up and through the rock, and crossing swinging rope bridges when needed. Finally reaching the uppermost levels, she stared out at the small pathway out of town, leading to the heart of the island. A few watchmen waved goodbye, nodding over a steaming cup of cider.

“Be careful Miss Anya. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.” One guard offered, locking step with her until she was past the gatehouse.

“Thanks, but it’ll be fine! When was the last time the beasts attacked the village anyway? They are totally scared of humans!”The guards were mostly for show, scaring off animals that got a bit too curious.

“All the same, you’re going into their home. Stay alert, and good luck.”He stopped, waving to her, as she continued onward, down towards the jungle that covered the base of the mountains.

Three days, and I’ll be at the howling summit. She checked the storm, one last time. I should make it in time. “Follow the valley, keep the mountains on my right. Cross the stream, and you’ll be at the base. Summit. Storm. Affinity. Be awesome. Got it.” She didn’t know why she even bothered with directions. The island slowly rose as you headed towards its center. The peak could be seen from almost anywhere, unless there was a smaller mountain directly in your way. She set out at a jog.

Truthfully, she had not spent much time in the island interior, or in the jungles. Most of her time had been spent in town, helping the village, or down by the shores, exploring the caves. A child’s freedom. As children grew up, they spent more time with their families, preparing to embark on Heartsong Trials. The lucky children, like Anya, had a clear calling from a young age. The even luckier ones, again like Anya, had a family member or friend that had walked the path before them. Though each person, and resonance was unique and individually personal, experienced mentors could give some guidance on what to expect and how to break through. Anya’s mother had broken through almost immediately, reaching the peak, and not even needing to see lightning. She was simply in tune with herself, then resonated with the lightning. It was as simple as that, and not simple at all. Anya was envious. She intended to beat or match her mother’s speed of acquiring an affinity. Anything less than mother is failure. Anya was a bit competitive.

Now though, she headed to the jungle. It was the first stop on her journey, and if she pushed the pace, she could be there by nightfall. There was a rough trail cutting through the thick of it, and once she found it, it would lead her out the other side, near the tops of the slopes. She had paid a good sum, finding some experts to give her advice on shortcuts, who had revealed this path. It seemed silly to take the hard way around the jungle when you can just go through it.

The day was peaceful, and a strong breeze swayed the lush grasses filling the valley between mountains. This place was serene, and wild. It was both still, and full of movement. Small kapinix could be seen leaping and gliding above the grass, with the tall ears and small wings making them easy to spot. Anya never really did care much for animals. They generally didn’t like her boisterous energy and avoided her entirely. She waded through an ocean of hip high grass, until she reached a stream, and looked up shading her eyes with her hand. The first sun was halfway up in the sky. She must have been walking for hours. “Time flies when you have a purpose. May as well take a break.”

Nothing actually required climbing the mountain to find her resonance. The trials were designed to raise the chances of success by optimizing the conditions. It occasionally happened that children resonated before their Heartsong Trial. The other extreme happened as well, where they never resonated, or found it much later in life. Success wasn’t guaranteed. Anya knew her calling since she was a child. Her mother had used lighting resonance in many creative ways. She would heat kettles, start fires, or even go fishing with it. Resonance by itself was a power beyond imagination, but a skilled wielder made it practical, or threatening. Controlled.

“No reason I can’t resonate before the mountain. It would save me a trip, so I might as well try right?”She spoke to a small furry creature, drinking from the opposite side of the stream. It continued drinking, then fled when it realized her attentions were on it. “Fine then!”She hurled a rock, at no particular target, but took a calming breath, channeling her inner Kira, and began to try and connect with a resonance.

She stared off at the dark clouds on the horizon. Lightning hid behind them. Why lightning? How am I similar to the phenomenon? How do we resonate? This was a mental, and spiritual journey, but it never hurt to be yourself. Anya started talking through the problem out loud.

“I’m fast, and impulsive. That has to be right on target. I have a hot temper, and… yeah, I can get violent, to a point. Not proud of those fights, but the other kids had it coming.”She felt outwards, reaching, trying to feel the lightning. She tried to flex her thinking in as many ways as she could imagine. Make it internal. Feel it externally. What would it feel like flowing through you? How would you control it? It can’t be controlled. I can’t be controlled. We can’t be controlled!

Nothing happened. It all felt right, so why wasn’t this working? Most kids doubted their resonance at some point, or they had too many desires. Wanting to be fire and water, and darkness and light, it all caused dissonance. Success came from resonating deeply with one thing. The truly blessed harmonics resonated with two, but it was much rarer. Only a handful existed on her island. Connect deeply. Chase one thing. Connect once, meaningfully. Make it part of you. This was all sound advice that her mother had pounded into her head since childhood. Anya had followed it diligently. She had always felt kinship with her element, and she never explored others, for fear of dilution. She gave up for the moment, frustrated with her lack of progress. This should be easy! I know what I feel. Patience isn’t one of my virtues, but come on, doesn’t that resonate?!

She stood up from her seated position, angrily kicking a handful of leaves. She grabbed a sandwich out of her pack and ate as she continued her trek. Stuck inside her own head, she almost stumbled over a carcass of a small verdantail, the green colored antlered creatures that lived pretty much everywhere. She had no clue how they had originally made it to the island, but they were good hunting. This one had been dead a while, flies swarmed it where some predator had ripped it open, gorging on the intestines. Anya focused back on the present, the reminder that she wasn’t entirely safe away from the town. She scanned the long grass around her, but it was hard to see anything beyond the wind blowing across the tops. Anything could be hiding in there. Feeling unease for the first time since leaving home, Anya picked up her pace.

As the day wore on with no incident, her nerves calmed, and she continued to think about her trial. Things generally came easy to her, and faced with uncertain criteria for succeeding, the first seeds of doubt entered her mind. What if I don’t resonate? No stop it, Anya! You will. You’ve prepared for this your whole life. Her mother had always mentioned doubt was a part of the process. It was natural. Fight through it. Do not accept failure.

“Perhaps some rest would do me good.” It had been a long day. She had walked for miles, and honestly, could use a home cooked dinner. Campfire food would have to do. She had followed the stream, which was runoff from mountain lakes. Now she stood only a few hundred yards away from the jungle tree line. A tangle of massive ferns and vines. It would be an annoying hike to get through, but she was eager all the same. Somewhere near here was the path she would follow, but she could find it in the morning. The second sun was nearly setting at this point, and she should gather her strength for the night.

“Right. Refuel, rest, and hopefully resonate. Come morning, if you haven’t resonated, you keep going.” The plan was simple. She couldn’t fail. “You’re no quitter.”