THE SECOND REALM: ORANGE — The cauldron of light

One morning, she went to find Eolin. As she walked, she thought how much she would miss their conversations.

“I think it’s time for me to leave,” she said.

The healer looked at her fondly. Before saying goodbye, she offered her a small cauldron of orange light. Skyblue held out her paws to receive it. It seemed to contain a warm, living glow that did not burn.

“It’s an alchemical cauldron,” Eolin explained. “It will help you transform what you receive: food for the body, and also what comes to you through your relationships. You’ll be able to turn it into nourishment for yourself and others.”

Skyblue held it against her belly. Slowly, the light entered her until she could no longer distinguish the cauldron’s rim. In her lower belly, she felt an orange wheel awaken. It turned above the red wheel, its warmth spreading through her whole body.

She remembered Ernesto, her parents, Evarista, and Yaseee. Then came Aurora, Arthyr Aurelio, and her friends from the Sangha. She also remembered her teacher and the dragon who had scolded her when she brought the wounded dwarf to the village. She was surprised to feel a faint tenderness even for them.

Yes, she had loved and formed bonds. Recognizing them quickened the wheel’s movement.

She felt a small piece of ice break away from her heart. She breathed deeply and let the warmth move through her chest.

“It’s a process,” Yaseee had told her.

“A little at a time,” she murmured.

She embraced Eolin carefully. The healer adjusted to the gesture without losing her shape, and Skyblue smiled as she sensed a bond between them that had no need to hold them fast.