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CHAPTER 13: SHAMAN

  Samandra and Gaea arrived at the red foxes'glade near noon, for even if the Titanide had huge power, she hadn't influence over the dead ones. Thus, she couldn't teleport as long as Samandra was around her.

Yet, even if it took more than she expected, Gaea decided to reveal to Samandra that big secret that she discovered not that long ago, but which was related to why Mannar took a strand from Samandra's hair the day he killed her.

  But, even if what the Titanide was doing was considered fair in the world of the humans, those with magic power could consider this a betrayal and could revolt against Titans if they had heard about this. Even so, she decided to take that risk, for it was Chaos's decision, whose voice she heard not long ago, telling her that it'll be a good option to reveal to the world that big secret that Rophion Forest was hiding in its debts.

  And that big secret has been discovered by Gaea by a fluke. One day, when she headed toward the Northern part of the forest, where the red foxes had also their den, to see the moment of bringing new lives into this world by the red squirrels, Gaea came across Samaya, who was sweetly sleeping in the shadow of a big maple, on soft and green moss, guarded by the aerial roots of that huge, secular tree.

  And, seeing the girl, Gaea's first thought has been to get closer, watch the asleep face of the girl, and bless her with long life. But, getting closer to her, she understood, in amazement, that it was something different to that child that she knew since she had been born, and that that something different was nothing else than a blowing of black, devilish air that was floating around that girl.

  And, seeing that malefic shadow that was shading the girl's soul, Gaea took a step back, wondering what it could be. „Black Magic? An illusion? Someone is trying to play a prank on me?" But that girl wasn't a joke for sure. She was real and so alike to Samaya. Yet, this new girl had something different too: a trace of cunningness, a deeply hidden Seed of Evil in her soul, and, seeing this, it was also making others think bad about everything around them.

  But what had been even more amazing has been the fact that after seconds of staring at that stranger, Gaea remembered that Samaya didn't recover her human body yet and that she continued in her wolf shape. That's why the girl, that was so sweetly sleeping in front of her and who was so real and made from flesh and blood, couldn't be Samaya.

  And this also made Gaea shudder. But she didn't have time to analyze the girl's face for more time, trying to understand who she might be, for the girl suddenly awoke, hearing the noise made by a bunny, and, thus, she forced Gaea to hide in the shadow not to be seen. However, the Titanide didn't leave but kept staying in the same place, spying on the girl.

  So, she could see the girl standing up, cunningly smiling, and, in an instant, she changed her body into... a red fox. Then the Titanide, who was more than astonished by this new change and who was covering her mouth with her palm at that moment not to let a shout come out of her throat, saw how the fox started to sneak toward the bunny, which kept standing in his place, on his rear legs, and on his fluffy, white tail, scrubbing his little, black nose and his long ears with his small, fluffy paws. And this movement, so innocent according to the little fox, made the bunny an alluring prey. So, while licking her lips with her long, pink tongue, the little fox suddenly jumped over the bunny, caught him in her paws, and, from a single movement, she broke his neck... with her sharp fangs.

  Namely, in that sudden and unexpected movement of the girl, the Titanide could see that there was no trace of remorse or uneasiness, and this not only amazed Gaea one more time, but she has been forced to cover her mouth, not with a single palm, but with both, because a so sudden shout was about to come out of her chest.

  „Who's this girl?" She eventually wondered, in her head while she continued to follow the little fox that left the glade where she stopped for a nap. And, while both kept advancing more and more into the depths of the woods, Gaea understood what was really going on at that moment.

  Later, when she was far away from that glade, the fox took back her human shape and, only for an instant, through the girl's red hair, Gaea saw a strand of black hair, and, namely in that hair, she saw a strange blink.

  Thus, when the Titanide narrowed her eyes and looked carefully at the girl, she saw the moment when Samandra has been killed on the river shore and when Mannar cut that strand while he was squeezing her by her throat with a single hand, for her hair still kept some magic of those moments.

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  „This is why he took the strand of hair from that poor woman," Gaea whispered, barely heard. „He did this to create a perfect copy of Samaya, to be easily mistaken with the little cub, who knows for what evil purpose. But yet, he failed in something, for each girl has a particular manner of doing things, of thinking, and of seeing life."

***

  „Look over there," Gaea told Samandra, after she turned back to reality, for the memories of the moment, when she discovered that place, were still so alive. And, the Titanide's hand has been stretched toward the red foxes'village, deeply hidden in the soul of the forest. And, among all those women that had red hair, Samandra could see the second Samaya.

  „My little girl,” Samandra shouted and took a step in front, intending to approach the village.

  But Gaea stopped her, however, by grabbing her arm. Then, the Titanide told her: „she is your girl and, at the same time, she isn't. She has something yours, too, but not your blood flows into her veins. Thus, she's not your child, even if she looks like Samaya," Gaea said.

  Confused, Samandra stared at the Titanide. „But… I don't understand, Mother Earth. That girl over there is my girl. I can see her. She's Samaya."

  „Stop watching that girl with the eyes of your soul and open those of your mind when you look at her. Only this way, you'll be able to see the truth," the Titanide told her in a demanding voice.

  Samandra listened to the Titanide's advice, closed her eyes, deeply breathed in the cold air of the woods, and thus, closing the gates of her soul and widely opening those of her mind, she saw, like in a dream, the truth.

  She saw how Mannar got to a village of humans, how he entered a house, took a newborn from his crib, and hid, among the girl's blond hair, the strand he took from Samandra, hiding it with the help of his black magic, not to be seen by humans.

  Then, Mannar blew some magic air over the girl, transforming her from a baby into a little, red fox, right into his arms. And, after this, he murmured something into the fox's ear and she transformed back into a human baby.

  But, after the girl recovered her previous shape, she was different - the innocence vanished from her glance and, instead of this, Samandra saw the blink of evil, as if that innocent soul suddenly became a hidden place for the Seeds of Evil.

  „That girl is just Samaya's copy. A fake, created by evil to deceive the world. And he did this because Mannar saw part of the prophecy Samaya has to fulfill in the future, and he saw that prophecy hidden into your glance, the day he took your life on the river shore. But because Mannar didn't see the whole story, Eris ordered him to take your soul and create a perfect copy of the girl from that prophecy. That's why he took a strand from your hair, for he hadn't enough time to take your soul because I intervened in that battle and I impeded him to do that. If he had taken your soul that day, this new Samaya would have been for sure much stronger than she's now. But, even so, this child has enough power to control humans'mind and she won't be ever by the side of Samaya, in the war that seems to come," Gaea said and a trace of regret has been felt in her voice.

  Gaea's words made Samandra shudder, for she understood that she was guilty of Samaya's bad luck. But she also understood that she hasn't enough power in front of fate, and this thought made her calm down and look the truth into its face: as she didn't know the secrets of the world, she also didn't know everything about Samaya and what she can do in the future. So, being aware that everything can change in that faraway future, Samandra told herself that her girl will make it in everything, for Samaya sees the Balance of Time, and this means she has a strong prophecy hidden in her blood, and that she must have a big power too to be able to fulfill that prophecy. Thus, her girl was protected by Chaos's power, for being his messenger on Earth.

  But, suddenly, Samandra awoke from her daydream when Gaea grabbed her arm and both vanished. Even so, they didn't go from that place: they stood, in a twilling world, watching how the fake Samaya was looking at the forest, toward the place where they were hidden by the shadows.

  „She has the power to feel when someone lurks at their den," Gaea told Samandra, and the woman heard that voice, deep in her soul, as if the Titanide had talked to her from a faraway land, and wouldn't have been right next to her.

  „But… why is this child here and why is she a red fox? As far as I've seen in that vision, this child has been born from humans," Samandra said.

  „And you're right. She has been born as a human baby, but Eris changed her destiny, for she wants, with all her heart, to have a body in this world. That's why she stole this child's body and cursed her future too, at the same time. And this child received something else as a gift, except the Seeds of Evil from Eris when she has been transformed into a fox - the power of an oracle. She's a Shaman now and she can also see everybody's future if that person is right in front of her. That's why there are so many red foxes hidden in that village - Eris gathers followers for her army, to fight against the Rophions."