mjkj asks:

Dear Mela *hugs*

If it is not too distressing for you or too hutful would you mind telling us about your childhood – of the time where your mind was tempered with how it was and how it felt and what you remember of that time…? – If it is too disturbing for you, please feel free not to answer.

Kind regards and best wishes

Yours

mjkj

Mela replies:

I assume you mean the time when my essence was tampered with by my mother to make me able to use the seeker’s pendant? I’ll try, but I was very small at the time and don’t remember much about it. Which is probably a good thing since I do remember that it hurt.  I used to have to wear it all the time, unless I was somewhere an outsider could see it, and it hurt like someone had hold of my insides and were twisting them all out of shape – which I suppose they were, just not the physical ones.

I think I used to cry at first, but mother scolded me for it. I wanted to please her so I tried to be a good girl. I thought maybe she’d approve of me then. It never seemed to work.

I remember Aunt Lori used to yell at her alot about it, but there wasn’t much else she could do. I think mother had some of the clan watching her.

Lorelei adds:

I could have done more I think. I managed to save Darya when he was born, I should have been able to save Mela too. I should have gone to Valeria again or something.

Anyway, what you have to understand is that the ability to use the seeker’s pendant is only found in merfolk, asrai and other water affinity speakers, and even then it’s only rarely naturally active. Darya was something of an anomaly. Most of us have the dormant ability, but by the time we’re adults or even in late childhood our essence solidifies and we lose all chance to ever wield it. Only a very young child can have their essence remolded to fit, and as Mela says it’s very painful, to the degree no one would consider doing it. No one except my damned sister that is. I hope those dragons eat her!