ORIGIN

Oooh she was not supposed to be in here! But just as she made trips to her secret hollow in the wisteria forest, Meissa was drawn to the cathedral for its beauty, enamored with its tall ceilings and flowering trees. This day she slunk past the tall pillars and scurried along the far wall, kicking up fallen petals as she went. They clung to her fur in a way that would betray her later when her father would know where she had been. She did not think of these things now, however, as she hurried to one of the far doors that led to a spiraling staircase.

Having scoped out some of the space when she could, Meissa had frequented a room nestled near the top of the left tower: it had tall, glistening windows and was adorned in white silky curtains. Despite the pink-gold glow from the wispy nebula that blanketed the cave, the inside of her tower getaway held a soft, warm glow from ever-burning candles. It was a comfortable spot to retreat to, with its floor of soft pillows that sat atop a cushioned rug, protecting its guests from the glossy white tile beneath.

She was relieved to find it was unoccupied when she reached the midway exit of the staircase; continuing up any further would have taken her to the belltower, but its balcony was a welcome view, too. With a hop and a skip, she fluttered into a mound of off-white pillows and nosed her way under before resurfacing like a little weasel poking its head out of the dirt. From the gentle hold of her jaw did she retrieve her most secret prize: a diamond. Its facets glittered with rainbow light as she turned it around in the candlelight, holding it carefully between her paws. It had fallen out of the pocket of the Visitor but she had not been given the chance to return it to them before they disappeared. So naturally, it was hers to keep!

Bringing her paws close to her chest, Meissa let out a tired, satisfied sigh and found herself quite sleepy under the weight of her pillows. It wasn't long before she drifted off into sleep. A dream unlike any dream she ever had washed into her mind—was it the cathedral's doing? She would not be one to wonder so. Instead, her mind devoured the story shown to her: Amun, king of the gods, ruling over a sandy landscape with its beautiful river and oasis retreats, its temples and tombs, and its people adorned in cloth and gold. She slept for a long time, engrossed in the world shown to her.

In her hazy wake, Meissa muttered, "I wish I could meet Amun." She didn't know there was a king of the gods! She couldn't wait to tell her father about this. But it was Hume's latent magic and love for life that had shown Meissa this dream and introduced her to this story, and as she mumbled herself out of sleep, it was that same latent magic that tugged at her halo in a way she had never felt before.

She hesitated, holding her breath and staring down at the diamond between her paws, and then let the magic feeling come crawling back: life. Life! She had heard this story before! Her father had told it to her, that he had given life from his stone to make her and her siblings. Then, could Meissa not also do this?

Shifting to a standing position, she shook off the pillows and stretched her wings before focusing on the diamond that lay gently on the plush carpet. She closed her eyes and let the feeling that tugged at her halo come back—and then she did it! With an offering of her magic, the diamond before her bristled with life and rooted itself to the floor. It grew enough that it caused her to step back in awe. Pillows tumbled off of its growing facets and lay around its base in one of the most welcoming beds a gembound might have ever had—in its own room, with silks and candles and its glorious view of the gardens beyond the windows.

For the first time, Meissa did not fear how angry her father might be. She was full only of the elated, bubbly giddiness of a proud dreamer.

"I'll let you sleep, Amun!" she whispered excitedly, watching the swirls of magic form the beginnings of a body within the chrysalis. "When you wake up, you will be king of the gods! That's what my dream said!" And of course, all dreams could come true.

She scurried from the room and down the spiraling staircase, this time racing through the empty main hall before hop-flying towards her father's garden.