Bindi Bicanic

“Luna tota virtute nostra”

It was twilight, the sky was a dark indigo. The stars were bright, but the moon was hidden behind thick, pebble grey clouds. There was a slight breeze which was rustling the leaves of the forest. It was silent except for the rustling leaves and the snap of a twig. All of a sudden, a flash of shadow rushed past. It was difficult to make out as it was so sudden and quick, it was soon followed by two more. “Naia! Slow down!” Shouted a boy’s voice. “No! Keep up! Mr Flannering will catch us if we slow down!” It was the voice of a girl, she sounded quite far ahead. “Naia, we’ve been running for ages, we would’ve lost him by now,” spoke the boy. A third voice joined in, it was another girl. “Besides, Mr Flannering is terrified of the forest. He wouldn’t have followed.” “He’s not the only one...” whispered the boy. “Oh please, Titus. What could possibly be in the forest?” Scoffed the girl called Naia, she sounded closer now, she’d stopped running. “Exactly, I don’t know what’s in this forest, bears, cougars...” quivered Titus. “There isn’t going to be cougars in here,” laughed the second girl, Nyx . “How do you know?” “I just know,” responded Nyx “Well even if there’s not cougars, there could still be bears,” said Titus, “Can we please go back?” Naia spoke excitedly, “No, this could be fun! Who knows what we’ll find in here!” “Yeah come on, Titus! Be brave!” Encouraged Nyx. “Ugh! Fine, but if we die, it’s your fault.” Okay,” giggled the girls. The clouds suddenly moved and there was a rush of light from the full moon, huge in the sky. The three children came into view, they were no longer just dark shadows. Nyx, a short girl with auburn hair in a messy bun and hazel eyes, was fairly pale and had a few freckles. Next to her was Titus, he was quite a bit taller than her, he had side-parted dirty blonde hair and brown almond shaped eyes. The other girl, Naia, was nearly taller than him with piercing ice blue eyes, curly black hair in space buns and a mischievous smile. They all looked around fourteen. “The moons bright, isn’t it?” Nyx asked the others. The others looked up, “It is, it’s really beautiful,” said Naia, admiring the huge orb. “I like it because we can see,” half-smiled Titus. “Of course, but that doesn’t mean it’ll save us from the cougars,” teased Naia. Nyx made a growling sound and Naia giggled. Titus groaned, “You’re both so annoying.” “But you still love us,” smiled Naia. Titus rolled his eyes. The three of them kept walking, they didn’t know what they were looking for or where they were going, but it was an adventure. “Naia, where are we even going?” Asked Titus. “No idea,” she said shortly. “So why are we going?” He questioned, a little irritated. “To explore! Isn’t it fun?” She exclaimed. Titus didn’t agree, he thought it was pointless and dangerous. “If my mum finds out I was out in the forest at midnight with you, she’ll ground me for a year.” “Lighten up, Riggley! Your mum isn’t going to find out and if she does, well who cares! She can’t stop us from seeing you,” smiled Nyx. “Easy for you to say Nyx, your parents don’t care what you do.” “Exactly, they won’t care if I break you out. Plus Naia will help me, won’t you?” Asked Nyx, raising her eyebrows at Naia. Naia wasn’t listening, she was staring ahead into the trees. “Naia?” no response. “Naia?” Silence. “Is she... possessed?” Suggested Titus. “Seriously? No Titus! She’s looking at something.” “Naia? What are you looking at?” Questioned Nyx, tapping her friend on the shoulder. “There’s a... chest or something over there,” murmured Naia, pointing at what looked like an archway made of vines, leaves and branches. “Wow...” chorused Titus and Nyx. It was strangely mesmerising, the archway was beautiful, it was surrounded by bright violet flowers and a pathway of vines led the way. Through the archway was a small sandalwood chest with a purple gem above the keyhole. The gem glittered and shone in the moonlight. “Let’s go over...” whispered Nyx, walking towards the archway. Naia followed, Titus did as well, but reluctantly. They walked down the vine pathway passing the violet flowers, the smell strangely farmiliar to them all. As soon as they all passed through the archway, it closed and stretched around them to make an enclosed circle of vines and branches. The only opening was above them. “What just happened!?” Asked Nyx, confused and scared. “I-I have no idea!” Stuttered Naia. “We’re trapped!” Yelled Titus. “No, we have to stay calm,” said Naia, trying to relax herself and the others. Maybe if we open the chest it will let us out". “What!? It could be hiding something deadly inside!” Yelled a very panicked Titus. “Just relax, Titus. Naia may be right, we have to try it.” “Fine, but if there’s some...” he stopped talking, he didn’t know what to say. “Okay, let’s open this,” smiled Naia, half terrified, half intrigued. She looked at the gem, a pretty dark aubergine colour. She ran her finger over it, she felt immediately calm. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and grabbed the lid of the chest. She pulled, but nothing happened; it was stuck shut. “Naia... look... open your eyes...” muttered Nyx. When Naia opened her eyes and looked at the chest, pictures were being engraved into the wood by something invisible. They were of people dancing, as well as trees, vines, flowers and stars, but in the centre was a huge, full moon. The dancing people were all looking up at it, the vines, flowers and trees were reaching towards it, the stars were closing in around it, radiating. Above the moon were the words, “luna tota virtute nostra.” None of the three recognised the language, but were bewitched by this magic. “A-am I imagining this?” Stuttered Titus. “No, I see it to,” nodded Naia. “Me three,” murmured Nyx. They all stood in complete silence... Titus noticed something. “Naia! Nyx! Look!” He was pointing at the bottom corner of the chest at one of the carvings. It was extremely tiny, they could just make out a chest identical to the one in front of them and a moon directly above the chest. The lid was popped open and there was something inside, but they couldn’t make out what. “What does it mean?” Asked Naia. “I don’t know...” whispered Titus. Nyx continued to stare at the picture before looking up at the sky through the hole above. “I get it!” She shouted abruptly, making the other two jump. “What?” Questioned Naia desperately. “The moon has to be directly above the hole shining onto the gem for it to open!” She stated, clearly proud of herself. “But the moons only half way into the hole, it could take hours before it’s directly above us!” Groaned Naia. “No, it should only take half-hour or so actually,” Nyx informed them. “What’ll we do in the mean time?” Sighed Titus. “We wait,” shrugged Naia. They sat down against the vine wall and tried not to fall asleep. Some time later Naia heard a loud squawk. She jumped and screamed, Nyx and Titus who’d been asleep jolted awake. “What!? What happened!?” Yelled Titus. “It was just a bird, it’s lucky actually, I was dozing off,” smiled Naia. “Very lucky actually. Look up,” said Nyx. Naia and Titus looked up, the moon was now directly above them. Naia gasped and Titus’s eyes went wide, all three of them looked at the chest and then to the purple gem. The gem was gleaming so bright it was almost blinding. “What do we do?” Titus asked Nyx. “I-I don’t know, I thought it would just pop open.” “I think I know...” whispered Naia. Nyx and Titus looked at her curiously. Something inside was telling her to touch the gem. She reached out, it felt strangley warm, she was overcome with calmness again. The lid popped open making Naia flinch. Titus and Nyx gasped and bent over Naia to see inside. Naia looked into the chest and sitting inside was a huge pile of money and three gemstones: a taffy pink, an apricot orange and a dandelion yellow. Naia didn’t know what made her do it, but she grabbed the $20,000 without even thinking that it could be stolen. “Naia!” Yelled Titus. “Why would you do that?” Shouted Nyx. Naia wasn’t listening, she was looking at a plain little black notebook that was under the money. She placed the money on the soft grass and grabbed the notebook. She stared at the cover, it had a familiarity to it. She slowly opened it. Once again there were the words “luna tota virtute nostra” written. “What does it mean?” Questioned Nyx. “I have no clue,” shrugged Naia. Naia turned the page and there was the exact picture that was carved onto the chest. She kept turning the page and found a picture of the pink gem, it was labeled “sapientiae” and under it were the words “Founded by Trenton Barker 1930”. She turned to the next page, there was the dandelion yellow gem labeled “dignitas” and the words “Founded by Franny Barker 1954”. Naia stared at the name and kept rereading it. “Naia, wasn’t that your grandmother’s name before she married?” Whispered Titus. “Yes...” replied Naia. Naia turned the page again and there was the orange gem labeled “animo” and “Founded by Eddy Polzin 1981”. Naia could recognise that name and handwriting anywhere, it was her dad’s. “Naia, your dad found that orange gem, your grandma found the yellow one and your great-grandfather found the pink one! These magical rocks and that book have been in your family for...” Nyx stopped talking and added up in her head. “73 years!” She exclaimed with excitement. “I-I know, but what does this all mean? What is this foreign language and what do the gems mean? Plus the money, where did that come from?” Naia interrogated Nyx. “I have no clue, but we can figure it out together!” Grinned Nyx.