Cancer I was in the basement organizing things for this session. For as long as I have been here, the cellar has constantly been used for our training, exercises and casting spells. Generations of Cancer before me, practised our ways in this location. When I am too old, Pisces will take my place and become the new Cancer. I made sure that the windows had been blackened out. Getting the white chalk I drew a circle on the floor. Drawing the symbols needed to summon Mirna, I opened my mind, calling on her! If Mirna is as powerful as Pirapancam swears she is, Mirna will find her way here. That is if she chooses to arrive! I was able to make connections with her, that I know of! My first impression of Mirna was someone who was hiding. From what? Each of us is fighting, but she is hiding. I could not allow myself to be drawn away from what still needs to be completed. Leaving only a small lantern for Mirna to find her way here. Pisces turned off the light after we both set our watch alarm for one hour. If Mirna did not show up at that time we will call her by phone. Together we spoke the words that would lead Mirna to us! From what has been told to me about Mirna, she is not someone who is easily swayed into working with others. Following instructions ... That is something she has never done with ease. She is the type of female who roams to the sound of her drum. I received a phone call from Fay several days ago, "Get a hold of Mirna!" Her voice seemed urgent. "What has changed?" I asked the young seer. I could hear Fay humming wondering how to put her words together. "A wizard played with the timeline. What was … is now … not!" Fay said it slowly. "That is cryptic!" I commented to her. "It is not cryptic but straight to the point!" I heard Fay exhale, "get a hold of Mirna ... she may listen to you! You are after all our elder!" She chuckled dryly. “Besides she is the only one here that remembers what was … that is now … not!” "I am only forty-five, I am not that old! You youngins always make it sound like I am one foot in the grave with a cane to prop me up!" I complained bitterly! Laughing on the other line, "Of all of us, you are the oldest making you our elder!" Fay pointed out the truth. "You still have yet to explain why Mirna will be more willing to listen now?" I asked, "What has changed?""Her temper!" Was all that Fay would relay to me. “Everything around her is so much darker!” I was standing near the light source. "Father ... show patience! Mirna will come!" My son Pisces told me as I walked around the darkened room huffing and puffing. I felt on edge as if something was about to happen. It was not something I knew I was going to like. An event was moving toward us, bigger than what I am accustomed to. "I would agree!" I heard a female say, "I do not jump just because you send out a summons. You are lucky I answered it at all!" Spinning around, there stood Mirna outside of our circle of protection. "You came!" I exclaimed, "And you understand what is being spoken!" Mirna lifted a charm that she had around her neck, "A translator! Something I made before coming here. I knew that the language difference was going to be an issue!" I took one step towards Mirna, "Do you know why I summoned you here?" I wanted to get to the point. "If you tell me that Pirapancam asked you to speak with me ... I will leave without speaking to you again!" Her expression told me she was not joking around. "I have to give Pirapancam many thanks, but I do not work for her! We are separate beings. Only in passing will we communicate. Few times do we join forces!" I told Mirna about my relationship with Pirapancam. I was starting to sense what Fay was speaking about, The darkness was engulfing Mirna. Blanketing around her like an invisible blanket with glowing sapphire eyes. A thought crossed my mind, but it was impossible or could it … was her true nature closer to the surface of Mirna’s being than we thought? Could it be that Mirna was more than a fire bird? There are so many things about Mirna that are a mystery … I was starting to believe that even Pirapancam had hidden things about Mirna from the rest of us! I could tell that Mirna was judging me, "Then you will have to tell me what it is that made you want to see me!" Mirna motioned with her hand, "This hinders my ability to read your mind, without force! I prefer not to exert unnecessary energy on something you can easily just tell me!" I started to laugh, "I see you are stronger than you let on!" I was more than sure now that Pirapancam had left out information about Mirna … but what? Mirna crossed her arms in front of her body, "I do not know how strong you think I am, but I would say I am not weak-minded!" Mirna gave me a sideways grin. Of all the children Mirna was the one that was going to be a challenge for me in many ways, yet I have a feeling that in other ways she will be a great asset to our cause! Pisces took a step towards Mirna, giving her his signature smile, "how old are you?"Without skipping a beat, "old enough to know you are jailbait!" I could not help myself, his behaviour reminded me so much of myself when I was his age. Always chasing the older women. “I would ask you what your sign is but father has yet to give it to you!” My son continued to smile, "By the way … I am seventeen ... practically a man!" He stated. Beginning to chuckle, " Nearly does not count!" Mirna countered. Again my son tried, "would you wait eight months for me?" Mirna groaned, shaking her head no! "I already have a mate!" I thought about what Mirna had just revealed to us. 'Could this be the change that Fay was speaking of? I wonder if Mirna comprehends how much information she has just released.' Placing my hand on my son's shoulders, "make sure the wards hold strong! Mirna and I have a lot of work to get done. And we are limited to time!" Both Mirna and I waited for Pisces to leave us with what needed to be completed. "I will not give you the speech that the others received from me. You do not appear to be the type of person who likes to be delayed for anything. So I will jump to the point! You are a fire bird, that I am sure of … Yet I am sensing something else. I can not be sure as of now, but I believe you are a phoenix! Very similar to a neruppu paravai! Though their specialty is death work! Until you shift, we will not know for sure!" I pointed to her then myself. "We are the same! Yet I am a Nir paravai … water bird … My specialty is anything to deal with water!" Mirna had a blank stare! I know she was listening to everything that I had said. "I do not know what you are speaking about! I have never ..." I could see in my mind's eye the water swirling around her. I could see the truths and then what was told to Mirna. "Pirapancam has kept it a secret from everyone, even you!" I paused for a second, letting down my energy field so that Mirna had the chance to read my energy signature. Mirna's eyes widened! Her eyes told her the truth of what I was speaking. At one point I thought she was going to say something but instead covered her mouth. Seeing that Mirna was not going to speak I continued, "As you can tell, we have the same energy signature. When we cross paths ... we can tell instantly who the other is. No different than other species." I waited for Mirna to speak. "Pirapancam saved our kind from extinction during one of the many purges! For good reasons she kept everything from you, it was to protect you and allow you to grow. With this growth will come power, strength, knowledge and if you accept leadership!" I was not a fool, this child was going to surpass us all in many ways, given that she had the opportunity to do so. Taking her hand off her mouth, "What happens if I refuse to take up leadership?" Mirna asked.As it stood, every Cancer had led our group this far, and no one had contested this position, "The role would be handed to me as the second strongest!" The only thing that Mirna did was nod her head with understanding. "There is a lot I can teach you young one, but first you have to be willing to learn!" I began, "I will not deny your demeanour... you are who you are and nothing will change that until you decide to change yourself. What I can do is teach you how to defeat our etirikal! Mannel and Parppavar are the head of the family. No one does anything without Parppavar's say. She will be the hardest to defeat." Mirna stepped into the circle of protection, "I do not know who Parppavar is ... Mannel ... his name I have heard many times! Who is he to you?" Mirna's tone was dangerous. A twitch ran down my spine. Even with my protection up and around me, Mirna’s power seeped into my bones. She was the alpha of us all! The top of the apex and our etirikal did not even know. This also confirmed my suspicions and why I needed to bare my neck to her. The others will surely feel the same! I gave Mirna a wicked smile, "Mannel is the reason I seek revenge! He is the one who ordered the killing of our kind. His reasoning ... We would not bow nor bend the knee when they commanded obedience." I observed Mirna closely, "Tonight I will teach you how to portal ... in the physical world. Going from Canada to China, Japan, Mexico, and even Egypt! By the time I finish tonight, you will travel! With your physical body!'' Mirna raised a brow! I started to laugh, "The next time we visit, you will not come here in spirit but you will open a portal and travel in your human body!" Mirna clicked her tongue, "Now you have my attention!" Mirna tilted her head to the side. "But first before we begin I need you to answer these few questions ... then we will begin!" "What are your questions?" I gave the floor to her. Smiling, "A simple yes or no ... nothing more!" I nodded my head in understanding! "You work with a group of twelve?" That was her first question. "Yes!" "They come here often?" That was her second question. "Every blood moon!" I replied."One of them is a spy!" "What makes you say that?" I could not think of any of them that would want to betray us. "Not all of you that sit around the table are phoenixes, there are also mages, sorcerers, sorceresses and a witch!" She paused as my mind was wrapped around the thought of a traitor at the table. "She has been tampering with your wards. I would recommend that you create new ones, to protect what little you do have." I thought about my son's words after the last meeting, he too believed there was a spy at the table. He just could not figure out who it was. "Do you know who?" I was willing to lose rest time over more important things. "Sorry! I am afraid that I can not see who it is, they have protected themself with black magick making it so that no one can see their true intentions.'' "That is unfortunate! We must continue moving forward. we are losing time which is vital to us." For the first bit, I explained how we needed to at least have a mental picture of where we wanted to go in our minds. After I had explained everything to Mirna, I placed objects around the area. First, I showed her how it was done. After several demonstrations, it was her turn to repeat what I had done. As I had thought, just like my son, Mirna was able to complete the task. The final test will be tomorrow. I gathered the items, "Tomorrow at the same time, you will portal here in your physical body. This will tell me if you have indeed learned my first lesson." I informed her. With regret, "That might be a problem!" Mirna said. "That is unfortunate! When is the best time for you?" I inquired. "Weekends are better suited for me! I work long hours during the weekdays. It is the weekend that is free for me!" She explained. I thought about what I had to do this weekend. "I have a few things that need to be completed. I have a suggestion! I will call you once we are done. If you are available, call me back and I will get this location ready for your arrival."